Upperschool Newsleeter June 2016

The Best Way to
Predict your Future
Is TO CREATE ...it.
The Future Starts
@KiS
We measure
SUCCESS
One HAPPY learner
At a time
Issue # 02 / June 2016
Welcome to our Second Issue of the KiS, Upper School Newsletter.

Inside the ISSUE
WORD FROM ACADEMIC DIRECTOR ……………………………….. 3
WORD FROM HOS …………………………………………………………3
MIRNA’S POEMS ……………………………………………………………...4,5
TOP ACHIEVERS ……………………………………………………………...6
BOOK REVIEW………………………………………………………………7
ART CORNER………………………………………………………………...8
REFLECTIONS……………………………………………..…………..9,10,11
SCIENCE FAIR ARTICLE AND PHOTOS ……………………..…12,13,14
GRADE 11 CAREER FAIR….……………………………………………...15
SUMMARY OF COLLEGE GUIDANCE EVENTS THIS YEAR……….16
GRADE 8 / ICT BUSINESS CARDS……………………………………….17
GRADE 9 ICT CODE ACADEMY ………………………………………….18,19
Editorial Board:
Rania Bekdache : Upper School Head of Section
Noura Awwad : ICT Coordinator
Farah Masri :ICT Teacher
Amanda Ghaddar : ICT Teacher
Nour Mamdouh Grade 10 Peaches learner.
2

A Message from the Academic Director.
I feel enormously proud of everyone and
thankful for the opportunity to serve
you all. Your Success is a testament to
the achievements you have accomplished
at KiS.
Together for a brighter FUTURE..
A Message from the Upper School HOS
Welcome to the second issue of the upper school newsletter. This year
the high school was renamed upper school after combining grade 7 and 8
who added a lot of vitality and innocence to the third floor of Bloc B.
This year went very fast. I hope we met the expectations of the KiS
administration and the parents
All learners worked very hard to complete this academic year and a large
number showed a great progress from the beginning of the year.
Please find inside this newsletter the names of the learners who ranked
first, second and third in their class in the second term. Congratulations
to all the high achievers! You made us very proud!
34 young ladies graduated this year and will be joining universities in
Saudi, the Middle East and abroad. The graduation ceremony took place on
the 2nd of June.
On another note, I would like to thank all the teachers and staff
members for making this year fruitful with their perseverance and
dedication.
I would like to thank the learners who put some effort and took the time
to contribute to the newsletter.
Have a restful and peaceful summer vacation!
Rania Bekdache
Upper School HOS
3

The Cimmerian Side of My Mind 2
4
Sometimes when I am on my own,
My head pounds of you,
My heart throbs for you,
My lungs scream for you,
But that's only when I am alone.
Sometimes I plead for destiny to spin its wheel
Over and over again
Until I am completely numb
Never to feel the anguish again,
But sympathy is all I could feel.
Despite all your blasphemies and abhor,
All your degradation and malice towards me-
All your envy that you devour,
I could've never been the same before;
I never shut my door!
However, my perception in life never changes,
And it's we're all born into the crave
For amelioration beside affection,
But others choose to nullify it.
Anyway, my emotions, inhumed,
shall never escape their cages!
We deem the implausible superb,
“POETRY is when emotions have found
thoughts, and thoughts have found
words”.
And we're struck by alienation
WHEN IT COMES OUR WAY..
MIRNA HAZEM
GRADE 9 Peaches

A Glance
Listen to the exhortation
Of the rising sun.
Take a glance into this day
For it is life, the very life of life
Where obliquely lies your verities of existence.
It is but the bliss of growth,
The glory of action,
The splendor of beauty;
For yesterday is but an experience,
Today is a blessing,
And the morrow is your dream.
Every yesterday is an experience
whether sweet or sour,
And every morrow is a vision of hope.
Peer into this beauty
IF ONLY
If only time could slow down
So we can taste moments
In the mouth of life.
If only songs could go on
And sing the story of us
To the future that awaits.
If only hums were to
Transform words into gold
We were going to be the wealthiest in
the universe.
5
But sometimes time never slows down
And songs never go on
5

