Principal's message

This is the last newsletter that I will write to the Kodaikanal community. From the end of this month I will become an alum.

I would therefore like to start by thanking the Council of Directors, the School and the KIS Community for the richness of the experiences that the last five years have brought me and my family. It is cliché to say that we will never forget Kodai School but also true that this place touches our lives in a fundamental way. We will look forward to joining the many alumni who make the pilgrimage back to Kodai.

If I am allowed to be reflective, I can look back at the last five years with some sense of satisfaction. This school has been re-accredited to the MSA and re-authorized to the IB for our MYP and Diploma program while also in the process of implementing the PYP.

We continue to get outstanding results within the SAT’s and the IB Diploma and to upgrade the quality of our teaching and the breadth of subjects and curriculum we offer. Our academic infrastructure, particularly in IT, has developed in capacity and quality.

In addition we have set up a coherent alumni support system and I look forward to seeing KISAA developing and supporting the school in the future. I will also look forward to receiving newsletters and magazines as a member of the alumni body.

The financial health of the school has improved significantly as can be seen by our purchase of Swedish House and the construction of new dorms soon to be undertaken, along with infrastructure plans and improvements.

After five years of pushing we have finally got an updated Constitution which has been agreed by the authorities in Chennai.

In all of this the core mission and vision of the school continues to be held very close in the hearts of the whole community.

I would like to thank all those who have provided leadership, support and interest or the hard work they have all put in, and their desire to see this school continue to grow and flourish. There are of course many challenges that remain to be overcome and this includes the building of community, the Poondi project, as well as the building of the new dorms, as well as the development of income sources other than fees.

I am delighted to be succeeded by Adrian Moody and would like to conclude by asking the Lord to bless him and this school in its future.

Geoffrey Fisher

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Principal's message

I write this as I try to sort through the happenings of the last month. You will all have probably heard that last month we had a protest by the High School (grades 9 to 12) students over the course of a day. This was followed by the Chairman going up to Kodai to meet with the students and staff. I, sadly, have been observing this from the Netherlands and trying to think what I will need to do on my return to Kodai next month.

In the short term I am glad to say that life has returned to normal at the school. The students are back at work, the examinations loom and the other functions of the school are up and running smoothly. Some of the issues raised, namely discipline policy and communication, are in the process of being reviewed and those changes identified and agreed by the management have been implemented. What will take longer however is to dig down to find the background, to heal the wounds created by unwise or untruthful allegations and to move the community on. I look forward to being part of that process on my return. Until then I would ask that we all look to ourselves and to what we can contribute to the community as we set about preparing for next year and the arrival of the new Principal.

The community has in the meanwhile enjoyed various activities during the month.
• Alumni week was held in Kodaikanal early in March and a number of alumni visited and also participated in assemblies, some workshops, our Field Day events held on the 12-13 March and also the Alumni induction dinner for the Class of 2010

• The Fly Baba All India Ultimate Frisbie tournament was a huge success, enjoyed by all and with the KIS team “the Sholakadoos” , the undefeated winners
• The Middle School play, “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” was thoroughly enjoyed in an open air setting on the Middle School campus on Ganga compound
• The KIS soccer league is underway and the much awaited Kodai Open Soccer Tournament takes place in April

May I take this opportunity to wish the KIS community a happy and blessed Easter and a restful long weekend. There is much ahead in the second quarter of this final semester with the IB mocks coming up early in April and our seniors preparing for their graduation.

I look forward to writing to you again early in May when I return to Kodaikanal.

With very best wishes
Geoffrey Fisher

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Principal's message

February is always a wonderful month in Kodai. The weather is beautiful and the sun brings welcome warmth with it; and life is at its busiest.

It is not possible for me to mention all that has taken place this month but I should mention the following:
- KIS students participated in the first IB Schools of India soccer tournament which we dominated with the boys winning the competition and the girls, in second place in theirs

- Christian Emphasis week was a joyous occasion when we were blessed by the presence of both an American group (Rainbow of Promise) and an Indian singing group (PARA). The concerts and other activities were wonderful
- This month has also seen the submission of extended essays, personal projects, World Literature papers and IB Math and ToK papers

I have just signed letters of congratulations to the 72 members of the Principal’s List and I can say that we are looking forward to the outcomes of the exams with some anticipation.

