Student Life at ISK

ISK has over 1000 students representing 65+ nationalities. This kind of diversity fosters a warm, welcoming atmosphere where new students are quick to adapt and appreciate each other's cultures.

Across all grades, our students are very open, friendly and welcoming of each other. Because many of our families are part of the international diplomatic community, students understand the transient nature of people's lives and are excited to make new friends each year. 10 percent of our families are also local Kenyans, so an increasing number of our students study with us long term.

At ISK, you are part of a close-knit community within an exciting and fun campus environment. We take joy in shaping student character through classroom engagement and leadership opportunities. We are committed to molding future world leaders who will lead with conviction and integrity. This is our greatest and most important investment.

Middle School

The ISK middle school advisory program supports the development of the whole child. Through the advisory program, we create safe spaces to build community, develop relationships, to learn about our own identities, to develop social-emotional and other skills, and support all members of our community in maximizing our growth and learning potential. This space also enables the advisor to advocate for students socially, emotionally, academically, and provide mentorship as they navigate their experience in middle school

Role of the Advisor:

to provide guidance to the student in all areas of the school
to act as a student advocate if academic or social issues arise
to serve as the first point for questions that arise

Key Concepts:

The advisory program supports student development through the following concepts and topics: Social-emotional learning, including self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationships skills, and responsible choices

Identity-development and awareness
Relationships and social skills, including social justice
Wellbeing and mental health
Safety, including digital citizenship and safeguarding
Organization and productivity skills

High School

High School students are assigned to small groups led by High School teachers which meet weekly. The advisory sessions serve different functions depending on the grade level. The High School advisory program aims to create a caring community for small groups of students within the High School. Facilitated by an adult, who becomes a consistent support and advocate for students, advisory is a safe space that looks at developing a student holistically by personalizing their educational experience. It is a place where students come together as a peer group to develop their interpersonal and intrapersonal skills, and to support each other’s academic and personal goals. HS Advisory is a clearly articulated program with guidance provided through modelling and support in the areas of social/emotional well-being, academic, and college planning. The program seeks to foster positive relationships, communication, trust, global mindedness, and the skills necessary to have a successful school transition into and out of ISK.

Student Leadership

Elementary School Pride Helpers

PRIDE (ES Community Leaders)

PRIDE is an ES student leadership group that helps develop leadership skills through active community involvement. PRIDE members work on projects and activities that focus on promoting school spirit and promote community building through service learning. PRIDE members are selected from grades 4 to 5 with the consent of parents, teachers and PRIDE coordinators. Members must attend all meetings, check-in frequently with their PRIDE classroom, participate in all PRIDE events.

PRIDE’s yearly goals are:

Create and organize initiatives to help ISK's and Kenya's environmental efforts
Create and organize initiatives to help ISK students connect with the local Kenyan community.
Help facilitate a positive environment at ISK.
Foster opportunities to practice leadership and communication skills.

Middle School Leadership Opportunities

ISK is a Round Square school, and through participation in CASL, all middle school students are a part of Round Square. Our Middle School believes and promotes that ALL students can be leaders, and encourages all students to find a way to get involved, use their student voice, and find something they are interested in to expand and grow their leadership. As a Round Square school, we provide opportunities for leadership and engagement through the six ideals: Internationalism, Democracy, Adventure, Service, Environment and Leadership. Some examples of how students can get involved include -->

Internationalism: Proud to Be Me Day Planning Committee and Peace Day Planning Committee
Democracy: Leadership Round Table, Model United Nations, and #MyFreedomDay
Adventure: Social Planning Committees and multiple After School Activities
Environment: Platiki Rafiki, Zero Waste Warriors, and Students for the Environment
Service: Student Ambassadors and House Captains
Leadership: in addition to the above opportunities, we also host Leadership Seminars twice a year and they are open to all students in the Middle School

Associated Student Body (ASB)

The Associated Student Body (ASB) is a group of high school student leaders elected by peers to represent them and their needs within the greater ISK community. Our full team includes a President, Vice-President, and two Grade-level Representatives for each grade. A teacher mentor and the high school principal support us in our work. Our mission is to facilitate participation between the student body and the greater ISK community through effective communication and action. As an ASB, we aim to be the bridge between students, staff, and parents as well as involve students in social and organizational problem-solving. It is vital that students have an active voice, and can promote meaningful dialogue and contribute to the development of this school. Some priority areas for work include designing meaningful student-led assemblies, communicating what support students need to faculty, facilitating connections with one another, and supporting a safe and collaborative learning environment at ISK in line with the school mission, vision, and values.

Community Building: Assembly and Middle School House System

In addition to advisory, the whole Middle School comes together every other week for an assembly. The purpose of the assembly is for community building and to celebrate student learning.

We also have a House System, with the purpose of building community vertically within the Middle School. We have 5 Houses - Nyati, Tembo, Chui, Kifaru and Twiga - that provide opportunities for students to engage in fun games, challenges and community building activities.

Our students are engaged in various activities here at ISK; check out some of these on ISK’s social media pages: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Youtube.

You’ll find that ISK is big enough to offer a full array of extracurricular activities, but small enough so you can participate in a meaningful way. With over 70 clubs, sports and activities, you will find places to be involved.