Moshi Campus News – 29 May 2016

We are delighted to be hosting the next primary Netball/Rugby tournament on Tuesday, 31st May. We will be welcoming ISMAC, St. Constantine’s, Braeburn and Kennedy House students to our campus. Our teams have already been selected and will all need to wear their green ISM T-shirts (Leopards or any green ISM T-shirt will do) on the day.
Parents are most welcome to come along and support the teams who will be playing on the pitch and court from 10am to 1pm.
The final tournament of the season will be at Kennedy House on Tuesday 14 June.

Please join us for a meeting in the Music Room on Wednesday, 1st June from 6:30pm to 7:30pm for a discussion with parents on the secondary life skills curriculum.
In response to some conversations suggesting the need for a review of our Life Skills curriculum, particularly concerning how sex education is delivered in the school, a panel of representatives from the PA, ISM teachers, the school counsellor and health workers working in Moshi, met to discuss the Life Skills curriculum offered at ISM for M1-D2 students. It was noted that ISM students represent a wide range of cultural and religious backgrounds, and that parents from each of these backgrounds should be involved in a review process.
We hope you will be able to join us for this meeting. Your views are very important to the process, and we would like to provide you with the opportunity to engage in dialogue with us about your perspective on our Life Skills curriculum as we move forward with providing a balanced and appropriate curriculum for our students.

The Brownies group is getting ready for their Garage Sale in Karibu Hall on Saturday, 4th June from 10am to 12:30. 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. To book a table for this event, please pay TSh 20,000/- at Reception in school.

As an end of year celebration of our school community the PA is organising our very own ‘ISM Factor!’ on Friday, 10th June from 12:30pm to 5pm.
It will be an open mic extravaganza with a (kind-hearted!) judging panel, teacher-student quiz, BBQ, and the excitement of seeing who (teachers, students or parents!!) is the most talented group of our school community!
So, look out for the sign up sheets, dust off your routines, and prepare for a fun afternoon in fine ISM spirit. Karibuni!!

Our M5 students will be marking the end of their Middle Years Programme in a ceremony in Karibu Hall on Friday, 3rd June at 2pm. All are welcome to the ceremony. This will be followed by tea for families of the M5 students and invited guests.
In this week’s lead up to their ceremony, our M5 students will be following a different programme in school from usual. On Monday and Tuesday they will be feeding back from last week’s work experience, as well as planning and participating in various CAS activities. Wednesday will present an OP challenge to the class and on Thursday they will participate in the careers workshop before beginning to prepare Karibu Hall for their ceremony.
M5 students will be travelling home with their parents for the long holiday after the M5 Ceremony. M5 reports will be available to parents through ManageBac (see below) from Thursday evening, 2nd June.

The photos from last weekend’s D2 Graduation Ceremony are now available to view and download from www.uwcea.org/grad16.

These are high resolution photos and should be suitable for printing. You may also compare with previous years’ events here: 2015, 2014, or 2013.
Low resolution photos from the Arusha Campus graduation ceremony are also available at www.uwcea.org/arushagrad.
Thanks to Eliza Deacon (Moshi) and Paula Alderblad (Arusha) for these photos.

As this newsletter goes to press, our students are engaged in a swimming competition here in school.

More news of this next week.







 

The Global Sparkling Elephant Campaign is coordinated by the Elephant Embassy and its goal is to communicate to the global community why elephants matter to the well-being of our planet.
The Global Sparkling Elephant Project is a student-led initiative that involves CAS (community, Activity, Service) groups from ISM, UWC Maastricht, Singapore International School and Hout Bay International School. The Global Sparkling Elephant Project in collaboration with ISM will have an Elephant Ambassadors Photo Booth Raffle at KiliFair 2016 where “Tumaini”, our life-sized elephant statue will be on display.
This is a great local event at the Cooperative College Stadium on 4th June and will be attended by over 250 local exhibitors from Tanzania, Zanzibar, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Zimbabwe. Our Fund-Raising initiative will enable ISM’s CAS group to participate in the global march for elephants and rhinos in Dar es Salaam on 24th September 2016. We are hoping to raise about $5000 which will cover expenses, including travel costs, for the students and the SEP team as well as the collateral for this awareness march.
Our work could not continue without the support of the local community and those businesses and individuals who have contributed generously over the years. Your contribution will be very much appreciated and acknowedged in our online publicity. If you would like to learn more about the Sparkling Elephant Project and how you can help, please drop us an email. Mobile: +255 754 510195 www.sparklingelephantproject.weebly.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSparklingElephant

