From the Head of Secondary 28.03.2020

I would like to again thank the community for working so hard at this difficult time to ensure that as far as possible our students continue to be challenged in their learning, to enjoy what they are doing and to have time for rest and relaxation. I asked some students to let me know how things are going for them:

“When I first heard the school was going to be closed due to the corona virus outbreak, I was disappointed. For year 11s who are mostly leaving after this year, closing of school means less time with friends. It also meant that my IGCSEs were a concern as we would be missing all the essential lessons. Fortunately, I was informed that school lessons would be replaced with online lessons that support video conferencing, online classroom formats and chatrooms for further discussion which allowed me to communicate with my teachers and continue my education. Although this couldn’t replace the emptiness of missing school without it would have been much worse. I recommend taking regular breaks to stretch and rest your eyes during lessons!”    Alex Year 11

“Switching to online learning at home has been a big transition but I’m trying to make it work. Luckily for us A Level students, a lot of our work is easily accessible online so that’s not too much of a hassle. What’s harder is the motivation to study! It’s hard to focus when you’re in the same spot for 6 hours straight so I’ve tried setting up multiple study spots throughout my house. The news that exams are now cancelled has taken a toll on motivation as well but I might as well finish my A Level off strong! It’s rather an odd situation for us to be in but luckily we’re fortunate enough to have internet and electronics and the support of our teachers. Maybe too much support from our teachers… Is it just me or does it feel like double the workload at school now that I’m surrounded by distractions? In all seriousness I am grateful for their hard work as it is as big of a transition for them as it is for us! I think by the end of the next few weeks everyone will be begging to go to school but until then, let’s all keep up with online KIS.”  Dania Year 13

“This past week of quarantine and online learning has been a challenge. Exploring the many ways to use the internet to interact with each other and have productive study sessions/lessons was very interesting. But I find that studying at home can be distracting as it is easy to become tempted to leave the kitchen or multi-task while supposedly doing schoolwork. While I did busy myself with schoolwork as the days passed, I started to miss going out. I also started to miss the lively classroom environment.  

Nevertheless, I also found other things to keep me occupied in addition to studying. It’s a good opportunity to do some housework as well as taking time to catch up with my own hobbies and interests.” Qawiemah Year 11

“Online learning in KIS has been a mixed experience. It’s been quite interesting to see how teachers have been converting their lessons to online classes and to be able to work from home. We’ve actually been able to learn things from the classes so far, so that’s quite good. That said, however, there are a few things that make online learning rather challenging at times. Among them is an obvious one: we are spending 6 hours a day on our devices and I can personally say that it can cause pretty bad headaches. Another point I can make is that online learning can be quite stressful at times due to misunderstandings by both the teacher and the student, or when a student doesn’t understand something in class and then the teacher has to explain through messages, which is not the most efficient way. Some teachers do make their classes go really smoothly though, for which I am very grateful.”  Timothy Year 8

“From the two exam seasons I’ve been through so far, study leave has always been a cherished and beneficial time for me. Home learning has largely been an extension of this valuable time. While it may not compare to classroom learning, online classes have been a refreshing change to what we’re used to. It certainly has been strange typing “present” into google classroom every morning at 7:50am and even stranger to go from the conventional room full of other students to sitting alone in front of a screen for most of the day (especially since the rest of my household has the luxury of waking up after ten!) It may have taken a while for me to adapt in the beginning but now, a week in, reality has finally started to become more routine. When faced with nowhere but my own home all day, I inevitably achieved a lot of what I normally find myself “too busy” to accomplish. I’ve been reading more than usual, started painting again and even attempted a few easy cooking trends I’ve seen online. However, one of the main downsides of it all: my Fitbit steps have immensely declined!”  Cassidy Year 13

We are constantly reviewing how we are doing things and I really welcome your feedback. That has already led to some changes, including more time between lessons and taking homework off the table completely.

One of the biggest challenges for us all in not knowing how long this will go on for. It is human nature to look ahead and we also like certainty. Change does not suit everybody’s psyche and it is at times like this that we have to dig deep and focus on what really matters in life. Physical health is vital and I know that many of you are working hard to follow the rules that are in place for all of us so that we can remain safe in that respect. Wellbeing and minimal stress are also extremely important and at the moment is something that we really need to focus on. There is plenty of very good advice circling the internet that can help with this. Whilst we want our students to continue to learn, it is vital that they do not stress about grades at this time; they just need to try and do their best, to attend the lessons, to ask questions when they are unsure.

Some parents are asking about what they can do at home to support on-line learning and there are a few simple things that would be really useful:

• After a good night’s sleep, help your child to wake up, shower, get dressed, have breakfast and be ready for registration at 7.45am
• If your child is sick and won’t be attending lessons that day, notify the school by sending an email to the form tutor, Mr Kelly, Ms Service or myself. This saves a lot of confusion. If your child falls ill during the day and has to stop attending lessons, email me so that I can let teachers know that they will not be in lessons.
• Make sure that your child takes a short break between lessons but then gets online in time to register for the next lesson
• Talk to your child about any classwork that they have to do and if necessary help them to organise the completion of that
• Make sure that your child stays online throughout the lesson; they should not simply sign in at the beginning and then go off and do something else.

As always, please continue to contact me, or any of the teachers, if we can assist in any way.

Margaret Renshaw

Deputy Principal/Head of Secondary