The omet

The New sletter of K. International School Tokyo
Volume 25 | Issue 1 | September 2021

In this issue...
02...Welcome to New Staff

12...Cancer Research and Internship03...IB Diploma Results—July 2021

12...Sustainable Superheroes

06, 07...PYP News: Focus on Reading

14...Coping with Restriction Fatigue

08...Understanding a Growth Mindset

15...Tokyo 2020

09...Japan Children’s Parliament

18...KIST Community Association (CA)

10...MYP News: Exam Results

21...University Acceptances and Offers

From the Head of School

Dates to Remember

Dear KIST Community Members,
Welcome to another school year at KIST! It has been apleasure welcoming our students back to school for the 2021ꟷ22 school year.
As a school, over the past few weeks, we have been involved in discussions
regarding how to best provide our clubs and athletics programs during thecurrent pandemic. In conversations with other schools, it seems we are notalone in this discussion. Many other schools are finding it a challenge toprovide their clubs while navigating safety guidance from the local healthauthorities.
Over the past year and a half, in order to keep our families safe, many of us
have been hesitant to have our children participate in outside sporting clubs
and activities. Many of us have avoided taking our children to sports centers,
local parks, and even playgrounds. Under the current situation, this is very
understandable.
While keeping our families safe, it is important that we also consider the
benefits of regular exercise. According to experts, regular exercise can have apositive impact on learning. In his book titled Spark, The Revolutionary New
Science of Exercise and the Brain, Harvard Medical School professor of
psychiatry, Dr. John J. Ratey, explains three ways in which regular exercise
can improve learning:
1. It can improve alertness, attention, and motivation.
2. It prepares the brain to log new information.
3. It assists in the development of new nerve cells in the hippocampus, anarea of the brain involved in learning and memory.
As Nancy Barile noted in her article on exercise and the brain, “not only
does exercise help the brain get ready to learn, but it actually makes retaining
information easier.”So, under the current pandemic, how can our children get regular exercise
without visiting crowded sports clubs or parks? Luckily for us, there are many
activities our children can take part in either at home or close to home. Hereare some recommended activities that can be done at home to keep ourchildren moving.

September 2021

20 School holiday
23 Staff development day (Noschool for students)
23 (S) MYP information session forG6 and new parents (*Online)
28-29 School photographs
28 (E) PYP information session for
new parents (*Online)
30 (G5) Day camp (*Cancelled!)

October 2021

1 (G9) Day camp (*Postponed!)
2 SAT@KIST
13 (G10) PSAT tests
22 Last day of quarter 1
23 Explanation Day (for prospective
parents)
23-31 Autumn vacation

November 2021

1 School resumes for all students
1 2022-23 admissions applications
open
3 School day
5 (G7) Camp (*Tentative)
10-11 (G2-G8) English writing
diagnostic testing
12 Quarter 1 progress reports
issued17 (E) PYP information session(*Online)
23 School day
23 (W) Parent/Teacher/Student
interviews

Running: Likely one of the simplest forms of exercise, it is something that we
can do close to home while avoiding large crowds.
Continued on next page

KIST Learning for Life KIST Learning for Life KIST Learning for LifePYP | MYP | DP2

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Continued from previous page

Jumping: According to verywellfamily.com, jumping
builds muscle strength, cardiovascular fitness, andendurance. Various fun jumps can be found on theirwebsite.
Squats and skipping: Goodhousekeeping.com
explains that squats can help children build
endurance, strength, and even self-confidence.
Skipping, they explain, “engages both the left and rightbrain, leading to improved functioning, while improving
balance and coordination.”In their article on ways to increase physical activity athome, children’s health make several
recommendations including streaming kid-friendly
workout videos, yoga, dancing, balancing exercises,
and jumping rope.

mentally, too! As we begin another year at KIST, let’s
work together to ensure the mental and physicaldevelopment of our children!

There are many ways we can keep our children active
while also keeping them safe. Getting them moving
will not only help keep them physically healthy, but

Kevin Yoshihara Ed.D.
Head of School/Elementary School
Principal

Warm regards,

Welcome to New Staff
We would like to introduce you to our new staff for 2021ꟷ22. Pleasejoin us in welcoming them to KIST!

Teachers

Marta Albá
Secondary
Science/ESS

Matthew Archer
Secondary
EnglishRaquel Casado
Elementary
Grade 4B

Simon D’Rozario
SecondaryBusiness Management

Instructional Support Staff

Kanon Imachi
Teaching Assistant
K1B

Aika Nukariya
Teacher-Trainee
Secondary English

Rina Osaki
Teacher-Trainee
Elementary

Yen Wen Tan
Teaching Assistant
G1B

Isobel Duncan
Secondary
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IB Diploma Results—July 2021
This year, the IB released results on July 5 using anawarding model based on two pathways: exam routeand non-exam route. Due to the ongoing spread of thepandemic, over 60% of the Diploma candidates
worldwide were in the non-exam route; however, at
KIST we were lucky to have all our students in theexam route. Although the two years of the DP was aroller-coaster-like journey for the Class of 2021, the IB
results once again saw the highest KIST Diploma
average score of 42.27, 2.44 points higher than theprevious highest average in 2020. Of the Class of 2021
cohort, four students attained a perfect score of 45
points, placing the students in the top 1.53% globally.
In addition, as a mathematician and mathematics
teacher myself, I feel entitled to share with you that all
41 students attained a 7 in their respective DP
Mathematics courses. Well done!
A summary of the Diploma results from the past five examination sessions is shown above.
Of particular note for the Class of 2021:
•
•
•
•
•
•

41 of the 41 students (100%) were enrolled in the full Diploma, in comparison with the global average of 63%.
41 of the 41 students (100%) enrolled in the full Diploma at KIST attained the IB Diploma, in comparison withthe global average of 89%.
The average score for KIST students attaining the IB Diploma was 42.27 points, more than 9 points above the
IB Diploma world average 33.00 points.
37 KIST students attaining the IB DP (90%) attained scores of 40 points or above, in comparison with theglobal average of 21%. These students qualify to be considered for the KIST “Learning for Life” University
Support Scholarships.
4 students attained a perfect score of 45 points, which only 1.53% globally achieve.
7 students attained 44 points: 11 students attained 43 points; 8 students attained 42 points; 5 students attained
41 points; and 2 students attained 40 points.
The table on the left shows how KIST’s course averages(calculated for students who attained the IB Diploma)
compared against the IB world averages for each course.
•100% of courses offered at KIST had results above theIB world averages.
•100% of courses offered at KIST (with green and blue
shading) had results more than 0.5 points above the IB
world averages.
•84% of courses offered at KIST (with blue shading) had
results more than 1 point above the IB world averages.
Please refer to the “Statistical Bulletin” at the link below forfurther information on the IB Diploma results andstatistics.
b
Web

https://www.ibo.org/about-the-ib/facts-andfigures/statistical-bulletins/diploma-programmestatistical-bulletin/

Congratulations to the Class of 2021 for achieving
fantastic IB Diploma results, and best wishes forcontinued success as you commence youruniversity adventures.
Hiro Komaki
DP Coordinator*Subjects studied through Pamoja Education3