The year is quickly coming to a close in the Music Room. Our Diploma Music students have completed their exams, graduated and gone off to be artistic and creative world citizens! We wish them all the best as they move forward into university.
Our MYP musicians are finishing up their last units of the year and working hard on final projects. The M5 musicians have written their own song that is a reflection of the entire M5 class. You can hear this performed at the M5 Ceremony on June 3. M4 students are working hard on their transcribing and arranging skills, writing down the melody of a song of their choosing, then arranging that song into a jazz style of their choosing. M3 musicians are doing something similar – they are arranging a song but creatively adding elements from traditional Indian classical music so that it becomes a fusion of Indian and one other musical culture. Original melodies are being written by M2 students to express a particular part of their identity and finally the M1 class is preparing a short musical drama to be presented to the school on Monday, June 6th. Everyone is working hard!
A notice to all who are involved in our Private Music Lesson Program: Because of the ISM Factor event the PA is hosting on Friday, June 10th, the last day of private music lessons will now be on Thursday, June 9th. If any one has rented an instrument from ISM, please return it to Mr. Swai or Miss Kellerman by Friday, June 10th. We need the final week of school to complete our inventory check and pack all the instruments and equipment away for the long holiday. Musically Yours, Susan Kellerman Music Teacher and Program Coordinator

D2 boarders have already cleared from the boarding houses. D1 students started their end year examinations last week and will finish this week on Tuesday. M5 Students went through work experience this past week and will be in school next week to prepare for their ceremony on Friday 3rd June. After that they will break for the long holiday. Parents are reminded to make transport arrangements in good time.
This weekend a number of activities have taken place for the boarders, among them the usual town trip, a disco for secondary boarders, painting, a baking activity and church trips on Sunday.
We remind parents that school closes on Friday, 17th June, and that they need to make transport arrangements early. Thank you to those parents that have already communicated to us departure plans. The end of term plans can be shared with boarding parents or the Head of Boarding on email .
The Muslim Holy month of Ramadhan is likely to start on 7th June and, during this month, we try to support those who are fasting. Supper is prepared for those who are fasting a little later than the normal supper time. Students will then take food to their boarding houses, so that they can eat early in the morning before the fast begins. Please let us know if you have any questions about arrangements for boarders who are fasting.

Last week, work started on the site for our new boarding house. The house is expected to be completed in January 2017 and will house thirty additional boarders with attached boarding parent accommodation. The new boarding house will be located behind Kilele/Kipepeo in the school’s south paddock.
In the next few weeks, our contractor will also start to prepare the site for our new multi-purpose hall, which will be located immediately facing the main gate and entrance area of the school. Other buildings planned for 2016 are an extension to the dining hall and the construction of a new laundry facility. It is hoped that new science laboratories will follow in 2017.

How can regular polyhedra be used to create a kite? M4 Design students are doing just that in their latest project. They have been combining their mathematical knowledge with fine techinical skills to create tetrahedral kites. You might be wondering right now, ‘What does tetrahedral mean?’ Well, tetrahedral is something that consists of tetrahedrons. Now you’re probably wondering ‘What is a tetrahedron?’ Simply, a tetrahedron is a polyhedron that consists of four triangular faces.
The M4 design students used regular tetrahedra to make their kites. A long time ago in a land known as Classical Greece, a man named Plato was in love with regular tetrahedra (along with four other regular polyhedra). Just like Plato, the M4 design students have also grown fond of the shape due to its excellent ability to tessellate in three space.
The design cycle process was used by students to develop graphic designs for the kite. The results are very colourful and creative. With a bit of luck, there will be enough wind to fly the kites during a lesson before the school year comes to an end.

