Moshi Campus News – 16 March 2014

We will be celebrating book week this week, 17-21 March, through a range of events. Students have already been inspired in their creative book doors across the school. A prize will be given to the best primary/secondary door! Every day we will D.E.A.R. (Drop Everything And Read) at 10.35 am and primary will have Mystery readers visiting at 12.50pm. If you are still interested in being a Mystery Reader please email .
Our Book week assembly will take place on Monday at 7.35 in Karibu Hall, we look forward to our primary and secondary students dressing up as a character from a book and sharing their favourite books with us.
10 reasons why we should all read:

1. To develop your verbal abilities 2. It improves your concentration and focus 3. Readers enjoy the arts and improve the world 4. It improves your imagination 5. Reading makes you smarter 6. Reading makes you more interesting 7. Reading reduces stress 8. Reading improves your memory 9. Reading helps us get to know ourselves, our interests, our inner self 10. It can be highly entertaining

adapted from https://whytoread.com/why-to-read-10-reasons-why-reading-books-will-save-your-life/

Our M4 and M5 students will be taking formal examinations later this week as part of their overall assessment. The exams start on Friday, 21st March and go on till Thursday, 27th March.

Well done to all who took part in the Primary Swimming Gala last Wednesday. The day was a great success and thoroughly enjoyed by all. Students pictured on the left were our champion swimmers for the day.
Under-8: Phoebe and Mateo,
Under-9: Noga and Ashraf,
Under-10: Thomson and Silipa,
11-12: Christopher and Alicia.

Yesterday many swimmers also attended the swimming gala at St Constantine’s School in Arusha.

Many D1 students have registered last week for the IELTS English language test which will be held in school on Saturday, 10th May. If your child has not yet registered, they MUST do so themselves on Monday, 17th March. The IELTS is recommended for all non-native English speakers planning to apply for university in the UK.
We have now been authorised to conduct a TOEFL Paper-Based Test (PBT) in Moshi at the end of May. Non-native English speakers planning to study in the USA or Canada are strongly advised to register for this test. Instructions will be given to D1 students this coming week.(Note: The TOEFL PBT is not accepted for entry to universities in the UK or Australia)

Every year ISM offers two full scholarships to academically excellent Tanzanian students to join our Diploma programme. This year we received over 70 applications from students who scored 12 points or better in the national NECTA Form Four examinations and have short-listed nine students to come to Moshi for interviews. We will be interviewing candidates later this week and hope to be able to award the scholarship places next week.

Next Saturday, 22nd March we will be holding our annual Soccer Sevens tournament in school. This tournament attracts teams from across Kilimanjaro Region (and beyond) and is an opportunity for many schools in the region to join us in this competition.

Our D2 Visual Arts students will be preparing their work next weekend for their exhibition. This is their final assessment for the diploma examintions. The exhibition will be open for public viewing once the assessment is completed and times of this will be announced.

On Thursday, 27 March our primary students will be inviting their parents to share their learning journey with them. All our primary students will show their parents their portfolios; these are folders of work which have been specially chosen by the student and the teacher, demonstrating their unit of inquiries and specialist subjects. We do hope you will join your child on this special occasion to celebrate their learning. Next week a letter will come home with times for you to choose, we always try to allocate times so that parents can see siblings back to back. Parents of boarders please email the teacher directly if you prefer to make a special arrangement for Friday 28 March.
There will be no formal classes for primary students on Thursday, 27 March. Once you have visited your child’s class you will need to take your child home with you.

On Friday, 28 March there will be some classes for both primary and secondary students starting, as usual, at 7:30am. We will hold an end-of-quarter assembly in Karibu Hall for all students at 9am. Students will be free to leave school at 10:15am on that day.
Parents of secondary students are invited to meet your child’s teachers at parent-teacher meetings in Karibu Hall from 10:35am to 12 noon. This is a ideal opportunity for parents to meet their child’s teachers and discuss any questions or issues with them. We look forward to seeing you.
Boarders may leave school any time from 10:15 on the Friday. Please DO NOT arrange for your child to leave school early as this can be detrimental to to his/her own learning and disruptive to the classes in general. If your child is flying from Moshi or KIA, please send flight details as soon as possible to Rosemary Bango on and indicate whether or not you would like the school to provide airport transport. Please note that we may not allow boarders to leave the school campus if we have not heard details from you on how they are travelling.
On Thursday 27 March we will issue the full reports for D2 and interim reports for M1-D1. If you would like a soft copy please email .

Please note that the normal payment date for the 4th quarter fees passed on 1st March. All 4th quarter fees should have been received by now. Our accounts office will soon be adding a 10% surcharge to all fees that have not been paid.
Some families have not yet completed payments for the 3rd quarter. If some fees are still due for the 3rd quarter, your child will not receive a report this quarter and he/she will also not be allowed to return to school in April. D2 will not be allowed to take examinations unless ALL fees due have been paid in full. Please ensure that your child’s fee status is good – please contact our Accounts department on if you are unsure or if you have a question.

