Annual Report 2020-2021

ANNUAL REPORT 2020-2021 10 12 Nairobi, Kenya Diversity Advisory Team............................................................... Annual Parent Survey................................................................... 30 A Message from the Superintendent............................................. 33 26 Advanced Placement Scores.......................................................... 18 24 What We Value............................................................................... New Staff....................................................................................... The Arts Highlights........................................................................ 32 25 Who We Are................................................................................... 28 Facility Upgrades........................................................................... 6 Middle School Report.................................................................... A Message from the Director of Spiritual Life.............................. 22 Table of Contents Athletic Highlights......................................................................... 14 4 Elementary School Report............................................................. High School Report........................................................................ 31 Departing Staff.............................................................................. Financial Information................................................................... Teaching and Learning................................................................. Rosslyn Academy Class of 2021................................................................................... 8 Technology Integration................................................................. 16 20 5 Christ-Likeness Excellence 2020-2021 Staff 228 Total Staff Nationalities Represented: 9 Academic and Supporting Staff: 140 Operations Team: 88 Who We Are Intellectual Virtue Service 2020-2021 Theme Verse 1 Peter 4:10: "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of Godâ€™s grace in its various forms." What We Value Mission ...to inspire and equip each student to develop their God-given gifts for Christ-like service in the world community. Community 2020-2021 Enrollment 664 Students Elementary School: 244 Middle School: 165 High School: 255 44 Nations Represented Kenya 33% United States 30% Korea 8% Canada 4% Others 25% The online learning experience was full of unexpected lessons, but it also re-emphasized our core conviction that education is - at its heart - a profoundly relational and holistic endeavor. We grow and learn together, as a community. It is in community that we are forced to look beyond ourselves, first to God, and then to the needs and strengths of others. It is in community that we are pushed to become the best versions of ourselves. It is in community that we are propelled to â€œdevelop our God-given gifts for Christ-like service in the world communityâ€. As we look back on the year of 2020 and begin our 75th year as a school, that is the big take-away. To achieve our mission as a school and to grow as individuals, we need each other. While their work often goes unnoticed and underappreciated, the schoolâ€™s finance department played a critical role in allowing the school to continue to thrive as we navigated uncharted financial waters. Due to online learning discounts and a modest drop in enrollment, the school began the 2020-2021 school year facing an expected budget deficit of approximately two million dollars. As a modestly-sized non-profit institution, Rosslyn does not rely on wealthy shareholders to sustain it through difficult financial times. Instead, we needed to rely on solid reserves and the conscientious and creative stewardship of the finance team. While the school was initially forced to cut salaries across the board by between fifteen and twenty percent, the strong stewardship of our finance department, coupled with rebounding enrollment during the second semester, meant that, by the end of the school year, our staff received between 98% and 100% of what they would have received in a typical year. We are grateful that we were able to honor the remarkable work of our teachers and operations staff during the 2020-2021 pandemic year in this way. Dr. Phil Dow, Superintendent From the Superintendent We may never have another school year like 2020-2021. The government closure of all schools in Kenya to in-person learning between March and December of 2020, and again in March and April of 2021, meant that Rosslyn Academy had to quickly and effectively transition to an entirely online learning platform during those periods. The challenges for teachers, students and parents were immense. And yet, thanks to a highly engaged and resilient learning community, we managed to navigate the challenges of the pandemic successfully. Despite having the majority of their learning online, our Advanced Placement students continued to thrive with a pass rate of over 85% (approximately 25% higher than the global pass average), and students across the school were able to master content and develop intellectually at a pace similar to that of a typical school year. This success is owed not only to adaptability and hard work of students and teachers, but also to the massive investment of time and effort on the part of parents. While the pandemicâ€™s impact on learning is not entirely behind us, we are grateful to God for sustaining our community during this historic challenge. The fact that Rosslyn survived the campus closure so well is also a testimony to the resilience of the entire school community. I would like to bring special attention to the schoolâ€™s technology and finance teams. No one could have predicted the IT needs we had during 2020-21, and yet the quality of our team and the work they had put in prior to the pandemic, along with the support they offered during online learning, put us in a very strong position to weather the storm. And we have more than weathered the storm. Today, many of the technological lessons learned during the period of online learning continue to inform our teaching and learning, making in-person learning today even more meaningful and engaging.