1997

2012

The Comet

The New sletter of K. International School Tokyo

Celebrating 15 years

Volume 16 | Issue 3 | March 2013

In this issue...
ISA results…p. 2

Middle school spelling bee…p. 11

Ways to help your child if bullied…p. 3

Library news…p. 12

MYP personal project exhibition…p. 6

Art news…p. 14

MUN near east scrimmage…p. 7

Karuta at KIST…p. 15

Inquiries in Grades 2 and 3…p. 8

Middle school brain bowl...p. 16

Spotlight on clubs…p. 10

Alumni reports…p. 17, 18“Educa
discov tion is a proeignor ry of our o gressive
ance.”
wn—Wi
ll Durant

From the Head of School

DATES TO REMEMBER

The cold weather is gradually coming to an end. I hope you are all enjoying thechange in season.
In the playground at school, there is a plum tree blossoming silently. Have you
noticed it? Our campus is indeed not large; however, if you look around
carefully, you will find many different kind of plants. In April, the cherry trees
will bloom, followed by the azaleas in May. Other varieties of trees and plants
will flower progressively throughout spring including pine trees, cypress,
ginkgo, podocarp, Chinese citron, crabapple, cycad, wisteria, grapes,
pomegranate, date, Juniperus chinensis, and finally, the tallest tree on
campus, the paulownia with light purple flowers will blossom at the beginningof summer. Are you able to locate where these trees are on campus?
Greenery and flowers allow us to feel a deep sense of relaxation and security. I
hope you enjoy the seasonal changes we see in the trees and other plants on
campus over the coming months.
It has already been two years since the Great East Japan Earthquake struck
the Tohoku region. I still remember how desolated the area was when wevisited there to help the tsunami victims. At that time, I was utterly speechless.
Those memories and experiences remind me daily that the life andenvironment I enjoy now should never be taken for granted.
I try to appreciate every moment of my day-to-day life. I refresh my mind andsoul by getting in touch with nature and replenishing myself with its gifts. I
strive to be a person who can express appreciation by helping others. This
year, similar to last year, we participated in a moment of silence on March 11
to commemorate the lives of the victims of the earthquake and those who arestill suffering, and for the speedy recovery of the affected areas. By
remembering this day, it is my sincere hope that each and every member ofthe school community will consider these points with a new outlook.
Finally, we are currently incorporating new initiatives in many different areas inorder to further improve the school’s programs in the next academic year. Our
explanation sessions for parents held in February were very well attended and
I was delighted to receive many positive comments from parents. Please
remember that I am always open to receiving any comments or proposals you
may have, so please feel free to contact me directly.
Yoshishige Komaki
Head of School
KIST Learning for Life KIST Learning for Life KIST Learning for Life

March 2013
15 (G1-G12) Clubs program ends
20 Student-led conferences
23-31 Spring break

April 2013
1 School resumes
8 (G1-G12) Clubs program
resumes
12 (G10) DP subject options
evening
15 School photographs (New andabsent students)
17 (G6-G10) Math field day
24-25 (G5) PYP exhibition
26 (G12) Last day of classes
29 School day

May 2013
2-22 (G12) DP examinations
3-6 Golden Week vacation
16 (W) Free dress day
22-23 Concert rehearsals
24 KIST on Stage (School concerts)
24 (G12) Semester 2 reports issued
29-31 (G9-G11/EIC) Semester 2
examinations
29 PTA annual general meeting
30 (G4-G5) Track-and-field event
31 (G1-G12) Clubs program ends

June 2013
1
3
5
6
7

Family Day
School holiday(S/EIC) SRC dance(G12) Graduation rehearsal(G12) Graduation ceremony

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ISA Results

New Faces

In October of this school year the International Schools’
Assessment (ISA) was conducted with our Grades 3 to
9 students. The individual results for this assessment
were sent to all students with the Semester 1 report.
We have graphed the averages of each grade level inorder to compare our results internationally. The
averages were compiled from the test results of over
31,000 students from 122 schools in 50 countries. The
summarized graphs of the overall results in terms of
averages for each grade level have been forwarded
separately with this edition of The Comet.

Over the last few weeks, we have welcomed a numberof new staff members to our team. On behalf of theschool community, we wish you all the best in your new
positions at KIST and look forward to working with you.

The graphs have been arranged to include the resultsof KIST students (in blue), the results of schools who
have a similar ratio of students learning English as anadditional language (in red) and the results of all
schools (in green) as in the example below.
One of the major purposes of giving the externally
graded assessment is to guide the improvement ofteaching and learning at KIST. Based on the data we
received from last year’s ISA results we have been
making steps to improve the teaching and learning ofreading in the Elementary School. This year all
Elementary School teachers took part in a professional
development workshop led by internationally-known
education consultant Carrie Ekey on the Reader’sWorkshop. In order to support this program we havepurchased an extensive volume of grade-appropriate
books for each classroom’s library. Based on thisyear’s data we will focus on the teaching and learningof writing. Professional development opportunities forthe upcoming school year will include aspects of theWriter’s Workshop.
The addition of literacy resources in classrooms,
ongoing professional development in the area ofreading, and professional development opportunities
we are planning for next year, we expect to see ourstudents learn and progress even further.
Kevin Yoshihara
Elementary School Principal

Christie Chung has joined the
Elementary School as a new K3
teacher.
“Hello, KIST members! I’m Ms
Chung and I came to Japan lastsummer from New Jersey. I’m very
happy to be here at KIST as
everyone I’ve met here so far has
been caring and supportive! I look forward to theremaining school year with my wonderful K3B family!”
Cecille Orquiola has joined theSecondary School as a new MYP/DP technology teacher.
“Hello everyone! Thank you for thewarm welcome. My name is CecilleOrquiola [or-kyo'-la] and I teach
MYP and DP Technology, afascinating subject that you must
look up one day. This is my 12th year of teaching K-12.
In a previous life, I worked as a commercial artist and I
originally taught HS Art. Then I taught various othersubjects, including Technology, in local and overseas
schools. I'm pleased to join the KIST family and hope
to meet everyone over time. I also hope to immerse
myself more into the wonderful and creative Japaneseculture and language.”
Timothy Smith has joined the
Elementary School as a new
Teacher’s Assistant for K2.
“Hello everyone. My name’s Tim
Smith from Birmingham, England.
I‘ve been living and working inJapan as a teacher for almost eight
years and I’m delighted to now join
the KIST team. Please say hello if
you see me as I am looking forward to meeting you all.
Thank you.”
Makiko Whittaker has joined theoffice team as the school nurse.
“Hello. I’m Maki Whittaker, the newschool nurse. I have been working
at KIST since January 10.
Previously, I worked as a nurse inpediatrics, in a neonatal intensive
care unit, and in obstetrics andgynecology. I enjoy seeing all the children at school fullof energy and hope to create an environment in thenurse’s room to care for them and keep them safe.”

