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Dear Parents,
Our M1 students returned from their successful Camp Craft trip this weekend – the first Outdoor Pursuits trip of this school year. Tomorrow is our House Day and we ask all students to wear their house colours for the morning house-spirit assembly and the day. T-shirts are available to buy from Reception.
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Houses
 Students are now in full swing with their clubs, CAS and Sports. they have two weeks (until Aug 30) to make any changes after which we expect them to stick to their options.
Our House Assembly on Monday 26 August will be a reminder of our House system and we hope all our students will be wearing their House T-shirts for that day. Each student is a member of either Kibo (blue), Mawenzi (Green) or Meru (Yellow). The first big House event is our Athletics Day at the end on Friday 27th September, when we look forward to all our students from EC up to D2 representing their houses in various events. Parents are welcome to come and watch.
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Primary Clubs
 Thank you to all the parents who have sent in their lunch arrangements sheets. This has helped us get a general overview of the pattern and helps us to organise adequate supervision during lunchtime. The children seem to be enjoying the extra play time before the clubs. If your child has a change to their arrangement this is of course fine, they can tell the class teacher.
Hopefully by now everyone has the slip with their children’s club and which day. Please send a note or talk directly to the class teacher if your child will miss a club. Pick-up time is promptly at 3 pm, at the playground.
We are already looking towards the quarter 2 clubs options. If you as a parent would like to volunteer for the 8 week stint then please email me, Totty Aris, on . We would be very happy to have you on board. You may like to team up with another parent to run a club, the time is always the same (2-3pm) and club days are Mon – Thurs. Equally if you know of anyone who has an activity that we could offer, then please email me and I will approach them. I hope to put together a tentative programme by the end of September when we will have a meeting for interested parents who wish to get more involved and can also give their input.
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M1-M5 Homework
 M1-M5 Students have been issued with a homework time-table. Teachers give students time to write their homework in their planners. For our home-school partnership to work we ask our M1-M3 parents to please sign the planner every week, this helps the students acknowledge the homework system and their planner as important parts of their school and organisational learning. The homework timetable for M1 to M5 students has also been attached to this newsletter.
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Deputy Head of Campus
 Parents from both sprimary and secondary may have burning issues they wish to raise with me concerning classes, primary clubs or the curriculum. I do teach and am out and about so Email is probably the fastest way in the first instance, but if you would like a personal chat then my door will be open every Friday from 8.00-9.30 am.
Totty Aris Deputy Head of Campus
You are also very welcome to contact Keiron White at any time if you wish to discuss any issue of your child’s education in the school. Some issues I can deal with directly, and in other cases I may refer you to the teacher or person most responsible. As my working day can get fairly busy, it is often better to phone or email for an appointment. However this semester, I will be available in my office every Tuesday morning from 8:30am to 10am if you would prefer to drop in without making an appointment.
Keiron White Head of Campus
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School Musical
 School Musical Production ‘Oliver – I’d do anything for you’
This year’s musical production will be a whole school effort. The Secondary Students have already committed to the project with their CAS time, where they are meeting every Monday and Wednesday for rehearsals. On Thursday we will have band practice from 3-4pm, if you would like to be part of our school musical band, you are most welcome. The show dates are Dec 12th and 13th.
We are going to carry on with the tradition of all our primary students having a chance to be on stage, therefore each class will learn a song and dance to perform within the production. I will be producing this extravaganza and am hoping willing parents would like to get involved. Firstly, we would like to find two reps for each primary class who would help organise the costumes for that group. Secondly, if anyone is interested in helping out with any other aspect of the production; please e-mail me asap if you are interested. We are alo looking for other helpers: tech (sound/lights), make-up or back stage, set building or painting – please e-mail me, Totty Aris on if this appeals to you. We won’t be getting onto that side of things until November but it is good to plan around a solid team.
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OP: Pares Mountains
 After the success of this weekend’s trip, we are now looking forward to the Pares Mountains trip on 7-8 September. The Pares trip is a Level 1 trip ideal for older students (M3 and above) who are new to the programme.
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D2: SAT Tests
 This is to remind any parents of D2 students planning to register for SAT tests in October, that the deadline for registration is 6th September. If students wish the school to pay on their behalf, they must see Keiron White before Tuesday, 3rd September. Registration for the ACT tests on 21st September has now closed.
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Parent Association Welcome Picnic
 The PA is planning a picnic for all ISM families and teachers on Sunday, 1st September. This will be an excellent opportunity to meet other families and ISM teachers in a social setting. Details will be emailed this week once confirmed.