â€¨ Community In the face of challenges Reflecting back on the 2020-2021 school year, our HS/MS and ES Chaplains were able to minister to our students in important ways even in the face of many COVID challenges. They developed new modes of communication, maintained strong chapel programs, and helped direct our communityâ€™s attention to Godâ€™s love and His provision, all during a season of high Director of Spiritual Life Rev. Dave Matlak, Spiritual Life Rosslyn Academy excels as a whole, and particularly in the area of spiritual growth and development, when we are regularly meeting in-person with students. Unfortunately, the 2020-2021 school year was a very difficult year as nearly three-quarters of the school year was conducted in an online format. Even the limited time we were able to meet in-person was greatly impacted by COVID protocols and limitations. In the face of significant challenges, we give thanks as a school for Godâ€™s great provision for our staff, students, and their families. It was a hard year, but one where new opportunities for spiritual growth arose amidst the various challenges we faced. Saying Goodbye In May of 2021 our beloved Secondary Chaplain, Ashley Drayton, announced that she would be leaving Rosslyn in order to follow a new calling to a church in her home country of Canada. Ashley was a faithful servant at Rosslyn for many years and strengthened many aspects of our spiritual life department in the MS and HS. She had a heart for connecting on a personal level with students and desire to help them grow in their understanding and experience of Godâ€™s great love. Her energetic spirit and many gifts for ministry have made Rosslyn a better place. We wish Ashley well and pray for Godâ€™s grace to be with her as she begins her new calling in August of 2021. Saying Hello Even as we were saying goodbye to Ashley, God had already provided another chaplain for our secondary students. Simeon Harrar arrived in Kenya in January of 2021 with his family and has already made great strides in learning about Rosslyn. As a missionary kid who grew up in Papua New Guinea, Simeonâ€™s international experience, his extensive training and experience in student ministry, and his great love for Jesus will help strengthen our program as we enter the 2021-2022 school year. I am excited to see what is in store for the coming year.â€¨ â€¨ Our Member Care Team and administrators provided comprehensive care for our staff and were able to support and walk alongside many who were struggling. This care extended not only to our teaching staff, but to our vitally important operations staff through the work of our Operations Staff Chaplain, Brown Imbahale. Brown provided essential pastoral care and support for many of our operations staff and their families during these difficult times. He has increased the number of devotional services up to twelve per week and is developing spiritual leaders within the Operations Staff. He meets with individuals and families for pastoral care and coordinates with me to provide financial assistance for those in times of crisis. In addition, we purchased thirty Kiswahili Bibles for the staff to use during their devotions. Exciting areas of growth Even while some of our normal programming was limited due to COVID, we saw significant growth in other areas with the addition of two new roles in the Spiritual Life Department. Since January 2021, Jamie Dunning has been serving as a part-time volunteer Service Learning Coordinator whose role is to create and connect our students and staff with meaningful service opportunities. All of this is to help us achieve our mission as we seek to inspire and equip our students for Christ-like service in the world community. Jamie created a Philosophy of Service document, began to network with missionaries and NGOâ€™s for future service opportunities, held on-campus service days for students, and led one Cultural Field Study trip for grade 12 students. We are eager to see how this program will help Rosslyn achieve its mission in the coming year. Also since January 2021, Brent and Rosemarie Hanson (missionaries with the Assemblies of God) have been serving in a new role designed to create meaningful opportunities for our staff to be known, cared for, and appreciated. As Community Care Coordinators, the Hansons spent quality time building relationships through hosting families in their home for meals and made intentional efforts to connect our new staff to our community. They developed and implemented Departing Staff Retreats for those staff members who left Rosslyn at the end of the school year. These retreats were a significant and positive step forward in helping Rosslyn show appreciation for our departing staff as well as to help them have a healthy transition as they move on to new places around the world. The Hansons' role of caring for our staff will continue to expand in new and exciting ways as we prepare for the school year ahead. Godâ€™s Faithfulness There is no mistaking, the 2020-2021 school year was difficult. Some lost income, some lost work, some lost homes, some even lost loved ones. Yet, above all of the losses and changes, we know that Godâ€™s faithfulness remains unchanged. During the months I was able to spend with my terminally ill mother, I often reflected on Psalm 23 where we are reminded that, even in the valley of the shadow of death, we need not fear because God is with us. He is there comforting us and providing for us. While we do not yet know what the coming school year will bring, may we all rest in Godâ€™s unchanging love and grace. â€œNow may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.