“ T h e C o m et ”

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Elementary School News
Elementary classroom libraries
Back in September of this school year, we were fortunate
enough to have Carrie Ekey, an internationally known
educational consultant specializing in literacy instruction, comeand lead a professional development workshop for our
Elementary staff. In order to improve the teaching and learningof literacy, she recommended that we expand our classroom
libraries.
Through a joint effort with the KIST PTA, we have been able topurchase over 200 new grade-level appropriate books for eachclassroom. Ms Heard, our PYP Coordinator, orchestrated thebook selection and tirelessly processed this amazing volume
of books with our librarian, Ms Findlay, our teachers, and many
parent volunteers. These books are currently being moved intoclassrooms for teacher and student use. I
would like to thank the PTA and everyone who
worked to make this welcome addition to ourclassrooms a reality. Thank you!
Kevin Yoshihara
Elementary School Principal

Ways to Help your Child if Bullied
As a parent, one of your major concerns may be what
to do if your child is bullied. Bullying can hinder achild’s academic, social and emotional well-being. If
your child confides in you or you are aware thatbullying is occurring at school, firstly immediately give
your child positive reinforcement; for example, praisethem for being brave enough to talk about it andreiterate that it is not their fault. Listen to your child andask your child to explain the situation and what
happened. You may get emotional and want toimmediately help your child, but try to remain calm andlisten actively to provide support so they feel heard.
The next step is to get the facts and see if your child
was a target of bullying or perhaps they also
contributed to the conflict somehow. At that point you
can help your child brainstorm ways to respond to abully. Some parents simply tell their children what theyshould do next time they’re targeted by a bully;
however, that doesn’t do much to boost theirconfidence in their own ability to handle a situation.
Instead of telling your child what to do, involve them inbrainstorming ideas about how to handle a bully. This
will make them feel empowered and cultivate selfconfidence.
These are some strategies recommended by Mr
Fishman that students are familiar with:
Seek help - Talk with parents, a teacher or Mr
Fishman and get help when you are struggling with abullying situation.
Assert yourself - Stand up for yourself in a positive

manner, try using, “I Messages”
for example, “I felt angry when
you announced to the class that I
failed the math exam, I wasembarrassed, please do not dothat again.”Positive self-talk - After you have been hurt in abullying situation, it is time to build yourself up andthink positive about the situation that occurred andknow that you have a choice in what you think and feel
about yourself. Quote - “Remember, no one can makeyou feel inferior without your consent.” Eleanor
Roosevelt
Go see Mr Fishman for assistance - He can provide
additional strategies and support.
Report the incident to Mr Yoshihara or Mr Rothkopf.
These strategies and recommendations will be helpful,but staying connected with your child and keeping thelines of communication open are paramount inmaintaining a positive relationship with your child aswell as establishing trust so your child always feels
comfortable seeking your help as a parent.
Feel free to contact Mr Fishman for a meeting todiscuss isolated bullying situations that you may needadditional help and assistance.
Benjamen Fishman
Student Welfare Counselor3

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PYP News
Elementary assemblies
This year the Elementary School implemented student-led assemblies. These assemblies are an opportunity
for students to share, celebrate and demonstrate theirlearning. Each class is responsible for presenting an
assembly to the rest of the Elementary students.
Students are directly involved in the organization,planning and preparation of their assembly and are
responsible for leading and facilitating each assembly.
Approximately two times each month the schoolgathers together to hear about the learning that has
been taking place in other classrooms. So far we have
had classes present skits, speeches, PowerPoint
presentations, books and songs. They have shared
about their units of inquiry, the learner profile, theattitudes, recess rules, literacy and maths. We havealso had some excellent musical performances
including recorder, ocarina and piano.
The assemblies have been a great way for the
Elementary School to build a community and topromote school spirit and pride. Students areshowcasing their presentation and communication
skills, as well as showing confidence and enthusiasm.
They also give our students the opportunity to develop
their listening skills.
Assemblies occur most regular Tuesdays at 2:30 p.m.
Our next assembly is Tuesday, March 19. Please feel
free to stop by. Parents and siblings are always
welcome.

Elementary SRC
The ESRC has been working continually throughout
the year to solve problems and to provide the students
in the Elementary School a voice. The ESRC hastaken on the challenge of organizing recess games.
The ESRC wanted to give students some more ideasof what to do at recess. They organize games threetimes a week which includes setting up the equipment
and teaching the game. They have been working
together to solve problems and to make the games
better and better each week.
The ESRC has organized and led Octopus Tag, Duck,
Duck Goose, Turtle Tag, Cops and Robbers andClone Tag, just to name a few. The games have beena great success. They are helping the students have
fun on the playground and are providing opportunities
for students to engage with students they might notnormally play with.
Many thanks to the ESRC for all of
their time and effort they have put in toorganizing the games.
Elizabeth HeardPYP Coordinator“ T h e C o m et ”

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Secondary School News
PTA helping create music
Last year an even greater
cooperation with the PTA (Parent
Teacher Association) became
quite evident with their support ofsuch events as Mother Tongue
Language Day, Model United
Nations, Winter Concert and the
Parent/Teacher get-togethers toname just a few events. The PTA
has been meeting regularly andsending minutes to all parents via
school e-mail, but the full picture of
how learning is affected is notalways fully appreciated. I wanted
to take this opportunity to formallythank the PTA for their generous
support of the Secondary Music
Program. Last year the PTA
approached me with a “Principal’s
Wish List” and approved muchneeded musical instruments for themusic
department.
The items
pictured were
all donated by
the PTA.

