Moshi Campus News – 30 Aug 2015

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.

This Friday, 4th September at 7pm, we hope to welcome Chaeli Mycroft, who is this week aiming to become the first female quadriplegic to climb Kilimanjaro. It is hoped that many of our boarders can celebrate her success on Friday in Karibu Hall. Day students and parents are also welcome. You can read more about Chaeli on CNN at www.uwcea.org/dip93 or on her own website at www.discoverafrica.com/teamwork.

The Science department have a busy programme planned over the next few weeks. Firstly we welcome our new Chemistry and ESS teacher Mrs Doreen Ogello, to the department.
Next week 7th and 8th September we will be hosting a visit from Aston University, UK, who will be bringing their Microbiology Roadshow to ISM. This is an interactive workshop spread over the 2 mornings designed to showcase some of the different university and career aspects of microbiology; there will be lectures and discussions on careers in the field and practical studies of superbugs, foodborne infections and investigative techniques. This will be attended by all our diploma Biology and Chemistry students and some M5 students.
From 8th to 11th September the M4 students will be on an interdisciplinary fieldtrip to combine scientific investigation with mathematical analysis of data. The Moshi and Arusha M4 classes will combine for this and camp for 3 nights at Simba Farm in West Kilimanjaro, where they will investigate various sites to determine the effect of climate on vegetation and look for correlations in the data they collect. This is a great trip in a beautiful location that shows students how scientific techniques can be applied out in the field and then synthesized with mathematics to help understand the relationships discovered.
In the classroom and laboratory our MYP and DP programmes continue apace. M1 are currently learning laboratory techniques and safe operating practices; they will soon be moving on to learn about some of the major historical milestones in scientific discovery. The M2 students are building electrical circuits in every lesson and performing investigations into the relationship between current and voltage. M3 are looking at genetics; have already extracted the DNA from tomatoes and have calculated that the DNA from a single human would reach past our Sun!
In Biology, M4 are preparing for their science and maths trip to West Killi and to this end have been learning about nutrient flow and biomass, whereas the M5 students were recently engaged in a discussion about creativity versus evolution as part of their current unit about Natural Selection and how life began on Earth.
In Physics M4 are currently consolidating their understanding of heat energy transfer and will be looking at practical applications of the effects of heating (or cooling) materials, including study of the behaviour of gases under different temperatures and pressures. M5 are learning about radioactivity and will be looking at the myriad practical applications and uses of ionizing radioactivity, moving on to study Nuclear Power.
Our D2 students are busy with study and coursework, they will soon be undertaking their Individual Assignments which will take the form of a personally chosen 10 hour investigation in each of the sciences that they study, with a full and detailed report to be submitted and marked for inclusion in their IB final grade.
We have also welcomed a strong cohort of D1 diploma students into our department and after a brief introductory period we are now established in delivering the first units of the courses they have chosen to study. We know that they have a tough challenge ahead but hopefully we can make it enjoyable, enriching and rewarding.

We have a number of university visits in the next few weeks, designed to increase the exposure of our students to university choices and expectations: Aston University (UK) Microbiology Lab 7th and 8th September. See details above.
UK University Fair On Wednesday, 9th September, a large group of UK universities will be presenting in Karibu Hall at 2:30pm. Universities expected to attend are Anglia Ruskin, Aston, Bedfordshire, Birmingham City, Bradford, Brunel, Central Lancashire, Coventry, De Montford, Dundee, Glasgow, Hertfordshire, Keele, Kent, Middlesex, Newscastle, Northampton, Northumbria, Nottingham, Portsmouth, Salford, South Wales, Sunderland. Other similar fairs will be held at ISM Arusha Campus on 9th September at 8:30am, and in the Serena Hotel, Dar es Salaam on Saturday, 12th September.
Harvard and MIT Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) will be presenting to our diploma students on Wednesday, 23rd September at 9am. They will also be presenting to our Arusha Campus students at 12:30pm the day before.

