Moshi Campus News – 22 Nov 15

On Wednesday, 25th November at 6pm, our Parents’ Association will be holding their Annual General Meeting at AMEG Lodge in Moshi. All parents/guardians with children in ISM Moshi Campus are warmly invited to attend. At the meeting the Director, Bob Horton, will give an overview of the school’s achievements and developments over the last year and will elaborate on our plans for 2016 and the future. The Parents’ Association will also report on their activities over the last year.
The Parents’ Association Committee is a group of 4 parents who give up some time over the year to support the school in various ways and to help to channel parent issues and discussion to the school’s leadership. We are very grateful for the time and energy invested this year by Bianca Joester, Trudi Haller, Anna Maze and Rishi Shah. Bianca and Trudi will be stepping down from the committee this year; if you would like to be nominated to join the committee or know of another parent who would like to do so, please let the PA know by emailing at .

On Monday, November 23rd and 24th, D1 students will take part in a two day, cross-campus, Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) & Theory of Knowledge (ToK) Symposium. Students will interact with the framework and language of ToK by creating their own Knowledge Questions based on the CAS experience, A Day in the Life of a Kilimahewa Student.
While at Kilimahewa, local school students will explain the vocational class and teach ISM students about the various farming projects on site. Students will work together on cultivating, and afterwards ISM students will sit in on a life skills class. All students will then share lunch together before ISM students head back to Kishari House for a question and analysis session. They will be tasked with creating a Knowledge Question based on the day’s experience. For more information about Kilimahewa, please visit www.kiwoce.org.
D1 students are reminded to report to registration on Monday morning as usual and to wear appropriate clothing for the hard labor trip. Students will also need to bring a hat, sunscreen, and a filled water bottle.

Every year, Moshi Campus hosts a major sports weekend for secondary students from schools across the country. This year’s Sports Weekend is scheduled for Friday, 27th to Sunday, 29th November. We will welcome over 400 visiting students from Orkeeswa, IST, HOPAC, MIS, SCIS, and ISMAC who will take part in a wide range of different sports activities starting at lunch time on the Friday and finishing on Sunday afternoon. Visitors will sleep in classrooms on campus or in Kishari and all catering is managed by our regular kitchen staff.
As you can imagine this is a massive operation for us and inevitably causes some inconvenience as we have to prepare classrooms for students to sleep in and we have to ensure that about 700 people can eat every meal. But it is extremely rewarding and has been one of the highlights of our school year for a long time. Attached to this newsletter is a schedule of the weekend’s sports events. All individual event schedules are also posted on the sports board in the breezeway.

Please feel free to come on out and cheer on our Leopards!
If you would like to help out with scorekeeping, refereeing or timing, please speak to Ms. Farrell or email me on .
Go Leopards!
Also included within the Sports Weekend is a Craft Fair on Saturday, 28th November. You can come and watch the sports activities and pick up some Christmas presents at the same time!

Because of the need to prepare classrooms for our guests this weekend, please note that all students (both primary and secondary) will finish class at 11:55 on Friday, 27th November. Of course, most secondary students will be remaining in school to take part in or support sports activities.

On Saturday, November 28th 2015, from 10am to 3pm, there will be a CAS Craft Fair at ISM. We warmly welcome local artisans to table and sell their goods and keen shoppers to come have a look for gifts and goodies. Tables are for sale on a sliding scale and must be reserved through the front office prior to November 25th. All proceeds from the sale of tables will support the school’s hard labor projects and partnerships with local schools (i.e. building classrooms, kitchens, and bathrooms). Please contact Ingrid Chavez via e-mail with questions on .

Our P3 students from both campuses will be camping at AMEG Lodge in Moshi this week on Thursday, 26th and Friday, 27th November. We wish them all the best for their night out and their many activities. The P3 children will be back in school before 11:55 on Friday to be collected by families. For further details please see the letter that has been sent to parents of P3 children.
We are also looking ahead to the P5 Trip which takes place on 1st and 2nd December. The P5 students will be going to the Momella Cultural Tourism Centre where they will have a guided walk to Momella Lake and do many activities relating to their mythology unit.

