NEWSLETTER
February 2023
MESSAGE FROM HEAD OF SCHOOL
Where are we heading?
-Climate change and its catastrophic impacts on the most vulnerable countries?
-The war and failing governance models & democracies creating an unstable geo-political crisis?
-Unfiltered and over-accessible freedoms with a lack of responsibilities contributing to growing intolerance?
-Need for revenge superseding human rights?
-Science and technology that is supposedly so advanced that it creates apps that can solve all your problems and also help you cheat in your exams without being caught… but it cannot help end a pandemic?
Where is HOPE?
I, honestly, did not want to start this midterm newsletter on a negative note, however, when I reflect on everything happening around me, I have to put an extra effort to be positive, to be HOPEful. This particular photo that I am sharing here gave me a sense of HOPE and I now more strongly believe that it is the next generation, it is our children, they are our HOPE.
I feel blessed to have this opportunity in my profession to be able to contribute in the formation of human beings who will HOPEfully create a more peaceful world. Therefore, I thought, I should doff my hat to our AIS students, who have contributed towards various service initiatives. Please read on to know more.
Another highlight of the Term, this far, has been our students learning under the sky! Our children have seen, experienced and learnt from real life experiences by embracing the outside world, by taking all their learning outside the classroom and implementing them.
They were tired, they were injured, they were sad but didn’t lose HOPE and continued their journey through resilience.
Thank you, AIS students, for giving us these glimpses of HOPE – hope for peace, learning, and compassion that I have witnessed in our small world of AIS. I am so proud to see our Vision, Mission, and Values being projected through you into our larger cosmos. Hope the AIS Family is also able to see that in this newsletter! This is a humble reminder to the entire AIS Community about our Vision, Mission and Core values. Wish you a rejuvenating midterm break, and see you on Monday, February 20!
MESSAGE FROM THE ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENT
AIS Health Checks
“The greatest wealth is health.” – Virgil.
In the effort to have a healthy community, the AIS Health Checks will commence this term with our first being an eye screening examination.
This will take place on Feb 27 & 28, 2023 at the AIS campus with a professionally-trained team. For any inquiries or concerns regarding your child’s participation in this activity, kindly send an email to [email protected].
Lost & Found
As we continuously instil a sense of responsibility in our students, we encourage parents to play an active role as well. Our Lost & Found stall is always available for you to search for any misplaced items your child may have lost throughout the day. We also encourage you to label your child’s belongings, so that it is easily traceable if lost.
Pick-up Time / AIS Exit ID Cards
We strongly urge parents to pick up their children within 15 minutes of their class conclusion to prevent any inconveniences. If early dismissal is necessary, kindly inform the student’s Head of Department with a clear designation of the individual responsible for pick-up. Please note that our standard daycare hours conclude at 5:30 PM.
All designated individuals responsible for student pick-up must have a valid AIS Exit ID Card, which will grant them access through the school gates. This is to ensure the safety and security of all our families. If you require an AIS Exit ID Card or have any questions, please contact the administration at [email protected] for further information and guidance.
Rosyelene Ampumuza
Head of Administration Department
Email: [email protected]
MESSAGE FROM HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS
Early Childhood
Time flies when you’re having fun!
The first part of this Term went fast and smoothly. By now, children are comfortable with their class, classmates, and teachers. We see happy faces when entering the campus in the morning.
Our Department keeps growing every day. I’m happy to announce that we opened a third EC1 stream; EC1 Lions. Also, more Crèche students started enrolling, so we started Crèche Hummingbirds.
Accordingly, we are glad to welcome some new teachers to the EC Department. Ms. Sanyu, our beloved EC1 Leopards Teaching Assistant, has given birth to a beautiful baby boy. While on maternity leave, she is replaced by Ms. Jolly.
At the start of this Term, Ms. Emily joined our team as the Performing Arts and Library teacher, and Ms. Geraldine became the Homeroom teacher of Crèche.
Lastly, I’d like to take this opportunity to ask the parents to pack healthy, fulfilling snacks for snack time or daycare. We noticed more children started packing candy, lollipops, chocolate, and soda to school. We kindly request you to leave these snacks/treats for home.
