Moshi Campus News – 16 Aug 2015

Primary Meet the Teacher – Wednesday 19 August: 18.30 -19.30 You are invited to our PYP start of the year evening, a chance to meet your child’s class teacher, find out how things work in their new classroom and ask questions. This is a general session and is not a personal chat about your child, if you wish to arrange an individual chat with the teacher please email them directly. We look forward to seeing all our parents on Wednesday evening. We will start the evening off in room 6 (P5 classroom) for introductions. Totty Aris – Deputy Head of Campus

This term, we are thrilled to offer over 40 different creative and service activities. On Thursday, secondary students took a sneak peak at the variety of creative and service activities on offer during a vibrant CAS fair. This week (August 17 – 20), students will have the opportunity to try out the different creative and service activities. On Thursday, August 20th students will receive a sign up form though their school e-mail accounts. A listing of all available creative and service activities is attached. We look forward to an exciting year of CAS!
Ingrid Chavez CAS Coordinator

Primary Clubs start this week from Monday, 17th August. Clubs run from 14.00-15.00. Students will be taken back to the playground after a club for pick-up. Please ensure you pick up your child promptly. Children doing sports on the field should have a hat and wear suncream.

If you would like your child to register for the ABRSM (Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music) musical theory examination on October 14th, please let me know by this Wednesday, 19th August, at the latest. These exams will be held in either Moshi or Arusha (depending on the number of candidates). More details on these exams are given at https://tz.abrsm.org/en/our-exams/music-theory-exams.
If you have not already signed your child up for music lessons he or she desires, the schedules for our instructors who are currently teaching are posted on the turquoise bulletin board outside Room 12 (Music Classroom). Please stop by and sign up your child at a convenient time (or send your child to do it him/herself). As well, I remind you that it is important to take the contact information of the private instructor so that you and/or your child can be in direct contact with your instructor if any conflicts arrive or there will be a late arrival. In the first lesson, you or your child will receive a copy of our ISM Private Music Lesson Policies and as well our Instrument Rental Policy (if applicable). If your child needs to rent an instrument, please see me in the Music Room to arrange that. Most lessons will start on 17th August, but a few may start on 24th August.
In Curricular Music news, our DP music students are off and running (or composing??) in our first week of school. We welcome two students in as D1 Music students and our four D2 students have started an introductory unit to review the basic elements of music and how they interact within pieces of music. They will be taking the piece of music from this TED talk and attempting to manipulate musical elements, incorporating some type of repetition, to make it more beautiful (or less ‘ugly’ as presenter Scott Rickard describes the piece). It surely is a tall task, but one that our D2 students are up for.
Finally, auditions for our musical, Little Shop of Horrors, an upbeat rock musical, will be happening this week. If your child expresses interest, please be sure to encourage them to sign up. The final production will be at the end of the semester in December. Rehearsal will be in CAS time twice a week and some Saturday rehearsals closer to the production. Sign-up sheets are on the Music Room door (Room 12). Who knows what hidden talent we have lurking around ISM?! Musically yours, Susan Kellerman ISM Music Teacher and Program Coordinator

Often it is not clear who you should contact if you have a question or a concern. I hope this guide may help you.

Area	Name/Title	Contact Details
Boarding: An issue about your child	His/her boarding parent	Please exchange contact information with his/her boarding parent
Boarding: A wider concern	Rosemary Bango – Head of Boarding	0689 772346 or
Boarding: Travel Arrangements	Rosemary Bango – Head of Boarding	0689 772346 or
Primary: Your child’s education	His/her class teacher	All teachers can be contacted by email using an address in the form firstname+lastname@ed.ismoshi.com
PYP Curriculum Matters	Kate Schermbrucker – PYP Coordinator
Primary: A wider concern	Totty Aris – Deputy Head of Campus	0762 326385 or
Primary Clubs	Totty Aris
Secondary: Your child’s education	His/her tutor or subject teacher	All teachers can be contacted by email using an address in the form firstname+lastname@ed.ismoshi.com
Secondary: A wider concern	Totty Aris – Deputy Head of Campus	0762 326385 or
IB Diploma Matters	Rick Fitzpatrick – Diploma Coordinator
MYP Matters	Marika Farrell – MYP Coordinator
CAS Activities	Ingrid Chavez – CAS Coordinator
Sports Activities	Marika Farrell – Sports Coordinator
Outdoor Pursuits	Isaac Foya – OP Coordinator
Routine Accounts queries	Accounts Office
Special Fee Arrangements	Keiron White – Head of Campus	0767 534766 or
Policy issues concerning the whole school (not specific to your child or to the Moshi Campus)	Bob Horton – Director
Any other matters	Keiron White – Head of Campus	0767 534766 or

Dear Parents,
We would like to take this opportunity to introduce the Parents’ Association of International School Moshi (Moshi Campus).