Many ISM families will be celebrating Thanksgiving on Thursday, 26th November. We wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Our primary and secondary swim programs joined forces on Saturday to host Arusha Campus in what turned out to be one of our best home stands in the team’s history.
Coach Sabini, Coach Sullivan, and Coach Noah’s swimmers looked at ease in the pool, racking up best time after best time, and impressive swim after impressive swim. There was a feeling in the pool this weekend, akin to the beginnings of a long history of swimming excellence. Loads of swimmers pushed themselves outside of their comfort zones to tackle challenges when they were tired, cold, or sore.
All swimmers who competed should be congratulated on their efforts. The coaches will recognize the swimmers on a more individual basis in practice next week.
We cannot express how grateful we are for all the support we received from the teaching staff, parents, volunteers, lifeguards, and student teachers. Simply put, it was a well run meet, with loads of happy swimmers, and that is all one can ask for after any tournament.
Next up, Secondary Sports Weekend! Swimming begins at 1400 on Saturday and ends at 1800, as the sun slips quietly behind Kili’s evening shadow. See you all there, cheering our Moshi Campus to the overall win in the pool, and the tournament in general.

Many thanks to Rishi Shah and Coach Charles who are organising a tennis tournament in school on the weekend of Saturday-Sunday, 5th-6th December. There will be matches for students in various categories from Under-6 to Under-18, as well as an adult tournament. It is hoped to get sponsorship for the students’ tournament and there will be an entry fee of TSh 25,000/- for the adult tournament.
If you or your child would like to take part, please sign on the registration sheet on the breezeway notice board by 26th November at the latest. For further information, please contact Coach Charles of 0757 606766, or Rishi Shah on 0754 058268.

This weekend a group of students from both campuses has climbed to the base of Mawenzi on Kilimanjaro and they are returning to school today. The remaining OP trips for this quarter are as follows:

• 3 – 6 Dec: Usambara Mountains (Level 1b). An extended trek in some beautiful mountains
• 10-13 Dec: Mawenzi Hut (Level 3). A second chance to walk at altitude on Kilimanjaro.

We have successfully come to the end of the third week of this quarter. Boarders have involved themselves in different out of class activities. A few boarders left on Thursday, 19th for the OP trip to the base of Mawenzi, and will return on Sunday, 22nd November.
This weekend the primary boarders went out to dinner in Moshi town, and all were excited about the trip. This was a chance for them to enjoy time out of campus.
On Saturday 21st November we hosted the Arusha-Moshi swim meet, and a number of boarders took part.
Delphine Riziki, a parent in the school, is back in Kijana boarding house as a boarding parent. She is working with Joyce Mmole in the dorm.

Many families complain that they do not receive the school newsletter even though it is sent to them, and when they check their Spam box, they find newsletters there. This is a particular problem for Gmail and Yahoo users. If you use Gmail and you would like to stop ISM emails going into your Spam, please see instructions at www.uwcea.org/gmail.

Numerous key D2 academic coursework deadlines occur in the next month. Parents have been emailed a link to the google doc with the D2 Deadlines and we encourage you to dialogue with your son/daughter about these major assignments. Meanwhile, engaging lessons in all DP subject areas (such as this practical lab one in D2 Biology recently as shown in the photos) provide the educational content required by the IB.
D1 students participated in their annual Life Skills swimming assessment. Those who need to learn to swim began lessons and those experienced swimmers had a super work-out thanks to Coach Noah and Coach Sabini.
ISM University Counselor spoke to the D1s and highlighted how the hard work of trying your best to obtain the best grades possible is essential. Mr Rustad also met with many D1s and most D2s on the issue of individual university plans. It would be critically important for all D1 and D2 parents to liaise imminently with Mr Rustad if you have not already done so. In this fashion the next step in the education process of your child is addressed.
This link states accurately why the IB DP is an ideal preparation for university: www.uwcea.org/dip98.
DP parents once again are encouraged to consider making a trip over to Moshi for next weekend’s Sports Weekend (November 27-29). It will be a great chance to see your son/daughter in action.
Full Diploma D2 students will give their Theory of Knowledge presentations on Dec 2 or 3rd. Ask your son or daughter about theirs. Learn more about it at: www.uwcea.org/dip99.
As per the IB DP Retention Policy – “At the end of the second quarter, all full diploma students will be expected to have a minimum of 22 points and 11 points on HLs (obtained by adding the reported achievement grades from their six subjects excluding ToK and EE or adding up the three HL classes). Any student achieving fewer than 22 points at this stage (or achieving fewer than 11 HL points) will be required to undertake a reduced programme with either fewer subjects or with fewer higher levels in consultation with the Diploma Programme Coordinator.
Please find a way to attend the Q2 parent-teacher conference on Friday Dec 18th.
Our Dec/Jan holiday concludes on Jan 12th and classes start on Wed Jan 13th. Please do not arrange for your son or daughter to return late.
The six school days of D2 mock exams will occur from Mon Jan 18th to 26th.
Feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. Rick Fitzpatrick – Diploma Coordinator

