Moshi Campus News – 15 June 2019

I think this last year has been a very successful one on many levels here in Moshi.  This has much to do with the great community spirit and involvement.  Thinking back through the year there are many events that stand out from the 24-Hour Run; Sports Weekend; Joseph; the Khanga Gala; Halloween and International Day.  These are just a few of the events and it does not even start to get into the trips, class events or other things that make a school year special.  To everyone that made these events and all the others possible thank you.  Your contributions to our school make quality holistic education for students possible.

As we approach the end of the school year, I would like to say goodbye to a few staff members that are leaving.  This year the following teachers will be leaving ISM and we wish them the best whether they are retiring or heading on to new adventures: Rosemary Bango our Head of Boarding; Anthony Hemmens our Diploma Coordinator; George Juma from Drama; Eli Mungaya and Lwake Kabuje from Boarding; Ingrid Chavez from English; Ben Kiema from History; Sonya Jolicoeur from LS; Brian Jackson from English and Caroline Schraa from Dutch. I would also like to mention that as would be expected with such a large support network at school we have people on campus that will be retiring in many different positions.  Thank you to all of them for their time and commitment to ISM.

I invite everyone to our End of Year Assembly on Thursday at 8:30am to help us celebrate this last year.

There will be a special newsletter coming out with the links to the class photos for parents, keep an eye out for that.

I wish everyone a fun and safe holiday and look forward to seeing you back here in August.

Bob Cofer

This week we received the news that we will be officially known as UWC East Africa from August 1st! There was some doubt about what our official name was going to be, but that has been confirmed and we can now press ahead with the task of converting all our branding such as websites, leterhead, t-shirts etc. Quite a task, but one which we are relishing as the UWC transition gathers momentum.

“Noone can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra to play it.” H.E. Luccock

This weekly newsletter often serves as a reminder of upcoming events and significant happenings but, for me, it is more a platform to celebrate our learning community. This week, I have been looking back over the newsletters since August last year. What struck me above everything else was the enormous volume of rich and diverse learning experiences we offer as a school, from EC to D2. The true strength of that learning lies in collaboration. Across ISM, every voice is valued and celebrated and every individual contributes to the success of the group. It is this pedagogy of respectful and responsive listening, the relationships and shared sense of belonging that are the genuine highlights of my first year at ISM.

Thank you to everyone who has played a part in making this year a success. At the risk of accidentally omitting someone, I am not going to list people here. Suffice to say, the learning and wellbeing of everyone in our community has been and must always remain a shared responsibility where we all foster a collective duty of care for each other.

Thank you to all the staff for your energy, dedication, passion and enormous commitment. We are truly fortunate to have you. I would also like to single out you, the parents and guardians, for giving us your trust, support and positivity.

Lastly, thank you to you, the students. Thank you for your energy, resilience, curiosity, sense of fun and kindness. Anthony J. D’Angelo once said “Without a sense of caring, there can be no sense of community.” Above all, thank you to each and every one of you for your commitment to care. The empathy, support and friendship on display every day is deeply heartwarming.

Enjoy a safe and restful break and I look forward to seeing you all again in August.

Ben Morley

On Thursday this week all students studying Environmental Systems and Society visited Singachini Farm. The focus of our visit was to discover how a small-scale farm is ensuring food production is economically viable, environmentally sustainable and community supported. While there we analysed the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and how the strategies in place in Singachini Farm meet many of these.

This was another opportunity to practically demonstrate student’s knowledge and understanding of the methodologies and techniques introduced in class. Ecosystems can be better understood through the investigation of their components. 

While there we were witness to a live calf birth, this was met with such awe that among us there isn’t one commemorative picture.

Thank you the Sisters of Singachini for hosting our field trip.

