the link volume 5 issue 5

Street Address: Rua do Rio Raraga, 266, Bairro da Costa do Sol, Maputo Postal Address: Caixa Postal 2026, Maputo Email: [email protected] Telephone: +258 2149 1994 /+258 2149 3306 / +258 2149 3359, Fax: 2149 0596 Website: http://www.aism-moz.com

VOLUME V Issue 5

MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR

THE LINK

Wrapping up the Semester

Thank you to everyone for a very successful and productive first semester. We close with a sense of pride and ac-complishment and the promise of an even better second half. Success is almost always the result of a number of factors, but I believe that our greatest strength is a dedicated, highly competent staff supported by parents who are engaged in their children’s education. We all have reason to celebrate!

Please take note of the following important information: The last day of school is Friday, 14 December with dismissal at 11:30 for all students. The first day of school for students is Tuesday, 15 January with normal hours of operation. Teachers return on Monday, 14 January. AISM school offices are closed Monday, 25 December until Monday, 07 January. During the weeks of 17 -21 December and 07 -11 January, office hours are 08:30 – 13:30. Campus facilities are closed Saturday, 15 December for our Workers’ Party. The swimming pool, hard court and playgrounds are available to AISM families all other days from 07:00 until 20:00. The football field is under maintenance and not in use during holiday recess.

To those students who are leaving AISM, I wish you success in your new school, and know that we will miss you. To all of you who celebrate festive holidays at this time of year, season’s greetings and best wishes for the New Year. And to everyone, I hope you have a happy, safe and relaxing school break. Mary Jo Heatherington, PhD School Director

AISM Board of Directors Meeting

Tuesday 19/02/2013 @ 18h00 AISM Auditorium

Drama Club students perform in the

Primary School production, If The Shoe

Fits, on 6 and 7 December.

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.aism-moz.com/go.asp?idlink=509


Primary School

Family Story Night

On Wednesday November 28th, parents and children partici-

pated in Family Story Night. They read the story Galimoto by

Karen Williams. This beautiful picture book tells the story of

a young African boy searching for materials to make a toy

car.

After reading the book, families set about making their own

Galimoto. As children twisted wire, dads cut sticks, and

moms poked holes a new respect was gained for the inven-

tiveness of the children who make these toys in their daily

life. While the Galimotos may not have turned out as pol-

ished as the one in the book, a great time was had by all.

Learning by Doing:

In our unit of inquiry the class discussion led to experiments

and questions like “what is an experiment?”

ELC-S decided to work on two experiments:

Making Magic Matter – Oobleck.

Blowing up balloons in a unique way.

Ooblek

The children mixed corn flour and water in various quantities

to discover that the mixture looked like milk, felt hard and

sticky, felt like Prestik and was smooth like glue.

In the second experiment they poured vinegar in one bottle

and water in the other. They filled the balloons with baking

soda and fixed the balloons onto the bottle. Some balloons

blew up instantly as the baking soda mixed with the vinegar.

Baking soda and water had no effect on the balloons.

The children soon discovered that although vinegar and wa-

ter looked the same, they smelt different and had a different

effect when mixed with baking soda.

This unit of inquiry led us to exciting mini inquiries…




Primary School

PYP Transdisciplinary Skills

The preferred term to describe the PYP is transdisciplinary

and in this context the meaning of the prefix “trans” is two-

fold: to convey learning that has relevance across the subject

areas and more importantly, learning that transcends the

confines of the subject areas to connect to what is real in the

world.

The construction of meaning and, therefore, of understand-

ing is complemented by the students acquiring and applying a

range of skills: social skills, communication skills, thinking

skills, research skills, and self-management skills.

During our next PYP coffee morning in January, Ana Gil will

focus on these transdisciplinary skills. We hope parents will

be able to join us.

Community Time

WOW! Let’s hope you didn’t miss Grade 5’s fabulous Com-

munity Time on December 7! They put on a terrific show

with great connections to their units and the work they have

done over the year. It was an all-singing, all-dancing event

that had us laughing out loud! Don’t miss out. Please join us

for Community Time on a regular basis.

Coffee Mornings and

Parent Information Evenings

These 2 activities are designed to keep you in touch with

what is happening in the primary school. We have had work-

shops dealing with parenting issues, academic structures and

personal development.

