ISL Headlines - January 2014 by International School of Lusaka

es n i l d a e H L S The I From the Head of School : Mr. Martin Gough “Striving for

31st January 2014

It is a little late to wish you a happy New Year at the end of January but I hope the second semester of the school year has got off to a good start for your children.

Excellence” Important Dates 3rd Feb

School holiday

4th Feb

Staff development

5th Feb

IB/IGCSE reports given

5th Feb– Spirit week 7th Feb

Contents Head of School

Board Chair/Primary Principal

Early years/PYP Coordinators

Early years

Upper Primary

Secondary

IYA

IGCSE/IB

Sports

Students Council

January-February is known to be a very busy time in schools; at ISL Year 11 and 13 have been taking trial exams for IGCSE and IB Diploma Programme and their reports are being written, the school budget for next year is being worked on, and we are in the middle of the recruiting season for teachers. Recruiting new teachers is always a challenge as, for overseas teachers, we are competing in an international market and with the huge expansion in international schools in China and other parts of the world there are plenty of well-paid opportunities for international school teachers. As always, we are also recruiting teachers here in Zambia so that we can keep a balance of local and overseas hired teachers and maintain a blend of experience from other schools and continuity of teachers at ISL. With the Board of Governors, I am also working on plans to redevelop or at least refurbish many of our school buildings. These are up to 40 years old and, in many cases, were built using outdated construction methods and materials that have reached the end of their life. We intend to complete a multi-year master plan for the school site by the end of this school year. A component of this work will be to find out what is the minimum we need to do to create a safe, hygienic campus with suitable teaching spaces. However, we really need to do more than that over the next few years in order to develop a school campus that meets the needs of a 21 st Century school, particularly in terms of using technology in teaching and learning but also in providing suitable sports, performance and meeting spaces. Which brings me back to teacher recruitment, because teachers, like students, are affected by the place they spend a great deal of their time in which has an impact on teacher retention. For example, in terms of technology, the expectation is that classrooms will have digital projectors and probably interactive whiteboards, that teachers will be provided with laptops (which massively increase their productivity) and that the school will have, or will be working towards, a one to one tablet or laptop programme for students. We are at least making headway on the first of these and by the end of February all classrooms should have a ceiling mounted digital projector in place. A school is, however, clearly much more than the sum of the buildings and infrastructure – it is primarily made up of people; students and teachers, teaching and learning together. As I walk around each morning before school it is clear from the happy greetings of arriving students that we have a school community that is welcoming and inclusive. During the day I see students busy in classes and actively taking part in activities after school. Of course, we can always do better; hiring the best teachers and creating a climate and facilities that enhance students‟ learning and teachers‟ effectiveness are essential parts of improving the school. Martin Gough Head of School PS: You can read more about the redevelopment plans in the Board Chair‟s comment in this newsletter.

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Hello from the Board! The year 2014 at ISL will be a ground-breaking one. Literally! The 2013-14 Board of Governors has worked hand-in-hand with school leadership to develop a new Strategic Plan 20132018, which includes plans to modernize and upgrade the school facilities. In a nutshell, the school needs a facelift to remain competitive and to “strive for excellence” in all that we offer our students. The Strategic Plan also includes upgraded teacher housing, so that the school can remain relevant on the highly competitive international market for quality teachers. The Board recognizes that a large number of the Association‟s parent population pays school fees directly from their salaries, as opposed to employers paying on their behalf. Therefore, raising school fees to pay for these capital improvements is not a feasible option. Instead, the school will be raising funds by putting on the market several school-owned properties around the city, all of which are sitting on highly valuable land. (Knight Frank has done valuation of all the properties). Profits from the sales will feed directly into capital improvement costs, while school fees will continue to pay for direct budget costs (e.g. staff salaries, school supplies, etc). In February, the school will be contracting a local architect/design team to develop and cost a staged capital improvement plan, looking at issues of academic environment, safety and aesthetics. A staged plan is necessary as the majority of changes will need to be made during school holidays and breaks over the next few years to avoid disrupting class time. If land is sold before school closes in June 2014, the first stage of improvements could start over the long winter break. In the meantime, the Board will continue to use the newsletter, the Annual General Meeting and the school website to keep the Association abreast of progress. If you have any comments or questions, please feel free to contact the Board at islboardchair@gmail.com. Elizabeth Jere Chairperson ISL Board of Governors