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Message from the Board 0f Directors

A

fter the long summer vacation, the new school year has finally begun. As
the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the situation is still very difficult inJapan, but the school will do all it can to prevent the spread of infection andcontinue to provide a high-quality education.
Once again, we are pleased to report that all 41 KIST graduates achieved very
high results in the final examinations for the 2021 Diploma Programme. For
more information, please see the report from DP Coordinator, Hiro Komaki, in
this issue of The Comet.
Congratulations to the graduating class of 2021. We would also like to express
our sincere thanks to the parents and teachers who have supported thestudents in achieving their success. We look forward to seeing our graduates
use the skills and knowledge they have acquired at KIST in their future careers.
We would like to share with you that the terms of office of all the officers of
School Foundation K. International School will expire on September 14, 2021.
Seven directors have been appointed to the new Board of Directors, and fifteen
trustees and two auditors have also been appointed. Further details will beannounced to the school community via E-Communications.
The Board of Directors is the governing body of the school. One of the key
roles of the Board is to set the school’s goals, including its vision, mission andpolicies; to develop strategies for achieving these; to commission theirimplementation through the management team, which includes the Head of
School and the Director of Operations; and to review their effectiveness.
In recent years, for example, the school has introduced a system of academic
support for students in study hall (Grades 9 to 12) and supplemental classes(Grades 11 to 12). A follow-up review of student results and DP results showsthat these systems have made a significant contribution to one of the school’s
educational aims: to ensure that all students acquire the skills and knowledge
required for the DP at a high level.
Together with the newly elected officers, we will continue to play our part inachieving the school’s goals to an even higher level.

Finally, we would like to thank all of the officers whose terms of office are
expiring for their long and distinguished service to KIST. We wish you all every
success and happiness in your future endeavors.
Board of Directors
School Foundation K. International School

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Early Childhood News
Hello KIST families!

Next, let me quickly introduce our staff.

To those of you who have just joined our schoolcommunity, “Welcome to KIST!” I hope your child has
started to settle into their new routine. For thosefamilies returning, “Welcome Back” to the new school
year. I am so glad to be able to have all the children
back on campus from day 1 of the 2021–22 school
year.

Nationalities: We represent ten different cultural
backgrounds: Filipino, American, Japanese, British,
Hawaiian, Canadian, Brazilian, French, Taiwanese andPolish.
Languages: While 80% of us speak more than two
languages, some of us can handle as many as fivedifferent languages!
Specializations: Of course, many of us have studied
education and some of us also majored in healthsciences, history, linguistics, web design, ICT, tourism
management, fine arts and music, giving us a wealth ofexperience and knowledge to bring to the classes.
Careers in education: Amazingly, the average careerin education among the 18 of us is 9.7 years, fromveterans with more than 30 years of teachingexperiences to support staff just beginning theircareers.

This school year seems again to be a challenging one
for all of us, especially for our young ones. New COVID-19 rules and our school health measures can bedifficult to maintain in a vigilant manner at home, in theclassroom, and in our communities. We understand the
difficulties as we ask children to continuously wear amask, expect them to have no physical comforts, suchas hugging or holding hands while proceeding withclass as usual. We have all worked very hard to dowhat we can to show consideration for the safety andwellbeing of others. We believe it is important that we
continue to be mindful of how we might be perceived
by others outside of school. We truly appreciate all yourefforts in helping our community to see that we areserious about precautions taken to keep everyone safe
by enforcing these important measures. Thank you sovery much for your continued support.
This year in the Early Childhood Education department,
we have 18 teachers and support staff. We haveworked hard during orientation week to reorganize theECE playground: we’ve repainted the blackboard andfloor resources, moved unused wooden decks, set up
the playhouse, pulled weeds and more during the hot
weather. Now we see children happily playing there.

K1A team

Ms Cyril, Ms Claire, Ms KarenK1B team

Ms Kanon, Ms Emma, Ms Yuri

As you can see, our teaching and support staff arefrom all over the world and have specialized in a variety
of ways. As each class team works closely together,
the deeper understandings that we have in different
areas allows us to widen the connections that we candeliver to our students through their everyday learning.
We are all looking forward to sharing fun andmeaningful learning experiences withyour children this year.
Eri Ozawa
Early Childhood Coordinator (K1–K3)/
K2A Teacher

K2A team

Ms Mary, Ms Eri, Mr Devin

K2B team

Ms Sheyla, Ms Kat, Mr Axel

K3A team

Ms Wang, Ms Kay, Ms Ioanna

K3B team

Mr Merchel, Mr Derek, Ms Jaydine56

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PYP News
This year’s elementary school academic focus: ReadingThis year’s school focus is on
developing reading skills, and weare going to adjust our approach toongoing formative assessment inreading. Our teachers will be
addressing certain reading skills
through their guided and sharedreading sessions, and these will betransferable across our K3–G5
classes. I will explain these skills in
more detail at the end of this article.
You can help at home by reading
regularly with your child and, while
this may come naturally withyounger children, age reallyshouldn’t be a barrier to thiswonderful, shared experience.
Here is some great advice from ourmain educational publishers,
Pearson:Enjoying a book with your child is afantastic way to share adventuresand experiences together, and it’s
the best way to get them reading forlife. Here are our tips on reading to
your little ones.
Sharing a book is a real bonding
experience and, for young children,
cuddling up with a parent to readcan be a special time. As you turnthe pages, you can ask questions,talk about characters, ideas andevents, and decide what you think
together.
Reading is important, but don’t feelthat you have to take on a teachingrole or put pressure on your child tostart to read before they go toschool. It’s great to instil a love ofbooks and language from an earlyage, but most of all, be led by yourchild, their interests and their paceof development.
When should I start reading to
my child?
It’s great to read to your child fromtheir earliest months. Cuddle up
and sing nursery rhymes, read astory with silly sound effects, or play
peek-a-boo along with a book. Thisshows your baby how importantbooks are to you, and that books
come with love, fun and excitement.
Top tips for reading with yourbaby
• To a young baby, ‘reading’means holding them in yourarms and exploring a soft book.
• Start reading with your baby
when they’re around threemonths old. For babies, reading
is like play—so let them wave
the book around.
• When your baby can sit up,
choose light, sturdy board bookswith rounded corners, textures tofeel and bright pictures to lookat. From six months, babies lovelift-the-flap books. From ninemonths, introduce noisy soundbooks. Go with whatever makes
reading fun for both of you.
• Use the pictures as well as thewords. Babies learn by doing, so
say the words out loud as baby
reaches for the pictures, to help
build their vocabulary. Be
relaxed about what books mean
for a baby—a quick song or
game with an open book still
counts as reading!
How should I read to my child?
• Try to bring the book to life—talkabout the characters, thepictures and everything that’s
happening so that the story canreally capture your child’s
imagination.
• Don’t be afraid to try different
voices and show off your acting
skills. You might not win any
Oscars, but your child will enjoy
the story even more if you makea performance of it.
• Remember that your face says it
all—so really go for it andexaggerate your normal
expressions like a kids’ TV
presenter. Children will love it.
• Emphasise repeated words andphrases (‘the big bad wolf’; ‘…
blew, and blew, and blew thehouse down’). And encourage
your child to say the words withyou. This will help them to learn
the language used in books.
• Turn off the TV so you can bothconcentrate on enjoying thebook.
• Try audio books—they’re perfectfor keeping the children
entertained on car journeys, aswell as a great way to build theirunderstanding of stories andimprove their listening skills.