Our PYP musicians have started off the year with much energy and enthusiasm. Because our PYP program has expanded this year, we are very pleased to welcome Ms. Annalee as a music teacher for our EC, P1/2 and P2/3 classes! The EC children have been learning many new songs as well as well as investigating our central idea: “Learning is an important part of our lives”. They have been thinking a lot about what is learnt in music; see the attached photo for all of their ideas. P1/2 started the year focusing on what ‘loud’ and ‘soft’ mean in music as well as concentrating on the importance of keeping a steady beat (heartbeat) when singing or playing an instrument. Last week they began exploring our Central Idea in music; “We use dance as a way of keeping our bodies healthy.” P2/3 started developing their understanding of pitch, dynamics and rhythm through singing, clapping and movement activities in addition to focusing on their Central Idea, “Our host country has its own distinct musical style”. They did this through learning a song about Tanzania and working on dance steps typical of those incorporated into African dance. If you know any local dancers who would be willing to come and perform to the class please contact Ms. Annalee as soon as possible.
After taking a couple weeks to get their minds back into the ‘music routine’ of singing individually and as a group and decoding songs to discover all of their musical parts, our older PYP students are dipping into new ideas, topics, and units of inquiry. P4, in addition to learning new songs which will help to uncover new pitches and rhythms, is focusing on how we can use music as an historical artefact to learn a little about ourselves and times of the past. After brainstorming about the age of music, they are beginning to compare and contrast qualities of old and new music. P5 musicians are looking at how and why we choose to use music to express ourselves, a big topic that they have narrowed down by coming up with “I wonder…” questions. These will drive the learning in the rest of their unit. Finally, in P6, students are looking to find their own musical heroes who can teach them a little bit about being a better musician and person. After brainstorming a list of musical heroes, they will determine what musical qualities these people possess and how those qualities have helped them along their journey.
For parents who have children involved in our Private Music Lesson Program, please take note of the following starting and ending dates that our program will run during each quarter of the 2015-2016 school year: Quarter 1: August 17 – October 15 Quarter 2: November 2 – December 17 Quarter 3: January 18 – March 17 Quarter 4: April 11 – June 10
Musically yours, Susan Kellerman ISM Music Teacher and Program Coordinator

You can still recycle plastic bottles at ISM. We have partnered with Pamoja Tunaweza, a local charity that works with unemployed young people, who are collecting our plastic waste and selling it to make some money for their organisation. The collection point is the container pictured, which is near the bottom of the main car park, making it an easy place to deposit your plastic bottles. All types are accepted: water, soda, shampoo, cooking oil, washing soap, bleach, motor oil and so on. It is very helpful if they are clean and squashed to reduce their volume. If you are not sure, check whether the bottom of the container says PET, PETE, HDPE or PE on it. Unfortunately other types, such as LDPE, PP and PS, cannot be collected. We hope to continue to collect a steady stream of plastic bottles and stop them being burned or ending up in landfill!

LEOPARDS SPLIT AGAINST ORKEESWA On Saturday, Orkeeswa travelled to ISM to play a double header of Junior Boys and Senior Boys Basketball. After only 2 practices, the friendly games were a good test to see what we need to work on for the upcoming seasons. ISM easily won the Junior Boys game 35-19. The Senior Boys Game went into overtime after a tie at full time; but the boys lost a close one 34-38. Thanks to all our fans who came out to support the teams. Go Leopards!

Dear Swimmers and Parents, This week saw two important milestones achieved by many trying out for the Varsity Team. On separate days, swimmers completed 10x100m freestyle, and 10x100m individual medley main sets to round out what was a very challenging, but important week in the development of each athlete. This will serve as a benchmark reference for the more challenging test set that will happen in two weeks time between Moshi and Arusha campus swimmers.
Most swimming parents will have recieved a letter about the upcoming National Championships in Zanzibar that includes cost estimates. We will be competing with the Arusha group as one team, combining swimmers on relays and earning points as one group. As such, we want to field a strong team with as many swimmers as possible. Please forward any questions to and respond as soon as possible, as we must begin to consider entries and travel arrangements.
Our competition calendar, code of conduct, individual goals, and information for swimming parents on how to support your child is contained in the handouts given to each swimmer at the start of the year. I encourage you to sit and read through the information together whenever time permits.
Other upcoming important dates: Sat 12 Sept 2015 – Pending final approval – Varsity swimmers (primary and secondary) travel to Arusha for an inter-school competition. 8:30-10:30am. Bus returns by 1pm. Week of Sept 7-11, 2015 – Test Set vs Arusha. More details to follow. Sept 25-27, 2015 – National Championships in Zanzibar
Important reminders: All swimmers who competed on the ISM team last year (primary and secondary) were ordered a personalized swimming hat with their last name on it. The cost (TSh 20,000 or $10) needs to be recouped by Ms. Farrell. Please see her for your personalized ISM cap!
Morning swimmers are reminded of the need to pay TSh 2,000 for each session to pay for an early shift from our lifeguard. This is collected at the end of each Semester. All Varsity swimmers are highly encouraged to attend all practices, as this will significantly increase your fitness level and likelihood of making the team.
Trips to Arusha for competitions will incur a TSh 20,000 fee per person to cover the return transportation cost. See you in the pool! Coach Sullivan, Coach Mary, Coach Sabini

The Moshi PA held their first committee meeting of the year last week – you can read the minutes at www.uwcea.org/ism-parents/parent-documents. Please note that you may need a password to access and this is available from the Head of Campus. The next PA Committee Meeting is on 21st September at 8am, and this will be followed by a picnic for all parents and teachers on Saturday, 26th September.

