1997

2012

The Comet

The New sletter of K. International School Tokyo

Celebrating 15 years

Volume 16 | Issue 4 | June 2013

In this issue...
Elementary School News…p. 2

PYP Exhibition…p. 9

Student Representative Councils…p. 3

Library News…p. 10

Secondary School News…p. 4

Extracurricular Activities…p. 12

MG4 Hunger Banquet…p. 6

Humanities Revision…p. 13

Math Field Day 2013…p. 7

Toyosu Carnival...p. 13

G12 Graduating Class of 2013…p. 8

KIST on Stage…p. 15

From the Head of School“Evensucce if at first yo
edu
work , you still h do
hard tao stay ve tothere.
—Ric”
hard C. Miller

DATES TO REMEMBER

Dear KIST Community,
Now that the school concert has been successfully concluded, it won’t be long
until the end of the school year.
Firstly, as the representative of the school, I would like to applaud all of thestudents for their highly-motivated approach towards their studies and theprogress they have displayed this year, and secondly to the parents for their
dedicated support of both the students, and the school, and their contributions
throughout the year. Finally, I would thank the staff for their hard workthroughout the year. Your passion for education has made a positive impact on
our students’ education and contributed greatly to their success.
A school is a place which prepares young people for their adult life inaccordance with its vision. At the end of each school year, I always reflect onwhether KIST was able to fulfill its role successfully during the year. With thestart of a new school year, we must ensure that any criticisms are addressed if
we are to continue to improve the level of education at the school. Just as it isvital for business to constantly examine their strategies, I recognize theimportance of reviewing each of our IB programmes.
To conduct a review effectively and continue to improve the level of educationin accordance with the mission of the school, we require feedback from theentire community. I would love to hear your opinions and ideas, so please feel
free to contact me directly via e-mail if you have any feedback. English or
Japanese; either is fine. Taking onboard your opinions and ideas, the next step
will be to create a strategic plan and to put it in to action.
In just a few days, another group of students will be graduating and going on
their way. We are also getting closer to the time when some students andteachers will also depart from the school. To those leaving, as well as those
who are continuing at KIST, and to the entire KIST community, I sincerely hopethat next year will be a year of even greater success for you all.
Yoshishige Komaki
School Director/Head of School

KIST Learning for Life KIST Learning for Life KIST Learning for Life

June 2013
10 (G12) Graduation dinner
11 (G5) Promotion ceremony
11 Peer student-led conferences
12 (S/EIC) Secondary awards
assembly
12 (G10) Promotion ceremony
12 (W) Last day of school forstudents (Half day for students)
13-14 Office open
17-Jul 5 LEAP summer academic
program (Session 1)

July 20138-26 Office closed
29-Aug 9 LEAP summer academic
program (Session 2)

August 2013
15 (K1) Parent welcome night
19 (W) First day of school
20-21 (G4-G10) Mathematics
diagnostic testing
22-23 (G11) DP retreat (*Tentative)
28 (K2/K3/G1) Parent welcomenight
29 (G2-G5) Parent welcome night
30 (G6-G12) Parent welcome night
30 (G12) College information night

September 2013
13 “The Comet” issued
13 MYP information session for newparents
16 School day
16 (G1-G12) Clubs program begins
17 (S) Field Day
18 (E) Field Day

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Elementary School News

Student-led conferences
When it comes to assessment in education, one
major component is reporting. Back in March we held
our Student-Led Conferences which are a key
element to our reporting at KIST. The conferences
give students the opportunity to explain and demonstrate theirlearning as well as identify their strengths and areas for future growth.
Through these conferences our parents have a chance to observe
their children’s learning in an authentic setting. Circulating around theclasses during the Student-Led Conferences, I was delighted by theconversations taking place between our students and their parents
describing the knowledge, skills and inquiries they have been
focusing on. Well done students!

World education games
On March 5, 6 and 7, KIST Elementary School students competed in
the World Education Games. Children from all around the worldcompeted in these mathematics, literacy and science games.
Congratulations to three of our classes who ranked in the top fiftyclasses worldwide.


G2B ranked 17th worldwide in World Science Day.
G5A ranked 34th worldwide in World Science Day and 37th
worldwide in World Math Day.
G5B ranked 12th worldwide in World Science Day, 35th
worldwide in World Math Day and 26th worldwide in World
Literacy Day.

Apart from the class awards we had one student rank in the top 15
worldwide individually. Congratulations to Gaon (G5B) who ranked
14th worldwide in World Math Day!

Supervision after school
This is another reminder to parents that unless students are attending
a club they are not to be on campus after 3:30 p.m. as there is nosupervision available. Children running around the field also interfereswith clubs or other activities that may be taking place after school. If
you and your children plan to play with other students after school,please take advantage of one of the local parks. There is a small park
directly behind our school and Kiyosumi Park is also within walking
distance. Children remaining at school after 3:30 for no particularreason will be asked to leave.
Kevin Yoshihara
Elementary School Principal

Mr Yoshihara with Gaon (G5B) with his award
for World Math Day.

