Moshi Campus News – 20 Sept 2014

All classes (for both primary and secondary) will finish at 12:35pm this Tuesday. During the afternoon our teachers will be engaged in a professional development workshop related to our accreditation and self-study (details below). There will be no Guidance Hour for secondary students on Tuesday.

All primary clubs (Cookery, Science, Athletics and EC Club) will take places as usual from 2pm to 3pm. For students staying at school for lunch there will be supervision as well as supervised play at the playground.

The following secondary CAS and Sports activities will take place as usual: Woodwork, Book Club, Rau Primary (Teaching English), Street Dance, Homeopathy, Bahath Center Partnership, Rugby with Mkombozi, Junior Boys Football, and Senior Boys Basketball.

ISM is an accredited international school which meets the standards set by international accrediting bodies: The Council of International Schools, and the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. From 23rd to 26th September we will be hosting a visit from two members of these organisations who will be conducting a preliminary review of the school and helping us to prepare and undertake the work needed for our full accreditation visit in early 2016. During their visit, our visitors will visit classrooms, will speak with administrators, board members, teachers, parents and students and will also conduct a workshop for the teachers.

Tomorrow, Sunday, 21st September is Peace One Day. Last year our Origami CAS team set about to make 1000 cranes in honour of Peace Day. Many know of the connection to Hiroshima where now thousands and thousands of cranes are sent to commemorate the atrocity of the Second World War. Peace One Day will be honoured around the world in different ways, as we all strive for a world where differences are set aside and peaceful solutions sought. Our 1000 Cranes are being hung in the breezeways between the tuition block, bringing hope and vibrancy to our campus. Thank you to the CAS team that painstakingly created these many cranes. Further details are at www.peaceoneday.org

This week we have two visits scheduled from different Canadian universities.

First, the University of Alberta will be visiting Moshi Campus on Monday, 22nd September at 2:30pm.

They will be followed by the University of British Columbia (UBC) who will be visiting Moshi Campus on Friday, 26th September from 8am to 10am.

Our M2 students from both campuses will be travelling to the school’s house in Pangani from Monday, 29th September to Thursday, 2nd October. They will be camping in the garden of Kiraha, the house which the school owns and which is in a beautiful location on a cliff overlooking the Pangani bay of the Indian Ocean. During their stay they will study some of the history of Pangani and also examine the coastal features in that area.

On Wednesday, 1st October, we will be holding our Primary Athletics Day. There will be no regular classes for primary and no primary clubs on that day. The PA will be running a stall with tea/coffee; please do come and cheer on your child in their many events.

Classes will end for this quarter on Friday, 3rd October. Boarders should return to school on Sunday, 19th October and classes will re-start on Monday, 20th October.

On Thursday, 2nd October there will be no formal classes for primary students. On this day we will hold our Three-Way-Conferences. A letter will be sent home this week with your child’s goals for the year and a slip to complete with times for your Three Way Conference. On Thursday, you will come with your child for your conference and then take your child home with you. Arrangements are being made for the boardrs on this day.

All secondary students will receive their reports on Thursday, 2nd October. For students in M1 to D1, these are brief interim reports designed to give you an indication of your child’s progress so far this semester. The D2 students will receive a full detailed report.

As usual there will be Parent-Teacher meetings for parents of secondary students in Karibu Hall on Friday, 3rd October from 10:30am to 12 noon. All parents are very welcome to these meetings and we strongly encourage you to attend if possible so as to learn more of your child’s progress.

There will be an End of Quarter Assembly for all students on Friday, 3rd October from 9am to 10:15am. Parents are very welcome to attend.

Students will be free to leave school from 10:15am on Friday, 3rd October.

Parents of boarders are requested to advise Rosemary Bango on as soon as possible of any travel arrangements for their children. In particular, if your child is travelling by air, please email his/her air ticket and advise us if you want us to take him/her to Kilimanjaro Airport.

D2 students applying to universities in the USA may need to take SAT tests which are being held in Moshi on November 8th. D2 students applying to North American universities may need to take the TOEFL Paper-based test in school on November 15th. The registration deadline for these tests is 3rd October. If you think your child needs to take these tests, please let me, Keiron White, know.

The Junior Boys Basketball team began their competitive season last Saturday with their first tournament, hosted by ISMAC. With only a few practices under our belts, we were a little nervous!
We played Braeburn in the first game, and though we were a little rusty, we won 16-5. We played St. Constantine’s in the second game, and with consolidating our zone defense, we won 28-18. With those 2 wins, we qualified for the semi-finals, where we beat ISMAC 22-8. In the Championship Game, we played Braeburn again. At the half, we were losing 9-10, but had a strong second half and won 23-10!

Congratulations to Lee, Tommaso, Manini, Jonas, Nyanda, Kyle, Batian, William, Christopher, and Gwakisa, for a great day!
Our next tournament in on Saturday September 27th, at St. Constantine’s.
Go Leopards!