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Music Lessons
 Many students have now arranged individual music lessons in school and have started having these lessons. Very soon we will invoice parents for all the music lessons that your child is expected to receive this semester (until December). If a lesson is cancelled for any reason, your child’s teacher will either provide an opportunity for an alternative lesson time, or you will receive a credit for the lesson. If your child cannot attend a lesson, please advise the teacher at least 24 hours ahead of time to avoid being charged. Teachers can best be advised by email to the Music teacher, Susan Jacob on and this email can also be copied to Keiron White . Lesson credits will be applied in January if your child has more lessons next semester, or will be refunded to the fees account if he/she does not continue.
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Horse Riding
 Riding lessons in school are provided by the Moshi Riding Club directed by Mrs Terrie Emmanuel – please contact her directly if you wish to arrange lessons for your child. Terrie Emmanuel will also invoice you directly for lessons, but parents of boarders are welcome to pay through the school if that is more convenient.
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Middle School News
 Students have continued to settle nicely into their classes during week 2. Having completed a full week of their timetable, M1 are now aware of what their routines look like and are working well.
It’s been great to see firsthand how quickly new students in M2-M5 have settled into their year groups. When I ask them how they’re liking ISM so far, the typical response is “I can’t believe how friendly and welcoming everyone has been!” This is a great testament to our ISM student community – well done!
In this weekly newsletter I’ll try and provide glimpses of what happens in a typical MYP classroom across the various subjects of study. Currently in my M2 Mathematics class, we are working through our unit “Everyday Numbers”. The question I posed to the class at the beginning of the quarter was “How do we use and describe non-whole numbers in our world?”. We are looking at this question in the context of Human Ingenuity (which we call our Area of Interaction), and are becoming more aware of just how powerful our modern number system is to both describe our world and allow us to function fully in it as members of society. Throughout the unit, we are developing the skills- with an emphasis on percentages – that will then allow M2 to more confidently use numbers throughout their everyday lives, both now and into the future.
If you have any questions at all regarding the MYP, please don’t hesitate to contact me at .
Mark Dombkins ( MYP Coordinator)
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Diploma News
 Last week D2 students worked intensively on the final touches for their 4,000 word Extended Essay which had been assigned in January 2012. On August 26th the full draft is due. Thereafter, supervisors will provide feedback and the EE final version is due on September 16th.
D1 subject course selections appear to be nearly set. The three-week drop-add period-change period ends on August 30th. It is critical that D1 students select courses that match their ability to succeed.
DP students commenced CAS activities, and the array of after-school options is impressive. New ISM CAS Coordinator Madeline Leno has created new opportunities and is revamping old ones to ensure they fully meet the IB learning-outcomes based criteria. The afternoon CAS activities follows hours of rigorous academic study and provides balance to the lives of our young adults in the DP. Moreover, we hope it prepares them for adulthood in terms of a life-long commitment to service and healthy living through exercise.
When you are in Moshi please stop by and visit. The DPC welcomes parent visits of DP students and this provided a great chance to link up with teachers.
Collaborative work remains a key element of DP subject teaching as was the case with an engaging team-project in the DP History classes this week where we studied Britain’s conflicting promises during the First World War.
Internationalism remains at the center of the IB’s mission and is evident across the spectrum of our courses particularly in the Group 3 (Individuals and Societies). D1 Geography students considered the effects of globalization on trade while Information Technology in a Global Society students looked at the One Laptop Per Child program and Economics students examined the question of Rationality in International Economics and History students studied the British mandate in Palestine after WWII.
We DP teachers facilitate the students’ learning in these pivotal last two years of secondary school and we have the responsibility – among many – to prepare students for a globalized world.
Can I suggest that you review this article with your son/daughter in the DP as all too often many ISM DP students short-change themselves on sleep – www.theday.co.uk/health/sleep-deprivation-a-major-drag-for-young-minds.
Again, feel free to contact me should you have any questions or concerns about your child’s education in the ISM Diploma Program.
Sincerely,
Rick Fitzpatrick
Diploma Programme Coordinator
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Early Childhood Preview
 Unit of INquiry
We brainstormed the question, “Where do you learn new things?” Here are a few answers we have so far.
- With your teacher – Townes
- At school – Sahil
- With your mama and papa – Swantje
- At Church you learn about praying – Townes
- In Australia – Jemima
- At music school you learn about music – Townes
This weekend please think about a place you went this summer and talk about the new things you learnt there; for example at the beach you could have told your child the names of creatures you saw in rock pools or maybe you went to a museum or art gallery and found out something historical or talked to your child about a famous artist. Perhaps you stayed at home and learnt a new game.
On Monday I will send a sheet home and the children can draw a picture of something new they learnt this summer and where they were at the time. If you have any questions please feel free to ask. If possible please return the sheet by Wednesday.
Next week we will add to our list of where we learn and begin to think about all the different learning that takes place at school.
Language
This week we introduced the letter sounds c and d. In Letterland these sounds are made by Clever Cat and Dippy Duck.
