March 31st 2014

The ISL Headlines

“Striving for

Excellence”

From the Head of School : Mr. Martin Gough

It seems the rains are over and we are heading into a beautiful time of year with bright, cool mornings

but plenty of green still around. This is a great time for sports events and ISL has been taking part in a

large number of swimming and football competitions over the last few weeks. Our teams have done

exceptionally well, with perhaps the major success being the trip to Chengelo School to win the U19

Boys‘ Football Team ISAZ National Trophy for the first time. Congratulations to all the student players

and to their coaches.

In my last newsletter I mentioned that we were seeking architectural and engineering services for cre-

ating a masterplan for redevelopment of the school buildings and infrastructure over the next few

years. 8 companies submitted proposals, which an ad hoc Board of Governors‘ Tender Committee will

review over the next few weeks.

The Mid-Term Holiday is nearly upon us and all the students and teachers at the school are looking

forward to a well-earned break. IGCSE and IBDP students will be using that time to revise for their

upcoming final, public examinations that start soon after we return and continue into May and June. If

your child is taking IGCSE and IBDP exams, please do take time to talk to them about their plan for

revision over the next two months and help provide them with the right conditions to work in at home.

I recently sent out a pdf, single sheet 2014-15 school calendar by email to parents. This can be found

to download on the ISL website at http://islzambia.org/calendar.html where you can also subscribe to

the live Google ISL Year Calendar which shows term and holiday dates for the next three years.

Important Dates

Head of

School/Board Chair-

man

1

Primary Principal 2

PYP/Early years 3

Upper Primary 4

Yr 1/ Junior second-

ary

5

IGCSE / IB 6

Performing arts 7

Visual arts 8

Ultra Mara-

thon/Triathlon

9

Contents

10 th - 21st

April

Easter

Holidays

22nd April School

reopens

24th April Last Sup-

per IB2

25th-26th April ISUZU-ISL

Ultra Mar-

athon

30th April Last Sup-

per IGCSE

30th April Circus

Night

One of the most common questions I hear from fellow parents is,

―Are the school fees increasing next year?‖ The answer from the

Board will always be ―yes‖. I know that this is not the answer that

parents want to hear, as many ISL parents (myself included) pay

school feels from their own hard-earned salaries. Why do school

fees always increase year-to-year? The main issue is inflation. The

cost of doing business in Zambia increases annually and this exter-

nal factor is beyond the school‘s control. Internal factors include incremental increases in staff salaries

or changes in benefits premiums. The school also ships a container of school supplies into Zambia

from abroad every year, and a falling kwacha exchange rate would increase the budgeted amount

needed for this expense.

When ISL management presents the following year‘s draft budget to the Board every March, the Board

examines it to see if there are any potential savings that management hasn‘t already identified. Usual-

ly, there is very little savings possibilities in the budget, as approximately 70 percent of the budget is

allocated to staff costs. (This is a normal percentage for school budgets). The other 30 percent goes for

such items as school supplies, maintenance of school and teacher housing, cleaning supplies, security,

etc. The Board is always careful to ensure that every budget includes an annual surplus allocated for

capital improvements, which also enables the school to put some cash into short-term interest-bearing

accounts during the year. The 2014-15 budget preparation process is particularly challenging given the

recent fall of the kwacha exchange rate. While all staff are currently paid in kwacha, the teachers

(particularly international hires) have seen the value of their salary drop as much as 25 percent from

when they signed their contracts. With the recent removal of SI33 by the Zambian government this

month, the Board will need to carefully consider if we continue with a kwacha budget next year or re-

vert to dollar-based budgets (which were the norm prior to the introduction of SI33 in June 2012).

There is no easy answer at this point. The only answer we have now is that yes, the fees will go up in

2014-15. The 2014-15 budget will be passed by the Board by April 30th, made available to parents in

May, and presented at the Annual General Meeting on Saturday 7th June. We hope to see you there.

From the Board Chair : Elizabeth Jere

Primary Message from the Primary Principal: Mr. Bowen

Since the last newsletter I have had two very interesting discussions with parents.