Due to Parental feedback we have now added an additional club on Tuesdays: Advanced Swimming. This will be added to the form. If anyone has already submitted their form, you can simply re-submit at www.uwcea.org/clubs. If you have difficulty submitting the form online, you will also be able to do so in the library in school this week.

There has been one case of head lice in the Early Childhood class. Please check your child’s hair and, if necessary, please treat as soon as possible.

The Science Fair is an opportunity for students to explore the realms of science. It offers them an opportunity to use scientific method in their approach to investigation, and take part in organizing and displaying something they can call their own. Participation, not competition, is encouraged. The learning and the experience of working by oneself and with others to produce a project that a student has enjoyed and in which he/she has shown interest is the greatest prize that everyone takes home.
This year, with 24 students in M3, the Science laboratory was a hub of activity from January until March 5th when the Science Fair exhibition took place. Students chose a wide range of topics to investigate and had to design and carry out experiments to test their hypotheses, collect enough data to support or refute their hypotheses and present their findings at the exhibition. There was a wide range of interesting topics including Colour vision, Rocket launching, Friction on wheels, Aerodynamics, generating hydroelectricity, Biogas from refuse and many more.
All projects were well done but some had put that extra effort in research, experimentation, maintaining interest and momentum throughout the period of experimentation and the overall final presentation. The winners as judged by two teachers and some IB students were as follows: First prize went to Sara with her project on reducing friction on skateboard wheels. Second prize went to Samuel whose project was on Flight Aerodynamics. The third prize was a tie between Kimali who was evaluating the efficiency of different laundry detergents on stain removal and Sanne who generated biogas from refuse.
Congratulations to all M3 students for the enthusiasm they showed during the preparation!

Many DP students have had assessments this week. As you may know D1 students are progressing with their Extended Essay and should have a firm research question very soon.
D2 students finalized the decision regarding the venue for the Friday May 23rd Graduation dinner. Like last year it will be held at the AMEG Lodge (www.ameglodge.com) that has special hotel rates for ISM. To get more details, write to .
Hazel Ndong, our DP Geography teacher, submitted this piece – ‘The D1 geography students have been studying the core unit “Patterns in resource consumption”, focusing on the changing patterns of energy production and consumption. This week they have all been undertaking a research on strategies being used to reduce the consumption of one resource at a local or national level. They have also been practising making their essay writing skills better, particularly citations and referencing keeping in mind that they are about to embark on the Extended Essay writing. To check on authenticity of their research essays, the students have submitted their write-ups using the Turnitin software to check for plagiarism levels. They seem very keen on ensuring they reach the lowest level possible. This is highly encouraged. The higher-level students have continued to study Global Interactions, in particular how politics affects globalization. Focus has been on investigating case studies on the loss of sovereignty, nationalism, Multi Governmental Organizations like the EU and anti-globalization movements. D2 higher-level students on the other hand are on the last stretch of completing the syllabus. After the mock exams earlier in the quarter, they have been studying the option “The geography of food and health” looking at availability of food globally and the geographical factors affecting diseases with focus on HIV/AIDS. Higher-level students are examining case studies of adoption, adaptation (Globalization) of globalization at national and local levels. To the left is a cartoon image the D2 class enjoyed, that of a localised image of Spiderman.’ (Source: https://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/2004/12/27/ent_438246.shtml)
Our DP Beginner Swahili teacher – Nainkwa Mvungi – submitted this interesting summary. “As the Students began the Swahili Syllabus they weren’t confident speakers and had limited knowledge of the language and culture. Through class participation and interactive activities such as role plays, presentations, interviews and games the students have improved in both speaking the language and learning the culture. Furthermore this was evident in the Final Oral component recently conducted, where it was seen that all the students were far more confident and fluent in their speaking of the language and the knowledge of Tanzanian culture. The students would comment and explain what they saw on a ‘visual’ like this picture.”
Though this is geared more towards folks with younger children the thrust of the article applies to all parents – “Smart Phones and Not So Smart Parenting” www.medpagetoday.com/Pediatrics/Parenting/44683.
PLEASE find a way if at all possible to attend the parent-teacher meeting on the morning of next Friday March 28th. I cannot overstate how important it is for parents to regularly visit ISM and get a sense of your son or daughter’s progress. Find a way please to make it to Moshi a few times a year if you are within an hour or two-flight range and can. It makes such a difference!
Regular lessons continue until Friday March 28th and resume on Tuesday April 22nd. Parents do a disservice to their child if they permit early departures or late returns. Irreplaceable D2 exam revision sessions amplify the importance of this for D2s.
Feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns. Sincerely, Rick Fitzpatrick Diploma Programme Coordinator

