BRAESIDE HIGH SCHOOL - NEWSLETTER, Decmber 2006 Vol. 6 NO.8

Dear Parents/Guardians,

At 12:00 noon today, 8 December 2006 we come to the close of what has been a very busy but truly exciting first term of this academic year. New horizons have been explored alongside the more traditional school events typical of the term; all to a very high degree of success - and some of the reports are included within this edition of the Newsletter. During the last summer vacation and throughout the term we have also continued to successfully implement many new developments, much to the delight of the school community - and we aim to continue this trend in the coming term and year as we strive to live up to our maxim, Making Learning Come Alive!
We remain ever so grateful,
To our pupils, for being of good character, good cheer and for taking up the challenges of progressive education head-on in a positive, cooperative and rigorous spirit.
To our teachers and support staff, for their tireless efforts, their professionalism, their love and care of the young people whose progress and success they are charged with.
And to you all, our parents and guardians for your trust, your support and for the many contributions and keen participation in the many activities that constitute the quality education of your children.
Bringing together all these elements is never easy, but we continue to rise up again and again when, at the end of the day, we can turn round with pride at what we have achieved and say,
It was all worth it!
I hope you enjoy reading this edition of the Newsletter as you share in just a few of our successes this term and in some highlights of the coming term. On behalf of all of us here at Braeside, I wish you all pleasant, restful holidays as I look forward to seeing you all back again on the 9 January 2007 for another action-packed term.

With my best wishes and kind regards,

Jack Kimutai
HEADTEACHER & ADMINISTRATIVE HEAD

IGCSE Mock Examinations - January 2007

At the commencement of Second Term on the 9 January 2007 our Year 11 class steps right into their all-important Mock IGCSE examinations with the scheduled Art practicals and, later in the week, the French Aurals. The theory papers commence, in earnest, in the second week of term.
Judging by this term's performance many of the Year 11 pupils are well on course to achieving their individual targets and are clearly putting in the effort required to meet the demands of their courses.
At this point, it is important that all pupils in Year 11 take time to reflect seriously on the specific advice given by each of their Subject Tutors in the end of term reports issued today and during the recent Parent/Teacher consultation evening, and, to then act on areas of weakness or develop appropriate work/study patterns as they undertake preparation for these examinations. Many post-16 institutions will reserve or even make firm offers of admission into A-Level / IB or Pre-University courses based on the strength of performance in these Mock examinations. We therefore urge our Year 11's to plan their vacation time wisely to ensure that whilst they are making adequate provision for meaningful rest and leisure, they are also putting in the necessary hours into study. We take this opportunity to wish them well as they prepare and every success in the examinations next term.
Since the school re-opened on the 5 September 2006 it has been an action-packed six weeks leading up to the half-term break. And as we break off for this well-deserved half-term holiday which runs from the 17th to the 22nd October 2006 we find this an opportune time to pen down a few words on some of the successes and developments so far achieved, to bring you news of ongoing progress in the various facets of school life, and, generally just to share our thoughts and explore ideas on pathways to further improvement. To the parents and guardians of the Ninety Two (92) new pupils who have joined us this term, both from our Primary Section as well as from other local and overseas schools we extend an especially warm welcome. From the smiles and general good cheer on everybody's faces I think it is reasonably safe to say that we have all got off to our usual great start!

News and Reviews

The term in perspective..
Honours Roll, December 2006

Congratulations to pupils who have excelled this term in various fronts of school life and who will have received commendation during this morning's final assembly. It remains our keen tradition to reward positive achievement, great or small, and to encourage our pupils to be all that they possibly can be. Well done to the following:
Academic Honours (Top in Year Group)

Carol Concert, 30 November

This year, Christmas did indeed come early.
We held our Christmas Carol Concert on Thursday evening, 30th November 2006.
And our guests for the night were children from St Francis Integrated School in Karen. St Francis caters for some 250 needy and orphaned children and thirty of them joined us for dinner and then graced our occasion. They were accompanied by their Director, Mrs Kibathi who at the end of the evening remarked in appreciation, 'this is indeed the day that the Lord hath made!'
Perhaps what was most unusual about this evening was that it was our debut… yes, the very first time to hold a high school Christmas carol and in the evening. The Creative Art Department had worked tirelessly the whole day. The décor was superb and the hall had that Christmas aura. This was enhanced by a full audience. Our parents and guardians, with the rest of their families, came out in large numbers. The pieces presented were of an eclectic nature which served to undulate the mood from a meditative one with songs such as 'Noel' to a celebratory one whose crest was marked by ' Over all the earth' by Year 8G choir, causing a member of the audience to remark, ' this song should close the evening'. It was gratifying to see all year groups represented on stage that evening with items ranging from narrations, choir, solos and instrumentals. Members of staff also took the stage and gave a good account of themselves contrary to a notion held by a few pessimists that they would sing in the key 'Q minor'! Our theme was
'Love is Sharing'!
In the spirit of sharing, the Braeside community had the opportunity to give Christmas Gifts to St Francis School. The donations were overwhelming. Students, Parents, Guardians and well wishers gave with no reservations - both in cash and kind. There were tons of non-perishable goods. From the cash donations and the money that students had raised during the Non Uniform Day, we were able to give the home a cheque worth Kshs 20,000!
We would like to sincerely thank our parents and guardians for their support; our students for taking up their social responsibility and remembering the less disadvantaged in our society. The Catering Staff for the great snacks and great Christmas cake. Many thanks to Hilda Tuwei and Lemmy Thuku, MCs for the night. The whole of Braeside High School community for taking time out to share in the Christmas spirit and in making this day a great success. May God Bless you all. And next year? You really do not want to miss our Carol Concert!