The issues discussed were ‗litter around school‘ and ‗the promotion of healthy

eating‘. Both are subjects which we, the teachers, care very much about but I am

ashamed to say my immediate response to both parents was the same ―We (at

ISL) agree with you and we have tried to improve the situation but it just doesn‘t

work‖. I say I am ashamed at my initial response because although that is what

has happened, I don‘t think it is any reason to give up on sending out the right

message. So, what have we done about it?

In the past week we have re-invigorated our litter awareness message. I have held very productive meetings with the

Student Council, Upper Primary students as well as garnered the views of the little ones in Early Years. We all agree

there is a problem and we have identified ways of mending the malaise. Notices, reminding people to ‗Keep ISL tidy‘

have been put up around school, Mr Gough has ordered new bins and the Upper Primary students have volunteered

to do regular litter pick-ups. Hopefully we will see an improvement.

With regard to Healthy Eating I think we all need to sit up and look at what is happening to our student society. As

someone who mingles with other schools on the football fields and athletic tracks I can say irrefutably that the average

size of the schools‘ young children is increasing. Without doubt the youngsters in the ISAZ football league are fatter

and slower than they were 5 years ago. I am sorry if that sounds shocking but you only have to come to one of our

football tournaments on a Saturday to see that a favoured pre-match meal is Doritos and Coke! Needless to say my

players will not be picked if they eat such debilitating food just before a match. This is probably why we are the current

ISAZ U-12 Champions. Please have a think about how you can encourage healthy eating for your children when they

come to school with a snack. To help, we have produced a small booklet which gives ideas for healthy snackboxes

and this is available on our website http://www.islzambia.org/ptr.html

On a more positive note I would like to thank the wonderful students, parents and teachers in Year 2 for their terrific

collaboration for the recent Y2 Art Exhibition. The blaze of colour in the Fine Arts theatre for the occasion was out of

this world, as was the generosity of the parent bidders at the end of exhibition auction. Well done everybody – one of

the highlights of my year – to have that mix of quality art, hard work and then laughter and teamwork on the day.

Similarly I would like to congratulate the Junior Scientists who represented the school at the ISAZ Science Fair. Mr

Chibwana was the man in charge and he successfully and some would say miraculously brought back a third place

certificate for our team challenge. Well done scientists.

ISL Headlines! Page 2

I trust by now you are aware the Primary school at ISL has to study and review the Pri-

mary Years Program at our school. This is a requisite that every PYP school has to go

through every five years. The process helps us to reflect on what we have achieved and

determine paths and directions we now need to move on to. The Primary staff have be-

gun to meet as Committees and may at some point require your assistance in the form

of feedback from surveys or the like. Your ideas and suggestions will undoubtedly help

improve the program we offer at school. All our teaching staff have received certifi-

cates from the IBO for the online workshops and in school workshop that was conduct-

ed this year. We continue to be lifelong learners!

The PYP Exhibition which is a culminating event in the lives of the Year 6 students is well underway and will take place on

May 7th 2014. Our students, parents and staff are researching, learning and finding out more about how they can effectively

make a difference to the community and help resolve issues people encounter with drugs. The PYP Exhibition has always

been something to witness and write home about and I am confident the students this year too will follow suit. Good luck to

the Year 6 students.

We do have another workshop lined up for parents in May. But more details on that will be given closer to the date!

Message from the PYP Coordinator: Mrs Sunita Nair

The Early Years classes are a flurry of activity with our up-coming production,

student led conferences and swimming galas all happening in the next few

weeks.

On Wednesday 2nd

April, you will have the chance to share the kind of learning

that happens at ISL with your child as your guide. It is a wonderful opportunity

for you to see your child‘s learning in action. All the Early Years classes have

sign- up sheets for you to choose a time that suits you the best.

As the swimming season draws to a close, we celebrate the children‘s achievements with the Nursery and Pre-School

Pool Party and Picnic on Thursday 3rd

April and the Splash Gala for the Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 classes on Fri-

day 4th April. It is lots of fun so come prepared to join in with the parent‘s race.

The last date to put in your diary is Wednesday 30thApril to join us for a spectacular ―Night at the Circus‖. The curtain

will go up at 18:00 and tickets will be on sale at the door. We can promise you an exciting night of sparkle and circus

magic that you won‘t want to miss!