Well done to all the EC children for swimming so well in the gala last Wednesday and a big thank you to the parents who supported this event. Congratulations to Mawenzi for being the winning team. Tomorrow we welcome a student teacher, Ms Melissa to the EC class. She will work with us until the end of the school year.
Unit of Inquiry The children decided which new life cycle they would like to inquire into for their summative assessment and work will begin on this on Monday. The children will work in groups of 2 or 3 and research on the internet and in books after which they will decide how to present their findings; through pictures, paintings, models or power points. Over the past few weeks the children have also demonstrated their learning of all the other life cycles we have inquired into.
The sunflowers that have NOT been eaten by insects are beginning to flower and we are continuing to observe and record the changes.
Literacy Most of our literacy work will be involved in the assessment task above. Children will be presenting their findings to the class as well as being a respectful listener.
Numeracy We will work on a 3D shape task for the portfolio as well as a number task. The children will also play number games, which they will be able to share with you at the conference on March 27th.
Swimming Hopefully the weather will be warm enough for the class to swim over the next 2 weeks so please send swimming bags as usual. After the break we will revert back to our two PE lessons per week as it will be too cold to swim. It is important that your child wears trainers on Monday and Friday for PE. Crocs and flip -flops are not suitable and can actually be dangerous when worn for PE.
Please see the note in the communication book about all upcoming events. I look forward to seeing your child dressed as a book character on Monday to start book week. Everyday we will have DEAR time (drop everything and read) at 10.35.
If you would like to come and read a story to the class either at the beginning of the day or at the end please let me know.

Reminder – Portfolio Day Just a reminder that on March 27th we have our portfolio conferences. Your child will share their portfolio with you. There will be no classes that day. More details will follow soon.
Primary Swimming Gala Congratulations to all the children who participated in the gala last Wednesday. P1 and 2 children were so enthusiastic to take part. Super swimming everyone!
Character Day – Monday 17th March Come dressed as your favourite book character on Monday 17th March. Parents are welcome to join us for a whole school assembly first thing in Karibu hall. Watch your children parade around the hall in their costumes.
New Unit of Inquiry: Going Going…Gone (Endangered Animals) Theme – How we share the planet Central Idea – Many species of animals are endangered and some are already extinct. Lines of Inquiry: 1. The basic needs of animals. 2. Factors leading to endangerment of species. 3. Humans responsibility to share the planet. We will continue to create fact sheets about endangered animals. So far we have researched and found out about orangutans and gorillas. We have considered the questions: What is it like? Where does it live? Why is it endangered? And what can be done to help?
Language focus for the week Write a recount of the weekend. Children will be encouraged to use the language of time. (First, Next, Then, After that, The next day…) Sentence and word level work will also focus on descriptive language. Handwriting: Patterns, own name, numerals and One Armed Robot Letters (bhkpmnr) Phonics – Group 1: Introduce long vowel sounds, ai as in rain Group 2: ow as in cow
Maths focus for the week Mental skills will focus on counting on and back from any number. Quick recall of addition facts of 9, 10 and 20. All children will continue to learn about addition and subtraction. They will solve some missing number sentences. (3+?=10) P1s will focus on the ways of making 9. They will also link take away number sentences. (3+6=9 and 9-6=3) P2s will learn more about multiplication. They will record number sentences using x and =. (2x table,5x table)
Art We will make some clay animals!
What to bring to school: Every day: A hat for playtime, a healthy snack, water bottle and reading folder. Timetable: Monday Character day! Dress up as your favourite book character. New reading books and homework packets including spelling lists will be issued. PE (wear your house T shirt and shorts for gymnastics) Tuesday Swimming (swimming costume, towel, flip flops/crocs, swim aids such as floaters if necessary. Goggles and sun cream are optional.) Thursday Library (Bring library books in your special library bag to return and then choose new ones) New class reading books will be issued. Friday Spelling Test

I hope that everyone in our class will arrive on Monday in a costume for our kick-off to Book Week! The students had a good suggestion for my costume and we brainstormed to help everyone come up with a good idea. We are looking forward to activities all week that help us to celebrate the joy of reading!
We had a wonderful time last week at the Swim Gala. Despite the number of tummy aches and nervousness reported beforehand, everyone did a great job! Here are a few pictures with their ribbons.
Unit of Inquiry – Your child should now be able to identify Tanzania on a map of Africa and name the surrounding countries in East Africa. We will be zooming in closer to talk about regions and tribes. Simon Mtuy will join us this week to describe village life. We will also have a lesson with Sophia, a teaching assistant on staff, who will describe life as a Masaii. Our art lesson this week will focus on Masaii culture.
Language – Students will do more work with maps and atlases. They have begun to recognize features on maps. We will be drawing maps as well. In order to recognize Book Week, we will be taking time each day for DEAR – Drop Everything And Read. Students are welcome to bring in books from home that they are happy to read independently. We will also explore ways of discussing books meaningfully. The Spelling focus of the week is Long I patterns.
Math – Both P2 and P3 will work on telling time. P2s did a remarkable job last week of understanding the concept of regrouping in addition. We will continue to practise this with both double and triple digit numbers.
Also of note, Ms Maggie will be joining our class everyday in anticipation of her taking the reins after Spring Break.
Monday: Library, please bring your books and bag. Homework sent home. Wednesday: PE, remember to wear your sneakers and a hat and bring your water bottle. Thursday: Swimming, bring your suit and a towel. Reading books swapped out, bring your Reading Log as well. Friday: Spelling test and return completed homework.

