Embedded Files
The ‘Week of Power’ in EAL
When a student, who has had some difficulties in focusing on classroom content, came back to school late this term yet volunteered for the ‘Week of Power’, it was so gratifying and encouraging. In addition, it was both enjoyable and edifying for his classmates.
But what, you may well ask, is this ‘Week of Power’ you speak of?
- Well, it involves a student preparing a presentation, lasting between five to ten minutes, on the topic of the week, with which they lead the class. Student-led learning at its finest; or, at least, of a very good standard.
Prior to the class in which the activity is to be presented, the student emails the material to the teacher who checks it over for accuracy, in terms of grammar, punctuation, and syntax. The content may be modified also, if necessary.
So, what about the types of presentation? They can range from a short story, followed by comprehension questions, to a role play, to a quiz or a trivia activity, to a sketch with missing words/phrases, to a mini-talk, to — whatever the Week of Power student decides upon.
Two examples from this month:
• A hotel-based role play (presented on slides) plus a video. Class members were assigned roles and pronunciation, word stress, and intonation were focused on and enhanced. A comprehension check was performed and the students were encouraged to use the language in their own role plays. Translanguaging was impressively incorporated when the class members were invited to read out the role play in their native languages, as we prepare for Languages Week.
• Challenging trivia questions were presented, focusing on hotel experiences and terminology, which included sophisticated lexical items. This was followed by a KISU favourite, a Blooket, which is a quiz-based website where the children can engage in enjoyable activities after correctly answering three or four questions. The iterative nature of this game leads to the assimilation of key language which can be recalled and utilised for follow-up activities, such as writing or listening, or exams.
The Week of Power can truly elevate our students, building up their accuracy in language production, communication skills, confidence, engagement, enthusiasm, and organisational abilities.
Looking to the future, this activity can foster leadership competencies in our learners, aligned with our KISU Mission Statement:
‘Educating Today’s Children For Tomorrow’s World’.
Mr. Fernandez
French film showing: Aya de Yopougon
We are happy to invite secondary students from Year 9 - DP2 on 19th March 2026 for a French film screening in our auditorium, from 8:30am-10:30am. This event is in collaboration with Alliance Francaise de Kampala and l'ambassade de France as an initiative for Francophone week.
Name of the film: Aya de yopougon
Brief description
In the 1970s, in Ivory Coast in Yopougon, a popular district of Abidjan.
This is where Aya lives, 19 years old, a serious young girl who prefers to
stay at home studying rather than going out with her friends. Aya divides
her days between school, family and her two best friends: Adjoua and Bintou.
But things take a turn for the worse when Adjoua finds herself pregnant.
The film is, originally, a comic strip in 6 volumes (Gallimard, 2005) translated into 15 languages and adapted by its creators: the author Marguerite Abouet and the designer Clément Oubrerie.
We hope to see you there!
Ms. Ellie Dawson
Greetings Parents,
If you were a Year 10 student, which debate motion would you propose? Would it divide the room? Who would you invite to join your debate team? Would you win the debate as a proponent or opponent?
This month, the students have come up with some thought-provoking, opinion-splitting motions.
I wonder where you stand on these issues…
• This house believes that religion does more harm than good in modern society.
• This house believes that the marriage age should be legally set at 21.
• This house believes that the use of generative AI should be banned in school assignments.
• This house believes that modern healthcare is a form of colonisation.
• This house believes that poor people should not be allowed to have children.
• This house believes that children of eight years of age should not be given smartphones.
• This house believes that the internet leads to the deterioration of culture.
• This house believes that billionaires should contribute 1% of their wealth to people living in poverty.
• This house believes that social media platforms should ban anonymous accounts.
• This house believes that school uniforms should be mandatory.
• This house believes that plastic bags should be completely banned.
• This house believes that it is unethical to use animals for scientific experimentation.
• This house believes that the marriage age should be set at 21.
As with the Week of Power initiative in EAL, we have a presentation on Thursday 26th by a student who is going to share tips on "The Psychology of Winning a Debate” and “How to Destroy an Argument". Thereafter, the students will select a debate motion for two teams, along with a chairperson, a timekeeper, judges, and the audience.
As the students engage in or view the debates, they are encouraged to utilise the GP skills they have acquired as well as pertinent terminology to enhance the success of their Individual Report submissions. They have been introduced to debating lexis and language, including adjudicators, countermodel, delink, delta, rebuttal, POI, proposition, substantive arguments and weighing. Let's see how they factor into the debates and the students' coursework…
Mr. Fernandez
The debate in Global Perspectives
Love around the languages block...