• Chairperson: Bianca Thielke
• Treasurer: Rishi Shah
• Secretary: Anna Maze
• Member: Trudy Haller
• Member: Priya Joshi

The school consults with Mr Daryl Rustad who is our University and College Counsellor. Mr Rustad will be visiting Moshi Campus from 24th to 27th August and is available to make appointments to meet with any students who need to see him at that time. He can be contacted by email on . He usually visits Moshi every 3 weeks, but parents living in Dar es Salaam can also arrange a meeting there if needed.
We will be hosting a UK Universities Fair in Moshi on 9th September. In addition, Aston University (UK) will be conducting some microbiological laboratory work with our diploma students in Moshi on 7th and 8th September.

The Camp Craft trip for our M1 students is scheduled on 29th and 30th August. Any M1 student wishing to join this introductory trip to our Outdoor Pursuits programme, needs to register as soon as possible and pay the TSh 32,000 (boarders) or TSh 45,000 (day students) fee. Boarders who have already deposited trip money with the school can have the fee deducted from this fund. Others will need to pay by cash or MPesa (see below) now.

Parents who wish to pay smaller bills to the school or to send money for credit to their child’s pocket money account can do so by sending M-Pesa to 0767 534766. Please note that Airtel or Tigo Money are not accepted. Any M-Pesa payments MUST be followed by an SMS indicating what the payment is for. Please include withdrawal fees within the amount transferred.
Other means of payment to the school include payment to one of our bank accounts or Paypal payments to paypal@uwcea.org.uk. Note that Paypal payments carry an 8% administration fee.

Long Hair UP!
Please can you ensure that if your child has long hair they wear it tied up. Headlice can spread very quickly, therefore we require all children to put their hair up. If your child does get head-lice please get straight to the pharmacy and treat.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Totty Aris

All Diploma students are required to have a graphic display calcuator for use in their studies. We strongly recommend the purchase of a TI-84+ calculator as this model will be used in teaching. M5 students may also wish to buy this calculator. We currently have standard TI-84+ calculators in stock for sale at a price of US$ 150 (currently TSh 319,000/-), and also have a very small number of the colour, rechargeable CE model available for $170 (TSh 362,000/-). Either calculator is suitable for the diploma classes. If your child wishes to purchase a calculator, please deposit the funds with our accounts office or MPesa funds to 0767-534766 (follow any MPesa payment with an SMS confirming details), and we can then issue the calculator to your child.
Students in M1-M3 are required to have a simple calculator; students in M4-M5 must have a scientific calculator. The school does not stock these as they are easily available to purchase in Tanzania.
All students in M4, M5, D1 and D2 are required to have a laptop for use in classes.

The DP language A1 English courses are designed to cover texts from a range of time periods and a range of genres, from different places. Students are expected to perform a variety of tasks in response to the different texts, working towards final examinations, which include both internal and external assessments. The final grade is based on intellectually rigorous examinations but the programme also requires students to submit coursework which is often self-managed to a significant degree. This course aims to support lifelong learning through engaging students as deeply as possible with the texts they study.
The MYP language A courses are designed to cover the range of text-types, including fiction, poetry, drama and non-fiction. Students are expected to perform a variety of tasks in response to the different genres, producing their own writing in different forms, working in pairs and groups. They also cover a range of approaches to learning. The courses culminate in terminal e-assessments.
At ISM, we offer English and Swahili as Language A courses. The study of languages is differentiated depending on the ability of the students. We have a language support programme (ESL) which caters for those whose first language is not the language of instruction (English).
Language is one avenue by which one gains access to literature and thereby to the cultural treasury of a society. Language A programmes integrate the instrumental functions of language within reading, writing, speaking, listening and viewing skills and the study of literature, which allows them to explore identity on a personal and cultural level. Joe Wright, Head of Language A

During this semester we will be completing the self-study that we began last January in preparation for our acreditation visit from the Council of International Schools, Middle States Association, and International Baccalaureate which will take place in 2016. As part of the self-study process, our teachers are committed to spending time in various committees to analyse all aspects of the school and work towards school improvement. In order to facilitate this, we reserve a few extra hours on one morning per quarter for teacher work.
On Friday, 4th September, our classes will start at 10:35am. Day students will not be expected to come to school until that time. (Note tht EC students may stay in school until 12:35 that day).
We apologise for any inconvenience this late start may cause, but believe that it is important time required to ensure a valuable self-study.

