YEAR 10 AND 11 MALINDI TRIP

We all looked forward to this trip to Malindi. Departure was at 2:20pm at Wilson airport on Friday 23 rd March

and we arrived at 3:40pm at Malindi airport. We headed to Turtle Bay Resort and checked in. Afterwards,

we all went to the beach for some fun time. We enjoyed the dinner that was served along with the dessert

and later had a meeting with the teachers concerning the trip destinations.

The next day, we went to Vasco da Gama Pillar and Marine Park where we swam and went for snorkeling.

We learnt about the various species of fish and coral reef. We also identified the different types of coral

reef. After relaxing on an island and taking pictures we decided to head back for late lunch at the resort.

We played water polo as 10A vs 10B, in which 10B won, and after dinner retired to bed.

On Sunday after breakfast we went to a creek and learnt about the crab and snail species that lived in

the mangrove forest around it. Geography students took part in activities identifying salt marshes and mud

flats. We had another lesson at the beach on wave processes, coastal features, erosion and protection of

the coastal ecosystem. Monday morning, we had fun at the beach and pool while others got henna dec-

orations. Some of us bought gifts for our loved ones. It was a fantastic time for all of us and we came back

re-energized. Ashley Kwamboka and Carl Njeke

www.nairobiacademy.or.ke Secondary Bulletin Vol. 1 Term 1, 2017/18

Kibera visit by Year 12 Global Perspectives students

A group of Year 12 students visited Kibera to collect primary information about Slum Tourism for our Global

Perspectives coursework. We wanted to see firsthand what it was that tourists go to see.

We arrived at 10.00 and we were directed to SHOFCO, a rescue centre in the slum, from where we linked

with our guides Brenda, Paul and Isaac. SHOFCO is an organization that provides a safe haven for young,

abused children. It also provides clean water and free clinic services to residents in Kibera. These services

are funded by various organisations such as Safaricom, Solstice Mobile, Barclays and Ford Foundation as

well as individual,s both locally and abroad. Our tour, which lasted one hour and thirty minutes, left us all

sweaty and tired, given that there is a lot of jumping and maneuvering along the way!

I found it interesting that Kibera is made up of 13 villages. We conducted our study at Gatwekera and

asked residents questions about their surroundings and challenges of sanitation, the effects of an active

railway track in the middle of the slum, their views on the incomplete upgrade projects, the effects of the

polluted river and the kind of services offered in the hospitals and clinics. We were shocked to learn that

toilets and bathrooms are privately owned. To use these essential facilities, one had to part with five or ten

shillings! Amazingly, it felt pretty safe walking about.

Overall, it was an experience to remember. It taught us to appreciate what possessions we have and how

blessed we are to have family, shelter, food and clean water. Njeri Nduati Year 12

Sports Update

We started the Rugby and Netball season very well by winning our opening matches. The Under 15 Rugby

team beat Gems School 30-5 while the Under 13 Netball A team beat Braeside 17-11.Team training will

continue on Tuesday and Thursday every week. There are a number of tournaments lined up these season

and the intensity of training has increase as we focus on posting good performances in the tournaments.

The Year 7 and Year 8 went for outdoor Education where a number of experiential education outcome

had been set. We covered Map reading and navigation, Communication and teamwork, Planning and

coordinating, trust and directing, endurance and conflict management rock climbing, Zip line ,hiking and

camp craft.

Week 4 fixtures are as follows:

DATE DAY AGE GROUP SCHOOL VENUE DEPARTURE KICK OFF

07/05 MON U15 NETBALL TEAM A U15 NETBALL TEAM B

BGE “A’ BGE “B”

H H

- -

2:30 2.30

8/05 TUE U15 RUGBY ST.CHRISTOPHERS A 2.30 3:00

9/5 WED U13 NETBALL/RUGBY PREMIER H - 1:30

12/5 SAT U13 BOYS/GIRLS CROSS

COUNTRY ST.CHRISTOPHERS A

A 8.00 AM

8.30

12/5 SAT U14 NETBALL U15 RUGBY

HILLCREST TOURNA-

MENT A 7.30 3.00

12/5 SAT SWIMMING GEMS 7.30 4.00

Prefects Lunch

The 2018 annual prefects lunch held on Thursday 26th April 2018, in the dining hall was perhaps the perfect

way to mark the end of an era for the members of the year 13 prefects body who are busy with revision.

