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 Newsletter
Harare International School |
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Calendar of Upcoming Events
December:
12-15 HS Semester Exams Gr 9, 10 & 11
14 4th Grade Invention Convention
15 ES Thunderous Thursday
15 ES Afterschool Qtr 2 activities end
16 School Holiday/Noon Dismissal
Upcoming International Festivals
December:
12 Feast day - Our Lady of Guadalupe- Catholic Christian
13 St Lucy's Day- Christian
13 10th Tevet- Jewish
16 Posadas Navidenas through Dec 15- Christian
21 St Thomas Day- Catholic Christian
21 Yule- Christian
21-28 Hanukkah*- Jewish
22 SolsticeYule *Wicca/Pagan Northern Hemisphere Litha *- Wicca/Pagan Southern Hemisphere
24 Christmas Eve- Christian
25 Christmas *- Christian
25 Feast of the Nativity- Orthodox Christian
26 Zarathosht Diso (Death of Prophet Zarathushtra) **- Zoroastrian
26 Boxing Day- Secular
26 Saint Stephen, Deacon and Martyr- Christian
27 St John, Apostle and Evangelist- Christian
31 Watch Night- Christian
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From The Director Andrew Derry
Dear Parents, Students, Staff and Other Community Members
I cannot believe its coming to December break so soon. As I look back on the back on the past five months, I really would like to thank everyone for working with us and giving us constructive feedback as we have rolled out our new plan for Raising Student Achievement. This has been a semester of development for the school and I really appreciate how everyone has helped us through many of the changes. Although these changes have affected everyone in our community, I would especially like to single out our teaching faculty for praise. They are approaching our new direction with open minds and a willingness to try new things. Without this attitude we would not have been able to achieve so much so quickly.
If you have not yet read our plan, please visit www.his-zim.com, the plan is right on the front page.
I would also like to thank everyone who has already given us feedback on the new format for the newsletter. We welcome your comments on how easy it is to use as well as the type of information you would like to receive.
Finally, here are a few articles you might like to take a look at about the future of education. They fit in perfectly with what we are striving to achieve with our Student Achievement Plan.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/06/science/daphne-koller-technology-as-a-passport-to-personalized-education.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/05/technology/khan-academy-blends-its-youtube-approach-with-classrooms.html
Wishing you all a great festive season and break.
Warm regards
Andrew
Profile of an HIS Student
Earlier this year we started a new series in the newsletters highlighting some of the incredible staff and students we have at HIS. In this issue, we profile senior student: Aditya Kumar.
Aditya is in grade 12 and has been at HIS for the past 2 and half years. Like many HIS students, he is a truly global citizen. Born in Thailand with Indian nationality, Aditya has lived in several countries including Germany, Czech Republic and India.
Aditya was elected the High School Student Council President at HIS last year and has been to re-elected to the same position for the current year. He is also an active member of NHS and is an active participant in all aspects of school, such as choir, band, theatre and sports. He was also nominated by the HIS faculty for the Margaret Sanders Scholarship, sponsored by AISA. In many ways, Aditya is a great example of the fact that, with good time planning, students can be successful academically and be involved in many after-school activities at the same time.
With the new focus on Student Achievement and student involvement in the leadership of the school, Aditya is a regular member on school, PTO and Board committees, bringing a welcome student perspective to several strategic initiatives.
He is also an active member of the Indian community participating and helping to organize many cultural events. It is also worth pointing out that even with so many things happening in his life, Aditya maintain a great sense of humor and is a fun and warm person to be around.
As high school comes to an end, Aditya is looking at the possibilities in the US, Canada or Australia specifically in the field of aeronautical engineering. We are all confident he will continue to be successful wherever he chooses to study.
Interview with Aditya
What drives you to be a better student every day?
I am an existentialist thinker and I tend to make the most of every individual day. I give my best to each day and I expect to get the same in return. I aspire for a brighter future, but unlike other people, I try and live my today to its full potential and let my future worry about itself. I am ambitious in what I do and always indulge myself into healthy competition with my peers which allows me to take an extra step forward.
What do you feel are some personal achievements that you are especially proud of?