Well done to all the students who took part in the Primary Swimming Gala last Wednesday and thank you to all the parents who were able to come along and support us. Special congratulations must go to Noga and Thompson who ended up as the U/9 girls and U10 boys swimming champions for 2014.
This is what our learning in class will look like this week: UOI Unit 5 – How we organise ourselves – “People Helping People”. Central Idea: People around the world are engaged in helping others in need. Lines of Inquiry: Identifying people in need         The motivation to help others         Empowering people to help themselves         Structure and function of humanitarian organisations With all that was happening last week, we did not get around to completing our introduction to this unit, so we will revisit the central idea and look at who the people in need are and how we identify/recognise them.
Maths – Miss Jann’s Group – Measurement – distance and height problems. Weight – units of measurement, conversions and problems. Capacity/volume – units of measurement, conversions and problems. Miss Debbie’s Group – Time. Reading digital and analogue clocks to the hour, half-hour and quarter-hour.
Language – Because we were writing book reports in preparation for Book Week as well as our thoughts on the swimming gala, letter writing didn’t happen last week, so this week we will be writing letters to invite guest speakers to our class for our Unit of Inquiry. We will also be working on our portfolios in preparation for student led conferences. Spelling – Group 1: words beginning with wh as in who and where Group 2: words ending in -est (the most) and -ist (the person who does something) e.g. longest, artist. Group 3: silent or magic e – e.g. hop – hope, slop – slope
Reminders Our ice cream sundae times table challenge Please encourage and assist your child to learn their table for the week, so that they can make the most delicious sundae possible at the end of this term.
Book Week 17 – 21 March. Parents, family and friends are warmly invited to attend the Book Week assembly on Monday morning, March 17. We are hoping that as many children as possible will dress up as a favourite book character and join in the parade. The children are very proud of the book door they have created, so please feel free to drop by the class and admire their efforts. For 20minutes after break every day this week, the children will be engaging in DEAR (drop everything and read). They may bring their own books to class for this, or borrow class readers.
Student Led Conferences: These will take place on Thursday 27 March. Any parents of boarders who are collecting their children on Friday, are welcome to make an appointment for Friday 28 March if this is more suitable. There will be no primary classes on Thursday 27 March. Appointment slips will come home this week, so that we can plan suitable conference times.
Every day: School T-shirts or polo shirts, zip bags (reading book, reading log, spelling book all need to come to school every day), a healthy snack for break time. Monday: Homework handed out. Wednesday: P.E. – house T-shirts and shorts or tights. Long hair tied up. Thursday: Library. Please remember library bags and any books that are due back for return/renewal. Friday: Homework due in. Spelling test. Times tables test – 8x P.E.- swimming
Looking forward to a great week together. Miss Jann

Last week in Maths we calculated the area and perimeters of all the sports fields and courts at ISM. We also enjoyed a fabulous swimming gala on Wednesday which was well attended by parents. This coming week we look forward to book week with a variety of activities starting on Monday with the book character assembly. Don’t forget to come in costume!
UOI – P5 Unit 5 – ‘Law and Order’ Central Idea: Different communities and groups establish different rules by which they operate The children will, in groups, write up their research on various historical societies and their use of law and order.
P6 Exhibition Unit – ‘Shaping positive change’ Central Idea: A rapidly changing planet requires modern approaches, thinking and action The children MUST complete their research this week and conduct, or at the very least set up, interviews. In addition they will send out survey questions to groups of individuals on Monday. They should be encouraged to carry out research at home or in their spare time as they are all behind and it is important to impress on the ma sense of urgency now with only two weeks until the spring break.
Reading and Writing For P6 Language lessons will be consumed by work on the exhibition now which will involve much reading, note taking and writing up. P5 will be researching, note taking and re-writing their notes on laws and punishments in different societies.
Maths Last week we revised the calculation of area and perimeter. Next week we will revise this a little before exploring volume, weights and similar measurements.
P.E. – is on Wednesday and Thursday. Thursday will once again be swimming.
Library – will be on Monday morning. Please remind your child to return any finished books.

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