News from Kyoto International School

Update: Horikawa Hospital Project by PTA

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Kyoto International School supports local community in Covid-19 fight: Horikawa Hospital Project update

KIS community members, 

Thank you for your generous support of this community project. 

We are pleased to inform you that your PTA handed over more than 600 gowns with messages of support to Horikawa Hospital on May 8th. Horikawa Hospital has received more than 10,000 gowns from all over Japan to date. Though KIS’s involvement in this project is over, you can still support Horikawa Hospital by delivering gowns and masks yourselves directly.

Thank you for your support and stay safe! 
PTA

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Horikawa Hospital Project (Update)

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Dear KIS community members, 

Thank you always for your generous support to school. 

According to our previous message sent this Tuesday, there is some correction for the instruction of the handmade gown.  The clinic no longer needs the gown itself but its parts, sleeves and extended front parts which is much easier for us to make! 

Here is the video that Horikawa clinic made for sleeves;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PA3JSiA5Uc&t=6s 

Extended front parts;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FAYegJ5YDg&t=15s 

When you get one bag on the picnic tables, it has plastic bags and a roll of tape and you can make 27 sleeves and 16 extended front parts with the materials. We really appreciate it if you would take as many bags as possible.

As mentioned, joining this program now becomes much easier and younger students can also be a part of this and make a good impact on our community! Horikawa clinic has been a place for KIS students to go whenever our children need medical helps for a long time. This is our turn to show our appreciation. 

Again, today (4/30) and tomorrow (5/1), the materials are on the picnic tables in front of KIS office so please come and pick them and make some contributions during the Golden Week break. 

We will also be waiting for the parts returning at school on 5/7 and 5/8 (9am-5pm). At that time, please put a thank you note or a message encouraging them then we will pass all to the clinic in the evening of 5/8. 

Thank you so much for your support in advance! 

PTA

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PTA project: supporting Horikawa clinic

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Dear KIS,

We hope this message finds you well and healthy in these extraordinary times. While the situation is changing daily, we are currently discussing ways in which the KIS community can get together and exchange their experiences, even if only online. Any suggestions are very welcome, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Today, we are writing to you to ask for your help in supporting the larger community around KIS. Horikawa clinic, which is located near Imadegawa, is struggling due to the lack of equipment, in particular gowns that protect the staff from Corona infection. (see the call for help in Japanese here)

The making handmade medical gown & donation project

KIS and the PTA would like to launch a gown donation project. We call for your help making gowns over the course of next week (Golden Week). 

The materials that you need to make the gowns at your own home are placed as follows; (please take safety measures by wearing masks when you enter the school and come alone if you can)

  • Date: 4/30 (Thursday) & 5/1 (Friday)
  • Time: 9am-5pm 
  • Where: the picnic tables in front of KIS office

What you need to bring back home: 70L plastic bags & duct tapes (nearly 3 bags can make 2 gowns & 1 roll of tape can make 6 gowns)

How to do:

These gowns can be made by anyone from very basic materials, as this video shows. 

(A video in English, will be distribute later this week)

There is an update to this project.

The materials prepared by PTA are served on a first come first serve basis so even if you do not have time to pick up the materials at school, you can make it by your own with 2 main materials; 70L plastic bags (0.02 mm thinness or more) & duct tapes! You can find the plastic bags in a drug store or hardware shop.

The clinic appreciates very much for your generous donations and your precious time! Moreover, it would be a wonderful opportunity for students to learn how to make a good impact and some contributions to our community.

We would like to collect the finished gowns after Golden Week at the school entrance on May 7th and May 8th and deliver them to the clinic.

We would very much appreciate your support of this project, which we hope can contribute to strengthening our ties with the community around KIS.

Thanks for your help and stay healthy and safe!

With best wishes
the PTA

Posted in PTA

Update regarding KIS Festival

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5月24日（日）に開催を予定しておりました京都インターナショナルスクール・フェスティバルは新型コロナウイルスの感染が拡大している状況を受け、開催中止を決定いたしました。

Due to the circumstances surrounding the coronavirus, the KIS Festival scheduled for May 24th has been cancelled. Thank you for your understanding.

Distance Learning Success

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We have gathered some responses from KIS parents regarding what is working well with distance learning.

Early Learning Program

I am happy with the current arrangement, there are a good variety and amount of activities suggested, and I think the school and the teachers are doing the best they can with the given circumstances. Thank you.

I think the teachers are clearly putting in a lot of time into their lesson planning, activities, and responding to student work.

The morning Zoom lessons are perfect for her. She is looking forward to it and trying very hard. It also helps all of us to start the day on the right track.

Primary Years Program

Appreciate the flexibility afforded to parents. The digital tools work well in most cases.

Distance learning feels safer than holding classes at school. Son seems engaged by class activities and enjoys doing them.

My son is keeping busier than I expected and requiring surprisingly little supervision from me.

My child is very engaged and he is also happy to be connected with his friends online.

I’m impressed by the schedule management. It’s very well-organized.

The clean and specific assignments are great, also the videos are interesting and well done, as well as helpful. The teacher feedback and answers to questions is wonderful.

The teachers are doing an AMAZING job connecting and keeping up with the students via videos, messages, etc.

Middle School

Considering that this is a very new thing for everyone, I think that the teachers and the staff are doing a wonderful job providing lessons and activities for all the students.