Alumni benevolenceContinuing on a musical theme,
earlier this month one of our 20112012 graduates visited our school
and gave a totally unexpected
donation to our music department.
Cameron Bauer donated one of his
older electric bass guitars and a
new electric guitar. Many willremember Cameron as a budding
young musician and we sincerely
appreciate his
generosity andhappy to see sucha good heart
matched with hismusical talents.
Pictured are two of
our Grade 12 DPmusic students with
the new additions.

Chess club parentalorganizer
In other news, Mr Gupta (parent of
two G8 students) helped revive our
Chess Club and has agreed tosupervise the club in the upcoming
3rd season of clubs. As with all
clubs, a parent can help but must
contact the appropriate Area

Principal to ensure appropriate
structure and scheduling which
includes working with a teacher. Mr
Gupta approached me early insemester 1 and we were able tobegin the club during the 2nd clubseason. Thank you Mr Gupta andEnglish Subject Area Coordinator
Ms Cahill for your efforts!

Textbook exchange 2013
Textbooks are indeed costly andthe secondary school trialed
several textbook exchange ideasthat worked very well last year,
receiving positive responses and,as such, a more encompassing
exchange will be offered this June.
The basic idea is to offer an
opportunity where students moving
on to higher grade levels or
graduating can sell their textbooks
to other students moving up gradelevels at a used market rate inwhich there is need. This should
be of interest to students movingfrom Grade 5 to Grade 6 andsubsequent movement between
Grades 6 to10 and of course
Grade 11 students moving to theDP.
The school developed a suggested
pricing scheme, but all sales willcontinue to be between the seller
and buyer in which the school does
not take any responsibility. Last
year, our trial DP Book Exchange
was conducted after school as tominimize class disruption. We plan
to do something similar, as below,
but expand this model to include
not only DP textbooks but also

MYP mathematics and science
textbooks the last week of school.
The 2013-2014 Textbook/Digital
Supply List will be updated by the
middle of May and this will be
distributed to all families via e-mailbefore the actual textbook
exchange. It is important forfamilies to check the updated
textbook lists as they are subject tochange. Even if a particular
textbook is no longer being used,parents may still find value in older
textbooks for additional support asappropriate. All sales will be final inwhich the school is not involved
directly with any purchases
between parties taking part. Pleasestay tuned for more details.

School e-mail for parental
notifications
Over the past two years KIST has
moved to digital distribution for
most school updates and parental
communication from teachers. Are
you using your school Office 365 e-mail account? If not, you may be
missing important messages fromthe school, as this is our primary
way of sending important official
updates regarding all areas of theschool. School e-mail accounts areaccessible via smart phones which
many families find convenient.
Kindly contact our IT office directly
if you need assistance or havequestions regarding username/passwords. If you are on campus
and need help getting your smart
phone configured properly, pleaseask our IT support staff, who arelocated in themain school
office, forassistance.
Stephen Rothkopf
Secondary School Principal

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MYP News
MYP personal project exhibition
Decorating a dorm room for students..., improving yourbasketball skills…, building your own aquarium...; these were
just some of the 37 interesting, challenging and creative
personal projects that were presented by Grade 10 students
at our 5th annual MYP Personal Project Exhibition held on
Friday, March 1 in the school gym.
An amazing variety of different projects presented by authors
themselves revealed the biggest KIST success—educated,knowledgeable and successful young people with creativeideas and great plans for future. This year’s personal
projects showed a vast variety of interests, skills and talentsconnected to each and every IB learner profile attribute andreconfirming the view of education as a continuous inquiry
cycle.
With the guidance of their supervisors, all students
succeeded in satisfying the personal project objectives andexperiencing the final MYP educational task. But what ismore important, through the personal project process, Grade
10 students showed themselves and their community thatthey are ready for all the exciting challenges their future
educational choices might put in front of them.
Vedrana Pavletic
MYP Coordinator

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V o l u me 1 6 | I s s u e 3 | M a rc h 2 0 1 3

MUN Near East Scrimmage
This year’s Model United Nations scrimmage was held
on December 8, 2012. We were very excited to host it
at KIST, and to collaborate with delegates from St
Mary’s International School, Kinnick High, Yokota High,Zama High, Yokohama International School andTamagawa Academy. We started off with a welcoming
speech in the gym, where we, as the co-secretary
generals, officially opened the conference. We also
conducted a discussion for the delegates with two
guests: Mr Tom Duval, an official with the US embassyand Mr Rock Cheung, outreach manager for the USJapan Council’s Tomodachi Initiative. Both men had
MUN experience themselves and shared theirextensive experience of applying MUN-skills in the realworld.
Following the opening ceremony, the delegates spent
the day in one of four UN Councils. Each student
worked as ambassador, representing the interest of
their country in debate. In addition to the country
delegates, Kouta (G10B) served as co-chair of the
Security-Council.
Each council discussed and debated a range of issues:
General Assembly
1. Dealing with territorial disputes in the South China
Sea
2. Protection of the Arctic and Antarctic
ECOSOC
1. Measures to reduce the number of people who
suffer from hunger
2. The return or restitution of cultural property to thecountries of origin
Human Rights Council
1. Valuing, respecting and supporting the lives ofindigenous peoples
2. Measures to prevent violence against women inareas of conflict
Security Council
1. The situation in Syria
2. The dispute over the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands
between China and Japan

Throughout the day, all students enjoyed the caucuses,
while adhering to MUN procedures. We saw great
enthusiasm from all KIST students who participated,and many new friendships were formed. This was aparticularly successful conference, as each council
passed at least one resolution by the end of the day.
After the caucuses in the five different councils, we allcame together in the gym at the end of the day foreach council to share what they had accomplished.
Many thanks to the students who helped asadministrative assistants and to the Yearbook
photographers who worked hard during the day’s
events. We hope more students will participate in MUN
next year and make it even more successful!
Ria and Monica (G12A)

