HARARE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL NEWS & EVENTS

Annual General Meeting Absentee Ballot
Each Association member may cast an Absentee Ballot by completing the information in the attached form (absentee Ballot) and retuning the ballot to the Directors Secretary by 3.00pm, Monday 12th May, 2008.  NO ABSENTEE BALLOTS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THIS DEADLINE

At the time of submitting your Absentee Ballot, the voting portion of this form will be detached from the request to submit an Absentee Ballot so as the preserve the anonymous nature of the vote. Thank you for taking every effort to vote on the business of the Association

Introducing New Faculty Members Joining HIS (2008 – 2009 School Year)
In the last newsletter I introduced teachers who will be joining HIS this coming school year. I have one correction and one addition. The new Librarian’s name and some of her details were missing in the last edition, so I begin with an introduction of Brooke Mobley. I have also hired a new upper elementary teacher, Jeff Long.

Brooke Mobley hails from Washington, where she attended Washington State University for her BA, and Central Washington University for her Library Media Endorsement. She also completed an MA in Education at Lesley University in Massachusetts. She has taught elementary grades for several years in Washington, and has served currently as the Librarian for the Shanghai Community International Schools – Pudong, in China. Jeff Long - Upper Elementary Classroom Teacher. Jeff Long comes from Virginia, where he attended Old Dominion University for his BS, and completed his MS in Education.

J eff taught in public schools in Virginia for several years before going overseas to teach in Thailand, Egypt, Abu Dhabi, and Japan. He is currently teaching in the PYP program at Khartoum International Community School. Jeff will be joining us with his wife Nim and young son Harry.

Poetry Week at HIS
This last week has been Poetry Week at HIS. All over campus I have seen students sharing favourite poems and poems that they have written themselves. There has been a lot of poetic energy on the loose and many creative wordsmiths practicing their art!

Book Fair
Many thanks to the parent Organization for putting on an excellent Book Fair this year with an excellent selection of books! If you missed it or would like to get your hands on some of that great selection, there will be another opportunity at the HIS May Fair at school on May 10th. Be sure not to miss out!

Music Department
A huge congratulations to all the HIS students who participated in the Allied Arts Eisteddfod in March! Honors Awards (90% and above) were achieved by the Big Band, the Middle School Choir, and the High School Choir. The HS Choir also achieved the highest mark of the whole Eisteddfod (an unbelievable 98%!!), and were awarded the Trophy for Best Adult Choir. First Plus Awards (85-90%) were achieved by the Silver Strings and the Elementary School Marimba Ensemble. The Middle School Marimba Ensembleachieved a First Grade (80-84%).

New Middle School & High School Timetable
We have decided to modify the daily timetable that our students follow starting this semester. Rather than last semester’s plan of six 50-minute classes per day, we have shifted to four 80-minute classes. We have also reduced the number of advisory sessions to one per week in the high school. The middle school will continue with a daily advisory. None of these changes affect the beginning and end times of the school day, which will remain at 7:30 AM and 2:45 PM. These two changes have several advantages. First, it has increased the overall amount of instructional time available to teachers every day. Second, the longer class periods coupled with fewer transitions throughout the day allow students more time to focus without interruption. The third advantage is that it allows teachers more flexibility in the educational activities they deploy. For example, teachers will be better able to integrate more simulations, labs, and debates, all of which have been shown to be both educationally effective and engaging for students.

Grade 5 Exhibition
As we enter the final weeks of school the pace of things begins to get quite fast. We are busy in elementary working on many projects and units of inquiry. In particular
right now the fifth grade students are preparing their final work in PYP: the Exhibition. Here is an outline of what is involved in the PYP Exhibition: The Primary Years Programme (PYP) Exhibition represents a significant event in the life of a PYP school and student, synthesizing the essential elements of the PYP and sharing them with the whole school community. As a culminating experience it is an opportunity for students to exhibit the attributes of the learner profile that have been developing throughout their engagement with the PYP. Students are required to engage in a collaborative, transdisciplinary inquiry process that involves them in identifying, investigating and offering solutions to real-life issues or problems. The central idea selected must be of sufficient scope and significance to warrant a detailed investigation by all students.