 
Primary Students and teachers dressed up as animals for our Spirit Day on Friday. We were inspired to hold this Spirit Day by the WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) Wear it Wild Campaign. The WWF encouraged schools to dress up as animals on Friday 27th May in order to raise awareness about endangered animals. On their website, they say, “It’s a shocking fact that since 1970, populations of wild species have fallen by half.” Many thanks to all the parents, students and teachers who created costumes and took part so enthusiastically.
 

Our D1 students all take at least one science subject and all will be undertaking field study next week.
The D1 Environmental Systems and Societies students will be travelling to Pangani on Sunday, 5th June to undertake environmental studies on the Indian Ocean coast. They will be travelling with counterparts from Arusha Campus and will return on Thursday, 9th June.
Our Physics, Chemistry and Biology students will be camping at Olisiti with their colleagues from Arusha Campus from 7th to 9th June, where they will plan and undertake a number of field study experiments.

We are planning to take a group of students from M1 to M3 to the ISTA Festival in Muscat on 8th-11th March 2017. ISTA (International Schools Theatre Association) festivals bring together students from International Schools around the globe to experience the beauty of researching, devising and performing to an audience, a guided small group ensemble in just three days. The students are grouped with others from different schools and assigned to an ISTA artist. (These are professional actors, directors and producers and theatre practitioners from around the world). The students get a first-hand experience in drama outside the conventional classroom approach. There are also a variety of workshops and other learning activities that the students engage in during the three day workshop. The out and about tour also gives the students an opportunity to explore the beauty of Muscat. It is a refreshing and rewarding experience that we think our students would gain from immensely.
If your child is presently in P6, M1 or M2, or will be joining M1-M3 in August, please consider whether you would like him or her to take up this great opportunity . A detailed letter will soon be sent to individual parents about this. If you would like your child to participate in this trip you can make further inquiry by emailing Mr George Juma on the email .

At the end of this semester in June, all our students’ reports (both primary and secondary) will be published on ManageBac for you to view or download in pdf format from there. We will not be issuing reports on paper this semester, except by special request. All parents should have received their login details for how to access ManageBac. If you have not received these or are having any difficulties with access, please contact Grace on .
I would encourage you to log in and become familiar with the site, so that you have no difficulties later when reports are issued.

Some families still have amounts remaining to be paid in school fees for this current quarter of 2015/16. Please pay any outstanding fees immediately to ensure that your child receives his/her report this term.
We would once again remind families of the need to pay fees for the new school year by the dates specified on your invoice. If fees are not received in time and alternative payment arrangements have not been agreed, your child’s place in the school cannot be guaranteed for the new year.

The school has now published our calendar of school term dates for the school year for 2017/18 (the year after next!). You can view/download this from our website at www.uwcea.org/moshi-arusha/calendar; the calendar for 2016/17 is also on the same page.

Update:

The first five days (1½ days remaining) of the end-of-D1 year exams have been completed. It is great to see the focus and determination of these young people after a year of intensive study in the ISM DP.
Key dates:

Monday May 30th and Tuesday May 31st (at 10:15) – End of D1 Year Exams

Sunday June 5th to Thursday June 9th – D1 ESS Pangani Trip

Tuesday, June 7 – Thursday, June 9: D1 Physics/Chemistry/Biology Field Study to Olasiti

Saturday, June 11th – ACT tests for D1

Monday June 13th – Wed June 15th – Theory of Knowledge/Extended Essay Days for D1 students

Thursday June 16th – Final D1 reports published on ManageBac

Friday June 17th Last day of school, whole school assembly & Parent-Teacher conferences

Tuesday August 9th – First day of school for the 2016-2017 Academic Year
Useful DP-related links:

Nearly all of our ISM DP graduates go on to study in higher education. This article confirms the value of such a step and it is entitled: ‘Is College Worth It? Clearly, New Data Say’ at www.uwcea.org/dip100.

Adolescents worldwide are different and make choices differently than we adults. This National Geographic article review entitled ‘The Evolving Teenage Brain’ in the NY Times highlight this reality – www.uwcea.org/dip101.