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Elementary SRC
The ESRC has been hard at work this year, especially in thepast few months. They are the student voice of the
Elementary School and have helped solve problems and havetaken part in several school initiatives. Establishing recessrules, leading a variety of recess games and organizing Free
Dress days are just some of the things the ESRC worked on
this year. Most recently the ESRC has been working to makethe bathrooms a cleaner place. After surveying their classes,
they decided to remove paper
towels from the Elementarybathrooms. This is not only
helping to keep the bathrooms
clean, but is reducing waste andhelping to save paper. The
ESRC also decided to raisemoney to buy hand dryers.
They organized popcorn sales
and also decided to donate theproceeds of the May Free Dressday to the cause. Thanks to the
ESRC for the time, work andeffort they have devoted to the
Elementary School this year.
Elizabeth HeardPYP Coordinator

Secondary SRC
2012-2013 SRC end-of-year reflection
With the school year coming to an end, the SRC isgetting ready to say goodbye to the current executive
members and gearing up to hold elections for the new
executive committee for the 2013-2014 school year.
The new homeroom representatives will be elected
when school resumes after the summer holidays.
Over this past year, the SRC has worked to establish
and promote school traditions. We hosted the Pumpkin
Party dance in the fall, the Snow Ball dance in thewinter and are preparing for the upcoming MidsummerNight’s Dance on June 5.
Another one of our goals was to promote inter-house
sports in the secondary school, and we had two weeklong KIST League competitions, for Dodgeball andCapture the Flag. Both KIST League tournaments werevery well-received, with many people coming to watch
and support the games in the gym or on the field.
We also marked the second anniversary of the March
11, 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami by having a
red-and-white-themed free dress day, the proceeds ofwhich were donated to “Miyagi Kodomo Ikuei Kikin”, ascholarship fund for children who were orphaned by thedisaster.
Perhaps one of our most important achievements thisyear was the way that we structured our groupmeetings, achieving really positive group dynamics.
We found that establishing a committee-style approachto planning events, having smaller committees
targeting different aspects of an event, helped bringfocus and efficiency into our planning. We got a lot ofpractice writing proposals for events, activities, orchanges to the school, which had to go through the
Principal and the Senior Management Team before
being approved. Although not all of our proposals weresuccessful, and our proposal for a student printer andstudent ties for the uniform have not yet been met witha conclusive response, these experiences gave many
SRC members practice to put together proposals andformal documents, which will certainly serve useful inthe future.
Another highlight of this year’s SRC was theenthusiasm and level of dedication and participation of
the group. We encouraged, pushed and helped eachother, creating a close-knit community and a positive
working environment, and we hope that many students
consider joining the SRC this coming year!
Monica (G12A)
SRC President(on behalf of the SRC)

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“The Comet”

Secondary School NewsAs I complete my second year as
the school’s Secondary School
Principal, I want to take thisopportunity to formally thank thestudents, parents, teachers, Board
members, office staff, PTA and my
Secondary administrative team foryour trust and support in making
the 2012-2013 school year a truly
memorable and student-centeredyear. We have a lot to be proud of
as a community and much to lookforward next school year.
Below are a few areas I wanted tobring to your attention.

KIST on Stage 2013
On May 24, our community
enjoyed the traditional ‘KIST on
Stage’ school concert which truly
deserves special mention from a
Principal’s perspective. The
students were extremely
supportive in all phases of theconcert which included several
days of auditions, rehearsals,
setup and support of their peers.
As I mentioned in my speech thatevening, KIST is certainly known
for academic rigor, but no school iscomplete without supporting artistic
endeavors and a venue to express
and celebrate them. Our school
has several great annual traditions
in which this event is absolutely
student centered. A great numberof our students are very willing toperform given the opportunity
clearly demonstrating confidence
and modeling very positive
behavior which is nurtured within
the culture of the school and thus
enhancing the overall educational
atmosphere. This is indeed
something that makes our school
unique in which our community
willingly celebrates each year.

Systems at KIST –ManageBac in focus –supporting student efforts
outside the classroom
We have 4 main systems in place
for students which include: E-mail(Office 365), Moodle (course
management system),
PowerSchool (student information
system) and ManageBac. For
many parents they may not befamiliar with ManageBac and its
use at KIST. We have been using
ManaeBac for DP students forseveral years specifically for
Creativity, Action, Service (CAS)which is a required aspect all
Grade 12 students must fulfill inorder to graduate. Most recently
we integrated its use for our MYP
students (Grades 6-10) this school
year to assist specifically with
Community and Service (C&S).
ManageBac specifically allows
students to track progress andbuild a portfolio of service related
activities. This is a critical initiative
supporting our IB goals associatedwith the Learner Profile indeveloping well-rounded andcaring citizens of the world. Whenreporting progress on student
report cards, the number of hours
documented is generated by
student input which should include
meaningful reflections for all
activities undertaken along with anadvisor’s verification for eachactivity. It is imperative thatstudents are reminded to be timely
in completing this process. I
encourage parents to discuss
ManageBac with your child toensure they are updating things
appropriately when school
resumes next academic year.
Students are given guidance touse ManageBac during Advisory
lessons and should be referencing
this in Student Led Conferences as
well.