Pastoral trips

Year 7, Mombasa,

After months of planning and trepidation the Year 7s were finally aboard an East African Airlines plane to Mombasa for a much deserved half term break at the Traveler's Beach Hotel at the North Coast. Having booked the early morning flight jointly with the Year 9s, who were headed to Sun n Sands further north, our Braeside students virtually filled all seats on the plane. The flight was very short and no sooner had we finished our tea and biscuits than we were touching down on the runway of the Moi International Airport. It was pouring!! And we made a dash for the arrival lounge and were glad to find that the Hotel transfer was ready and waiting.
On arrival at Traveler's beach Hotel we were warmly welcomed. The students were looking forward to jumping into the pool but it was raining! Nevertheless after completing the formalities of checking in etc the students had an early lunch and the most amazing thing happened… the sun came out in full force!! !And you bet all rushed through the meal and… SPLASH !!! into the pool they went. It was an exhilarating time with water sports, water skiing etc and soon the students were squealing with delight. By dinner time all were exhausted but happy to have hit the water.
After dinner the hotel had a live band on stage and it was lovely to see a group of students with Mr. Rono do the famous 'step dance' while others played pool and watched the DStv sports channel.
The second day was all bright and sunny and the students' spirits soared in expectation of the day's activities which included a trip to Haller Park, Scuba Diving and a trip to the Beach. After breakfast we set of to Haller Park and spent a good part of the morning learning about crocodiles, tortoises and hippos. The children asked very insightful questions that reflected a good understanding of scientific ideas which our tour guide was happy to expound on. After this we were back to the Hotel for the day's highlight. SCUBA DIVING! For sure this activity was for the brave hearted and strong. Those who had a go were delighted and relieved to be above water again.It was a very group of children who turned up for lunch a few hours later. It had been quite a morning.
To wrap up the day's activities we spent the entire afternoon on the Beach with the children camel-riding, playing beach volley ball, and swimming etc. By dinner the children were totally spent and were expected to turn in for an early night. But this was not the case …what with the European Champions league match on DSTV sports and a cultural night with the promise of a disco afterward? Most went to sleep after midnight which was scary because we were booked for the early morning flight back to Nairobi.
The wake up call came early in the morning at 5.30 am and most children were still asleep and teachers had to move from room to room calling them out. Somehow we checked out of the hotel by 7 am and were at the airport by 7.30 am in time to check in for our flight. Again it was raining as we bid goodbye to the coastal town. The flight back was very bumpy and we were happy to be back our 'city in the sun'.
The activity that crowned the entire 3 days was the ice-skating at the Panari Sky Centre. Many students had thought they wouldn't make it but they did because at the end of the session they were skating like experts and as one commented later. "I feel like I was born skiing".
It was a lovely trip to Mombasa and the Year 7s really enjoyed the 3 days out of town and are looking forward to the next one already. Mrs. P. Nengo

Year 8 Masai Mara trip,

The trip to Masai Mara was a blast. Most people in year 8 went for it and every second of it was fun. The first day was really nice. We got to see each others stuff, meet each others parents and talk about how the trip will be. The journey was great but the road was terrible. It felt like we were on a washing machine being thrown up and down, side to side and front and back. Besides that it was fun and we got plenty of time to talk to each other.
In the hotel the rooms were spacious, had beautiful comfortable beds and had DSTV. We had fun swimming in the pool. The food was spectacular, mouth watering and enticing. We ate to our fill every dinner, breakfast and lunch.
The second day of our trip was also fun. We woke up at five in the morning because we were going for game drive. We were on the road for about two hours before we go to the reserve. There were many different types of animals. We were lucky to see a lion. We visited a Maasai village and got to see how they live. Their houses are made of mud and are not very big. The journey back to the hotel was tiring. The day was exciting and something to remember.
The third day was fun but also tiring. We were doing activities in the field. We played tag of war, Girls against Boys (the girls won obviously), then we played crazy football which was totally crazy. The disco was the bomb. The day was just awesome.

