Dear Parents,
Thanks to all who were able to come to the PTA AGM last week. There was some informative discussion and we now have a new parent representative to the Board, Marco van Zwetselaar. Owain Evans will also be continuing to chair the committee with Christine Brandsma as the secretary. More details will be published soon.
This sees the last week of this third quarter – classes finish on Friday and resume after Easter. As there will not be a newsletter next weekend, may I take this opportunity to wish all a very happy holiday with your family?
This last week of school is still very busy with the D2 Art Exhibition starting later today, a Horse Show on Monday and Tuesday, a showing of The Ivory Game on Wednesday, a boarders’ special dinner on Thursday, primary parent conferences on Thursday, the end of qurter assembly on Friday, and secondary parent-teacher conferences on Friday. Details of all these are given below. And a final congratulations to our swim team in Nairobi for their success this weekend out-swimming many Kenyan school teams.
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End of Quarter Arrangements
Thursday, 30th March: There will be no primary classes on Thursday. Each parent will have arranged a time to come to school for the student-led conferences that will take place all day. Secondary classes and CAS activities will be as normal.
Thursday, 30th March: Secondary reports for all students will be issued through ManageBac from 4pm. D2 students receive full detailed reports. Those in other classes will receive interim reports. If you need help to access ManageBac, please contact Grace Mkumbwa on .
Please note that students whose fees are not paid up to date will not receive reports on Thursday.
Friday, 31st March: Classes as normal until 9am.
The end of quarter assembly will be held in Karibu Hall from 9am to 10:15. All parents welcome.
Secondary Parent-Teacher conferences are in Karibu Hall from 10:35am to 12 noon.
Students will be free to leave school at 10:15am.
Once more, we appeal to all parents not to permit children to leave school early. Please keep your child in school until the end of term, unless it is absolutely essential to take them out. Do not believe your children if they tell you that they are allowed to go early, unless you have checked personally with the school!
Tuesday, 18th April: Boarders return to school before 6pm.
Please send details of all flight arrangements to Rosemary Bango on .
Wednesday, 19th April: Classes begin at 7:30am
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D2 Art Exhibition
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Horse Show
Our riders will be displaying their skills at a Horse Show at the stables on Monday and Tuesday, 27th and 28th March from 2pm. All are welcome.
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The Ivory Game – Screening
On Wednesday, 29th March, the Sparkling Elephant Project CAS shall be hosting an on-campus film screening of “The Ivory Game” in Karibu Hall from 6:30 pm to 9 pm. Students in M1 and above, as well as parents of the ISM community, are invited to come and watch the screening. Entry is free. Our CAS hopes to raise public awareness on the plight of elephants and the fight for the conservation of these majestic giants, through this film.
This film released last November in the USA has won 4 film awards and been nominated for others. A “mixture of sadness and persistence pervades The Ivory Game, which follows some of the men and women struggling to end ivory trafficking. There are plenty of heroes here, yet only a little optimism. Traders in ivory actually want the extinction of elephants,… The fewer elephants there are, the more the price rises. The more the price rises, the more people want to kill them.” [New York Times review, 3 Nov 2016]
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Primary News
Many thanks to all the parents who came along to watch and support the primary children in their contemporary production entitled Fairy Tale Dream. It was wonderful to see Karibu Hall so full and the audience so enthralled. Very well done to all our talented young performers. Many thanks to Mary Pantlin for putting together such an enjoyable musical, dance and drama extravaganza.
This week we are looking forward to welcoming representatives from Alliance Français in on Tuesday. They will work with all the children learning French in the primary school. This should be an exciting and useful learning experience for our young linguists and we are delighted to welcome them to our school.
We are also looking forward to welcoming all parents to the school on Thursday for the Student Led Conferences. You will receive notification shortly of the exact time of your conference, plus further details of how the event itself will run. We believe it will give you a valuable insight into your child’s education at ISM.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our parents for their support and cooperation throughout Quarter 3. I wish you all an enjoyable, safe and restful holiday.
Dates for your diaries:
Tuesday 28th March – Final day for Primary Clubs.
Wednesday 29th March – no primary clubs. Children should go home at 1.05pm.
Thursday 30th March – Student Led Conferences in Primary classrooms. There will be no primary lessons on this day.
Friday 31st March – Final day of Quarter 3. Primary children go home at 10.15am.
Tuesday, 18th April – Boarders return
Wednesday 19th April – First day of classes for Quarter 4
Kate Schermbrucker,
Head of Primary / PYP Coordinator
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Secondary News
As we enter our final week of the term, the Diploma Art Exhibition is happening in Karibu Hall. On Wednesday, Karibu Hall will also host a showing of The Ivory Game hosted by the Sparkling Elephant Project CAS.
