HARARE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL NEWS & EVENTS

New Director Search Completed
Following much deliberation and very careful consideration of our stated goals, the Board has chosen a candidate who has accepted the position of Director: Andrew Derry. Andrew comes to the school with a strong background in IB, having led its successful introduction in two schools. At his current school in Boise, Idaho, one of only 8 schools in the US that are full IB diploma schools, they have just been awarded the Governor’s “School of the Year” award, a first for an independent school. He is passionate about education and thinks critically about the needs of the individual student as we move into the 21st century. He is a member of several schools’ accreditation teams including the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, the Council of International Schools, the Middle States Association, and the National Association of Independent Schools. For those of you who have not had a chance to do so yet, we would encourage you to go to the library and read his CV and statement educational philosophy. For more information, you can go to his blog on http://www.riverstoneschool.org/blog/. Andrew will be joining us in July 2011 with his wife Anne Marie and their four children : Alastair age 13, Alec age 11, Anais age 9 and Alexis age 7. The Board would like to take this opportunity to thank the entire HIS community for their participation in the director search. In particular, Akila Nakhwa and Chris Pretorius in administration who made each candidate’s visit as smooth as possible, and Tendai Mamvura and Kate Rudder who worked tirelessly with the parent body to ensure their voice was heard. Joshua Giddens ensured that the faculty voice was well represented and as president of the student council, Aditya Kumar articulated the views of the students. With this first task successfully accomplished, the Board looks forward to a productive year working with the community to achieve our first set of goals as outlined in our Strategic Plan.

Please Complete your Online Surveys!
As announced in the newsletter and emails, there is still time to complete the online surveys which are a part of our Self Study process for re-accreditation. Please be sure that you have completed the survey, the last day will be October 6th. We encourage as much participation as possible.

Health and Safety Committee
I am forming an advisory committee on Health and Safety, which will be composed of parents, teachers and students. This committee will provide input in making improvements in the school, even as it will contribute to the accreditation Self Study. It will be a small working group, whose members bring a range of experience and expertise. If you would like to participate on this committee, please contact me at polson@his.ac.zw and send me a brief description of your areas of expertise. Once I have received your emails, I will appoint members and set a meeting time presently. The first order of business will be to look at ways to improve the school’s cafeteria/tuck shop. I would like to generate a set of standards for food service and equipment, as well as to determine the kinds of offerings of food that can best serve children’s nutritional needs. Once standards are set, I will incorporate them into a document for tendering bids for the catering service. I would like to have these ready in November in order to conclude a catering contract for the start of the second semester in January.

Interested in car-pooling / lift-clubs?
If you are interested in finding out which other HIS families live in the same neighborhood as you do, please contact Britta Aryee (baryee@his.ac.zw) in the admin building.

IMPORTANT: Please Pick Up Your Children Promptly
It is important to note that H.I.S. does not offer any supervision for students after their scheduled activities have ended. After -school activities begin on Monday, August 23rd. Please make sure that you (or your drivers) know when your son or daughter’s scheduled activities end every day and collect them promptly. Please do not depend on your child to use a school telephone to call for a pick-up; our telephone resources remain VERY limited at the moment.

Green Tips
A happy new school year to Everyone! Let’s make this a great GREEN year at H.I.S.!! If you do not already know where to RECYCLE your household goods, please take note. GLASS BOTTLES can be taken to GROOMBRIDGE shopping area, where there is a truck parked by the petrol station ALUMINIUM CANS are being collected at POMONOA shops, around the back from the Food Court.
We are trying to make it easier for the H.I.S. community by organizing a drop-off point right here in the school, but will let you know details as soon as we can!

HIS Interactive Satellite Map
Check out the latest adittion to the HIS site at www.his-zim.com/campus/campus_map.html

Thank You for Attending and Participating in Open House
Thursday, August 12, 2010 parents came to school to learn about their children’s new school year. Teachers shared information about the classroom procedures, expectations, and the Primary Years Programme. This important event helps parents and teachers begin their partnership between school and home that is so important for a positive school year. Thank you for your attendance!

Instrumental and Vocal Program
The Instrumental and Vocal Program is a feature of our school of which we are very proud. We strongly believe that learning an instrument will enrich your child’s education: there is much evidence that the process is of real educational value and can promote the student’s success in other areas beyond music – and of course the acquisition of this skill can provide a source of lifelong pleasure.

Tuition is available on:
Piano: 3rd grade upwards
Saxophone / Clarinet / Flute / Trumpet: 3rd grade upwards
Trombone: 4th grade upwards
Violin: EC2 upwards (please contact Mrs Ivy-Decker Jones in Grade 2 directly)
Cello: 4th grade upwards
Guitar: 4th grade upwards
Acoustic Guitar / Electric Guitar / Bass Guitar: 4th grade upwards
Drumkit: 5th grade upwards
Marimbas: 2nd grade upwards

Application forms for all those wishing to take instrumental or vocal tuition are available from the Music Office in the Performing Arts Center. Remember that all students who were receiving tuition last school year and wish to continue need to return an application. Please come and have a chat with me (or send me an email rwhaley@his.ac.zw) if you would like to know more about the music program or if your child is unsure what instrument to learn. Once your child has started lessons, please make sure you communicate any questions or concerns to me as soon as possible so we can provide your child with the best possible musical education. Please return completed forms to the Music Department by Friday 20 August. Music lessons start on Monday 30 August.

