Back to School – Fall 2010

Posted: 13 August, 2010

It is hard to believe the summer is drawing to a close and school is about to start. I hope all of you have had a fantastic summer and are ready for a new year. The school is expanding and we are expecting to have around 120 students. We have expanded to two kindergarten sections and many of our several more of our grades have reached maximum capacity and are closed to new students. Your cooperation in paying tuition and fees in a timey fashion has been essential in making this year a successful one.

We are pleased to welcome several new teachers to our staff. All of our teachers will return to the school on the 25th of August for orientation and to prepare their classrooms to welcome your children.  We would like to welcome all parents to remember

27 August 2010 (FRIDAY) as a day to come and enjoy an open house and meet our new and “old” teachers. This day is especially important for NEW pre-school, kindergarten and early elementary students.

COME AND MEET YOUR TEACHER and see your new classroom

During the coming year we are expecting to continue our successful programs form last year. We will start after school programs around the end of September and work with parents to organize a successful Parent Teacher Organization. Please consider joining us to help make this a successful organization.  A strong school requires parent involvement as well as a sound educational program.

In October we will welcome Kay Mongardi from Council of International Schools to screen us for acceptance into CIS as the first step towards achieving accreditation.

I look forward to meeting all of you during the coming weeks.  Shortly after school starts we hope to have an additional gathering to meet with our parents. If you have any questions please feel free to come by the school and introduce yourself. I will be waiting outside the school on the 31st of August to welcome your child to ISK.

Important Dates:

25 August   — teachers return  to ISK

27 August   — open house for particularly for pre-k, KG and 1st gr students

31 August   — first day of school (please bring water bottle and snack)

See you soon

Dr. Anna

Administrative Assistant Needed

Posted: 13 July, 2010

The International School of Kigali (ISK) is looking for an Administrative Assistant to assist the Director with day to day duties, as well as providing support to teachers, students, parents and the Board of Directors.

Essential requirements include:

  • The ability to work independently to tight deadlines
  • Finance skills; computing knowledge – Microsoft Office, Word and Excel
  • Good written and spoken English; fluent in French, Kinyarwanda or Swahili
  • Excellent interpersonal skills, including the ability to work with different age groups and individuals from diverse cultures and backgrounds.

Interested applicants should e-mail their CV and a cover letter to office@isk-rwanda.org before 5pm, 30 July 2010.

Last Week of School!

Posted: 21 June, 2010

It is hard to believe but we are at the end of our first year of ISK. Much has happened and we have grown and are continuing to grow. This is the last week of school and there are many activities planned so please check with your child’s teacher.

Two important dates:

  • Thursday – 24 June: school closes at 12:30 after lunch
  • Friday – 25 June: school will close at 11:00 AM before lunch

Enjoy the summer vacation and we look forward to seeing you back at school on 31 August. So get all of your summer reading in.

Please keep an eye on the website as we will have an open house for new students to meet their teachers before school starts.

ISK Graduation

Posted: 1 June, 2010

Please join us at ISK on 4th June 2010 at 1:00pm to honor our first graduating senior Katie Hyde.

Your presence is greatly appreciated.

Please note that Friday, June 4th, is a full day of school.

Book Donations – Thank you!

Posted: 31 May, 2010

The International School Kigali extends its thanks to Ambassador and Mrs. Symington for the excellent collection of books we were given. Students and teachers are already enjoying going through the titles and deciding what to read. The collection is varied and is especially appreciated at the high school level.

Again, many thanks for thinking of us!

ISK Dress Code

Posted: 31 May, 2010

We are very fortunate in that students at ISK are not required to wear a uniform. However, we do need to address the question of appropriate dress for school.

We are asking parents to make sure their children, both boys and girls, do not wear shorts any shorter than mid-thigh. When standing with arms straight at the sides the shorts should be below fingertip length. This also includes skirts unless they are worn with tights. Tops must have straps wide enough such that under-straps are not showing.

