Newsletter 6 - Term 1 2019-2020

Extra-curricular activities continue to be an integral component of BKIS. This is evident in the provision of opportunities to run clubs as well as competitive sports. Over the last week, our boys and girls were actively involved in bench marking with other schools in the field of swimming as well as Braeburn Sports Festival as captured below:

Braeburn Swimming Camp

Over the half term, there will be the Braeburn Schools Swimming Camp in Mombasa from 10th to 15th October 2019. The swimming training will take place at Braeburn Mombasa International School. The team will be taking the SGR down to Mombasa and will be staying at Sarova White Sands Hotel. The team will be departing on the 10th October 2019 and returning back to Nairobi on 15th of October. BKIS will be represented by Benjamin, Maaya, Lilian and Devane. We wish them well.

CAT4 Tests

In the course of the week, some selected classes( Year 3,5 7, 9 and 10) have done the CAT4 tests which are basically Cognitive Abilities Tests that assess how well a student thinks about tasks and solve problems using a range of different questions. Some tasks involve thinking about shapes and patterns (Non-verbal Reasoning), some use words (Verbal Reasoning) or numbers (Quantitative Reasoning) and, finally, some questions are to be  answered by thinking about shape and space together and imagining a shape being changed and moving (Spatial Ability).

Benefits of CAT4 Tests

• CAT4 is used in many schools to provide information to teachers and with other information such as results from Key Stage 2 tests, forms the basis for discussion about how best a child can learn and reach his/her potential in school.
• CAT4 does not require any prior knowledge and you cannot ‘learn’ how to answer the questions in CAT4. It is therefore a good test because everyone starts at the same place.
• The abilities tested in CAT4, such as spatial ability, may be difficult to demonstrate in the classroom so it is important that teachers know the level of student’s ability in such areas.
• CAT4 contributes to setting targets and allows a student’s progress to be monitored.
• CAT4 results will help teachers decide about the pace of learning that is right for students and whether they need to be challenged or given additional support and in which areas of the curriculum.
• CAT4, unlike an English or Maths test, is not a test of what you have learned. It tests what you can do in areas that are known to make a difference to learning and achievement.

Think Green

We continue to emphasize the need for environmental conservation with the Tip No. 3 which reminds us that, “Turning off the water while brushing our teeth help us save up to 25 Gallons (95 litres) of water each month”