How long should I read to mychild for, and how often?
• Read to them for as long as
they’re happy to listen. The older
your child is, the longer you’relikely to be able to hold theirattention.
• As for how often, there’s no rightanswer, but many experts say it
helps to get into a routine. For
school-age children, a bedtime
story can be a nice way to spend
time together and wind down
after a busy day. For pre-school
children, shorter bursts ofreading throughout the day may
be a good idea.
A detailed guide can be found here.

Reading strategies at KIST

As was explained earlier, we will bebasing our reading instruction andassessment around 15 skills which
are organized into four categories,
and our class teachers will decide
how best to approach these in their
particular grades (some may bedeemed unsuitable for the lower
grades). This year’s reading sectionof the report cards will also reflect
these changes. The 15 strategies
are:
VISUALIZING
1. Main idea and details: Students
identify what a passage ismostly about and find importantdetails that support the main
idea.
COMPREHENDING AND
SUMMARIZING
2. Literal comprehension: The
student demonstrates key literal
understandings of the text.
3. Inferential comprehension:
Students use their backgroundknowledge and clues from thetext to infer information.
4. Sequencing: Students look forthe order in which things happen
or identify the steps in aprocess.
5. Visual information: Students
study pictures, charts, graphs,
and other forms of visual
information.
6. Vocabulary: The student cangive/explain the meaning ofwords in context.
7. Summarizing: The student cansummarize main ideas from
more than one paragraph.
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Continued from previous page

RECOGNIZING LITERARYELEMENTS
8. Author's purpose: Students
determine why an author wrotea passage and whether the
purpose is: to entertain, toinform, to persuade, or toteach.
9. Compare and contrast:
Students note how two or more
people or things are alike anddifferent.
10.Cause and effect: Students
identify what happens (effect)
and why it happens (cause).
11.Fact and opinion: Students
determine which statements
can be proved true (fact) andwhich statements tell whatsomeone thinks or believes(opinion).
12.Non-fiction text features:
Students study features thatare not part of the main body oftext, including subheadings,
captions, entry words, andtitles.

GOING BEYOND THE TEXT
13.Predicting: Students use theirbackground knowledge andclues from the text to figure out
what will happen next.
14.Questioning: Students ask
questions for different purposes
including ones about specificwords or phrases, the structureof the plot, character
development etc.
15.Making connections: Students
make text-to-text, text-to-self,
and text-to-world connections.

so please try themout in your homelanguage if it is
not English. If you
have anysuccesses or have any questions,
I would love to hear from you.
Here’s to a great 2021–22!
Oliver Sullivan
PYP Coordinatoroliver.sullivan@kist.ed.jp

By building proficiency in these
specific areas during guided andshared reading sessions, ourstudents will be able to apply themto all areas of the curriculum.
We encourage you to read
regularly with your child, and why
not try out some of the skills
outlined above? Most
importantly, these skills aretransferable across languages,

Elementary ELS
Advice on how to support your child’s language development
Welcome to the 2021–22 school year at KIST! This year we have
all the same faces in the Elementary ELS team that you know
from last year:

Ms Wang (K3A)

Mr Derek (K3B)

Ms Rina (G1A)

Ms Ali (G1B)

Ms Parvathy (G2)

Mrs Aldana (G3)

Ms Rachel (G4)

Ms Sophie (G5)…and we are looking forward so much to working with yourchildren to support their language development this year.
Each year during Parent Welcome Night, we take the chance toremind you how you can also support your child’s language
development at home. This year, as the Parent Welcome Nightwas online, we didn’t have the chance to discuss this in person.
So, especially for any parents who are new to KIST this year, I’dlike to take the chance here to mention the three points that wealways emphasize:

1. listening and talking with your child eachday about school in your home language
2. reading to your child in your native
language
3. explaining challenging concepts to yourchild in your native language
This advice is from a document called “EAL
Family Support” by renowned literacy andlanguage educator, Bonnie Campbell Hill.
Her key message is that: “Speaking in yournative language will not make it more difficult
for your child to learn English. […]Furthermore, learners who have had…noprimary language support can take as longas seven to ten years to demonstrateacademic competence in a new language.”
The article then details exactly how you can
use your child’s first language at home tosupport their conceptual development andtheir overall language development.
If you have never received Bonnie Campbell
Hill’s document at previous in-person Parent
Welcome Nights, or if you have any
questions about it, please e-mail me anytime. (rachel.parkinson@kist.ed.jp)
Rachel Parkinson
Elementary ELS Coordinator

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Understanding a Growth Mindset
Quite often you hear educators talk about theimportance of a growth mindset. Taken at its simplest
meaning, one might believe that the definition theauthor wants to communicate is that of “a desire tolearn.” As such, most people agree that students
should have the urge to learn and that this is what will
determine success in their education. As educators, weare cheerleaders in the process of our students’
education, and we want the best outcome from theirexperience at school. So, of course we agree with theidea that children must want to learn to get the best
result from their efforts.
But what is a growth mindset? A desire, an urge, awant, that we need to instill in our students?
The term growth mindset was first coined by thepsychologist Carol Dweck in her 2007 book, “Mindset:
The New Psychology of Success.” Since publication,
the term has spread through the business world, selfhelp books and beyond to education circles as well. Asa buzzword, it has been misunderstood and it has
taken on a meaning that does not do it justice as aconcept which we could use to help ourselves and ourstudents. Simply stated, Dweck asserts that people
either have a fixed mindset or a growth mindset. The
former being one where people see the intellect as
being innate and unchanging. A winner is always awinner and a deficit always a deficit. This type ofthinking is characterized by a feeling that you either
have it or you do not. Comments like “I’m just not goodat math” or “Foreign languages aren’t my thing” display
a fixed mind set. Growth mind sets are evidenced inpeople who believe that they can change, they canlearn through trial and error, that mistakes areopportunities and can teach us more about who we are
and help us reach our goals.

Believing that setbacks are the path tounderstanding is important in thegrowth of an individual. Teachers canuse the idea of a growth mindset todevelop a point of view from which
they can share their knowledge withstudents. Helping students develop a growth mindset
which is changeable and fluid increases the chancethat a student does not become frustrated by mistakes
and initial confusion over lessons and concepts beingtaught. Teachers also must have a growth mindset tounderstand that their students are not set in stone andfixed. Students must be given the benefit of the doubt.
They change, they grow, and they become more thanwhat we see at the beginning of our relationshiptogether.

