Moshi Campus News 26 Feb 2017

ISM was fully engaged in this morning’s Marathon with 128 runners entered through school (as well as others entered separately) for the three different races (Full marathon, Half marathon, and 5km). Congratulations to all who ran and finished their races – it was a great opportunity for many to take part in a fast growing annual Moshi event.
The picture above shows our primary students ready to start the 5km race.

We also once again supported the Marathon by staffing a water point near the end of the Full and Half Marathon races.

We had a really successful Blood Drive in school last Friday afternoon. 48 units of blood were collected – a 50% increase on last semester. The support from many sections of the Moshi community was much appreciated, including many of our own students. With such a sucess we will plan for another Blood Drive in early September. Thanks to all who helped to organise this including Dr Dekker and the KCMC and National blood donor staff.
 

The President of Tanzania has designated the last Saturday of each month as the time when we are responsible to ensure the cleanliness of our environment. This Saturday morning our diploma boys were out on Lema Road cleaning the area.

One set of tests finishes and another starts. The M1 and M3 have now finished the ISA tests and the M5 will be taking the Mock exams on Tuesday through Thursday in preparation for the MTP exams in May. This will give them a trial run through on the computer interface they will use and help both the students and teachers better prepare over the next 2 months.
This Thursday and Friday we will have a group of students visiting us who are interviewing for scholarships to enter D1 next year. In addition to the nterviews they will spend time in the boarding houses, classes and will engage in a debate.
Over the next few weeks we have the secondary swim gala, an OP trip to Mt Hanang and an ISTA Drama trip to Muscat so keep your eyes on the calendar. Bob Cofer

Please note that on Friday 3rd March it will be World Wildlife Day. In our school this will be a PYP Spirit Day when we encourage the primary children to dress up as their favourite wild animal, bird or fish. Obviously wildlife is important to all of us who live here in Tanzania where the wildlife is particularly rich, diverse and oftentimes vulnerable. If you wish to know more about World Wildlife Day, please visit this link: https://wildlifeday.org.
This week the P6 students were excited to begin their PYP Exhibition journey. The Exhibition always takes place in a student’s final year of the PYP. This is when the children carry out an extended, in-depth, collaborative project. This involves the children working in groups to conduct an in-depth inquiry into real life issues or problems. It’s always an exciting couple of months in any PYP school. We look forward to hearing all about their research and actions and then finally watching their presentations on 3rd and 4th May. Good luck to all the P6 children!
Parents of children in EC and P5 are invited to watch their children present in assembly in Karibu Hall on Monday at 7.35am. This is a whole school assembly and will be a valuable opportunity for the students to share their learning with all members of the community. Directly after the assembly P2/3 students will then be heading off on their overnight camp where they will learn all about coffee production in the local area. We look forward to hearing all about their interactions with the local farmers.

Several weekend activities were planned for this weekend, among them the trip to Moshi town on Friday afternoon. In line with the Presidential directive to clean the environment every last Saturday of the month, our Diploma boys dorm were involved in a clean-up exercise on Lema road. Football lovers had a chance to play matches on Friday and Saturday afternoon. There was a basketball tournament and a disco on Saturday evening.
On Sunday, boarders took part in the Kili marathon, starting early in the morning. The majority registered for the 5km run.
A few reminders:

Boarders are not allowed to ride on boda bodas, tuk-tuk or any open vehicle. They are also not permitted to ride in a vehicle driven by a fellow student, unless prior specific arrangement is made, and the information included in the student’s Parent Consent form.

Students are not allowed in the boarding houses/veranda areas during tuition time between 7.30 am and 2.30pm. This includes day scholars.

Food orders for take-aways from outside campus should be delivered before 7.00pm Rosemary Bango, (Head of Boarding)

Our programme of professional development continued for our teaching assistants on Friday afternoon when they attended a workshop led by P2/3 teacher, Clare Hibbard.

