British/International, IGCSE, GCE A - Level, BTEC Level 3, Day and Boarding www.nairobiacademy.or.ke 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 21 st 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
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British/International, IGCSE, GCE A - Level, BTEC Level 3, Day and Boarding
www.nairobiacademy.or.ke
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