T

he belief that our futures are set at birth
is not consistent with possessing a
growth mindset.
The belief that our futures are set at birth is notconsistent with possessing a growth mindset.
Understanding that we all have the capacity to change
and learn from our mistakes is important for everyone
as we move through our day-to-day lives. Thus, theadage, “mistakes are opportunities” becomes evermore important in our own education.
Clay M. Bradley
Elementary School Vice Principal/
Student Care Coordinator (Elementary)

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KIPS NewsThe past year has presented us withunimaginable challenges and incredible
opportunities for a big change in our lives. I am
pleased to share that it is very exciting to seethat KIPS has become a very lively place again
after the quiet days of summer! There is awonderful sense of a new beginning and a fresh
start for everyone: children, parents, andteachers alike. It is natural for children andparents to feel a little anxious and maybe evenhave a few questions: “What will my teachers
be like?” “Who will be in my class?” We havestarted the 2021–22 academic year with 16
children from 0 to 2 years old.
At the same time, I cannot overemphasize to families the importance of understanding that children must stay home if theyshow any symptoms of COVID-19 and/or other infectious illnesses, as well as those who have been in direct contact withpersons who have tested positive for COVID-19. We asking that you submit a medical certificate, which can be
downloaded from the KIPS website, if your child shows the following symptoms:• A temperature of 37.5 degrees or above (must be fever-free without taking medication for 24 hours before returning toschool)• Respiratory symptoms (persistent cough, or shows any shortness of breath or difficulty breathing)• Cold symptoms (cough, sore throat, runny nose, sneezing, low fever, generally feeling unwell)
Many families are excited and ready for the new school year for their children; others feel anxious or unsure about
potential risks. At KIPS, we will always make sure that your child’s health is our number one priority.
Once again, I would like to express my sincere gratitude for your diligence, patience andsupport in working together with us during this pandemic.
Stephanie Pae
KIPS Coordinator

My Experience in Japan Children’s Parliament
During the summer holidays, I had the opportunity tojoin the Children’s Parliament. There were three topics
we discussed:•• Decarbonized Society
Coexistence with Foreigners• Education for the Future

I chose "Education for the Future" and proposed that
"Schools in Japan provide more opportunities forstudents to achieve through hard work." By working
hard toward a goal, I explained, students can gain asense of self-affirmation. This is a crucial topic since
Japanese students have the lowest self-esteem in theworld. Based on my experience running every morningfor cross-country, and feeling ecstatic to win a medal, I
made this suggestion.
Afterward, as a selected representative of the group, I
was blessed with the opportunity to meet Chief Cabinet
Secretary Kato, the second highest distinguishedpolitician in Japan. I asked him that since the Ministry of
Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology(MEXT) has been promoting the International

Baccalaureate, all Japanese universities should
recognize the IBDP for admissions. Unfortunately, he
did not know about the IB, but he promised to tell
MEXT about it.
I explained that I enjoyed attending the IB programs at
KIST, that the use of textbooks was very different thanmost schools, that we studied Japanese sometimes
using comic books, and that the classes regularly
involved collaborative presentations. I told him if
schools are fun like this, there would be less truancy,
which is a problem in Japan.
It was a great
opportunity to
discuss education
with other children
in Japan andbeing able to
make suggestions
to our top
politicians wasinvaluable.
Mana (G6B)

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MYP News
G8s achieve very good external exam results, show increased readiness for IGCSEIn May 2021, Grade 8s completed their iLowerSecondary exams. The exams,
set and marked by Edexcel, are meant to demonstrate the students’ ability inMath, English and Science. Grade 7 Math Extended students also sat the
Math exam and showed excellent results.
The iLowerSecondary exam results range from level 1–4. Results at levels 3
or 4 show work that is meeting or exceeding expectations at grade level.
Math results across both G7 and 8 were very strong. Nearly 80% of students
in G8 Math (both standard and extended) achieved a result of Level 4. In G7,
where only Math extended students wrote the exam, the results were also
extremely strong with almost 80% of students achieving a level 4.
G8 English students were also very good, showing excellent progress since
the first time the exam was held at KIST in 2019 (the exam was not written
last year because of COVID-19). This year 25% of students achieved a level
4 in English, a percentage increase of 44% since 2019. Another 36% of
students scored a level 3, a percentage increase of 45%.

The improved results in
English are partially the
product of familiarity. Startingin the 2019–20 school year,
students have had diagnostic
tests which offer similar
experiences to theiLowerSecondary exam.
Teachers have placed anincreased focus on reading
and writing tasks that lendthemselves to the assessment.
Finally, G8s were also
involved in piloting the exam
for iLowerSecondary Science.
The exam has never been
attempted by KIST students
before. Some content on theexam hadn’t been addressedin the G6–8 Sciencecurriculum for last year’s
Grade 8 class. 47% of G8s
achieved at either level 3 orlevel 4. Given that somematerial had not been explicitly
studied in class, this is a goodresult.
Mr. Cely, the Science Subject
Area Coordinator is working
with Ms. Newman and Ms.
Alba, the MYP Scienceteachers, to ensure that theG8s who will sit the Scienceexam in May will have more
opportunities to prepare for theexam.
The current G8 and G9
students who wrote the exams
in May have received their
exam certificates from
Edexcel. If you have any
questions about theiLowerSecondary exams,
please don’t
hesitate tocontact me.
Robert White
MYP
Coordinator“ T h e Co m et ”

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11Secondary ELS
Secondary ELS Department in 2021ꟷ22
It is great to be back at KIST for 2021–22. Given the continuing situation with the COVID-19 pandemic, how we canprovide support has changed; however, as a team we will work to find new ways to help students thrive. Ms.
Furnival and I will continue to offer both Academic Writing classes and in-class support to students from G6–G8 as
well as provide individual ELS mentor support to students in G9–G10.
Outside of this support, Ms. Furnival and I have updated the English Language Resources section of PowerSchool
Learning. Located under the ‘Extras’ tab, this section provides additional materials about English grammar, essay
skills and literary genres. The section is available for use by all members of the KIST community and will be
regularly updated throughout the year.
Should any students or parents have questions about English Language Support or the English Language
Resources section, please contact me at jade.bonus@kist.ed.jp.
Jade Bonus
Secondary ELS Coordinator

ELS Department staff introductions
Jade BonusELS Coordinator
I am a certified secondary English andMedia Arts teacher originally from
Melbourne, Australia. Prior to moving to
the educational sphere, I was amagazine editor, specializing in themusic media. Live music is still my great passion
and I try attend as many concerts as I can.
Japan has been my home for just over eight
years. I taught English for two years in thebeautiful city of Towada in Aomori Prefecture, andas a consequence, I have some very serious
opinions about apples. I joined KIST as an
Elementary ELS Instructor in 2015 and spent
three years in Grade 1 before moving over to thesecondary school first as an ELS Instructor before
becoming Secondary ELS Coordinator. I am
looking forward to helping our students reach theirEnglish language goals.