We are asking this adherence to a basic code as the school has many visitors. Within the Rwandan culture it is considered inappropriate to have bare thighs. This basic dress code allows us to show basic respect for our Rwandan visitors and to also present a neat appearance for our students.

We appreciate your cooperation in helping to make ISK a unique and wonderful school.

Dr. Anna

ISK Pot Luck Dinner for Parents and Teachers

Posted: 30 April, 2010

All Parents are invited to a Pot Luck Dinner to get to know each other and the teachers. This is for parents and teachers only, no children please.

Bring your favorite dish to share and a friendly smile.

Date: Friday, 7 May 2010
Where: Cafeteria at ISK
Time: 6 PM (Meeting to follow to discuss PTO)

Teachers will eat as guests.

Download the ISK Pot Luck Dinner Flyer

ISK PTO Meeting

Posted: 28 April, 2010

Tonight at 6pm is the 1st PTO meeting at ISK. Your participation is important to our school community.

We look forward to seeing you.

ISK Newsletter April 2010

Posted: 20 April, 2010

Click here to download a copy of this newsletter in pdf format.

We Welcome Mr. William Exantus

Ms. Cady Tolon’s class was pleased to welcome Mr. William Exantus the Minister Counselor from Haiti to the United Nations. They were pleased to tell him about the money they raised for Doctors Without Borders to help the relief efforts. Many good questions were asked by the students and Mr. Exantus spoke about what Haiti is like now and the challenges it faces. The class would like to thank Mr. Abdoulay Balde for arranging the visit.

WELCOME BACK TO SCHOOL

We all hope you had a restful and pleasant vacation and are now ready for the last 9 weeks of school. Hard to believe we are so close to the end of our first year as a school. We are excited about this celebration of our first milestone. We will also graduate our first student, Katie Hyde, will become ISK’s first graduate and we are pleased to announce she has been accepted to the University of Utah. Watch this space for our graduation announcement.

KID’S NIGHT

23rd of April from 5:30 to 8:30

ages 4-10 for 7000 RWF

Our Student Council decided a good way to raise money for their projects is to sponsor a night out for parents. Bring your child this Friday to ISK and they will be entertained for only 7000RWF from 5:30 to 8:30. Snacks will be offered along with lots of games and activities. However, please feed your child dinner before bringing them.

PARENT-TEACHER ORGANIZATION

There have ben requests to form a Parent-Teacher Organization. Traditionally the PTO is involved with assisting the school with fund raising activities and with the sponsoring social events for parents, students and teachers. It is not involved with policy (the BOD does this) or with the daily operations of the school (the Director handles this). The PTO is a vital component of the school as it helps create a community atmosphere for everyone.

If you are interested in joining we will have our first meeting:

Wednesday: 26 April

Time: 6:00 pm at ISK cafeteria

Your help and participation is essential to making this organization a success.

Field Trips / School Clubs / Classroom Events

Watch your child’s newsletters for mote information regarding field trips / after school clubs and classroom events. We are a busy school :-) )

April ISK Lunch Menu Available Online

Posted: 13 April, 2010

The ISK Lunch Menu for April is available. There is a new ordering system this month. Both the April menu and the ordering system instructions can be downloaded here.

ISK After School Clubs

Posted: 29 March, 2010

We are excited to announce new After School Clubs at ISK which will begin after the upcoming break.

Click here to download the after school clubs list.

After School Activities

Posted: 12 March, 2010

We are in the process of offering after school activities starting after the April break. Some of our students have special requests such as ballet and/or music lessons. If you know of anyone or is you are interested in teaching an activity let me know at director@isk-rwanda.org .

For activities not taught by teachers and for activities after 4pm we will need to charge a nominal sum to the students. We will therefore be able to pay for these activities according to the number of students who are enrolled.

Thank you and we look forward to hearing from you!