â€ - Hebrews 13:20-21â€¨ stress and anxiety. The teamâ€™s flexibility and technical skill allowed us to run online chapel services during virtual learning as well as live stream chapels while in person. Iâ€™m particularly grateful to Paul Eardensohn who volunteered the entire school year as the ES Chaplain. His energetic spirit, creative planning, and technology skills made online and in-person chapels meaningful and engaging for our elementary students. This year has had its share of challenges not only for our students, but for our staff and their families as well. However, we were able to substitute virtual or adapted versions of many of our activities, including fifth grade promotion (drive thru ceremony), preschool promotion, and kindergarten awards. The shift to virtual learning for the fourth quarter required a great deal of flexibility and adaptation for teachers, students and parents alike. I am really proud of how my students and their parents have tackled virtual learning! The students have not only turned in everything assigned to them, but have completed assignments with excellence. The parents have been extremely supportive and encouraging through it all. I am blessed to have been a part of their lives this year! Teacher Reflections on the Year: The way these children have adapted, transitioned, and thrived in online learning has been an incredible thing to witness! Whether it was a transition back to in-person learning or back behind the screen, they remained engaged and filled with joy. They have become such creative learners. They inspire me every day. I am so proud of their resilience! Even though this year has been incredibly crazy, I have had two students make leaps and bounds in their reading! They both came into this year reading below grade level, and they will be leaving reading right on grade level. I am very proud of their progress and hard work! Even despite being in VLE for over half of the year, several second grade students, especially lower readers, have jumped 5 or more reading levels this year. Amazing! Dr. Kim Gilmer, ES Principal Elementary School Report The 2020-2021 year in elementary school was one of flexibility in instruction, with a focus on supporting the well-being (social, emotional and spiritual) of our students and staff. The flexibility was evident in our mode of delivery of teaching and learning. From the beginning of the school year until the end of October, all of our instruction was in the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). Starting in November, the fifth graders were allowed by the Kenyan government to return to school in person, while everyone else remained online. During this time, students in all grades came in for some after-school social gatherings, by class, as permitted by the Kenyan Department of Education. We used a â€œcohortâ€ model, keeping students separated into class bubbles that did not mix with other classes, to minimize the spread of COVID between students from different classes. In January 2021, all ES students were permitted to begin in-person learning, which was a joy and a relief. Things were not â€œnormalâ€ by any means, as we had to observe strict safety protocols. But being able to see each other and interact with each other â€œliveâ€ was really meaningful and significant for learning. From January through early March, we were able to remain â€œCOVID-freeâ€ among ES students and staff. Immediately before spring break in March, we had a few positive cases pop up, which necessitated moving back to VLE for some classes. As COVID vaccinations became available, we began getting the ES staff vaccinated. According to the government mandate, we moved back to fully online learning after spring break in late March, and then returned to in-person learning in May for the final weeks of school. While learning online is not ideal for young students, the effort and expertise of our teachers has made it a meaningful learning experience. Combined with the amazing engagement of students and parents, this instruction resulted in significant learning and growth this year for all children. We have such a tremendous community of people who work together for the glory of God and the good of the students! In addition to the shifts in roles of some teachers in ES this year, we replaced departed staff with a new kindergarten teacher, Niki Morales, a new music teacher, Alison Harrar, a new learning support teacher, Leah Eardensohn, and a new volunteer ES chaplain, Paul Eardensohn. They have been valuable additions to the team.