Every year we publish a school magazine, “The Summit” and this was again published at the end of last school year. It is a great magazine and well worth reading – you may also wish to give a copy to friends or relatives. You are very welcome to collect a copy free of charge from the school at any time, or to ask your child to collect a copy (or two) and bring it home. Copies are available from Reception or from Keiron White’s PA, Grace Mkumbwa. You can also view the magazine digitally at www.uwcea.org/about-us/publications/summit-magazine.

Parents of current ISM students are welcome to use our swimming pool, tennis courts, and Karibu Hall for sports activities without charge at specified times and when these are not being used for student or school activities. If you wish to do so, please purchase a parent ID card from school (TSh 10,000/- per adult for 2 years) to enable you to come on to campus and use facilities. Cards can be purchased from the Campus PA, Grace Mkumbwa who will need a digital photo and will ask you for some details in order to issue the card.
Other members of the community may also use these ISM facilities but are expected to pay a fee. Use is limited to KCMC employees and other adults recommended to us by a current ISM parent or teacher. Fees are 20,000/- per person per month (excluding swimming), or 40,000/- per month (including swimming). Annual fees are TSh 100,000/- and 200,000/- respectively. Visitors will be required to purchase and carry their ID card whenever coming on to the campus.
The school reserves the right to close facilities at any time for reasons of school activities or maintenance; we also reserve the right to exclude any visitor who does not follow the school’s expectations.

D1s participated in an engaging two-day orientation program that provided them a sense of all the DP Courses on offer, a chance to bond as classmates and an opportunity to figure out all of the components of the holistic program ISM offers. Several highlights of the D1 orientation may have been the informal Monday evening sharing of advice from D2 students and recent graduates. All D1s also greatly enjoyed our field trip off campus to two ‘successful’ enterprises and the Tuesday evening “Defining Success: My Work, My World, My View” roundtable discussion provided DP students some fantastic tidbits of advice from successful adults in the Moshi community as our D1s endeavor to embark on their path to success.
This coming week the DP Coordinator will meet with D1 students regarding the ISM Diploma Retention Policy that was established several years ago. “Full diploma” students take six DP classes (include three higher level classes and three standard level classes). Each must obtain a minimum of 24 points in the official end-of-D2-year IB May exams. Included in the total of twenty-four points are three possible bonus points drawn from the TOK and the EE. Given that the “full diploma” status is not the ‘right fit’ for all and, in the interests of the well being of each young person, the ‘ISM Diploma Retention Policy’ guidelines articulate the minimum acceptable benchmark total number of points that students need to obtain in order to continue as “full Diploma” students. These scores are the bare minimum, are well below the desirable level of achievement for a full diploma student and are calculated by taking the sum of the grades in all six Diploma classes. The guidelines state that D1 students must reach a total of twenty points by the end of the first quarter from their six classes and ten points in total in their higher-level (HL) classes. By the end of the second quarter, the D1 student must reach twenty-two points total and eleven points in the HL classes. At the end of the D1 year, each student must obtain twenty-four points total and twelve points in their DP HL classes. We also advise – though it is not in the Diploma Retention Policy – that during the D2 year students who fall below 22 points total and 10 points on their HL classes seriously consider moving off the full diploma course-load.
Each D1 student will sign an agreement that they understand and will follow the Diploma Retention policy. Similarly, each D1 student signed the ISM Honor Code whereby they agreed to follow the guidelines on always being honest in academic work.
D1 students met with the DP Coordinator to discuss their individual course programs. Students were advised that we should aim to finalize the schedules within the next two weeks. It is expected that in the coming week or so there may be some flux. All D1 changes in courses should be completed by mid-September.
This week D2 students were again reminded of the imminent deadline for the full 4,000-word draft of their Extended Essay (EE) – it is Wed September 2nd. Since first learning of the EE guidelines in January students have researched and written their EE. After receiving suggestions from their EE Supervisor on their draft, the final version of the EE is due on Wed November 3rd.
A number of ISM DP students will be taking on-line DP courses through our partner Pamoja Education. We are looking forward to another year cooperating with this well-organized IB “school without walls” as our students team up with experienced DP teachers in the study of DP Psychology or DP ab initio (means “Beginner”) languages Spanish, French or Mandarin. Learn more at www.pamojaeducation.com.
Feel free to contact me regarding any issues that bear on your son’s or daughter’s experience as an ISM DP student. Rick Fitzpatrick – Diploma Coordinator