I am especially proud of having been elected the high school student council president for two consecutive years. I was especially proud of being elected the first time because of the fact that there had never been a junior president in the history of HIS. This was especially a proud moment. Furthermore, I have been a part of various theatre productions and choir groups, ranging from Europe to India to Africa, having lasted for over 7 years. Additionally, I have also been performing solos in the HIS choir for the past two years and I also had the honor of temporarily joining the HS band this year. I have also been a part of the SV volleyball team for the past 3 years and am an active member of the Indian community, here in Zimbabwe. I often volunteer to DJ at various events and have done so at various occasions now.
Do you ever have difficulty juggling your academics whilst maintaining an active social life?
Yes, all the time. My parents are very sociable people and belonging from an Indian background, it is the norm for the whole family to attend all events at all times, but due to the work load, I often have to decline offers for various lunches and social events. I try and attend as many as possible, as long as I know that I will be able to accomplish what needs to be done. As for my friends, I am easily able to socialize with them as we often mix studying and social events. We might study for a few hours and then socialize for the rest of the evening.
How have you benefitted from being an outstanding example of student excellence?
One benefit that may qualify is perhaps being elected as the student body president for two consecutive years. This role requires a lot of hard work and commitment, which can only be demonstrated through student achievement and excellence. I was also nominated for the Margaret Sanders Scholarship this year by the faculty of HIS, which was most probably a result of my performance in school in my various classes. But, my most favorite aspect of being an example of student excellence is that I inspire my peers. One of my best friends considers me to be his role model. This is truly an honor for me, as he is the friend that I respect the most.
Do you feel that your efforts now will have a substantial impact on your near future?
Definitely; I feel that everything that you do, is always preparing you for the future, in one way or another. Things such as participating in a student-elected governmental body and planning events may prove to be quite beneficial in varied fields of life. Both have very reasonable and practical applications and practices in such fields may prove to be quite handy in the near future.
Has your distinction as a top student opened up any new opportunities that otherwise would not have been available to you?
One of the most recent and most significant opportunities that I had was being nominated by the faculty of HIS for the Margaret Sanders scholarship. This was quite a privilege and honor and an opportunity that wouldn't have been available to me otherwise. Also, as the student body president, I am given the opportunity to often welcome parents to various events, which is another unique opportunity, not mentioning, the joy it gives me to be able to organize school events, such as dances and water fun days. This is definitely something that I have been able to attain through my presidency.
What can you recommend your fellow students do to reach a higher level of academic caliber?
The most important thing is to always stay on top of things, such as deadlines, deadlines and deadlines. As a wise man once said: "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail." I believe that it is very important to plan ahead in life. One must always plan ahead and make sure that what needs to be done will get done. Speaking from personal experience, I would like to offer one more word of advice; do not let one bad performance bring down your abilities to excel in your other classes. If possible, try and look at each class as an individual entity, and DO NOT let one class affect your performance in all the others. Because, as I said, you may be excellent in one class, but one bad performance in any other class, may bring down your potential. Therefore, separate your classes, and instead of doing your best in school, try and do your best in each class.
How have you served your community and fellow students (e.g. in groups such as NHS)?
I am completely in view of the idea that service begins at home, and though I am a member of NHS, I am more involved in giving the student body, all that they want through the high school student council. I like to first, give to the people that I know the best that is the student body. With the help of the high school student council, I have organized a high school water fun day, a dance, and other events. As a member of the Indian community, I often volunteer to DJ events which save them about $250 each time and counting the numbers of times that I've volunteered, the organization must have saved about $1500! As a member of NHS, I have been able to help organize the MTV Night which generates large funds to be able to support an AIDS orphanage. As an aid to my maid, I offered to start paying her two children's school fee and I also collect recyclable paper from school to give to my maid's children's' school, who recycle them by making notebooks out of them.
Staff of the Month Award
Earlier this year we started a new series in the newsletters highlighting some of the incredible staff and students we have at HIS. In this issue, we profile teacher and PYP Coordinator, Pip Farelly.