Upper secondary 1-to-1
laptop initiative – One year
later

Ms Babaeva leading students in the school
song, “For Tomorrow”.

The school introduced a 1-to-1
laptop program for students in
Grades 10-12 this school year.
Thanks to parental support, things

went very smoothly in our first year
integrating this initiative. Students
in Grades 6-9 will still be able touse school provided laptops andare encouraged not to bring theirown laptops to school.
Having students begin to use
personal laptops in this manner
beginning in G10 will ensure thenecessary digital literacy skills aredeveloped which will greatly help
our students as they embark on
their DP studies and post-KIST incollege and university settings. Our
aim is to provide a 21st century
learning environment while
nurturing student responsibilities
age appropriately associated withcaring for a personal laptop before
they graduate from high school.
With technology evolving at such afast pace beginning in G10 withnew laptops should serve most
students well during their firstyears of university/college study
post-KIST. We are therefore
continuing to request students onlyin Grades 10 to 12 to bring laptops
to school with a suitable carrying
case. Students in Grades 6-9 willcontinue to have access to school
provided laptops during lessons as
appropriate. We feel student
responsibility at these specificgrade levels within a school settingwith movement between classes
throughout the
day are best
served by nothaving them bring
laptops to school.

Continued on next page

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V o l u me 1 6 | I s s u e 4 | J u n e 2 0 1 3Continued from previous page

Details on recommended specifications
were sent via E-Communications. If you
have any questions about these
specifications, kindly contact our IT
Office directly.

Alumni News
Shreya Deshmukh“Class of 2011”

PowerSchool parental/student
accessTeachers areuniversallyusingPowerSchool
Grade Books
which is also
generating all
school reports
cards. By
putting this inplace, Grade
12 parents andstudents were able to view student
progress during the last quarter of thisacademic year on line as it was reported
by teachers. We plan to expand thisaccess to all DP students in Grades 1112 in time for the 1st quarter reports in
October. Further access to Grades 6-10
is still in the planning stages. Additional
details will be announced during nextschool year.

Shreya is in her second year at Boston
University, US, and her research work
was introduced in the Spring 2013
edition of BU’s “Engineer”
magazine. The complete article andphotographs may be viewed at the link
below from page 15.
http://www.bu.edu/eng/alumni/magazine/

Carmina Mancenon“Class of 2010”
Carmina is in her third year at
Princeton University, US, and wasselected as one of nine students for the2013 Spirit of Princeton Award.
Further details may be viewed at thefollowing website:

School growth
As we look ahead to 2013-2014 it should
be noted the school has successfully
expanded to now have 2 cohort groups ineach grade level throughout thesecondary school. This year we will have
graduated our largest senior class (35students) so far. I believe this growth has
been managed strategically and thus
ensuring our students are adequately
resourced to enable them to reach theirhighest levels of achievement in all
subjects.
As always, please do not hesitate tocontact me if you have any questions orconcerns. I wish all families and staff awonderful and fulfilling summer holiday.
Warm regards to all,
Stephen Rothkopf
Secondary School
Principal

http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S36/80/21C45/
index.xml?section=topstories

Top 10 Drinks
In January this year, two drink vending machines were
installed in the school grounds. The 10 most populardrinks for the period from January to April are listed
below. Please note that the Itoen drink vending
machine, located in the breezeway near reception, now accepts
payment by Edy card.

1. C.C. Lemon 500 ml
2. Evian 500 ml
3. Lipton Apple Tea 500 ml
4. Orangina 420 ml
5. Pocari Sweat 500 ml
6. Iemon Green Tea 500 ml
7. Southern Alps Mineral Water 500 ml
8. Teas’ Tea Apple 500 ml
9. Oolong Tea 500 ml
10. Lipton Limone 280 ml