 
It has been a busy first week in EC. Everyone is settling into the class and getting to know each other and the routines of the classroom.
Inside the communication book in your child’s folder is the class timetable letting you know when PE and Library are. Don’t forget to return library books on both Tuesday and Thursday so that your child can change them. On Monday and Friday children should come to school dressed for PE in trainers, shorts and house T-shirts. We are now practising for our Sports Day coming up on Friday September 25th so it is important that your child wears their house T-shirt so they can practise races with their team.
On Wednesday 19th August there will be a meeting for parents at 6.30pm. I really hope that you can attend this meeting to find out about the education of your child, the routines of the class and how you can support your child in their learning.
Unit of Inquiry Central Idea : Learning is an important part of our lives Lines of Inquiry: Places we learn         Our school as our learning place         Learning areas inside and outside our classroom         We have different ways of learning We will begin to tune into this unit and try to understand the central idea. Please look out for a note coming home next week that will ask for information about the different places your child learns (apart from school) Please try to send this information back to school as soon as possible so that we can talk about it in class.
Numeracy Next week I will finish my assessments of the new students. Children will also be working on number sense through songs, puzzles and games. This will be differentiated to suit the needs of individual children. The games and activities will involve taking turns, counting by rote, counting objects and for some children recognizing colours. Children will also have opportunities to visit the maths area independently to do number puzzles and play games that they have learnt with the teacher in previous lessons.
Language Focus Every day the children listen to stories and learn songs and rhymes. Last week our stories were about starting a new school or new school year. This week we will read ‘Spot the dog’ stories and focus on repeated phrases, retelling stories and responding to stories in different ways.
Our work on phonemic awareness will begin next week using the Letterland Scheme to introduce the first letter sound a (made by Annie apple!). All the letter shapes and their sounds will be introduced over the year, through songs, hands on activities and artwork. Children may already know letter names but we feel it is important that they know the sounds to help prepare them for reading and writing later on. I will also continue to assess language skills to plan differentiated activities. Developing fine motor skills through threading beads, playing with play dough and manipulating small construction toys is also a major part of the EC programme and ongoing throughout the year according to the needs of the children.
EC2 children will work on those letter sounds that they are not familiar with yet and some children will begin to find out how to make simple words by putting sounds together.
Art Last week we made our class birthday chart and drew self portraits that are now on display outside the classroom. We will paint our classroom agreements this week and work on a classroom display about Spot the dog. Have a wonderful weekend Annalee    

Information for Parents What a great first week of school! The children all seemed excited to be back, and we were certainly busy. The P1 children were adjusting to a longer day, and the P2 children were good leaders in the classroom.
We let the children play outside last week without a hat, but this week we will enforce the “No hat, no play” rule. Please make sure that your child has a hat that can be left at school. Also, please send in a pair of indoor shoes or slippers that can stay at school. When we have muddy weather, we will need those.
Please be reminded of our parent orientation on Wednesday, August 19th at 6:30 p.m. This will be an important meeting, and I encourage all parents to attend.
Language focus for the week With two years of children in our class, we naturally have children of varying abilities. Last week after working with the children, we have divided them into groups. This ensures that your child will be working on activities that are at his/her level.
This week our Group 1 children will be working on beginning sounds. Our Group 2 children will be working with short vowel sounds. Of course, all of the children will be reading every day.
Please take time to have your child read to you each day. I have begun sending books home along with a yellow reading record. When there is a new book, your child may need some help to get through it. If your child has the same book the next day, please have them re-read it. Re-reading books helps children gain the fluency they need to become good readers.
Maths focus for the week This week we will continue to work on collecting and displaying data. We will work with pictographs, bar graphs, and tally marks. Group 2 children will also learn about scale.
Unit of Inquiry We will start our study of Healthy Living by focusing on exercise. We will make a collage of healthy activities to assess what the children already know about healthy living. Then we will will focus on different ways to get exercise.
What to bring to school: A hat for playtime and a healthful snack.
Timetable: Monday PE (wear PE shoes and a house T shirt) Tuesday Library (please send your books in the library bag) Friday PE (wear PE shoes and a house T shirt)