The staff of the month award is special in that it is recognition of a teacher's accomplishments by their peers. All of the nominations come from other teachers and recognize work and achievements above and beyond the norm
Originally from Wales, Pip taught in five schools in the UK before venturing overseas with her husband, John. Her first overseas post was in Colombia as Academic Coordinator. Following this, Pip and John came out to Zimbabwe to work with Voluntary Service Overseas. They spent five years with VSO including two years at a rural secondary school in Matabeleland.
Pip started at HIS teaching Grade 3 but more recently has taken responsibility for Elementary EAL as well as coordination of the PYP.
Among the reasons given for Pip's nomination, her colleagues cite how dedicated Pip is to what she does. She spends countless hours keeping everyone on the right track and constantly challenges ideas and approaches. Yet, somehow she manages to do this while keeping the whole team closely bonded.
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 From the MS/HS Principal Lauri Klancke
Greetings from the secondary division of HIS! As we see this semester to a close, I would like to thank you all for your support of the school and it's staff. We have an amazing staff that truly love your children and what they do. Please join me in thanking them for all they do.
A good teacher is like a candle - it consumes itself to light the way for others. ~Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, translated from Turkish
The last week of school in secondary, grades 8-12, will primarily be spent in exams. For grades 12, these are mock exams, given for the first time at HIS, to help give the students a feel of the exam content, length, and typical environment. This will be good practice for our students before they test in May. The other benefit of mock exams is the opportunity to share with the students where they are at in their understanding so they have a clearer idea of what will need to be studied and reviewed before the real exams.
Grades 9-11 will have comprehensive exams, and grade 8 will do a modified version of a semester exam. Please make sure students are well rested and at school on time. All 9-11 grade students will finish exams at 1:45 each day and middle school students will finish at their regular time. If you have a 12th grade student, please check his/her schedule each day to see when they should be expected to leave school.
There will be no after school activities the week of December 12-16 and students should be picked up immediately after school these days.
Please see the attached exam schedules for details.
Have a wonderful and safe break! We'll see everyone back at school on January 10th.
Lauri Klancke
8th Grade Semester Exam Schedule
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December 12 |
December 13 |
December 14 |
December 15 | |
7:30 - 8:50 |
A Block Revision |
F Block Revision |
G Block
Soc. St. Exam |
H Block
Class | |
9:05 - 10:25 |
B Block
Science Exam |
G Block English Exam |
D Block
Class |
A Block
Class | |
10:30 - 11:50 |
C Block
Revision |
H Block
Revision |
E Block
Class |
Advisory Block | |
12:25 - 1:45 |
D Block
Class |
B Block
Math Exam |
F Block
Class |
B Block
Class | |
1:50 - 3:10 |
E Block Language Exam |
A Block
Class |
C Block
Class |
C Block
Class |
11th Grade Final Exam Schedule for 11th Grade
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Date |
Time |
Subject |
Proctors | |
Monday, December 12th |
7:30 - 8:00 Study
8:00 - 8:15 Break
8:15 - 10:15 Exam |
History |
Josh, Virginia, Cindy, Karen | |
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10:15 - 11:00 LUNCH |
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11:00 - 11:30 Study
11:30 - 11:45 Break
11:45 - 1:45 Exam |
Chemistry and Enviro. Systems |
Mia, Anne, Mahlon | |
Tuesday, December 13th |
7:30 - 8:00 Study
8:00 - 8:15 Break
8:15 - 10:15 Exam |
Language |
Daniel, Josias, Mondy | |
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10:15 - 11:00 LUNCH |
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11:00 - 11:30 Study
11:30 - 11:45 Break
11:45 - 1:45 Exam |
Math |
Josh, Anne, Dave, Erin | |
Wednesday, December 14th |
7:30 - 8:00 Study
8:00 - 8:15 Break
8:15 - 10:15 Exam |
English |
Virginia, Karen, Cindy, John | |
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10:15 - 11:00 LUNCH |
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11:00 - 11:30 Study
11:30 - 11:45 Break
11:45 - 1:45 Exam |
Tech/Economics |
Jeff, Al, Gill, Mahlon | |
Thursday, December 15th |
7:30 - 8:00 Study
8:00 - 8:15 Break
8:15 - 10:15 Exam |
Physics and Biology
Make-up exams |
