s e n i l d a e H The ISL From the Head of School : Mr. Martin Gough “Striving for Excellence” Important Dates Yr 10 trip to wildtracks
2nd to 6th Nov
IB1 trip to Ndubaluba(IYA)
6th to 9th Nov
Yr 11 Mock Drama Practical
20th Nov
November 2015
During the week of 5th October, ISL had a Preparatory Accreditation visit from representatives of the Council of International Schools (CIS) and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). These two organisations accredit ISL and were here to carry out a preliminary check and confirm that the school can start the process of reaccreditation. The visitors met with many different groups and individuals from the ISL Community, including students, parents, teachers, administration, and the Board of Governors.
At the end of October we heard that ISL has passed the first stage and we can now start the 18-month self-study process that will lead to a major report being sent to CIS and NEASC in March 2017, followed by a visit of around 8 Yr 11 ICT & 23rd Nov educators from international schools around the world at the end of April Music Practi2017. This team will read the report, which reflects on how we are doing cals against a whole range of standards and indicators, and compare it to what Yr 11 & IB 30th Nov they see happening in the school. If all goes well, at the end of this process, Art Mock the school should be re-accredited for the next 10 years. Practicals
Contents Head of School
1
Primary principal/green committee
2
Early years
3
Upper Primary
4
PYP
5
Secondary Principal
6
IGCSE/IB
7
Yr 11 Field Trip
8
Yr 8 ICT
9
CAS
10
Zambia Un day
11
Half-term is long gone and it is only five weeks until the December holiday. All our students are busy with their schoolwork but those following the IB Diploma Programme are particularly so. IB2 students should have handed in their 4000 word Extended Essay by now and are busy completing all the internal assessment coursework for their various subjects. They will then need to start reviewing for their trial examinations after the December break. We know that students who prepare well for those exams find their finals in May less stressful and do better in them. So, they should think of this vacation as a mixture of work and play. We are trying to improve security on campus and the guards have been asked to challenge parents who arrive at school without Car ID Cards – please do not shoot the messengers! If you still need a card, please email or send a hard copy of the completed form (sent home by email on 30/10 and 9/11) to Ivy Chipasha on ichipasha@islzambia.org or the Primary or Secondary Secretaries so that a new one can be made for you.
Primary
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Message from the Primary Principal: Mrs Sunita Nair
Welcome back after the break! I am sure it was great to be able to spend more time with your children!! UN/Zambia day was grand (as I am sure you would agree) and everyone left feeling proud to be a part of this school community. Back to business as is the norm here at school- new units begun in some Early Years classrooms and on a continuum for students from Year 1-6. Children are extremely engaged, focused and beginning to take their own action. More news on that in our next newsletter. I have had enquiries from a couple of parents on how they can help at school. This is fabulous. We are excited and are ready to grab any opportunity that will help us have more people on board in classrooms, sharing, learning and understanding. Remember we believe in team work. Do you have an hour to spare every week? Would you like to volunteer at school? You are welcome to see me and we can find something that will work for school and you. There are many options available for parents- offering an afternoon activity, helping out with reading, sharing and being part of the learning engagements within a classroom of your choice, being the expert and giving us insights etc. The list is endless…..So do not hesitate to see me and we can work something out. Our first PYP workshop was a great success. Thank you to all the parents who attended. We are always happy to see you. Thank you to all the teachers who worked hard to make it happen. We have had very positive feedback from parents. The Music Department is planning a Music concert in December and it promises to be something to look forward to. Mr. Nkolola, our Primary Music teacher is in charge with the support of the Upper Primary class teachers. The students involved this time are from Year 3 -Year 6. We have planned this for December 3rd. Kindly note the date in your diaries. Early Years- Nursery to Year 2 will put up a production in the second semester. That‟s all we have for you now.