Assignments and projects are very well managed. Thank you to all teachers and management for their great effort.

KIS teachers have prepared well to continue educating students through our distance learning platform. Here is a taste of the compiled timelines and educational activities that families and students can be engaged in learning. Additional tools for daily communication included Seesaw, Zoom, G Suite for Education.

Distance learning lessons are organized by grade and contain a combination of low tech and technology-based options across multiple subject areas, including considerations for student physical and mental wellness.

Our goal has been to provide a clear structure for continuing education from home during this extended break.

Open distance.kis.ac.jp site

Distance Learning Update 6 April

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Term Three
KIS began Term Three today with a Student Free Day. Staff started  off by thinking about ‘Who do you want to be in COVID-19?’ A well being activity to help us re-frame how we want to remember our experience in these times. Following this were good sessions planning for Distance Learning and beyond. A key focus of planning was the Parent and Student Surveys. Using the information from both surveys to support learning practices was essential. 

Coffee Mornings goes virtual
Starting this Thursday (9 April) KIS will hold a weekly Coffee Morning using Zoom.
The topic this week – Distance Learning Question and Answer

We will record the Coffee Morning for people to catch up on later.  

Tuition
Thank you to everyone that has paid Term Three tuition. A reminder that today Monday 6 April is the due date for Term Three tuition. If you need to discuss tuition please contact Mr Taylor before Friday 10 April. Students who are not financial as of Monday 13 April will not be able to access SeeSaw or Google for KIS until they have contacted the school. 

Again, thank you to the community for your support. We do hope to be able to provide more educational options to the community as the environment stabilises.

Distance Learning extended to Wednesday 6 May

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Continuation of Distance Learning

In the last 24hrs (2 April) circumstances related to COVID-19 have changed in our region, in Japan and within the Japanese Council of International Schools (JCIS). For the safety and health of the students, the families and the staff, KIS will extend Distance Learning to Wednesday 6 May (end of Golden Week). This decision was made following an informed discussion with the Senior Leadership Team and the Board Chair. It is a decision made in light of the increasing spread of COVID-19 within Kyoto City and Prefecture; the extension of closure for Japanese public schools in Osaka, Tokyo, Fukuoka, and Kanagawa; and the extension of most JCIS schools offering Distance Learning until at least May 6.

Schedule

  • Monday 6 April – Student Free Day – teachers will plan the pathway of learning for this extended Distance Learning (teachers will deliver a pre-recorded morning message that morning)
  • Tuesday 7 April – Distance Learning resumes
  • Wednesday 29 April – Public Holiday (Showa Day) no Distance Learning
  • Monday 4 May – Wednesday 6 May Golden Week no Distance Learning 
  • Thursday 7 May – Re-entry to KIS (if circumstances the students to re-enter that are healthy and safe)
  • Monday 25 May – normal school day (cancelation of KIS festival)

Cancellations

  • Wednesday 22 April – Friday 24 April Hanase Camp G1-G5 
  • Wednesday 22 April – Friday 24 April Discovering Hiroshima  G6-G8
  • Sunday 24 May – KIS Festival

Distance Learning Update 25 March

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Welcome to today’s Distance Learning Update. 

Healthy Choices
The weather in Kyoto is extremely pleasant over spring. The temptation is to socialise. Please exercise healthy caution at this time. It is important that everybody continue to practice social distancing practices; continued focus on personal hyigene; and maintain a healthy lifetstyle (good nutrition, water intake, plenty of sleep, sunlight and exercise). Research is suggesting these factors will reduce the risk assocaited with coronavirus

Challenge Day
Mr Boyd and Mr Taylor are extremly excited about the Challenge Day this Friday. We will be sending out the links tomorrow. Parents are ecnouraged to be part of the day. It is a good chance to end this term with a celebration of resilence, creativity and fun.

Travel intentions
This weeks Parent Survey will include a question asking parents to indicate if they are travelling overseas at Spring Break, and if so to where. Once again, these are precautionary measures to maintain the health of the entire community.

Re-entry plans
KIS is developing plans to re-enter school on April 6. Supporting information will be available shortly. Be prepared to take regular temperatures; hygiene procedures; and reduced interactions are some of the areas that will be addressed.

Distance Learning Update 24 March

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Greetings everyone and happy Tuesday,

Friday – Challenge Day
Today we started promoting Challenge Day which is this Friday. There will will not be the normal schedule of lessons. Instead students will complete challenges for House Points and post the evidence (photos/videos) on SeeSaw. Mr Boyd and Mr Taylor will live stream during the day, with updates. 

Travel Restrictions
The Japanese Government included USA on the mandatory self quarantine list for Japanese and Non- Japanese travellers returning to Japan. Full details can be found at  https://www.japan.travel/en/coronavirus/

KIS will apply these same guidelines for all listed countries, to all families and staff in regards travel both during and outside of spring break (on returning to school April 6).

Re-entry to school
The school in conjunction with JCIS and the Ministry of Education is developing return to school protocols to support the safest and healthiest environment possible. Some things to think about will be daily temperature checks prior to coming to school; restricted access to the campus; increased hygiene procedures; and management of large groups. Full details will be sent out during the week.

Home-School Connect
Don’t forget to reach out to the teachers, this week. They are eager to talk about how your son or daughter is progressing since the beginning of the year. As we can’t hold face-to-face conferences, this is our next best solution.

Have a good evening