This week Trina and a group of parents discussed the 6 traits

of writing – a fascinating discussion about writing develop-

ment.

Please join us for these very interesting sessions. (We are

always looking for interesting ideas for sessions so if you have

an idea, please let me know.)

THANK YOU!THANK YOU!THANK YOU!

A BIG thank you to all the parents who have helped out over

the semester – be that in classrooms, on the sporting field or

as active members of the PTA. We appreciate what you do

for us!

Have a safe and happy holiday…

With best wishes

Karen

GOODBYE …

to Lucas, Espen, Clara, Naledi, Zahra, Sophia, Mustafa,

Ava and Andre. Enjoy your new schools wherever you

find yourselves. We will miss you very much.




Grade 4 Goes to Ponta d’Ouro

This weekend was THE BEST WEEKEND EVER!!! We went to Ponta d’Ouro for a field trip and

slept two nights. We were the first kids EVER in Primary School to sleep over outside the school.

We arrived at Phambuka around 12h00 and the very first thing we did was eat lunch - hot-

diggity-dogs. 4th grade was starving like mad! Ms Fiona announced the sleeping arrangements

and I was with Lillie, Molly, (yippee!) and Claudia (Maurice's mum).

There was a very small plunge pool there, much like a hot tub except without all the bubbles

and hotness. It was tiny! But I was boiling so I had no choice.

Later on, 4th grade, Ms Fiona, Mr Len, and a few parents went up through the forest to the

lighthouse. Now don't blame me if I don't remember all the things we saw in the forest, but I am

sure we saw a ...

Big fat caterpillar– he was beautiful! Yellow, green, red, and blue.

Harvest man - it's an arachnid, but other than having eight legs, it doesn't look much like

a spider. We found millions of them! And they are harmless too - they don't bite, are not

poisonous and they are great companions :)

Kite spider/ box-kite spider - colourful little creatures that look a lot like kites.

Vervet monkey - steals red-chested cuckoo eggs.

Red-chested cuckoo - sounds an alarm when vervet monkeys try to steal their eggs.

Golden orb spider - poisonous, and can get big enough to catch a small bird.

Giant African land snail - they are giants! They are carnivores too - they eat other snails.

Snapper ant - jumbo ants and I ain't kidding! If they bite you, well good luck…

Screaming gecko - it can really scream. And it also bites. Mr Len got bitten once, he told us,

and “boy was he bleeding”.

Green tree frog - HE IS SO CUTE!!! He is a luminous green all over. Sadly it's endangered.

… AND MUCH, MUCH MORE!

By Hanna Peffer

Sharing the Planet Grade 4 study ecosystems as a part of their unit of inquiry. They have re-cently visited Ponto do Ouro in order to look at a variety of ecosystems – from the sea to the forest. The photographs are amazing and the parent

support and commitment to the project inspiring. A BIG thank you to Fiona and Len who led this trip, worked tirelessly to make it happen and were

still smiling on Sunday afternoon!




… and to the Zefina Salt Pans!

We went to Zefina salt pans in Matola for our unit about eco-

systems. I thought it was cool when Mr. Len picked up and

showed us the fiddler crabs with their one giant claw. I thought

those fiddler crabs looked sort of funny, with a huge claw. But

the MOST best part for me (but I don't think for Ms. Fiona) was

when Ms. Fiona got stuck in the mud trying to rescue Sam when

he got stuck. The whole grade 4 laughed their heads off (except

for Ms. Fiona of course) and we had to help her get out of the

icky, gooey black mud. ~ Alina

Fiddler Crab

Flamingos and a pelican

TANIA RIBEIRO

PRIMARY COUNSELOR This quarter, Grade 5 has been working on Perspective. How do we see ourselves and how do others see us? How do we relate to each other based on our perceptions? How do you deal with difficult situations? How do we handle rumours, taunts and bullies?

The final Product: Sean, Timothy, Marise, Ursula and Gabriela perform at Community Time on Dec. 7, 2012.

