Moshi Campus News – 13 Mar 2016

All are invited to our Diploma Art exhibition at Kishari House which will be open from Monday, 14th to Wednesday, 16th March.

Classes will finish for this quarter on Friday, 18th March and students will be free to leave school from 10:15am. On that day there will be an end of quarter assembly in Karibu Hall from 9:15 to 10:15.
All secondary students will receive reports for this quarter on Thursday, 17th March. For students in M1-D1 these will be interim reports only and a full report will be issued in June. D2 students will receive full reports this month. We welcome all secondary parents to our parent-teacher meetings in Karibu Hall on Friday, 18th March from 10:35am to 12 noon. If you would like to receive digital copy of your child’s report by email, please contact Totty Aris on after 17th March to request this.
Please be advised that families who have not yet finalised payment of fees for this quarter will not receive their child’s report.
Q3 assembly – We looking forward to another celebration assembly from 09.15-10.15 on Friday 18 March. Our primary students will all be joining in the fun with a final performance. We will celebrate all the student successes this quarter, IB Learner profile certificates, OP certificates, Sports celebrations and some student performances. Parents are most welcome. School will end at 10.15, however if you are a secondary parent and need to see teachers then your primary child can stay in a primary classroom under supervision until 12.00.
Secondary Parent-Teacher Meetings – All our secondary teachers will be available for a face-face consultation on Friday in Karibu Hall between 10:35am and 12 noon; if you wish to make this a Three way Conference and bring your child you are most welcome.
Primary Student-Led Conferences – Primary students will not receive written reports this quarter, but parents are invited to their child’s student-led conference on Thursday, 17th March. There will be no regular primary classes on that day. Please come with your child at your allotted time. You will bring your child, spend the session looking at their work with them and then leave with your child.

In Quarter 4, clubs will take place as usual from Mondays to Thursdays between 2pm and 3pm. Please discuss your child’s choices and submit their Primary Club choices for Q4 by the end of this weekend. Each child may take three clubs (if they are a boarder 3 + 1 Homework). Where possible we will try to allocate your child’s first choices; however he/she may end up with a second choice. The deadline for submitting your choices is Monday 14 March.
You will need to select your child’s choices for Clubs by going to:
www.uwcea.org/clubs
and completing the form on that page. The final allocations will be passed to students at the Student Led Conferences on Thursday 17 March.
Please note that primary clubs for quarter 3 will end of Tuesday, 15th March.

The Primary Informance Concert takes place in Karibu Hall on Wednesday, 16th March at 6:30pm.
Ms Alley – P6 maternity leave We are very grateful to Ms Alley Weston’s enthusiasm and creativity in her P6 classroom this quarter. The children have thrived in the positive atmosphere created in the lessons. We wish her all the best in the future and look forward to Ms Sarah’s return to P6 after the break.
Head Lice – We are trying to be very pro-active about combatting head lice in primary. Please use the holiday to check and comb your child’s hair daily so that they return ‘nit-free’ after the break. A reminder that all children with long hair should wear it tied up.

On Thursday, March 17th from 2:45pm, our riders will be showing off their skills at a Horse Show at the stables. All are welcome to watch.

This marked the last weekend of this quarter. A number of activities were organised, among them, a CAS drama presentation titled A Raisin in the Sun, which was staged last Thursday and Friday. There was also a CAS charity bash on Saturday afternoon. Other activities were planned on campus for those who were around.
This is a final reminder to parents who have not sent us travel plans for the boarders, to do so, especially if they are travelling out of Kilimanjaro region. We appreciate those who have done so. Information can be sent by email to . School closes on Friday 18th of March, and boarders return on Sunday, 10th of April.

Next quarter, classes will begin at 7:30am on Monday, 11th April. Boarders should return to school on Sunday, 10th April.
Our D2 students will have two weeks of formal classes next quarter until Friday, 22nd April. They will then have a week of study time before commencing their final IB diploma examinations.
The school office will be open during the holidays as usual. However please note that Friday, 25th March (Good Friday), Monday 28th March (Easter Monday) and Thursday 7th April (Karume Day) are all national public holidays.