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Inquiries in Grades 2 and 3
The past few months have been very busy in theelementary school. The end of the semester, holiday
celebrations, field trips, new units of study,
influenza, goodbyes and introductions, have allcome and gone. Grades 2 and 3 have been no
exception.
In Grade 2, we are currently exploring the effects ofelectricity on modern technology. Students haveresearched sources of energy and how they areused to produce electricity. The students are also
learning how to use the scientific process to test the
conductivity of different materials. In addition, we arerefining our comparison and contrast skills by
supporting sides to the “War of the Currents”
between Thomas (Direct Current) and Nikola Tesla(Alternating Current). The unit will be capped off by
a trip to a science museum.
Grade 3 has just finished their unit of inquiry “Howwe express ourselves” which proved to be
informative as well as entertaining. This provided a
wealth of artistic outlets for the students to explore.
The summative assessment task involved creating adance connected to a self-written song while
presenting artwork as a backdrop for theirpresentations. Throughout the unit, students strove
to demonstrate how culture is conveyed throughvarious mediums. Learning experiences included an
excursion to The National Museum of Modern Art,
where the students were able to view a variety ofpaintings and sculptures.
In line with our inquiries, we were lucky to havevisitors that demonstrated a very special form of amartial art called capoeira. This is related to fighting
arts like karate or taekwondo except that it is set tomusic and appears to be more of a dance than aprotective skill. The instruments were very distinctive
and produced a wonderful accompaniment to thestylized movements of the dance. The students got
a chance to join in on the movements at the end of
the presentation.
Anthony Theilen
Grades 2 and 3 Team Leader, Grade 2 Teacher

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“ T h e C o m et ”

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9DP News
Grade 11: Extended essay
presentations

Grade 12: DP mock exams

On Friday, March 1, Grade 11
students gave presentations insmall groups that outlined their
Extended Essay (EE) topic andresearch conducted so far.
The EE is an in-depth independent research
assignment where students are given the opportunity to
explore an academic topic that interests them. The EE
is a compulsory aspect of the IB Diploma as it develops
student skills of research and time management andtheir intellectually curiosity. Ultimately, students
produce an essay of between 3,000 and 4,000 words
on a research question that they develop themselvesfrom their chosen topic.
Grade 11 parents can help support their son/daughterby finding out about the EE on Moodle. The DP
Extended Essay Moodle page has all the resourcesthat parents need to support their child. Students will
also show their parents their EE presentations on
March 20 as part of their SLC Portfolio.
The next important deadline in the process is in the
middle of May when students need to have completed
a first draft of their EE for verbal feedback from theirsupervisor.
There are some fascinating topics and researchquestions and we look forward to hearing what theGrade 11 students find out!
Mark CoweEE Coordinator

In the middle of February, Grade 12 had one of their
toughest weeks at KIST! They took their IB Diploma
mock exams which are designed as anotherassessment to give them an awareness of theiracademic performance, but also to give them practicefor their final IB Diploma examinations which take place
later in the year in May. Students had exams for six
days in a row, some of which lasted for four or five
hours. The final exams in May should seem much moremanageable compared to this experience.
The Grade 12 mock exams will also be an importantpart of the Grade 12 Semester 2 report. Parents will
also be informed of their child’s mock result, either bydirectly accessing the school’s information databasesystem PowerSchool or by receiving a brief paper
report with all the mock grades.
G12 parents can also ask their son/daughter about
their final exam schedule as each of the students
already has their individual schedule for their different
examinations in May. Unfortunately, there is no Golden
Week holiday for G12 students as many of them will
have exams on Friday, May 3 and Monday, May 6, butthey can celebrate the end of two years hard work at
the end of this month when they will be finished withregular classes after their last exams and can lookforward to graduation!
Mark Cowe
IB Diploma Coordinator

Ferdinand Licuanan
Teacher-Librarian

Calendar 2013-2014
To assist families planningoverseas trips, the dates ofschool vacation periods for the
2013-2014 school year are
listed below. Families are
asked to make arrangements
accordingly to ensure that students are backin Japan ready to start school after eachvacation period on the correct date. The
complete calendar will be distributed in June.
First day of school: August 19
Autumn break: October 27 – November 3
Winter vacation: December 14 – January 6
Spring break: March 22 – 30
Golden Week: May 3 – 6
Last day of school: June 11

KIST on Stage
This year, due to venue availability issues, the school
concerts, “KIST on Stage”, will be held at Funabori Tower Hall
on Friday, May 24, 2013. Attendance is compulsory for all
students. The day will be divided into three sections:
Lower School Concert (K1 to G1): 10:30 - 12:00
Elementary Concert (G2 to G5): 1:30 - 3:30
Secondary Concert (G6 to G12): 5:00 - 8:00
Auditions for the Secondary Concert and for the special
performance items for the Elementary Concert will be heldsoon after the spring break. Students should see their musicteacher for more information.
Further details about the concerts will be distributed to allfamilies in May.

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Spotlight on Clubs

Secondary SRC

Zumba club

The Secondary SRC has had another busy andexciting few months, as we’ve just hosted a winterdance, the Snow Ball, and released our first issue ofthe new student-run newsletter, KISTeens. We are also
busy revising and amending the constitution, andwriting and submitting proposals for new aspects ofstudent life. We meet twice a week, every Friday after
school in the art room, with the whole SRC (20members), and once a week beforehand with theexecutives for planning purposes.

The Zumba club, which is led by
Mrs Zornosa, is a Latin inspired
club that provides an opportunity
for Elementary students to learn
basic dancing skills of salsa,
merengue, bachata and cumbia.
Besides learning how to dance,
students have been learning how
to identify the different beats of
Latin music and expressing
themselves by making up body movements using thedifferent types of rhythms.

The return of an old friend
Chess Club is back in KIST this term thanks to theefforts of the dedicated and very knowledgeable Mr
Gupta. With it comes one of the few opportunities that a
Grade 6 student has to not only be equal with, but also
to trounce, a Grade 12 student. The sighs fly with thepieces. It’s a supportive, friendly and quietly combativeenvironment that welcomes
students of all ages and abilities.
Some students have played foryears, some only for weeks.
Games are played, tactics
discussed and puzzles agonizedover to help develop students`
strategic awareness. Above all it’s
fun and not at all threatening. All
are welcome to Room 201 on
Fridays at 3.30 p.m.

