British/International, IGCSE, GCE A - Level, BTEC Level 3, Day and Boarding

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Secondary Bulletin Vol. 4 Term 1, 2017/18

Science Department’s Update

‘’The Whole of Science is nothing more than a refinement of everyday thinking … ’’ Albert Einstein.

Science is both a body of knowledge that represents current understanding of natural systems and a pro-

cess of continuous extension, refinement, and revision of the body of knowledge. Our main focus in Sci-

ence Department is to produce students who are competent in Sciences: Know, use, and interpret scien-

tific explanations of the natural world; Generate and evaluate scientific evidence and explanations; Un-

derstand the nature and development of scientific knowledge; and Participate productively in scientific

practices and discourse.

In addition we have in plan, strategic measures to improve performance such as;

Continuous development of our teaching staff which will equip them with skills on how to handle the

21st century student

Build confidence in our students through various learning activities and exposure, which includes: aca-

demic trip science Fairs and Science quizzes

Early Syllabus coverage to allow students to have enough time to review content covered and enable

them understand exam demands

Equipping students with enough revision materials and in good time

Supporting each student to achieve their best they can through booster lessons and clinics. This is

planned to begin immediately after Midterm break

Parent engagement in the learning of their child with the aim of keeping the parent/guardian well up-

dated about the learning of their Children/Ward. Peter Mwikamba

Headteacher’s remarks

We shall not move our half term from Week 7 starting on Friday, 13th to Sunday, 22nd October 2017. The

election is scheduled to take place on Thursday, 26th October 2017 which will be a public holiday. In this

regard, we shall resume school on Monday, 30th October 2017. Further, we shall recover these two

days [26th and 27th October 2017] in the second and third terms by opening school on a Monday instead

of a Tuesday as indicated on the annual calendar. Kindly note that we have also postponed all overnight

trips to later dates to be communicated in due course. In this bulletin, Academic departments give a high-

light of what to expect this academic year. This Friday, we have Coffee with the Counsellor session and

you are invited to attend. John Karanja

Wednesday, 27th September was an exciting day for us. We went to Paradise Lost with the Year

9s. It was quite a journey but definitely worth it. When we got there, we went down what seemed

like a thousand stairs. We settled under a homely-thatched lounge and immediately took

“selfies” by the lake. We were so anxious to get into the boats that we all dashed for life jackets.

Each boat had room for 3-6 people. When we were all seated, we naturally broke into our fa-

vourite nursery hymn, row, row your boat……as we happily rowed away. After lunch we visited

the falls and the Stone Age caves where we had lots of fun before embarking on our journey

back to school. Hillary and Thalia

Year 8 and 9 Day Out @ Paradise Lost

The day started at 8.20 am and we arrived at 10.00 am. We were then immediately taken for a

boat ride, which most of us enjoyed so much that we stayed for an hour. We went back for a

delicious lunch in the bus as we chatted away. Afterwards, we happily went to explore the

caves where we learnt that they were actually a hideout for the famous Mau Mau freedom

fighters back in the day. Outside the caves are beautiful waterfalls which we admired as we

took photographs of ourselves. I enjoyed every bit of the outing.

Natasha and Terry Anne

We took part in the annual Walk for The Blind at Mt. Longonot. Quite a number of schools

were present schools and we all formed a large team. Incredibly, some of the participants

were visually impaired. As the climb began, it was a bit of a challenge but as we progressed

we got used to the altitude. All the students and the teachers were able to reach the top

though only six progressed to go round the crater and back down with Mr Musee. Mrs Kimani

was left behind to look after those who could not do the crater rim. Our hike ended at

around 4 pm and we had snacks and some entertainment. I felt honoured to be part of this

worthy cause and encourage more students to take part. Nicole Wanjiku

Longonot Walk

Updates from the Academic Departments

English Department

This term, on 30th October, we will have Inter-house Verse speaking Contest in which students will have an

opportunity to present their poems. On 7th October, we will host St. Andrews, Turi for Round 1 of Rhino Cup

Debate Challenge. In class, we have identified students who are performing below their Minimum Target

Grades and will use 3.30-4.30 as a Booster lesson. Year 8 will meet Ms. Janet Khaemba every Wednesday in

Room 3. On Friday, Year 9 will meet Mr. Joshua Musee in Room 7, Year 10 will meet Mrs. Cecelia Kimani in