The event provided a perfect opportunity for them to meet and together look back at their tenure;

achievements and challenges as they enjoy the sumptuous food served. Teachers present including Ms.

Omulah, Mr. Simiyu and Ms. Janet among others expressed their appreciation for the work-well-done by

the outgoing prefects and encouraged them to stand for the values they have learne as young leaders

and be good ambassadors of Nairobi Academy.

Year 13s Farewell Lunch

The lunch was neatly organised. There were wise words shared that will guide us through exam period &

university life. We shared memories and experiences that we had together which allowed us to value our

friendships and class togetherness. All in all, it was enjoyable and full of emotions!! Evans Kamau

Denmark Trip

The bi-annual Exchange Programme trip to Denmark took place between Friday, 13th April 2018 and Sun-

day, 22nd April 2018. Despite numerous challenges in obtaining visas from the Danish Embassy, these were

finally issued and this was followed by a highly successful trip for the few students who participated.

We were received by Grenaa Gymnasium, our exchange school, and hosted by very kind and generous

families of their students and teachers. Students were treated to exceptional fun and learning activities.

These included a Bowling competition, a visit to a large scale Dairy Farm, a visit to the Old Town, the Town

Hall, several different types of beaches, the marine aquarium, ancient and modern Churches, and several

other interesting places. They also had a number of opportunities to attend and participate in academic

lessons in typical classroom settings and enjoyed the experience. They were taken through a guided tour

of the University of Aarhus as they satisfied every curiosity by asking questions through this tour. The highlight

of these was a whole afternoon and evening of traversing Aarhus (the second largest city in Denmark) and

shopping for souvenirs and other interesting items – getting a good feel of how life would be in such a city.

The whole troupe is grateful to parents and the school community for the entire collaboration that allows

BTEC Forum @ Braeburn School

On 27th April, 2018, Braeburn School hosted a BTEC forum with the aim of creating networks within students

from different schools. This allowed the students to interact with each other and share their assignment

portfolios and projects that have been executed. Personally and from my own point of view, this was the

best forum I have ever attended. I was able to see and hear about what other students of my age have

done which has led to their personal development and this has really opened my eyes as well as broad-

ened my horizon. Through the various presentations that were made by both teachers and students, I

learnt a lot and now know that BTEC holds no limits and in the end I can achieve anything I set my mind

On 25th April, the year 9 students of French left for Alli-

ance Francaise de Nairobi for a mesmerising perfor-

mance by a chinese author and illustrator. Mr Cheng

Jiang Hong has been creating beautiful, entertaining,

and deeply moving picture books over the years. On

that day he presented to us his award winning book, The

Tiger Prince. It was extremely captivating. What amazed

us the most was his ability to do the illustrations as the

story was being narrated. That was great skill!

Eddy Ratemo

My BTEC Success Story

On Friday the 20th of April, the Year 9s held the Crossover party to mark the end of Key Stage 3 and the

transitioning to Key stage 4. We started off by taking a few photos after which we proceeded into the

School Hall, where we were entertained by not only students, but also some teachers! We then were

served with lots of good food and drink. It was now time to listen to wise words from our fellow students,

teachers and even parents and the event did not fall short of good and sound advice. We will not forget

the words of the main speaker, Mr Warega, who emphasized on five important life lessons: Do your best

always, Be grateful for what you have, Fulfil your purpose, Keep good company, Remain a child

We were finally presented with our certificates and it was time to go home. It was a great time to cele-

brate the fun, success and lessons learned in KS 3. Our parents were also invited to celebrate with us and it

was a good time to bond and have fun with our parents. This was definitely a day we will not forget.

Key stage 3 Crossover Party

The external examinations have begun well despite the adverse weather conditions. Our practicals

are almost completed and most of the coursework modules have been sent to Cambridge. The written

papers began this week. As we said in an earlier communication, if your son or daughter has an examina-

tion in the morning session, we allow him or her to leave at noon to go home to study. We have found,

however, that some of the students are taking advantage of this privilege and are trying to leave, but not

with the intention of going home. In view of this, we would like you to communicate to us as soon as possi-

ble what permissions you have put in place for your child. Students are claiming they have permission to

call an Uber taxi. Others are claiming they are allowed to go with another student in their transport. To

save you from being disturbed in your daily routine by phone calls that we have had to make to determine

what is allowed, we would like you to send us an email in reply outlining what your child has permission to

do in the event he or she requests to leave at noon after an examination. If we have no communication

from you, we will not allow your child to leave at the noon hour. Thank you for your cooperation in this as

we all want to keep these young people safe.