HOME OF THE LEOPARDS We are finally coming to the close of the break between the rounds of the NTAA for our U15 Football and U19 Basketball teams. Our Leopard teams will be taking to the field and courts next Saturday March 4th. Also, not to be forgotten our U19 Rugby team and U15/19 Netball teams have been busily preparing for their upcoming season which starts on Saturday March 25th with the 1st round of the NTAA. These games will be played at ISM. We are looking forward to hosting!
As always you can keep yourself up to date with the important links:

Season Two Practice Timetable: www.uwcea.org/sportspractice

NTAA Schedule of Events. www.uwcea.org/sportsmeeting
On another important note, it was great to see the U13 Boys Football team practices finally getting off the ground. A Big Thank You goes to Coach Hagen and the boys for their continued efforts, this team is an important part to our “ISM Sporting Foundation”.
House Competition The ISM Indoor Football Tournament has two more game days, before the PLAY-OFFS. This past Thursday concluded another competitive week of games. Curry FC still hold lead over the Karibu Krackers (Teachers), at the top of the table. Please click here for the Tournament Schedule: www.uwcea.org/sports_house. We look forward to the rest of the tournament.
This has been a great experience for all students involved, so at the conclusion of this event, the ISM Sports Department will run two new tournaments – Basketball and Ultimate.
Activities As always the ISM Sports Department wants to advertise three excellent after-school activities, so please find below information regarding swimming, tennis and horseback riding.
Swimming lessons for beginners, intermediate and advanced with Coach Sabini. Those students and parents who are interested in arranging lessons are kindly requested to contact Coach Sabini in person.
Tennis Lessons for beginners, intermediate and advanced players with Coach Charles. Those students and parents who are interested in arranging lessons are kindly requested to contact him at 0757606766.
Horse riding is also available and those interested need to contact Mr Priva at 0758053280 for more information regarding times, prices and requirements.
As the year progresses please keep up with all the info, news, and sports reports by reading the Moshi Campus News.
Go Leopards Scott Hibbard, (Head of Sport and Physical Education)

Dear Parents and Student-Athletes, Last week was a big one for three of our senior swimmers who traveled to Buluwayo, Zimbabwe to represent Tanzania at the CANA Zone 4 Championships. Alicia, Sanne, and Chris were competing against Africa’s future Olympians, many of the best swimmers on the continent. Nearly every swim was a best ever performance, or the fastest they had every swum! What more can an athlete and coach ask for?
Said Sanne, “My favorite race was the 100 Free. It was the end of the meet, and I had nothing left after so many races, but I knew it was my last race and that I had to find something. I had never felt so tired, but that was what made me swim faster, and I finished the race achieving my fastest time ever in the event. It was an experience I would never forget.”
Each of the swimmers shared their favorite race (Chris – 100FR, Alicia – 50BA, 100BA), the best race they watched, and something they learned about training. Chris and Alicia shared that Team Namibia does 400-500 sit-ups and push ups per workout!!! An incredible experience for all three swimmers. Not to be overlooked, Shawn was also chosen to attend CANA in Zimbabwe, but he was also committed to the Model UN trip, and chose the latter to remain true to his team. His presence was missed! www.thecitizen.co.tz/News/Sports/Dar-swimmers-struggle–but-improve-PB-in-Zimbabwe/1840572-3819164-2j4c2qz/index.html
Primary swimmers were at the pool last Wednesday for the primary swim gala, featuring all swimmers from EC to P6. EC and P1/2 swimmers swam widths and braved the early morning chill to make their way across the pool in three different races. Their performances made way for the longer swims, with older athletes competing in 25m and 50m races in all strokes, 100 IM and 100 FR, and relays. It was a memorable event, and special thanks to all parents and teachers and staff for their help.
Upcoming Events Friday 3 Mar 2017 – AM Workout – Make-Up for Saturday Football – Varsity Tue 7 Mar 2017 – Secondary Swim Gala – All Day – Moshi Pool – Secondary Only Sat 18 Mar 2017 – ST. Conny’s NTAA Swim Meet – Arusha – Primary AM/ Secondary PM Thur 23 – Sun 26 March 2017 – ISK Swim Gala – Nairobi – Varsity Only Sat 1 April 2017 – TSA Nationals – During Break – Selected swimmers only Term Break – Holiday Swim Camp – Details to be announced – Moshi Pool

M1- A-fical game – During this quarter students have been engaged with creating a game which highlights ethical issues. Students are captivated with the use of coding and the understanding of the impact of which we consume on an everyday basis. They are creating a game which is interactive and addresses these issues which hopefully teaches others the importance of being mindful of the world.
M2- Not saying my lessons are boring but I stare at the ceiling! – Students have been understanding the design principles of aesthetics and incorporating it with natural scientific systems. Students are creating mobiles which are both beautiful and balanced in order to bring a little beauty into their lives.
M3- Piñata – festivals are awesome! They have all the music and excitement that brings around a sense of euphoria. The down side is that one off loved products that stimulate the atmosphere like piñatas become a stain on the landscape. Students are designing solutions which will address the impact a piñata has on the environment and will contribute to the fun of the event.
M4- stage props – Students are designing their own props to contribute to a production in drama. These props are to help them explore and enhance the theatricals within the play. The ideas are exciting and students have explored interesting avenues of design.
M5- E-portfolio. Students are engaged within the design process. They are designing real world ergonomic problems which have been presented during their research of the primary school working space. Anil Jootna, MYP Design