Reports will be available on Thursday March 30th via ManageBac. If you cannot access ManageBac please contact us and we will help fix your access. The following day, Friday, we will have the end of quarter assembly at 9 am followed by the secondary parent-teacher conferences at 10:30 am.
The boarders will return on Tuesday April 18th and classes start on Wednesday the 19th. This will be the last week of classes for our D2 students before study week and exams.
Have a good holiday.
Bob Cofer
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Boarding News
This was the last weekend of the quarter.
We break for Easter holiday on Friday 31st Mach, and re-open on Tuesday 18th April. Please note that the boarders are not returning on Sunday this time. We thank the parents who have already shared travel /departure arrangements with us, and remind those who have not to do so. The school provides free transport to /from Moshi and Kilimanjaro International Airport on closing and opening days only. For reasons beyond our control, we are not able to offer transport to/from Arusha.
Because it is a short break, we do not expect boarders to carry home all their personal belongings. They can pack and store them in boarding stores, available in every dorm.
This weekend on Friday, boarders went for supervised/unsupervised town trips. This was followed by football in the evening and a pool party for secondary boarders. Saturday started on a different note for the MYP boys. In line with the Presidential directive to clean the environment every last Saturday of the month, they were involved in a clean-up exercise on Lema road. There were also Rugby and Netball tournaments on campus the whole day, which kept them busy. There was a disco to entertain them in the evening.
Sunday started on the same note with boarders going to their respective places of worship. The boarders then got an Easter treat (sweets) from well-wishers in the boarding community. In the afternoon there was capture the flag that kept them running and entertained.
Rosemary Bango, (Head of Boarding)
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D1: Required Tests
D1 students now need to start preparing for their university applications and getting ready for the tests that are required by universities in many countries.
TOEFL (Test of English as Foreign Language). This test is required of all students (except those of USA or UK nationality) who plan to study in the USA, Canada, Australia and some other countries (excluding UK). It is a paper-based test held in Moshi on 13th May 2017. Students must register (using a paper form available in school) before 31st March. The cost is US$170 (if paying with your personal credit card), or TSh 400,000 if asking the school to process payment on your behalf. D1 students must not miss the opportunity to register for this test.
ACT Test. D1 students planning to study in the USA (only) must register for this test which will be held in Moshi on 10th June 2017. Students must register online before 30th April 2017. The fee is US$109.50 (if paying with your own credit card) or US$ 118 if you ask the school to process payment on your behalf.
SAT Reasoning Test. The SAT is an alternative to ACT and most of our D1 students will not need to take this if they are registering for ACT. It is only useful for students planning to study in the USA. The next SAT test will be held in Moshi on 6th May 2017. Students must register online before 31st March 2017. The fee is US$92 (if paying with your own credit card) or US$99 if you ask the school to process payment on your behalf.
IELTS Academic UKVI. This English Language test is usually required for non-EU citizens who wish to study in the UK. It is NOT available in Moshi and students will need to register with the British Council in Dar es Salaam to take the test. Tests are available in Dar es Salaam on 8th April, 3rd June, and 15th July at a fee of TSh 558,000. Students must register and pay online as early as possible before the test. ISM can process test fee payments on your behalf, but will need to charge a total of TSh 600,000 to also cover administration expenses and bank fees.
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Hair Donations
We are organising a hair donation action! We encourage everybody (students, teachers, parents and everybody else) to grow out their hair until the end of the school year. If your hair is longer than 30 cm by then, you can cut it and they can make a wig out of it for children with cancer. More information will come later, but for now, stop cutting your hair!
SPARE YOUR HAIR to SHARE YOUR HAIR
Lianne, Sally, Hugo, Ida and Emma
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Swimming News
Members of the swim team traveled to Nairobi this weekend for the ISK March Swim Meet. A combined force of Arusha/ Moshi swimmers swam for the first time together as one team, representing Tanzania in the otherwise all Kenyan-team meet. It was an amazing feeling on the pool deck, two campuses working together on relays, cheering for each other, and living through sport the essence of one school, two campuses. Coach Khalid (ISMAC) and Coach Ryan were honoured to share the deck with such an amazing group of parents and swimmers.
The number of personal best times in the meet (fastest ever, lifetime best swims) were too numerous to count. Most swimmers swam 10 races in two days. The girls team came away with the overall girls team first place trophy by a wide margin (more than 70 points) and the boys team were second by an agonizing 6.5 points. Both teams were awarded trophies to bring home to share between the two campuses.