The DI Economics class discussed microeconomic concepts on elasticity, and have this week started on government intervention in the market. This intervention is through taxation, subsidy and price controls. It was interesting to see the relationship between elasticity and taxation, to examine the different types of taxes, and how the incidence of tax depended on elasticity.
The class will soon be introduced to portfolio writing, which is internally assessed, and externally moderated. This consists of three commentaries on different sections of the syllabus. The students will write a practice commentary by the end of this quarter.
The D2 Economics class has discussed equitable distribution of income as a macroeconomic goal. This has mainly achieved through taxation. Different types of taxes were explained, and it was enlightening to calculate the taxes paid by different income groups. A Lorenz curve and Gini coefficient were used to measure distribution of income in different countries. At the end of the quarter, D2 students will have started on International economics
The four students who wrote their Extended Essay in Economics successfully handed in the final essay. The D2 Economics students have also handed in their second commentary, a component of internal assessment.

The math department is fully engaged in the DP Mathematics syllabus. The D1 Mathematical Studies classes have just finished a unit on Trigonometry and are beginning a unit on Statistics. This topic is essential as it not only presents itself on their course assessment, but it lays the foundation for their future D2 Internal Assessment. The Maths Studies Internal Assessment is an exploration of a question or topic that can be evaluated using mathematics. All the D2 students are working on their Internal Assessments. Many have interesting questions about international topics which support the IB Global Context of Globalization and Sustainability.
Meanwhile the D1 Standard and Higher level combined class have continued work on Trigonometry and investigations of angle on the unit circle. In parallel with this, higher level students are exploring complex numbers and discussing whether imaginary numbers do exist and what we mean by “existence” in mathematics.

Our Secondary CAS group have been working hard on the musical ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ a spoof musical with a fairly small cast which will be performed on 10th & 11th December. The ensemble have been working very hard on their singing, dancing and acting. Eventually the CAS will tie in with the M5 music class who are providing the band.



Another CAS group has been creatively making the ‘plant’ a puppeteered character in the play. We will be very busy with rehearsals in the two weeks (Nov 30 – 11 Dec) running up to the performances as we turn Karibu Hall into our stage and build our set. We do hope you will join us for this event which will be open to students from P4 upwards (some of the content could be perceived as a bit scary to our little ones).

Primary Sharing Assembly Monday 23 Nov 07.45-08.15 This week we will be sharing our PYP units of inquiry at the Monday assembly. Parents are very welcome to join us and find out what the children have been doing in their recent units.

Unit of inquiry Central Idea: We use our senses to explore and discover the world around us.
We are setting up a museum of interesting things to look at in our classroom this week. This will be for one week only so please send any artifacts, paintings, photographs or sculptures into school with your child as soon as possible. Please do not send anything of great value. I would also be very grateful for any of the following to use for our inquiry; kaleidoscopes, binoculars, telescopes, magnifiers and any optical illusion toys you may have. The children will think about how our sense of sight helps us to make discoveries about the world. They will carry out art activities that encourage them to look very closely at objects and science experiments that also involve close observations. Check out our google community page this week for photographs of what the children do to explore and wonder.
Literacy This week’s book focus will be ‘Brown bear brown bear what do you see?’ We will make our own class book based on this story. Letter sounds introduced to EC1 this week will be v made by Vicky Violet and x made by Fix-it-Max. Our art activities really help the children to learn the letter sound so please ask your child about their art work when they bring it home. EC2 will explore the sound made by ch.
Numeracy Last week EC2 used a number line to add 2 numbers together. This week we will use a number line to take away. Our shop will be open soon and will have some connections to our senses unit. We will think about money and what it is used for. EC1 will sing songs and rhymes that focus on adding and taking away. Action songs help the children to ‘see’ the operation of addition and subtraction as we act out the songs. As reports will be written soon I will also be carrying out some number assessments with each child.
We are looking forward to seeing you all at our primary assembly in Karibu Hall on Monday morning at 7.45am. Swimming for EC1 will be on Monday as usual. Don’t forget library books on Tuesday so that your child can choose new books.