This week our M5s went to Marangu to come together with their Arusha counterparts on a Leadership and Team-building Symposium. This three day event was a huge success as Moshi & Arusha students melded incredibly well into a variety of teams. Thank you to the workshop leaders, Mrs Aris, Mr Sullivan, Mr Howlett and Mr Fitzpatrick who guided the students; their reflections at the end showed that they had all gained in confidence and had a much better idea of their own people skills. One student reflected ‘everyone should do this leadership course’! We are very grateful to Marangu Hotel for letting us camp at their site and use their dining-room facility as our workshop.

Last week M4 went on a Science and Maths transdisciplinary field trip to West Kili together with students from the Arusha campus. We camped for 3 nights at Simba farm and the students undertook an extensive investigation into the relationship between biomass and climate; the data was then analysed mathematically and produced some useful results. All students participated fully and enthusiastically, making the experience educational and enjoyable.

M4 have been studying heat and energy in Physics so far this term. We have covered the principle concept of heat as a form of energy and how it can be transferred, including practical design applications; we have also looked at the behaviour of gases under different temperatures, pressures and volumes.

M5 have been studying radioactivity. They have investigated the causes of radiation, analysed the different types and studied the use and practical applications of radioactivity in industry and medicine. The students will next be learning about the relationship between mass and energy, including Einstein’s famous theory of Special Relativity, E=mc&#0178.

The Visual Arts requirements for the Diploma course have changed to some extent this year. Previously, students were assessed on their process work and their studio work. Students who will be taking their exam in 2016, however, will now also be expected to complete a written comparative study. The comparative study will be an analysis of different artists and artworks and is an independent critical investigation exploring art from differing cultural contexts. This quarter, the D1 students have been exploring the requirements for their process journals and have started developing these ideas into a studio piece. It is a large class this year, which is fantastic for group critiques and class discussions about Visual Arts practices. Next quarter, students will start communicating their understanding in written work, as they continue learning about how to analyze and compare art from different times.



The D2 Visual Arts students continue to enjoy their studio spaces and are young artists in the making! They are coming up with conceptual and innovative ideas in their work and are able to make decisions about the final results. There is still a lot to be done before the exams; however, they are an upbeat and passionate group who are willing to work very hard. Their investigation work is showing a great deal of development and the studio pieces that are being produced continue to become more imaginative. I look forward to the exhibition that this group will be hosting at the end of the third quarter.
Ms. Anine Pier

Would you be interested in your child having Gujarati lessons after school? A group of parents may wish to arrange lessons in school for their children. The school can support this by offering the use of a classroom and some stationery resources, but will need to pass the cost of the teacher on to the families concerned. If you are interested, can you please let me, Keiron White, know this week.

A recently published IB report finds that students enrolled in IB early education receive a strong academic foundation that supports school ‘readiness’. The report is available to read at www.uwcea.org/dip39

Three ISM graduates presently studying at universities in the UK and the USA stopped in this week. All highlighted the tremendously positive effect their rigorous ISM IB DP study has had on their ability to do well at their tertiary education now.

The role of the US, the UN and the USSR in the Arab Israeli conflict served as the topic for an engaging university-like academic roundtable discussion with the formally dressed D2 SL History students this week. Their knowledge of the complex national interest-oriented USSR/USA foreign policy approaches and their identification of the UN’s persistent commitment to resolve the conflict was apparent.

D1s and D2s sure served as great role models of sportsmanship at the Secondary Sports Day held on Tuesday.

D1s examined the role of stress in adolescence in their Life Skills class where the focus on healthy stress-reducing habits were the focus. Within the theme of internationalism, these students also learned about the Ebola crisis afflicting Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. “The Reality of Ebola A World Away” – a NY Times article on the subject and “Dying at the Hospital Door” – a NY Times news video served as the basis of the discussion. (See www.uwcea.org/dip40)

This week the six D2 Swahili B students who will take their official IB exam in mid-November took a mock written exam for the two 90-minute exam papers.

Parents of DP boarders would be smart to continually (as the boarding team are doing) encourage students to use their “free time” well. At ISM the most successful students appear to follow the motto “work hard, play hard” vis a vis getting what needs to be done in terms of homework and general study on the subjects studied.

DP teachers are diligently preparing subject references for D2 students and marking or preparing assignments that will contribute to the reports students will receive by 3 October.

As we move into a more technology-focused lifestyle as parents, articles like this one are useful to provide some framework in which to set guidelines for our children’s usage of technology – www.uwcea.org/dip41.

As usual, feel free to write or call with any questions or concerns related to your child’s program of study in the ISM DP.
Rick Fitzpatrick – DP Coordinator

Unit of Inquiry
The children will have lots of hands on activities next week to help them think about the question “How are you changing?” These will include:

• Playing with baby artifacts.
• Sorting baby clothes.
• Looking at baby photos and other pictures and books about babies.
• Using mirrors to look at their features and compare how they have changed since they were babies.
  PLEASE DON’T FORGET TO SEND/EMAIL 3 PHOTOGRAPHS: A BABY PHOTO, A TODDLER PHOTO AND A PRESENT DAY PHOTO.