EC1 children learn the letter sound, the shape of the letter and the character name in Letterland. They also help to find objects beginning with the sound and look for the letter in words. When children are ready they practise forming the letter correctly. Every letter sound will be accompanied by an action and rhyme to help the children remember the letter sound. Art activities also help the children to learn the letters. This week we finished our Annie Apple pictures and made Clever Cat pictures. The children also enjoyed creating models beginning with c. Please look for these on display in the red cabinet outside the classroom.
EC2 Children who know many sounds already are beginning to practise word building, starting with CVC (Consonant, vowel, consonant) words first. They will practise the correct formation of their letters and use their knowledge of letter sounds to write short sentences.
Much of our language work this week will be integrated into our unit of inquiry as we think about each area of our classroom and what we learn there. Children will help label photographs appropriately.
Numeracy
Last week we introduced some new number games. These involved taking turns, counting to 10, counting objects to 10 and for some children recognizing colours.
Children also visit the maths area independently to do number puzzles and play games that they have learnt with the teacher in previous lessons.
This week we will make a class graph showing the favourite learning areas in the classroom.
EC1 will continue to develop number sense to 5/10 depending on the children’s ability
EC2 will continue to develop number sense to 10/20+ also depending on their level of ability
Please remember
Monday and Friday is PE and children should wear their PE shoes and house T-shirts.
Tuesday and Friday is Library and books should be returned on these days.
All children need a spare set of clothes and a spare pair of indoor shoes to be left at school at all times.
School T -shirts should be worn everyday for school.
Many thanks and have a great week
Annalee
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P1/2 Preview
 Reading Folders
I am delighted to see reading folders coming into school every day. The routine of changing reading books every Monday and Thursday seems to be working well so this system will continue.
House T Shirts
Please can you make sure your child wears their house T shirt on Monday and Tuesday for PE. We are practising for sports day. We also have a house assembly on Monday which all children need to wear their house T shirt for.
Unit of Inquiry
Our Unit of Inquiry is ‘Healthy Living’. We will continue to focus on the first line of inquiry and consider the elements of healthy living. We will learn about hygiene, exercise, rest, nutrition and safety. A small request for some simple ingredients will come home at the beginning of next week for us to prepare some healthy snacks in class. I will also be sending home a healthy living activity for homework on Monday.
Art
Anine Pier teaches art in Secondary and has kindly helped plan some exciting art activities linked to this unit. Food is a popular theme in art. The children will learn about a famous artist Giuseppe Arcimboldo. He painted some rather strange portrait heads with fruit and vegetables. We will use a range of media to create pictures in his style.
Language focus for the week
Write a recount of the weekend.
Read, write and illustrate simple healthy recipes.
Handwriting: Patterns, own name, numerals and the Ladder Letters (litujy)
Phonics: Revision of initial sounds and words with e as the middle vowel (eg men, ten, get, bell, mess, etc)
Maths focus for the week
Place Value and Ordering. Read, write and order numbers to 20/100. Partition a ‘teens’ number and larger 2 digit numbers into tens and ones. Know what each digit in a 2 digit number represents.
What to bring to school:
A hat for playtime and a healthy snack.
Timetable:
Monday
PE (wear trainers and a house T shirt)
Tuesday
PE (wear trainers and a house T shirt)
Thursday
Library (bring books to return and then choose new ones).
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P2/3 Preview
 Whew, this past week went quickly!
Monday morning will be a whole school assembly. Please be sure to wear your House T-shirts for our kick off of the House fun for the year!
A big thank you to Camilla for being our first Mystery Reader and surprising the class with a fun book on Tuesday morning. If any more parents or friends of P2/3 would be interested in signing up to come by and read, please let me know! Here’s a clue about this coming week’s Mystery Reader: Her favorite color is orange.
Language – Write a recount of your weekend with a focus on using proper tenses for verbs. We will concentrate on Present and Past Tenses this week. In Spelling we will continue looking at Short A and Long A, particularly variations with -a_e, -ai, -ay. We are also working through the Hundreds Lists of High Frequency Words in order for students having their individual lists to work on throughout the term.
Math – We spent some time learning Math Games that we will continue to use this term when the class is divided into small group work. The class did very well with moving across the Hundreds Chart by tens and ones. We will review basic addition facts this week and study the Number Families in order to pick up speed with our counting. We will also study the Doubles Facts.
Unit of Inquiry – Our Unit is “Transportation” with the central idea of “Transportation meets the needs of the community”. This week we will look at pictures of modes of transport throughout history. We will group them according to development and discuss the reasons behind the changes.
Homework – Students will review the sheets together in class before bringing them home in plastic pouches. Please return the whole packet on Friday.