Kana Furnival

ELS Instructor
My name is Ms. Furnival and I havebeen working here at KIST since 2014.
I previously worked as an ELS
Instructor in the elementary school forsix years and this is my second year of
supporting students in the secondary school.
My passion for education started when I taught at
an early learning school in England, where I
supported Japanese students with their English
studies. The satisfaction in seeing my students
progress was second to none and it has onlygrown over the years.
As a native Japanese speaker who has also had
to learn English as a second language, I canempathize with the challenges this brings and I
will use my experiences to help support students
in their lifelong journey.

Athletics Update
Fall season 2021
As our city continues to struggle with COVID-19, some of our athletics teams continue to be on hold for the time
being. We are pleased to share with you, however, that while ensuring prescribed safety precautions are adheredto, practices for the following teams have commenced:• HS Girls’ and Boys’ Volleyball• JV Boys’ and Girls’ Tennis• MS Boys’ Soccer• MS Girls’ Volleyball• MS Boys’ BaseballDennis Ota
Athletics Coordinator

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Cancer Research and InternshipThe miracle that is medicine
Over the summer, we were given the opportunity towork alongside Dr. Sato and Ms. Anna on their cancer
research at St. Marianna University. At first, theinternship seemed intimidating as it was nothing likewhat either one of us had ever done before. But themore we got into it and the more we did, theanxiousness was soon replaced by overwhelming
curiosity and passion for Dr. Sato’s work.
The project involved research into the relationshipbetween the overexpression of the PLK-1 proteins incancer cells and the effectiveness of PARP inhibitors as
a possible method of treatment. Through prior research,a strong correlation between the over-expression of
PLK-1 protein—a protein active in cell reproduction—
has been established with poor prognosis cancers. If a
PLK-1 inhibitor can be found to target cancerous cells
in the body, theoretically, a new treatment of cancer
can be devised. In order to do this, Dr. Sato has been
researching and experimenting with PARP Inhibitors—atype PLK-1 inhibitor—that targets cells unable toperform homologous recombination (a form of DNA
repair). They have been working to establish a
successful relationship between these variables inorder to devise a safer treatment for cancer that
reduces the side-effects for patients—a research
initiative that we have been privileged to be a part of.
After explaining the science behind their research, Dr.
Sato and Ms. Anna gave us the opportunity to watch
and help them work. These experiments for theirresearch took very long, often days. As a result, there
was a lot of waiting time in between, during which Dr.
Sato allowed us to request to perform experiments ofour choice using their equipment, under theirsupervision. The first of these, was a western blot used
to detect proteins in tissue culture.

We truly, from the bottom of our hearts, appreciatedhaving the opportunity to be in a professional cancer
research lab with researchers who were so willing tohelp learn and satiate our curiosity. Not only did it
provide us with a much clearer understanding of thedaily work-life of a cancer researcher, it also gave us
more confidence in our own abilities to pursue
medicine. Although we have frequently worked in our
school labs, working in a university research lab is anexperience like no other. It gave us the opportunity tolearn about different equipment and methods ofresearch which was fascinating. It was incrediblyinspirational to be around researchers who had somuch insight into the field of biology and chemistry. It
was a wonderful experience, and we look forward to the
future of this internship!
Saanvi (G11B) and Nidhi(G11A)

A

longside the Cancer Research Internship, I
also had the privilege to shadow Dr. Sato at
his clinic. It was an absolutely incredible andenlightening experience to witness Dr. Sato’s work.
I was given the opportunity to watch him interact
with his patients as well as watch him perform more
complicated procedures such as cancer screenings
and endoscopies. Not only did I learn more about
medicine with each procedure that I observed, I
was also able to learn the various range of skills,
hard-work and dedication—both to the science andto saving people’s lives—that it takes to be adoctor.

Sustainable Superheroes
You might have noticed a display near
the school gate. That is our latest
project: the climate clock! Inspired by
the global Climate Clock initiative, ourclock displays the exact time left until
Earth burns out of its carbon budget, theamount of carbon dioxide left that canbe released before irreversible
environmental damage. The next six
years is our time to take action to savethe planet—that includes making wise
choices for the environment. For details
on each SDG and how to implement it
within our own lives, check out ourYouTube channel and Instagram pageat the links below!
bWebYouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjxOZ1stlUQbklQhH6jdl4g
Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/sustainable_superheroes/“ T h e Co m et ”

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13Secondary SRC
Greetings from the Student Representative Council
The SRC hopes that all students had a wonderfulsummer vacation and are currently enjoying the new
2021–22 school year! As social distancing guidelines
become even more essential than ever, the SRC looks
forward to initiating events which will engage students
without compromising their safety. Looking back at theprevious school year, the SRC has been able to boost
our presence within the student body by organizing a
multitude of whole school events. Additionally, ourambition to revive the house system has beenachieved!

Scavenger hunt

SRC Executive Committee
L>R President: Kishore (G12B), Public Relations Officer: Eleina(G12B), Vice President: Tatsunori (G11B), Ms Peel (Advisor),
Secretary: Heet (G11B), Treasurer: Armaan (G12A)

A notable feat from last year was the organization of a
Double Free Dress Day on April 29 and 30 withdifferent themes on each respective day: Sports
clothing on Monday the 29th, and Hot ‘n’ Cold color
scheme on the Tuesday the 30th. The two-day freedress day had a record-high student participation rateof 87% compared to other years! Unfortunately, COVID-19 remained as a large obstacle and thus, we could
not couple this event with the sponge toss andlunchtime dodgeball event which we planned prior.
However, we are proud to state that we have received agreat deal of positive feedback from the students forthis occasion.
During the very last week of school, the SRC
collaborated with the PE office to host a cross-gradeHouse Cup Championship where the students enjoyeda variety of activities which gained points for theirhouses: a dodgeball, relay, and scavenger hunt event.
The students were arranged into house teams andsearched the schools for candies which SRC members
tactically hid. We were pleased to see students acrossdifferent grades collaborating effectively with one
another towards this fun event which has contributed toraising our school spirit.

Dodgeball event

The SRC will continue to hearken to the students’ ideas
and create a positive and supportive environment forthe students. We are in the process of collecting a newteam of class representatives and media committee
members to start acting this term. COVID-19 will notstop us from putting our heads together to do what isbest for our fellow students. Please continue to staysafe and healthy!
Kind regards on behalf of the SRC,
Eleina (G12A)
Public Relations Officer

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Coping with Restriction Fatigue
Having moved to Japan from the UK this summer, I(Mr Archer) can empathize with how many people may
be feeling about the ongoing state of emergency andthe subsequent restrictions on daily life.
In the UK, we had similar restrictions in place for long
periods of the last two years and, working in schools
where students had to take daily PCR tests, let alone
wear masks and social distance, I can appreciate howfrustrating the pandemic conditions continue to be.
This quarter, an important part of our advisory
curriculum in the Secondary School, has been our
focus on mental health and emotional wellbeing. Partof successfully managing these aspects of ourselves,is understanding our bodies, learning how they
respond to the stress of change and then considering
which strategies best help us to cope with it.
One of the terms that has crept into Western culture
has been ‘lockdown fatigue’, a term used to describe
the strain placed on our daily lives by a variety ofrestrictions.
Whilst some symptoms may be day to day, others
begin to build up and cause more long-term problems.
In our advisory lessons, we have been consideringsome coping strategies that we would like to sharewith the entire KIST community.