We have had a very positive start to the semester. The children have been enthusiastic, creative and hard working. We have begun a Learner Profile Board and already 5 children have had their photographs stuck up next to the attributes they have been demonstrating, i.e. being caring, inquirers, risk takers and communicators. Parents are welcome to come into the classroom and have a look.
Please also take a look at our Classroom Essential Agreements. The children brainstormed some good ideas and then we came together and agreed on the main rules they wished to follow. The students thought carefully about whether they agreed to these and then signed their names to the list which is now stuck on the wall. In mathematics lessons the children have been thinking about number and pattern. They particularly enjoyed a lesson where they went outside and worked in small teams to create patterns from items found in nature. They were really imaginative and thought deeply about the task. I was impressed with how well they could describe different types of patterns. This showed good mathematical understanding.
Inside the classroom the students created their own personal dictionaries. These are bright and attractive and will be useful tools when we are completing writing tasks this semester. Our new unit is all about Tanzania – its history, geography, culture, languages, art etc. If there are any parents who think they would be able to talk knowledgably on any of these subjects we would love to have you come in for an interview with the children. Please let me know if you can help with this at the parent information evening on Wednesday.
Unit: Transdisciplinary Theme: Where we are in place and time Central Idea: Our host country has its own unique identity This week we will identify the common features and compare Tinga Tinga paintings before planning and eventually painting our own versions.
English focus for the week: Past tense and present tense in sentence structure.
Maths focus for the week: Time
What to bring to school every day: A hat and a healthy snack.
The Week Ahead: Monday: Primary clubs begin | Homework will be sent home (due in Friday) | PE lesson Tuesday: Library session Wednesday: Parent Information Evening starting at 6.30pm Thursday: PE lesson Friday: Homework due in
NB: Swimming sessions will start on 14th September by which time the weather will have warmed up. Kate Schermbrucker – P2/3 Teacher and PYP Coordinator

Greetings P4 families! We have made it through our first week, hurray!
Last week was filled with reviewing previously learned concepts and finding out which Math or reading groups we would fit best. We have all settled in well and are looking forward to our second week.
In P4 we welcomed some new members; Lisa, Cecilia, Isabel and Navo. It is wonderful to have them on board.
In the coming week, homework will be sent home on Monday and is expected back on Friday.
Language Arts – Our focus is the use adjectives. This will help enhance their understanding of different ways they can describe artifacts or events as we learn about the past.
Math – different properties of numbers; half, double, more than, less than and before and after. Integration – Measurement – days, weeks, months and years.
Unit of Inquiry Central Idea – Understanding how the past influences how we live today Line of Inquiry 1 – How historians use artifacts to give us information Key Concepts – Form, Change and Causation.
You can find the class timetable by clicking here: www.uwcea.org/p4 Ms Cathy – P4 Class

Information for Parents We had a fantastic first week back at school. We spent the week developing our essential agreements, developing classroom routines, and getting to know each other better. The weather is still quite cold right now, so we do not plan on beginning our swimming lessons until September. Hopefully things heat up a little before then!
Language focus for the week We will begin our spelling lists and homework packets this week. Students have the option of choosing which set of words to practise. We will review conventions of the English language to begin the year. Our focus this week is on capitalization. We will also begin our writing by learning about how professional writes develop their ideas and beginning to list our own.
Maths focus for the week Students are further developing their ideas of multiplication and division. Our “big idea” is that multiplication and division are different ways to look at the same problem situation. We will be investigating different ways to represent both multiplication and division. Our current focus is on using arrays.
Unit of Inquiry Our central idea is: We express our thoughts and ideas in many different ways. Our lines of inquiry include looking at different forms of expression, different versions of stories, and taking different roles within the same story. We are tuning in to the unit by learning more about the key concepts of perspective and connection and how they relate to stories and expressing ourselves.
What to bring to school: A hat for playtime and a healthful snack.
Timetable: Monday PE (wear PE shoes and a house T shirt) Thursday PE (wear PE shoes and a house T shirt) Friday Library (please remember to bring your books)

We have had a successful start in the P6 class. The students have settled well, are cooperating nicely and are all showing plenty of enthusiasm for their learning. We have shared information about ourselves throughout this first week, discovering and appreciating the connections and differences between us. Also, we have been thinking about the attributes of the Learner Profile and the IB Attitudes.
New Unit of Inquiry: Tuning into… We look to heroes to show us who we can be. We will explore our thoughts on the word Hero, discuss what sorts of heroes there are, and which we may be interested in exploring further.
Maths focus: Multiplication and Division. Revision of the basic facts and methods of recall/working out. We will be calculating up to 3 digit numbers for those who are ready to do so.
Language focus: Biographies. We will look at features of this genre in our reading. We will find information from both animated and written biographies, and form a timeline of personal information about the famous person.
Library: Sessions are on Thursdays. Please note that students can individually use the library on any afternoon.
P.E./Sport: Monday and Thursday. Students must wear sports shoes on these days please.
I am looking forward to seeing you all on Wednesday evening!

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