In addition, as I write, we are preparing for the music field trip and the beginning of the Field Day events; always highlights of our calendar.

This month has also seen a visit from Adrian Moody as part of his ongoing induction prior to his taking up the role of Principal in July 2010. It was a pleasure for us to have him back here at KIS and I know that he is looking forward to taking up his responsibilities with anticipation.

I hope the month of March will be good for us all and I look forward to being in contact again soon.

Geoff Fisher

Principal

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Principal's message

I am sitting in my office looking out the window at the sunshine which is streaming down on Flag Green. The students are doing what they have been doing for the last century, sitting or lying on the green, chatting with each other, enjoying the warmth of both the weather and each other’s company. It is a picture which summarizes the strength and vitality of the KIS community.

This semester is smoothly underway with 35 students either rejoining or joining us, and two new music teachers, as well as a number of volunteers, including two alumni and the wife of an alum. It is a pleasure to have them all here for the semester.

The second semester is always marked by increasing academic pressure, particularly for the seniors as they face up to the demands required of them as they prepare for college and university. I would like to take this opportunity of wishing all our students every success during the course of this semester.

As you are aware, this semester is one of transition and I am delighted that Mr Adrian Moody, Principal Designate, will travel to Kodai twice this semester, as part of this change over.

May I take this opportunity of wishing you all a very Happy New Year.

Geoffrey Fisher
Principal

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Principal's message

You have all heard about the terrible accident involving Keon Hee Lee. As you know Keon Hee died on the morning of Thursday 19 November 2009.

Keon Hee’s parents, who were at his bedside, decided to return to Korea with his body in order to hold a funeral and memorial services there. They left Madurai on the evening of the 19th having completed all formalities and arrived in Seoul on the evening of Saturday the 21st. A simple and very moving memorial service managed by the Korean students was held in the school chapel on the evening of the 19th and on Sunday the 22nd of November the entire school gathered at a Memorial Service on the covered courts. Our thoughts and prayers remain with Mr & Mrs Lee and their family at this tragic time.

Our response has been, as expected, of great sadness but huge support. As this was review week we have allowed students to manage their own time on campus with all staff available to support and be supported by the community. In addition we have altered the last week of semester by:
• rearranging examination timings
• putting in place systems to allow for the recognition and compensation of a lowered level of performance in these exams
• cancelling the Christmas banquet
• arranging a full set of counseling and support opportunities as needs require

As is always the case, crisis brings out the best in a community and it is with a sense of humility that I recognize just how powerful this community is and how privileged I have been to witness it come together with warmth, love and huge care to support all its members as we go through the grief and upset associated with such an accident.

On another note, as with every November, we have had a lot of grey cloud and rain accompanying us as we move towards the end of semester. Unusually, a cyclone visited us for a week during which we had well over half a meter of rain. Such a downpour accompanied by some strong winds has taxed out maintenance staff, particularly as leaks have developed, trees fallen over, power lines come down, generators stopped, etc. I am pleased to report that we have coped well with these additional strains.

Through November school life has continued to be full and vibrant with wonderful gymnastic displays, music concerts, plays, assemblies and other events which continue to contribute to the vitality and diversity of this school. May I congratulate all students and staff who have given so much of their efforts during the semester. You will see within this newsletter other reports covering the life of the school.

I am very pleased to let you know that Mr Adrian Moody will be visiting the school twice next semester as he and I continue to work towards a smooth transition. He will be here for both the Executive Committee of Council and the Council of Directors meetings and will also take the opportunity of getting to know as many of the staff and students, and the school, prior to his taking over in June 2010.

May I take this opportunity to wish you all every blessing for this Christmas season, in the hope that you will be able to enjoy the time with your family and to renew those crucial bonds that so enrich our lives.