One of the main reasons why being
under restrictions can be draining isbecause of the high level of mental
strain, some of which we may not beaware of or attempt to mask in order tokeep life as normal as possible. It is
important to recognize that this mental
strain can leave us feeling as
exhausted as exercising.
When we face psychological stress, our bodies
produce a physiological response. In advisory classes,
students have been learning about ‘fight or flight’
response, our bodies warning system that a change isoccurring and we need to feel alert and energized inorder to combat a potential threat. However, if the
body is in this state for an extended period of time, it
ultimately drains our energy levels.
This lack of energy can then have a knock-on effect on
our sleep. Heightened anxiety levels disrupt ourcircadian rhythms, causing us to sleep poorly andultimately find the next day more of a challenge. It caneasily become a cycle of stress and exhaustion.
However, there are a number of strategies that arerecommended to support the breaking of this cycle asshown below:•

Stick to routines: Keep daily routines as regular as possible. Certainty helps tocombat the ‘fight or flight’ response. It can help create a sense of ‘new normal’that your body can adapt to.

•

Avoid too much screen time: Particularly at night, screen time can cause you
to remain overly alert, rather than help you relax. Additionally, in a world where
news is available 24/7, ensure you take a break from the cycle. During the day,staying inactive and watching a screen can cause you to feel more lethargic.
Therefore, it is important to factor in regular movement breaks…which leads us
conveniently to our next strategy!

•

Exercise: Whether it is heading out for a long run, doing yoga in the bedroom orjust taking a walk to the park and back, all exercise has a positive effect on ourwell-being. Whilst it might seem to be the worst thing to do if you already feeltired, exercise produces (among other things) cortisol, which when released canhelp to form a protective barrier against future stressors.

•

Talk to someone: At KIST, we have homeroom teachers, subject teachers
and two Student Care Coordinators, all of whom are available for the students
to speak to if they are finding things frustrating. At lunchtimes, the Care
Coordinators are always available if students need to talk things through during
recess. However, parents/guardians are also encouraged to reach out if they
have any concerns about their children. Staff are ready to lend an empathetic
ear at all times, as we work though this ongoing situation as a community.

Hannah Cowie and Matthew Archer
Student Care Coordinators (Secondary)“ T h e Co m et ”

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15Tokyo 2020...make meaningful contributions to our global community
In line with our KIST mission for our students to make meaningful
contributions to our global community, KIST teachers too are often making
efforts outside of school to make our world a better place for all.
A few of our KIST teachers had the opportunity to volunteer at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games
over the summer. You may have noticed that Mr. Jones was not greeting students at the gate for a few weeks inAugust and September. This is because he was volunteering at the Sports Information Desk for Paralympics Sitting
Volleyball taking place in Makuhari.
According to Mr. Jones:…the experience was fantastic. My supervisors
were very accommodating with my needs and placed
me in a position that was perfect for me. I worked thecomputers making videos of the games and thendistribute the videos to the teams and to the
Paralympic Committee. My desk was right near the
warm-up courts so I also welcomed and saw off all of
the athletes before and after their games. One day I
even got to sit courtside as a translator for one of theteams during the game.
As a person with a disability myself, I found theseathletes such an inspiration—regardless of theadversity they face, they each try their best to be thebest they can be. It was a wonderful experience forme, and I hope my contributions made the games
memorable for all involved.
We received beautiful uniforms from Asics. They kept
us fed during our shifts, and there was also a section
reserved in the stands for the volunteers to enjoy thegames during their breaks. I was able to watch theCanada vs Japan women’s match one day. I had a
big Canadian flag on display and wore a Team
Canada ice hockey jersey while I cheered the team toa win. I was very proud to be able to sing my national
anthem ‘O Canada’ at an Olympic event!”

Mr. Jones with the Sports Information team

Mr. Jones translating courtside for Team China

Volunteers needed to be 18 years or older so unfortunately ourstudents were unable to participate, but KIST is very proud of themany ways our students contribute to their communities throughother activities. COVID has been a challenge for our service
clubs and events, but hopefully our new school year will have us
all back making contributions soon!

Ready to welcome Team Canada!

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Library News
Welcome to KIST Libraries!
In the new 2021–22 school year, there have been a few
changes and additions to the KIST Libraries Team, so
we’d like to introduce ourselves and our libraries! This
year, we bid farewell to Mr Michael Davignon, and Ms
Shannon Goan has returned from maternity leave.
Ms Shannon has moved from the Elementary Library to
work as the LMC Librarian in the Secondary School,
and we welcome Ms Priyanka as our new Elementary
Library Supervisor. We also welcome Ms Aika
Nukariya, a graduate of KIST now undertaking teacher
training through KIST’s Teacher Development Scheme.
Ms Aika will be helping out Ms Shannon and Ms Hemain the LMC. Ms Hema has become busier with her workin the science labs, but you may still see her around the
LMC sometimes.

Ms Goan

LMC LibrarianHi, I’m Shannon Goan. I’m from
Australia and have a Bachelor’s
degree in Information
Management from RMIT
University, and a Master of
Teaching from the University of
Melbourne. I enjoy watercolour
painting and reading. In April I
gave birth to a cute baby girlnamed Akiko.
I will be your LMC Librarian this year. After a long break
for maternity leave, I’m excited to be back in the libraryand look forward to introducing new books and helping
you with your library and research needs.

Students will visit the library once a week, listen tostories, learn information and borrow books. Along with
this, they will also review the books they read and canrequest for the books they would like to read in future.
The Elementary Library is open during recess andlunch time too. Please feel free to visit me!
Have a great year!

Ms HemaLaboratory and Library
Assistant
Hi this is Hema. I’m from India.
I like cooking experiments,
watching movies and I enjoy
long walks with my family.

Ms Aika

Teacher-Trainee
Hello. I’m Aika Nukariya, a KIST
graduate from the Class of 2017. I
enjoy reading and watching movies
in my free time. This year, I will
helping Ms Shannon and Ms Hemain the LMC occasionally. Being backin the library that I’ve spent a lot of
my time at KIST feels nostalgic, andI am excited to meet everyone!
KIST Libraries TeamWe also have magazines and newspapers for students
to read or use for research, as well as several online
databases such as JSTOR for student and staff use.
They can be accessed on the KIST Libraries page on
PowerSchool.
I am here if you need any help finding a book to read orusing books or the databases for research or projects,
so please feel free to ask for help any time! The LMC is
open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. every day.

Ms Priyanka

Elementary LibrarySupervisor
Hello everyone! My name isPriyanka B.P. I am from India
and I graduated from BMS
College of Engineering. I havea Bachelor’s degree in civilengineering. This will be my
2nd year at KIST and I will besupervising the Elementary Library this year. I am
looking forward to creating a fun, exciting environmentthat helps motivate our students to read more books.