â€¨ Looking ahead to the 2021-2022 school year, we are excited to be welcoming a new ES principal, and new teachers in ES science, music, preschool, first grade, second grade and fourth grade. The professionals we have hired for these positions have so much to bring to the table. After a year of piloting and extensive teacher training, we will be fully implementing the new literacy curriculum (reading, writing, speaking and listening) in the 2021-2022 school year. We are excited about the increased focus on literacy going forward. In addition, a new learning support center in the Elementary School will serve us well in the new school year. Middle School Report Ms. Heather Schneider MS Principal The 2020-2021 school year for the Rosslyn Middle School was all about adaptability, flexibility and connection. Along with most of the world, we started the year with online learning (VLE) which continued for all of the first semester. Because things had to be so different, our faculty adapted their curriculum, lessons and assessments to make the learning experience as engaging as possible. Teachers were set up with web cams, learned many new apps for Google Classroom, and learned how to teach on camera! As digital natives do, our students adapted quickly, learned the technology they needed, and did their best to stay focused in a less-than-ideal situation. We were very glad, in October, to be able to open the campus a bit and have some social gatherings as well as implement some after-school activities while still following the Ministries of Health and Educationâ€™s COVID protocols. Again, the faculty flexed their creative muscles and determined ways to do discipleship groups, various after-school clubs, and an intramural program in order to give students and teachers the opportunity to interact on a social/emotional/pastoral level. When we returned to in-person learning in January, the energy was wonderful! Our Middle School family was happy to be together educationally and socially. We resumed our lunchtime discipleship groups, started practicing for Youâ€™re a Good Man Charlie Brown, and jumped into abbreviated seasons of boys and girls football and basketball. The 8th graders had a special night as a class with dinner at Asian Gardens and we were able to wrap up their middle school years with an 8th grade promotion ceremony outdoors. As we begin the 2021-2022 school year, we are thrilled to be in person, starting our sports program, and looking forward to our theatre and musical events. Our focus will be on building relationships with one another with the mindset of Christ Jesus. â€¨ Departing Words from the Class of 2021 "The greatest lesson I've learned is that doing anything for selfish ambition is pointless and purposeless. But a life that is led by selfless love and truth, empowered by God's spirit is where we realize our purpose in this world. I've been fortunate enough to meet people in this amazing community who live up to this philosophy, which inspires me to do the same. I appreciate all of you and I hope that Christ will remain at the center of your hearts." - Andrew "I've been here for less than two years and one thing I can say about Rosslyn is there is always something to look forward to. From school trips, events, school dances, or school fixtures, there is something for everyone. I have enjoyed getting to know the people here and appreciate all the staff who work in the school. They have the warmest smiles and never hesitate to help anyone. I wish everyone well on their journeys. High school has ended, but the adventure has just begun." - Jolene "12 years? It's been far too short, especially with such beautiful people and remarkable memories. God, thank you for this blessing and for being in control. Friends, thanks for your love and joy that has made this place my home. Teachers and coaches, thank you for the consistent enthusiasm and encouragement. I will miss you all dearly." - SK The 2021-2022 school year was truly unprecedented. We were in uncharted waters and the need for flexibility, adaptability and perseverance met us at every corner. Our teachers and students increased their technological skills and knowledge at a rapid pace and through this were able to complete an entire semester of online learning with excellence. Though our sports programs and extracurricular activities looked different from the usual, students were still able to participate and grow in their skills and abilities. We also were able to continue with our weekly chapel services and relevant discussions through our online platform. It is important to acknowledge the challenges and the loss as well. There was a significant loss of community this year as we were not able to be physically together as often. Many of our annual events and traditions were missing from the rhythm of our school year. These things are so vital for establishing school culture and many weren't able to happen. Students were also faced with the challenge of being online, returning to in person learning and then suddenly being back online. There is a feeling of loss and being unsettled that came with this. In the face of this loss, our students responded with courage, grace, patience and maturity. As we begin the 2021-2022 school year, we look forward to regaining the High School culture that truly makes it such a special and unique place for our students and teachers. (written by Jessica Dunning on behalf of Mr. Mercer) High School Report Mr. Don Mercer HS Principal 61% Global Pass Rate Rabbira Amssalu Eden Brozovich Akofa Bruce Ruth Buwalda Kayla Cook Ketran Cook Alberto Croce Aoxue Cui Jacob Eardensohn Aiyi Feng Vanessa Gitonga Tikikil Guta Asher Habteab Riva Hadi Jolene Harawa Kelcy Hattingh Julius Imanzi Elizabeth Kabiswa Oumou Kane Woo Jin Kim Jasmin Kimani Tania Kulubya Habin Lee Hajin Lee SK Lim Michela Lolli Grace Lout Caleo