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Grade 4 Hunger Banquet
In Grade 4, we have been working on our Sharing thePlanet unit, focused on the different rights,
responsibilities and opportunities that different children
around the world have. As a ‘tuning in’ activity, we
recently held a hunger banquet, inspired by Oxfam’s
well-known events to raise awareness about hunger inthe world. More information about this cause can befound online at:
http://actfast.oxfamamerica.org/index.php/events/
banquetAt a hunger banquet, where you sit and what you eat isdetermined by chance, so each child drew a number tobe assigned to one of the three groups. Five students
sitting at a table represented the 15 percent of theworld in the ‘High Income’ group, who make, on
average, more than 1 million yen per year. Thirteen
students represented the 35% of the world’s populationin the ‘Middle Income’ group. This group covers a wide
range of living situations, from approximately 215 to
2,600 yen per day. The students representing them sat
on chairs. The ‘Low Income’ group represented the
50% of the world’s population who live on less than
215 yen per day – many have much, much less. These
20 students sat on the floor. Once they were grouped,they were given information about poverty and hunger
in the world, and sorts of lives lead by people in eachgroup. One or two students switched groups as we
discussed changing circumstances in families. Many
students were particularly shocked at the lack of
educational opportunities and high rate of childmortality prevalent in the Low Income group.
Once the context had been given, each student
received a snack representing the different amounts offood available to each group. The High Income groupeach received a full bag of popcorn. The Middle
Income students had to share a bag between 2, 3 or 4
students, while all 20 students in the Low Income
group shared two bags of popcorn. Some students
grabbed a large handful of popcorn before it was gone,
but a number of students decided to share their foodwith those less fortunate.
After the ‘meal’, there was an activity to represent theopportunities and responsibilities of different children
around the world. Children in the High Income groupwere able to go play, while children in the Low Income
group were required to perform a coloring and cutting
task to represent child labor around the world. As withthe meal, the students had a variety of experiences,from having very little work before playing to almost
constant work.
After the exercise, the groups discussed how they felt
as members of each group. Many interestingreflections and questions were raised, and the students
are eager to find out more about the lives of children
around the world.

V ol u me 16 | I s s ue 4 | J u ne 2 01 3

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V o l u me 1 6 | I s s u e 4 | J u n e 2 0 1 3

Math Field Day 2013
On April 17, 2013, twenty-eight “mathletes” from KIST
attended the annual KPASSP Math Field Day event at
Yokota High School on the Yokota Air Base. Our student
representatives from grade 7 to grade 11 trained hard forthree months prior to the competition in an after-school
math club, wrapping their brains around problem after
problem. The students’ hark work was rewarded as KIST
had eight individuals who placed in the top 10 for theirgrade level. In particular, Jisang (G9A) placed 2nd in
grade 9 and Min (G11B)
placed 2nd in grade 11.
Congratulations to allparticipants!
Jennifer Thomas
Andre Ito
Team Coaches

The KIST team!

Jisang (G9A)

Min (G11B)

Arjun (G8B)
During our visit to the Yokota“ Basefor the Math Field Day, I bothlearnt and developed new skills, and also, enjoyedthe day. I especially enjoyed the Team Problem
Sets as we got to work together to solve
challenging problems and make friends. I got toknow a lot of students from other schools and got
to learn and collaborate with them. In the weeks
leading to the Math Field Day, we would have ameet every week in which we would practice anddiscuss similar problems. The Math Field Day wasa great experience and I would really
recommend it to you!

Students competing in teams for Math Mania”

Abhinav (G11B)

This was the first time I had“ everparticipated in any academic competition andwent to an American Base. It was a great
experience. To be honest, it was quite different
from what I expected. Although the Base waslargely monotone in terms of infrastructure, it did
feel like I was out of Japan (Especially the FOOD
was amazing!). Speaking about the competition,
the individual component was similar to a typicalmath test but did not feel like one. In fact, on thecontrary it was quite enjoyable, since eachquestion was like a puzzle. Overall, it was
something quite unlike I had ever participated inand hope to be able to do it again.

“ [In Math Mania]… I was in a senior group”named “Fearsome Factors”. After we answered allof the questions, a member from our team had to
run to the “Correcting Station” to check theanswers. During the run, we had missions such asgetting a sticky note from a teacher at the back of
the hall and running with another member from thegroup holding hands, rubbing elbows, andcrossing arms… Do you get the idea?

Over 300 students from 12 international schools attended

Se Young (G10A)

The KPASSP Math field day
was such a great experience. By preparing for thisevent, I learnt extended material in math which
requires application skills and creativity. During theactual event, working with unfamiliar people
helped me to improve cooperation skills in new
situations. It was a rare opportunity to experience“fun” math, and I look forward to participate in the
KPASSP Math field day next year.

”

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“The Comet”

Grade 12 Graduating Class of 2013
Every year group at KIST is a special one. The
Graduating Class of 2013 is no different. This particularclass, however, is significant in the further growth andestablishment of KIST as it is twice the size of any
previous graduating class, with 35 students
successfully moving on from the school this year toplaces and adventures new.
The final few months of Grade 12 are extremely busy
and action packed. Of course the academic focus
recently has been the build-up and the completion of
their final IB Diploma examinations. Some students
have also been continuing to complete some final
university applications in the last couple of months. In
addition to these, students have also been practicing
and preparing for a class performance at the End ofYear Concert and of course, getting ready for their
Graduation Ceremony on June 7 and their Graduation
Dinner on June 10.
For me as a DP Coordinator at this time of year, justlike it can be for many students, is always one of mixed
feelings; sadness at the leaving of students I haveworked with closely over the past two years, but
happiness to have seen what lies ahead for them, andalso for a welcome break without any Grade 12s inschool to worry about until August!