GO GREEN ….. News from the Green Committee at school. We hope to share an idea through every newsletter on something you can do to keep your home, office and surrounding green. At present we recycle paper and plastic bags. Paper is collected in every classroom and supplied once a week to APTERS, an organisation at UTH. Plastics bags are collected at school by Mrs. Rachel Bentley to go to Chikumbuso, who pick it up once a month. If you have plastic bags, paper, magazines or books you want to get rid of, please contact any one of us: Secondary- Ms.Vicky Meredith, Ms.Cherry Gough, Ms.Leah Rappaport, Primary- Ms.Karen Hedstrom, Ms.Yabbey Chikota, Ms.Arbory McNulty or Ms.Sunita Nair
Green idea for the month…… DUST IT- Dust the coils at the back of the fridge. Dusty coils can waste up to 30% extra electricity compared with clean ones
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From the Early Years Coordinator: Mrs Karen Hedstrom We closed for our mid term break with our UN Zambia day celebrations. The children all looked wonderful dressed up in their national dress and parading into the MPC. Thank you for helping us with this.
A couple of reminders: Now that the rains have finally started, remember to send your child with their swimming kit and PE kit on swimming days. If it is too cold to swim they will have a regular PE lesson. Please remember to pack healthy snacks that are easy for your child to eat. We are trying really hard to promote healthy eating and ask that you help us by not packing sweets etc into party bags, if you are distributing them at school.
The Year 2’s inquiry into Events In History Shape Our World Today took them to the Lusaka Museum. The trip was to give the students an idea about evolution and the progress man has made through history. Children noted the things cavemen used and could compare them to the things we use today that have replaced those. They also realized that we still use a lot of the old methods from history to survive today. All in all, it was an eye-opening trip and it made a great addition to their inquiry. GRAND PARENTS DAY On the 5th of November, Year 2s celebrated Grandparents Day in style. The grandparents were a rich source of information as they shared stories, song, dance and food as a way of learning about the olden days. A big thank you to all the parents and grandparents that made it on that day!
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From the Upper Primary Coordinator: Mrs Tasneem Mohmed Music to our ears!!! Last month, Y2 – Y6 were extremely lucky to have a group of International classical musicians perform to them. The group was led by a German Musician called Theo Bross. The students were delighted to hear the different types of instruments and some children were privileged to have a go at conducting. Letâ€&#x;s hope some budding musicians were encouraged to start learning to play an instrument. Thank you to Theo and his team for a memorable musical treat! Year Three trip to Cheshire Homes
Spirit Week and UN Day UN day was a colourful array of beautiful national dress from all around the world. The students performed a range of dances and songs from Bollywood to Japan. Spirit week organized by the secondary student council had the upper primary students in fits of giggles. Cross gender day brought out the feminine side in a lot of our male students. Finally, what better way to end the week by rolling out of bed in our pyjamas, straight into the classroom! Well done to all the students for dressing up and getting house points for your team.
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Message from the IBPYP Coordinator: Mrs Grace Kambeu Learning to make a difference. In our effort to continue promoting life-long learners we had planned two workshops to be held in October: One for teaching assistants and another for parents. A preview into our teaching assistants’ workshop It was wonderful to see the teaching assistants displaying boards using the skills gained from their workshop on displays which was presented by Mrs Gwyn Bentley.
The Parent workshop was on‟ Being a PYP Parent.‟ The aim of the workshop was to give parents ideas on how they can encourage their child/children to continue their personal development using the Learner Profile. Ideas on how they can use the language and terminology in the home as a way of reinforcing the ten personal attributes was also part of discussion. The workshop was facilitated by Mrs. Lungu, Mrs. McNulty, Mrs. Reddy, Mrs. Chikota and myself. The following attributes were looked at: Principled, Open-Minded, Knowledgeable, Thinker, Caring, Risk-Taker, Communicator, Reflective, Inquirer and Well-Balanced. More than 30 parents attended and participated in a variety of activities. It was exciting and encouraging to see so many parents getting involved and wanting to promote PYP in their homes. Thank you so much for taking time off your busy schedule to come and be part of our life-long learners. We hope to see you all and many more next time! May I also take this opportunity to sincerely thank all the teachers that made this happen. Well done for such wonderful presentations!