During the long weekend many of our boarders travelled to Pangani to enjoy a couple of days’ rest there. Here are some pictures from last weekend:

Update:

D1 students are finalizing their list of DP subject preferences for their 4,000-word extended essay which will be due in early-November 2017 following many interim deadlines and which will be undertaken with the support of a DP faculty member who will be EE supervisor.

D2 full diploma students will do their Group 1 and 2 language orals and write and imminently submit their Theory of Knowledge essay.

M5 students are reflecting on their course selections and meeting with the DPC as they look to commence their D1 studies at ISM in August 2017.

Hundreds of ISM IB DP coursework assignments and oral examinations will be imminently uploaded to the IB hub website – a welcome change for ISM from the past when we had to incur the costly expense of sending these assignments abroad via DHL.

DP teachers meet this week again to brainstorm and share ideas about D! students of conern and then to standardize assessments to ensure we are on par with the IB grading protocol and ISM’s assessment policy.
Upcoming Events

This 3rd academic quarter parent-teacher meeting will occur on Friday March 31st. PLEASE ensure that your son/daughter does not leave before 9:15am on that date.

Reminder to parents of D2 students re: D2 Graduation weekend events: a) Decoration of Karibu Hall – Fri May 19th – 9am-noon; b) Graduation Friday evening dinner at AMEG Lodge in Moshi at 6:30pm; c) Graduation Ceremony – Saturday May 20th with arrival at 2:00 for a 2:30pm sharp star; d) Tea in the ISM Director’s Garden 4:30-6:30pm.
Weblinks On the May 2016 IB DP exams (statistics) – www.ibo.org/about-the-ib/facts-and-figures/statistical-bulletins/diploma-programme-statistical-bulletin
On the research the IB has undertaken to study its programs- www.ibo.org/research
Rick Fitzpatrick, (Diploma Coordinator):

Unit of Inquiry This week we will investigate and sort materials according to those that let light through them and those that don’t. The children have also been in the dark room observing ‘glow-in-the-dark’ objects. If you have anything at home that glows in the dark please encourage your child to bring it for show and tell this week. We will try to find out what makes objects glow in the dark.
We spent a lot of time last week preparing for our assembly on Monday. We look forward to seeing you at 7.35am in Karibu Hall. Please drop the children off in the classroom by 7.20 so that we can be ready on time.
Literacy The children will spend some time finishing off their information books about light, showing their understanding of what the different lights are used for. Those who are ready to write simple sentences will be encouraged to write independently or do some shared writing. The younger children will talk about their pictures and we will write for them. EC2 will concentrate on the sound made by s and h together. Ask them to tell you the Letterland story that helps them remember this sound! EC1 will be introduced to the sound v made by Vicky Violet. The writing table is always available for children to do their own writing and drawing through card making, pictures, using stencils, stamps and stickers and generally be creative. For EC2 parents please remember that ISM has subscribed to RAZ -KIDS, the online reading programme. Children can read on i-pads, tablets and computers every night for a few minutes. This week I will show the children how they can spend their points buying items for their rocket ship! Some have already worked this out for themselves!! Please let me know if you have any questions about Raz-kids.
Numeracy

We will go on a hunt round the campus for different types of lights and make graphs to show what we have found out. (not completed last week) The older children will be introduced to using tally marks.

Number activities will focus on estimation, conservation of number and generally developing number recognition, counting skills and matching groups of objects to the correct numeral

We will sort lights in different ways; watch out for us doing some sorting in the assembly!!
On Friday we are hoping that the children will all come to school dressed as a wild animal for our spirit day. Start thinking about your child’s costume now! It can be very simple with just a little face paint! If you need any help please let me know as we have some costumes and face paints in the classroom.

We had a short but very eventful week.

This Thursday we had a little visitor in our classroom. Levi brought Charlie in, his 8 weeks old puppy for ‘Show and Tell’. Everybody was so excited to play with him as he was chasing Rhea and Chantelay around the class. Can you spot him in the photo?
Our Unit of Inquiry is: Where We Are In Time And Space Central Idea: Sources of historical evidence help us learn about the past. Lines of Inquiry and key concepts:

The ways individuals document their histories. FORM?