Makaya Emma Maxwell Mbiuki Micheni Maripaz Chaves Laura Mixon Ryan Muchoki Hannah Muriuki Mark Musembi Tamara Muthoni Elisha Muwanguzi Chelsea Mwaniki 2020 AP Test Results Advanced Placement Class of 2021 2D Studio Art, 2D Drawing, Art History, Biology, Calculus AB, Chemistry, English Language, English Literature, French, Physics C: Mechanics, Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, Spanish, Statistics, US History and World History Offers & Acceptances Over 95% of Rosslyn graduates pursue post-secondary education. U of Glasgow U of Guelph U of Illinois Urbana Champaign U of Kansas U of Kent U of Liverpool U of Maryland Baltimore County U of Melbourne U of Nebraksa Lincoln U of Nevada Las Vegas U of Nottingham U of Oklahoma U of Ottawa U of Pittsburgh U of Sheffield U of South Florida U of Staffordshire U of Sussex U of Sydney U of Tennesee Knoxville U of the Pacific U of Toronto U of Toronto Mississauga U of Toronto Scarbourough U of Warwick U of Waterloo U of Wisconsin UC Berkeley UC Irvine UC Merced UC Riverside UC San Diego UC San Francisco Union C United States Int. University University College Dublin University College Maastricht University of Oregon US Naval Academy (Annapolis) Utrecht U Wageningen U Wake Forest U Western U Wheaton C, IL Whitworth C Yonsei U York College of Pennsylvania York U Class of 2021 attending in bold.â€¨â€¨ Messiah U Michigan State U Minnesota State U Moody Bible Institute Mount Aloysius College National U of Ireland Galway New School, The New York Institute of Technology New York State U North Carolina State U Northeastern U Northwestern U Ohio State U Pace U Parson's School of Design, Paris Pennsylvania State U Pensaacola C Pepperdine U Purdue U Queen's U Radboud U Redeemer U Renselaer Polytechnic Institute Richmond Int. Academic & Soccer Acad. Rose-Hulman Institute Rutgers U, New Brunswick Ryerson U San Diego U Savannah College of Art and Design Seattle Pacific U Seattle U Sheridan U Simpson U St. Louis U SUNY Plattsburg Syracuse U Taylor U Texas A & M Thompson Rivers U Trinity College Dublin U C Santa Cruz U California Davis U of Aberdeen U of Alberta U of Arizona U of Birmingham U of Bristol U of British Columbia U of Calgary U of Cardiff U of East Anglia 89% Rosslyn Pass Rate Abilene Christian U Alaska Pacific U Albright C AMDA Perf. Arts School Los Angeles American U Arizona State U Arkansas State U Ashton U Augustana C Baylor U Biola U Boston U Cairn U California Baptist U Califronia State U Long Beach Calvin U Carleton U Case Western Reserve U Central Washington State U Colorado School of the Mines Covenant C Culinary Institute of America, The Dordt U East Texas Baptist U Elim Bible Institute & College Embry Riddle Aeronautical U Fashion Inst. of Design & Merchandising Florida Institute of Technology Gardner Webb U George Fox U Georgia State U Georgia Tech Gordon C Goucher College Hannibal-LaGrane U High Point U Houghton C Howard U Illinois Institute of Technology Indiana U-Purdue U Indianapolis Iowa State U Jinan U John Brown U Kent State U King's C King's College, The Lancaster U Leicester U Loughborough U McMaster U Mercer U AP Course Offerings Nicole Ndung'u Natalie Ngarachu David Ngonyo Stacy Nyingi Gabrielle Ochieng Jachine Oguta Kaya Okelo Kwaji Okwany Kidus Paulos-Negatu Olivia Pederson Christie Ra Gursimran Sagoo Diya Shah Himanshi Shetty Anneka Siegrist Josiah Slaughter Erich Then Andrew Vattiprolu Samara Vidyarthi Arneet Virdee Ian Walton Alma Wanguba Moriah Zikusooka Rosslyn Pass Rate 2021 Rosslyn Academy Test Results 85% Advanced Placement The Advanced Placement curriculum is a rigorous and globally-recognized program aimed at high-achieving college-bound students who want to prepare themselves for entrance to strong universities. The highly-regarded program is similar to the International Baccalaureate program, but is used much more widely in North America. It has been invaluable for our students seeking entrance to top UK and European universities. Â Rosslyn Academy is proud of our reputation as one of largest and most successful AP programs in Africa. Once again, we are pleased with how well our students performed on their AP exams this past May. Our pass rate average for the past two years has been above eighty-five percent, which is a full twenty percentage points above the global average.Â These quite remarkable numbers are a tribute to the excellent teaching and learning going on at Rosslyn, but also to the tremendously gifted and hard-working students that God has given us the opportunity to work with. # of Tests Taken Our pass rate average for the past two years has been above eighty-five percent, which is a full twenty percentage points above the global average. 2D Studio Art, 2D Drawing, Art History, 3D Art, Biology, Calculus AB, Chemistry, English Language, English Literature, French, Physics C: Mechanics, Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, Statistics, US History and World History 224 117 AP Course Offerings for 2021-2022 # of AP Students Athletic Highlights Due to COVID restrictions the sport seasons were greatly impacted. However, there were still many opportunities for our student athletes to grow in their skill levels and put those skills into practice on the field, court or in the water. Once on an Island Cast Habin (12th) Godspell Cast Genius of Unspeakable Evil Cast Good Man Charlie Brown Cast Hajin (12th) The Wemmicks Cast Eden (12th) Kelcy (12th) The Arts Instructional Excellence A primary measure of learning achievement at Rosslyn is collected through the administration of the MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) Growth