Mrs. C. Kioko, Examinations Officer

All Secondary School teachers, along with the Prep School teachers of the Year

7 Class were happy to host Year 7 Parents on Thursday, 26th April 2018. It was an

interactive and enlightening forum in which teachers highlighted on-going plan-

ning and preparation for transition of Year 7 pupils into the Secondary School,

while elaborating on the academic and co-curricular culture across the school.

Parents engaged teachers and the Headteacher on their uncertainties and

concerns which were discussed and ideas exchanged, queries were also re-

sponded to and clarifications made. Parents acknowledged and appreciated

the on-going efforts by the school to achieve overall all-round improvement. This

is the second of a series of interactive fora that will be geared towards making the transition of the Year 7

class into the Secondary School as smooth and practical as possible.

We also held a Year 9 Parent-Teacher consultative meeting on Wednesday, 2nd May 2018, which was quite

handy in completing the transition process from Key Stage 3 into the IGCSE course. Teachers shared

course outlines, and gave individualized direction in tackling the various IGCSE subjects. Pupils were re-

minded to set personal targets and begin to work towards early towards the realization of the same.

Saul Simiyu, Deputy Headteacher: Academic

Academic Update

MFL Department Article

This is a busy term for the Modern Foreign Languages Department. We continue to meet our targets

through the various events we host. Our aim is ensure that students not only learn the languages but also

get to experience the cultures. Our members of staff continue to improve their teaching skills through the

various trainings we have.

Our students visit the Alliance Française and Goethe Institute on a regular basis. the Year 9 class went to

the Alliance Française last week and the Year 8s will be visiting the Goethe Institute in a few weeks. Year 7

and 8 classes will also be attending the Languages Morning at Brookhouse School on 6th April.

We shall be hosting the MFL Day next Friday, 11th May. Students will have an opportunity to taste food from

the French, German and Swahili cultures. The afternoon event will have houses competing against each

other. They shall also perform dances, sing songs, have power point presentations, monologues and po-

ems in the target languages. Our guests will be representatives from the French and German embassies,

the Alliance Française, the Goethe Institute and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).

Later in the term, students will be sitting Delf Exams. German students across all the classes will also be

competing against schools at the Annual German Cultural Festival. We wish them all the best.

Year 7 and 8 Outdoor Pursuit

The Year 7 and Year 8 went for outdoor Education where a number of experiential education outcomes

had been set. We covered map reading and navigation, communication and teamwork, planning and

coordinating, trust and directing, endurance and conflict management and took part in activities such as

rock climbing, Zip line, hiking and camp craft.

Headteacher’s remarks

I would like to appreciate all those parents and guardians who have participated in vari-

ous meetings and activities in the last three weeks of school. There are hundreds of great

and positive stories about each child’s school experience being written every day. Be

part of it!

Assessments: We have reviewed our assessments based on students’ feedback to in-

clude Continuous Assessments-CATs and Random Assessment Tests-RATs beside the half

and the end term assessments. This is to help narrow the achievement gaps and make

the learners stay on task and continuously revise. These additional assessments will con-

tribute to 30% of the final mark. Booster lessons continue as scheduled: Maths, on Mon-

day and Tuesday, Sciences on Wednesday and English on Friday each week from

3:45pm to 4:45 pm. Kindly note that, all peripatetic teachers must be verified by the of-

fice and their credentials vetted as per our safeguarding guidelines.

During this examination season, kindly ensure that we are aware of any changes in the

mode of transport used by your child in advance. The candidates will be given gate-

passes incase they have a morning exam and need to leave. They are expected to fol-

low the exam rules and regulations as stipulated by CIE as well as our Code of Conduct.

Upcoming events: The coffee with counsellor session is on Saturday, 12th May 2018. The

St. Christophers’ U13 Cross Country has been rescheduled to a later date. We have Mod-

ern Foreign Languages' Day on Friday this week as well as Junior Inter-House debate on

Wednesday.

Lastly, pop in any time for a conversation regarding your child or if with any feedback.

Year 8 Assembly Guest Speaker Aviation Club