We are now half way through the third quarter and ready for the many events yet to come. Congratulations to our girls basketball team who won all their matches at St Constantine's yesterday.
PYP Evaluation
Our Primary Years Programme (PYP) Evaluation visit concluded successfully last Wednesday and we received some verbal feedback from our visitors. We would like to thank all the teachers, parents and students who participated in the visit for their contributions. We expect to receive the full visit report in about six weeks time and this should be valuable for us in developing our primary teaching over the months and years ahead.
Direct from the Director
Thank you to all of those parents from both campuses who were able to take time to attend our parent information sessions over the last two weeks. This communication is for the benefit of those parents who were unable to attend. It is a review of the information delivered during the sessions.
During the course of the first semester we held several parent sessions on both campuses. During those sessions, suggestions were made and questions were asked. These suggestions and questions were recorded and presented to the Governing Board at their December meeting.
Some of the key questions required a response from the Governing Board. These questions were; was the Board interested in selling shares in the school to interested parties; was the Board interested in selling any of their hard assets (property) in order to help address the school’s financial needs; was the school interested in selling one of our two campuses; was the Board interested in expanding the decision making base to include more direct participation by parents? The Board declined to act on any of these questions at this time as they did not see them as a means to resolving the short term financial needs of the school. The Board did agree with a recommendation from the parents regarding the formation of a committee to develop a long range financial plan.
After hours of deliberation during which the above mentioned questions were considered as well as a review of a letter forwarded to the Board, the decision was made to increase the school fees for the coming school year. The new fees and the rationale behind the targeted increases were then published for the school community. The details can be found in the December 18 newsletter on the school website.
It was also pointed out during the meeting that International School Moshi Ltd. is a private, nonprofit entity. It was founded by missionary organizations who remain the shareholders and the shareholders appoint the members of the Governing Board. As a private concern, there is no requirement that the Governing Board provide specific details to the school community regarding finances such as the annual balance sheet. Additionally, although they are interested in parental ideas and concerns, these ideas and concerns will not necessarily drive the decisions made by the Governing Board. In short, the responsibility and authority for making decisions regarding policy and financing rests with the Governing Board.
The next steps in our movement forward are to organize a strategic planning session which would include the formation of a committee focused on the financial health of ISM.
If you should have any questions concerning the above information, please forward them to .
We appreciate your continued interest and support and we look forward to future meetings on a broader range of topics.
Sincerely,
Robert Woods, Director
Maulid Holiday
The Islamic holiday of Maulid is provisionally scheduled for Friday, 26th February, but will officially depend on the date of sighting the moon. In order to help the school and families with planning, ISM will definitely celebrate the holiday on Friday, 26th February and there will be no classes on that day. This date will not change even if the national holiday eventually falls on a different date.
Please note that all normal classes and activities (including afternoon sports and CAS activities, will take place on Thursday, 25th February. We would therefore ask parents to please ensure that their children do not leave school before all their Thursday commitments are completed.
P3/P4 Camp
The P3/4 class will be away on camp this week on Wednesday 24th & Thursday 25th February at Kahawa Shamba coffee farm in Moshi.
Primary Assembly
The International Mother Language Day Assembly which was scheduled for the 25th February has been rescheduled for Friday, 5th March at 7.40am in Karibu Hall. "International Mother Language Day" is celebrated around the world to promote linguistic and cultural diversity. The PYP acknowledges the importance of each student maintaining his/her mother tongue and learning the host country language (Kiswahili) as part of a student's cultural experience in Tanzania. Our students are also fortunate to be able to learn an additional language, French.
Secondary Swimming Gala
As you will have read in an earlier message, we have postponed our secondary swimming gala because of our concerns over low student interest and engagement. We will shortly be determining a new date this quarter when the event will take place, and we will also be restructuring it to address some of these concerns.
Kilimanjaro Marathon & Team ISM
The Kilimanjaro Marathon is coming this week on Sunday, 28th February and, like last year, we are building a Team ISM to compete and raise awareness and support for ISM's Scholarship programme. Details of this programme can be found at www.ismoshi.org/scholarship.htm.
Anyone can join Team ISM and can choose to take part in the 5km Fun Run, the Half Marathon or the Full Marathon. Students are strongly encouraged to take part in the Fun Run. To join Team ISM, please collect an entry form from Tina Moyale, Development Officer, in the main office and pay or pledge TSh 20,000/-. You can also collect a sponsorship form at the same time. By joining Team ISM, you will get:
Entry to the race of your choice
Transport between Moshi campus and the race start
Breakfast on race day (a packed breakfast for you to eat when you reach the finish)
a Team ISM T-shirt, stating that you are supporting the ISM Scholarship programme
A sponsorship form for you to collect sponsors to support your participation
The chance of a prize. We have an Ipod shuffle to be awarded to the student on each campus who raises the most money through sponsorship
All entrance fees and funds raised through sponsorship (less costs) will be donated to the ISM Scholarship Fund.
Higher entry charges may apply for non-Tanzanian residents
International Festival
The organisation for the International Festival on Saturday, 13th March on Arusha campus is now well underway. The aim of the day is to celebrate and learn more about the many and diverse cultures that make up our school community. There will be live performances, music, art, culture and food. There will be an International costume parade in the main hall and a grand finale for the day where we will toast the school and tuck into a large birthday cake to wish ourselves a happy 40th birthday. We will also showcase and give away an ISM recipe book featuring your family recipes from around the world.
The PA are coordinating tents representing the different continents of the world. These will represent the Americas, Africa, Europe, Australasia, Asia, and the Middle East. We would like to ask you the parents to participate and help create these areas to celebrate and showcase your national costume, food and culture.