Message from the Primary Principal: Mr. Bowen Being associated with our Primary School is always a privilege but at the moment I feel especially lucky. Your children have excelled in recent weeks and made me very proud indeed. On the football field our Under-10‟s and 12‟s girls‟ and boys‟ teams performed heroically to get a 100% qualification into next month‟s ISAZ Final‟s competition. Moreover, the manner of their victory was pleasing. Their sportsmanship and desire to play the game in a spirit of friendship and fairness was fantastic to see, from players, coaches and parent supporters. They showed true PYP attributes of respect and integrity. Well done everyone. On the academic side, the Upper Primary school has been presenting its writing in assembly. Many of us, including myself, find writing extremely difficult and yet the presentations that I have seen over the past few weeks have been of an extremely high standard. The students are able to write from other people‟s - and in some cases even animals‟perspectives to tremendous effect. What a skill. If you can imagine how other people think about things then you are on your way to becoming the sort of world citizen that will solve the planet‟s problems. Our teachers. You and I, are very lucky to have the sort of Primary teachers that we have at ISL. They recently spent every daylight hour of their weekend being taught about Conceptual Learning. This is an important facet of the PYP which we are inviting you to find out more about at our upcoming Parent Workshop on Tuesday 18th February entitled “Why we don’t teach Science”. The workshop is preceded by coffee and cakes courtesy of the PTA at 7hrs drop off time. Please come along. We plan to make it fun and interesting. We don‟t expect you to know what it means at this stage but I can assure you it will be well worth your while. Finally, I would like to welcome all the new students and their mums and dads. I am only just getting to know some of the new faces and their names and interests but so far I am thrilled to find out about the far flung or different places that they have come from.

y rimar

From the Early Years Coordinator: Mrs Rachel Bentley

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We would like to wish all our parents a Happy New Year from the Early Years Department and we are looking forward to a busy and productive time in 2014. Coming up in the next half of the year, we have our 100 Days of School celebrations, trips, sleepovers and our Early Years Production. It is always sad at the end of a semester when we have to say goodbye to some of our students. On the other hand, as a new semester starts, we have been able to welcome new faces in our classes and we are enjoying getting to know them. The semester has started with gusto with the Year 2 classes presenting a science fair to allow others to share their findings in their Unit of Inquiry under "How the World Works". They have had the chance to investigate how materials change through melting and dissolving as well as changing from liquid to a gas or solid state. The unit involved a fair amount of changing, creating and then sampling food stuff, which might explain the enthusiasm of our budding inquirers. In this last week, parents and the Year 5 classes were invited to share in their discoveries. At the start of the new year, here are a few reminders of important things in Early Years. As the rains are now here, please remember that your child will need their PE kit even on swimming days in case the weather is not suitable for swimming. Hats are still essential for daily use. Lastly, please make sure that you are aware of the correct pick up time for your child and that your child is collected promptly.

Message from the PYP Coordinator: Mrs Sunita Nair Welcome back everybody and a warm welcome to all the new families who have joined our ISL family! We came back to a week full on for Primary School teachers!! We were ready to move on with the units and during our first weekend back , we were involved in an inschool workshop on Concept Based Education. We had two workshop leaders arrive in the country from Tanzania and Botswana- Ms Kristeen Chachage and Mr. Garth Kitching ( identified by the IBO). All the Primary teachers completed the workshop successfully and are very keen and eager to implement new ideas and look at our programme through a conceptual lens!!! As you can see, we constantly strive to improve and strengthen our programme. We all are learners!! As promised at the beginning of the academic year, we have our second workshop planned for Parents along with a Coffee morning based on “Conceptual Inquiry” and offer you a chance to join us in our learning! This will be on February 18th in the PYP Conference Room (opposite Mr. Bowen‟s office). The workshop will begin between 7:30- 7:45 and end by 9:00 am. Kindly mark this date in your diaries and I promise you, this will be something you do not want to miss. If you are able to leave your name with our Primary Secretary, Ms Petronella, hat would be helpful. It will allow us to plan and prepare better. Please let her know by February 14 th. Wishing everybody a great year ahead and looking forward to seeing you at the workshop!