The winterSnow Balldance was a
big success,with over 130
attendees! We
made 30,507
yen net profit,
which we hope
to use towards
the outcome of(Photograph courtesy of Azzam)
our current proposals.
The full financial report,
prepared by our Treasurer, Min (G11B), can be foundin the SRC page on Moodle under the Secondary Blog.
The Snow Ball dance featured many events including
student acoustic performances, a limbo game, and a
Dance King and Queen competition. We served foodand beverages, and our pizza and hot dogs sold out
halfway through the dance!
We also released our first issue of KISTeens, the firstnewsletter, which was e-mailed to all the students andfeatures articles about student clubs, activities andevents, C&S and CAS opportunities, and more. We
also have a printed copy in the art room, so feel free tostop by and read through it.
The SRC has developed several proposals, which if
approved, will be posted on the Secondary Blog.
Proposals are written by SRC members and thenreviewed by the Secondary Principal who thenpresents them to the school’s management team forapproval. Our most recent approved proposal is incommemoration of the 3/11/11 Tohoku earthquake, todonate funds raised towards earthquake relief (specificcharity/etc. yet to be decided). Students and teachers
are asked to donate 200 yen if participating and wear
the colors of the Japanese flag (red & white).
Also, we encourage and welcome any students to start
dialogue with SRC members with any more ideas,suggestions, or comments they may have, at any time!
Monica (G12A)
SRC President

V o l u me 1 6 | I s s u e 3 | M a rc h 2 0 1 3“ T h e C o m et ”

Middle School Spelling Bee
KIST middle school students spent the month of January
studying for the annual middle school spelling bee.
Language teachers designed special assignments to workon vocabulary, pronunciation and general use of spelling ineveryday writing. Each grade level held their own formal
spelling bee to select participants for the school-widecompetition.
The students selected were: Emiri (G6A), Ikumi (G6A), Jin
Il (G6A), Igor (G6A), Rachel (G7A), Kunthu (G7A), Amina(G7B), Lae Eun (G7A), Akshara (G8B), Hardik (G8A),
Saachin (G8B) and Amartya (G8A).
The spelling bee was held on Friday, February 8 during theschool day, and 5th grade students joined the middle
school students and parents to watch. This year thecompetition was especially difficult, each of the 12 spellers
made it through the first three rounds. Emiri finished in 5thplace making it through to the 10th round. Lae Eun finished
4th making it to the 13th round. Amina was 3rd place andfought very hard all the way to the 16th round. The final two
rounds were both 8th grade students, Akshara andSaachin. The atmosphere was tense in the gym as bothstudents continued to spell each difficult word perfectly.
They completed 25 rounds against each other.
The judges used every word on the list provided by Scripps
Spelling Bee, including words like ichthyosaur,geosynchronous, thermotropism, quintessense,deluginous and oscilloscope. Finally, at round 41, thejudges had to ask for a dictionary to be brought in, and thefinal, winning spelling word was segregationist.
The winner of the KIST Middle School Spelling Bee was
Saachin. Saachin’s parents were in attendance. We are allvery proud of his effort and the dedication that all of theparticipants showed in improving their English language
skills.

PTA Bellmark Committee
The PTA Bellmark Committee would like to thank all KIST families for your efforts to collect Bellmark
signs from your everyday products. We gather and count all the Bellmark signs, ink cartridges andTetra Pak cartons you bring to school and send them periodically to The Bellmark Foundation. As of
December 2012, our point total was 27,430. One point collected is equivalent to 1 yen worth of goods.
When we have a large enough amount, the points will be used to purchase supplies and equipment
for our school.
As the Bellmark collection boxes in the school entrance area and next to the school office keep fillingup thanks to your good work, we are preparing to send the next lot shortly. Please keep up the goodwork and continue to look for Bellmark signs around your house, in your fridge, in the convenience
store, in the supermarket and in your office… and bring them in! Ink cartridges, toner (Epson, Brotherand Canon only) and Tetra Pak cartons in particular give many points.
We will keep you updated about the progress in future issues of The Comet and through KIST ECommunications.
PTA Bellmark Committee

11

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V ol u me 16 | I s s ue 3 | M arc h 20 13

Library News
Oooops! We did it again...
The 2nd International Mother Language
Day on February 21 was a big success. Withlots of concurrent activities, the celebration
included the participation of elementary andsecondary students, parents and several
embassies. The celebration started with anational costume parade in the morning in whichelementary students wore colorful traditional costumes
and waved national flags on the field. The Arts andCulture Exhibition inside the MPR included artwork
created by elementary and secondary students. The
exhibition also showcased crafts lent by parents andour friends from the Cameroon, Canada and Mexico
embassies. Meanwhile, the multimedia display ofdances from around the world and new items in theWorld Languages collection was popular with students.

What else is coming up?
Forthcoming events for students include the Sakura
Medal Book Challenge, Sakura Art Contest and Sakura
Book Trailers. These contests will be organized by thelibrarians and teachers from many international schools
in Japan. If you are interested in joining these activities,
check-out the Elementary and LMC Moodle pages.
Important dates of upcoming activities:
March 22 – Due date for Sakura art entries. Submit
your artwork to Ms Anna (Elementary Library) or Mr
Andi (LMC).
April 12 – Due date for Sakura voting forms. For
secondary students, use the pink Hungry Readers
booklet and look for the dropbox in the LMC.

Marketplace for textbooks

This year there was more participation of secondary
students, who volunteered as MYP and DP speakers toteach 10 words of their mother-tongue to elementary
classes. Likewise, we also had more parents who wereable to spare some time to read stories to theelementary students in German, Danish, Turkish,
Spanish and Hindi. Students were very interested inhearing the stories told in another language, thenexplained in English. In the LMC, the secondary school
students had the opportunity to see a demonstrationand play “Karuta”, a traditional Japanese card game.
This game is becoming increasingly popular in Japanand is a great way to connect with language andculture.
All of the participants received a certificate as a token
of appreciation, and the winning entries of the artworkcompetition received an iTunes card. These werekindly sponsored by the PTA Library Committee. The
winners of the secondary school artwork competition
were: Sara (G7A), Seo Yeon (G7B—represented byher sister, Chae Youn) and Makoto (G12A).
Again, many thanks to the PTA Cultural Connections
Committee and the Library Committee, parents,
secondary students and school staff who volunteered
their time to help out with this great event. Students
really enjoyed connecting with their own and other’slanguages, and celebrating cultural diversity at KIST.
You can view photographs of the national costume
parade, arts exhibition, parent-storytelling and MYP/DP
speakers on the Elementary Library Moodle page.

The LMC will be setting up a ‘marketplace’ forsecondary students to buy and sell used textbooks.
This will be a chance for you to buy and sell used
textbooks to save money. We will be distributing moredetails on this activity in coming months.

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V o l u me 1 6 | I s s u e 3 | M a rc h 2 0 1 3

Staff 10!