Upcoming Dates
Mon 10 April – Fri 14 April – Day Swim Camp (see poster) – $60US (optional)
Friday 28 April – Mon 1 May – Mwanza Swim Gala – details TBA – app. $250-300US
Sun 7 May 2017 – Swim Team Wrap-up Dinner & Awards – AMEG Lodge – 5-7pm
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Holiday Swimming Camp
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Sports News
HOME OF THE LEOPARDS
As the school and sporting year flies by, our Leopard teams are ready for a new weekend and adventure. Our Varsity Swim Team is in Nairobi competing at the ISK Meet, and our Rugby and Netball teams opened their NTAA seasons yesterday at ISM.
The 2nd Season of NTAA closed on March 15th and below you will find the results of our Leopard Teams 1st Place U15 Boys Football 2nd Place U15 Girls Football 3rd Place U19 Boys Football 3rd Place U19 Girls Football
All in all, it was a great season for all our teams.
This past week the Bhubesi Pride Rugby Foundation was on the ISM Campus for their traditional visit. During this time, they worked with local school children teaching the basics of rugby, and on Friday the week culminated a fun tournament which 100 children participated. Bhubesi Pride also worked with our primary school students, the ISM Rugby team and coaches, as well as fitting in a clinic for NTAA Rugby coaches. It was such a great week we can’t wait for next year.
The ISM Sports Department looks forward to the Annual Sports Award Evening that will take place on Thursday April 20th. During this event, we will honor and recognize our students who participated in all our sporting teams during the school year. We are still organizing the event, so more details will come out in the next newsletter and in an email to the students, parents and coaches. We look forward to a great event.
Please find below the links to the Netball, Rugby and Swimming Team pages. As we get these sites up and running it will be great for our coaches, students and community to get information about these Leopard teams at a touch of a button.
https://ismrugbyrugbyleague.teamapp.com https://ismmoshivarsityswimteam.teamapp.com https://ismnetball.teamapp.com
We will see how these links work this weekend as all three teams are in action.
This coming week is March Madness and it will take place on Tuesday March 28th and Thursday March 30th. The schedule will be posted shortly. We all look forward to a great tournament.
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)
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A Fairy Tale Dream
What a great performance from Primary on Friday. Thanks to all who worked so hard for this.
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Cleaning our Town
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Multi-Purpose Hall
Our new multi-purpose hall is nearing completion and should be ready during this coming holiday. It’s first big test will be to host the D2 examinations which begin in May.
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Clocks, Gum and Roads
In case you are calling friends or family in Europe, please remember that the clocks went forward for summer time in Europe this morning. We are now 1 hour ahead of CET.
As summer approaches in Europe, the rain will hopefully come in Moshi. Please be careful when driving when the rain first starts, as oil on the road can make driving quite treacherous.
Please remind your children that chewing gum is not allowed on campus (because of the mess made on furniture that becomes all “gummed up”).
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Diploma Updates
Update:
The D2 grad leadership committee – Lulu, Glays, Sahil and Sarah – discussed event plans with the May 20th ISM DP grad keynote speaker Wilfred Moshi, who summited Everest in May 2012.
D1 parents are reminded of the Diploma Progression Policy which states: “At the end of the third quarter, all full diploma students will be expected to have a minimum of 22 points (obtained by adding the reported achievement grades from their six subjects excluding ToK and EE). Any student achieving fewer than 22 points at this stage (or achieving fewer than 11 HL points) will be required to undertake a reduced programme with either fewer subjects or with fewer higher levels in consultation with the Diploma Programme Coordinator.”
After two years of work, the D2 Visual Arts students will hold an exhibition of their final studio works in Karibu Hall beginning with a private viewing for parents/teachers at 7pm on Sunday followed by a showing for the ISM community all day Monday and until midday on Tuesday.
Upcoming:
The co-ed intra-mural ‘March Madness’ basketball tournament will occur on Tues 28th and Thurs 30th March thanks to the efforts of coaches Greg and Paige Wagoner.
Regular lessons continue until Friday March 31st at 9am. and resume on Wednesday April 19th. Parents do a disservice to their child if they permit early departures or late returns. Irreplaceable D2 exam revision sessions amplify the importance of this for D2s.
The 3-week annual IB DP exams will occur from Mon May 1st to Fri May 19th.
D2 Grad weekend events:
a) Decoration of Karibu Hall (parents/D2s) – Fri May 19th – 9am-noon;
b) Grad Fri evening dinner at AMEG Lodge in Moshi at 6:30pm;
c) Grad Ceremony – Sat May 20th with arrival at 2:00 for a 2:30pm start;
d) Tea in the Director’s Garden 4:30-6:30pm.