The results of a ground-breaking study on learning entitled Study: You Really Can ‘Work Smarter, Not Harder’ is worth reviewing – www.uwcea.org/dip102.

The branch of the International Baccaleureate that handles research has an array of fascinating studies and find them at: www.uwcea.org/dip103. Rick Fitzpatrick, DP Coordinator

There was a very special event in our primary school last week. The P1/2 class hosted an Authors’ Tea. The children wrote and illustrated stories, published them, and presented them to a large audience of parents.
P1 student Kamili Donnelly said, “It was fun to read my story to all the parents.”
“The chocolate cake was really good,” said P1 student Oscar Anton.
P1 student Swantje Schafer said, “I was so excited that I reminded my mom and dad to not be late.”
Thank you to all the parents for supporting this special day.  

Last week the children had a very creative time splattering paint onto paper to make an art piece in the style of an artist called Jackson Pollock. They also used rose petals and leaves to make beautiful pictures as well as making magic crayon pictures! Our list of different art media is growing every day! The children didn’t make a playdough sculpture so this is on the list for this week, together with newspaper and water colour pictures. The class has been very inspired by the many art pieces being brought in for ‘Show and tell’ and once again I am so impressed with how EC children can take such amazing action to make those connections between what they are learning at school and what they do at home. Many thanks to all the parents for your support with our unit. It really makes all the difference to your child’s understanding.
Literacy We will continue with our response to the book ‘Colour me Happy’ and finish our class book. The children will also make individual books on their favourite piece of art. This week we spent time producing a movie for the assembly on Monday at 7.45am. Please join us for this assembly to hear your child talk about their art.
Numeracy

3D shape work continues

More card games to develop number sense; addition and subtraction games and number recognition and sequencing.
Please let me know if you are planning to leave before the end of term. Our art exhibition will be on the last Tuesday of term, 14th June when the children will present their art portfolios and show you the art on display in the classroom.

Information for Parents
Thank you so much for your support of our Author’s’ Tea. It was a great time, and the children were so excited. It was a good chance for them to go through the process of publishing a book and of course it’s always good to share in front of an audience.
We have two weeks of homework left. Thank you for helping your child to finish the school year doing his/her best work. Just a reminder, we are finished with spelling tests for the year.
Language focus for the week This week we will focus on responding to what we read through writing. Each day we will write about a different book. Some of the books will be read by me, but most of them will be read by the children.
Maths focus for the week Both groups will continue to work with double digit numbers this week. We will add and subtract them. We will also look at different ways to represent them on paper.
Unit of Inquiry Leading up to our summative assessment, we will start working on responding to art by designing our own art. Children will choose to dance, paint, sing, or do a drama to express their feelings and ideas.
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. Friday: Wear proper clothes and shoes for P.E.

On Monday the P3 students very much enjoyed their session with representatives from Alliance Française. They took part in a variety of activities which helped them understand more about the language and culture of France.
This week the students have been exploring how to use Prezi – an online presentation tool. They have started to create very professional looking presentations – adding text (changing the font, size, colour etc) and adding images. Next week they will aim to add short films as well.
On Friday the students looked fantastic dressed up for Wear it Wild. Our classroom contained lions, tigers, elephants, panthers, zebras, a wolf, a penguin, a panda and much more. Many thanks to all the parents who helped them create their wonderful costumes. We very much enjoyed this Spirit Day.
The four groups completed their information books on Friday. They look very professional and parents are welcome to come and view them in the classroom. Each contains all the features of a published book, e.g. front cover, contents page, chapters, glossary, index, page numbers, blurb etc. The children carried out a great deal of research and enjoyed the process of sorting out the information and putting it all together. They certainly felt very proud of the finished products. They also demonstrated excellent collaborative skills. Well done P2/3!
Unit of Inquiry: Transdisciplinary Theme: Sharing the planet Central Idea: Human survival is connected to understanding the continual changing nature of the earth. On Monday we welcome Simon Mtuy into the classroom. He is going to tell us about the changes he has observed on Mount Kilimanjaro during his lifetime, e.g. deforestation, glacial melting etc. On this day we will also enjoy watching the P6’s exhibition presentations.
Please note that on Thursday and Friday I will be out on camp with the P6 students. Ms Sarah will be teaching the P2/3 class for both those days. Ms Catherine will be in class as usual.
Mathematics Focus: addition and subtraction (3 and 4 digit numbers)
English Focus: Possessive apostrophes
What to bring to school every day: A hat, water bottle, a pair of indoor shoes and a healthy snack.
The Week Ahead: Monday: PE lesson| Viewing exhibition presentations | Homework set Tuesday: Library session Thursday: PE lesson Friday: Homework due in Kate Schermbrucker P2/3 Class Teacher and PYP Coordinator

