Many of our students exercised their mental arithmetic skills in World Maths Day last week and our M3 students displayed an excellent Science Fair. After so many also took part in the Kilimanjaro Marathon last weekend, you might expect a quiet weekend now. But the Soccer Sevens tournament is fully underway today as this newsletter goes out and we are also gearing up to a busy weekend next Friday and Saturday.
Variety Show
Our annual Variety Show hits the stage in Karibu Hall next Friday, 12th March starting at 7pm. Many students are now preparing their acts and it promises to be an evening of fun and entertainment like no other! Entrance is free and we hope to see many families there to support our budding stars! Students wishing to perform will need to be in Karibu Hall for auditions on Tuesday afternoon, 9th March.
International Festival
WOW! Things are really hotting up for this years …………….
INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL
Arusha Campus - Saturday 13th March
Highlights… We’ve got Maasai JUMPING – Children singing, Indian dancing - International culinary delicacies for sale - the swiss are flying cheese in – the French will bringing wine -Live Performances - Nations soccer cup - International costume parade
6 Tents with tables will represent the 6 continents : book your country table soon! contact Joyce Msengi-Mullings:
For further queries or ideas pop in and see Sue Jones, (0782 935 608), at the reception area in Arusha or write to her on
Note: the day is free of charge. You can sell your produce - We kindly ask you to help share the costs by donating up to 20% of your takings. The school will cover the rest of the costs of the day
Primary Student-Led Conferences
The Primary School will be holding student-led conferences on Friday, 12th March. There will be no primary classes on the day and students will be expected to accompany their parents to school during the scheduled times. Sign up forms have been pasted outside classrooms. Portfolios will not be sent home prior to these conferences. On the day students will be discussing their portfolios with their parents at school.
Student-led conferences are formal conferences where children are involved in discussing their work and progress with their parents.
Students are involved in the selection of their work. Some teacher choices are also included in the student portfolios
Students are taking more responsibility for their own part in the learning process
The conference provides an opportunity for students to identify their strengths and areas for further growth in within their chosen work.
While students present their portfolio, parents could ask their child to explain:
what they did
what helped them to successfully complete their piece of work
what they learnt or enjoyed about the different activities they selected
what they would like to improve on or do differently next time
what strategies they used to help them do their work
what they would really like you to understand about their work
why they chose certain pieces of work to display in their portfolio
what they are good at
Primary boarding students will have an organised programme for that day and, for those whose parents are unable to attend, will be accompanied to the student-led conferences by their boarding parent or another teacher.
Swimming Gala
A number of both primary and secondary students will be travelling to St Constantine's School in Arusha for their swimming gala on Saturday, 13th March. The students will go on to the International Festival on ISM Arusha Campus after the swimming gala is finished.
Uhuru Peak Trip
About a dozen diploma students will be aiming to summit Kilimanjaro when they undertake the first Outdoor Pursuits trip of this year from 12th to 16th March. All of these students have previously taken part successfully in many ISM OP trips and we wish them success on this one also.
Other Outdoor Pursuits trips scheduled for this semester are as follows:
18-19 April: Mandara Hut, Kilimanjaro - this Level One trip is ideal for younger secondary students and those entirely new to our OP programme
24-26 April: Little Meru - a Level Two trip to the smaller peak on Mout Meru.
29 April - 2 May: Mawenzi Hut, Kilimanjaro - a level Three trip to the base of Mawenzi - the lower pesak on Kilimanjaro.
8-11 May: Socialist Peak - a demanding level Four trip to the summit of Mount Meru.
Fees
This is to remind parents who are paying fees by quarterly instalments, that the due date for parents to have paid the fourth quarter fees (1st March) has now passed. We do have a policy of surcharging overdue fees. Please check your account and, if there are still fees due, please settle these immediately to avoid any surcharges.
High School Musical
Arusha Campus secondary students will be staging performances of High School Musical in Arusha on Wednesday-Friday, 17th-19th March. If you're in Arusha one of those evenings, they can promise you a good evening's entertainment. We will be taking a bus to Arusha on 19th March so that our boarders can enjoy the performance that evening.