Information for Parents We would like to invite you to our Primary Sharing Assembly. It will be Monday, November 23 at 7:45 at Karibu Hall. All of the primary classes will be briefly sharing something that they have been learning. We hope to see you there.
We have an early dismissal on Friday, November 27. We will finish at 11:55 so we can prepare for the Secondary Sports Weekend. Even though our primary students don’t participate, our classroom will be used to host guests and the whole staff has responsibilities at that time. If you are looking for something to do that weekend, stop by the campus. There are events all day Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Language focus for the week This week Group 1 will be learning how to read short vowel words, and Group 2 will work with “ou” and “ow” words. We will also continue to read and write every day.
Maths focus for the week Both groups will learn about subtraction this week. We will work on what it means to subtract, and we will have plenty of practice both on paper and with blocks and other items.
Unit of Inquiry We begin a new unit this week. We will be focusing on journeys and transportation. One of the key concepts that is covered in this unit is change. We will start the week learning about different types of change. We plan to do a science experiment about how food rots (should be disgusting) and we will watch the change that ingredients undergo when we bake some cookies (should be tasty).
What to bring to school: A hat for playtime and a healthful snack.

Timetable: Monday PE (wear PE shoes) Tuesday Library (please send your books in the library bag) Friday Swimming (please send swimsuit, goggles, and towel) Finish at 11:55

The children have now completed their unit about simple machines. They will show their self-made machines in the PYP Sharing Assembly on Monday morning. Parents are welcome to attend and we look forward to seeing you there.
We have now started tuning in to the unit about relationships and well-being. The students have produced some fantastic and creative family trees for homework. They clearly carried out lots of useful research in order to make these. Thanks to all the parents who helped them gather the information. They will make a useful basis for future lessons.
In English Language lessons the students have been learning from Ms Kaira about the meaning of there, their and they’re. They worked in groups to create posters which show the correct definitions of the words.
This week the students enjoyed hearing from a D1 student called Fatema. She shared lots of well thought out words of advice and has inspired the younger children.
The P3 children are very much looking forward to going on camp. Before they go they need to pack according to the packing list which was sent home with the original camp letter. There is a small change to the information on the letter, i.e. students can now be collected from ISM at 11.55 on Friday (not at 12.35 as originally stated).
Unit: Transdisciplinary Theme: Who we are Central Idea: People’s relationships with each other can have an impact on well-being
Mathematics Focus: multiplication
English Focus: story writing – this week the focus is on story starters, i.e. how to introduce a story which has an impact on the reader.
What to bring to school every day: A hat, water bottle, a pair of indoor shoes and a healthy snack.
The Week Ahead: Monday: PYP Sharing Assembly | homework will be set | swimming lesson Tuesday: Library session Thursday: P2 PE lesson | P3 overnight camp (P3 homework due in) Friday: P2 Homework due in | P3 students return from camp | all P2/3 students can be collected at 11.55am today
Kate Schermbrucker – P2/3 Teacher and PYP Coordinator

The P4 students had a wonderful assembly today and they all did a great job at presenting. It is impressive to see what they managed to achieve during the unit. Their commitment and sense of responsibility was commendable.
Our green leaf awards this week went to:

Navo for continually being a Risk-taker

Patrick for his Creativity

Imaan for her ongoing Commitment towards her work
We have started our new unit on how “The Arts are an avenue for creative expression” and students are tuning into the unit by sharing their favorite form of art as they unpack the Central Idea.
Unit of Inquiry: In the coming week, we will be exploring different forms of Arts from Tanzania and other cultures. The students are encouraged to bring in a piece of art if they can, to share with the other students during this unit. It could also be a picture if they cannot bring the actual piece.
Math – we will continue to work on finding the perimeter of regular and irregular shapes and connect our knowledge of 2D and 3D shapes to the Art unit. The students will also be working on multiplication facts of 8, 9, 11 and 12.
Language Arts – We will be working on poetry as a form of art. The students will be appreciating the work of Shel Silverstein (see poem on right) and writing their own poems. We continue to pay special attention to past tense and the other figures of speech learned.
Polite reminders:

Parents are welcome to our assembly on Monday, 23rd November 2015 from 7:45 to 8:15 a.m.

All swimmers who went to Kennedy House: you are reminded to bring your medals for the gathering on Monday.

Information for Parents The students had a lot of fun on Mythology Day last week. There were some great costumes and we learned about a variety of stories from different cultures around the world. Please mark your calendars for the P5 camping trip on December 1st. We will be going to the Momella Cultural Tourism Centre where we will have a guided walk to Momella Lake and do many activities relating to our mythology unit. Permission slips will be sent home on Monday so please check your child’s folder.
Language focus for the week This week we will have one-on-one reading conferences with each student. Most of the reading groups are either finished with their chapter books or will be finished within the next week. They have done a great job of digging deeper into their texts and increasing their comprehension.
Maths focus for the week This week we will learn about different mathematical systems of ancient cultures and how they relate to mythology. Students will learn about how Egyptians, Greeks, and several other ancient cultures used mathematics.
Unit of Inquiry This week we will be focusing on thinking routines and using them to increase our understanding of what myths are and how it relates to our transdisciplinary theme of Who We Are. We will be learning about different uses of myths and how to tell the difference between myths and other forms of traditional literature.
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 Swimming (bring swim kit) Friday Library (bring books to return or renew) Classes end at 11:55

This week the students have been story writing, editing and publishing in English. In guided reading they have read and analysed articles on current conflicts around the world, and presented their understandings in groups. They investigated time zones, locating them and learnt how they work in Maths. They have developed their problem solving skills and revised their time knowledge as well. In groups, students practised their drama pieces, enforcing all elements of the Learner Profile and their understanding of the Central Idea as part of their summative assessment for this unit.
This Week: Unit of Inquiry: We start our third Unit of Inquiry next week, which is a Sharing the Planet unit with the central idea: “Migration has a wide range of effects on those who migrate and the indigenous populations they encounter”. We will start by exploring images and video clips of migration happening in a wide variety of contexts, find out reasons for migration and ask further questions for inquiry.
English language focus: Postcards and informal letter writing. We will be reading postcards written from around the world, investigating purpose and audience of this genre and how this affects the style, content and layout. This links well with our unit through concept of movement between places and journeys.
Maths focus: Measuring distances between places. We will be exploring different units used to measure length and appropriate degrees of accuracy.
Students will develop measuring and calculation skills based on real-life measuring experiences and will be linked to unit.
Notices: Sharing assembly: Monday 23rd November, straight after registration in Karibu Hall. P6 class will show a film featuring some of the students representing conflict situations, before a whole-class performance of a Beetles song.
Friday 27th: Lessons end at 11:55 on this day so that classrooms can be cleared and cleaned for arriving schools participating in the Secondary Sports Weekend.
Exhibition Introduction Day (Retreat): Monday 7th December. The P6 students from ISM Arusha will be joining us on the Moshi Campus for this special day, in order to get excited and learn more about the Exhibition unit. The Exhibition unit will take place during the first eight weeks of the fourth quarter.
Many thanks again to Ms Patricia and Mr Lukas who covered the sessions I missed due to my 3-day Exhibition course in Brussels. The course was excellent – well worth travelling all that way for – and I am now looking forward to taking that final Unit with P6.
Maternity Leave: Ms Sarah will be going on maternity leave for quarter 3. We are delighted that Ms Alley Weston will be teaching P6 during Ms Sarah’s maternity leave. Ms Alley will be working closely with Ms Sarah in December to ensure that the transition runs smoothly. Ms Sarah will return in quarter 4 to run the PYP Exhibition unit with the students.

IN THIS ISSUE