Parent News: The P4s had an hour of French early this week with Mr. Mwendah from Alliance Française, Arusha. They were able to practise their listening and speaking skills and learn some new vocabulary. The “Wear it wild” spirit day was grrrreat! Thank you parents for your support in dressing up your children.
Language: We will continue to explore different suffixes as well as learn about words that help us express time, place and cause (conjunctions). We will use these words in our word study as well as writing.
Math: we will continue to explore more 3D nets and review vertices, edges and faces. The children will also continue to build their knowledge on congruent shapes and the different ways they move.
Unit of Inquiry: Children will look at the different ways rights are put to tension and come up with solutions to problems that are created. This week we will discuss tensions at school – in the classroom, playground etc.
Gentle reminders: P4 Assembly: All P4 parents are invited to our assembly on Monday at 7:45 in Karibu Hall. The EC class will also be presenting on this day so come prepared to learn from the two groups of children.
Swimming: Since the days are getting cooler, we will be having P.E. lessons on Mondays instead of swimming (as well as our usual Thursday P.E. lesson). Kindly ensure that your child is dressed appropriately for Sport, for his/her own comfort and safety.  

Information for Parents The kids had a lot of fun last week, trying out Zumba in PE and beginning the day with a Japanese morning stretching routine. Thanks to the exercise group in P6 for recommending the activity to us! This week ISM will be hosting a netball and rugby tournament on Tuesday. Many students in our class will be participating and the rest will watch the event.
Language focus for the week We will continue our study of revising, this time focusing on adding details. We will also review the use of apostrophes and talk about when to use me and I. Students are continuing to read and research information about animal and plant adaptations.
Maths focus for the week This week we will ask Fermi questions related to our personal timelines. Fermi questions require children to make estimates and assumptions in order to find a reasonable answer. How many pizzas are eaten by our class in one year? is an example of a Fermi question. We will also be exploring elapsed time.
Unit of Inquiry They are very excited about creating their bulletin boards. This activity will be their summative assessment and will show all that they have learned about the adaptations of living things.
What to bring to school: A hat for playtime and a healthful snack.
Timetable: Monday: PE (please wear house T-shirt and trainers) Thursday: We will have an extra PE lesson this week (please wear house T-shirt and trainers) Friday: Library (please return library books)

The P6 students have had a very busy week getting their final presentations prepared. It has been quite stressful at times but they have all handled the pressure well and worked as a team. They have spent hours on their displayboards, some of them staying after clubtime to get it finished which shows great commitment. Over the week they have prepared and practiced their verbal presentations too.
Also last week: The Endangered Animals group carried out their action as they created a freeze-frame drama in the primary playground at playtime and the breezeway at secondary lunchtime. This made people look and think…a great idea for an action! We were all thinking about endangered animals as we dressed up for Wear it Wild day on the Friday.

Next week: Now, they are ready to present! On Monday, throughout the morning, the P6 students will be performing 6 times to the students and teachers of ISM, as well as the P6 ISMAC class. On Tuesday evening they will be presenting to their family and friends. We are gathering in the K Hall at 5:45pm.
On Thursday the students will be going off to Weruweru River Lodge for a one night camp. They should come to school at the normal time on Thursday, with all their belongings packed in a bag they can carry themselves. They will be back at school by lunchtime on Friday.

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