D2 full diploma students will submit on Wednesday, September 9th their Extended Essay (EE) draft. The one and one half points of the 45 total points for a full diploma student that comprises the value of the EE portion takes on more significance when one reflects on how in each of the past several years at least one of ISM grads who failed the IB DP missed attaining it by one point! The final version will be submitted on Wednesdy, November 3rd.
Parental encouragement of D2 full diploma students related to a quality (and academic honesty-guided) EE is invaluable. May I highlight two areas related to the EE Assessment Criteria? A) “holistic judgment” – Four of the 36 points come from “holistic judgment” which the IB defines as “the qualities that distinguish an essay from the average, such as intellectual initiative, depth of understanding and insight. While these qualities will be clearly present in the best work, less successful essays may also show some evidence of them and should be rewarded under this criterion.” B) “Formal Presentation” – Another four of the 36 points come from “Formal Presentation” which is “This criterion assesses the extent to which the layout, organization, appearance and formal elements of the essay consistently follow a standard format. The formal elements are: title page, table of contents, page numbers, illustrative material, quotations, documentation (including references, citations and bibliography) and appendices”.
The regular Theory of Knowledge, Life Skills and CAS activities of DP students keep our young people engaged, focused and involved.
The excellence that underlies IB DP education appears to be driving a continued growth in terms of more schools taking it on worldwide – over 2,500 schools now offer it. Read more interesting IB stats at: www.ibo.org/en/about-the-ib/facts-and-figures.
ISM College Counselor, Daryl Rustad, addressed both the D1 and D2 classes this week. D1 and D2 parents (who have not done so) should arrange a meeting with Mr Daryl Rustad so things remain on track for your child’s post-ISM higher education plans. Write him at .
D1 Life Skills classes watched an inspiring TED Talk this week by Angela Lee Duckworth: The key to success? Grit. www.youtube.com/watch?v=H14bBuluwB8 and we also dialogued and reached agreement on the sanctions for the inappropriate behavior of swearing.
DP Teachers met in their regular meeting this week and collaboratively analyzed ways to incorporate elements of Theory of Knowledge and CAS (Creativity, Activity and Service) in regular subject lessons.
Feel free to write me with any questions, concerns or constructive criticism! Rick Fitzpatrick – Diploma Coordinator

What is PYP Action? As part of the IB Primary Years Programme it is believed that education must extend beyond the intellectual and include not only sociably responsible attitudes but also thoughtful and appropriate action. This action ought to be engaging and purposeful. It is intended that successful inquiry (asking and answering questions) will lead to responsible action (caring for the community and the environment). The best kind of action is that initiated by the student as a result of the learning process, i.e. not something imposed by the teacher or parent. This action will extend the student’s learning.
Action will look different within each age range. For very young children (EC – P3 students) it might include saving water by turning off the tap, helping up a friend who has fallen over, reading with a sibling, playing with someone who feels left out on the playground etc. For older children (P4 – P6 students) it might include recycling rubbish, helping in a local school, running a fitness group for friends and relatives, sourcing and planting native trees etc. Effective action does not need to be grandiose. On the contrary, it begins at the most immediate and basic level; with self; within the family; within the classroom and the playground. Even very young children can have strong feelings about fairness and justice.
Teachers and parents can help with student initiated action by creating opportunities and encouraging service to the community and the environment. Action may be taken by an individual student or a group working collaboratively. Through such service students are able to grow personally and socially, developing skills such as cooperation, problem solving, conflict resolution and creative and critical thinking. Kate Schermbrucker | PYP Coordinator (Source: Making the PYP Happen)

Playground Rules A reminder of our No-Hat-No-Play rule. Please ensure that students all have a hat for break and lunchtime play.
Swim Squad & Intermediate Swim Team On Saturday, 12th September we are hoping to send a primary swim team to the Arusha Campus for a swim meet. The selected team (from the Swim Squad and Intermediate Team) will get a letter home this week. Our Monday Swim Squad are now swimming on Wednesday lunchtime 1.30-2.00pm as well, to get their fitness up. Our Tuesday Intermediate Swim Team will also be doing an optional lunchtime swim session on Monday 1.30-2.00pm.
Swimming in PE lessons P4, P5 and P6 class swimming lessons will start this week. Please ensure your child has their swimming kit. We won’t start class swimming with EC, P1/2 or P2/3 until later in September when the water gets warmer.