Office Updates

In this month’s Staff
10!, we are pleased topresent Ferdinand(Andi) Licuanan who
joined KIST in 2011 as
our teacher-librarian.

Bicycle parking for parents
Mr Andi posing in front of the welcome banner on
International Mother Language Day.

 Tell us something interesting about your hometown.

Manila is the place where I was born, raised and educated. I grew up in aneighborhood where kids play on the streets, climb trees and enjoy
snacks with friends anytime of the day from a sari-sari store (a smallscale retail business usually owned by a family). My house is only 10
minutes on foot to my school and 10 minutes by jeep (a popular type of
local transportation) to Malacanang, the Philippine President’s official
residence. I always go back to Manila whenever I get the chance
especially on occasions like feast day, Christmas and New Year’s Evecelebrations. These are the exciting days I always look forward to when I
am working overseas.

 What is your favorite place in the world?

Norway ranked first (its third year in a row) in the happiest countries of
the world based on Forbes (2013). It is also my favorite place in the world
where I plan to visit someday. I would love to see the aurora borealis (thedancing Northern lights of Norway). I’ve always dreamed of lying down
on a rooftop to witness the beauty of the night sky while eating butteredpopcorn and listening to the music of Enya. This natural phenomenon
gives me hope, and inspires me spiritually by appreciating the wonder ofnature.

 Who would you like to meet if you had the chance andwhy?

Michael Jackson – I grew up listening to his music. Given the chance tomeet him, I would tell him how thankful I am for his contribution to music.
His numerous top-of-the-chart songs and struggles in life were myinspiration to live and achieve my dreams when I was still young. I felt
connected with the messages of his music.

 Do you have any special skills or talents?

I have talents in singing and dancing. I keep them balanced ever since I
was kid. I joined chorale groups since elementary and a dance club inhigh school. While in college, I was a dance choreographer and a directorof many college events. I think those were the places I learnt my talents
in singing and dancing.

 Please share a little known fact about yourself.

I am the youngest among 8 other siblings. Yes! I come from a big family.
I have 6 sisters and 2 brothers. I have so many wonderful memories
when the whole family was seated together including my in-laws,
nephews and nieces on our long dining table. It’s like a feast every lunch
and dinner time.

13

The bicycle spaces to theside of the school entrance
are for parents and children
who are picking anddropping off students andfor parents who have otherduties at the school only.
Recently, some parents have been leaving
their bicycles at the school while they go towork or run other personal errands. For suchsituations we kindly ask that you use thepublic parking spaces at the train station. The
school parking spaces are limited and should
only be used for short-term visits such as
picking up children or when visiting the school
to complete School Support Program duties.

One-way traffic agreement
The road outside theschool entrance isextremely narrow, but
officially it is not a one-way
road. As we havementioned in previous
issues of The Comet, however, there is an
informal agreement between residents andbusinesses in the local neighborhood such as
the supermarket and drug store that
promotes the road as being one way.
At the end of school each day, there are often
traffic hazards involving oncoming cars andparked cars outside the school gate. To
ensure a safe environment for all, KIST
families are also asked for their cooperationin adhering to the one-way policy travelling in
the correct direction as follows: What is your most prized possession?

All vehicles should enter the road off
Kiyosubashi-dori near the Comfort Hoteland exit onto Kiyosumi-dori near
Akafudado.

 What words would you use to describe yourself

Student absences If you could live your life again, would you do anything
differently?

Families are reminded that absence
notifications should be e-mailed directly to theschool office at info@kist.ed.jp, not to classteachers.

I am a sentimental person. I always treasure gifts given to me by myloved ones and friends on special occasions. I kept them back home in
Manila and some of them are still displayed in my room. Those objects
are my most prized possessions that remind me of love, friendship andhow important I am to those people around me.
My friends would always describe me as smart, understanding and anachiever. That is also how I see myself.
I am happy the way it was. All the past experiences I have had in my life
whether good or bad have brought me to the place where I am right now.
And I am satisfied with that.

 Is there anything you are trying to learn/improve about
yourself at the moment?

I am taking my Master of Education right now. I know this will help me
professionally as the teacher-librarian. One of my greatest fears is being
left behind in technology by my students. These studies will improve myknowledge and skills in teaching and learning for 21st century learners.

 Do you have any special message for your fansThis world we live in is a big place for all of us. You just need to find yourown spot and live a happy life. No need to compete, envy or judge
someone. Remember these words: Dream. Believe. Survive and Be
Happy.

E-Communications
Official school notices distributed via ECommunications are sent from thecontacts@kist.ed.jp address. Please beaware that this is a sending address only.
Any messages you send to this address will
not be received by the school. All general email should be sent to info@kist.ed.jp.

14“The Comet”

Art News
Artscape 2013
As it is the beginning of March, we enter Artscapeseason. This will be KIST’s 6th year participating in thisevent. A selection of outstanding student art between
Grades 5 and 12 will be on exhibition for 3 weeks
beginning March 1. All students, parents, staff andcommunity members are cordially invited to support
KIST’s student artists and art department by visiting theexhibition between the dates shown below.
Artscape is a celebration of the creative
accomplishments and inquiry of students frominternational schools across the Kanto Plains region.
Over 300 works of art are on display ranging from 2D
work to 3D work, and even some video! The National
Children’s Castle (Kodomo-no Shiro) on the cusp of
Shibuya and Omotesando has been the Artscapeexhibition venue
Artscape 2013
for many years.
We are graciously
March 1 - 17, 2013
invited once again
Opening hours:
to show student
Tuesday - Friday 12:30 - 17:30
work at thisSaturday/Sunday 10:00 - 17:00
prestigious event.
Closed Mondays
Admission is free, National Children’s Castle, Aoyama
however, venue
http://artscapekanto.com
hours are specific.