I look forward to being in touch with you next semester.
Geoffrey Fisher
Principal

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Principal's Message

Though I have been more away than in Kodaikanal this past month I am happy to report that we have had an eventful month with the Kodai Basketball Open Tournament, the High School play, a US universities fair and workshops organized by the Council of International Schools and the many activities that filled our calendar. The Royal School of Music examinations begin next week and the Music department is very busy preparing for this. We are now fast approaching the end of semester and our students and staff are busier than ever. It is my pleasure to give below an introduction by Mr Adrian Moody, the incoming Principal.

I am very happy to have been afforded this opportunity to introduce myself to the Kodaikanal International School community. My name is Adrian Moody and I am from Australia. I left Melbourne in 1991 to work in international education. I am married to Gillian and have one daughter Beth who is nine years old.

During my career as an educator I have been fortunate to have experienced several different educational systems but more recently I have worked in New Zealand, Kazakhstan and Tanzania. I have also worked with several different programs, including the US and UK systems and the IBO PYP, MYP and Diploma programs. It is the mix of these experiences that has brought me to my current perspective on education. I strongly believe in the merits of the IBO programs. They are simply the best school programs available internationally.

It has been a great pleasure to have the opportunity to visit Kodai to meet the students, staff, administration as well as Council and Association members. I am fortunate to have been in Kodai at the beginning of field trip week to able to see students and staff off on various trips. The enthusiasm of both the staff and students is evident and this permeates the culture and the feeling of KIS. I was particularly impressed by the passion and devotion of the alumni and their continued and active support of KIS.

Education is an integral component for life. The education of children is a collaborative effort that involves the entire school community. Good schools have professional and consistent administrators and teachers, a broad curriculum available to all students, an ongoing assessment system that supports good instruction and a philosophy that says all children can learn if taught, coupled with high expectations for all students. There should be a school climate that is conducive to learning. It is safe, clean, caring and well organized.

There are continued challenges shaping contemporary approaches to leadership. The greatest challenge is to recognize these challenges, reflect of authentic leadership and to have the resolve and commitment to causes that are philosophically consequential. I am very conscious of the work that has gone before me. The energy and dedication of parents, the Principal, administration, staff and particularly the alumni together with the Association have guided KIS to its position today of being an internationally renowned, quality school offering a holistic, student centred education inspiring students to be lifelong learners. I hope to be able to continue the outstanding work that has been done to date.

I see the strength of KIS lies in its mission and its unity in diversity. My family and I are excited and looking forward to joining the KIS community in July. I look forward to meeting you all as the opportunity arises.

Adrian Moody

KIS Principal from July 2010

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Principal's message

This has been another busy month in Kodai with field trips, reports, concerts, MYP workshops, camps and other activities filling each week. In a particularly enthralling but exhausting way it is always nice to be part of a boarding school community in full swing.

The field trips, which are an extraordinary part of the KIS experience, and the task of moving 600 students off our campuses and giving them a worthwhile and challenging experience, was a lot of work for our staff. I would like to thank all the staff who worked so hard to make this a success and the students who took advantage of the opportunities and learned from the experiences offered.

The month of September included the Council of Directors meetings and a visit from Mr Adrian Moody, who will succeed me as Principal in July 2010. It was a great pleasure for me to meet Adrian and to have a chance of spending four days with him as part of his induction.

Adrian comes to us from the International School, Moshi, Tanzania, where he is the Head of the Arusha campus. Having worked in Australia, New Zealand, Kazakhstan and Malaysia, Adrian has a broad experience in school management, IB, boarding schools and international education. Adrian will be joined by his wife, Gillian and their eight year old daughter, Bethany. Adrian enjoyed his time here and is looking forward to taking over full time next July. Adrian will introduce himself in the next newsletter.

In the meantime, I will continue as Principal and look forward to welcoming you should you visit Kodaikanal. Next semester, I will be travelling quite a lot but will ensure that I am here for all important events.