John, Al, Shingi | |
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10:15 - 11:00 LUNCH |
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11:00 - 11:30 Study
11:30 - 11:45 Break
11:45 - 1:45 Exam |
Make-up exams |
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9th and 10th Grade Exam Schedule
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Date |
Time |
Subject | |
Monday, December 12th |
7:30 - 8:00 Study
8:00 - 8:15 Break
8:15 - 10:15 Exam |
English | |
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10:15 - 11:00 LUNCH |
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11:00 - 11:30 Study
11:30 - 11:45 Break
11:45 - 1:45 Exam |
Math | |
Tuesday, December 13th |
7:30 - 8:00 Study
8:00 - 8:15 Break
8:15 - 10:15 Exam |
Language | |
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10:15 - 11:00 LUNCH |
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11:00 - 11:30 Study
11:30 - 11:45 Break
11:45 - 1:45 Exam |
History | |
Wednesday, December 14th |
7:30 - 8:00 Study
8:00 - 8:15 Break
8:15 - 10:15 Exam |
Science | |
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10:15 - 11:00 LUNCH |
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11:00 - 11:30 Study
11:30 - 11:45 Break
11:45 - 1:45 Exam |
Tech | |
Thursday, December 15th |
7:30 - 8:00 Study
8:00 - 8:15 Break
8:15 - 10:15 Exam |
Make-up exams | |
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10:15 - 11:00 LUNCH |
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11:00 - 11:30 Study
11:30 - 11:45 Break
11:45 - 1:45 Exam |
Make-up exams |
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 From The ES Principal Cynthia Dragich
It's hard to believe we are completing the first semester of school year 2011-2012. The time seems to go so fast especially with both students and teachers productively focused on learning.
We all know that our children come to school to learn, but did you know that the Elementary Teachers are also a community of learners? This school year they have primarily been "fine tuning their craft" by investigating Writer's Workshop, The Responsive Classroom, and inquiry based learning. A brief description of Writer's Workshop is included in this newsletter.
Elementary Concert- The children, kindergarten through fifth grade, did such a wonderful job at last Thursday's concert. A big thank you goes to Mrs. Wever, Ms. Hwarari, Mrs.Whaley and the theater crew for managing such a fine production.
Fabulous Friday - The Third graders shared their understanding of the Unit of Inquiry, Our Rocky Earth, with wonderful student initiated skits. The audience enjoyed the program and learned from it as well. It is always amazing to see what children can do when given the opportunity to work collaboratively in a creative atmosphere.
Friday Gathering- Mrs. Decker-Jones and her hard working Suzuki violin students performed for their classmates at Friday's gathering. We have such a talented group of students, it was truly inspiring!
Invention Convention- Our Fourth graders have been busy investigating, experimenting and inventing in their Unit of Inquiry, Inventing Minds. The students will present their inventions to fellow students and judges at the annual convention from 8:00-10:00, Dec 14.
Thunderous Thursday- This Thursday, Dec. 15, at 1:20 the kindergarteners will be sharing all that they have learned about trees!
Noon dismissal- On December 16, children will be dismissed at 12:00 noon. There will be no lunch served and all students should be picked up promptly.
A fond farewell - To all of students that will be leaving HIS at the end of this term, we wish you the best on your next adventure and remember us in Zimbabwe; we are only as far away as an email!
The following students ( that have notified us) are leaving the elementary school:
Loatile Khoza, EC1A Zavion Brigham. EC2B Tendekai Mataranyika, 2A
Khensani Khoza, EC2A Aljosha Benedict, KA Jana Lou Bendikt, 2A
Tintswalo Khoza, 1A Xinpeng Cao, KB Palesa Tlhasana, 5A
Rose Biddulph, 4B
Writer's Workshop
Writer's Workshop is a method of writing instruction developed by Lucy Calkins and educators involved in the Reading and Writing Project at Columbia University. This method of instruction focuses on the goal of fostering, skilled, lifelong writers.Writer's Workshop is a period of time committed to the process of writing. It begins with whole class explicit teaching (mini-lesson), followed by time in which students either write or participate in peer or teacher conferencing. The teacher provides support through small group guided lessons and/or individual or small group conferencing. Writer's Workshop usually ends with time for students to share and/or reflect.