Elementary Library“ T h e Co m et ”

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17

Nurse’s Notes
Wearing a mask
I really appreciate the cooperation and support of all
KIST families in following our safety measures thathave enabled us to resume face-to-face lessons at
KIST. I hope that everyone stays safe by taking
simple precautions such as social distancing, keeping
rooms well ventilated, washing your hands regularly,
and avoiding crowds. Wearing a mask may be
uncomfortable for children, but mask-wearing createsa simple barrier to protect others as well as your child,by reducing the spread of COVID-19 droplets fromcoughing, sneezing, speaking and shouting. Wheneveryone wears a mask, the risk of infection drops forall.

Recommendations for wearing a mask•

Masks that fit properly: Ensure that the mask fitssnugly over the nose and mouth and under thechin with no large gaps around the sides of theface.

How to wear a mask correctly(Source: UT Southwestern Medical Center)

•

•
•
•

•

Masks that are wet or dirty from sweat, saliva or
food may be difficult to breathe through and areless effective than dry masks so should bechanged immediately.
Prepare spare masks for your child to bring toschool.
Ensure masks are changed daily.
Refrain from placing a used mask on the table
when you take it off to eat or drink at a location
away from home. Instead, place it somewhere
safe to keep it clean such as in a plastic bag, amask case or the pocket of your clothes.
Ensure that you wear a mask at all times when
you talk with others or when in groups of people.

Points to consider when selecting a mask••••

Breathable fabric
Covers your nose and mouth completely
Fits snugly against the sides of your face with nogaps
For children, find a mask that is made for children
to help ensure a proper fit

Recommended types ofmasks
Surgical masks or disposable
face masks:• Have a nose wire to prevent
air leaking out of the top of the mask
• Are made of multiple layers of non-woven
material. Non-woven masks provide the best
defense as they are more effective at stopping the
spread of droplets than regular cloth andpolyurethane masks.
• Are not designed to be washed (disposable)
Cloth masks:• Tightly woven fabrics, such as cotton and cotton
blends• Breathable• Have two or more layers• Washable and recyclable
Not recommended:• Small children wearing adult masks• Masks made from materials that are hard tobreathe through• Masks made from fabric that is loosely woven or
knitted, such as fabrics that let light pass through• Masks with exhalation valves that allow water
droplets to escape and reach others• Research has shown that polyurethane masks
may cause atopic dermatitis, and in rare cases
may lead to respiratory symptoms andanaphylactic shock• Putting a mask on a child younger than 2 years
old

How to check mask fit••

Check for gaps by cupping your hands around theoutside edges of the mask. Make sure no air is
flowing from the area near your eyes or from thesides of the mask.
If the mask has a good fit, you will feel warm air
passing through the front of themask and may be able to see themask moving in and out with eachbreath.

Yukiko Yamazaki
School Nurse
References:• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Your guide tomasks. (August, 2021) Retrieved fromhttps://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/preventgetting-sick/about-face-coverings.html• COVID-19. Masking policy. UT Southwestern Medical Center.
Retrieved fromhttps://www.utsouthwestern.edu/covid-19/work-oncampus/masking.html

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V ol u me 25 | I s s ue 1 | S ept em b er 20 21“ T h e Co m e t ”

KIST Community Association (CA)
Welcome back to the new school year! The KIST
Community Association (CA) supports and fosters thepartnership between students, parents and the schoolin accordance with the school’s mission, vision andguiding beliefs through planning and implementing
events and providing services, equipment, materials
and resources which directly enhance the educational
experiences and well-being of students.
Getting involved in the CA is a wonderful way to meet
new people and can also be a lot of fun. It is notnecessary to participate in every activity, or to attend
every meeting, but we hope that as many parents as
possible will join us.

Despite the difficulties
associated with the ongoing
COVID-19 pandemic, this year
we are looking to gradually
resume activities while adopting flexible methods.
If you are interested in supporting the schoolcommunity, please visit our new CA site on
PowerSchool Learning where you can learn more
about the CA and how to get involved. Alternatively,
you are welcome to contact us directly by e-mailing us
at ca.officers@famly.kist.ed.jp.
KIST Community Association

“ T h e Co m et ”

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Staff 10!
In this month’s Staff 10!, weare pleased to present
Mahipaul (Ron) Dayaram
who joined us in August 2019as a Biology and Scienceteacher in the Secondary
School. This year, he has
been appointed IGCSE
Coordinator.
1) Tell us somethinginteresting about yourhometown.
Mr Dayaram and his wife
The Six! That’s what we from pondering
life under the sea.
Toronto (drop the second T tosound authentic) call our city! Toronto is the most
multicultural city…in the world. That’s a fact. Look itup.
2) What is your favorite place in the world?
The Musee D’orsay in Paris. There is something
magical about being around so much history, art andculture under one (amazing looking) roof.
3) Who would you like to meet if you had thechance and why?
Barack Obama. He has broken barriers his entire life;
he is someone I admire and one whose qualities,
values and vision align with my own. I would want tohave discussions about his presidency, toughdecisions, how to balance work and family and ofcourse finish with a 1v1 on the basketball court.
4) Do you have any special skills or talents?
I can juggle.
5) Please share a little-known fact about yourself.
I have a tattoo.
6) What is your most prized possession?
When I was living in New York City in 1999, Burger
King ran a promotion campaign for Pokémon: The
First Movie. It was a 23k gold-plated Pokémon “card”. I
was lucky to get one, then I got beat up by older
students and they stole it. In 2016 I went back home toToronto for Christmas, and my brother found one on
eBay and gave it to me as a present.
7) Which IB learner profile attribute do you mostclosely identify with and why?
Risk taker. I dropped out of university after three
years and travelled across Canada to do volunteer
work. I finished my degree and a little while later I left
the country and have been living in four morecountries. I love exploring new ideas and avenues formy creativity and passion.
8) If you could live your life again, would you doanything differently?
I would probably focus a lot more in high school. I
thought I was “naturally smart” (whatever that means)and didn’t put in the hard work necessary to achieve
academic success. I would probably study computer
programming or something related to IT and creativity,
or become a voice actor.
9) Is there anything you are trying to learn/improveabout yourself at the moment?
I am trying to eat a lot healthier. I needed to get rid ofthat #QuarantineFifteen, so I have been restricting
certain foods and food groups. And drink a lot morewater, too

1910) Do you have any special message for yourfans?
Say hello, good morning, please and thank you. It
makes a difference to those around you. Be nice topeople; you have no idea what they are going through.
Acknowledge all the staff members at our greatschool, teachers, admin, office staff, cleaning staff,
kitchen staff. Everyone here works extremely hard sothat our students can have the best benefit. Being
polite, grateful and appreciative is free.
Listening to others is a lot more important that talking.
“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take” – Wayne
Gretzky – Michael Scott

University Guidance News
2020–21 KIST university highlights

Similar to the continually increasing DP score, this has
likewise been a year for continued university success.
The following are highlights for the class of 2020–21:
•
•

•

•
•

•

57 total offers received from Top 50
Universities (QS Rankings 2022)
First students from KIST admitted to
University of California—Berkeley (2) andNanyang Technological University (NTU
Singapore) (1)We broke the record for admittances toleading Tokyo universities with 17 offers
between Tokyo University, Keio University,and Waseda University
85% of students who have applied were
accepted to or enrolled in their 1st choiceStudents this year received offers across ten
countries (England, Scotland, Canada, Japan,
US, Czech Republic, Hungary, India,
Singapore and Australia)
UK and Japan tied for the most popular
destinations with 10 students enrolling in each

Future goals?

