Vice Principal's update

“When you work you are a flute through whose heart the whispering of the hours turns to music” – Kahlil Gibran

The penultimate month of the last semester began with its unusually fast paced- long weekend, seniors staying back to prepare for their mocks, Easter Assembly, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter dawn service at St Peter’s church followed by breakfast at Benderloch, chapel service and Easter lunch.

After the long weekend the senior class got busy doing their IB mock examinations, the review time closely followed and now the IB students are on independent study time when no formal classes are held. Extra help and revision sessions were also happening during this time - generally and specifically for those students who needed it on one on one basis.

Course registrations for the new academic year were done by the rest of the school. We had orientation sessions with students and advisers. Grade 11 IB students have started their initiation with the extended essay process and grade 9 has had an initiation with their Personal Project. The Principal and Vice Principal Honors list students were invited for a special luncheon separately; this was long overdue! Meanwhile we have invited students to apply for National Honors Society membership. The subject award assembly was held on 27 April 2010 both at high school and K-8 campus.

Apart from the above academic endeavors, our congratulations go out to KIS A team for winning the exciting and the well contested Kodai Soccer Open tournament which was held at KIS Bendy Field! Then we had Earth Day celebrations, IB Art Exhibition, Group 4 presentations which were based on the UN Millennium goals, Indian music concert, western music concert, NHS and Youthrise carnivals apart from the usual Social Experience activities. Moreover on Earth Day the senior class organized Staff Appreciation assembly which had its tinge of nostalgia.

The seniors were also excited about the last prom of their school year before they bid farewell to their alma mater while the grade 8 students had their final middle school formal before joining the high school.

Finally fifty staff members from the high school and the middle school attended a fruitful full day workshop on “How to Implement Critical Thinking in Classrooms”, conducted by Dr Philip Balcean which was well received. Dr Balcaen teaches in the Faculty of Education at the University of British Columbia, Okanagan, Canada. He is an acknowledged authority in teaching critical thinking. Moreover, our PYP staff has had a two day off campus workshop for completion of the interdisciplinary program of inquiry.

The end of April heralds the approaching of the last leg of the semester which means only twenty days to go!

Kaisar Dopaishi