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From the ES ICT Teacher Troy Gordon
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iPad Program is Officially Underway
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 Every time I unzip the iPad case a hush comes over the class. My second visit with the magic case to the Kindergarten was no exception, backs straighten, eyes widen, and hands neatly clasp one another. Over the past two weeks students demonstrated their new knowledge about trees during technology integration lessons. Students were presented with the challenge of drawing a tree and  all of its important parts in an app called "Paint Sparkles", they then saved it and later labeled it in another app called "Doodle Buddy."
Diagraming, saving, typing, moving and resizing text, comes second nature to these five and six year old digital natives. Their results and acclimation to these new skills is impressive. Check out the end product from a couple of students.
The iPads are leaving a lasting impression on our HIS lifelong learners. Don't be surprised if your little one comes home asking for an iPad. This letter from an anonymous author was found in the kindergarten, and it wasn't the only one.
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Health corner Carol Morgan-Madziva
 TYPHOID Some of you may be aware that there have been a number of 'suspected' cases of Typhoid in and around Harare. Statistics are vague and there have been few confirmed cases, however the following information will serve as a guide to prevention. FACTS Typhoid is an acute infectious disease caused by salmonella typhi, a Gram- Negative Bacterium which grows best at 37°C - human body temperature.Risk factors are similar to those of cholera and other epidemic prone diarrheal diseases mainly related to accessibility to safe water, functionality of sanitation systems and food hygiene. MODE OF TRANSMISSION - Faecal -oral route
- Close contact with patients or carriers
- Contaminated water and food
- Flies and cockroaches
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS - Sudden onset of sustained fever high as 39°c to 40°c.
- Diarrhea may occur
- Severe headaches.
- Nausea.
- Stomach Pains.
- Severe loss of appetite.
- Rash of flat, rose colored spots
PREVENTION - Plain and simply 'WASH YOUR HANDS REGULARLY'. This reduces the risk of you catching any bacteria or virus. Using soap with warm water and vigorously rubbing hands together for 20 seconds is enough to kill any bugs. Alcohol based hand sanitizers are also effective when running water isn't readily available.
- Maintain rigorous standards of cleanliness in preparation and handling of food.
- Try and avoid food prepared by others, if you can't just make sure it has been thoroughly cooked.
- Make sure to refrigerate food where possible.
- Ensure that cooked food is covered to protect it from flies.
- Avoid foods and beverages from street vendors. It is difficult for food to be kept clean on the street and you are not aware of their water source.
- Treat all drinking water by bringing it to a rolling boil for 1 minute or with other household water treatment products before you drink it.
- Ask for drinks without ice, unless the ice is made from boiled or chlorine treated water.
How to beat the Christmas 'spread' Christmas is the season we all come to associate with over indulgence, resulting in detox and diets in the New Year to deal with the weight gain from the festivities. Following the food pyramid guide, here are a few tips to alleviate the guilt and physical discomfort over indulgence can leave us with. DECLINE SECONDS AND MAKE SPACES By refusing second helpings you are saving your body from overeating. When serving food, pile it as high as you like, as long as you can see the plate in between the portions- this limits the amount of food on your plate and stops you 'leaning' one food onto another and therefore having a tower of calories. The 'gaps' will also remind you of the 'food plate' system and the advised portions. DRINK MATCHING Simple but effective, all you have to do is match any drink you consume with equal amount water! This may sound ridiculous but most of us do not drink enough water. During the festive season it's easy to mistake thirst for hunger with the abundance of goodies on offer, so this will not only keep you hydrated but also suppress appetite as well as flush toxins from your bodies. MAKE A FRUIT PYRAMID Instead of piling your plate high with sugary deserts, creams and fats, make yourself a 'pyramid' of healthy, nutritious anti-oxidant filled fresh fruits. RISE AND BE REGULAR It's easy to use the holidays as an excuse to abandon our best habits. Mealtimes change, exercise is abandoned and sleep patterns alter. Try and keep to your normal mealtimes and if you can't motivate your self to maintain your usual exercise regime, fit it into everyday tasks; for example, take the dog for a walk, play games with your kids, tidy the house! Anything that gets the body moving will trip the switch from hibernation to utilization and so help burn those extra calories consumed. FOOD PYRAMID 'FRIENDLY' CHRISTMAS PUD Ingredients - 350 g frozen berries [defrosted]
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 6 apples, peeled, cored and quartered
- 3 tbsp. apple juice
- 75 g muesli
- 2 tbsp. butter
Method - Preheat oven to 190oc.