Gentle Reminder—After-School Supervision
The school provides after-school supervision until 3:00 for elementary children who have a sibling involved in an after-school activity. It is essential that children be picked up on time. Please assist us by adhering to this procedure established to promote safety for our children.

What Is Fabulous Friday?
Each Friday the elementary school meets in the school theatre at 1:20 P.M. for our Fabulous Friday Assembly to celebrate and close our week of school. On a regular basis, we recognize birthdays, sing our Fabulous Friday song, and talk about items of importance to our elementary students. We also share learning through class presentations, shared activities, and sometimes invited guests. Parents are always welcome to join us. In fact, on alternate weeks starting February 20, parents are now invited to come at 1:00 P.M. to spend a short time with the elementary principal for brief discussions on child development, current educational issues, or parenting topics. Occasionally, our school week will end on a Thursday, and in that case unless notified otherwise, we will end the week with a Terrific Thursday Assembly.

Explore Zimbabwe – A Big Thank You to Our Teacher Chaperones
It was a real pleasure to greet the buses as our students returned from their Explore Zimbabwe trips. As every bus opened its doors and the students poured out, I was surrounded by a sea of smiles and enthusiasm. It was clear that these students had bonded with one another, challenged themselves, and, undoubtedly, grown from their experience. This is why Explore Zimbabwe is such an important part of our curriculum here at H.I.S.

I would like to thank all of our teacher chaperones and trip coordinators for their dedication to ensuring that these trips were successful. As you can imagine, planning these trips required a significant amount of work. Then these teachers spent five or six days away from their families to provide 24-hour supervision to student groups of two to three dozen students. They provided support and encouragement, treated scrapes and bruises, and were constantly vigilant to ensure that all activities were both safe and highly educational. I’m sure that they were grateful to be able to catch up on their sleep and enjoy some peace and quiet on the holiday weekend.

Please Pick Up Your Children Promptly
It is important to note that H.I.S. does not offer any supervision for students after their scheduled activities have ended. Please make sure that you (or your drivers) know when your son or daughter’s scheduled activities end every day and collect them promptly. At any rate, all regularly scheduled student activities are done by 5:00 PM, so all students should be picked up by that time. Please do not depend on your child to use a school telephone to call for a pick-up; our telephone resources remain very limited at the moment.

Protecting Valuables at School
Please encourage your son or daughter to protect their valuables at school by using their lockers along with a secure lock. Every middle and high school student is issued a locker, although they must provide their own locks. We occasionally have personal items that disappear and, in all cases, they are items that were left unsecured and unsupervised. Please impress upon your son or daughter how important it is to take responsibility for his or her valuable possessions by storing them securely in lockers, keeping them on their person, or leaving them at home altogether. Please also discourage students from sharing a locker with their friends as this leads to an inherently insecure situation.

November 3 – No Classes – Parent-Teacher Conferences
We will be holding parent-teacher conferences on Wednesday, November 3rd from 8:00-4:00 in the gym. There will be neither classes nor after-school activities for students on that day. Beginning on October 11th, parents can sign up on the bulletin board outside the art room for ten-minute conference slots.

Student Dress Code Reminder
As the weather gets warmer, I would like to remind students and parents of the H.I.S. student dress code described on page 33 of the Student/Parent Handbook, copied below. Please remind your son or daughter to abide by our dress code:

“There is no uniform for students of the Harare International School. However, students are expected to dress appropriately and comfortably for an active day. Students should be neat and clean and dressed with propriety and good taste, respecting the values and standards of people of our host country, and reflect well on the school and the international community.

In this day and age, what is appropriate and tasteful seems to vary from person to person and culture to culture. However, there are some general guidelines which must be followed:

Students should not wear short shorts, tops with spaghetti straps (so thin as to reveal underwear straps), crop tops that reveal the midriff, mini skirts that are mid-thigh or shorter, T-shirts that bear inappropriate messages, cut off garments or garments with holes in them, flip-flops or high heeled/platform shoes (students are particularly urged to wear closed shoes on science laboratory days as they may handle potentially hazardous or hot materials).

Students must be in proper dress and footwear for physical education. Sandals are not adequate.

Please remember that Harare International School is a college preparatory school and students should dress accordingly so as to serve as “ambassadors” of the School.”