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Ever Wonder Poem by Yr 2.2 Ever wonder….. Where we should reduce, reuse and recycle? At school and at home. Ever wonder….. Why we should recycle? If you don‟t recycle your planet will be full of trash and dirt and all the used things will be smelling yucky. Ever wonder….. How do we reduce? By using less of something. Ever wonder… What to recycle? Things like your yoghurt pots, breakfast boxes to make junk models which you can play with. Ever wonder….. When should recycling stop? Never! Ever wonder ….. Who can reuse, reduce and recycle? Everyone can reuse, reduce and recycle. Ever wonder ….. Whose responsibility is it to recycle? It‟s our responsibility

Yr 2 Fun with experiments

Upper Primary news from Mrs. Grace Kambeu

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Welcome back and a happy new year to you all! Upper Primary has a lot of exciting events planned ranging from house competitions, field trips and not forgetting our very own inspiring assemblies. We started the year with a Writer‟s Assembly and it was incredible to see how creative and confident our students were. After six weeks of inquiring into how different types of government work, the Year 6 students decided to step into the shoes of different types of government leaders and presented their manifestos. Voting was conducted by upper primary students and the democratic form of government emerged victorious! We hope that you will find time to join us for Assembly every Friday at 07:15 for informative and entertaining moments. Here are a few highlights on field trips! Year six students visited Parliament as part of their unit on „How we organize ourselves.‟ Students had the opportunity to find out about different arms of the government and how debates are conducted.

On Tuesday, the 21st of January, the Year 5 students visited the Elephant Orphanage to get a better understanding about wildlife poaching. This field trip was part of the Unit of Inquiry „Sharing the Planet‟ in which the students explored the following central idea: “The conflict between human development and the preservation of natural environments has global consequences.”

And lastly house points: Juniors (Year 2), in 3rd place Zambezi with 482 points, 2nd place Luangwa with 526 points and 1st place Kafue with 533 points. Intermediate (Year 3 & 4) in 3rd place Kafue with 460 points, 2nd place Zambezi with 569 points and 1st place Luangwa with 617 points. Seniors (Year 5&6) in 3rd place Kafue with 717 points, 2nd place Luangwa with 841 points and 1st place Zambezi with 868 points.

Secondary

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From the Secondary Principal: Mr. Mwanza

We offer a warm “welcome - back - to - school” to all families, students, parents, plus ISL staff and faculty. Also, a warm welcome goes to all the many students joining our school this time; we are certain our students and teachers will make them very welcome. The second semester is always a busy period. The Y11 and IB2 students have just completed two weeks of rigorous trial examinations; this is a wake-up call for them as they prepare for the real ones in May. On Friday 24th January, Y7 – Y10 and IB1 semester one reports were issued through your child. Please complete the reply slip enclosed with your comments. Use the same slip to request a meeting with any subject teacher to discuss concerns you may have. The Y11 and IB2 reports will be issued on Wednesday 5th of February. There are still some parents or drivers that bring students to school after 0705. Please note that registration starts promptly at 0705 each morning. Besides taking note of who is in school, it is also a time when Tutors convey very important announcements for the day or week. The volume of traffic on our roads is high, it is therefore necessary to make adjustments to the starting time for travel in order to arrive on time. A big thank you goes to the Student Council for giving the school community a well-equipped Gym which was officially opened on Monday the 13th January, 2014. This is the brainchild of Junaid Musa, who is currently in IB1. We sincerely thank him, the entire SC executive and their patron Mrs. Katell Dodd for this wonderful gift to the school. If you have an exercise machine that you no longer use, why not donate it to the student Gym.