- Mix fruits with honey and apples.
- Tip into greased baking dish and cover with lid or foil before baking for twenty minutes.
- Mix muesli with butter and scatter over fruit before baking for further 15 minutes.
- Serve hot
Source: food pyrimid.com
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 From the Guidance Counselor Dominie Wilhite
MS/HS News...
The "Reviving Ophelia" book club will be meeting on Tuesday, January 17th at 5:30pm. Please pick up your copy of the book in the counseling office before break.
Grade 12 News...
Upcoming Event for Grade 12 Parents: "College Coffee Talks" continue every Friday morning from 7-8am in the library. Before break, Ms. Wilhite will focus on last minute tips to help your child submit quality applications and be on hand to answer your questions.
Upcoming Event for Grade 12 Students and Parents: If your student will be seeking financial assistance from colleges in the US and is a US citizen, please plan to attend a workshop in the high school computer lab on Thursday, January 13th at 5:30pm. Ms. Wilhite will walk you through the steps to complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). This form is NOT required of international students.
We are quickly approaching the end of semester 1. Besides the student application, colleges and universities require the submission of supporting documents (letters of recommendation, transcripts, etc.) Please request all supporting documentation from Ms. Wilhite and your teachers BEFORE we go on break.
Just a few reminders for students...
1. You MUST submit your completed applications by the deadlines. Even if supporting documents from teachers and/or the counselor are not in, this will not affect your application. However, if you submit your portion of the application after the deadline, you will not be considered for admission.
2. Be sure to check the websites for every university to which you are applying. Make sure you are submitting all required parts of the application. International students usually need to submit financial documents by the application deadline.
3. Pay application fees with a credit card. Do NOT mail payment. Some colleges are requiring that the credit card payment be processed by the application deadline. Be aware that these payments may take a few days to clear. Don't wait until the last minute!
4. Provide your recommenders (including Ms. Wilhite!) with a resume if you haven't already done so. Your teachers also need your brag sheet.
5. Be sure to get your essays edited before submitting. No grammatical/spelling errors allowed!
6. Technical support for your applications may not be available during the holidays. Be sure to submit early!
Grade 11 News...
Grade 11 Parent and Student Night: Please plan to attend an informational session on Thursday, February 2nd at 5:30pm. Topics will include: college planning, IB update, and 2012-13 course selection.
Grade 9 and 10 News...
Grade 9 & 10 Parent and Student Night: Please plan to attend an informational session on Thursday, February 16th at 5:30pm. Topics will include: college planning, IB update, and 2012-13 course selection.
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 IB Physics at HIS Alan Briesemeister
IB Physics Students are competing in design skills for space travel:
The year one IB Physics students will be competing in a design competition against this year's grade nine Integrated Science students in a NASA inspired competition. The challenge is to build a device which is capable of dropping with a set mouse trap and landing on a target without setting off the mouse trap. This task is a model of the requirements for landing a payload safely on a planet and NASA has been promoting these types of competitions over the past decade to develop related problem solving skills in high school students across the globe.
The public and especially the parents of the students are invited to come and watch the students as they put their best design and problem solving skills on display. The competitions will be held on Wednesday, December 14 at 8:15 in room H05 for the grade nine students and on Thursday, December 15 at 8:15 in room H05 for the grade eleven physics students.