Coach Sabini is kindly offering swim training to any P2-6 students who wish to keep their fitness up. This will be at 11.00-12.30pm on the following days: Monday 21 March, Tuesday 22 March, Wednesday 23 March, Thursday 24 March, Tuesday 29 March, Wednesday 30 March, Thursday 31 March, Friday 1 April, Monday 4 April, Tuesday 5 April, Wednesday 6 April, Friday 8 April.

Congratulations to our primary and secondary swimming teams who travelled to St Constantine’s school yesterday for a regional swimming tournament. Our primary students took second place to Arusha Campus, whilst our secondary students came in third.
The senior team started the day buoyed by the strong second place finish from the primary students earlier in the morning. The atmosphere was electric poolside as the final relays were swum amidst cheers from the fans. Coach Noah and Coach Sabini have done an incredible job with that group, and that was evident in the poise demonstrated by such young swimmers. Excellent results and a fitting conclusion that saw the P6s – who will be trying out for the senior team next year – mixing with their mentors in the senior group.
One of our senior swimmers, Maria, swam with the primary group as a 12-year old and was a big part of the relay squad and individual events. We wanted to give the primary swimmers a chance to swim in the 11-12 age group, and by doing so, some of our other 12-year olds (Silipa, Aselya, and Pauline) swam in the U14 category. Competitions are not all about winning, team points, or personal bests. Athletes must strike an important balance between striving for excellence and sacrificing for others. These girls did so admirably, and thus embodied the true essence of sport, to encourage participation from all individuals at all levels. For me, team points are an exciting part of any competition, but acts of kindness, generosity, and sportsmanship, like I saw from these three athletes (and others) are what define athleticism.
A more detailed list of performances will be added to the next newsletter once we have results from the meet. Participants for the varsity team included: Alicia, Sanne, Sally, Maria, Roos, Freddy, Chris F, Lianne, Kyle, Silipa, Aselya, Felicity, Shawn, Oshin, Alex M, Susanne W, Christine W, Pauline N, Nandi, and Laura. The team ended up third place after very strong relay performances from ISMAC and Braeburn turned the points in the favor. Overall, it was an excellent meet with a great feeling among the swimmers in the pool.
Thanks to all the parents who have stated their interest in the Mwanza swim meet. We have close to 20 swimmers traveling with the team for our final competition of the year. Parents who have not responded are reminded of the Mon 14 Mar 2016 deadline for replies (email confirmation to Ryan Sullivan and email confirmation of payment to Rakesh Velji in Finance).
Varsity swimmers must plan to train during the holidays. Three weeks is a long time to go without formal pool training, but the impact of this can be reduced with regular dry land to keep up cardio and strength levels. I will work with each individual on their plan for the holidays. Swim families will receive an email about practices during the break that will fall between March 28-April 2, and April 5-10. Swimmers staying in Moshi can plan for workouts on those days. Times TBA.
Wishing all a happy and active holiday – a chance to catch up on sleep and work while staying fit to ensure strong performances in Mwanza. Ryan Sullivan

On Thursday and Friday evenings we were treated to an excellent production of “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry. This drama had been conceived, produced, directed, and acted entirely by a student Creativity group with almost no teacher involvement and they deserve a high level of praise for the quality of their performance. Congratulations to all for their strong acting and thanks to Lydia, Lianne, Oputjo, Junayna and Libby for their direction and hard work.
   

We were all impressed by many of the projects undertaken by our M3 scientists and exhibited last week in Karibu Hall. Many had developed creative and interesting projects and demonstrated a clear understanding of the scientific method. Thanks to their teacher and guide, Dr Zoe McIvor, for all the work that she put in, and thanks also to all the other science teachers who supported and advised the students.  