Room 6 and Ms. Bethmar Mburu Year 11 First Language English and Literature Room 8. We are happy to

boast that Mrs Kimani is partnering with Mr Musavin of the Music department to produce the famous musi-

cal production, AIDA on 6th and 7th December 2017. Joshua Musee

Mathematics and ICT Department

We have settled well in these last four weeks of term. As a department, we have put measures in place to

help those resitting the IGCSE for the October/ November session. Beginning next week 2nd October 2017,

we will be having three days of booster lessons on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 3.30pm to

4.30pm. If your child is resitting please encourage them to attend these classes. After they do their exams,

we will then extend the same initiative to all other students across the year groups. We are confident that

this will greatly boost performance across board. Thomas Warega

Social Sciences Department

The Social Sciences department is set to offer each

student outstanding quality in education which will

ensure that all learners attain credits in our subjects.

We intend to tailor the student’s needs to curriculum

content and as such, regular assignments and as-

sessments will be considered an integral part of cre-

ating an effective learning process. The concept of

“core” and “extended” will apply in our assignments

to cater for learner diversity and to help explore the

potential of different abilities in a class. We shall

place emphasis on more student-centered learning

activities across all levels to improve participation,

independent learning and build confidence in the learners. Classroom observation will operate on a large

scale this year in the department. We trust that the pre and post observation feedback will lead to in-

creased teaching effectiveness. We will ensure that learners engage in more learning opportunities outside

the school context which will range from company’s visits, field studies and seminars. Lucy Ajwala

At the geothermal power plant

Creative, Technical Vocational Department (CTV)

This department consist of the following subjects: Art and Design, Business Studies, Drama, Food and Nutri-

tion and Music.

Art and Design in Year 10, 11 and 13 visited Kuona Trust where Year 8 and 9 students visited the Museum of

Kenya and the Nairobi Art Centre respectively. The Art students will paint murals around the School as well

as assist in creating props for the school production. The School Production will also involve students in Dra-

ma who will assist other students. As part of professional training, the Art teacher, Ms. Ngungu, will attend

an inset at Peponi on the 29th September.

Business Studies students are also set for an educational visit to Coca cola and Del Monte Companies in a

month’s time while the Food and Nutrition students are preparing for a practical exposure to the final ex-

amination this term. The Music teacher is in the process of establishing a school band which will go a long

way in enhancing the School Music profile. George Jamba

Modern Foreign Languages Departmental

We had a successful time last academic year and this year promises to be the same. Our results were

great and we congratulate the former class. We continue to partner with the Alliance Française and the

Goethe Institute in our academic trips, essay-writing competitions, Cultural Festivals and external exams.

The French Delf Exams took place on 30th September and the German Fit 1 and 2 Exams will be taking

place on 25th November. Our School Exchange Programme with the German School continues this term.

Our MoU with the French Embassy has been beneficial to us in terms of teacher training and resources. Our

school was featured in Tv5. Please check out the link below: http://www.tv5monde.com/cms/chaine-

francophone/Revoir-nos-emissions/Destination-Francophonie/p-23140-Accueli.htm At the end of this term,

the Year 11s will be sitting their Oral Mocks for French and Swahili. Our major event this term is the Inter-

School MFL Verse Speaking Contest. We wish our participants all the best.

Want to achieve excellent results, enjoy studying and be well prepared for employment? Study BTEC

Studying BTEC course is much more fun that you ever knew!! It is a flexible style of learning curriculum that

allows students to learn in a more practical way. Students are able to demonstrate their strength in gener-

ating ideas, learning independently as well as being creative.

Our BTEC courses are industry led and we emphasize more on employability, enterprise and Entrepreneur-

ship, Sports management and IT. All these are delivered in a variety of methods including group work,

analysis of case studies from various companies, work placements, industry-related teaching and talks

from invited guests in different companies. We also incorporate use assessments, personal development

workshops, career planning seminars, presentations, research and report writing as part of our classroom

activities.

Did you know?

In the academic year 2016- 2017, our BTEC students achieved a pass rate of 100% for their BTEC Level 3 Ex-

tended Diploma courses! The students attained double distinction and a merit equivalent to AAC at Level.