What to bring to school: a hat for playtime and a healthy snack
Our Timetable: Monday: Library, please bring your books and bag
Wednesday and Thursday: PE, remember to wear your sneakers and bring along a hat and water bottle.
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P3/4 Preview
 This is what our learning in class will look like this week:
UOI – “Learning from the Past”
Central Idea: Atefacts and other evidence help us to understand history and how people lived in the past.
Lines of Inquiry: – Types of historical evidence
– How historians work with artefacts
– The information artefacts offer us about the past.
It has been great having some real artefacts to look at during UOI time. Thank you to those parents who have sent in items from home. If anyone else has other items that we could look at and discuss, they would be most welcome. We will continue investigating how artefacts give us information about the past and the kind of questions we can ask about the things that we discover/learn about. I am hoping to organise an “archaeological dig” for the students to see what they can find and what we can learn about the items they uncover.
Reading – This week the children will be divided into reading groups. They will have reading homework on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Each child will receive a yellow reading log in which the homework reading will be recorded. Please sign this each day after reading with your child, as an indication that reading homework has been completed. It is really important that readers and reading logs are brought to school each day.
Maths – P4 Introduce the thousands column to place value and write numbers up to 9 999 in expanded form. Number patterns using 2s, 5s, 10s and 100s. Basic facts up to 10 and 20. Different strategies for adding numbers.
P3 Place value and expanded form using hundreds, tens and ones with numbers up to 999. Comparing and ordering numbers. Counting on and back in 1s, 2s, 5s and 10s. Basic facts up to 10.
Language – Factual Recount writing about the discovery of an artefact.
Punctuation – full stops, capital letters and commas.
Nouns and plurals.
Spelling – group 1 – spelling the “k” sound – words that end in “ck”, “ke” or “k” e.g. clock, mistake, speak
group 2 – “a” that says “ah” as in father or grass
group 3 – the short “e” sound as in went or next.
Reminders:
Every day:
School t-shirts, hats, zip bags (reading book, reading log, spelling book and homework books), a healthy snack.
Monday:
Wear house t-shirts for our House Assembly
Homework handed out
Wednesday:
P.E. wear suitable attire – house/school t- shirts, shorts and trainers.
Thursday:
Library bags and books to school for exchange/renewal
Friday:
Homework handed in
Spelling test
P.E. wear suitable attire – house/school t-shirts, shorts and trainers
Early finishing time – 12.35pm
Looking forward to another great week together,
Miss Jann
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P5/6 Preview
 We have had an excellent week identifying the qualities of heroes, building up huge word banks of delicious adjectives to describe these and connecting them to the various learner profile attributes. In addition we have studied how biographies are written and the children have researched their own famous hero and written a biography of that individual.
This is what our learning in class will look like this week:
UOI – Our first Unit of Inquiry, “Heroes”.
Central Idea: We look to heroes to show us who we can be.
3) Heroes from different times and places
Next week we will focus on other lesser known heroes and role models from the present and the past, perform more role plays which feature children appearing as their ‘heroes’ on chat shows and we will compare superheroes.
Reading and Writing
We will continue to reinforce our biography writing skills by writing biographies of superheroes and certain real life figures. Children will be asked to research particular superheroes and compare them using various qualities as criteria.
Maths
We will begin the week by focusing and consolidating knowledge on rounding numbers to the nearest ten, hundred, thousand and ten thousand. Following that we will revise multiplication of numbers by 10, 100 and 1000. This we will extend to better understand the connection with dividing by the same numbers and how both dividing and multiplying like this relates to place value.
Homework – this will again be given on Monday and will be due in on Friday. Please encourage your child/children to complete a little each day, so that it is not all left until the last minute. Maths homework is better left until later in the week so the children have the benefit of class lessons before using the homework as a means of revising acquired skills. This week not all homework was completed by Friday and many children failed to both listen to verbal instructions or to read the same instructions on their homework task sheets. They understand that I am expecting much better next week.
P.E. – is on Wednesday and Thursday. Please ensure that your child/children are dressed in or bring the appropriate clothing to school on these days – house T-shirts/school shirt, shorts and trainers.
Library – is on Monday. Please remind the children to bring back books for exchange/renewal.
Hats – Most children now have hats with just one or two exceptions. If your child does not have a hat please try to purchase one this weekend.
Assembly – It is a House Assembly on Monday. Please remind your child to come to school dressed in their house T-shirt.
Scott Hawkins
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IN THIS ISSUE
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CONTACT US
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International School Moshi
PO Box 733 Moshi, Tanzania
Tel: +255 27 2755005
Fax: +255 27 2752877
Mobile: +255 767 534766
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WEB LINKS
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NOTE
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This newsletter has been sent to you from International School Moshi. if your email address changes or if you would like me to add another email address to this mailing list. Keiron White Head of Moshi Campus
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