Moshi Campus News – 19 Apr 15

The pictures above and below speak to the success of the day.
Many thanks to Carly Vincent and Christine Brandsma for the photos.


   

On Monday morning, 20th April, our M3 students from both campuses will be going on the arts trip for their interdisciplinary unit, “The arts can unify communities.” The students will be camping in Weru Weru until Wednesday afternoon, and will be participating in a series of arts related workshops that will be run by teachers from both Moshi and Arusha campus. Throughout the trip, there will be a focus on the process journal (which is used in all three of the MYP arts subjects) and the IB Learner Profile.
We are looking forward to the trip and are keeping our fingers crossed for blue skies! An article with photos will follow after the trip has been completed. On Wednesday the students will return to ISM for the end of the school day. CAS and/or Sports are on a voluntary basis that day.

As part of the School’s accreditation, we are expected to have in place a lockdown procedure for implementation in the event of an intruder on the campus. On Monday morning we shall be explaining this procedure to the P5/6 and secondary students during assembly, and class teachers will also explain the procedure to younger children. We will then rehearse the procedure later in the week. This, together with the evauation drill which we have previously practised, will form part of our regularly rehearsed procedures.

Our annual Sports Banquet will be held on Thursday, April 23rd in the dining hall. This is the event at which we honour our sports personalities of the year. Day students and parents are welcome to join us – tickets cost TSh 5000/- and can be obtained from Marika Farrell until Wednesday, 22nd April.

From Monday, 20th to Thursday, 23rd April, our students will be dressing a bit crazily in school as they celebrate a school spirit week. The dress choices have now been modified slightly to be as follows:

• Monday, 20th April: Pyjama Day
• Tuesday, 21st April: Career Day
• Wednesday, 22nd April: Crazy Hair – Mix ‘n’ Match Day
• Thursday, 23rd April: Class choice

Our D2 students are now in their final week of formal classes and Friday, 24th April will be their last day ever of formal school classes. The D2 students are planning a noisy celebration of their final classes on Friday and this may disturb some other classes in the last few minutes of the day. They then have a week of private study time before the exams begin. During the Study Week, day students may stay at home to study if they wish, or they may come to school to meet with teachers for advice. All D2 teachers will be available at the normal D2 class times and at pre-arranged alternative times to help students in their preparation. Boarders may remain in school and study in their bedrooms but, if they choose to do so, they will be expected to follow normal wake-up and curfew times, attend all meals, and meet regular school expectations. Boarders may also choose to return home for the study week – in this situation, we request that parents inform your child’s boarding parent of any travel plans well in advance.
Formal diploma exams begin on Monday, 4th May.
22nd May: Diploma Exams end 22nd May: Dinner for D2 Graduands, their parents and teachers 23rd May: Graduation Ceremony at 2pm in Karibu Hall, followed by tea.

Although the school organises celebrations for the D2 graduation, the students have usually additionally opted to arrange their own private parties off-campus. These are likely to be on 23rd May after the official ceremony. These student-organised parties are not school events and we cannot, as a school, take responsibility for them. Invariably, there is alcohol available at these parties and minimal, if any, adult supervision. We are concerned about the inevitable, and potentially serious risks that arise from these situations, particularly for many of the younger students who frequently receive invitations to attend and we have endeavoured to deal with such issues from an educational point of view in our Life Skills lessons. We also need to be especially confident that parents are aware of the nature of these events, and are happy with their own children’s involvement. We would therefore offer the following requests and guidelines.
For parents of boarders: Boarders staying in school that weekend will NOT be allowed to attend any unsupervised parties. If boarders do want to attend, they can only do so if their parents agree and they have been taken out of the school’s care by staying with another family for the weekend. Even if you have already indicated on the Parental Consent form that your child may sign out to friends at weekends, we would like to further confirm that it is acceptable on this particular weekend. If you have children intending to sign out for this weekend, could you please contact us with that confirmation? You may contact either the boarding parent or Mrs Bango on by whatever means is most convenient (telephone, letter, email or fax). Boarders will be expected to remain in school for the weekend if we have not heard from you before MONDAY, MAY 18th.
We would also suggest on this occasion, that you contact the host family directly to discuss what you feel would be appropriate arrangements, curfew etc for your children on the evening of the party.
For parents offering to host boarders: Boarders signing out on these weekends will need to sign out for the whole weekend from the Friday afternoon until midday on the Sunday, although they may of course attend the Graduation Ceremony if invited. We would suggest that before you take on the responsibility for the guest students over this period, you are confident of their own parent’s expectations in terms of curfew, supervision etc.
We do not in any way wish to curtail the students’ opportunity for well-deserved celebration on these occasions, but we are concerned for their safety and their parents’ full consent and understanding.