2010 Talent Show for Haiti Success!

Posted: 11 March, 2010

ISK would like to extend a huge thanks for all of the work Ms. Tolon and other elementary teachers put in to guarantee this was a huge success.

On the evening of February 25, the ISK community was given the distinct pleasure in helping the 4th grade class raise money to benefit victims of the recent devastating earthquake in Haiti.  The 4th graders at the International School of Kigali, in the midst of a social studies unit on the importance of being global citizens, learned of the tragic earthquake in Haiti, and were determined to help out.  They decided to host a talent show/bake sale to raise money to send to Doctors Without Borders, a medical relief organization aiding earthquake victims in Haiti.  They set to work holding auditions for the show, making posters and fliers to
advertise, finding donated baked goods to be sold, and inviting friends and family to take part.

The show and bake sale were a huge success, with more than150 people in attendance. The talents ranged from song and dance routines to comedic acts to a marionette performance.  Over 320,000 RWF were raised, proving the event to be successful as well as entertaining!

We are so incredibly proud of our fabulous 4th graders and admire their hard work and dedication to a meaningful cause.  Way to go, 4th grade!

Parent – Teacher Conferences

Posted: 8 March, 2010

A reminder for all parents.

Friday, the 12th of March starting at 1 PM (13:00 hrs) is our day for Parent-Teacher conferences. Our teachers are anxious to share with you the accomplishments and progress your child has made throughout this year. Please remember to sign-up for this conference as soon as possible. Also, in order to make it more efficient we are asking you to please be on time. We also regret that we can not allow students on campus during this time. We do not have a services available for monitoring your child and so are therefore asking you to assist us by keeping your child at home. We look forward to seeing you. I will also be available and will be attending some of the meetings. Again our thanks for helping to make ISK a warm and welcoming place to be. Dr. Anna

Monday Classes – Open as Usual

Posted: 5 March, 2010

Monday has been declared a holiday. However, ISK will remain open as usual and we will have classes. We look forward to seeing you.
Dr. Anna

2010-2011 Enrollment Confirmation

Posted: 2 March, 2010

This first year for ISK has been an exciting one. We have accomplished many things and have seen the school grow and develop. As your new Director it was wonderful for me to participate in the talent show held by the fourth graders and to see so much
involvement by you, the parents. It was wonderful to see how the students had undertaken the task of organizing the bake sale as well as the talent show and to see how much money they had raised. It demonstrates both the quality of students and teachers we have as well as the pride and ownership the parents have in the school.

As we embark upon the planning for our second year we look forward to the preliminary visits for accreditation and all that this will entail. Another equally important part of the planning is knowing how many students we will have. In order for us to order textbooks, hire teachers and make additional plans, we need to have an idea of our number of students.

For this reason we are asking you to let us know if you will enroll your child for the Fall of 2010. Our classes are small and many classes will fill up quickly. For this reason we ask you to return the 2010-2011 Enrollment Confirmation form with your response no later than the 5th of March.

You can download the form from the parents resource page @ http://isk-rwanda.org/resources.php.

Thank you for your cooperation and we look forward to hearing from you and to having you, our parents as active members of the community.

Best wishes,

Dr. Anna

GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR BEGINNING TEACHERS OR THOSE ENGAGING ON A 2nd CAREER

Posted: 22 February, 2010

The International School of Kigali in Rwanda, Africa is seeking teachers. We are a small pre-K through 12 th grade school, only one year old and growing rapidly. We will be seeking CIS/NEASC accreditation. We maintain international standards with an American based curriculum taught in English. This is an excellent opportunity for teachers wanting experience with starting a school and with the accreditation process.