Upper School TOP ACHIEVERS Term II
Grade Rank one Rank two Rank three
7 Pears Veronia Refat Gress Haya Anas
Bachour
Roaa Bashar Abbara
7 Peaches Nouran Hazem Mohammed
Zein Mohammad
Ali
Joudi Ahmad
Bonean
It Always Seems Impossible
Until it is DONE...
7 Melons Sadeen Marwan
Nofal
Eman Mohammad
Al Fahoum
8 Pears Nada Kamal Hafez Shahad Ibrahim
Abu Matar
8 Peaches Yara Osama Elias Lama Mohamad
Kirdas
Nancy Roger Matar
Nada Mahmoud Al
Nadi
Sama Al Sayed
Kosba
Little STEPS ,
9 Pears Joud Emad Abdul-
Qader
Naya Derar Al
Chamali
Toka Mohsen Saad
Big ACHIEVEMENTS...
9 Peaches Amal Riad Ghalayini Nouha Mahbub
Rifai
Mirna Hazem Mohammed
Every Accomplishment
10 Pears Nagham Abdul Badia
El- Hallak
Mai Khalid Soliman
Theodora George
Botros
Starts With The Decision
To Try...
10 Peaches Karin Samer Iskandarani
Nourhan Mamdouh
Amer
Sarah Akram
Aboud
11Peaches Reem Jamal Loubani Aya Mustafa
Nasab
Hibah Ahmed
Mahmoud
12 Peaches Yara Ghassan Akkad Elham Abdelbadia
El Hallak
Sarah Mohamad
Basir Itani
6

Book Reviews
“Wonder” by R.J. Palacio.
“All the Bright Places” by Jennifer Niven.
This is a story about a deformed boy named
August and his first year in normal school
after being homeschooled for five years. It is
heartbreakingly wonderful as August fails to
understand why the other children shy away
from him without even trying to know him. He
tries to convince people that he is just as
ordinary as they are through his actions and
personality, despite his strange features. The
story is told through several characters’ points
of view. Each one of them tells us how they
come to view August differently as the story
progresses. What makes this book so beautiful
is this nine-year old boy who does everything he
can to make people like him, understand him,
and goes from being called a freak to a
wonder. Despite having a sorrowful plot, the
book has many lighthearted moments and the
characters are adorable. It’s a book for
everyone who feels out of place and tries
desperately to fit in, for everyone who feels
alone or misunderstood.
Nadeen El Attar
One thing I love about this book is that it’s
based on a true story. In other words, you do
not only relate to the characters, but to the
writer, too. The story is about a boy and a girl,
Violet and Finch, who want to take their own
lives for different reasons and meet when they
are about to jump from their school’s bell
tower. Their unexpected friendship starts from
there and they become beacons of hope for
each other. It’s a lovely book because of how
much it teaches you about people and their
feelings and lives, about society and its twisted
ways. It shows you that there’s so much more to
a person’s life than what you see and that even
those closest to you may never know what goes
on in your head. It’s a life-changing book with a
perfect mix of humor and sorrow that makes it
both lighthearted and destructive.
Nadeen El Attar
Grade 11 Peaches
Grade 11 Peaches
7

Anna Jomaa
Grade 9 Peaches
Dana Abbas
Grade 7 Pears
Hayat Al Mir
Grade 8Peaches
8
Shahed Bukhari
Grade 8 Pears
Nada Kammal
Grade 8 Pears