DP visual arts exhibition
April 5, Room 201, 5-7 p.m., KIST Gymnasium
On behalf of Grade 12 Visual Arts students, I would
like to invite all students, parents, staff andcommunity members to the 2013 Exam Exhibition of
student artwork. There is a delightful variety of very
well crafted work from 10 of our student artists thisyear. Early evening of Friday, April 5 will be the only
day available for viewing the totality of the 2 years ofwork students have created, in the school gym. All
are cordially invited to an informal reception to view
the student artwork between 5 and 7 p.m.
In addition to the exhibition, a selection of work will
be displayed around campus following theexamination date. I am happy to report that we have
two graduates pursuing arts degrees this year, andone pursuing a degree in architecture. The excellent
portfolio work that led to the post-secondary
aspirations of these students will be on display.
Thank you for supporting the arts at KIST.
Daryl Bates
Secondary Subject Area Coordinator—The Arts

DP Visual Arts Exhibition
Friday, April 5, 2013
5:00 - 7:00 p.m.
KIST Gymnasium

V ol u me 16 | I s s ue 3 | M arc h 20 13

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V o l u me 1 6 | I s s u e 3 | M a rc h 2 0 1 3

Karuta at KISTOn February 21, the Japanese Department and
KIST Libraries welcomed guest speakers fromthe Competitive Karuta Association. This
provided a great opportunity for students tofamiliarize themselves with the Japanese gameof karuta.
Karuta is a game that is traditionally played
during New Year in Japan. There are many
variations such as Iroha Karuta, Hyakunin Isshu
Karuta, Hiragana Karuta and Toudofuken
Karuta and it is a great introduction to
Japanese language and culture while also
having fun.
Amongst the games, Hyakunin Isshu Karuta(literally - 100 people, 1 poet) has developed
into a competitive sport which focuses on
testing speed and memorization skills. It has
become increasingly popular in recent times
due to the popular comic, Chihayafuru which isbased on players of the game. Bilingualversions of the comic are currently available forloan from the LMC.
The guests on the day were made up of top
ranking karuta players/readers. Students,
teachers, and parents were amongst thevisitors who came to watch the practicematches held during lunch break and were
surprised at the speed of which the combatants
were able to grab a card upon hearing the
song.

“

I had no idea that karuta was asport, and to be honest, I didn’t takeit too seriously. But seeing thevisitors here today from the Karuta
Association has changed myperception entirely. I now think it’s acool sport!

”

In the afternoon during their Japanese classes
in Blocks 3 and 4, G9 and G10 students
received an introductory explanation about thegame and competing in practice matches, andwere even able to try out karuta for themselves.
The Japanese Department and KIST Libraries
would like to thank the PTA Library Committee
and PTA Events Committee for their assistanceon the day. Practice sessions are currently
being scheduled with the aim of competing at
the next International Mind Sports Tournamentin August in Yokohama. Those who areinterested should contact G10 students, Kouta
or Tatsuya, or ask Kamo-sensei.

15

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“The Comet”

V ol u me 16 | I s s ue 3 | M arc h 20 13

Sports Update

Middle School Brain Bowl

This year, KIST athletes have been busy
representing their school at many sporting
events.

Four of the five Great Lakes border on Canada. Which one does
not? Which is greater: 3 cubed or 2 to the 5th power? What is thenational flower of Japan and how many petals does it have? Why
was Kate Middleton hospitalized late 2012? Can you answer
these questions? If so, you can consider yourself brainy enoughfor Middle School Brain Bowl!

Basketball season is coming to an end andboth of our under 18 (U18) basketballteams ended the regular season in firstplace position and are getting ready toenter the playoffs. We expect great results
and hope to bring back both the boys andgirls ISTAA (International Schools of Tokyo
Athletic Association) championshiptrophies. Our U14 teams have been playing
very well and are currently holding winning
records. The U14 final tournament will beheld on March 9. The venue will
be announced at a later date.

On February 5, the Elementary School’s
young swimmers hit the pool at the British
School in Tokyo’s (BST) Showa campus.
We competed in many sprint type races
and had a lot of success against some very
experienced swimmers from other schools.
The BST sprint meet was made up ofswimmers from BST, Nishimachi IS, theMontessori School of Tokyo and KIST.
Congratulations to all our young developing
swimmers. You represented your school
very well.
Coming up in March, we will have ourElementary soccer and mini-basketballteams competing against other schools in
the ISTAA league in some friendly matches
and tournaments.
Please stay up to date with “KIST Sports”
by checking our Moodle page for
information regarding scheduling of
upcoming sporting events.
Go Comets!
Jay Leroy
Athletics Director

Eleven international schools joined KIST on Wednesday,
February 13 to compete in the KPASSP Middle School Brain
Bowl competition. Students were put into teams with students
from other schools and were able to work productively and makenew friends. It was a full day of fun games, group activities and ofcourse the ever-popular buzzer round on stage. By the end of theday, we were all surely brain-fried.
A big congratulations to all students at KIST who were involved;
they conducted themselves with maturity and showed great
hospitality all day. In particular, congratulations go to Ellen (G7A)
who placed in the first place team, and Hikaru I (G7B) who
placed in the silver medal team. Hee Yong (G7B), Nikita (G7B),
Rachel (G7A), Sara (G7A), Kevin (G6B) and Johnathan (G6B)
are also to be commended for competing on the day.

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V o l u me 1 6 | I s s u e 3 | M a rc h 2 0 1 3

College Guidance News

Alumnus Report—1

The College Guidance Office is pleased to announce
that admission and scholarship offers are beginning toreach us! Many of the current Grade 12s, who havealready submitted their college applications to the UK,
US, Canada and Asia, are now receiving acceptancenotices. We are happy with our many successes of ourstudents and wish them well.

Aditya Dhara is an alumnus of KIST’s “Class of 2010.”
He is currently in his third year at Northeastern
University in the USA., majoring in mathematics.

KIST Spring College Fair

We will be hosting our first College Fair on March
20, (the same day as the student-led conferences)from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. in the KIST gym.
Representatives from more than twenty universities in
the US, UK, Australia and Japan will participate in thisevent (see the list below). At the fair, you will be able tomeet and talk with admissions officers, faculty
members and alumni members including KIST
graduates. This event is mainly targeted to secondary
school students and parents, but is open to the whole
school, including the elementary school (parents only,
no children please!) Please take advantage of thiswonderful opportunity to gather information about
options after KIST education.
Participating colleges (*indicates display only)
USA: Colgate University, Cornell University, Columbia
University, George Washington University, Harvard
College, Smith College, Wellesley College
UK: British Council, City University of London,*Regents College, University of Kent
Australia: Melbourne University
Japan: Doshisha University, International Christian
University,*Keio University (GIGA),*Lakeland
University, Meiji Gakuin University,Okayama
University, Ritsumeikan University (Kyoto), Ritumeikan
Asia Pacific University, Sophia University, *TamaUniversity, Temple University Japan, Tsukuba
University, Waseda University (SILS)