Grade 4 Explore Zimbabwe Trip
Unfortunately due to the post-election situation we were forced to cancel the Grade 4 trip to Jabulani. We will continue to keep looking into other options even as we also monitor the situation daily. We would like our students to be able to have such an educational experience off campus if it is possible and prudent for us to do so.

MTV Night (NHS)
Our first annual MTV Night on April 12th was a huge success. Our students came dressed as celebrities and were interviewed on the red carpet by our own Mr. Peter as they entered. The show featured fifteen student-created music videos, two faculty-created videos, and five live acts. The audience voted for their favorite performances in various categories. The winners were:

Funniest Video Award: The Senior Boys’ “I Want It That Way” by the Backstreet Boys

Most Creative Video Award: The ITGS Students’ “Punjab #1” by Punjabi MC

Best Use of Technology Award: Mohamed Fayed’s “Beat It” by Michael Jackson

Best Video of Show Award: The Senior Boys’ “I Want It That Way” by the Backstreet Boys

Best Live Act: The band, Plague, with Nick Ager, Daniel Barrett, Sean Cullen, Joseph Kwesiga, and Neil Ogilvy

This event was organized by the National Honor Society (NHS) and raised the equivalent of nearly $1000 U.S. dollars for the “Just Children” orphanage. The money will be used to
provide some much needed supplies for the orphanage and to bring the children on a day trip to a local game park. An event of this scale requires tremendous organization. I would like to thank the NHS sponsor, Terry Maguire, and the NHS students for coordinating the event. I would also like to thank Maciej Sudra, Gavin Peter and his Drama Class, Karen Pitt and the High School Student Council, Roz Whaley, Andrew McClymont and his volunteer stage hands, Debbie Owen, and all the students and faculty members who made videos or performed. This was an amazing event and I am already looking forward to the next one!

IB1 History students going to Berlin!
The following students in Mr. Bush’s IB History class will be going to Berlin for a study tour. Kai Milliken,Jessica Graham, Lena Olson, Calla DuToit Clare Cullen, Nakimuli Spieler,Ariel Orr,Shamim Shabani Brit Halachmi The group will leave on Tuesday, the 29th of April and return on Tuesday the 6th of May. The students will meet up with a group of 16 students and three teachers from Mr. Bush’s former school in Latvia, and will discover Berlin together. It will be an intense study tour of German history from the Great War through to the present day. Students will visit a concentration camp, follow the route of the Berlin Wall on a bicycle tour, learn about Jewish history in Germany at the Jewish Museum, as well as many other points of interest. Check out our progress on the following website (http://web.mac.com/niamey00/Berlin)! Students plan to upload pictures and comments of the day’s activities so that parents and friends back home in Harare can share in their experiences.

Creativity, Action, and Service (C.A.S.) Promotion and Graduation Requirements
H.I.S. has a profound commitment to education beyond the classroom walls. We aim to graduate students that are not only scholars, but who are also artists, athletes, and activists. To that end, the Board of Directors instituted a new set of promotion and graduation requirements in August. These requirements are modeled after the International Baccalaureate (IB) C.A.S. requirements. The “Creativity” requirement refers primarily to artistic pursuits. “Action” relates to athletics and physical activities. Finally, the “Service” requirement encourages students to provide assistance to others.

Over the course of the school year, ninth and tenth graders are required to provide documentation for participation in twenty hours in EACH of the C.A.S. areas. Eleventh and twelfth graders are required to document fifty hours in EACH category. Although, Mr. Wilkinson tracks student progress, it is up to the individual student to ensure that she/he participates in a sufficient number of activities to meet the minimum requirements. I urge you to discuss this with your high school son or daughter and to ensure that progress is being made toward completion of the C.A.S. requirement. If adequate progress is not being made, please instruct your child to come up with a plan to meet this standard. Students who have not met the minimum requirement will not be promoted to the next grade. Seniors who do not complete the C.A.S. requirements will be unable to earn a diploma. High school graduation and promotion requirements can be found on page 60 of the Student/Parent Handbook. Please feel free to contact Mr. Wilkinson with questions.

High School ITGS Class: Charity Posters and Portfolio Sites
The IB ITGS class as well as the 9th and 10th grade Media Arts classes have recently completed their personal portfolio sites which students will update as the school year progresses. Check them out at www.his-zim.com/students/index.html