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Secondary From the Secondary Principal: Mr. Craig Patterson I hope everyone had an enjoyable Term 1 break and has returned rested and ready for the next month or so leading up to the Semester 1 holidays. The time will fly by of course, and there will be a lot to do. Eat healthy and regularly, get enough sleep and exercise, and set up a routine that ensures that you are able to give enough time and energy to all your commitments. Here are a few newsy items to remind you of and/or alert you to: Term 1 Progress Report is available for viewing on ManageBac. You should have received an email invitation to join ManageBac. If you have not, please contact the school. Many parents attended the Student-Parent-Teacher Conferences last week. I would like to thank both parents and teachers for both their positive and constructive feedback. The Semester 1 Report will be issued for Years 7, 8, 9, 10 and 12 on Friday, December 13, 2015. Year 11 and 13 reports will be issued in the new calendar year. The October report also included an evaluation of a student‟s Approaches to Learning (ATLs) which are deliberate strategies, skills and attitudes that permeate the IB and ISL teaching and learning environment. We believe that a large influence on a student‟s education should not only be what you learn but also how you learn; in other words, learning how to learn. Including an evaluation of the ATL‟s is an effort to explicit support the development of these skills. Achieving ATLs that “meet” or “exceed” a teacher‟s expectations will normally translate into academic success. The Secondary Student Planner has been handed out to the students. Parents are expected to ensure that all family information on the inside cover is correct. Parents must also sign the User Agreement for computers and the internet (page 23) in order for their child to have access to the ISL system. Please take some time to go over the Planner and send me you feedback on how we can improve next year‟s version. The secondary school will not conduct a formal Exam Week leading up to the end of Semester 1 in December. Due to the different approaches to and methods of assessment in different subjects (written essays, oral presentations, projects, portfolios, performances, pen and paper test etc.) teachers will continue to assess students up until the last day of the semester. Testing or evaluation timetables will be in place to ensure that students do not have multiple evaluations due on the same day. Parents and drivers are reminded that there has been a small change in the Secondary gatelocking time. The Secondary parking lock gate will be closed and locked at 16.30 (not 16.15) every Monday –Friday. After 16.30, all students must be picked up from the Administration parking lot. If you have any questions or concerns about the secondary programme, please do not hesitate to contact me.
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Secondary From the Secondary Principal: Mr. Craig Patterson From the IGCSE coordinator: Mr R Van de Velde October turned out to be another busy month despite the one week break. Year 11 went on a hot but interesting field trip to Treetops as some of the pictures illustrate (courtesy of Miss Meredith). The Year 10 trip to Wildtracks was postponed till early November due to too many events (UN day, inter house competitions) taking place in the week leading up to half term. On the last day of November, the first y11 trial exams will commence, with 2 days of Art exams. The other oral, practical and written exams will take place in January 2016. The IGCSE certificates for the previous Year 11 students have arrived at the school and can be collected from the IGCSE Coordinator during break or lunch times.
IB Corner! From Nathalie Vignard Friday 6th November is the deadline for the IB2 students to hand in their Extended Essay. Although the level of work and research involved in completing the 4,000 words pre-university paper is extremely valuable, I am sure the students will be relieved to finally submit their paper! We were very lucky this week to welcome Ms Lisa McMunn, who works in a refugee camp in South Sudan and who came to share her experience with our IBDP students. Many of our IBDP students were involved in Model United Nations last term and the status of refugees is one of the topics covered in the Geography syllabus. But it was also a great opportunity for our students to learn about the current political situation in South Sudan and the living conditions in a refugee camp, as well finding about the work of a Non Governmental Organisation and about the educational background needed to work in this particular field. Finally, congratulations to Ana Isabel Bandeira de Melo and Gaurav Menon in IB1: our online course provider, Pamoja Education, selected both students to be part of their Student Council. They will take up various roles representing students in this geographical area, and promoting the student voice in our school.