For those of you who will be seeing your children over the long weekend, I hope you have a wonderful time. Understandably, those of us who will be staying in Kodaikanal are looking forward to the break.

Geoff Fisher

Principal

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Principal's message

The first month of this semester has been a particular Kodai mix of multiple tasks (some challenging, some straight forward), beautiful weather with heavy rain (very welcome) and that wonderful sense of purpose which always fills the school when students and staff return to pick up their tasks for a new academic year..

The last four years have seen many changes here at KIS and I am now pleased to report that we are entering a phase of consolidation. Our student numbers have stabilized at the Council’s limit of 600, our academic results were again outstanding and our focus can move from growth to establishing the standards and systems needed to properly maintain the school. We have welcomed many new students and staff and I am delighted to report that they have all settled in and become part of this community. I would like to take this opportunity to welcome them to our community in the hope that they will find this a very rewarding place to be.

I have had a very busy month which included an emergency trip back to Australia as my mother had a serious heart attack. I am happy to report that she is recovering and despite a chronic condition, is now back home. In addition, I have been managing the process whereby the Council has been interviewing potential candidates for the post of Principal. This process will take another few weeks to conclude and I will be reporting in the next newsletter about the progress. You may be interested to know that we had over 60 applications for the post.

This last month has seen the emergence of the H1Ni virus in India and those of you with children in the school will be aware of the steps put in place to try and limit our exposure to this virus.

This year we hope to finalize our planning permission for building the new dorms and continue with the process for implementation of the PYP in the Elementary School. This, along with the review of our IB program and a continued push to make sure that our professional development supports our staff, are the measures that are in place in order to provide the best teaching we can for our students.

May I take this opportunity to wish all parents and students, old and new, a very successful year.

Yours sincerely,
Geoffrey Fisher

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Principal's Message

I hope that all staff and students have returned rested and ready for the start of another busy year ahead and that all parents have enjoyed and made the most of the valuable time spent with your children during the holidays. There are a number of challenges that we will face this year and I know that together we will make sure that this year is a successful one. We heartily welcome all of our new staff and students as they become members of the KIS community.

With regard to the new Principal job search, I had a meeting in Chennai with the Search Committee in early July and the committee has shortlisted four good candidates. I will provide more details of their interview process early in the semester. At this point I would like to thank Anita who gave up much of her holiday to manage the administration of the applications. Also this semester we have the move of grades 7 & 8 to Ganga Campus, the review of our process for MYP and the introduction of the PYP in the Elementary School all on the agenda. In addition, we hope to get permission to start building on Ganga Campus soon.

This summer has been a very busy time on all our campuses and I can only extend to our Vice Principal Kaisar, Finance Director Ganga, Dean Sam, Human Resources Aruna and Maintenance Manager Mr Bheeman and the maintenance department, our sincere thanks and appreciation for the Herculean task that was undertaken in moving grades 7 and 8 down to Ganga Campus, building the classrooms and the extended dining room there that the additional students necessitated and preparing Swedish House, our newly purchased dorm, for our grades 4 to 7 boys. All this, along with the regular repairs and maintenance that occur every summer.

It was with deep sadness that we learnt of the passing away of the mother of Mr Godwin (Finance office) and Mr Selwyn (Travel office) on 8 June. Some of you would have also heard that Mr S Peter’s (Food Services assistant) 16 year old son met with a tragic accident early in June and battled for his life at the Apollo Hospital in Madurai. Sadly Wieben died on 3 July 2009. Our heartfelt condolences go to Godwin, Selwyn and Peter and their families on their loss.

Congratulations to Bryan Plymale and Isabel Fernandez whose baby girl, Daniela Keith Plymale Fernandes, arrived on Saturday, 11 July 2009. Both Isabel and Daniella are doing well (and Bryan too of course!).

Geoffrey Fisher
Principal
principal@kis.in

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Principal's Message

As I write, the semester is drawing to a close. The awards ceremony has just been completed, the last exams are being done and we are busy preparing for the Baccalaureate and Graduation. Such a time is always one of celebration and reflection.