D2 Study Week & Exams
D2 students will return next quarter for only three days of crucial lessons from April 19th to 21st. The week of April 24th to 28th is designated as Study Week. D2 boarders are expected to be in school this week, although day students will not be required to come to school. Teachers will be available throughout the week for individual consultations and support as the D2 students prepare for their final exams. Boarders will be expected to attend all meals (including breakfast) and to be studying either in their bedrooms or in the tuition block during normal class hours.
During the exam period from 1st to 19th May, students will not be required to attend any classes or morning registration. However the expectations above continue for all boarders. Once a D2 boarder has completed all his/her exams, he/she may travel home (with parental permission) but should return before May 19th for the various Graduation events.
Web-links
On Modeling Good Choices – “Moral Bucket List by David Brooks NY Times – www.nytimes.com/2015/04/12/opinion/sunday/david-brooks-the-moral-bucket-list.html
On Study Tips for your DP child – www.businessinsider.com/study-hacks-for-final-exams-2013-12 and https://news.fiu.edu/2013/12/8-study-tips-that-will-help-you-overcome-finals-week/70573
On Internationalism-related articles shared with DP students –
1. South Sudan needs peace as much as food
www.irinnews.org/analysis/2017/03/20/south-sudan-needs-peace-much-food
2. As Trash Avalanche Toll Rises in Ethiopia, Survivors Ask Why –
www.nytimes.com/2017/03/20/world/africa/ethiopia-addis-ababa-garbage-landslide.html
Rick Fitzpatrick, (Diploma Coordinator):
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Early Childhood Preview
I hope you enjoyed the EC performances on Friday. I thought all the children did an amazing job and I’m very proud of them. It is a very big step to perform at such a young age in a huge hall in front of a large audience but they all rose to the occasion. Well done EC!
This week we will finish our Nocturnal Animal research, which has taken more time than planned due to all the work we had to do on the dances last week. The summative assessments will also be completed! The rest of the week will be spent preparing for the student led conferences. The children are very excited about showing you their portfolios and introducing you to a range of activities they take part in to develop their learning.
We look forward to seeing you all next Thursday. Look out for the conference times being sent out in your child’s folder.
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P1/2 Preview
Congratulations to all the P1/2 performers on Friday. I thought they did a fantastic job of creating a flying owl soaring through the air! They also sang beautifully and confidently. I hope the parents noticed the background scenery. The mountain scene was started by the Fairy Tale Arts Club, but finished by the children in P1/2 on Friday morning. They particularly enjoyed designing, cutting and adding the glitter. Well done young artists!
Unit of Inquiry:
Transdisciplinary Theme: Sharing the Planet
Central Idea: Human action has the power to preserve or destroy the earth’s natural resources.
Lines of inquiry:
Identifying natural resources in the local environment.
Discovering how people use natural resources.
Looking at the pros and cons of how we use natural resources.
Conserving the natural resources we use.
This week the children have enjoyed exploring campus and finding different sources of water to mark World Water Day. They also made some hard hitting posters advertising ways to help conserve water.
English: The children finished making their Pog Booklets and then read these aloud to their young friends in EC.
Maths: This week the children have been learning all about estimation. On Friday they designed an estimation game for other children to play.
What to bring to school every day:
Indoor shoes – please remind your child to bring the indoor shoes back to school.
A hat, a water bottle and a healthy snack. The rule is: No hat, no play, no fun today.
The Week Ahead:
Monday: Homework goes home. Swimming – please bring: trunk/costume, goggles (not compulsory), towel, swimming cap (for long hair), flip flops, sun lotion, and a plastic bag for the wet kit.
Tuesday: Library session. Final day of clubs.
Wednesday: Please collect your child at 13.05 ready to take home.
Thursday: No lessons. Student Led Conferences
Friday: Return the completed homework. Primary children go home at 10.15.
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P2/3 Preview
Dear Parents,
Thank you to all of you who were able to watch the wonderful Primary presentation this Friday. The children were such wonderful risk takers and performers.
This Week in class:
The P2/3 children have been working on writing different types of poetry. Many of them have selected them for their portfolios. They have begun to work on their non-fiction animal migration books. The children selected an animal and have begun to create a group book about its migration journey.
In Math, we have been practicing our multiplication facts and quizzing each other.
We have selected our character book clubs and will continue to focus on these next week.
The Week Ahead in class
Unit of Inquiry
This week we will be looking at the following line of inquiry:
How the world works
Central idea: Life on earth is directly related to how the solar system works.
Our lines of inquiry: How seasons and climate are caused?