Entrance on the day will be free but all food and drink will be charged at cost. Everybody is welcome to bring food from their own culture to sell. All we ask is a minimum donation of 20% from your takings to go towards the costs of the organisation.
If you would like to participate please contact Pauline on tel 0785774773 if you are from the Moshi campus or Joyce Msengi-Mullings on or tel 0787516837 if you are on the Arusha campus.
If you have an act, idea or any other query regarding the day you can email Sue Jones on tel 0782935608 or pop into to see her at the main reception on Arusha campus.
It’s going to be a great family day for our children to remember.
World Maths Day
Great News!
World Maths Day on Wednesday, 3rd March 2010 is just around the corner, nearly here, almost upon us! However, like professional basketball players who need to train to become really good, our Mathletes need to start their training now so that we can regain our title of being the NUMBER ONE School of Mathletes in all of Tanzania.
World Maths Day is celebrated by many schools all over the world. Students go online and compete against students in other countries. So, to help train our Mathletes, ISM has managed to register our students and procure usernames and passwords for them. It's easy, although they do need the internet. Just go to www.worldmathsday.com and let your child sign in. Let your budding Mathlete start their training today!
In the primary school the day will start with a rotation of fun and challenging Maths activities organised by the teachers. These activities will occupy the morning session and end at break time (7.55am-10.15am)
P1/P2 Trip
P1/2 will be travelling to Arusha National Park on Thursday 4th March as part of their unit of inquiry.
ABRSM Theory Exams
These music theory examinations will take place on Thursday, 4th March. Only students who have already registered may participate.
Primary Student-Led Conferences
The Primary School will be holding student-led conferences on Friday, 12th March. There will be no classes on the day and students will be expected to accompany their parents to school during the scheduled times. Sign up forms will be pasted outside classrooms from Monday, 22nd February. 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.
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.
Variety Show
Our annual Variety Show is coming up on Friday, 12th March. Students are starting to prepare their performances now! Details to come later.
School Shop (Duka)
On the Moshi Campus we have a school shop (duka) which is open at break times and lunchtimes as well as during the afternoons and evenings. It serves the needs of all students during the day time and of boarders at other times. Although the school has managed the shop itself for many years, we are now interested in the possibility of enabling a private individual or company to manage the shop. If you know of anybody who may be interested in taking on this private management, please contact me on to request further details.
School Bank
We operate a school bank for boarders to enable them to deposit cash for safekeeping and to withdraw cash when the bank is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We strongly discourage boarders from keeping money in their bedrooms (except for small funds for immediate needs) and strongly encourage them to use the school bank. Some boarders have opened bank accounts in Moshi and use ATM cards to withdraw cash - whilst they may continue to do this and can withdraw cash during the weekly trip to town which the school facilitates, we are not able to arrange transport to ATM machines for students at other times and cannot be responsible when students lose their ATM cards. Boarders are advised to use the school bank facilities instead.
Counselling Services
Our school counsellor, Dr Balige, visits the Moshi Campus every Tuesday afternoon and is available in the library office between 3pm and 5pm. No appointment is necessary and any student who has issues that they may like to discuss is welcome to drop in and see him. Dr Balige is also available at other times if students or families wish to make a separate arrangement to see him.
Scholarship Students
ISM is now seeking two new students to join our D1 class in August as full scholarship students. Applicants must be Tanzanian citizens who have recently completed national Form Four examinations. In order to award the scholarship to the very best students, we are encouraging those with 7, 8 or 9 points in Division One in the Form Four exams to apply. Applications will close on 28th February 2010. Further details are available at www.ismoshi.org/scholar.htm. if you know of any suitable candidates, please do encourage them to apply.
Fees
This is to remind parents who are paying fees by quarterly instalments, that the next due date for receipt of fees is Monday, 1st March..
Head Lice
Please be advised that in our efforts to avoid the spread of head lice at school, we would like to ask if you could please check your child's hair.
If at any time your child has head lice, please ensure the successful treatment of his/her hair before sending them back to school. Recently there have been two day students with head lice in school.
At school, if students are suspected of having head lice they will be sent to the school nurse who will check the student's hair. If head lice are discovered, the nurse will then issue a letter to inform parents and, in the case of day students, will ask parents to take the child home in order to apply treatment.
Head lice are spread mostly by direct head-to-head contact. The sharing of hats, combs and other hair accessories may also spread head lice, but this is rare. Head lice are a common and frustrating problem and are not related to the child's cleanliness. This is a useful website that may offer helpful hints on treatment of head lice: http://pediatrics.about.com/cs/conditions/a/head_lice.htm.
Wanted - Host Family
A family in Germany is considering sending their 16-17 year old son to ISM as a boarder next school year. However he will not be able to travel back to Germany during school holidays (particularly Christmas or Easter) and his parents are asking if there is any family in the community who might be willing to host him for the school holidays. They would be prepared to cover costs involved. If you may be able to help, could you please let me know on
SAT and TOEFL tests
We recommend students currently in D1 who may be applying to universities in the USA to take SAT Reasoning tests in May this year. The school has been providing preparation classes for these tests throughout the school year. Registration for the tests can be done online by the student themselves although they will need details of a credit card in order to effect payment. Alternatively parents may request that payment is done through the school using a school credit card - in such circumstances we will need to pass on our 8% bank charges. Details of how to register are given on the school website at www.ismoshi.org/SAT.htm. Registration should be completed before the end of this quarter.
Also D1 students who are not nationals of the USA, UK, Canada, Australia or New Zealand, and who are planning to study in the USA, Canada or Australia are advised to also take a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) in May this year. Again registration is online and should be completed before the end of this quarter. Details are given on the same webpage.
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