From Junior Secondary School : Mrs.Dodd Welcome back for another exciting semester at ISL. Loads of activities and events will be on offer so listen during assemblies and registration and get involved! I would like to congratulate all the Junior Secondary students for their exam results and especially the Y7 students for whom formal examinations are a new experience. I know it was very scary and stressful for some of you and I am very proud of you all. ENG

MAT

SCI

FRE

SPA

ART

DRA

MUS

Girls

Boys

Y7s

Y8s

Y9s

Math core

Math ext

Math accl

The beginning of the new Semester is time to get back into good study habits so you can do even better in the end of year examinations. 1. Be here on time. 2. Be organised - Use your HW journal. 3. Do your homework - Homework helps reinforce what you learnt in class. 4. Develop good study habits - Use your time wisely/ make a revision time-table and stick to it. 5. Strive for good grades - Set realistic goals for yourself during your pastoral lessons. 6. Participate in class - Show enthusiasm and interest during class. 7. Get involved - Sign up for extracurricular activities. 9. Take responsibility for your actions. 10. Have fun! - Learning is fun. Remember everything that you do, or not do, as a Junior School student really DOES matter! The skills you gain and improve upon while attending Junior secondary school will not only help you be successful at IGCSE and IB but they will help you succeed in life!

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The Duke of Edinburgh International Award In the blazing hot sun, through the barren wheat fields of the Ndubaluba area, over Mount Pimple and termite rifts, the IB 1 students managed to conquer all terrain whilst equipped with some of the heaviest rucksacks they had ever carried . Day 1 of Expedition The groups set off one by one with high morale, lots of water and food, and an instructor in case of emergencies. By mid-day we all began to feel fatigued, hungry, incredibly thirsty, and frustrated due to the hot African sun that mocked us all the way through. With each checkpoint, we felt more hopeful about getting closer to camp, but little did we know that our biggest challenge was yet to come. After a quick lunch break, we set off, making our way to camp, which so happened to be on top of a hill. We got to camp feeling exuberant yet tired. The joy was undermined once we discovered our toilet facilities (or lack of) were a shovel and Mother Nature. Day 2 of Expedition We set off with pessimism in our hearts and hunger in our bellies, desperate to conquer Mount Pimple and get back to Ndubs. Grungy, extremely thirsty and in pain we navigated our way from checkpoint to checkpoint answering first aid questions and looking out for landmarks to get us one step closer to Ndubaluba. Teamwork was paramount over the expedition, encouraging us to help one another over the rough terrain, cooking dinner and setting up camp. Stripped of our comforts, we had to learn to live with the bare necessities and each other.

“I felt the heaviness of the afro on my head, the hunger in my stomach, and the fire in my feet as we got to camp after our long, strenuous expedition.” - Nathan Doras “It was one of the best experiences of my life so far, and I can‟t wait to go back for the real one.” - Vision Kim

Written by: Rhiannon Matthias and Simran Patel

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From the IGCSE coordinator: Mr R Van de Velde

The Year 11 students just finished the Trial exams which ran generally smoothly. Students showed up on time and adhered well to the exam regulations. Hopefully the results will be equally positive. The reports for the Year 11 which include the Trial exam grade will be handed to the students on Wednesday, 5th February to be given swiftly to the parents/guardians. This will be followed by a Parent-Teacher Conference on Wednesday 12th February 2014. I strongly urge all year 11 parents/ guardians to attend this PTC in order to discuss their child‟s performance and the final entries of subjects for the IGCSE May/June exams with the subject teachers. Year 10 has the work experience week coming up in March and, as an introduction , Mrs. Kehl organised a session on Wednesday 29th January where some Year 11 students will talk to the Year 10 students about their work week experience of last year. More news about this week will be given at a later stage.

IB Corner! From Mr. Hearsum A reminder that the IB open evening will be taking place on Wednesday 19th February 2014 from18.00-19.00 in the Fine Arts building. This is an information evening for prospective IB students starting in August 2014. The aim is to give an overview of the course, to look at the benefits of the IB programme when compared to A-levels and finally to look ahead to university admissions. This event is open to both ISL and non-ISL students/parents. Please come along and meet the IB teachers, college counselor and current IB1 students.

