Arusha Campus News – 24 Nov 17

Sunrise over Mt Kilimanjaro from Little Meru

An early delivery for your newsletter this week as we are about to head off to Moshi for the Sports Weekend extravaganza. This morning we were priviliged to listen to our Director, Dr Marsden (I think we can call her ‘Anna’ from now on!), talk about future plans for ISM and the Arusha Campus. She shared the current developments on our UWC journey and I speculate that this slide (right) which appeared in her show, perhaps resonated most loudly with her audience. ‘Imagine finishing school at UWC’. We have considerable work ahead of us but the prospect is the reality.

And this brings me back to our Sports Weekend, which I have explained to the students, is their chance to gain an insight into what a UWC in Moshi and Arusha will feel like. Large numbers of young people from diverse backgrounds with a multitude of talents, and weaknesses – all of whom are engaged in activity and conversation and not always through devices and screens! Through such interaction true understanding of one another is accomplished.

Phil

It was great to return to Arusha after a week away: absence really makes you appreciate what an amazing community we have here. My trip to Europe to carry out a CIS/MSA accreditation has given me new ideas and perspectives with which to look at ISM with fresh eyes, but also reaffirms what a very special school we have here.

As we head towards the Secondary Moshi Sports Weekend and its associated excitement, we have had a busy week across ISM Arusha Campus. P3 visited Shanga to look at glass making, M5 participated in a Personal Project report writing workshop and P2 visited the Aga Khan complex. 

On Tuesday all Arusha teaching staff and teaching assistants participated in a bullying workshop with Keri Kinabo; this was a followup to the workshop offered to parents earlier in the semester. We will now begin to work with students, starting after the December break through the Life Skills programme in Secondary. Keri is also working within the Primary school.

Have a great weekend and we wish all our sports weekend participants good luck,

Darren

The Drummer Boy by Zakeer Mohammedi M2
Peer reviewed by Musa M2, Bram and Asad M1
On Saturday my class went on a camping trip to Richmond Castle. We were supposed to camp in a field by the river but it had flooded so our teachers said we had to camp in the castle. As we sat around the camp fire that night, our guide told us a story about a drummer boy who got lost in the tunnels beneath the castle. Although everyone searched for him they never found his body…
When we went to sleep in our tents that night everyone felt a little scared. In the middle of the night I suddenly woke up and I needed to go to the toilet. I tried to wake Musa, Bram and Asad but they didn’t wake up so I had to go alone. When I went near to the castle I heard boom, boom, boom…boom!
Suddenly I saw a small boy on the top of the castle with an old rusty drum and he was drumming it. Then I remembered the story that we were told about the drummer boy and I felt scared. All of a sudden the drumming stopped and then this time when it started again it was coming nearer and nearer to me but the boy stayed on the top of the wall.
When I turned around to run away there was a piece of paper on the ground. I picked it up and I read, ‘You found me’. I was frightened and I ran to my tent as fast as possible. The noise still continued and when I got into my tent I covered myself with my blankets and I tried to go to sleep…but I couldn’t. It was a very long night.
Boom, boom, boom…boom!

On Friday, November 17, ten students from Arusha campus along with an additional two students from Moshi set off to begin the long climb to Little Meru peak. Prepared for rain, we met nothing but sunshine and scattered clouds throughout the three breath-taking days(figuratively and at times literally!) . Each morning and evening supplied us with outstanding views of Kilimanjaro, cast in every imaginable shade of warm color. All of the adult staff were delighted to see a high level of teamwork and peer support exhibited by students as well as regulated patience and perseverance through the steep, high-altitude trek. On the second day, every participant successfully summited Little Meru at 3820 meters and after a good night’s rest, descended to Momella gate where we were greeted by several trays of much-appreciated pizza. Thank you to all who made this a successful OP trip. Well done M2s!

The P4/5 students did a great job sharing an invention from a past civilization and its modern version.  We were able to see how the ancient civilizations have contributed to our society today and how their legacy lives on!

On Monday EC had a fantastic safari in Arusha National Park. We learned about the different habitats within the park. On the grasslands/savannah, we saw giraffe, buffalo, warthogs, waterbucks zebra and different birds including egrets and crowned cranes. Throughout the drive we saw many baboons which were the highlight for many.

As we entered the forest (or jungle as some called it) we were very lucky to see some of the famous colobus monkeys. Some very good watchers also spotted red duiker and dik diks. Arnold and Pierre were also great at listening out for different birds and insect sounds. This was followed by lunch with the hippos. A great day out had by all!

The Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya is home to 183,543 people including a majority of school-age children. In the camp, one teacher can be teaching up to 200 students at a time and education is the only way out. The camp was created in 1992 for those fleeing conflict in Sudan, Ethiopia and Somalia. Since then, it has grown to nearly four times its intended capacity of 58,000 and the camp is in need of qualified teachers to teach the growing number of refugee children.

In response to this crisis, a teacher training programme has been set up as an online blended learning platform to train new secondary teachers in the Kakuma refugee camp. The training  programme is a shared initiative between the International School of Moshi (ISM),  Utrecht University of Applied Sciences, Windle Trust, Xavier Projects, UNHCR, UNESCO and Moi University in Nairobi.

To read more about this enterprise, read Ms Larpent’s article in the IB Community Blog https://blogs.ibo.org/blog/2017/11/04/education-is-a-way-out/

Next week we will send out a special newsletter which shows a portfolio of the work that our glorious PTA have achieved this year. Here is a brief taster. Allow me to take the opprtunity to record my sincere thanks for their amazing work. We really are very lucky to have such supportive ‘volunteers’ to help enhance our school.

At the end of the first semester each year we take time to recognise and celebrate our ancillary and support staff, for all the work they do to make our campus safe and a wonderful place to be. The Social Committee organise a party and gifts for each of the 52 staff. If you would like to contribute towards these gifts (funds or goods e.g flour, sugar, teabags, rice) there will be a wrapped box in the Main Reception for any donations.

Thank you very much for your support

ISMAC Social Committee

If your child would like to have German lessons, Maximilian Spoula a native German speaker has recently moved to Arusha. Please contact him on +255 679 751427 or max.spoula@gmail.com

Many of you will remember Mariam Issa who was one of our successful diploma graduates last year. Mariam is still in Arusha preparing to go to University next year. 

Mariam is offering maths coaching to Primary students who may need the extra help.

If you are interested, please email Mariam on mariamarreray456@gmail.com or see your class teacher who can arrange this with Mariam directly.

Calling all Parents! If you have an old generator, water pump, alternator, starter or in fact any kind of electrical wound motor – then Rajabu, our electrical fundi here at ISMAC would be interested in taking it off your hands as he develops his auto-electric skills.

Please send any such unwanted devices to Caroline or Phil in the main office.

Asanteni sana!