As our self-study continues, our teachers will be meeting again in committees on Monday morning, 27th April. Classes on that day will therefore start at 10:35am. We recognise that starting school later in the morning does cause inconvenience to some families and we apologise for this. However we also need to ensure that our teachers take the time to carry out a detailed analysis of our strengths and weaknesses and develop plans to address these as part of our accreditation process. This is the last “Late Start” day of this school year.
Early Childhood children will be able to stay in class until 13:05 on this day for those families who would like this.

Parents will remember that our students in P4, P5, P6, M1 nd M3 took ISA (International Schools’ Assessment) tests in February; the results of these are now available. The individual report for each child has been emailed to their parents. If you have not received this, could you please contact Grace Mkumbwa on ? A summary of the school’s results is shown at www.uwcea.org/academic/isa-tests-moshi-campus/ where it is heartening to see that our students have increased their scores in nearly all areas by more than the average world increase. More information on ISA tests is available from www.acer.edu.au/isa.

On Tuesday, DI and D2 had a common French lesson to work collaboratively on a paper one exam type. The purpose of this session was to offer the D2 another practice before their study leave and also to share some of their techniques with D1 students to help them to improve their reading and analysing techniques. This was a very productive lesson and a great experience for everybody. We finished the session by taking a group photo as a lovely souvenir!
D1 students have been working on the core theme of ‘Communication and media’ and specifically on internet, new technology and advertisement. They had plenty of opportunities to share their ideas on these topics while practicing all their skills. They are about to start exploring the option ‘Leisure activities’.
HL students finished their study of ‘Le petit Prince’ of St Exupéry and they will have to read their second piece of literature, ‘l’Étranger’ of Albert Camus during their next long holiday break.
 

Congratulations to all those who participated in last week’s trip on Kilimanjaro via the Machame Route. They are due back in Moshi today. The next Outdoor Pursuits (OP) trip will be to Little Meru from 1st May to 3rd May. Places are still available for students on this trip.

Most universities around the world will require some additional test scores from applicants and we advise D1 students to ensure that they take the necessary tests this quarter. These tests are as follows:
TOEFL PBT – to be held in Moshi on Saturday, 30th May. This English Language test should only be taken by students applying for the USA or Canada who have not taken IELTS and who are not nationals of the USA, UK, or Canada. Our internal registration deadline is 30th April.
SAT – to be held in Moshi on Saturday, 6th June. This test should be taken by all applicants to US universities except those registered for ACT tests (see below). Our internal registration deadline is 30th April.
ACT – to be held in Moshi on Saturday, 13th June. We strongly recommend that all applicants to US universities take this test. Our internal registration deadline is 30th April.
Students wishing to register must do so as soon as possible. Any needing assistance with credit card payments or bank transfers should contact Keiron White well before the registration deadline.

If your child will be leaving ISM at the end of this school year in June (or even if they might leave in December), could you plese let me know on as soon as possible? Even if you are not sure, please explain the circumstances so that we can take these into account. Although the final deadline for informing us of withdrawal (and not being liable for half a term’s fees in lieu of notice) is 6th May, it is very helpful if we can know earlier.
All places in secondary for the new school year are now taken and we have a waiting list of applicants who still wish to join. There do remain places available in some primary classes for the new school year.

We are currently very concerned about the high level of overdue fees at present and will therefore sadly need to take some stronger actions to collect overdue fees. Most families paying fees by instalments were due to have paid Quarter 4 fees by 1st March 2015, but many have not done so. We will therefore require that any overdue fees are fully paid by Friday, 24th April. If overdue fees are not received, we will be making arrangements to exclude affected students from classes and ensure that they travel home from 1st May.
All families affected have received reminders by email from our accounts office. If you are uncertain of your position, please email as soon as possible.
This is of particular importance for parents of D2 students whose children will be unable to take examinations if overdue fees are not fully received.
We apologise for these harsh measures but other requests to ensure fee payments appear to have been ineffective to date with some families.