Some Tips:

Truth beats rumour Ignore it Tell the bully to stop, do it together Do the right thing




Many teachers and parents were involved in the primary school pro-

duction of If The Shoe Fits, but none were more amazing and inspira-

tional than our own Ms Fiona who put it all together so spectacularly

well with such energy, enthusiasm and patience. It was pure entertain-

ment for both the audience and for every child participating. Special

thanks go, as well, to Ms Trina Haygaru for sewing up a storm of in-

credible costumes. They were truly fabulous! Co-writing the play with

Ms Fiona were Ms Juliette, Ms Ana, Ms Trina and Ms Lin. Ms Debbie

choreographed the dances, Ms Sangeeta handled props and set, Miss

Margie managed the sound and Ms Dani rustled up all the publications

and promotional materials. It was truly a team effort. Although not a

staff member, a special “shout out” goes to our amazingly inspirational

parent, Deidre Niehaus, who helped out at every rehearsal and took on

responsibility for prompting on performance nights. Well done to Ms

Fiona and everyone involved in the play.




Middle Years Program

There was a very special delivery for Leonel and

Sesaltina Monteiro early Monday morning

… brand new baby Sualene!

Sualene was born at 00h43 on Monday,

December 10 , and weighed in at 2,588 kg.

CONGRATULATIONS

to the proud parents,

and welcome to the world, Sualene!

MYP PERSONAL PROJECT UPDATEMYP PERSONAL PROJECT UPDATEMYP PERSONAL PROJECT UPDATE

The Grade 10 Personal Project Candidates are gearing up for the third and final phase of their

year-long independent projects. From January to mid-March, the candidates will be writing a

report on their activities and learning. MYP teachers will internally moderate the projects in

March, and sample projects, along with samples of work from every subject, will be sent to IB

external monitors to review our assessment practices.

Please join us in April for the Personal Project Evening when our successful candidates will display

and share their project evidence and experiences with our AISM community.

The AISM Secondary School has launched a new curriculum management tool. ManageBac allows

our students to view their homework/assignments, submit work, create a portfolio, and receive

online feedback from their teachers. Each student in Grades 6-12 has an individual account they

can access using their AISM student email accounts.

At the beginning of December, parents received an invitation from ManageBac to set up accounts.

Through these accounts, parents can view their child’s progress and view upcoming assignments to

help keep their AISM learners on track from home. Once logged in to ManageBac, you will find

guides and support features to help you navigate your way through the program.

Should you have any difficulty accessing the system, please contact our IT Coordinator, Eros

Munoz ([email protected]).

The ManageBac log-in page is: http://aism.managebac.com – be sure that you have created your

password via the welcome invitation before you try to log on!



http://aism.managebac.com/


http://aism.managebac.com


Secondary School Colleen Fletcher

Secondary Principal

Holiday Hamper DriveHoliday Hamper DriveHoliday Hamper Drive

The entire secondary school community deserves a huge round of applause. If you have noticed people

dressing rather strangely on Wednesdays for the last 7 weeks, it’s because our teachers and students have

been getting into the spirit of giving. They paid a small fee to dress up, and were charged a slightly larger

fee if they failed to dress up! It was a win-win situation for our Hamper Drive, but it was all for a good

cause and no-one minded. Since Wicked Wednesdays started on 31 October, our dress-up themes have

ranged widely, from formal to hippie to all-black/Goth-style. In addition, our teachers arranged “Phat Fri-

days” bakes sales to supplement the basket fund. Thank you to all the students for dressing up, for getting

into the spirit of things and for selling cakes every Friday. Thanks go, as well, to all the teachers who par-

ticipated, arranged the bake sales and kept everyone motivated. Special thanks go, of course, to all the

parents who contributed cakes. Well done everyone! Your effort and generosity are very much appreciat-

ed.

I wish you all a very restful and safe holiday with your families.

Colleen Fletcher

Odds and ends to remember:

School resumes on Tuesday 15th January at 7:30.

High school student leaders will be voting for new chairpersons

and vice chairs for their committees in January.

House t-shirts will be on sale the first week.

School swim suits or black swimsuits are required for school swimming.

Swimming caps are a requirement too.

Field hockey will be starting.

All participants must have a mouth guard and shin pads. No guards, no play.




Susan Rhodes

Secondary School

Grade 11

You will have assignments to complete as well as some reading tasks. You are also encouraged to visit some colleges/universities if possible over the holidays.