THE BEACH
The wind blew by me taking my spirit with it. My hair crossed my
face; The smell of the salty water ascended my nose as I breathed the
fresh air. The sand was full of multicolored sea shells, and it was a bed
of blankets. The sand was as delicate as a new born baby’s skin. So I sat
down, watching the sun stretch out of bed.
As minutes passed by, the sun rays glowed greeting me with a hello.
It reached toward me and shined a streak of light. The sun rose up
distributing its power. Birds were singing into my ear. The sky changed its
color from dark indigo to a blue sky with fluffy clouds covering it. The
water moved like clear crystal waves that sparkled diamond, and the cold
water began to heat up. As soon as I put my feet into the water, fish
screamed for attention. Fish swam all around with happiness and
excitement. They come in many different colors and sizes.
Many families came with their children with the biggest smiles that
covered their joyful faces. All the children started building sand castles
while mingling with their friends. Lots of teenagers were surfing on the
amazing water, some others played volleyball and soccer, and others
tanned under the confident sun while their mothers drank lemonades
and yummy orange juice. The waves show a smile in return everyone back
to shore safely. The sun got tired and slowly turned off its heat; and
towels were given to the children to get ready to go home. The shops
were packing up getting ready to relax at home.
The day ended and people were leaving after an exciting day. I
could see their hearts smiling. Others stayed to watch the amazing view
and made a wish. As I left the beach, the waves said to me “Good Bye”.
Nancy Matar
7 Melons
9

My Trip to Malaysia
During our school's New Year’s Vacation, my family and I went on an adventurous
trip to Malaysia, enjoying the many touristic locations and sights that the country had to offer.
We made some great memories which will last forever.
Our trip lasted almost two weeks, from January 1st to January 13 th , 2016. We travelled
from Riyadh to Doha as transit; then we took off on a 6 hour flight to Kuala Lumpur. The first
3 days in Kuala Lumpur were full of magnificent sightseeing. First, we visited the famous
Petronas Twin Towers in the heart of the city, famed to be the tallest peak in the world before
BurjKhaleefa in Dubai. Then, we passed by a Chinese food street called JalanAlor to enjoy a
fantastic seafood meal of shrimp, squid, and clams. It was delicious. Next we saw the renowned
Bird Park in Kuala Lumpur; it is the largest walk-in aviary in the world. Finally, we entered the
Batu Caves and Dark Cave system to see real bats in their natural habitat.
After that, we travelled to a famous island in Malaysia called Langkawi. We stayed there
for 4 days in a beautiful seaside resort. We went on an island hopping trip which was very interesting
and new. We sky trekked and zip lined through the rain forest which was very daring; the
rush of adrenaline that you get while zip lining down a 40 ft tree is just so exciting. We also visited
a very big crocodile farm, they sold expensive bag, belts, and wallets made of crocodile skin.
My siblings and I got to actually feed the crocodiles with chicken using a fishing pole. We spent
our last 4 days of the trip back in Kuala Lumpur, mostly shopping in the huge malls there.
Finally, we ended our memorable trip with a day in an adventure park called Sunway Lagoon.
It includes 4 different theme parks: a scream park, an extreme park, a wild life park, and a
water park. It was the highlight of our trip. We had such great fun on the various water slides
and activities.
Malaysians have very exquisite delicacies that are very cheap and delicious. One plate
that caught our eye in more than one restaurant was the Tom Yum Soup (which is really good);
we couldn’t get enough of it. Throughout our whole journey, I video recorded all the places and
things we did. I've posted the videos on my YouTube channel "Nour Time". If you are interested
in watching my family’s adventurous journey, here's the link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B097po28hOw
Hope you’ll enjoy watching as much as I enjoyed living the experience.
Nour Mamdouh
Grade 10 Peaches
10