Unit of Inquiry Last week we looked at photographs of the different learning areas within our classroom and have begun to brainstorm what we learn in each place. We will continue to inquire into this as we encourage children to explore areas of the classroom that they are not so familiar with and reflect on what they learn there.
Please continue to discuss new learning opportunities with your child and let me know if they talk about their learning, for example when you are baking together or playing outside. It’s always encouraging if the children make connections with what they are learning at school with what they are doing at home.
Literacy Our ‘Sounds museum’ is up and running. Please send in objects beginning with a, c and d. Next week we will find out about the letter sounds h and m made by Harry Hat Man and Munching Mike. Please remember that we teach letter sounds not letter names and model this when you are writing in front of your child. We have some fun art projects lined up for this week to help the children learn their letter sounds!
Writing this week will be focused on children explaining what they learn outside school. Many thanks to those parents who have filled in their forms. Please send this in on Monday if you haven’t already done so.
Numeracy Data handling Last week we made a graph to show the children’s favourite place to learn within the classroom. This week the children will look at the graph and answer questions, comparing results. Measurement of Time; Understand weekly and daily routines at school. Children will continue to learn the days of the week and months of the year. They will make their own timetable of what they need to bring to school each day as we discuss routines of the school week. Number This week we will focus on one to one correspondence when counting objects as well as ordering numbers to 5/10 or 20 depending on the level of the child.
Things to remember PE shoes and House T-shirts to be worn on Monday and Friday Library bags to be returned on Tuesday and Thursday All children must wear a hat for playtime.

Information for Parents We have a late start on Friday. School will begin at 10:35, and we will dismiss as usual at 12:35. Teachers will be in meetings that morning.
We need your help on Friday. This week we will be learning about eating nutritious foods. On Friday I think it would be fun to bring a snack to share. Instead of sending an individual snack for your child that day, please send something that your child can share with another child. The point of this is healthful foods, so of course, please make sure what you send would be a good example of a healthful snack. I think the children will enjoy a chance to share, and they will show what they know about nutrition.
Language focus for the week This week our Group 1 children will be working on beginning sounds. Our Group 2 children will be working with the blend sn. Of course, all of the children will be reading every day.
Maths focus for the week The Group 1 children will be working with numbers up to 12 this week. They will make numbers with toys and other manipulatives, draw numbers, and write them as well. The Group 2 children will be working on number bonds for 9, 10, and 11.
Unit of Inquiry We will study nutrition this week. We will learn about about nutritious foods, create a balanced menu, and of course eat healthful foods at our special Friday snack time.
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)

This week we finished our Tinga Tinga felt tip designs which have been displayed along the walk way outside our classroom. Some children have been bringing in Tinga Tinga story books from home and we have enjoyed reading these. Next week we are looking forward to meeting with four Tinga Tinga artists and creating our own paintings.
On Thursday and Friday we watched a film all about a cameraman working in the Serengeti. The students worked in groups of five children to then create their own short play. Some played the role of the cameraman/woman, some were animals and some were drivers or pilots. They had a lot of fun and showed that they had understood many aspects of the film. They displayed good communication and collaboration skills. They were also able to provide each other with useful peer feedback, i.e. what they liked about the dramas and what could be improved for next time.
In PE we have been practising our throwing and jumping technique in preparation for the ISM Primary Sports Day.
On Friday 4th September (Late Start Day) we would like everyone in the class to come to school dressed in Tanzanian clothing so that we can learn more about the culture of this country.
Unit: Transdisciplinary Theme: Where we are in place and time Central Idea: Our host country has its own unique identity On Tuesday we are looking forward to welcoming four artists from Moshi who will help us create our own individual Tinga Tinga designs.
English focus for the week: Question marks and exclamation marks.           -dge words, e.g. badge, edge, bridge, dodge, fudge
Maths focus for the week: Repeating patterns and tessellation. We will relate this to the repeating patterns found on Tanzanian kanga fabrics.
What to bring to school every day: A hat, a water bottle and a healthy snack.
How you can help at home: Please read with your child for 15 minutes per day. Give the children lots of positive encouragement as they read with you and please write about what they read in the yellow communication books. Thank you!
The Week Ahead: Monday: Homework will be sent home | PE lesson (students should wear their ISM house t-shirt, shorts, sports shoes and socks) Tuesday: Tinga Tinga Art Session | Library session Thursday: PE lesson (students should wear their ISM house t-shirt, shorts, sports shoes and socks) Friday: Late start (students to arrive at 10.35) | Students to dress in Tanzanian clothes, e.g. kanga, kikoy, Masaai shuka | Homework due in
NB: Swimming sessions for P2/3 will start on Monday 14th September. Kate Schermbrucker – P2/3 Teacher and PYP Coordinator