We celebrate our BTEC students’ achievements which have enabled them secure university placements;

some at local universities and others abroad. Hellen Gechanga

Law Debate

Last week on Wednesday, 27th September 2017, I represented Nairobi Academy at a Law Debate Chal-

lenge at Premier School. The debate focused on two themes under surrogacy:

Should single parents be allowed to have surrogacy rights?

Should altruistic parents be given a chance to be godmother to the children born from surrogates?

The debate involved eight schools: Brooke House, Braeburn

Garden Estate, Braeburn Gitanga, Hillcrest, Gems School,

Premier and Oshwal Academy. The winner was given a two

week free trip to the University of Sussex. I was position 4.

Despite the fact that I did not get the coveted prize, I

found the experience enlightening as well as challenging-it

made me look beyond my fears and inspired me to fight in

whatever I believed in. Namata Musoke

Community service

This is our second visit to Kuwinda Children’s Home. The toddlers

were very excited to see us as always and their teachers were

very grateful for the warmth we brought. They are always very

appreciative of the little gifts we take to them and it’s a delight

to see how happily they indulge. The children are full of love

and excitement, it is fun to be with them. Elisie Bura

EAMUN Experience

This year I decided to get out of my comfort zone and try out something I had never done- I decided to

take part in EAMUN and so far it has been an amazing experience! The best part is there is so much that

one can learn from just one day at the training. The training started on the 8th September and we have

been going to Hillcrest for training after school which has exposed me to different motions carried out in

the UN and how different rules apply in different areas. The training instills in us a sense of determination to

achieve because only a couple of us can make it to the main EAMUN. If I was to advise my fellow stu-

dents on EAMUN, I would tell them to take part in it because it’s helped me think of things in a different

way and instilled some sense of intellectual maturity in me . SO JUST DO IT! Tonia Kubai

This is my third year taking part in Model United Nations forums at Nairobi Academy. Being in Year 13, I am

currently doing EAMUN –East Africa Model United Nations. I am trying out for Securitary position. (A Securi-

tary’s main role is to ensure that conferences in the assembly take place smoothly for instance timing a

debate, ensuring the dress code is followed among others duties.) In order to be a Securitary, I will have to

go for leadership training every Friday after school. So far I am enjoying it , learning a lot and working hard

to be part of the prestigious team. Hopefully I can surpass Securitary and make it as head Securitary.

Vicky Makena Mwiti

Sports Update

The last two weeks have been busy with the league matches where we have posted outstanding results in

various disciplines. The U19 Boys Football played versus West Nairobi School and won the game 3-0.The

team also played versus Braeburn Garden Estate and got 3 points by winning the game 2-0.At Rosslyn

Football tournament they went past group stages, qualified in the quarter finals after beating Hillcrest 2-1

and bowed out in the semifinals. The Under 15 Boys football have 4 points after winning the game versus

Aga Khan Academy 2-0 and drawing 1-1 with Oshwal Academy.

The Under 15 girls Rounders team won their match against Oshwal Academy 15-12.5. The Girls met Imani

School and won the game 11-before going down 11-8.5 to Aga Khan.

The under 13 girls Rounders team hosted Prem-

ier Academy and won the game7.5-5.5.We

held the Annual Cross country and the results

were as follows:

First place went to Naivasha with 156 points

followed by Baringo with 171 points .In the third

place was Turkana with 209 points and the

fourth was Magadi with 242 points.

In inter-house basketball Turkana led with 12 points followed by Baringo with 9

points. Magadi came third with 6 points and Naivasha were fourth with 3 points.

In inter house boys Football, Naivasha house emerged victorious with 24 points,

Baringo house was 2nd place with 18 points, Turkana house was 3rd place with 12

points and last but not least Magadi House was 4TH with 8 points. We attended

the KSF Nairobi level one swimming gala on 23rd September and Sheryl Agingu

bagged two medals during that competition.

We are looking forward to Under 17 and Under 15 Hillcrest Football tournament

over the weekend and our Annual Sports day on 13th October 2017.

Term 1

Football league, Rounders league and Girls basket-

ball league continues

Annual sports Day

Kasarani Athletics

Under 13 Football Tournament

Inter school Swimming gala

Inter-house cricket

Term 2

Annual swimming gala

Inter-house hockey, boys’ basketball, girls’ football

Interschool leagues and tournaments

Term 3

Inter-house Rugby, Netball, Chess and Racquet

games

Interschool netball tournament.

Football and Basketball International trip

Upcoming events