Yirka Vinck
Head of Early Childhood Department
Email: [email protected]
Primary
There is so much to celebrate as we continue to provide a wide and varied range of opportunities and activities for our students. The Big Writing Adventure programme has kicked up so well, and students are excited about it, and we are seeing the skills translate into what they are writing. Students have also explored ‘Principled’ as the IB Learner profile for this half of the term. According to IB, being Principled means being someone who will “act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness and justice, and with respect for the dignity and rights of people everywhere.
As students come home for this half of the term, we request that you continue to discuss these attributes with them, so that they become change agents that will promote such positive traits in society.
Classes in PYP start at 8:00 am and end at 3:30 pm. Ensure to pick up your child on time, or make arrangements with the Finance regarding daycare.
Humbly reminding our parents to read the AIS Student Attendance and Retention Policy, which is also available on the School Policies page from the AIS website. An excerpt from the same is below:
“MAP scores along with the end of the term assessments and 90% attendance per term determines the readiness of the student for the next higher class.”
Shallon Baguma
Head of Primary Department
Email: [email protected]
Secondary
Greetings, AIS Family!
It has been an amazing start to our Term 2. Our students have accomplished a lot and have become practitioners of ATL skills through various activities and projects. Whether it was the Science Week where they explored real-life implications of their studied topics or the interdisciplinary projects or the various field trips to the different professional places, they honed their skills of inquiry, independence of thoughts, and conceptualization of contents in all its various perspectives.
As we progress, we would like to emphasize the importance of attendance and academic rigour, and focus. Secondary School starts at 7:45 am, with homeroom attendance marked by 7:50 am and lessons beginning at 8:00 am. Any student who misses homeroom attendance is expected to notify their homeroom teacher about their presence before 10:15 am. If not, the homeroom attendance may remain marked as absent. Such absences may accrue towards the 90% attendance or loss of it. Humbly reminding our parents to read the AIS Student Attendance and Retention Policy, which is also available on the School Policies page from the AIS website. An excerpt from the same is below:
“MAP scores along with the end of the term assessments and 90% attendance per term determines the readiness of the student for the next higher class.”
Secondary students are advised to stay focused on their curricular engagements and submission of tasks and assignments and assessments. IB MYP is a cumulative grade-based curriculum. As such, all the formative and summative assessments lead to the awarding of the final grades.
While our students have achieved much in the term, they have a long way ahead. Due to the global pandemic and overemphasis on digital media, our students are still struggling to balance their academic work and leisure hours. We kindly request that you counsel them on the importance of finding meaningful hobbies that requires less time and addiction to the digital platforms.
From all of the Secondary staff members, we wish you a restful and wonderful mid-term break.
Shirin Bagchi
Head of Secondary Department
Email: [email protected]
PARENT TEACHER ORGANIZATION (PTO)
The year has started with a lot of action and vigour from the PTO volunteers! PTO will be running a major fundraising drive to help equip the gymnasium in the new Secondary building. We will host a Fun Family Day on April 1, 2023 at the AIS premises. Children and adults will engage in fun activities which include: a repeat show of the School Play, Car Wash, Swimming, Basketball, Soccer, Bouncy Castles, Music and many others. An entrance fee of UGX 30,000 per individual will be charged. Tickets will be sold at the cashier’s office.
Home Clothes Day
We had our Home Clothes Day fundraiser on February 3, 2023. As usual, students can choose to wear their favourite clothes at a small donation of UGX 2000 to support PTO activities. We encourage parents to ensure that their students wear appropriate clothing for a school environment on such days. We also appreciate the continuous support from parents during such days.
PTO Presentation During CCC
PTO made presentations during the most recently-concluded CCCs. As PTO, we were able to present to the rest of the parents various PTO achievements and future aspirations. We appreciate Ms. Robinah Achan, Mr. Rajesh Patel, Mrs. Millicent Mugabi and Mr. Ivan Irumba for making these presentations on behalf of PTO in the different CCC sessions we had.
Wish you a relaxed midterm break!
–Ivan Irumba
PTO Chair
COFFEE WITH CURRICULUM COORDINATORS
Early Years Programme (EYP)
Dear AIS Families,
Thank you for the GREAT turnout for the Coffee with Curriculum Coordinators(CCC) event on January 20, 2023!