On a serious note, I have had the pleasure of knowing
the Class of 2013 for many years since my arrival at
KIST in 2007. I believe I have been a classroom
teacher of all of them at various stages in Grades 7
through 12 and have also worked with many of them insome extra-curricular activities. One of theprofessionally rewarding things about knowing a year
group of students for a number of years is that you
actually see them change and grow, both academicallyand socially, and possibly see that you might have hadsome positive impact, however small, on their lives. It is
one of the most rewarding parts of being a teacher!
I hope that many of our Class of 2013 will continue togrow and develop and I am sure that they will have apositive impact on our world. On behalf of all staff at
KIST, I wish them every success in the future andencourage them to keep in touch with the school, evento come back and visit from time to time if they havethe chance.
Mark Cowe
Secondary School Vice Principal/IB Diploma
Coordinator

Ms Johnston and Mr Young with Grade 12A.

Mr Cowe and Mr Hishiyama with Grade 12B.

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PYP Exhibition
The Grade 5 PYP Exhibition was held on Wednesday, April 24
and Thursday, April 25. The Exhibition is the culminating event of
the PYP, designed to allow the students to create and develop an
independent inquiry into real-life issues, and to share theirlearning with the whole school community. Since the beginning of
the year, Grade 5 students have been deepening theirunderstanding of the aspects of the PYP, and then exploring thisyear’s trans-disciplinary theme, ‘How we organize ourselves.’
One of the most important parts of the process is creating acentral idea that is broad enough for all the students to explore
while allowing them to investigate a topic they are passionate
about. The students did a great job, coming up with “Theenvironment, people, communities, economic activities, andsystems can affect each other.” Students formed groups or chose
to work individually according to the issues that interested them.
Then they plunged into several weeks of researching their topics,
interviewing experts, sharing resources, then drafting, revising andediting their information reports. They used various art media toexpress their thoughts and feelings about their issue, kept their
Moodle pages updated, planned their oral presentations, andcreated their displays. Throughout the entire process they wereguided by their mentors and encouraged by their families.
The students became more and more excited as they approached
the final presentation. A number of parents were kind enough tocome in and give feedback on oral presentations, and thestudents became more confident and expressive public speakers.
A combination of pizza-party and pep-rally preceded theWednesday evening parent/community presentation, and one
student was heard to say, “This is the best day of my life!” Thevisitors were very impressed by the depth of the students’knowledge and the thoughtfulness of their presentations. Grade 4
students and their families were also invited, to give them apreview for next year.
The next day, the students were at their booths to answer
questions from visiting classes, adjusting their approach to suitaudiences from age 4 all the way through high school. Formal oralpresentations were given midday to visitors from Tsukuba
International School, Tokyo Community School,
and Jingumae International Exchange School.
Here’s what the teachers had to say...
“We have finished our 11-weekjourney to Exhibition with great
success! Students became
experts on a wide variety of
topics and issues such as
genetically modified foods,
over-fishing, water pollution,
maritime piracy, child labor,
and global littering to name afew. The students actively
engaged in learning new skills
such as researching, creating
bibliographies, vetting sources
and more. The Exhibition
journey was a wonderfullearning experience frombeginning to end!”

Here’s what the students had to say...
“It was a little bit challenging when I was
researching my topic, but when I waspresenting it was fun.”Sara“I thought the challenging partof the exhibition was completingthe task sheets. The fun partwas making the commercial
and the logo!”
Shridhar

Ms Geshel“The exhibition is challenging because I noticed
that you have to do lots of stuff, and trying to
make it interesting is very difficult. My topic wasover-fishing and I think this is an important
topic to learn about.”
OliverMrs Riemer“From the exhibition I learned that
we need to work in a group. I think it
was a really good experience.”
Emily

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“The Comet”

Library News
Winners of Sakura Medal challenge
All students who voted were entered in a prize draw.
After our “celebrity judges” pulled the names out of thebox, we found our winners! Congratulations to:
Elementary:
Kiana (G3A), Minn (G3A), Kishore (G3B), Yoo Mee(G3B), Akino (G5A)

Chae Youn’s awarding winning design.

The participating winners in our school received 2,000
yen book vouchers sponsored by the PTA Library
Committee.
Elementary Sakura Medal challenge winners.

Secondary:
Xiang (G6A), Sara (G7A), Hana (G8A), Akiko (G8B),
Junka (G10A)

Participants in the Sakura Medal and Art Competition
celebrating with a Hungry Readers Pizza Party kindly
sponsored by the PTA.