Reflecting on past experiences. REFLECTION

Documenting our own histories. PERSPECTIVE

Representing our identity. REFLECTION
This week the children had an opportunity to take responsibility for their inquiry-based learning. We discussed several unit related activities and then they needed to sign up for or two or three tasks. We had several exciting and motivating actions going on at the same time: some children were making ‘cameras’ to record the past; another group wanted to learn about dinosaurs and watched a BBC documentary about them. Yuji and Neville asked me to read about the ancient times. Levi, Colin, Yann and Walter have learned about Egypt and shared their knowledge with the class. They also made an amazing Pyramid with Miss Jip using the Lego.

English focus of the week This week we carried on focusing on Simple Past including some regular and irregular verbs and applying them in our writing. The children learnt to document important and interesting facts about themselves, such as their names, age, gender, living place, likes and dislikes. They really enjoyed thinking and writing about themselves.
Maths focus of the week In maths this week we have been looking at place value, e.g. thousands, hundreds, tens and ones. The children have learned to write three/four digit numbers in both standard form (e.g. 3471) and expanded form (e.g. 3000 + 400 + 70 + 1). The children each wrote down three or four digit numbers on their small whiteboards for their partner to rewrite in expanded form. They then looked at dates (years) from their own lives and also wrote these in standard and expanded form. The children have enjoyed singing number songs to help them learn. Here are the links to some of their favourite songs: www.youtube.com/watch?v=5W47G-h7myY (Place Value Math Song) www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0dJWfQHF8Y (The Big Numbers Song)
Role-play in the class: practising how to be a good communicator and make good decisions in challenging situations.
Important event: Next Friday 3rd March is International World Wildlife Day. Events will be held all over the world. In the Primary School, teachers and children will dress up as a wild animal on that day. Please remember to plan your costume with your child for this event and come dressed up on Friday.
What to bring to school every day:

Indoor shoes

A hat, a water bottle and a healthy snack. The rule is: No hat, no play, no fun.
Monday: Swimming kit | Homework goes home Tuesday: Library Wednesday: ‘Show and Tell’ for Group 1. Thursday: PE lesson – trainers please Friday: International World Wildlife Day – wild animal dress up costumes | School ends at 12:35.
Thank you for your co-operation! Have a great week ahead! Kind regards, Ms Andrea, P1/2 Teacher

Dear Parents, The P2/3s are very excited to be going on their overnight camp. We have spent a lot of time talking about the trip. We have discussed what we will be doing and the expectations of everyone on this type of trip. I am sure we are going to have an excellent, fulfilled learning experience whilst we are away.

Reminder: We return Tuesday at 1pm. If your child is going to take part in their club, they will need lunch and any sports clothes (swimming costume etc.).
Homework this week will be handed out on Wednesday. It will be reviewing skills previously taught and not too demanding as the children will only have two days to complete it.
Friday 3rd March is World Wildlife day. ISM will be having a school spirit day when the children can come dressed as an animal of their choice.
This Week in class: The class have been busy working on their summative assessment for this fourth unit. The children are a company called Green Fingers and they are part of a Human made system to produce: 1. A compost 2. A science experiment based around a compost They have been given the challenge of creating one of the above as a team using their prototypes. They then had to work cooperatively when making their design.
The Week Ahead in class This week will be a very busy week for the P2/3s. We will be away Monday and Tuesday for our camp. The rest of the week we will be reflecting on our trip and working on activities based around what we observed. We will be finalizing our summative assessment and completing group, peer and individual assessments.
Unit of Inquiry This week we will be continuing with our new unit and looking at the following lines of inquiry: How we organize ourselves Central idea – Human made systems are carefully designed to achieve multiple purposes.
Reading: We will continue with book clubs this week. The focus for all readers will be to STOP and Self Monitor (stop and think to make sure you are understanding what you read). This is an important self-checking skill. In book club, they will be focusing on creating a mental picture in your mind of what you are reading.
Writing: The children will be writing about their camping trip as part of a reflection. They will be completing a write up about their group unit summative assessment.
Math: We will be working on writing, reading and identifying the place value of three and four digit numbers. We will also be changing the place value of these numbers to create different ones. We will continue to play games such as digit /place and make a number.
The Week Ahead: Monday: Overnight camp Tuesday: Return from camp 1 pm Wednesday: P3 French – Homework Thursday: P3 French Friday: PE. Please return completed homework.
World wild life day – dress up as an animal
Useful websites: www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/5-7-years/money Have a great week Clare Hibbard P2/3