Handling Multiple Assignments
We all know teachers give students many tasks and tests to complete for the next day. For
this reason, students need to handle a lot of pressure. Having plenty of assignments will be
obviously something usual. The students will have difficult time to manage assignments, projects,
and quizzes at the same time. I would like to help these students by advising them with
few ways of handling many assignment
The key to successfully completing multiple assignments is effectively managing your time in
order to reach goals in the most productive way possible.
1. Set goals
Identify your goal for each assignment and prioritizing what you need to accomplish.
2. Get organized
Design a comfortable workspace where you can study. Keep on hand acceptable quantity
of supplies like paper, sticky notes, and any other necessary items such as a dictionary
and thesaurus.
3. Multiple check list
When you have multiple assignments to complete, one-to-do list is not enough. Make a
separate check list for each assignments. Sequence the lists properly, developing a
step by step pattern, for example:
Select your topics and note deadlines.
Make notes of everything already known about each subject
Determine research needed
4. Take breaks
No matter how many assignments you have to complete, it is a good idea to schedule
breaks between each 2 assignments in order to avoid becoming fatigued and losing
your concentration
5. Learn to say no
Distraction and interruptions can be brought by others or even potentially by your own.
If you wish to succeed at accomplishing multiple assignments, take control of your
time by learning to say no to others, and yourself.
In addition, let telephone calls go to the message machine. Have bottled water on your
desk in order to quench thirst without leaving your work space
Following these tips for effectively managing time when you have multiple assignments will
allow you to be more organized, reach goals, and enjoy sense of success.
Palig Kouljian
Grade 7
11

Science Fair 2016 -The Brink of Innovation
On Thursday, 24th April, 2016, grade 8,9 and 10 participated in Science Fair 2016. The
learners were enthusiastic and took the whole week to prepare for this event with the help
of their teachers. Grade 8 worked on a variety of science projects, whereas Grade 9 and 10
submitted projects related to the fields of basic physics, biology, and chemistry. Learners
presented their works with confidence and assertiveness. All the projects were displayed
until the number was narrowed to nine before selecting the best three winners.
To obtain a deeper glance, the KIS science fair of 2016 was replete with ecstasy where
the students were full of beans. Exceptional works and novel researchers were submitted
by KIS’s future scientists whose innovation and intellect enhanced the Science
Department. Learners issued certain facts due to their researches or experiments that
enriched and enlightened people’s knowledge. From digging deep through knowledge and
researches, to executing ground-breaking experiments, students were by all means persistent.
By eleven o’clock, the parents arrived, and the block almost shook with passion. A
surge of zeal and eagerness grew within the learners, each of them willing to win. Their
surplus effort flabbergasted the parents and teachers whose astonishment reached the
brink of the school. Meanwhile, the judges passed by the competitors, encouraging students
tremendously.
Moreover, several activities were held out on the stage where mothers participated in
quite a lot of them. After a while, some learners presented their projects on stage where
everyone was applauding as the whole stage shuddered with jocundity. But them the
anticipated moment came, and everyone was silently praying to be a winner. Nine projects
were selected as medal winners. Finally, the number was constricted to be three winners,
and pictures were taken of the winners of the science fair. On that day, everyone left with
a smile plastered on her own face.
In a nutshell, KIS Science Fair of 2016 reached the verge of innovation on the 24th of
April. Learners were inspired by each other’s works and tended to show their unsurpassed
sides. Together, the KIS society enlightened their road with knowledge and success!
Mirna Hazem
9Peaches
12

13

SCIENCE FAIR FINALISTs
Top finalists Project title Learners
# 1 Dry ice experiments
#2 Holograph
#3 smoking experiment
Shahed Abou Matar
Nada Al Nadi
Rawan Jaafar
Shahed Bukhari
Hala Helal
Hayat al mir
Malak Dorra
Tala Edris
Ghazal Deeb
Sarah iwainat
Jude Al Turk
Eva Kabbani
14

KiS Career Fair
It can be hard to know which job is right for you. There are so many different
jobs out there….We’re all individuals with different personalities, strengths and
weaknesses.
Thus the objective of the fair was :
1. To know what I want to study,
2. To learn about other fields,
3. To inform Grade 9 and 10 learners about fields of study.
The fair was a major success, Grade 11 learners were able to demonstrate to
their colleagues and teachers their major and what they aspire to be in the future.
Sara Mousally
Economics Teacher
15