We need teachers in the following areas:

  • Elementary – 1st , 3rd and 4th grades
  • Science – Primarily, Middle School and some High School
  • Math – Middle School

Interested individuals should send the following materials to Dr. Anna M Karola at director@isk-rwanda.org:

  • Letter of enquiry
  • Resume
  • An essay that speaks to your learning approach, philosophy and why you would like to work in Rwanda

Student Drop Off and Pick Up

Posted: 11 February, 2010

We are working hard to make it easier to drop students off and to guarantee the safety of each child and the efficiency of the system. Towards that end many of you have heard me ask that you do not turn around in the road. This not only blocks the road but increases the chance of accidents happening. We have also had the neighbors ask we be more respectful of their property because trees and plants are being damaged.

All of us at ISK appreciate your cooperation in this matter and appreciate
your working with us to make our school a safe and secure educational
environment for all.

Thank you

Dr. Anna
–
Anna M Karola, PhD
Director
International School Kigali

New ISK Board Members

Posted: 13 January, 2010

Dear Parents,

Thank you for participating in the Board Elections last night.

Here are the members of the new ISK Board:

Abdoulaye Balde
Lindsay Hodgson
Paul Hendriks
Paul Kaiser
Victoria Gershenson

Thank you,

ISK Working Group
Paul Hendricks, Eric Hyde, Annette Bakker, Kathy Hyde

ISK Board Elections & Letter from Dr. Karola

Posted: 12 January, 2010

On Wednesday, January 13, 2010 at 7:00pm you have an opportunity to have your voice heard in the selection of Board Members who will be helping guide the school for the next two years. Please take the time to download and read the  biographical sketches of the new Board of Trustees candidates. Candidates will make a short presentation and voting will follow.  Each family will have one vote per Board position.

You can download the Candidate Biographies from the Parent Resources Page @ http://isk-rwanda.org/resources.php.

Per policy and for continuity, Paul Hendriks will be retained as the President of the Board for one year. Paul Kaiser has been appointed by the U.S Ambassador per policy. There are three open positions that will be voted on.

Thank you,

ISK Working Group
Paul Hendriks, Eric Hyde, Annette Bakker, Kathy Hyde

——————–

The following is a letter from the new ISK Director, Dr. Anna Karola:

It is a pleasure for me to have this opportunity to introduce myself to you and to let you know how pleased I am to be coming to ISK as the new Head. My name is Dr. Anna M Karola, often called either Anna or Dr. Anna, whichever you feel most comfortable with.

I have worked internationally for seventeen years in both Africa and the Middle East as a School Psychologist, Assistant Director and Director of schools. Prior to working overseas I taught science at the Middle School levels and was also a guidance counselor. As can be seen I have a strong background as an educator, counselor and as an administrator. My PhD has a major in both Educational Administration and Educational Psychology. Helping children to achieve to their fullest has remained a passion of mine for many years.

Coming to Rwanda to work with ISK is an opportunity I truly appreciate. The progress the country has made towards peace and the motivation and strength of character of the Rwandan people to work through the difficulties of the past to create a positive and productive future is truly impressive. It is an exciting time to be a part of Rwandan history and ISK is able to provide an excellent educational base for both the children of Rwanda and for the international children attending the school in order to achieve the future of the country.

In speaking with Mr. Brian Dolinger, the current Head of the School, it is apparent the school has worked hard to provide a strong foundation for growth and development. The faculty appears to be young and energetic in its commitment to provide the best education possible for the students. A faculty willing to learn and to create a positive educational environment is the strongest asset a school can possess.

It is my understanding a Board election will be held shortly. A strong BOG is the backbone of a successful school structure. It provides vision and continuity for the future of ISK and allows the school to remain committed to high achievement.

I look forward to working with the staff, the BOG, and the parents to continue to achieve the vision already in place for ISK. It is the coordinated effort of all working towards a common vision and goal that will allow the school to reach success as an accredited international recognized for its excellence in educating for the future of the students and the country of Rwanda.

I am looking forward to my arrival in Rwanda and to having the opportunity to meet all of you personally and to hearing your ideas and vision for the school.

Dr. Anna Karola