Secondary Sakura Medal challenge winners.

Sakura 2013 art contest winner
We had lots of great entries in the Sakura Medal Art
Contest, competing with other students frominternational schools in Japan. This year, one student
from KIST was chosen as the winner overall for theHigh School Japanese category. Congratulations to
Chae Youn (G10A)!

Sakura Medal Japanese book review contest
Students participated in this writing contest with otherinternational schools. Congratulations to Mariko (G2A)
for winning the doryoku-shou (special effort award)!
Mariko’s essay may be viewed on page 11.
Sakura Medal 2013 book winners
A complete list of the 2013 Sakura Medal winningbooks may be viewed here: http://sakuramedal.com/
Click on the ‘’winners!”’ link at the top of the page.

Illustrator visit
A children’s book illustrator from Holland, Alex de Wolf,
came to visit. He read a kamishibai story he madehimself to K3, worked with G1 students to make ananimal mural, and with secondary students to learn
about illustration. We all had lots of fun seeing how hemakes his drawings for a book and making art together.
Next year we hope to have an author visit the school,
possibly R.L. Stine, author of the famous Goosebumps
series!

Chae Youn with Mr Licuanan and Ms Yoshimoto.

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V o l u me 1 6 | I s s u e 4 | J u n e 2 0 1 3Continued from previous pageThank you
Can we all say a HUGE thank you to the volunteer
work of the PTA Library Committee throughout thisschool year? Help with book covering, shelving,and donating prizes are just some of the ways
parents have supported the library this year.

Goodbye
Sadly, our Elementary School Librarian, Ms
Findlay, will be leaving us for Australia after thesummer school ends.
“I will miss all the lovely students I
have seen growing as readers in
the last couple of years, and all theteachers who work so hard tocreate a love of reading in theirstudents. I hope we will meet again
someday.”
We are looking forward to welcoming a new
Librarian in the Elementary Library next year.

Popular activities returning next year!
Hungry Readers, DEAR, Karuta, International
Mother Language Day, Sakura Medal Books and
Art Competition, and Scholastic International Book
Club

Forthcoming library initiatives

Yatta Card – reward system that reflects the IB
Learner Profile and Mission of KIST Libraries
iCapture – a digital photography challenge forsecondary school students

Book Review
Digging through the EarthThis is a story about two children, Tsuyoshi and Kenta,
who dug a hole to America. The hole though, came out
in the garden of the house next door.
I did not understand what Kenta’s older sister meant by
the word pen friend. I asked my mum and found out itmeans to exchange letters with a person in a different
country. It sounded interesting and something I would
like to try. If I went to visit a pen friend I would go byplane instead of digging a hole. This is because a holeis dark and if the lights went out while you were inside
you would be in trouble. I also thought about how longit would take for three people to dig a hole to America.
From Tokyo to Kentucky it takes about 14 hours on aplane. If I dug a hole there with the other two I think it
would take over a month to arrive. The soil would be all
gooey and icky which would make it tricky.
Finally, on the backcover it has a picture ofa barbecue. Everyone
looks like they arehaving fun which I
thought was nice.
Kenta’s older sister,
Sakura, is shaking
hands with her pen
friend and she looks
happy. I think the threeof them had fun sliding
down the hole all theway back to Japan.
Mariko (G2A)

Mariko (G2A) with Japaneseteacher, Matsui-sensei.

New Face
Book returns
As we wind down towards the end of the year,
library staff ask that all students please be prompt
in returning their library books, and remind all
library users that they are responsible for the loss
or damage of library resources. Please contact us
if you have concerns about items which may havebeen lost.
Over the summer, we will be busy checking thecollection in both libraries, processing many new
books ordered with the proceeds from KISTival,
and planning the information literacy programs forthe next school year. We look forward to seeing
everyone again in the new school year.
Have a great summer from the KIST Libraries
Team!

We are delighted to welcome Reina Sekiguchi to the
KIST family as our new Elementary School
Administrative Assistant. We wish Reina all the best in
her new position.
Hi everyone! My name is Reina. I
am the new elementary school
administrative assistant. I cameback to Tokyo last December after
spending 8 years in Melbourne,
Australia. I have been having agreat time since I joined the KIST
team in April. I feel blessed to bepart of KIST since everyone here isvery kind and friendly. It makes me happy to see
students having lots of fun and learning every day.
Please say hi to me when you see me. I am looking
forward to meeting you all. Thank you!

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“The Comet”

Staff 10!

Extracurricular Activities

In this month’s Staff
10!, we are pleased topresent Clay Bradley
who joined KIST in2011 as a Grade 3
teacher in the
Elementary School.
Mr Bradley has been
appointed the PYP
Coordinator from
August 2013.

The importance of extracurricular activities
for students

Mr Bradley supporting students in
his class.