End of Quarter Arrangements
Classes this quarter will finish on Friday, 26th March. Secondary students will finish classes by 10:15am. Parents of secondary students are invited to meet with their child's teachers in Karibu Hall on this day between 10:35am and 12 noon. Primary students will finish classes at the usual time of 12:35.
We would once again like to appeal to families not to withdraw their children early at the end of the quarter as we do want classes to continue as normal until the Friday morning. Boarders should not be leaving school before 10:30am on Friday unless this is essential. If your child is in boarding and you wish him/her to travel by air, please purchase an e-ticket for a flight leaving on Friday afternoon or later and send this to Sunita Somaiya on as soon as possible. When planning return journeys, please note that boarders should return on Monday, 12th April and classes will restart on Tuesday, 13th April.
All secondary students will receive an interim report on their child's progress this quarter; D2 students will receive a full detailed report. These reports will be issued on Wednesday, 24th March.
D2 Arrangements: Quarter 4
With only seven weeks until the D2 written examinations, the time ahead, including the Easter break from classes, is vital in terms of revision and we would urge families to be as supportive of our students as is possible; we need to work together to keep the students motivated so that they can perform to their potential.
Classes for D2 students will finish on Friday, 23rd April and they will then have just over one week of independent study time before the written exams begin on Tuesday, 4th May. Boarding students are very welcome to remain in boarding on campus, not least because teachers will be available for consultation (for both Day and Boarding students), during that time. All boarding rules will still apply during this period, as will the boarding house exam policy. However, some students may feel they work better at home and therefore prefer to go back to their parents for some or all of that week. If your child is a boarder and you believe that s/he will benefit academically from some time away from school, we would ask that you notify us of your intentions two or three days beforehand.
Graduation
This year, the D2 Graduation Ceremony will take place on Saturday 22nd May at 2.00pm. The Graduation Dinner for D2 students, their families and teachers, will take place on the preceding evening of Friday 21st May. We will send more details and official invitations closer to the date.
D2 Art Exam and Exhibition
Even before the written exams next quarter, the D2 Art students will be presenting their exhibition to an examiner this quarter on Monday, 22nd March. After the examination is completed, we will open the exhibition for parents and other members of the community. Details coming soon.
Library Week
The annual Library Week on Moshi Campus just 2 weeks ago was filled with activities from KG - D2. Highlights included a D2 buddy read with KG, a D1 buddy read with P1/2, a Library scavenger hunt, and Library trivia questions. Prizes included Scholastics book vouchers for the upcoming order and sweets. Students from KG - P3/4 especially enjoyed story time with Mr. Bob Woods, as his voice impersonations generated many smiles and laughter. It was an enjoyable week! More photos are available online at www.ismoshi.org/lib10.htm.
Hard Labour at Kidachini
Go to www.ismoshi.org/hardl10.htm to read how our diploma students dug a trench for water over 1km long in February.
World Mother Language Day Assembly
Asante sana! Thank you, Madame Turner and Mama Mvungi for organising our primary assembly. Students shared plays and songs in Kiswahili, French, Dutch and even a dance from our Punjabi students. An addition to our assembly was a special presentation from P5/6 students who shared how they used the design cycle to create their crazy hats. Our next assembly will be on the 18th of March. We will be celebrating "World Theatre Day for Children".
World Maths Day in Primary
The school celebrated "World Maths Day on Wednesday 3rd March. The day began with a rotation of fun and challenging Maths activities ranging from mazes, sudoko, dot to dots, number bingos to code breakers. Sudoko was one of the more challenging activities for the older students. However, students found out that working together, asking questions and just having a go, made the activity engaging and fun.
P3/4 - "Can you help me?"
"Let's work together"
"Is there a pattern?"
P5/6 - "Let's choose an easier one; this one is too hard"
"Can you give us a clue?"
"I know this because my grandfather used to do this with me."
"Each time you get stuck can Joy add one number to help us solve the problem?"
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