As I look back over the whole year, it is with a sense of satisfaction. This year has seen our largest intake in history and our largest number of IB candidates, both doing the Diploma and Certificates. We have continued to work within our community in relation to enrollments and have just closed admissions for the next academic year. I would like to thank all members of the community for talking about KIS in such a positive light, as a vast majority of our students come to us as a result of a referral of a current or past parent. In addition, the school has invested in infrastructure, our staff, and wonderfully, managed to purchase Swedish House. So, it is a year of achievement and satisfaction that the whole community can take pride in.

At the Awards Assembly, it was my honor to present the first Ashok Kamte Memorial Award. There are a number of criteria supporting this award, but in summary, the award is given for the sense of selfless leadership within the community, which the first winner, Krishnapriya Balanarayanan, is very worthy of.

I am looking forward to Graduation and bidding au revoir to the Class of 2009. They are, as all graduating classes from KIS, a wonderful group of individuals who I know will face the trials and tribulations and the joys of the life to come with a mixture of fortitude and laughter. We wish them well and look forward to them trekking up the mountain to visit us.

May I take this opportunity to wish you all a happy holiday and to thank all staff, students and parents who have helped in making this such a productive year.

Geoff Fisher
Principal

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Principal’s message

By the time you receive this newsletter you will have had news of my impending departure from KIS. As I said in my letter I am very sad to leave the school community with which I have developed a close bond. I am delighted that the Chairman has made me part of the Search Committee for my successor and I am entirely confident that we will find a worthwhile group of candidates so that we can select the most appropriate person to trustfully hand over the leadership of this school. I will of course keep you up to date with developments as they occur. If you know of anybody who may be both appropriately qualified and experienced and may be interested, please ask them to contact me directly.


This has been an extremely exciting month for the school in that we have purchased a new property, known as Swedish House. This property was, in the past, leased by the school and used as a dorm. We are delighted not only to have had the opportunity to purchase this property but also the capacity to do so; an outcome of the last four years of hard work on the part of the Council, Management and Staff of the school. In the short term, Swedish House will be used as a dorm while we continue to pursue the planning permission to build our new dorms on Ganga Compound.

I have just completed the last set of Executive Committee and Council meetings for this academic year and it was wonderful for me to be thanked and congratulated at the end of these meetings by the Chair and Council, who have asked me to pass their congratulations on to my staff.

KIS is blessed in many ways and I pray these blessings will continue. I would like to thank in particular our outstanding and dedicated group of professional staff for their enormous contributions to this school.

Geoff Fisher
Principal

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Principal's Message

This newsletter comes to you after a hectic month and a well-deserved, restful long weekend. The 4th quarter of this academic year is underway and for our seniors, their remaining time here now picks up momentum as they complete their IB and KIS Diploma requirements and prepare for the transition that lies ahead.

The month of March saw the KIS sporting spirit at the fore with Field Day events spread over two weather friendly days. The participation was tremendous and it was wonderful to see the whole school down at Bendy reveling in this annual KIS tradition. It was also great to have some alumni here for the occasion, with many of them participating in the alumni vs staff race.

The sunshine held until the last event of the final day and the rain came down just as we were to sit down to another age old KIS tradition, lunch on Bendy Field. Kirk Jerome and his team very quickly reorganized the lunch on the covered courts.

March also brought the visit of the Associate Regional Manager PYP Asia Pacific Region to review the implementation of the Primary Years Program at KIS. I am pleased to report that the visitation report has indicated that we are ready for the implementation of this program.

As I write this I am traveling to Austria as part of a Council of International Schools Accreditation Team to the Vienna International School. I will be returning to Kodaikanal at the beginning of April to prepare for the meetings of the Council of Directors and Association during that month.Thank you all again for your support and encouragement as we together nurture the young people entrusted to us here at KIS. I look forward to seeing any of you who will be joining us in May as we celebrate, and bid farewell to, the Class of 2009.

Geoff Fisher, Principal

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