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Yr 11 Trip to Tree Tops
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After a long 9 hour drive, the year 11 class finally reached Treetops School Camp on the 5th of October, 2015. Upon arrival, we were welcomed by the famous Kondwe Kamwale Baobab tree- the jewel of Treetops. We were also introduced to the friendly staff who live there and maintain the camp. Due to our excitement, we settled down well in our comfortable dorms and the teachers in their chalets. We were later briefed on the rules and divided into three groups of girls and boys. Each group had to cook a meal everyday on a rota basis. Everyday after breakfast and Mr. RV's morning coffee, we would start our activities for the day in our group. In short, our new groups were like our family. During our stay, we went on night drives in little groups of 3-4 people. We saw a variety of antelopes, buffalos, elephants, hippos, a lion, a lioness and two leopard hunts. We were also very lucky to visit the hippo pool where we counted at least 100 hippos in the river! On the last day, we visited the Busanga Plains for a braai. In short, our trip to Treetops was a very enriching and memorable experience we soon won't forget! Thanks to everyone who made it possible. By Tanya Yadav
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IT Department—VBA coding from Mr Ezekiel Miti Putting the Power in the Point - Using VBA Coding! Year 7 students are learning how to create Advanced Interactive Multimedia Presentations. They have been introduced to interactivity through the use of a powerful programming language –VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) Visual Basic for Applications is a „tool‟ that can be used as an alternative to the „tools‟ available through the normal menus. VBA lets a user go further and do lots of things to make their presentation all the more unique! It then becomes Advanced Interactive Multimedia Presentation. Incorporating interactivity, as may have been realised, makes presentations a lot more interesting and enjoyable. The students at this level do not need to learn VBA; they are given examples of program code that they easily adapt for their own presentations. They run their presentations to see if their programs work. If their programs aren‟t working, they check the Syntax (code). All they have to is to change the answers (or questions!) a little. Since the answers or the questions may have changed, the program code may also need to change. The students have to guess or identify which part needs changing. They will design new questions with corresponding pictures, with textboxes and also with command buttons. When they finish with the coding, they debug and run it. They then copy the VBA code that has worked and paste it in new slides with slight changes to account for variations in questions and answers - it sounds complicated, but the students are up to the challenge and THEY ARE HAVING FUN! What colour is the triangle?
Red Blue Green Check my answer
From the head of Music Department—Mr Reuben Christman The Choir needs You …………………………. The ISL Choir is a newly formed after school activity. The group currently rehearses once a week, with the sole purpose of learning to sing better as individuals and in an ensemble. So far interest in the choir has been good with members rehearsing reliably, but to reach the next level we do require more people to become involved. If you are interested and between the ages of Yr 6-13 and free on Thursdays between 14001500 please come down and see what its about.
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CAS NEWS—COMMUNITY SERVICE IB students visit several community schools each week as part of the CAS programme. They provide activities for the students and have to take all the materials they need to the school as the students rarely have their own stationery items. I returned to Australia during the October holidays for a wedding and thought I would ask all my friends if they would like to donate some items for the CAS programme and to give to the students in the community school. I then had an idea that perhaps a school would like to help so contacted my sonsâ€&#x; old school, John XXIII College in Perth, asking if parents would like to donate any stationery. They were given one week to deliver items to school and the response was unbelievable. I was given enough items to give 100 children their own pack of felt tip pens, crayons, two pencils and a pen. I was also given paper, stickers, tape, scissors, books and craft materials. I managed to bring about 60kgs back to Lusaka and my Year 8 tutor group spent one period making up packs which we will deliver to one school next month. The remaining materials are now in the CAS room ready for students to take out to schools to use for their activities. From Ms Fiona Munroe
From the CAS Coordinator : Mrs Cherry Gough We are really grateful for these materials from Australia and others which our primary classes have finished with. IB students, Shruti and Uma, have begun to organize the CAS materials in our CAS room so that they are available for groups to pick up and use in schools. We are, however, desperately short of plastic tubs with lids to put the supplies in. If you have spare 2l ice-cream or other plastic tubs with lids or large plastic trays you are willing to donate, they would be gratefully received. Please drop off any donations at reception.
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ZAMBIA UN DAY
CONTACT US
http://www.cois.org/
http://www.ibo.org/
The International School of Lusaka 6945 Nangwenya Road Lusaka, Zambia Phone: +260 211 252291 Fax: +260 211 252865 E-mail: info@islzambia.org www.islzambia.org
http://www.pamojaeducation.com/
http://www.cie.org.uk/
http://www.neasc.org/