Middle School Tutorial Program
H.I.S. offers a tutorial program from 2:15-2:45 on every day except Tuesdays.  This is a time when all teachers are available in their classrooms to provide extra help to their students.  We have found that this excellent opportunity has not been used well by many of our Middle School students.  In order to encourage students to use the tutorial program to their advantage, we will be instituting some new guidelines for Middle School students.  As of January 26th, all Middle School students who remain on campus after the end of the school day at 2:15 will be expected to be at a tutorial or be with their advisor until 2:45.  This will provide 30 extra minutes each day where students can get extra help from one of their teachers or begin their homework in a quiet environment before beginning their after-school activities at 2:50.  Please note that students who need to be collected at 2:15 will be excused from tutorial for the day.  It is our sincere hope that this will help our Middle School students improve their time management skills and strive for greater academic achievement.  Please encourage your son or daughter to think carefully about which tutorials would be most beneficial to attend.

S.A.T. Prep Course for Seniors
The counseling department has organized an S.A.T. Prep Course for seniors that began on September 13. The course includes six ninety-minute sessions focused on math and English skills that are relevant to the S.A.T. exam and is free for H.I.S. seniors. It’s not too late to join. Please contact the counselor, Mr. Brett Meenach (bmeenach@his.ac.zw) to register your 12th grade son or daughter. We will offer a similar course during the second semester for 11th grade students.

Protecting Valuables at School
Please encourage your son or daughter to protect their valuables at school by using their lockers along with a secure lock. Every middle and high school student is issued a locker, although they must provide their own locks. We occasionally have personal items that disappear and, in all cases, they are items that were left unsecured and unsupervised. Please impress upon your son or daughter how important it is to take responsibility for his or her valuable possessions by storing them securely in lockers, keeping them on their person, or leaving them at home altogether. Please also discourage students from sharing a locker with their friends as this leads to an inherently insecure situation.

S.A.T. Prep Course for Seniors
The counseling department has organized an S.A.T. Prep Course for seniors. This will include six ninety-minute sessions focused on math and English skills that are relevant to the S.A.T. exam. This course is free for H.I.S. seniors. Please contact the counselor, Mr. Brett Meenach (bmeenach@his.ac.zw) to register your son or daughter. You can see more details in his section of the newsletter.

September 28-October 4 – JOMUN
On September 28th, a dozen students will be traveling to South Africa to attend the Johannesburg Model United Nations (JOMUN) sponsored by the American International School of Johannesburg. They will play the roles of delegates from various nations and engage with young people from across the continent in discussions aimed at solving various world problems.

10th Grade Student & Parent Info Evening on IB:
Tuesday October 12 starting at 6:30pm in the PAC
Dear parents of all 10th grade students, On Tuesday, October 12, at 6:30 pm I will host an informational session on the IB program in the PAC. Attendance at this meeting is required for all tenth grade students and their parents because the session provides a detailed overview of the program of academic studies available to students at HIS for the last two years of high school. During the meeting I will explain the history and components of the IB program, full diploma versus certificate options, and assessment. You will also have the opportunity to hear about the experiences of students currently in the program. In the weeks following this informational evening I will be meeting with 10th students and their parents individually to start the scheduling process for next year. I look forward to seeing you there!

November 3 – No Classes – Parent-Teacher Conferences
We will be holding parent-teacher conferences on Wednesday, November 3rd from 8:00-4:00 in the gym. There will be neither classes nor after-school activities for students on that day. Beginning on October 11th, parents can sign up on the bulletin board outside the art room for ten-minute conference slots.

Design Technology
We are proud to announce a new course in the high school this year. Design Technology will be team-taught by Maciej Sudra and Al Briesemeister and combines computer programming, web design, game design, Computer-Aided Design (CAD), and robotics. This exciting and engaging project-based course primarily targets tenth graders who are interested in learning more about computer science and engineering.

ISSEA Soccer and Volleyball
Those of you who were here last year still vividly remember when we hosted the basketball tournament in March. There are a few changes to the International Schools of Southern and Eastern Africa (ISSEA) league this year. ISSEA would like to welcome The American International School of Lusaka (AISL) to the league. The acceptance of AISL forced the league to split the November Soccer and Volleyball Tournaments into two different tournaments and venues on the same date. This year, soccer players will be travelling to Uganda while the volleyball players will be travelling to Tanzania. There are advantages in having the split tournaments. It allows more students to experience an ISSEA Tournament, to see another country, to live the camaraderie, to experience competition, and plenty more. In order to prepare our teams for ISSEA and all other games, we have started FRIDAY FITNESS from 2:20-2:55. The goal is to have fitter and stronger players throughout the season.

Saturday Soccer
Saturday Soccer will be starting on Saturday September 11. Practices go from 9:00 to 11:00. It is open to the entire H.I.S. community, boys and girls of all ages, and also to their friends. Players are asked to wear soccer shoes and shin guards. If you have extra shoes or shin guards, that you can donate, please bring them to Mr. Tanner. If you are looking for these items, please let Mr. Tanner know as well. Saturday Soccer is possible thanks to volunteer coaches. We are always looking for coaches and assistant coaches. Please help. Once again, please contact Mr. Tanner

There will be Saturday Soccer at the following dates:

September 11, 18
October 7, 30
November 6, 13, 20
December 4, 11

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 Mrs. Rail with questions.