How can we make a piñata for a party?
This sounds like a job for the MYP Design Cycle Process. The M4 design class has been doing just that over the past few weeks. They have been busy researching, designing, and creating piñatas in small groups.
The unit began with students researching the origins of piñatas. Did you know that piñatas originated in China hundreds of years ago? Neither did I! The tradition was brought to Europe through trade routes and took hold in Spain. Students in M4 design also researched methods used to make piñatas.
Using what they learned from their research, the M4 design students designed piñatas for a specific target audience. The target audience will get to break open the piñata at a party. If you’re lucky, you might be part of one of the target groups. Have you been invited to a party lately? There’s nothing like combining violence with candy.
Constructing the piñatas has been a challenging but rewarding task. The M4 design students used their excellent problem solving skills to overcome all the obstacles they faced through the piñata construction process. At times, it was messy. Sometimes, the work was sticky. There were even times when the work was smelly. But, the students persevered by constantly holding the idea of a finished piñata in their minds.
The unit will finish when the students present their piñatas to their target audience at a party. After the partygoers break the piñata, the students will collect data from their target audience by having them take surveys. This will probably suck some of the fun out of the party, but is a necessary part of the MYP Design curriculum.

As we come to the end of quarter, there are a lot of activities happening in the Music Program. All of the MYP classes have been busy completing the summative tasks for their respective units, ranging from performing Samba (M1) and Cha Cha (M3) music to creating Body Percussion compositions (M2 – see the photo for the some of the finished products) to demonstrating knowledge of the development of rock music to talking about how master composers tell stories through their music. PYP musicians have been preparing the annual performance of the Kilimanjaro song for everyone at the Quarter 3 assembly on Friday. Be prepared to hear and see and new and improved version!
We would also like to invite all PYP parents to the Primary Music “Informance” this Wednesday, March 16 at 6:30pm in Karibu Hall. This will be an opportunity for you to have a “behind-the-scenes” look at what actually happens in our weekly primary music classes. Be prepared for some audience participation as well, as we put into practice how music is very much a communal activity.
Lastly, I’d like to remind you that the last day for private music lessons in Quarter 3 will be Thursday, March 17. Private lessons will resume in Quarter 4 on Monday, April 11. Musically yours, Susan Kellerman ISM Music Teacher and Program Coordinator

Save the date. If you are leaving Moshi this summer or would just like to have a good clear out of your belongings then this is the event for you. The brownies will be holding a garage sale in Karibu Hall on Saturday June 4th from 10am until 12.30pm. More details of how to book your table nearer the time.

News:

Nineteen top Tanzanian students interviewed on Friday for the four ISM DP full 2-year scholarships (two on Arusha campus and two on Moshi campus)[See group photo]

D1 students writing an Extended Essay submitted their research questions that form the basis of their EE.

Upcoming events:

Parent-teacher meeting (last day of classes 3rd quarter) – Fri May 18th – 10:30am-12:00pm

First day of class of 4th quarter – Mon April 11th

Last day of classes for D2s before study week – Fri April 22nd

Official IB exams – Monday May 2nd to Friday May 19th.

Graduation Dinner – Friday May 20th at 6:30 PM – AMEG Lodge – ISM pays for ticket cost for D2 graduates + parents. Tsh 30,000 for other family members.

Graduation – Saturday May 21st at 2:00 PM
Rick Fitzpatrick, DP Coordinator

Unit of inquiry We will finish the research into life cycles and present to the class in groups later this week as part of the summative assessment
Literacy Writing this week will continue to focus on our summative assessment. The children will also draw/write about their weekend. EC2 will review all long vowel sounds made by Mr A, Mr E, Mr I, Mr O, Mr U for one more week. EC1 are continuing to explore putting letters together to make words and the younger EC1s will find out about the sound b made by Bouncy Ben.