assessment. Rosslyn facilitates MAP testing near the beginning of the school year and once again near the end of each school year for grades 3 - 10. The exception to our plan was 2020-2021, when we were unable to complete the first and second round of assessments due to COVID complications. The first administration is very informative to teachers in planning the academic needs for their students and classroom in that school year. The end-of-the-year administration assesses and informs the growth and progress of each student during that school year. We look forward to returning to our regular procedures and are eager to collect data to inform instruction and, more importantly, to keep parents apprised of their childrenâ€™s progress. The 2020-2021 school year was unprecedented in so many ways and for so many reasons. With the move to Virtual Learning Environments this year, the world of technology and education fused together in a way, unlike anything we could have anticipated. This required teachers to develop new ways of teaching, and introduced students to new ways of learning. The IT infrastructure at the school completely supported the overall learning experience with many new advancements of upgraded servers, content filters, and the purchasing of Google For Education Enterprise licenses which gave teachers access to a wealth of digital tools. As a school, we focused on more than just providing an excellent academic product. We still found ways to support studentsâ€™ spiritual and emotional needs by producing engaging online chapels and making virtual homerooms where students could check in with teachers and talk about strategies for coping with isolation and stress. Our teachers used targeted instructional strategies to maximize the face-to-face time with students and blended synchronous and asynchronous classroom structures. They also invested vast amounts of time researching and testing over fifty new technology tools that assessed studentsâ€™ knowledge and engaged students in ways we never thought possible. The substantial amount of professional development for EVERY teacher at Rosslyn will have a lasting impact on our school for years to come. â€¨ MAP Testing Technology Integration It cannot be overstated that the amount of Professional Development that has happened with EVERY teacher at Rosslyn has been the most substantial in many years. The 2020-2021 school year saw significant growth in our facultyâ€™s technological skills as they became adept at using new communication tools, digitally managing information, and integrating new computer programs and applications to continue providing an excellent and rigorous education. Our main goals were to incorporate and master teaching tools that allow us to retain instructional quality in person or virtually. Many of the skills learned will continue to be used as teachers expand their instructional prowess. There has been such a shift in how learning is delivered that two new technology support positions were created and staffed by two of our most talented educators, Kathy Beck and Tyler Heugel. Despite COVID, professional development continued for teachers, as well as new initiatives, which we will continue to settle into this year. We are grateful for Rosslynâ€™s dedicated faculty who continued to teach well in the face of many setbacks. Teaching and Learning As a Christian institution, Rosslyn Academy seeks to embody its core Christian values and principles in everything we do as a school. One of those core beliefs is that all people are created in the image of God and therefore are equal in value before God and before one another. Rosslyn is a uniquely diverse setting that brings people together from many parts of the world. This is an abundant blessing. It also requires intentional and ongoing work to maintain a healthy diversity where the image of God is valued in each person that is part of our community. One of the components in helping Rosslyn work towards healthy diversity is the Diversity Advisory Team. This team is made up of individuals taken from a cross section of our staff. At the end of the 2020-2021 school year, the team consisted of the Director of Human Resources, the Director of Finance, the Director of Spiritual Life, two teachers, our Operations Staff Chaplain, and our Alumni and External Relations Liaison. Five of the team members are citizens of Kenya while two are citizens of the US. Three of the team members are female while four are male. The purpose of Rosslynâ€™s Diversity Advisory Team is, â€œ . . . to be a place where concerns, complaints, or suggestions related to diversity at Rosslyn Academy can be safely and respectfully heard and explored, towards the aim of advising the schoolâ€™s administration on how it might increasingly honor God by authentically reflecting biblical values related to diversity in its practices and policies.