New DP1 student Ali Al-Sakkaf created a display 'love around the languages block' as part of a CAS project. Students enjoyed contributing funny pick up lines in their native language, and Year 9 students also created some fabulous posters which they could recite from memory, such as:
'Tu es une carte? Parce que je me perds dans tes yeux!'
Ms. Ellie Dawson
More Than Skyscrapers: The Real Story of MUN Dubai 2026
When you hear Dubai, your mind probably goes straight to glittering skyscrapers, enormous shopping malls, dramatic desert safari drives, and the slightly terrifying but completely brilliant slides at IMG World and Atlantis Waterpark. And of course, getting wonderfully lost at Global Village, wondering how you somehow ended up buying snacks from three different continents in under ten minutes.
But that’s only half the story.
Behind the skyline selfies and rollercoaster screams is the real Dubai experience, the sound of keyboards furiously typing position papers at midnight, the intense (and occasionally dramatic) debates in committee rooms, the polite-but-not-really-that-polite lobbying in corridors, and the careful drafting of resolutions that aim to solve the world’s problems before lunch.
That’s the story within the story. That’s MUN Dubai.
This year, 23 of our students packed their suits, diplomacy skills and a healthy amount of confidence and joined the long line of delegates who have proudly represented us at a Model United Nations conference.
Under the theme “Building Bridges: Unification through Global Diplomacy”, the conference ran from 6th–8th February 2026 at Dubai International Academy, bringing together over 500 delegates from around the world. At the opening ceremony, students were reminded that they are not merely “the leaders of tomorrow”, they are leaders already, simply by choosing to show up, speak up and take part.
After months of preparation (and yes, a fair bit of healthy debating practice), our students arrived ready to learn, connect and, most importantly, have their voices heard.
And once the gavels were finally set down and the final resolutions passed, Dubai’s bright lights were waiting. Exploring the city was the perfect reward with the only inconvenience being that, eventually, we had to come home.
So here we are, back home, very proud, and already pretending we’re not thinking about the next trip.
Mr. Buga Robert
Building literacy through weekly reading
This term, our Year 7 students stepped into the laboratory to explore one of the most exciting topics in science; chemical reactions. From the very first practical, curiosity filled the room as students witnessed chemistry unfolding before their eyes.
One unforgettable highlight was the burning of magnesium. As the thin strip was heated, it produced a brilliant white flame that lit up the lab and captured everyone’s attention. It was a powerful moment; dramatic, bright, and unforgettable.
Students also carried out a range of other reactions, carefully observing the changes taking place. Some reactions produced striking colour changes, transforming clear solutions into vibrant new substances. Others created bubbling and fizzing as gases formed. In certain experiments, test tubes became warm, while in others, they cooled noticeably. There were even reactions where new odors were released, prompting thoughtful discussions about what was happening at a particle level.
Through these hands-on experiences, students learned to recognise the key indicators of a chemical reaction: colour change, light emission, gas production, temperature change, and odor change. Most importantly, they discovered what these signs mean; that atoms have rearranged to form entirely new substances.
This unit has laid a strong foundation for their chemistry journey. Our Year 7 students are not just observing exciting experiments; they are beginning to understand the invisible world of atoms and how matter transforms. The spark of scientific discovery has now been ignited.
Hilda Nimwesiga
Teacher of Biology and Chemistry
A Spark of discovery: Year 7 explores chemical reactions
Year 10 Biology: Investigating the gut!
In one of our Biology lessons this term, Year 10 students explored how the human gut works using a hands-on model! They used Visking tubing to represent the gut and placed different nutrients inside to see which could pass through and which could not.
Using food tests, the students discovered which nutrients (like glucose and amino acids) could be absorbed and which stayed behind, giving them a clear picture of selective absorption in action.
This experiment not only helped students understand an essential biological concept but also allowed them to experience science first-hand, from predicting results to analyzing data.
Well done to Year 10 students for always being ready to learn, ask questions, and dive into experiments with curiosity and enthusiasm. Your teamwork, collaboration, and thoughtful discussion made the lesson even more meaningful. It is inspiring to see you not just completing tasks, but truly engaging with science, making predictions, analyzing results, and drawing conclusions like real scientists!
Hilda Nimwesiga
Teacher of Biology and Chemistry
Our Business Studies students have been learning about how businesses respond to market change. They explored how shifts in consumer demand, new technology and economic factors can affect organisations and why adaptability is essential for success.
Using real-world examples, students discussed strategies such as innovation and diversification, and considered what can happen when businesses fail to respond effectively. It was encouraging to see thoughtful discussion and confident use of key terminology as students developed their understanding of how businesses operate in an ever-changing world.
Ms. Rachel Landman
IGCSE Business
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