Event Guest Hosted and title Date
1.AUB
Mrs. Nadine Naffah
October 2015
Associate Director of Admissions
2.LAU Mrs. Nada Hajj December 2015
3.BAU Mrs. Rajaa Fakhoury January 2016
4.NDU Mrs. Karla Sfeir January 2016
5.King’s College Mrs. Julie Dass Feb 2016
6.Global Vision December 2015
7.International Development Program (IDP) Mrs. Mary Aziz March 2016
8.Global Connections
Mrs. Rula Swaiss
April 2016
Director
9.Trip to AL Faisal for grade11 and 12 and attending 2 nd Health Promotion event. December 2015
10.Trip to US embassy and an overview on the new SAT Feb 2016
11.Hosting two Alumni learners April 2016
12. Grade 11’s Economics Project May 2016
Our guest are always impressed by the learners who listen carefully to the
presentation and ask interesting questions.
16

MAP YOUR FUTURE.
Being a student at university is the dream of every high school student. Every student
who wants to hold a bright future and pursue a good career should have a good career
plan.
What will you be when you grow up? How will your dream job be like? Will your job
even exist in its present form after you graduate? Will it satisfy your ambitions? We really
don't know what the future holds. However, the road to success is full of obstacles that
might interfere with students reaching their goals. Despite the obstacles, you can achieve
your dream if you are self-determined with a dose of motivation and the ability to focus on
your goal.
What more important problem could we solve than helping our KiS learners make
intelligent decisions to define, refine and implement in their personal academic goals, thus
map a future that will keep their footprints, and achieve economic self-sufficiency. That’s
why we wanted our learners to reflect early enough on their future profession, dream a
little, and plan it.
Grade 8 learners were asked to connect to their future and tailor their needs, define
their career goal, develop a plan, picture the future and how do they fit in the world of
work. Then submit a business card of those visions. The learners had to present their work
to the class, elaborate on what do they want to be when they grow up, what motivates
them, and why. The activity was a major success; our learners used their imagination,
travelled to the future and pictured the career path they wanted to pursue. We had
doctors, engineers, aeronautics, graphic designers, photographers, multimedia specialists,
pharmacists, police officers and many more.
KiS is forever keen in motivating its learners get started in mastering their career
plan because the secret of getting ahead is to get started.
Farah Masri
ICT Teacher
17

KiS GOT CODE!!
Computer science has become one of the fastest growing occupations
in an era of increasing technology, innovation and coding. Those computers
and connected devices are what will shape the future of our KiS learners as
they grow up, just as physics, math, chemistry and biology shape our world
right now. In a couple of years the inability of our learners to understand or
at least have a basic idea of coding and sequential/ logic based thinking, and
how to solve a problem systemically will be just as crippling as illiteracy and
innumeracy is in our world today. It is better to start equipping our KiS
learners with those skills in order to face winds of the future.
We the ICT department at KiS started implementing this in our
curriculum. This year we introduced algorithms and pseudo code. It was a
great success we empowered our learners through coding with creativity
when solving a problem, thus building their confidence ,imagination and
providing the tools to build a world of limitless possibilities and solutions,
since each learner can solve the problem in his/her own way. Our plan is to
provide our learners with the right gadgets to thrive in an entrepreneurial
and innovation-led environment. Thus, we implemented this through
differentiated hands on online coding activity (using www.codeacademy.com)
for our high school learners. The purpose of the activity is to promote
essential coding skills for today's global economy, bringing awareness to our
learners on the importance of coding and of the possibilities ICT can offer.
Throughout the session our learners were engaged coding various activities
such as; (creating your own website, animate your name, create your universe,
learn python and ruby etc.). At the end of the activity learners answered a
poll on how productive the session was, and what they learned from coding.
As a final result, we at KiS are not satisfied with our learners just knowing
how to use a smart phone or a tablet. They need more techniques such a
problem solving, critical and fluidity thinking in order to look at the bigger
picture thus break down big challenges into smaller manageable ones, all this
can be creatively done through coding.
code
to produce happy learners of the future
Farah Masri
ICT Teacher
18

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