Exam Tip Keep calm, be confident and study for your exams……...

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ISL Sports Calendar Term 2 2013 - 2014 Monday 6-Jan 7 13 14 20 21

Tuesday

Wednesday 8 15 22

Thursday

Friday

9 16 23

10 17 24

Saturday Sunday 11 12 18 19 25 08.00 26 Hrs U10 & U12 Football Boys & Girls

28 14:00 hrs U14 & U16 Football Boys & Girls Venue: ISL v Italian School

30 14:00 hrs U19 Football Boys & Girls Venue: ISL v Rhodes Park

1 February 09.30 2 Hrs U10, U12, U14, U16 & U19 CrossCountry

4 14:00 hrs U14 & U16 Football Boys Venue: Rhodes Park U14 & U16 Football Girls Venue: Banani

6 14:00 hrs U19 Football Boys Venue: LICS U19 Football Girls Venue: Rhodes Park

8 08.00 9 Hrs U14, U16 & U19 Netball Girls

11 14:00 hrs U14 Football Boys Venue: ISL v LICS U16 Football Boys Venue: ISL v Lwengu U14 & U16 Football Girls

12 13:00 hrs Primary & Secondary Inter-House Cross-Country

13 14:00 hrs U19 Football Girls Venue: ISL v LICS

15 08.00 16 Hrs U14, U16 & U19 Netball Girls Finals Venue: ISL

18 14:00 hrs U14 & U16 Football Boys U14 Football Girls Venue: Italian School U16 Football Girls Venue: LICS

20 14:00 hrs U19 Football Boys Venue: Rhodes Park U19 Football Girls Venue: LICS

21 14.00 hrs 2007 - 2001 Lollipop Gala Venue: ISL v LICS & Martin House

22 08.00 23 Hrs U10 & U12 Football Boys & Girls Finals Venue: Baobab Plate Tournament Venue: ISL

25 14:00 hrs U14 & U16 Football Boys Venue: ISL v Rhodes Park U14 Football Girls Venue: ISL v Banani U16 Football Girls Venue: Lwengu 4 14:00 Hrs U14 Football Boys Venue: LICS U14 Football Girls Venue: Rhodes Park U16 Football Boys Venue: ISL v Lwengu 11 U14 & U16 Football Finals Boys & Girls

27 14:00 hrs U19 Football Boys Venue: ISL v LICS U19 Football Girls Venue: Banani

1 March 08.00 2 Hrs U10 & U12 Netball Girls Venue: OYDC

6 14:00 hrs U19 Football Girls Venue: ISL v Banani

8 9 International Women's Day

12 Inter-House XCountry Year 2 - 6 09.00 Hrs Secondary 12.00 Hrs 19

13 U19 Football Finals Boys & Girls

14 09.00 Hrs Invitational Swimming Gala Venue: Musikili

15 09.30 16 Hrs U10, U12, U14, U16 & U19 CrossCountry Venue: Baobab

27 Inter-House Swimming Gala Year 3 - 6 14.00 Hrs 3 Pool Picnic Nursery & Pre-School 11.00 Hrs

21 U19 Football & Netball Finals Venue: Chengelo 28

22 23 U19 Football & Netball Finals Venue: Chengelo 29 30

18 14.00 Hrs Inter-House Football & Netball Year 3 - 6 25

9 10 08.00 Hrs School Holiday Secondary InterHouse Football & Netball

4 5 Splash Gala Reception, Year 1, 2 10.30 Hrs 11 12

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ISL STUDENT COUNCIL GYM Junaid and the Student Council are proud to announce the official opening of the ISL Student Council gym. The opening took place on Monday 20th of January. Part of the money from last Lantern night and this year's Lumo party has gone towards it. It is small, but it is a start and if it works well we could invest in more equipment. We will run it as an afternoon activity with the help of the PE department. 200kw will be asked as a deposit when you subscribe. For subscription see Junaid Musa IB1 or Steven Msalu IB2 Katell Dodd - Student council coordinator

Our first customer

Mr Mwanza, our guest of Honour, cut the ribbon and inaugurated the gym.

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