 Tell us something interesting about yourhometown.
I’m from Jackson, Mississippi in the southern part of theUnited States. Even though it’s the capital of the state itis quite small and doesn’t have a “city” feeling to it as
the majority of its inhabitants live in the suburbs
surrounding the city. Mississippi is reliant on farming
and agriculture for its economy and offers many
beautiful images rooted in a natural setting.
 What is your favorite place in the world?
I don’t have one place that I would say is my favorite.
I’ve traveled many places in my life and feel the placethat most intrigues me is the one around the corner thathasn’t yet presented itself. My second favorite place isJapan, definitely!
 Who would you like to meet if you had the chance
and why?
I’m interested in art of all kinds and I really like drawing
and painting in particular. If I could hang out with one
artist for a day I would like to watch Vincent Van Goghpaint and listen to what he would have to say about theworld. I love his work.
 Do you have any special skills or talents?
Yes, I have a talent for feeling that every day is freshand full of opportunity. I think that this keeps me on a
positive path throughout my day. This works for me!
 Please share a little known fact about yourself.
I’m incredibly shy and I desperately hide it!
 What is your most prized possession?
My guitar is the one thing that comes to mind. It’snothing special, but it gives me the tools I need to copewith a world that we are unable, essentially, to control.
 What words would you use to describe yourself
Contradictory… shy/outgoing, positive/brooding,confident/unsure… and the list continues on into
tomorrow.
 If you could live your life again, would you doanything differently?
Yes, as I would be doing it all again from the standpointthat life comes at you one decision at a time. I believe
the end result would be that a completely different
person would emerge. I would hope that the “new” mewould be a person that the “old” me would respect.
 Is there anything you are trying to learn/improveabout yourself at the moment?
Honestly, everything in my life is a work in progress. I’mhoping to improve not only what I do, but also the waythat I perceive what I do. More immediate, in the coming
months, I’ll be concentrating on learning a new job here
at KIST. As the new PYP Coordinator I will be taking ona host of new tasks and challenges that I believe willoffer new insights for my own growth both personallyand professionally. Please bear with me as I tackle thisnew adventure.
 Do you have any special message for your fans?
Be honest with yourself and you’ll go a long way. If
things go bad, look in the mirror before pointing fingers
and when searching for solutions, remember that they
always begin with you. Lastly, remember that we allneed each other to survive in this life.

Extracurricular activities are offered at KIST from Grade1 through 12. Whether it be music, drama club, sports,
yearbook, SRC, etc. these types of activities create
memories and positive experiences that students may
not get inside the classroom. Having worked as aschool counselor for many years, I have learned how
important extracurricular activities are for students.
Every child needs to be successful at something. A fairnumber of students may find academics a struggle andif these students are not provided opportunities toparticipate in extracurricular activities such as music,
sports, drama, etc. then finding self-confidence, selfesteem may be an issue for the child. It is paramountthat students test their potential in as many areas as
possible. Seeking out what they are passionate about,where their talents lie, what they find rewarding andfulfilling are essential in a child’s identity and emotional
well-being.
Extracurricular activities also help develop social skills,
because socialization, teamwork, and working withothers is necessary in most activities. If your child joinsa sports team, they will learn the importance of
teamwork and sportsmanship. If it’s a club at KIST, they
will share a particular interest or activity with others andit can lead to developing new friendships, skills,
interests and self-concept.
Numerous studies have shown that the majority ofchildren involved in extracurricular activities achieve
better grades than those who do not participate in
extracurricular activities, and these activities often teachthem lifelong skills and build character.
Extracurricular activities are also important for those
who plan to attend college. Colleges often look at theactivities in which students are involved, and experience
with extracurricular activities can help a child get into acompetitive university. The pride from theirachievements enhances self-respect, self-esteem andself-confidence. The intrinsic benefits of extracurricular
activities are many; thus, it is essential for our students
to experience success in and out of the classroom,
become well rounded, and enjoy all the school has tooffer.
Benjamen Fishman
Student Welfare Counselor

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V o l u me 1 6 | I s s u e 4 | J u n e 2 0 1 3Grade 10 Humanities Curriculum RevisionHow do we strengthen the Humanities skillsof G10 students as they prepare for the DP?
How do we help students decide which Group
3 subject to choose?

These two questions guided the Humanities
Department in its revision of the G10 Humanities
curriculum. This school year saw the Humanities
Department revise its G10 curriculum from a mostly
History-based focus towards an approachemphasizing each discipline within the DP Group 3
subjects (Economics, History, and Psychology).

During the DP Options Night, held on April 12, parents
and students discussed with teachers on possible
Group 3 subject selections. The revised G10
curriculum provided students with feedback on thestudents’ strengths and interests to assist them inmaking an informed decision on which Group 3 subject
to choose.
Keith Erickson
Subject Area Coordinator: Humanities
Student comments on the new units:

Within the Humanities Department, MYP and DP
teachers collaborated on creating units, skills andassessments that would build a foundation for G10
students as they continue their study of Humanities in
one of the DP Group 3 subjects.