Upcoming events (open to public)

Education au/in Canada at the Canadian Embassy
www.canada-ryugaku-fair.com
Tuesday, March 19th 17:00-19:30
Wednesday, March 20th 11:00-17:30
Education UK Spring Exhibition at British Council
Monday, April 1st 17:00-21:00.
www.educationuk.jp*Please see their websites for more details

Alumni talks

On February 21, one of KIST’s graduates, Su Ah Lee(2012), a freshman at Seoul National University
returned to KIST to talk about her college experience
with students from G9 to G11 during the lunch break.
On March 1, Paolo Bangit (2012) from Ritsumeikan
Asia Pacific University in Beppu and Reo Matsui (2012)
from Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto, also visited theG11 and G12 classes during lunch to share their newcollege lives.
(Mrs) Keiko Okude
College Guidance Counselor

17

After graduating from KIST in 2010 and moving to the
USA to start my studies at Northeastern University, I
went through more changes in my lifestyle than I
imagined possible. In a nutshell, I moved to a city 14
hours by flight away from home; encountered a polar
opposite culture; and moved into a campus of 15,000
from KIST, which was roughly 400 strong (although
growing rapidly). The change was immense but thewhole experience has been incredible so far.
Northeastern University has a very diverse program.
Even though I am a Math major, I have a course loadthat spans across the academic spectrum, as arequirement from the university. Northeastern’s biggest
feature is its cooperative education (or co-op) program.
The university trains students in applying for jobs andprovides resources to find a 4-6 month long internshipin a position that pertains to many majors of study. This
allows us to experience the corporate world and workup our resumes even before graduation. From July to
December 2012, I had a co-op as an actuary at John
Hancock Insurance Company, during which I had firsthand experience with real market annuity data andmathematical models. The experience was invaluable
also in that I learned about the various applications ofmath in finance.
But apart from the serious coursework, Northeastern
has many things to be proud of: a proud hockey team,an incredible entrepreneurship program and asophisticated list of student organizations. I’ve had thechance to see a hockey game one day and do
community service the next (nursing my throbbing
throat from all the cheering for the Huskies!). As busy
as I am, I still find enough opportunities to be sociable
and try the craziest things. One semester I had thechance to be a major role in a theatre show! It was a lotof fun and an experience I’m sure I'd never get
anywhere else.
I have to admit, the difficulties of living far from homewere pretty daunting, but all the opportunities that
became available to me, everything I’ve had thechance to try, outweighed every such difficulty I’ve
faced. Northeastern has given me a full college
experience and I could not be happier to be here rightnow.
Aditya Dhara
KIST “Class of 2010”
Northeastern University

Students stroke the headof this statue for goodluck before exams or
sporting events.

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V ol u me 16 | I s s ue 3 | M arc h 20 13“The Comet”

Alumnus Report—2
Su Ah Lee is an alumnus of KIST’s “Class of 2012.”
She is currently in her first year at Seoul National
University in Korea.
It has been almost 10 months already since I
graduated from KIST and said farewell to my fellow
colleagues of the Class of 2012. I am currently
attending Seoul National University (SNU) in Korea
where I have studied for a semester now. In this shortamount of time, so much has happened. I thought thatby sharing my experiences while they are fresh in mymind through this article, it would help broaden theviews of the school’s upcoming graduates on what toexpect.
The first thing that dawned on me was the fact that I
was about to leave Tokyo, which had practically
become my home. Leaving behind my friends, family,
home, and the past 18 years of my life, was a very
hard and stressful decision to make at the time. The
next thing that struck me was the fact that I was about
to attend SNU. For the purpose of enabling you to truly
experience what I felt about this, I would like give you avery brief background of the school from theperspective of an average citizen in Korea: SNU is
Korea’s No. 1 university and only the top 2% of highschool graduates from all over the country – geniuses,
really – get the privilege to attend this first-rate school.
I am, by no means, exaggerating nor bragging for thatmatter. This fact only came to me through enormous
stress and anxiety. With these two main problems, I
was stuck in a dilemma. I wanted to stay in Tokyo, but I
also wanted to receive first-rate quality education that
SNU provided. Eventually, trying to convince myselfthat I was making a long-term investment, I settled with
SNU.
Looking back, I was always trying to find reasons tohate the situation that I was in. I hated that I left Tokyo.
I hated that I was living alone and had to do everything
on my own. I hated my small dorm room. I hated that it
was so cold in winter. I hated that the whole school
was on a mountain and it was exhausting to movearound campus. I hated that my lectures, textbooks
and essays were all in Korean. I hated the schoolbuildings. Basically, I hated just about everything. The
typical conversations among students were about theworld economy, or perhaps a serious debate on
Korea’s diplomacy. I still remember receiving my first

Mountain view from SNU.

scores at the endof the semester…
and seriously
considering
whether to transfer
or not(embarrassing, butvery true).

Su Ah (left) with Mr Rothkopf, Mrs Okude
and Ryosuke (Class of 2012).

It was only when I
had finally settled
down, made a few friends, and had slowly begun to beaccustomed to living in Korea and its culture. Yes, I am
yet to adapt to Korean society. Yes, my dorm room istiny. And yes, my GPA is hopeless. But I was taking it
all for granted. I didn’t see how privileged I was to be inthat particular environment that not everyone could
experience. It was always daunting for me to think
about the laborious work and the level of quality thatthe school required, but it was later that I realized thathaving this environment meant a huge improvement in
my life. Having high standards as an average
expectation is quite stressful, but I have started to feelthat I am very much blessed to be in that situation. I
am in an environment where people actually knowwhat contemporary issues or events that are
happening around the world and have constructed theirindividual opinions about it.
All this time, I had been neglecting every opportunity tochallenge and develop myself by confronting thesestandards. Every time my life offered a chance for me
to grow, all I did was complain and slack off. It only
requires a little twist of your perspective to really see
eye to eye with what you are faced with. Sure, I havebad scores but I have learnt rather to be inspired topractice more, learn more, and achieve more by taking
advantage of SNU’s aggressive environment. It is thesecond semester soon, and I have never been moredetermined to challenge myself in whatever obstacle
my university has to offer.
Su Ah Lee
KIST “Class of 2012”
Seoul National University

Su Ah talking with KIST students.