See you all soon!

ISL Headlines! Page 3

From the Early Years Coordinator: Mrs Rachel Bentley

On 30th April @

18:00 hrs

UPPER PRIMARY: Mrs. Grace Kambeu ISL Headlines! Page 4

On Friday 7th March Upper Primary undertook a very successful and interesting challenge using clay to depict one of

the key concepts. The purpose was to promote team-building skills. It was incredible to see students co-operating and taking other people‘s ideas on board as they made models to show form, change, causation, function and responsibil-ity. It was difficult for the judges to select a winner but of course only one house had to win and it was Luangwa!!!!!!

We also had Inter House netball and football for boys and girls. Zambezi and Luangwa had a tie in first position for both games.

Year Six PYP Exhibition Year Six has now fully embarked on their Exhibition Journey and this will be for six weeks. The children are being as-sisted by their mentors who are other teachers in the school and some parents have graciously volunteered to offer their help too. The mentor groups have already starting meeting and some have had outside trips to consolidate their research. Year 6.1 visited Jubilee Chemist as part of their exhibition inquiry.

Look out for more in the next newsletter!!!!

ISL Headlines! Page 5

As a PYP school, we are always looking for new

ways to develop the attitudes and Learner Profile

characteristics of our students that will help them to

develop into well-balanced, open-minded life-long

learners. In Year 1, we take a big step with our

Light Party and Sleepover at school.

On Friday 28th February fifty Year 1 children re-

turned to school at 17:00 clutching sleeping bags, night things and a torch ready for our sleepover. As the children set

up their beds, it was sometimes hard to see who was being the biggest risk taker – the children for staying or their par-

ents for letting them go!

We had an action packed evening with: a delicious pasta supper cooked by Zainab‘s mum, Mrs Patel, playing ―Duck,

Duck, Goose‖ with Ms Evy, fireworks, playing in the dark with torches and not forgetting toasting marshmallows on the

campfire and sipping hot chocolate. It was a wonderful opportunity for the children to put their learning about light as a

form of energy into practice.

The evening ended with everyone tucked up in their beds in the Fine Arts building, watching a movie and then finally

sleeping.

Our adventure finished the next morning after a camping breakfast

of cornflakes, jam sandwiches and more hot chocolate. Mums and

Dads came to pick up children who had learnt about being inde-

pendent, responsible and taking a risk all while we had a lot of fun.

The Year 1 teachers would like to thank Ms Johanna, Ms Evy,

Mrs McNulty, Mrs Patel, Ms Lydia and Ms Paloma for all their help

to make the event so successful.

On the 24th of February Year 9s went to an outdoor educational trip to Ndubaluba. Nduba-

luba Centre is under the umbrella of Chengelo Shool in Mkushi. The Centre Director is Mr Richard Thompson and the chief instructor Mr Colin McMaster.

Most students came back exhausted but had a very positive experience. Their favourite activities were the Kayaking, the Rope Course, the Rocket Race, the Assault Course and the Volleyball.

Thank you Mr James and Miss Shropshire for chaperoning the trip.

From Junior Secondary School : Mrs.Dodd

Year 1 Sleep Over @ School……..

ISL Headlines! Page 5

SL Headlines! Page 6

After a successful Induction Day and IGCSE Evening, the Year 9 students and parents are now in the process of choosing their options for Year 10. This choice is important since it will give a more or less definite direction to their further studies and careers. Year 10 had a successful work week experience. Many thanks to our counselor, Mrs. Kehl for organizing the work experience week and to most IGCSE teachers for following them up by visiting their place of work. Year 11 have three and a half weeks left in class and will mark the end of their IGCSE les-sons with a last supper in school on Wednesday evening the 30st of April 2014, all organ-

ised by the students. Their study leave starts on Friday 2

nd of May 2014. The first IGCSE exam is on Tuesday 6

th of May.

From the IGCSE coordinator: Mr R Van de Velde

A-level blow as Baccalaureate given same rating as 5 A grades The credibility of A-levels received a fresh blow after it emerged that an alternative sixth form qualifi-cation is academically superior. The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) has developed a new tariff system which gives the International Baccalaureate an A-level equivalence for the first time. An IB score of 38 points out of a maximum of 45 - which is achieved by more than 200 pupils a year at Sevenoaks School in Kent alone - is deemed to be equivalent to a staggering five A grades at A-level.

