From the Head of Secondary 31.08.19

A Voice from the Past: Loreena Jaouen

Loreena Jaouen when she was in Year 12 at KIS

Recently I heard from an ex-KIS student, Loreena Jaouen. Loreena graduated from Year 13 in 2015, gaining 4 A Levels, all with top grades:  Mathematics [A*] Chemistry [A*] Physics [A*] and Biology [A*].

“I am contacting you with good news as I am about to finish my Masters degree and I have just been offered my first full time position starting in September. 

I completed my BSc in Natural Sciences at Durham in June 2018 and moved down to London to do an MSc in Remote Sensing and Environmental Mapping at UCL. Last month, I started an 8-week internship at 2Excel Geo, which is a company focusing on collecting aerial images to offer support to conservation, forestry and agriculture. My work revolves around project development, collecting field data, processing and analysing the aerial images and delivering final products to stakeholders. I have really enjoyed it so far and 2Excel Geo has decided to offer me the full role of Geospatial Analyst at the end of my 8 weeks. 

Loreena continues in her email to request a reference for 2Excel Geo, which I was very happy to provide. She is very excited to hear that the company are offering her a permanent full time contract. She was an outstanding student while she was at KIS and deserves every success for the future!

Margaret Renshaw

Head of Secondary

Reading Homework

Do you know what the connotations are of being abstruse? Or the correct definition of a portmanteau? Would you be able to write with confidence about the implications of having a siliconised brain or concealing a toffee hammer? These are just some of the lexical brainteasers our IGCSE students have faced over the past few years and, unfailingly, the individuals who were able to rise to such challenges all had one thing in common: they were readers. 

This year, the English Department is striving to instil a healthy approach to reading amongst all of our Key Stage 3 students by setting regular reading targets as homework. We are asking our students to read for half an hour to forty five minutes, four times a week. 

The aim of this is not only to improve their comprehension skills but to expand and broaden the range of their vocabulary. Therefore, in addition to the reading, the students are expected to record fifteen new words they have learned each week. While their English teachers will be checking that they can use these words in the correct context, we would also like to encourage our students to be as adventurous as possible. That is why there will be a weekly competition for the most ambitious and noteworthy word choice, with the prize of five house points and a mention in the weekly KIS newsletter! 

We would like to thank you for supporting us in this initiative and for helping our students to become more loquacious, critical and independent learners. 

Good luck to Key Stage 3 and may the best word win! 

Ms Colley

Head of Secondary English