KIS Elementary School Advancement
From KIS Elementary School Coordinator
My name is Brian Nelsen and I am the Elementary School Coordinator at Kodaikanal International School. My wife is the Elementary School librarian and I have three beautiful children who all attend ES.
Prior to making Kodaikanal International School our new home in July 2005, my wife and I worked as elementary school teachers in Japan, Kenya and the United States. Our most recent assignment was as professors in the Education Department of Southeastern University, Lakeland, Florida. Kodaikanal feels more like home each day and just recently my son Cyrus confirmed this feeling by saying he would like to stay in Kodaikanal forever! Having been here now for two years, I can assure you that KIS Elementary School is alive and well with KIS Council and administration in full support of the Elementary School as an active and productive entity of KIS.
KIS Elementary School staff has decided to build from the foundation of our vision and work hard together to make our Elementary School unique and innovative. Listed below is our vision and mission statement:
KISElementary School strives to provide a holistic program and nurturing environment, where each child can develop intellectually, physically, socially, emotionally and spiritually. It is our goal that each KIS student will walk on the world stage, or in its quiet corners, caring, sharing and seeking justice.
In an attempt to strengthen KIS Elementary School program and make it distinctive, we are in the process of exploring and launching new programs. Just a few of these programs include:
- Character building/team building
- Service learning driven curriculum
- Hands-on learning in all subjects using the Multiple Intelligences Approach
- Camping and Hiking Program for Elementary School
- Kagan - Cooperative Learning and Structures for Success
- Peer Mediation and Conflict Resolution
- International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program (PYP-IB)
A recently implemented program that we are extremely excited about is known as Kagan - Structures for Success.
These "structures for success" are a set of teaching and learning strategies created by Dr. Spencer Kagan and used by schools around the world to integrate cooperative learning, character development and multiple intelligences into every subject. The Kagan holistic approach to learning and the importance of individual student expression of their potential is what KIS aims to achieve with every child.
For more information please about the Kagan Program, please visit the following website: www.Kaganonline.com/kaganClub/
Before leaving Florida for KIS, I met with the Principal of Berkley School, a K-8 school, which serves as a research and training site for the Kagan Program. I presented the idea of his staff traveling to Kodaikanal and training KIS staff in the Kagan structures. The Principal agreed enthusiastically and we are currently trying to arrange for a team of 12 teachers to visit KIS to train K-12 teachers in this exciting area.
Teachers and administrators from around the US pay large sums of money to attend Kagan seminars at Berkley School. This is a huge opportunity for KIS to impact not only our own school culture, but also to provide an opportunity for KIS to promote Indian culture with the visit of this training team from the United States.
For more information about Berkley School in Florida, feel free to visit their website at: www.pcsb.k12.fl.us/berkleyelm/
IKIS Elementary School benefits greatly from visiting alumni. I would love to have the opportunity to meet and show you the exciting things happening at the Elementary School! Please visit us in the near future!
Brian Nelsen
Elementary School Coordinator
Kodaikanal International School
Email: Esc@kis.in
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