Last Saturday, the Sparkling Elephant Project team attended Kili Karibu Fair to carry out a survey and fundraise by selling customized SEP vitenges. Overall, the experience was insightful and fun as we managed to meet and talk to different people and also create awareness on locally grown foods in Tanzania and the importance of such foods towards environmental conservation. Asante sana Slowfoods Tanzania and Heritage Foods for hosting and guiding the SEP team throughout the day. Also, a huge appreciation goes to the team of students who went around selling vitenges and sending out the questionnaires.

Yuk Yi

The group 4 project was a massive success this year. The biology, chemistry and physics D1 students gathered for two days of designing and carrying out experiments that integrated their learning of these three subjects and challenged the students to collaborate. The students demonstrated ingenuity and critical thinking skills by cooking up some fantastic experiments to investigate the properties of pineapples and “osmosed” potatoes. Students used forensic science to solve a murder and chromatography to analyse pigments in plants. Students presented their research to the group, which included a demonstration of a modified steam engine, and finally, they reflected on their experiences together.

M5 Ceremony

We thank all of the members of our community who graced our M5 ceremony with their presence on Saturday June 8. We thank you for celebrating the achievements of this class as it transitions to the Diploma Programme next academic year. Our sincere gratitude to those who supported us materially and in kind.

P6-M1 Transition
The P6 students joined their M1 counterparts on Monday June 10. They attended classes in the secondary and got a sneak preview of what a secondary student’s school day looks like. All their questions were answered satisfactorily. We are grateful to the teachers in PYP and their coordinator for letting us host their pupils.

The following day, their parents came in for coffee morning at the social centre for a presentation on secondary school expectations and the changes that will most certainly occur in their children’s learning and general welfare.  Those who missed are encouraged to review the presentation which has been emailed to you.

MYP Service Focus Days June 14 – 18, 2019.

The MYP Service Focus days began on Friday May 14. They are expected to continue on Monday May 17 and spill into the following day. On Tuesday May 18 as from 10:35am to 12 noon, the students will share with the rest of their colleagues and school community what experiences they had. The M4 students head to Kili Orphanage to paint and train children how to ride bicycles and swim. The M3 students will at Tropicales in KCMC for toy making, board games and fruit tree planting. The M2 students will be at the Dog Sanctuary in Moshi to take care of these valuable pets. The M1 students will be at school tending their garden.

David Ochieng

Twelve students and four teachers from both Arusha and Moshi campuses departed for a 3-day level two cycling trip on Sunday, June 9th. The trip launched from the Moshi campus at 10 am during a slight drizzle, but we maintained our good spirits as we climbed rough roads toward Kilimanjaro. Unfortunately, the rains continued throughout the day and the road conditions worsened. Instead of going to our original campsite, we decided to spend our first night at the campsite that was planned for the second night of the trip to avoid steep and slippery roads, therefore reducing chances of accidents or injuries.

One our way to the camping site we forged a river and hiked our bikes up a 500 m hill through muddy and slippery terrain, which was a great experience for all. At the camp site, students enjoyed setting up their tents, playing, cooking and washing. Given the inclement conditions we made the decision to return to campus a day earlier on Monday the 10th. Despite the challenges of the trip it was fun and memorable.

Tuesday was a fun filled day with all of Primary out on the fields taking part in various relay races, obstacle courses and water balloon catching before break.  Then we had our P1-6 students after break, shooting hoops, playing rugby, defending netball rings and beating the goalie in our final Primary Inter House Competitions.  Results to be shared at our final assembly on Thursday.

Wednesday saw our U7 – U11 students travel to Kennedy House School in Usa River where they competed in the 2nd cross country for the semester.  Again, our athletes performed well and most importantly had a great time.

Our U9 and U11 touch teams play on Saturday the 15th at 9.30am as we host the last NTAA tournament for the year.

An iconic picture taken of the last time an ISM School Bus will be turning into the school grounds with an ISM sports team aboard as next time it will be UWCEA Moshi sports team returning.