We have completed the first semester, but the upcoming holidays, are not, however, a time of complete rest from the Diploma Programme for Grades 11 and 12.

Grade 12 Mock IB exams take place on February 14th (a Service Learning day) and also from February 25th to March 1st. So your focus is REVISION. Some subjects have major IB internal assessment tasks to be worked upon during the break. Use your time wisely. Have a rest/relax but also keep the momentum going.

Last Thursday’s Grade 12 advisory session turned out to be a surprise exam-stress-busting exercise session with Ms Tamara, involving some rather interesting and often hilarious circuit training.

Yep, she can do a

perfect push-up.

She can do MANY

perfect push-ups.



http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/


Secondary School

Chelsea Dullea

Travelling this semester break?

Need to plan some activities during your travels?

How about visiting a university campus?

Trying to figure out life after high school can be daunting. There are so many options available to students that

it’s hard to know where to start? Researching colleges early help alleviate some of the pressure from the 12th

grade year. Some things you need to know about a university are:

• What type is it?

• How big is it?

• Where is it?

• What are the courses that are offered?

• What tests do I need to take to get in?

• How much will it cost?

Besides brochures and webpages, one of the very best

ways to discover the type of university or college you may

like to attend is to visit one. This semester break, try and

visit a university or college campus wherever you are.

What should you do when you are there? University and

College admissions offices offer formal tours and infor-

mation sessions. If these do not fit into your schedule,

why not:

• Explore on your own

• Read the Bulletin Boards

• Eat in the Dining Hall

• Visit a class

• Schedule a Conference with a professor

• Talk to students

• Sleep over

• Take lots of picture and notes

* borrowed from: http://collegeapps.about.com/od/choosingacollege/tp/8-Tips-for-a-Campus-Visit.htm)

Students, try and picture yourself at the university. Do you like how the campus looks? How did the food taste? What types of clubs or extracurricular activities are offered for students? Try and keep in mind that your suc-cess in university depends just as much on what happens outside of the classroom as what happens inside the classroom.

If you do stop by some universities, please pick up some admissions brochures and literature to share with your friends back at school.

Have a safe and fun break.



http://collegeapps.about.com/od/choosingacollege/tp/8-Tips-for-a-Campus-Visit.htm


Gabriel Limaverde SERVICE LEARNING

Spotlight on ...

MAFALALAMAFALALAMAFALALA

TTTHHHLLLAAANNNGGGAAANNNIIISSSAAA CHANGE OF DATE!

returns to AISM 9th - 10th March

This annual festival aims to make connections with young people in Mozambique through the Arts. All students bene-

fit from the multi-cultural learning experiences. Participating AISM students each sponsor a visiting student who

would otherwise not be able to enjoy this type of experience. The program consists of 10 different workshops, each

running for a total of 9 hours over the course of the weekend, with a culminating performance on the Sunday.

We are recruiting enthusiastic, hardworking, organized individuals to help plan and run this festival. If you are will-

ing to assist, please contact Student Team Leader, Beatriz Martins. Mobile: 84 205 2694 / Email: beat-

[email protected]

Volunteers are needed in the following areas:

Logistics; Transportation; Marketing / Sponsorship; Food & Beverages; Communication; Social / Workshops

On Monday 3 December, our

AISM Middle School soccer

team played a friendly game

against Mafalala Soccer Club.

The AISM Service Learning pro-

gram, together with sponsors

from The World Bank, donated

soccer kit to the club, including

cleats, balls and shirts.






Lee Clagnaz

SPORTS & ACTIVITIES AISM bids Farewell to Seniors as Volleyball Season ClosesAISM bids Farewell to Seniors as Volleyball Season ClosesAISM bids Farewell to Seniors as Volleyball Season Closes

Girls Volleyball

At the start of this year we had over 30 girls try out for the Varsity team. With such a lot of interest, it was

decided to form 2 teams, Varsity and Junior Varsity. Both girls’ teams have had an exciting semester, in-

cluding a tour to AISJ where, although they didn’t bring home a trophy, our girls rose to the challenge,

played well and gained a tremendous amount of valuable experience.

Although volleyball is now over for our seniors, we congratulate them on a wonderful semester and wish

them well in the future. Best of luck to Alejandra, Angelica, Claudia, Larissa, and Poorva!