The Governing Board of International School Moshi is made up of ten members, eight of whom are nominated and selected by the School’s shareholders (religious organisations) and two of whom are selected by the Parents Association committees on each campus. Board members give their time voluntarily to support and guide the School, and they meet approximately monthly during term time. At a recent meeting the officers of the Board were elected as follows:

• Board Chair: Tine Hemelings
• Vice-Chair: Monique Janmaat
• Treasurer: Sameera Remtulla
• Coordinator for Fundraising, Marketing & Enrolment: Carolynn Fisher

Other members were also elected to serve on various sub-committees. The School would like to thank all Board members for the difficult job that they do as they guide ISM into the future.

The first full week after the break saw a resumption of the serious academic work ethic among D1 students – which is great to see! Stimulating in-class discussions and well-prepared homework assignments this week demonstrate that many D1 students grasp the critical need to keep abreast of their academic responsibilities. Initial reports also indicate that numerous D1 students made progress during the holiday on their Extended Essays and by next Wednesday April 22nd they will complete their next “Extended Essay Monitoring Form #3” in which they will indicate their research question that that they have been reading widely and that they have a working outline. Please assist us by monitoring your son or daughter’s EE work as it is a critical leg of the DP curricular program.
D1 Life Skills students this past week examined the matter of ‘Self-Identity as an adolescent and positive steps to building self-esteem.’ An array of engaging activities took place as well as their observing and discussing these two TED talks: a) The Skill of Self-Confidence (www.uwcea.org/dip84) and b) Meet Yourself: A User’s Guide to Building Self-Esteem (www.uwcea.org/dip83).
Meanwhile, D2 students will finish classes on next Friday April 24th and will start their study break and then the IB DP official exams commence on Monday May 4th. Their upcoming three-week examination period is the D2 students’ culmination of the intense two years of IB DP academic preparation. Regarding the exams, all students will need to be punctual and present for all of their exams. No flexibility exists on this matter. It would be useful for parents to re-emphasize this matter in conversations with D2 students as this would reinforce what ISM faculty have emphasized.
Official invitations will imminently be sent out for the D2 graduation weekend events. Please note that the graduation dinner will take place on Friday evening May 22nd and the ISM graduation ceremony will take place on Saturday afternoon May 23rd. We look forward to as many D2 parents as possible helping on Friday morning May 22nd with the decorations to prepare Karibu Hall for the graduation ceremony. This is a wonderful tradition.
As usual feel free to email or call with any questions/concerns. Sincerely, Rick Fitzpatrick – DP Coordinator

Unit of Inquiry Many thanks for sending in light sources last week. The children enjoyed presenting them to the class and talking about how the light is generated. The dark room is up and running and the children investigated shiny materials both in the light and in the dark. This came from one child who commented that “Gold gives light”. We investigated to find out if he was correct. The children took all the light sources into the dark room as well as glow in the dark toys and objects. We will experiment further with these next week and sort out which are sources of light and which ones reflect light. The children were very curious about solar lamps and glow in the dark toys so we have lots of inquiring to do. We will also sort our objects into how they get their power.
Please look out for a light survey coming home this week and help your child fill it in.
Language Last week some of the EC1 and new children found out about the sound n made by Noisy Nick. This fitted nicely with us talking about day and night. We have some lovely wax resist paintings of night time and the things you see at night. The children also made pasta necklaces. Next week the sounds will be g and o.
The children will focus on writing about their investigations during this unit as well as making non-fiction books both individually and in groups. This week we will start our ‘Little books of light.’ There will also be an opportunity during this unit to find out about light being used for celebrations. If you observe any religious/non-religious traditions that have light as a major focus then we would love you to come into the class to talk about them. This will give the children a chance to develop their speaking and listening skills in a range of situations.
Numeracy Last week we began to talk about night and day. This will continue as the children document their understanding of day and night, morning and afternoon. They will sequence events in their day. Pattern will be another focus for the next few weeks; recognizing, continuing and making patterns Number focus will be ordering numbers correctly.
Spirit Week Please see the note in your child’s communication book about dressing up this week. On Monday it will be pyjama day!
Swimming will continue until the end of April and then will finish until next academic year.