â€ While the Diversity Advisory Team was formed in the second half of 2020, the goal of working towards healthy expressions of diversity has long been a key part of Rosslyn's vision and mission because it is the vision and mission we see in the Bible. It is imperative to our Christian witness that we remain vigilant about how we act towards one another in our community of students, parents, teachers, and staff. This includes evaluating not only our individual actions and attitudes, but also our policies and procedures, recognizing that God is able to help us grow as we seek to live out Godâ€™s principles in our community. In areas where we are aware that we failed to live out those principles, Rosslyn has historically sought to change for the better. We have made significant improvements in our policies, procedures, expectations, and cultural awareness. Rosslyn recognizes that this work of evaluation and growth must be ongoing and it remains committed to continue in this important work. Over the course of the 2020-2021 school year the Diversity Advisory Team primarily sought to 1) establish the nature and scope of our teamâ€™s purpose and 2) interact with alumni, current students, and staff members who shared their thoughts, concerns, and experiences with the team. The team strove to listen to each of those perspectives in a careful manner and to thoughtfully engage in intentional reflection as we seek to fulfill our purpose at Rosslyn. The team was also able to interact and present important information to the school administration as well as with Rosslynâ€™s Board of Directors. As the team worked together this year, it became increasingly clear how unique and multifaceted the issues of cultural and racial diversity are in Rosslyn's context. The school has representation from over fifty nationalities, a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds, and a variety of religious affiliations among our students, all set within the dynamic history and culture of Kenya and the well-established Christian and missionary ethos of Rosslyn. This diversity is a beautiful gift that requires careful listening, willingness to see from other perspectives, humility, and courage to maintain. In the same way that so many people around the world have been actively discussing their views and experiences on racial diversity, the worldwide Rosslyn Academy community is also engaging in a process of reflection. As part of this reflection, in early June of 2020, Rosslynâ€™s Superintendent, Dr. Phil Dow, distributed a short survey to our alumni community as a step towards wanting to hear the perspectives of our former students on the issue of racial diversity at Rosslyn. (The results of the survey can be found here (SURVEY LINK).) While no survey can give an entirely accurate picture by itself, from the 237 respondents, there was generally a wide range of opinions expressed that indicated to our Diversity Advisory Team that Rosslyn is largely a healthy environment, but that we are not a perfect organization and we have room for improvement. Nearly 70% of the respondents indicated that most or almost all of their teachers at Rosslyn cared about their students and were kind and supportive while 6% indicated that their teachers were not supportive or caring. As it relates specifically to racism, 10% of the respondents indicated that they personally experienced significant racism at Rosslyn while 44.5% did not experience racism. The other 45.5% indicated that they either experienced occasional racism personally or witnessed what they felt to be racism towards their classmates. Some of the main topics raised by alumni in the survey was our need to hire a more diverse teaching staff and to be more intentional in our teaching of Kenyan history and culture. While not a comprehensive snapshot of Rosslyn, this survey has provided important information for the Diversity Advisory Team to consider as it works to advise the schoolâ€™s leadership. By the end of the 2020-2021 school year the Diversity Advisory Team had begun to make some recommendations to the administration. One of those recommendations is that Rosslyn evaluate and improve its hiring practices so as to increase diversity in our pool of applicants. This will be an important step in helping the school to increase the diversity of our staff while still maintaining its commitment to its Christian mission and to teaching a North American curriculum. The new teaching staff hired for the 2021-2022 school year represents a significant amount of ethnic/racial and cultural diversity including seven different nationalities from four continents (Africa, North America, Europe, and Australia), multiple racial and cultural backgrounds including seven people of color, and thirteen different Christian denominations. The team also recognized the need to increase the diversity on the Diversity Advisory Team and recommended the addition of a member of the Korean community to join in the important work. Both of these recommendations were approved by Rosslynâ€™s administration and are already being implemented. As it looks to the coming year, the team will continue to strive to bring about an increasingly healthy expression of diversity at Rosslyn as it 1) continues to listen and reflect on the important information and experiences shared from our community and 2) continues to advise Rosslynâ€™s administration to take steps towards implementing healthy expressions of diversity that are aligned with our Christian mission and purpose. The community can contact our Diversity Advisory Team at DAT@RosslynAcademy.com if anyone has any questions, comments, or concerns. More information is found on the schoolâ€™s website at rosslynacademy.org/diversity/. Diversity Advisory Team During the June/July break, two spaces were converted into Learning Support Centers, one for MS and one for ES, providing a Learning Support center in each school. New Learning Support Centers Where We Are Where We Are Going The Commons During the 2021-2022 school year, many new additions are slated to begin and/or complete construction. A new amphitheater, currently in progress, will likely be completed by mid-October. In addition to this, new staff housing, a new MS futsal court, gym floor upgrade and other