The mouse trap drop competition has specific limitations in the types of materials each design can use and also in the total volume occupied by the device. Points are scored for accuracy and also for low mass and low volume. The major goal is to achieve a successful drop from the highest fall.
The competition is a part of the semester exam for both groups of students as they are evaluated on their skill in recording, processing and presenting data from pre-competition studies of their devices or the mouse trap.
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From the Middle School Drama Martin McDowell / Lisa Coricello
Attention Middle Schoolers!
Mr. McDowell and his wife, Lisa, (Miss C) are directing the middle school play this year. We are excited to announce that we will be doing a murder mystery dinner theatre! The play will be performed in May, and auditions will be in the new year. Stay tuned for more information or talk to Mr. McDowell or Miss C if you are interested.
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News from the Athletics Department Dave Wever
Basketball at HIS.
Almost 100 middle school and high school students are involved in basketball this year. Middle school practices Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 15:30 - 17:00, while high school practices Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 15:30 - 17:20.
Parents and athletes, please familiarize yourselves with the HIS Athletics Handbook regarding missing practices, etc.
The following is a proposed schedule of tournaments for our basketball teams after the break. More information about each of these tournaments will be made available after the December break:
Jan 13/14: U19 Men and Women
January 20 - U17 men and women
January 27/28 - Middle School boys and girls
February 3-5 - Warthogs International Invitational U 19 Men and Women
February 10/11 - U17 and U19 men and women
February 18 - Middle School Boys and Girls
February 28 - March 3: International Schools of South and East Africa Basketball Championships in Kampala, Uganda
MS / HS Cricket and Tennis Teams. We hope to start these two sports in January, if enough interest in generated before December break. These sports will be treated just like other official sports here at HIS in terms of following the HIS Athletics Handbook.
December Break and the use of HIS Athletics Facilities
Over the December break (December 17 - January 9, 2012) all HIS Athletics facilities will be closed. This includes the soccer fields, gymnasium, outdoor and tennis courts. Maintenance will occur periodically through the break on any or all of these facilities. Thank you for your understanding.
New Fitness Center Hours: Starting Jan. 10. 2011 6:15 - 17:30
In scholarship, sportsmanship and success,
Mr. Wever
Athletic Director
Harare International School
Email: dawever@his.ac.zw
Mobile: 0772264732
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SALE !!! SALE !!! SALE !!!
HIS Old Uniform $
T Shirts 5
Shorts 10
Childrens Tracksuits 25
Adult Tracksuits 30
Limited Sizes available.
First come, first served Back to Top
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Lost and Found
Please note that All items in the
"Lost & Found"
Will, as usual, be donated to charity on the last day of school.
Please collect whatever belongs to you before 12:00 on Friday December 16, 2011.
After that all items will be given to those who really need them!!!
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  From The Middle School Carolina Charsley-Daza
WHAT ARE STUDY SKILLS?
The most effective "study skills" should accomplish three specific goals. They should be:
1. Time-efficient. Students are human and humans (including you and me) prefer the path of least resistance. If we respect this natural preference of our students, they will be much more receptive to learning.
2. Effective. It goes without saying, but if you are going to take the time to learn and DO a study skill, then it should work. Ideally, most strategies should thrust students up a few levels on the Learning Pyramid to take the best advantage of their brain's potential.
3. Apply across content areas. When strategies only work for specific types of content, students are not able to identify when to use them. Students are just learning the content; they don't know the best way to organize it...yet! To minimize confusion, study skills should generally apply across most content areas. (To be fair, this particular strategy is not limited to a specific subject-area, but many "study skills" are.)
http://studyskills.com/studying/when-study-skills
During this semester, students in grade 7 have been acquiring basic study skills in order to develop better habits in their application to work to become more successful in Middle School. The acquisition of organization skills, of following directions effectively and paying increased attention to details when doing a reading comprehension exercise have been strongly emphasized during this semester. An important component of a healthy acquisition of study skills is the application of those skills not only in the Study Skills class but also across disciplines within the curriculum. This also includes more effective ways to interact with peers to stimulate successful contributions towards a more mature final product.