Information for Parents In case you are wondering, we will continue to swim for the rest of April. Once May rolls around, we will change to having PE in the gymnasium on both Wednesdays and Thursdays. It is still requested that your child wear his/her house shirt to PE every Wednesday, but any color is ok for Thursdays.
This week is Spirit Week! We have a fun week of dress-up days planned. We are hoping for participation by all students to really make this a special week. Here are the planned dress-up days:

• Monday – Pyjama Day
• Tuesday – Career Day (dress up like any job you can think of)
• Wednesday – Crazy hair / Mismatched Clothes Day
• Thursday – Class Choice Day (our class has decided to have Sports Day – a good day to wear a jersey or T-shirt of your favorite team or anything sporty)

The P3 students have been getting into their summative assessment projects. They have been researching about how their product is made – from a primary resource to the final product, and have spent extra time in the IT lab gathering images and ideas, and organising their information into a presentation. They have completed some colourful artwork on product packaging, which tested their observation and accuracy skills, whilst in English they have focused on how products are advertised. In Maths they have been finding fractions of shapes and numbers.
Next week is the last week on this current unit. Students will continue with, and complete, their presentations. They will all be involved in assessing and reflecting on their work, achievements and next steps, as well as the unit overall. In English the students will enjoy designing their own packaging and adverts for their product, choosing to try to persuade people to buy their product either verbally as a drama piece or on paper as a magazine advert. Fractions will continue to be the Maths focus.
As part of Spirit week, students are encouraged to dress up in various ways throughout next week. On Thursday our class choice is: BIG clothes. We will have our class photograph taken on this day so please try to dress your child up for Thursday in particular.
What to bring to school Hat , Water-bottle , Communication book (everyday please).
Timetable Monday: PE. Homework will be set. Thursday: Swimming and Library. Friday: Homework due in. Spelling and multiplication facts test.

Information for Parents We are enjoying the cooler weather and what all of this rain has done to our plants. This week will be our last week of swimming for the quarter. The kids are very excited about Spirit Week and I can’t wait to see all of their ideas. Here is the schedule for the week:

• Monday: Pyjama Day
• Tuesday: Job day (dress as a career person)
• Wednesday: Crazy Hair Day and Mix ‘n’ Match Day
• Thursday: Baby Day (come dressed as a baby)

It was a busy week back from break. We spent a lot of time considering energy sources and their affects on the environment. Our experiment to create our own biogas from cow manure and mashed bananas is ongoing. We have more experiments in store for the week ahead – I wonder what we can cook in a solar oven we build ourselves?
Students are looking forward to participating in the designated dress-up days. Pyjama Day, Career Day, Crazy Hair/Mix’n’Match Day, and the class choice made with our P6 friends. The class has been encouraged to not confuse the silliness with our clothes next week with silliness in the classroom – we have a lot to accomplish as we wrap up this unit! We will continue work on our personal projects. Research has gone well and now it’s a matter of putting the gathered information together in a clear way.
In Math we will continue on with logic and division. In English we will continue reading non-fiction with a focus on comprehension and the ability to explain what has been read in one’s own words.
Our schedule is: Monday – Library, please bring books to exchange. Wednesday – Swimming, bring your suit and a towel. (We have 2 weeks of Swimming left.) Friday – Return completed homework. Sports, wear appropriate shoes.

As we get closer to the final Exhibition presentations the students are starting to feel under a bit of pressure to complete research and action tasks started earlier on in the process. All the teams are working furiously to get done on time. They are following the action plans which they made earlier in the process.
This week we considered areas around the school where the students might wish to present and thought about which equipment they will need. The groups started to make plans regarding how they want their areas to look and the format for their presentations. The presentations will need to inform the community of all their learning throughout Primary School as well as the Exhibition journey they have been on these past few months. They will need to appeal to and inform the EC children, other primary students, middle years and DP students, parents, teachers etc. So it is quite a challenge for them.
As well as all this preparation, the children have designed and rehearsed the format for their PYP Exhibition Assembly taking place on Monday morning. This they will present to the older students but P6 parents are also welcome to attend. We hope to see lots of you there.
PYP Exhibition issues – Albinos in Tanzania | Trees | Nature | Sport & Health | Wild Animals
Exhibition Presentation Dates: To students – 28th April (daytime). To parents – 29th April (evening).
Next week is Spirit Week when the students dress in funny clothes each day (see details below):
Monday: P6 Exhibition Assembly – P6 parents invited | Homework set | Library session | Students may dress up in pyjamas (after presenting assembly)
Tuesday: Students may dress up in ‘Job Alike’ clothes
Wednesday: Swimming session | Students may dress up in ‘Mix and Match’ and ‘Crazy Hair’
Thursday: Dress up in class choice ‘Beach wear’ – as voted for by the class. Please ensure enough skin is covered for a working school day, e.g. swimming costume, goggles, sunglasses, beach hat, flip flops, kikoi, T-shirt, towel etc. Class photos will be taken.
Friday: Sport lesson | Homework due in

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