projects will begin construction. Facility Upgrades Construction of the new Commons building continued through the 2020-2021 school year and was opened for use at the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year. This building includes a dining space for HS and MS students and teachers, as well as two specialty dining rooms, an industrial kitchen, Culinary Arts classroom, Science classroom and a Kishwahili classroom. It also includes a MS recreation center and, coming in the near future, a dance studio. On the tail end of completing the Maintenance Building (with Supervisor Offices, Maintenance Departments, Procurement Stores, Support Staff lunch area, conference room and vehicle service bay), the school moved into upgrading and reorganizing the surrounding maintenance area, creating designated parking for buses, and improving the recycling center. Looking Forward to 2021-2022 Maintenance Amphitheater Mr. Simon Wachira Director of Finance Financial Information At the end of each year Rosslyn Academy sends out a parent survey. Participation in the survey was down by approximately 50% this year. This was in large part due to the timing of sending out the survey and the unusual pandemic circumstances that encompassed the 2020-2021 school year. In the end, about 100 parents responded and the results of this survey are below. As Rosslyn Academy looks forward to the 2021-2022 school year, it is everyone's hope that the community that makes Rosslyn such a unique place will be able to return to more normalcy in parent, student and teacher interactions. Rosslyn believes that strong financial stewardship is a Christian obligation and is directly related to the school's ability to achieve its Christian educational mission with excellence. Rosslyn also recognizes that for many families, a Rosslyn education is a sacrifice. For this reason, it is important to state clearly that as a mission-founded non-profit school, Rosslyn has no shareholders who benefit financially from the school and no dividends are shared with investors. All revenue generated from school fees goes into the costs of providing students with an outstanding international Christian education.Â Any surplus is simply re-invested in the school. Annual Parent Survey Operating Expense Allocation Administration 15% Personnel 68% Academic 5% Food Services 1% Operations/Physical Plant 10% Transportation 1% Net Income $246,460 Change in Working Capital ($148,266) Cash from Operations $363,069 Capital Expenditure ($699,356) Cash from Financing ($158,604) Net Increase in Cash ($100,166) Beginning Cash $2,583,427 Ending Cash $2,483,261 Income Summary 2020-2021 Question % Agree or Strongly Agree My family feels welcome 88 RA has a professional and orderly appearance 98 RA provides a safe/healthy environment for students 93 Staff are strong role models 87 Parents and teachers see each other as partners in their students education 90 Overall quality of teachers 90 Quality of teacher-student relations 91 Quality of the AP Program 91 Overall academic excellence 96 I would recommend Rosslyn to others 96 Departing Staff Mark Blankenstyn ES Principal Hannah Myers Preschool Teacher Emily Kelly 1st Grade Teacher Nicole Youngs-Stahl 2nd Grade Teacher Leah Parker 4th Grade Teacher Shaheen Suleman 4th Grade Teacher Dawn Blankenstyn ES Music Kenneth Parker ES Science Lucy Obwagi ES Teacher Assistant Silvester Nyangweso MS Spanish Michael Odero Learning Support TA Thor Barkman HS Principal Sheldon King HS English Jeffrey Norton HS Mathematics Carole Mithika HS SS/Guidance Jack Hildreth HS Chemistry Olivia Hildreth HS Biology Natasha Odour-Owino HS Pottery and Art Alejandra Arreaga Learning Support Teacher Mikki Igendia HS PE Simeon Harrar Secondary Chaplain Alison Harrar MS/HS Music Agatha Gikunda Secondary Technology Doug Munz Athletic Director Julliet Muli Accountant Brad Dixon Director of Teaching & Learning The 2021-2022 school year brings it with an exceptionally gifted group of new teachers and administrators. We look forward to welcoming these individuals and families into our community. Rebecca Mercer 10 years of service ES Learning Support Jason Milton 2 years of service HS Social Studies Bill Rowe 3 years of service HS Choir Sharon Rodriguez 1 year of service Volunteer Steve Rodriguez 1 year of service Volunteer Steven Slaughter 9 years of service HS Language Arts Suzanne Slaughter 3 years of service 2nd Grade Teacher Jacob Hebert 8 years of service ES Science Jon Hravatic 15 years of service 4th Grade Teacher Sue Hravatic 15 years of service 4th Grade Teacher Dirk Jasperse 5 years of service HS Chemistry Joy Jasperse 3 years of service English Language Learners Jane Loewer 11 years of service HS Biology Don Mercer 12 years of service HS Principal Sheila Antoinette 2 years of service ES Kiswahili & Kenyan Culture Jon Bryant 2 years of service HS Social Studies Ashley Drayton 6 years of service MS/HS Chaplain Rick Emerick 13 years of service Industrial Arts Terri Emerick 13 years of service HS Math Martha Erickson 6 years of service HS Learning Support Peggy French 14 years of service Director of Teaching & Learning New Staff One of the hardest parts of the end of a school year is bidding farewell to our departing staff members. Their service to Rosslyn Academy has been invaluable and they will be dearly missed by their fellow colleagues, students and parents. www.rosslynacademy.com P.O. Box 14146 Nairobi, Kenya 00800 info@rosslynacademy.com +254 20-263-5261/+254-732-646-602/+254-727-646-602 Most images provided by Jeffery Kirkpatrick- http://www.jeffkirkpatrickimages.com/.