Thursday afternoon saw us recognise all our wonderful athletes’ achievements for the semester at our semester 2 Sports Celebration Afternoon. Additionally we also celebrated our athletes of the year.  A huge thank you to all the PE staff, coaches, parents, support staff for everything you have done to help support our sports program and help our students engage in healthy lifestyles.  Next year we will step up the intensity and bring home even more happy healthy athletes than we did this year.  Below is a list of our medal winners and Athletes of the Year.

Athletes of the Year

• Senior Sportsman of the Year 2019 – Sacha T
• Senior Sportswoman of the Year 2019 – Magreth B
• Junior Sportsman of the Year 2019 – Thomson M
• Junior Sportswoman of the Year 2019 – Doris van Z
• Primary Sportsman of the Year 2019 – Zuberi de H
• Primary Sportswoman of the Year 2019 – Imani D
• Student Sportsperson of the Year 2019 – Michael K

Secondary Sports Day
Secondary Sports day will be held on Wednesday the 19th of June for all students M1 and above. Please make sure you have your house banners, chants and colors ready for this event.

Saturday Soccer
Saturday soccer will resume after the holiday.

Community Sports
ISM is now facilitating community Ultimate Frisbee on a Monday and Thursday at 5.30pm and Touch Rugby Wednesday at 5.15pm on the fields for Moshi community members who would like to play.  Note: people who are not in the ISM community need to pay a 3,000TSH fee to help maintain the facilities per session.

Holiday Tip
Relax and go out for a walk every day, enjoying the outdoors whether it be along a beach, in a rainforest or down to the local park, keep moving. See you all next year.

Go Leopards
Robin Marsh

We have come to the final week of the year. School will close for the long holiday on Thursday 20th of June. Boarders can make arrangements to leave the same day.

Boarders who are returning to school in August are expected to pack any of their belongings they intend to store here neatly and move them in the storage room in their boarding houses. They should not leave any personal belongings in their rooms. The rooms may need maintenance and may also be used by the UWC Short Course and 50th Celebration over the break.

We appreciate those parents who have already shared transport details with us. This is a final reminder to parents who have not shared the transport details with us to do so as soon as possible.

The school provides free transport to KIA for boarders on the scheduled closing day.

Rosemary Bango

This week was great fun and the end of year excitement grew stronger by the day as children shared their holiday plans. To the families who have left for their holidays, we wish you safe travels and a wonderful break.

We had a very successful Fun Sports Day and all the children enjoyed the games and competitive sports. The P1/2s enjoyed their day camp at Kishari House and even though the day started with light showers it ended well and all children were back safely. We ended the week on a high note with P4s selling crafts in the Farmers’ Market towards raising money for various projects they have undertaken for their unit action. Thanks to all who came to support us.

Clubs
This week saw the end of clubs for this quarter. Please arrange for your child to be picked up at 1:05 in the coming week as there is no supervision after this time.

End of year assembly will be in KHall on Thursday 20th June from 8:30 a.m.

Cathy Wambua-Saha

The EC2s spent a morning with their fantastic new teacher, Miss Mboka on Monday. They have been so excited about the move up, especially the prospect of joining primary on the ‘Big Playground’ in September.

In the picture you see our EC1s- perhaps they are looking a little bit lost without their older role models and  friends?

EC1 read the story of Anansi the Spider, a legendary trickster from Ghana. We went on to build our own web. What does it take to work as a team? Patience, kindness, sharing, talking to each other… our ISM ‘Next Generation’ has a huge amount of essential learning to look forward too next year and are just starting out on the path to becoming the kind of balanced, reflective, knowledgeable, risk taking leaders that are confidently moving up from our little class to their next steps into the PYP and beyond.

Each morning this week we have shared a story with a moral or lesson. How do these stories relate to our own lives? Mr Emmanuel shared the story of the Moran and the Lion, bringing the European tale of the ‘Boy who cried Wolf’ closer to home.