P4s had an eventful week. We had Hugo and Lisa celebrating their birthdays this week. We wish you both a great year ahead!
Language Arts – We have been doing free writing so far and students have been able to apply the pre-writing strategy. In the coming week, we will take a closer look at drafts we have written, learn about editing and find out more about tools we can use to help us e.g. dictionaries and thesauri. This skill will be useful across all subjects where writing is required.
Math – There is usually a myriad of activities going on during Math class and it has been fun using different strategies to work out addition and subtraction problems. In the Number system we continue looking at Place Value in connection to regrouping. Some students are looking at forming numbers using manipulatives before embarking on written exercises. In measurement, we continue to look at timelines in connection to historic dates and what they mean e.g. AD or BC
Unit of Inquiry (UOI) – Students are enjoying the connections between the past and the present. They have taken their time looking at different artefacts that have represented the past and also present times. We continue to look at events, traditions and ideas that we have adopted from the past and how these influence the way we live today.


P.E. – students have been learning about different throws and this week looked into skills of jumping. Their scores have been improving both in the throwing and jumping. They also learned two new words in P.E. this week; ‘estimate’ and ‘approach.’

Information for Parents This week has been all about making connections. We have read stories and made connections to other stories that we read and to situations that have hap-pened in our own lives. We have also been working on connecting multiplication and division. Swimming will start for P5 students next week so please make sure you send their swimming kits on Thursday.
Language focus for the week I am encouraged by how well the students are doing in carrying through capital letters into their everyday writing. Next week we will focus on what makes a sen-tence complete and practice identifying complete and incomplete sentences. Students will be reviewing various reading skills in small groups as I meet with children individually to read with them and discuss their reading goals for the school year.
Maths focus for the week Students are further developing their ideas of multiplication and division. Our “big idea” is that rules of divisibility are based on number patterns. We will be investigating prime and composite numbers and writing the prime factorization of composite numbers. We will also begin to learn divisibility rules.

Unit of Inquiry Last week the students were presented with different controversial topics such as; should students have homework every night, should kids be allowed to have a TV in their bedroom, etc. Students will begin working on their summative assessment projects by choosing one of these topics and developing different ways to express heir opinion. We will also practise expressing ourselves through performances of familiar stories.
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 (please make sure you have a swimming costume, towel, and flip flops) Friday Library (please remember to bring your books)

This week we have focused on the idea of Role-models – defining the meaning and sharing ideas. We discussed experiences and reading material, and watched short-videos, about how role-models can influence and inspire us to be better people. In IT students have used a child-safe search engine to research a famous person they consider to be a good role-model/hero. In English we have continued reading biographical accounts and practised writing a variety of sentences – simple and complex – to make our writing more interesting. We have been reading and writing big numbers, working towards understanding and applying place value up to millions and 3 decimal points. In PE we took measurements of our throwing distances and reflected on how our technique can be improved, as well as what we can learn from the various small games played.
Unit of Inquiry: We look to heroes to show us who we can be. Next week the students will start learning about the art form Pop Art and printing techniques, using bright abstract colours. This knowledge and skills will eventually be used by students to produce a piece of Pop-artwork that features a chosen hero. As well as this, students will continue to research and prepare for their final presentation in a couple of weeks.
Maths focus: Negative numbers, coordinates and translation across the four quadrants. Mental maths will focus on areas previous introduced: place value of digits and rapid recall of multiplication/division facts.
Language focus: Students will begin writing biographies on their chosen hero, focused on structuring the text using subheads and on writing in a variety of sentences.
Please note that Friday 4th September is a late start day and lessons start at 10:35.

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