Boys Volleyball

The boys volleyball teams had a very exciting season this year. Our tour to the AISJ tournament was unfor-

gettable in many ways, with a thrilling semi-final win - a come-back from 10 points down! - against the

host team, followed by a narrow defeat by Waterford in the final. We can be extremely proud of our boys’

performances during that tournament. Our boys once again demonstrated their talent and team spirit in

last month’s home tournament, in which they easily reached the final, but in the end were forced to take

second place behind Maputo champions, Escola Triunfo.

Once again, as AISM volleyball comes to an end for them, we wish our seniors well for the future.

Best of luck to Erik, Johan, Ryan and Jamal.

Our first Junior Varsity Boys’ team, however, is primed and ready to step up to the plate. They have had an

extraordinary season and demonstrated sportsmanship, commitment, skill and passion.

Clearly the future of AISM volleyball is secure!

Soccer ResultsSoccer ResultsSoccer Results

Varsity Boys Soccer 4-6 Portuguese School

Varsity Boys Soccer 6-1 French School

Varsity Boys Soccer 9-2 Academy Eusebio

Varsity Boys Soccer 10-1 Trichardt

Swim Team ResultsSwim Team ResultsSwim Team Results

The AISM Buffalo swimmers left the competition in their wake at the swim meet on 1 December. AISM won the meet by al-

most 200 points, followed by the French School, the Portuguese School, and MIS. AISM took 54 of the total 60 gold medals on

the day. Congratulations on a great result!

SHIRTS: 270 MTN

SHORTS: 320 MTN

The new PE kit has arrived!The new PE kit has arrived!The new PE kit has arrived!

Starting in January, the new PE kit will be for sale. It is expected that all students will wear the PE kit in their PE lessons by the

end of January. Primary school is welcome to buy green, red, or yellow shirts, and secondary school students are encouraged

to buy the color of their house team.




TWO THUMBS UP!

Tiaz recently won the Mozambique Carting Champi-

onship in the 125 CC Senior Max division. In addi-

tion to finishing on top of this six-race series, Tiaz

also won the Maputo-to-Bilene Rally in the 2-wheel

category AND had the fastest overall speed com-

peting against trucks and 4-wheelers. Very well

done, Tiaz!

Congratulations to Tiaz Brandeiro de Matos for his

Motor Racing Accomplishments

Lee Clagnaz

SPORTS & ACTIVITIES WANTED : WANTED : WANTED : COACHES FOR AFTER-SCHOOL ACTIVITIES

Activities begin again on January 21, 2013.

We will be offering swimming, basketball, track and field, hockey, rugby and soccer. If you have experience playing or coaching any of these sports and would like to participate,

please contact Lee Clagnaz. Email: [email protected] / Mobile: 84-445-4095 We need volunteers for boys, girls and mixed teams at both primary and secondary level.

“MO’VEMBER” @ AISM

During the month of November, men across the world grow mous-taches (mo’s) with the aim of rais-

ing awareness of men’s health issues, specifically prostate and

testicular cancer.

Can you identify these hairy stu-dents and staff members?

Basketball Tryouts for Secondary School

Basketball tryouts will begin the day we return from break! They will be 15 January - 18 January. See the times below.

TUESDAY – FRIDAY Girls: 2.40 – 3.50 Boys: 4.00 – 5.10




Andre Keenoy

MABUKWINI Engleby by Sebastian Faulks

This is the story of Mike Engleby, a working-class boy who wins a

place at an esteemed English university. But with the disappear-

ance of Jennifer, the undergraduate Engleby admires from afar,

the story turns into a mystery of gripping power. Sebastian Faulks's

novel is a bolt from the blue, unlike anything he has ever written

before: contemporary, demotic, heart-wrenching - and funny, in

the deepest shade of black. [Amazon.com]

If you enjoy this novel, you may also like to borrow “Birdsong” by

the same author. It has just arrived.

BOOK OF THE MONTH

The AISM library invites you to an afternoon book discus-

sion and quiz of “A Girl Named Disaster” by Nancy Farmer.