We will have a class party next Wednesday and we would love you to come along and celebrate with us if you can. Weather willing, we will be building a small fire in the community garden and cooking our own bread.

Owain Evans

This has been an active week for us with sports day and trekking to the river. ‘That was so fun!’ was an overall statement from everyone in our class. It has been a week full of laughter and fitting activities as we come to the end of school.

Next week, we will be wrapping up our unit work by sharing our reflections. Please make sure that your children bring in their diaries on Monday. We will not be reading them to each other unless we feel safe to do so. But we will share challenges and good points about keeping a diary.

Please send in a bag to collect your child’s work on Monday and again on Wednesday to collect the portfolio file. If you haven’t yet returned library bags, please do so. Reading books will not be issued this coming week.

On Wednesday, we will have a little party celebration after break. I will be handing out certificates and we will be saying a few words of gratitude to each other. 

Mboka Mwasongwe

The last couple weeks of school always seem to zoom by with lots happening inside and outside the classroom, as well as after school.

The highlight of this week has most definitely been Sports Day. As someone whose favourite time in school was Sports Day, it was lovely being able to be out in the field with the students and watching them showcase their skills. Thank you Mr. Marsh, Ms. O’Brien, Coaches Sabini, T, and Patrick, as well as Mr. Foya for organizing such a wonderful and fun day. There were smiles all around and it is well agreed this was one of the students’ favourite days in school.

A big congratulations to Nadia and all the other students who represented ISM at cross country!

This week students have been working on completing their summative assessments for our unit of inquiry. We will be presenting these to each other in class on Monday before setting off for our camp. The students have also completed an art project choosing one of four options showcasing their learning about the Earth, day and night cycles, and planets.

We’re all excitedly looking forward to our camp on Monday. All our fingers and toes are crossed for no rain! Please send enough warm clothes for the students to be able to sleep comfortably that night!

Elisha Jaffer

The P4s had a wonderful time selling crafts that they had made. I really appreciate all the help we received from different community members in making this sale a success. We were able to make many learning connections using the experiences we faced during the sale. In the coming week we will complete our Summative Assessment projects and present. We will also have our class party on Wednesday, please send your child with snacks that they can share with their friends in class.

Cathy Wambua-Saha

What a great final full week with the P5 class. They were busy bees getting work done on their summative assessments, writing articles for the Class Newspaper, and playing sports both here and away. Next Tuesday, the class will be presenting their slideshows for their summatives at 11:15. After we are done, we are going to set up an art show to share too. The art show should start around 12:30. The class is proud to share their creative works that they have made this year. Parents are welcome to join us for both events. On Thursday morning before assembly, we are going to watch a slideshow of the year and have a closing circle. Parents are welcome for the slideshow at 8 am.

Please remember to send a bag with your child daily to continue the chore of taking items home. We started yesterday, and are trying to do a little each day. Thank you for such a great first year at ISM!

Sarah Brummel

The P6 students started the transition to MYP last Monday. They had their move up ceremony and received a certificate to acknowledge their completion of the PYP. They spent the rest of the day in the MYP attending some classes with the current M1 students. After lunch they had a question and answer session with Mr. Ochieng and Mr. Marsh. This week we have been busy practicing embroidery and cooking skills and will continue with these projects next week. We are also revising division in maths. On Monday we will have our P6 sleepover in the classroom. We will be cooking our own evening meal in the student kitchen. Please ensure your child packs a light rain jacket as the weather is unpredictable at the moment.  We hope that it will remain dry enough for us to have a campfire. Mr. Emmanuel (EC) will be staying over with us for the night. The children will be bringing home their books and portfolios this week. On Thursday we will have our end of the year assembly in K Hall at 8:30 am and school will finish at 10:15 a.m. I would like to take this opportunity to say how much I have enjoyed working with the children over the last 2 years, to thank you for your support and to wish the children all the very best next August in the MYP.

Deborah Mills