Oxford and Cambridge typically ask for 40 points which equates to five-and-half A grades. A relatively modest IB score of 35 points is worth four-and-a-half A grades at A-level. Even 30 IB points reflects three-and-a-half As at A-level which is enough to secure entry to most academically selec-tive universities. And an IB pass is worth two As, according to the tariff being introduced in 2008. A report by UCAS justifies the huge number of points credited to the top end of the IB, claiming that "it is not the fault of an IB candidate (...) that the assessment system for GCE A-level does not recognise the difference between a good pass and a bare pass at grade A". The new tariff will raise the prominence of the IB - which requires pupils to study both the humanities and the sciences - and provide a further nail in the coffin of A-levels. A-levels 'dumbed down' It demonstrates that the "gold standard" of A-levels has been dumbed down to such an extent that pupils now have to collect huge numbers just to achieve the same level as an IB. Tory education spokesman David Willetts said: "This shows why people are losing confidence in the standard of A-level. The IB does seem to offer a rigour that is hard to get from A-levels now. "It's important that children have the opportunity to do the IB as well as doing A-levels if that suits them better." IB pupils typically study six subjects in the sixth form which include English and maths, a foreign language, a science, a social science such as history or geography and a creative subject such as drama or art. They must also write a 4,000-word extended essay, pursue critical thinking courses and extra-curricular activities such as volunteering, Duke of Edinburgh awards and music lessons. Rising numbers of state and independent schools are already turning their backs on A-levels amid rising concern over standards and taking up the IB. Many believe that A-levels are no longer sufficiently stretching for the brightest pupils, leading to university admissions tutors being inundated with straight "A" applicants. They are phasing in the IB along with A-levels while others aim to offer it as their sole sixth form qualification. The number of state and independent schools registering to teach the IB in the United Kingdom has almost doubled from 45 in 2001 to 87 this year. However numbers are expected to soar to 200 over the next few years due to the growing number of schools express-ing interest to the International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO). But Dr John Dunford, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, insisted that A-levels are here to stay. Referring to the new IB tariff system, he said: "It could either make schools want to do them (IB's) more because they count for so many points or it could put schools off doing the IB because it suggests they're so difficult."

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-394399/A-level-blow-Baccalaureate-given-rating-5-A-grades.html

IB Corner! From Mr. Hearsum

SL Headlines! Page 7

On Wednesday 26th February, our ISL MPC came alive to the sounds of our annual whole school concert. Covering

almost the spectrum of the student population, artists from Y2 through to Y13 performed a range of musical styles as

well as an intriguing selection of dance that included ballet, hip hop and traditional Indian pieces.

An impressive turnout of parents, students and teachers came to enjoy the performance spectacle and, with the addi-

tion of a new lighting system, the music and dance looked as good as it sounded. Congratulations to all of the perform-

ers who took part in this year‘s concert. The time and effort spent preparing each item was considerable; however the

rousing applause that each item received was testimony of the audience‘s appreciation for the high standard of the per-

formances. Mr. Dodd—Head of Creative Arts

The programme for the evening was as follows:

1. Zambian National Anthem : ISL Band feat. Helen Pikira & Georgina Coker

2. Year 3 students—accompanied by Mr. Mwailenge : ‗Calling All Angels‘ by Train

3. Mumo Musembi (Y2) - violin, Luaay Mohsen (Y5) - guitar, Adam Mohsen (Y5) - guitar—

accompanied by Mr. Nkolola

‗Lightly Row‘ by Anon

4. Year 10 students; Shivani Joshi, Ruella Che, Priyanka Naik, Gaurav Menon

‗The Lonely‘ by Christina Perra and ‗Heroes‘ by David Bowie

5. Year 4 students—accompanied by Mr. Mwailenge : ‗Someday‘ by Nickelback

6. Baraka Musembi (Y4) - piano & Mr. Mwailenge—guitar : ‗Lullaby‘ by Brahms

7. Y6 Trio—Mwango Kondolo, Alexis Tshukudu, Aoife McNulty : ‗Firework‘ by Katy Perry

8. Ben Thomas (Y6) - guitar/voice : ‗Can‘t Buy Me Love by The Beatles

9. Mifaly Andriamady leads The Primary Dance Collective : ‗Danse des Cygnes‘ by Tchai-

kovsky

10. Primary Choir—Mr. Mwailenge & Mr. Nkolola : ‗I Have A Dream‘ by ABBA

11. Jin Yong Hwang & Tong Yu—piano duet : ‗Danse des Cygnes‘ by Tchaikovsky

12. Seoyun Jung (Y6) - piano & Aoife McNulty (Y6) - voice : ‗March in Eb‘ by Anon & The Sun is Setting‘ by William

Alwyn

13. Mifaly Andriamady & Vision Kim—Contemporary Dance

14. ISL Band : ‗Clocks‘ by Coldplay , ‗Summertime‘ George Gershwin feat. Georgina Coker & ‗The Music of Life‘ by Jay

Althouse feat. Shivani Joshi & Helen Pikira

15. ISL Rock Band—feat. Vision Kim, Nathan Doras, Melody Che, Mario Nithyanathan &

Mifaly Andriamady

‗Dignity‘ by New Politics

‗Kryptonite‘ by Three Doors Down

‗21 Guns‘ by Green Day

16. Uma Mrinaleni Murugappan: Traditional Indian Dance :Mayura Allorippu (peacock

ANNUAL WHOLE SCHOOL MUSIC CONCERT

ISL Headlines! Page 7

ISL Headlines! Page 8

The latest Year 2 unit of inquiry was 'Art is a way of expressing ourselves'. The children worked ex-tremely hard and produced a great variety of work

culminating in a fabulous art exhibition. They worked with oil pastels, paint, collage, chalk, charcoal, pencil and felt tips. They created their own art using various artists as a stimulus including Monet, Picasso, Mondrian, Escher and Van Gogh.

At the art exhibition the children also showed skills from their specialist lessons with dances and songs related to dance, music, Spanish and French. We would like to say a huge thank you to all the parents who came along to the art exhibition and for participating in and contributing to the auction.

The Year 2 Photograph Competition winners are : Ray, Raihan , Freya, Ndatenda, Nishita and Wana. Well done to everyone in year two for participating. Mrs Bowen and Mrs Lungu

On Friday evening, 21

st March, our three IB Visual Arts students, Sreyashi, Anneta and Pola, showcased the magnifi-

cent results of their two year intensive programme of creation, exploration, reflection and refinement. They were the undisputed stars of the evening and there were encouraging numbers of staff, students, parents and members of the Lusaka arts community who came to support and celebrate their work. Discourse and commendation for the work of the students was plentiful and with the addition of delicious snacks and wine (courtesy of our PTA) it ensured a truly successfully evening. The guest speaker for the evening was Mrs Mulenga Kapwepwe, chairperson of the National Arts Council of Zambia, who offered insightful and encouraging remarks.

With this exhibition closely backed on that of the Y2's, and the walls of the Fine Arts literally only minutes bare between one piece of art coming down and another going up, it is so very clear that our ISL students are benefiting from a truly excellent education in the field of Visual Arts. Nellie, Danny and Kevin deserve high praise for the work they do as their expertise and nurturing is omnipresent.

Many thanks to all those who came out to support our students and, indeed, the Arts in general.

Anneta Mukuka Pola Kimena, ‘ After Turner ’ Sreyashi Chowdhury, ‘ Skull ’

‘Icon of Panagia’

FROM THE WORLD OF ART

YEAR 2 ART EXHIBITION

IB VISUAL ART EXHIBITION

CONTACT US The International School of Lusaka

6945 Nangwenya Road

Lusaka, Zambia

Phone: +260 211 252291

Fax: +260 211 252865

E-mail: info@islzambia.org

www.islzambia.org

http://www.cois.org/ http://www.cie.org.uk/

http://www.neasc.org/ http://www.ibo.org/ http://www.pamojaeducation.com/

ISL Headlines! Page 9

For more details

please click on

www.isuzu-isl-

ultra.org

For more details please

click on

www.aisltriathlon.com