Numeracy We are playing many number games this week so that the children can teach you (the parents) some games on Thursday at the conference. We are still measuring our beans which are growing very well and flowering at the moment. The sunflowers are not doing so well unfortunately. Shopping activities are still a focus and the children are being given problems to solve in our flower shop.
We are looking forward to seeing you on Wednesday for the informance at 6.30. EC children will share their learning first and then you are very welcome to take them home if you don’t have another child in Primary.
Please check your child’s folder for your conference time on Thursday. Maybe it would be helpful if I clarify that it is a student led conference and therefore your child should come with you to school at the appropriate time.
On Friday school will finish directly after the assembly. We are very happy to look after your child if you have to attend the secondary conferences.

Information for Parents On Friday you were sent a time for you to come view your child’s portfolio. The portfolio sharing time will be on Thursday, 17 March. This won’t be a conference with me, but it will be a great chance for you to hear from your child what we’ve been doing. Hope to see you all there.
Here are a few quick reminders for this week:

no school on Thursday, 17 March

Tuesday is the last day for clubs

Friday dismissal will be at 10:30

music informance will be Wednesday evening at 6:30 in Karibu Hall (Your child is singing)

we will walk to Kishari House (off campus) for the art exhibit on Wednesday

Quarter 3 Assembly will start at 9:15 on Friday (all primary will sing together) Karibu!
Language focus for the week We will focus on reading non-fiction this week. Then the children will work together in groups to write reports about what they have learned.
Maths focus for the week We will explore adding and subtracting strategies.
Unit of Inquiry Last week we started our unit about endangered animals. The children seem very excited, and so far they have asked some very good questions. This week we will focus on animal habitats. This will help us understand the needs of animals.
What to bring to school: A hat for playtime and a healthful snack.
Timetable: Monday: Wear proper clothes and shoes for P.E. Tuesday: Bring your library bag.
   

It’s been another varied and fun week in P2/3. The children are really enjoying the new unit about expression and imagination. This week they learned about mime and then mimicked several words or phrases themselves – including freezing cold, colourful and crowded place. They showed good thinking skills and creativity.
We also completed several thinking routines – including Circle of Viewpoints and Zoom In. These routines help us to think more deeply, e.g. about different types of art. This week we interpreted paintings by Dali, Klint and Kandinsky. We also inquired into a dance by a Chinese soloist.
In PE the students completed their final dance session whereby they performed a group dance using all the skills they had learned over previous weeks. This included gestures, canon, unison and other choreographic devices. We have filmed these performances so that we can compare them with the dances they created when they first started the dance component.
In Maths the children have been learning all about perimeter. As well as working out the perimeter of 2D shapes and compound shapes within the classroom; they also carried out an investigation to work out the perimeter of various parts of the campus. They demonstrated good collaborative skills.
This week we enjoyed listening to a story by Townes’ Grandpa who is visiting from the USA. He came in as an extra Surprise Reader, even though Book Week ended last week. The children enjoyed this a great deal and we would like to thank him very much.
Unit of Inquiry: Transdisciplinary Theme: How we express ourselves Central Idea: Images and ideas from our imagination can be expressed in many ways
This week the students will continue to express their creativity through poetry, art and drama. On Tuesday we will also visit the D2 students’ Art Exhibition in order to enjoy and interpret their work. The Art Exhibition is being held in Kishari House and we will walk there from the school campus. The walk each way will take 10 – 15 minutes and will mean leaving ISM with Ms Kate and Ms Catherine.