This week has flown by and we have started creating marketing strategies for our businesses. Most groups are developing projected costs and are calculating profit/loss margin for their business. Much of the work the students are doing in class involves researching businesses with similar concepts and uncovering costs associated with these businesses. Students are beginning to make connections and understand land, buildings, personnel and equipment come at a cost. We have students working on creating websites and digital posters, brochures and visual art as part of their marketing strategy.
In math we are working on computational skills and are shopping and adding up bigger numbers. They are being asked to solve practical problems related to their business finding out ‘how much money is left over.’ We will continue working on more complex calculations next week as the students justify salaries and figure out hourly wages for their employees.
Please continue to review times tables with your child as they should be conquering the 6s and 7s and 9s this week and next.
In language we have worked on speaking and listening this week and gathered market data by ‘pitching’ their ideas to the P1s and P2s. The students, will be challenged to analyze the data they gathered and apply their findings to amend their business plan. They created ‘living’ paragraphs (see photo) and looked at transition words and how to structure a good argument.
Friday is our assembly and the students should dress as an animal. You are welcome to attend. Julie Bowen, (P4/5 Class Teacher)

We have been very busy this week constructing models to illustrate how energy transformation allows us to utilize its power. The children have been using hot glue guns, craft knives, wheels, axles, balloons and elastic bands to turn their ideas into reality. We have been viewing challenges as learning opportunities. One of the criteria on the rubric that the children helped to design was “How well do I cope when faced with a difficulty.” Giving up is not an option! We will be talking about the design and creation process in assembly on Monday 27th February. This will take place at 7:35 in Karibu hall. Please come and support your child.
On Thursday 2nd March we will be showing our models to some of the other PYP classes. An invitation to parents to come into class and see what we have been doing will be emailed out soon. We will be ready for visitors first thing Thursday morning, as soon as we have set up the classroom.
We have voted for our favourite book out of the 11 that we have recently read in class. “The Five Chinese Brothers,” by Claire Hughet Bishop was the winner by a wide margin. The children discussed the reasons for their choices and we compiled a list of what makes a book worthy of winning an award. This work is displayed in the breezeway.
The children had their last ISA (writing an opinion piece) on Tuesday and now our normal routine has been restored. In Maths we have worked on subtraction skills and number patterns. Next week we will continue looking at number patterns and investigate square numbers, prime numbers and the fibonacci sequence.
Next week our Unit of Inquiry will draw to a close and we will spend some time selecting work to go into our portfolios. The children will be sharing these learning portfolios on Thursday 30th March at a student led conference. More details will be sent out later but please put that date in your diaries!
Please note that next Friday is a spirit day to celebrate International Wildlife Day and the children are encouraged to dress up as animals.
The week ahead: Monday – Library and new homework packet to be sent home. P5 will present in assembly in Karibu Hall at 7:35. Tuesday – P.E. French and Music Wednesday – Swahili Thursday – French and sharing our energy transformation models with other classes and parents. Friday – International wildlife day – dress up as an animal. Swimming, Swahili and Music. Return homework to school. Deborah Mills, (P5 Teacher)

Our room is filled with sounds of excitement, debate, discussions, laughter, a few tears and all that comes with the PYP Exhibition. The P6s began their journey on Wednesday, 22nd February. They have impressed Ms Catherine and I with their eagerness to learn and understand how the Exhibition works. They have worked on developing sound Central Ideas, looking at the IB skills, how to use concepts as well as learning more about tools that will help with research skills i.e. I.T. Math and Language tools etc.
From next week, the timetable will be collapsed. The Specialist subject will be used to assist the Exhibition groups with areas they need support. The specialist teachers will come into class as usual however the students will plan before hand what kind of support they need from their teachers.
There are 4 groups and it was quite a process to get them to merge their interests into one big idea. They have now managed to reach a consensus and we will be requesting the teachers to sign up as mentors in the coming week.
The issues the students will be addressing are as follows;

Health and well being with a focus on Sports

Art with a focus on piracy and plagiarism of authentic pieces of visual art

Conservation with a focus on appreciating nature

Technology and its impact on us More information will be sent to the parents regarding what Exhibition is, the role of students, mentors and parents as well as presentation dates. Ms Cathy.

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