A Girl Named Disaster is the humorous and heart-

wrenching story of young girl who discovers her own cour-

age and strength when she makes the dangerous journey

from Mozambique to Zimbabwe

Friends, parents, grandparents are invited to read the

book then join us for an afternoon of celebration and a

family quiz.

Reserve your book or a Kindle from the library now. First

come first served!

Quiz day: Friday 22 Feb @14h30, Mabukwini Library.

There will be prizes and refreshments!

O N E B O O K O N E B O O K -- O N E A I S MO N E A I S M

Did you know you can look up our catalog from home via our secure website?

We have enjoyed 2 special library exhibits this

month:

Snippets of the life and works of William Shake-

speare with particular reference to Romeo and

Juliet, by Grade 9 English students.

125th Anniversary of Maputo

by Portuguese A & B




Nikki Jayne

Go WILD for Edible Books 2013!

Bake a cake or create something edible that is:

* inspired by a favourite tale or character,

* a play on words or a pun on a book title,

* shaped like a book or scroll.

Bring your entries to AISM Library Thursday January

31st at 8am.

JUDGING: 12h00 - 13h00

AWARDS: 13h00

Sue Lindsay-Rea

HEALTHWISE World Aids DayWorld Aids DayWorld Aids Day

December 1 was World Aids Day. Most young people hear about HIV and AIDS before they complete Primary School.

The information they acquire often comes from unreliable sources such as the media, the internet, or their peers. It is

very important, therefore, for parents and educators to make sure that the information children acquire is accurate,

age-appropriate information that will help them gain a better understanding of HIV/ AIDS and about people living

with the disease. Understanding HIV and AIDS will help children to develop the skills they need to make healthy deci-

sions about their bodies, behavior and relationships. By providing accurate information and by being able to answer

questions, parents and educators can reduce a child’s fears and help remove the stigma and discrimination that still

surround HIV/AIDS as a result of misinformation.

Here are some websites you might find useful in promoting this discussion with your children.

http://www.webmd.com/hiv-aids/children-and-aids-talking-to-your-kids

http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/std/hiv.html

http://pubs.cpha.ca/PDF/P25/22195e.pdf

Next PTA meeting: Wednesday 23 Januaryu 7h30 in staff lounge. ALL WELCOME

Our grateful thanks go to Mhamud and Farhana Charania

from Sasseka-Africom for once again donating sugar for the

maintenance staff Christmas party

We would also like to thank Mr Veneet Bhardwaj from Olam

Mozambique Lda. for very kindly donating rice.

Your generosity is much appreciated.

The AISM PTA is donating drinks and candy.



http://www.webmd.com/hiv-aids/children-and-aids-talking-to-your-kids

http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/std/hiv.html

http://pubs.cpha.ca/PDF/P25/22195e.pdf


Calendar

DECEMBER

Thu 13 Dec Batman Movie Marathon (PG 13) (15:00 - 23:00 Auditorium)

Fri 14 Dec Last day of School/Report Cards/Early Dismissal

Fri 14 Dec End of Second Quarter

Fri 14 Dec Secondary School Assembly (11:00 - 11:30 Auditorium)

Sat 15 Dec Semester Break (15 Dec - 14 Jan)

Sat 15 Dec Workers’ Picnic (Campus Closed) (08:00 - 18:00 AISM)

Mon 24 Dec AISM Offices Officially Closed (24 Dec - 6 Jan)

JANUARY

Mon 14 Jan Teacher Work Day

Tue 15 Jan School Re-opens

Sat 19 Jan Student Leaders’ Retreat (08:00 - 13:00)

Wed 23 Jan PTA Meeting (07:30 Staff Lounge)

Thu 24 Jan FIT Parent Evening (18:00 2nd Floor Library)

Fri 25 Jan Half day - Staff Development

Fri 25 Jan Middle School Dance (18:30 - 21:30 Auditorium)

Sat 26 Jan Welcome Back BBQ (11:00 AISM)

Sun 27 Jan THIMUN (27 Jan - 1 Feb The Hague, Netherlands)

Mon 28 Jan Book Week (28 Jan - 1 Feb)

Thu 31 Jan Edible Books (Third Floor Library)



the link volume 5 issue 5

Documents

new school

day of school

aism school offices

maputo postal address

primary school production

aism families

relaxing school break

caixa postal