“We got to see how each of the subjects are like andfind out what we are interested in.”“I liked the structure of the course as it helped me
make a more informed choice.”

G10 Humanities Revised Curriculum
Unit Question

Unit Description

Why do political revolutions
happen?
What can cause ordinary
people to carry out extreme
acts of evil?
What is the ideal economic
system?

Students were presented the French Revolution as a casestudy to examine the factors leading to revolution.
Students applied the theory of situational variables to
explain evil acts in the past and how societies can prevents
these acts from occurring in the future.
Students researched how countries with planned
economies are transitioning towards a more market-based
approach.
Students investigated the link between a country’s
development and global health issues through the use ofstatistical analysis.

Why is health a global
issue?

Toyosu Carnival
On Saturday, May 18, KIST
participated in the inaugural Toyosu
Carnival for the purpose ofpromoting “community interaction,
development of young people, andinternational exchange.” Thank you
to the students, parents and staff
who represented KIST byparticipating in the parade andassisted at
the school’s
food andgames
booth.

DP Group 3 Link
History
Psychology
Economics
Psychology

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V ol u me 16 | I s s ue 4 | J u ne 2 01 3

College Guidance News
Spring college fair
The first college fair organized at KIST was a great
success with hundreds of participants from the whole
KIST community. We hope everyone enjoyed the fairby meeting with college representatives from nearly 30
major universities/colleges in the US, Japan, the UK
and Australia in the KIST Gym on March 20. We werevery pleased to receive positive feedback fromstudents, parents and college representatives. I would
like to thank the student volunteers who arranged thevenue and hosted visitors, and also the PTA members
who prepared drinks and snacks for the reception.
Since it was so successful, we decided to make it anannual event. The next KIST Spring College Fair isscheduled for March 21, 2014. Please mark it on yourcalendar!

College Acceptances and Offers: Class of 2013*=Scholarship offered()=Number of students accepted
UK
University of Edinburgh (2)University of Manchester (2)London School of Economics and Political Science
King’s College London
University of St. Andrews
Royal Holloway, University of London
Kingston University London
Birmingham City University
University of Lincoln*
University of Liverpool
Edinburgh Napier University
Lancaster University
Oxford Brookes University
University of Kent
University of Aberdeen
USA
Boston University (2)*Northeastern University (2)*
University of Colorado Boulder (2)Pacific Lutheran University (2)*Pennsylvania State University (2)*
University of Southern California (2)SUNY Stony Brook University (2)University of Chicago
University of Michigan
UCSD
UCLA
UC Davis
University of Virginia
Virginia Tech
Purdue University
University of Washington
University of Miami (Florida)
College of William and Mary
Smith College
Wellesley College
Bard College
Rhodes College
University of RichmondState University of New Jersey, Rutgers
SUNY University of Buffalo
SUNY Binghamton University
University of San Francisco
University of Texas San Antonio
Lewis and Clark College
Gonzaga College
Drexel University
Emerson College
Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising
Hofstra University*
Ohio State University*
Syracuse University
Arizona State University
Iowa State University
Kansas State University
Florida International University
Bowling Green State University
Temple University
University of Miami (Ohio)
CANADA
University of British Columbia (7)*McGill University
University of Toronto
Simon Fraser University
Acadia University
Bishops University
Dalhousie University
University of Regina
University of Western Ontario

Class of 2013 college acceptances andoffersKIST has had another successful year! Twenty-ninestudents sent applications and have so far received
104 acceptances/offers from 89 universities/colleges
around the world (see the list below.) Several students
are still waiting for the results; applying to Japanese,
Australian or EU universities after graduation; taking a
gap year or going to military service. Congratulations
and wishing you all the best for continued success inyour future!
(Mrs) Keiko Okude
College Guidance Counselor

JAPAN
Sophia University, Faculty of Liberal Arts (5)Waseda University, School of International Liberal Studies (4)Waseda University, School of Political Science andEconomics (2)Nagoya University (2)University of Tokyo
Waseda University, Faculty of Science and Engineering*
Meiji Gakuin University
KOREA
Seoul National University
HONG KONG
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
SINGAPORE
Yale-NUS College*
Raffles College of ArtsLASALLE College of ArtsV o l u me 1 6 | I s s u e 4 | J u n e 2 0 1 3

KIST on Stage
Congratulations to all those who performed at the“KIST on Stage” school concerts on Friday, May 24
at Tower Hall Funabori. Once again this year,
audience members were treated to some amazing
and unique musical and dramatic performances.
Thank you to everyone involved in the production of
the concerts and for helping to make them asuccess.

“ T h e C o m et ”

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