New Challenges

This school year at KICS has been an exciting and busy time, with many new challenges for the both of us.

 In Chuck’s role as IT coordinator, he has been responsible for installing interactive whiteboards and document cameras in each teacher’s classroom, as well as training the staff in how to use them. He has also been training faculty, students and parents on how to use the school’s new email and school database systems. Chuck teaches a new computer class for Kindergarten through 5th grade students, which is going really well so far. His main focus lately has been on starting a brand new gifted and talented program for grades 2-5, the first KICS has ever implemented. It’s called the Enrichment Program of Interdisciplinary Curriculum, or EPIC. Students meet a couple of times a week to develop creative thinking, accelerated learning and leadership skills.

 Emily has kept very busy in her new roles as well. In addition to teaching environmental and physical science to 7th and 8th graders, she is now teaching general science to 6th graders and a brand new Pre-AP Biology course to 10th graders. She has been writing the curriculum for all these classes as she is teaching them. She also continues to serve on the learning support committee, as KICS continues to improve the ways it serves English language learners and students with learning challenges.

Our community group through our local church is thriving. Our group has combined with another small group, and we take turns leading and hosting with other people. It has been a great encouragement to engage with fellow Christians every week, both African and from the ex-pat community.

KICS Informational Videos

If you would like to know more about our school, you can click on the following links:

KICS Informational Video - 5 Minutes

KICS Extended Informational Video - 11 Minutes

Ministry Organizations in Kigali

Earlier in the school year, the KICS staff visited several ministry organizations around Kigali as part of our initiative to start a Service Learning Program.  The idea is to have the various grade levels at KICS participate in an ongoing service effort during the school year that is incorporated into the curriculum of their classes.

We visited a mission organization called African Transformation Network (ATN).  Several KICS staff members and parents of KICS students are part of this organization.  Their mission is to use discipleship, partnership, service and development to transform communities.  In the pictures, David Reeves, a KICS parent and wife of a KICS staff member, is telling the staff about “Farming God’s Way,” a set of practices that lead to increased crop outputs, which ATN promotes throughout the community.  Other ATN projects include digging wells, teaching Rwandan’s building and engineering skills, and teaching English.  You can find out more about them at http://atn-rwanda.org.

Roger and Faith Shaw are a couple who have a heart for helping orphans.  While they don’t run an official orphanage, they provide a home and care for about 20 orphans in their home.  To support this endeavor, they use their knowledge and past experience to run a fish farm on their property.  They raise and breed a variety of fish, which they sell in local stores and out of the back of their vehicle in various places.  It was really interesting to learn some of the science behind fish farming, and we’ve enjoyed their delicious fish on many occasions.

Cards From Africa (CFA) is a Christian business that specifically hires people who are affected by AIDS and genocide.  CFA trains their employees in business and manufacturing skills.  They walked us through their process of using recycled paper to make a variety of greeting cards they sell internationally at competitive prices.  You can find out more about the organization at http://cardsfromafrica.com.

 First, they soak scraps of recycled paper in a special chemical and blend the resulting mixture.

Then they use special equipment to get a layer of the blended mixture into the shape of a piece of paper.

 They press and flatten the pieces and allow them to set.

 They then place the sheets on large boards and dry them in the sun.

 The pages can be dyed a variety of colors and then hung to dry.

 As you can see, they have many options to choose from.

 The workers use their skill to make a variety of designs out of the available paper.

 An example of a finished product.

Some of our students were able to take a field trip and practice making paper themselves.