Mathematics Focus: Classification of 2D and 3D shapes
English Focus: Poetry as a form of expression – rhyme and alliteration
What to bring to school every day: A hat, water bottle, a pair of indoor shoes and a healthy snack.
The Week Ahead: Monday: Swimming session | Homework will be set Tuesday: Library session | Final day of clubs Wednesday: Primary Informance in K-hall (18.30 – 19.15) Thursday: Student Led Conferences – no lessons Friday: Quarter 3 ends at 10.15 for primary students

The students have enjoyed having different people come and talk to them about their service to the underprivileged in different communities. We had Ms Kate who did voluntary work in Mozambique and we also had members of Bhubesi Pride, the visiting rugby group, share their experiences with us. Well done P4s on your presentation this past Friday at the gathering, you did us proud!
Language Arts – this week we are going to look at the structure of letters as we prepare to write to different organizations asking for the kind of needs they have and the kind of support needed. If there are parents who are working with charities, we are kindly asking for your guidance in identifying groups we can support.
Unit of Inquiry – We are going to inquire into the different ways of empowering people in need.
Math – students continue to enjoy the challenge of adding fractions with different denominators. In the coming week some students will continue simplifying fractions as others move to subtracting fractions with different denominators. We will also solve problems using British pounds.

    Information for Parents We will have an exciting, short week to end the quarter. I look forward to seeing you all on Thursday for the student-led conferences. The kids have been busy preparing their portfolios and are excited to share their learning experiences with you. Please remember that there is no school on Thursday and we will have an early dismissal on Friday. I hope you all have an enjoyable and relaxing break.
Language focus for the week We will work mostly on speaking and listening skills this week as we prepare for our student-led conferences. Students will evaluate which pieces of work they most want to share with you and plan why they would like to speak about that particular piece of work.
Maths focus for the week We will take this short week as an opportunity to reflect on our previous learning. Students will look back at the math topics that we have covered over the last quarter and choose something that they feel they need to review. We will also practice doing some daily word problems to increase our problem-solving skills.
Unit of Inquiry This week we will be finding out more about the lasting achievements of ancient civilizations. We will look at concepts or things that we use today that were developed long ago, such as farming, architecture, and writing systems.
What to bring to school: A hat for playtime and a healthful snack.
Timetable: Monday: PE (please wear house T-shirt and trainers) Thursday: No School (Student-led conferences) Friday: Early dismissal

This week was fantastic and I would like to thank Ms. Janice, Mr. Marco and Mr. Ben for coming into our classroom and discussing with the students what Atheism, Christianity and Flower Power mean to them as personal beliefs. The students were able to write down and reflect their learning and even research more about what they were thinking. We have done a lot of measurement with volume and surface area this past week and the students were great at finding out what things they could measure using volume and how to find the surface area of an object. In English, we journaled about our emotions towards our speakers and also spent time finding more research for our summative assessments. The students also learned about perspectives in a certain type of writing and they were able to create a piece of work that distinguishes two different perspectives within a writing. I sent home with your student a slip for your time as a parent/guardian to attend the Student-Led Conference this upcoming week.
This Week: We are going to prepare for our Student-Led Conferences this week and with that entails some preparation for our portfolios. There will be NO LESSONS on Thursday and Friday will be a short day with school ending at 10:35. I have sent home with your student, your time slip for Thursday 17th of March. I have also included a brochure and more information regarding how the Student-Led Conferences will operate. This is the last week of Quarter 3 and the end of our beliefs unit and I deeply believe that the students will be very ready for their Exhibition when they return in April. This is also my last week with P6, as I will be returning to America over the holiday break and Ms. Sarah will be coming back in April in time for Quarter 4. WELCOME BACK MS. SARAH
Unit of Inquiry: On Monday we will be finishing up and working on completing our Summative Assessments, this day will be spent on having an end of unit reflection as well. On Tuesday, we will present our Summative Assessments to our peers in class. For Wednesday, we will be putting our portfolios together and preparing ourselves for the Student-Led Conferences.
Maths: We will be figuring out what types of shapes can be scaled and compared to as ratios. This will cover volume, surface area and the use of ratios with more shapes!
Language Arts: The students will be working on an “All About Me” book. This book will have a lot of what they’ve learned within our beliefs unit.
Notices: We will have homework assigned this week.

IN THIS ISSUE