If there are any parents that have any background knowledge on animal migration or how climate and seasons effect living things and would be willing to come in and talk to the class. Please feel free to contact me: .
Reading:
The children will continue to work on their own independent reading level as well as work within their character study book club.
Writing:
The class will continue to write their non-fiction animal migration books. They will also be carrying out researched based around their animal and the migration path it takes.
Math:
The children have been introduced to a multiplication game. I have, who has. We will play this game to help develop our math thinking.
We will be practising and selecting math games to play with our parents during Student Led Conferences.
The Week Ahead:
Monday: Homework
Tuesday: SWIMMING and Library – P3 French with Alliance Française
Last day of clubs
Wednesday: P3 French
Thursday: No classes – Student led conferences – Please come at your sign up time
Friday: 9am Karibu Hall whole school assembly School finishes at 10:15
Important date to remembe: 19th April – Quarter 4 classes start
Useful websites:
www.kidsspell.com
www.mathplayground.com/grade_2_games.html
www.learninggamesforkids.com/1st-grade-math.html
Have a fabulous holiday
Clare Hibbard P2/3
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P4/5 Pictures
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P5 Preview
This week the P5 students have been continuing to write poetry. The Kennings they have written are up in the breezeway. They have used thesauruses to help them make interesting word choices. We will continue with our poetry next week.
In Maths we have worked on collaborative problem solving and on sharpening our mental multiplication skills. We have also been playing some maths games that the children hope to share with you at the student led conferences on Thursday. The children shared their research about which countries have which forms of government. They will start researching a governmental system next week as part of our unit of inquiry. This project will continue after the Easter break. The children are continuing with their street art projects on the theme of social justice. We hope to have these finished and on display by the end of next week.
The P5 class were lucky enough to be able to work with some visiting rugby specialists from Bhubesi Pride for their PE lesson on Friday. This was a great experience – the children were learning, laughing and exercising. Some photos of the children playing rugby are attached to this article.
Next week is the final week of the quarter and there are some changes to the normal routine. After school clubs will finish on Tuesday. On Tuesday the children will work with some visitors from Alliance Française to develop their spoken French. On Thursday there are no regular classes – the children will come to school for their scheduled student led conference. On Friday there is an end of quarter assembly at 9:00 in Karibu Hall. The PYP children will finish school at 10:15 a.m. I hope you and your children enjoy the two week break. No homework has been set for the holiday but there are always assigned challenges on mangahigh.com, and times tables to be learned if your child is inclined plus holiday time is a great opportunity to relax with a good book.
The week ahead:
Monday – Lbrary, Swahili and new homework packet goes home.
Tuesday – Music and P.E. French with Alliance Française visitors. Last day of after-school clubs.
Wednesday – Swahili.
Thursday – No classes – Student Led Conferences.
Friday – Last day of the quarter. Assembly in Karibu Hall at 9:00 a.m. School will finish at 10:15
Please return your homework to school on Thursday or Friday.
Deborah Mills, (P5 Teacher)
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P6 Preview
This week the energy levels and creativity have been put to the test. It is crunch time and the students are putting in their best to meet the demands of the PYP Exhibition. The Action is ongoing and happening at different stages of their unit and I am proud to say that some students are taking individual Action as a result of what they are learning.
We celebrated Nuno’s birthday in a very unique way; it was also part of his individual PYP Exhibition Action. He brought into class some homemade lemonade to share with us. His action involved calculating the ratios of vanilla extract, honey and lemon juice to water, in order to get a tasty mix. He did the costing of all the products he used, packaged the product in recycled bottles and served them in a presentable way. He also supported the green economy by buying the materials from local farmers who are conscious about conserving the environment.
The Triple G group, whose focus is on promoting balanced video gaming, shared stretching exercises with the Primary students. Their action was spread across the week. These stretches are helpful not just for those playing video games, (be it on your phone or tablet), but also if you have been working behind a computer for a considerable amount of time. Some responses from the P5s and P6s after the stretches, “It was relaxing.” “I heard many cracks in my neck.”
Next week, which is the final week of the quarter, the P6s will be working on organizing their information and planning their presentations. Since we will not have clubs, it might be useful to use the hour between 2 p.m. to 3p.m. to cover any work that needs completing so as not to build up too much to do when we get back in Quarter 4. Parents, you are welcome to support the students in different tasks, this coming week. You can contact me through if you wish to support.
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CONTACT US
International School Moshi
PO Box 733 Moshi, Tanzania
Tel: +255 27 2755005
Fax: +255 736 605320
Email:
Mobile: +255 767 534766 |
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