In this article I would like to share the amazing work that students in this grade were able to produce on their last assignment:
During the last unit of study, students were getting to know each other's ways of learning and were studying a variety of techniques to analyze content in a more productive way. All students worked in pairs and, by using one of the techniques of study, rhymes, they were able to produce a final product that was fun and allowed them to review topics they were currently studying across their curriculum. This gave them a succinct overview at a glance.
All students were challenged by this activity, at the beginning they found it difficult. However, in the process they discovered their talents as, with commitment, perseverance and encouragement from their peers, they all managed to produce rather interesting pieces of writing. Moreover, the students began to realize that they had a number of talents and could be creative writers when they put their minds to it.
You might like to encourage your child to review their work in the future in a similar way at home. In this way, you will see exactly what they are c overing.
Enjoy the following!!!
Written By
Allan Dean and Aleksander Veljanov
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SOCIAL STUDIES
Physical features include stuff like mountains
The solar system has orbits like fancy fountains
Natural disasters can cause big explosions
And are much more dangerous than water erosions
SCIENCE
Luminous stuff makes light
Non-luminous stuff reflects it mad gets very bright
Light travels a lot faster than sound
But it can't turn corners cause it can't go around
ENGLISH
A noun is a part of speech
An example of this is a leech
Verbs, adverbs, and adjectives
These can all help make a sentence with ribs
ART
In art we got to make a clay head
Some of ours look like they just got out of bed
These heads had lots of expression
Some of them would drive you to depression
PE
Hockey can be a dangerous sport
If you are injured you might leave the court
We do cardio exercises a lot of the time
And now we're saying it in this rhyme
FRENCH
In French we're learning future tense
There's so much to know that our brains get dense
Bonjour, nous allons aller au lac
We just said we're gonna go to the lake and see duckies that quack |
ICT
We hot Bs in ICT
Because we didn't hand in our draft 3
We also are using geometer's sketchpad
It's pretty cool and rad
MATH
Percentages are a good business thing
They help use all your money for bling
We learned to conver into decim-als
And we make better bargain at shopping stalls
MUSIC
In music class you need to know your notes
The best way to learn them is to catch musical goats
Composition and remixes are 2 different things
If you do well you might get some rings
STUDY SKILLS
In this class we learned we learned SQRW
If your skills are blunt it's great for you
We hope you have found this a blast
For many years in your heads this shall last
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More to come in the next newsletter!!!
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From the PTO Jackie Rose
As we approach the end of our calendar year, please note the following events for 2012:
- Presentation by Kari Boazman on January 12th at 7:30 a.m. in the school's pavilion. Ms. Boazman is a PYP/IB training specialist who will address our parent group on understanding the PYP program and inquiry-based learning. This lecture is the first in a series of varied lectures that will be sponsored by the school and the PTO to support parents as they raise their children in Zimbabwe in the 21st century. All our welcome.
- The PTO will host a New Family / Buddy Coffee morning on January 20th
- Next Open PTO meeting is scheduled for February 1 at 7:30 a.m. in the school's pavilion.
- The HIS Dinner Dance will be held at Rainbow Towers on February 25th starting at 7:30 p.m.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
The Movie/Pizza night held on December 3 got rave reviews, and the PTO believes this is an event that should continue on a more regular basis. If anyone would be interested in coordinating the movies, please speak to Kate Rudder at 0775-553745. Future movie nights could be "bring you own picnic basket," so organization would be minimal.
LOCAL COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES
The HIS donation box is still in place at the Groombridge SPAR and earning the PTO money. Thanks to all who have been remembering to place their receipt in the box. A recent survey by avid Harare shoppers found the SPAR Groombridge store has the best prices in town, so feel good about shopping there!
The Interact Club is still collecting lightly-used items for orphans in the Msasa area. Donations will be presented to the children December 15. Please help our students support this worthwhile project.
KUDOS to the HIS Suzuki violinists who took their music on the road to the Emerald Hill Children's Home on December 3. The 50 violinist played both classical and holiday music for the orphans and hosted a party afterwards. Well done violinists, parents and Mrs. Decker-Jones for reaching out to our local community!
HAVE A GREAT HOLIDAY BREAK!
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