By Brenda Ikinya (8G)

Year 9 Mombasa, social

Bravo to the 30 Year 9's who went to Mombasa on 16th Oct 2006. After the interclass skipping competition to raise funds for the heart foundation ,the Students now looked forward to going to Mombasa.
The students on reaching the hotel it was raining and to their disappointment could not go for the water sports they longed for. They therefore proceeded to the Sports Complex where they played various sports until later in the day when the weather cleared. They played water sports, dived and went on the pool slides.
The children also learned about Turtles, when they had a talk from one of the hotel staff. They were anxious and asked several questions. They also had a talk on the Beach on how to keep them clean. . They were informed that people were polluting the beaches by dumping debris and rubbish even from the hotels. The students got interested and looked forward to help clean the beach on their last day. The students did this under the International Coastal (beach) Cleanup Programme as a community service project.
The group also visited Fort Jesus which is known for its rich history and had guides take them through in groups and explain in detail all the history behind this old Fort. The students took the guides to task and asked them numerous questions. It took close to 2½ hours when we had to leave for Haller park after a short refreshing break.
In Haller park, they saw various animals but above all got to see Owen and Mzee and were interested to hear the story behind their friendship. They learnt about various marine/sea creatures and species of trees. By 2:00 p.m., tired and eager to swim they rushed back to the hotel for lunch and a game of water polo.
The last day opened up to cleaning the beach. The students did a tremendous job and filled in all data required. They then proceeded to Kikambala Hall for an LCD presentation on community service and the community around.
The students noted that the community comprised of needy people. They had seen children go to school bare footed, they got touched and had several questions to ask. They were informed of the projects the hotel had undertaken to help the community.They were also shocked to discover the number of orphans in 'kikambala primary', many who come to school hoping not only to learn but get something to eat.This would however not be possible if some 'good Samaritan' from out there in the community did not pay for them ksh 20 per day for them.
Then they decided to do something for one or two of their fellow students. We then had to crack our minds. Since they had not managed to do the Glass bottomed boat activity, the students and teachers decided that the money would go towards buying stationery for a class they wished to meet and adopt, the class was Year 6 East.
Stationery was bought comprising of exercise books, writing material and an eraser for the 60 students in class 6 East. They then visited and distributed the stationery to the students on appointment with the Headteacher. When our students arrived they were shocked to be met and welcomed by the whole school running to receive them. The Headteacher had to return the eager 2000 students to their classes and take us to year 6East as planned. The Kikambala students were introduced to us. Our students then sat with them and encouraged them never to give up but work hard for one day they would meet out there as 'the leaders of tomorrow'.

Kikambala

They then distributed the stationery and sweets to the students. The students and teachers also combined efforts out of their own will and giving a little out of what they brought, to give a meal to an orphan)adopted 2 orphans and paid lunch for them for the whole year. These were:
1. AMINA KAHINDI(Whole year)…………Ksh 3600
2. LENNON (Balance remaining)….Paid ksh 2900
They agreed to raise money and pay off the balance and buy uniform for them. This is underway and will be organized. HAVING PUT A SMILE ON AN ORPHANS HEART the students headed back to the hotel to swim, pack and get back to Nairobi. Bravo to the 30 Year 9's. How else would I find words to say:
"I am so proud of you, I thank God for you and will never forget your cooperation and great love that you showed so openly towards the needy in Kikambala."

Year 10, Lukenya trip

LUKENYA GETAWAY PASTROL TRIP
DATE: 15th October - Tues 17th October 2006.
The year 10 pastoral trip was a great success. The trip was held from the 15th to the 17th
of October 2006. The location was the Lukenya Getaway- a scenic and serene surrounding on the foot of the Lukenya hills, approximately 40Km from Nairobi.
The primary purpose of this educational adventure was to enhance students knowledge on issues and topics they had learned during their pastrol lessons. They covered topics on 'managing emotions in a positive manner', 'How to develop good relationship and respecting differences between people, and boy-girl relationships'.
The students were kept very busy all through their stay in Lukenya. The facilitators who were very well trained to handle this age group, made sure discussions, team building activities were conducted in a professional manner and each student participated as required. Work without leisure would have made our stay dull. The students were very active in the various sporting activities available.
This included swimming, tennis, rugby,and board games to name just a few.
The standards and facilities were excellent, and the food was exceptionally healthy, and planned to meet the children's taste. This being a Christian center it was not surprising that most aspects reflected on our pasrtol objectives.
The rooms were given names that refect good values eg. Upendo, Shukrani, Uzima, Amani Rehema, Ukweli etc.
Well done to all participants for conducting themselves most admirably!

At last educational assessment in the Learning Support Unit (LSU) gets computerized…
It's another outstanding achievement in the LSU as it acquired the
Lass Multifunctional Diagnostic Computerised Assessment System.

From our initial trials, the results are, to say the least, revealing. The Assessment System has the highest degree of accuracy at about 95%. So far six students in the LSU have taken the assessment. The results are a complete eye opener as every strength and weakness of each student is accurately identified after being thoroughly analysed by the computer program. Teachers will now be able to fully understand and offer assistance to any learner who has a learning difficulties or Special Educational Needs by developing differentiated programmes for the individual learner. Certainly, learners with special needs have got a bright future ahead!

12th anniversary 1994- 2006

Celebrating a proud decade of quality education!

Braeside is a member of the Braeburn Group of International Schools and incorporates an Early Years Unit, a Primary and a Secondary School. Programmes of study adhere to the British National Curriculum across four Key Stages. Braeside is a friendly, orderly and secure school with a dynamic learning environment offering a refreshing balance between curricular and co-curricular activities. Braeside places a high priority on positive achievement and a strong premium on teamwork with our partners, parents and guardians.

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