Increasing the number of students getting into
their first choice
The university counseling team is pleased to see thenumber of students accepted to their first choiceincrease from 75% last year to 85% this year. Ourcontinued goal is to make sure that number remains
consistent with the new target being 90% for the classof 2022.
Continued on next page20

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Continued from previous page

How can we increase this number?
1. Ensuring students have adequate information
about themselves and their future
Students should have multiple “first choice”
schools that fit their ability level and interest. If a
student will ONLY be satisfied with one school and that
school is considered a “dream” or “reach” school,
chances are high that they will be disappointed.
2. Preparing our academic portfolio as soon as we
canIf a student’s top choices are in the US for example,
we have a lot of work to do early. Universities will
look at grades achieved from G9–G11, extra-curricular
activities and roles held within those activities, as well
as extra considerations such as SAT and Duolingo
exams. Trying to cram all of this in at the last minute isstressful and unlikely to be successful. However,making plans to accomplish everything little bylittle will prove to be simple and rewarding.
3. Working as a teamHigh achieving students get into the schools they wantwhen they have the support of their friends, families
and teachers. Our role should be to provide
motivation without adding stress. Very rarely do
students who are pushed to their breaking point
produce results they are happy with. But, we need tomake sure we are constantly working towards acommon goal and not become complacent.

Applying to leading US
universities

What do universities expect?
While most universities outside of the
US are transparent as to their requirements for entry,
the schools inside the US can be more of a mysteryand many families are not sure how to prepare. Let’stry to breakdown everything we can today using datafrom the University of Southern California (USC) as an
example. The following is how data was used by the
USC Admissions Team in 2020/2021 to make adecision; every school has a slightly different chart.

may elect to choose a fourth HL subject in the DP, allgraduates score highly in this field just by completingthe DP.
Class rank – KIST does not use class rank, so thiscategory will not be used or needed to be worried
about even for schools that may have this listed this as
being “considered.”
Academic GPA – While we do not use “GPA”, this canbe considered as your overall scores from eachsemester from G9–G12. That’s right, US schools
expect high performance and will look at every scoreachieved, even from G9.
Standardized test scores – This is for SAT/ACT.
Application essay – There will be a common essaythat is written at the end of G11/start of G12 that issent to every US school. Some competitive schools
have supplemental essays they will review as well.
Nonacademic
Interview – Some universities will ask applicants tointerview with an alumnus. That will happen virtually orsometimes face-to-face if they have a representative inTokyo.
Extracurricular activities – These could include any
clubs or sports students are participating in, whether
inside or outside of school.
Talent/ability – This can be shown off in a variety ofways including having a leadership position in a club,winning an award for academics/sports, or even being
part of a competition outside of school.
Character/personal qualities – This will comethrough not only in your personal statement, but also
the types of service and extracurricular activities you
participate in.
First generation/alumni relation/geographicalresidence/state residence/religious affiliation/racial
status – These are factors that we cannot change at
this point, but that we must understand are sometimes
considered. Universities are sometimes required by
local laws to only take a certain number of students
from abroad. Other schools have goals to build a very
diverse campus so they may look to fill a spot with astudent from a minority background if all other factors
are considered equal. In this case, being competitive inother areas will help to win out if you apply to a
program that you would not be considered a minority
applicant in.
Volunteer work/work experience – This refers to any
service activities or internships that may be taken
during holiday breaks.
Level of applicant’s interest – For some schools,
they will consider if you have had contact with them
before applying. So, I always suggest registering for
virtual forums and/or request for information to be sentfrom the university’s website if you plan to apply later.
As always, for any questions or further clarification
about any of the above or anything else, pleasecontact me or stop by the office!

To further explain what each category means andhow at KIST we need to view it:
Academic
Rigor of secondary school record – How difficult isyour current curriculum? KIST graduates work tocomplete the IBDP which is globally considered as oneof the more difficult curricula. While some students

Thomas Waterfall
University Counselor
thomas.waterfall@kist.ed.jp
Office hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.
–5:30 p.m.
University Guidance Office (3FSecondary Building)“ T h e Co m et ”

V o l u me 2 5 | I s s u e 1 | S e p t e m b e r 2 0 2 1

University Acceptances and Offers
KIST Class of 2021
( )=Number of students accepted[#]=Matriculation confirmed |AUSTRALIA
University of New South Wales (1) (#1)
University of Sydney (1)CANADA
University of Alberta (1)University of British Columbia (9) (#4)
University of Toronto (8) (#1)
University of Waterloo (1)CZECH REPUBLIC
Masaryk University (Medicine) (1)
HUNGARY
Semmelweis University (Medicine) (1) (#1)
University of Deprecen (Medicine) (1)
INDIA
Manipal Institute of Technology (1)JAPAN
Keio University (4) (#2)
Kyoto University of Advanced Science (1)Kyushu University (1) (#1)
Sophia University (2) (#1)
University of Aizu (1)University of Tokyo (3) (#2)
Waseda University (10) (#4)
SINGAPORE
Nanyang Technological Institute (1) (#1)
UNITED KINGDOM
Coventry University (1)Durham University (4) (#1)
Imperial College London (2) (#1)
Keele University (1)King's College London (7) (#2)
Lancaster University (1)Middlesex University (1)Northumbria University (1)Oxford Brooks University (1)Queen Mary University of London (4) (#1)
SOAS University of London (1)| []=Scholarship offered
As of September 1, 2021
Swansea University (1)University Arts London (1) (#1)
University of Bath (1)University of Birmingham (6)University of Bristol (3)University of Central Lancashire (Medicine) (1)
University College London (10) (#2)
University of Dundee (1)University of Edinburgh (2) (#1)
University of Exeter (2)University of Glasgow (1)University of Kent (1)University of Leeds (4)University of Manchester (9) (#2)
University of Nottingham (2)University of Sheffield (4)University of Strathclyde (1)University of Surrey (1)University of Warwick (2)UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Boston University (2) (#1)
Case Western Reserve University (1)Clarkson University (1)Davidson College (1)Georgia Institute of Technology (2)Harvey Mudd College (1)Long Island University (1)Miami University (1)New York Institute of Technology (1)Northeastern University (1)Ohio State University (1)Purdue University (3) (#1)
Rochester Institute of Technology (1)Saint Martin’s University (1)Stevens Institute of Technology (1)University of California—Berkeley (2) (#2)
University of California—Davis (4) (#2)
University of California San Diego (1)University of Hawaii (1)University of Illinois—Urbana Champaign (1)University of Maryland (2)University of Minnesota Twin Cities (2)University of Portland (1)University of San Francisco (1)University of Wisconsin—Madison (2)21