Information for Parents
I just wanted to remind you of a few important dates that are upcoming. On Tuesday, September 23rd, we will have a 12:35 dismissal. Teachers have a meeting that day. Please arrange to pick up your children a little early that day. There will still be after-school clubs.

On October 1st, we will hold our primary sports day at school. Please make sure that your child wears his/her house shirt, and please try to join us if you can.

On October 2nd, we will have conferences. More information is coming, but please mark the day on your calendar.

October 3rd is the last day of the quarter.

Literacy Focus for the Week
In our journals this week, P1 students will work on proper sentence structure. P2 students will work on telling a story. The P1 students will be working on letter sounds and reading short words. The P2 students will be doing a lot of reading and working on blends wh, ar, or, and er.

Math Focus for the Week
Children will be working on adding strategies this week.

Unit of Inquiry
We will start a new unit this week in which we will learn about homes around the world. We will start by asking some questions about why people build houses and what types of houses are in the world.

What to bring to school: Children need a hat for playtime and a healthful snack every day.

Timetable:
Monday: Library (we will choose new books)
Wednesday: PE (wear PE shoes and a house T shirt)
Thursday: Swimming (please send swimwear)

Over the past week P3 have been reflecting on their first unit: Each of us is a unique combination of our nature, environment and experiences. They have also been revisiting all the areas covered so far in Maths this year, and rounding off the personal stories and recounts in English. We did not swim due to the chilly weather on Thursday, and so we had an extra PE lesson which provided useful practice for the upcoming sports day.

Language Focus for This Week:
Rhyme time. Identifying and using rhyming words and reading poems for an audience.

Maths Focus for This Week:
Addition and subtraction strategies, both mental and written.

Unit of Inquiry:
A new unit: Everyone belongs to an ethnic group, each having its own forms of expression.
Over the next 6 weeks, we will be enquiring into:

• Ethnic Groups
• The elements of expression (music, art, dress, food, celebration etc.)
• The ways in which people express their unique cultural heritage.

Information for Parents
We had a busy week wrapping up our first unit of inquiry. We still have a couple of projects left to finish, but I think that everyone feels a sense of accomplishment with what they have done. I have included a picture of one of our summative assessments for you to see. The children created a comic strip based about people settling in a new area. We have several students that are forgetting to return their library books. Please keep in mind that our library day is Thursday, they need to have new books to read both at home and at school.

Language focus for the week
Next week we will study nouns and work on categorizing them. We will begin to look at features of nonfiction material and how we can use them to better understand what we read. Our next unit has a science focus, so it is important for them to practise reading for information from a variety of sources.

Maths focus for the week
Our new focus is on telling time. We will review using analog and digital clocks, and telling time in various increments. We will also begin to look at timetables and use them to answer questions about elapsed time.

Unit of Inquiry
Our new central idea is: Energy may be converted, transformed, and and used to support human progress. We will spend this week tuning in to the central idea and building up our background knowledge.

What to bring to school:
A hat for playtime and a healthful snack.

Timetable:
Homework packets will come home on Monday and are due on Friday. The expectation is that students will read at least 20 minutes daily, as well as practising their spelling words daily.
Tuesday
PE (wear PE shoes and a house T shirt)
Thursday
Swimming (bring swim costume, towel, flip flops)
Library (we will choose new books)

On Tuesday the students wore clothes from their home countries which made for a colourful and vibrant classroom scene. This idea came from one of the students when they were asked for suggestions of what they wished to do in this unit. The children then interviewed each other about their clothing and used this information to help them envisage complete characters for their story writing.

Last week the students also finished their summative assessment timelines which look fantastic. I would like to thank all the parents for helping their children find photographs from their younger days. Thanks also for answering questions as the pupils carried out interviews about their past. This has helped them to understand where they have come from, why they are here and why they hold the world views that they do, i.e. information which relates directly to our lines of inquiry for this unit.

New Unit: Central Idea: Life on Earth is dependent on how the solar system works.

Maths focus: This week the students will draw graphs and analyse data relating to earth and the solar system.

Language focus: During this unit the students will learn about the features of newspaper reports and how to write their own.

Monday: New unit begins | Homework will be set for the week | Library session
Tuesday: Lessons finish early at 12.35. Students who are staying at school will therefore have an extended lunch break from 12.35 – 2pm. Primary clubs will be running on this day.
Wednesday: Swimming lesson
Friday: This week’s homework is due to be handed in | PE lesson

What to bring everyday:
Please bring a bottle of water to keep on the desk.
A healthy snack for break times.
A hat for break times, lunchtimes and sports lessons.

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