Ms. Yirka explained about the newest Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) updates and how we integrate this framework into the International Baccalaureate (IB) Curriculum in early childhood education at AIS. We appreciate and thankful to the parents that took time to attend the meeting.
Yirka Vinck
Head of Early Childhood Department
Email: [email protected]
Primary Years Programme (PYP)
Over 100 family members of PYP students showed up to engage as a community of life-long learners. Those present received updates on our writing curriculum and were able to actively explore how the PYP Programme of Inquiry approaches Science and Social Studies.
Those who have attended this year’s CCCs will have heard me mention that the PYP is reviewing their Scope and Sequence for teaching and learning. As a growing school, it is important to consistently evaluate our practices and strive for the best programmes for our students.
To date, our teachers have formed a Scope and Sequence Review Committee which has outlined content to be taught from developmentally appropriate curriculum guides. All our teachers have engaged in sorting this content, along with IB Scope and Sequences and Conceptual Understandings, into a timeline. This continues to be an ongoing process.
Going into the academic year 2023-24, the Committee will be reviewing our Programme of Inquiry and how we plan for our Units of Inquiry with the integration of Science and Social Studies.
During CCC, our family members made connections by aligning IB Transdisciplinary Themes with the IB Science and Social Studies Strands.
In upcoming Professional Developments, our teachers will be reviewing the family members ideas and reflecting on how to strengthen our Programme of Inquiry. We look forward to bringing you updates in future CCCs and newsletters.
Rachelle Hale
PYP Curriculum Coordinator
Email: [email protected]
Middle Years Programme (MYP)
The theme of this term’s CCC was MYP Projects: A Skills-Based Approach.
Parents were invited to participate in a series of activities designed to give them first-hand experience of what students must do when undertaking the MYP3 Community Project and MYP5 Personal Project. A big thank you to the parents who came, participated, and gave some great suggestions for future workshops!
Sam Weavers
MYP Curriculum Coordinator
Email: [email protected]
Diploma Programme (DP) & A Levels
Academic Integrity, Assessments, and general regulations were the topics of this term’s CCC.
The CCC was facilitated by our DP Curriculum Coordinator, Extended Essay Coordinator, and School Librarian.
We would like to extend our gratitude to the parents who took the time to attend the event and actively participated in a series of interactive activities designed to provide a hands-on understanding of Academic Integrity. Your contributions and suggestions for future workshops were greatly appreciated and will help us continue to provide valuable educational experiences.
Thank you again for your support towards our school community.
Kanyesigye Kenneth
DP & A Levels Curriculum Coordinator
Email: [email protected]
MESSAGE FROM THE HUMAN RESOURCE DEPARTMENT
January Babies Birthdays
Last month, we celebrated our staff born in January in each department. Happy Birthday, Jan Babies!
Expanding the AIS Family
New beginnings full of dreams and love! Our AIS Family grew bigger this term as one of our own, Ms. Sanyu (ECDC) had a baby boy in January. We sent congratulatory message and gift hamper on behalf of AIS family. We wish a life full of happiness and prosperity for both. Congratulations, Ms. Sanyu!
Employees of the month
Lynn Muhangi
Head of Human Resource Department
Email: [email protected]
SCIENCE WEEK
“Science is magic that works” – Kurt Vonnegut
January 16-20 was a week to demonstrate our love for Sciences at AIS. Students from EC, Primary and the Secondary Departments demonstrated science knowledge and skills by inventing, experimenting and innovating!
Early Childhood
EC students explored different themes on a daily basis, these included: Natural Phenomena, Rhyme with Science, Scientific Scavenger Hunt, Science with Colour, and Scientists everywhere.
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Primary
Primary students explored Science using the Unit of Inquiry TD Themes and made lots of connections with the real world. Teachers and students came up with creative experiments and explained how various things work.
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Secondary
Secondary students worked under the Theme “Innovation Powering Future Industries” where innovative projects to save water were designed. Students also made models to show how different things can be improved to work better.
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MESSAGE FROM HEAD OF SPECIALTIES
School Teams
We continue to appreciate your support rendered to our Sports Department. This support has been key in our school teams excelling at the ISSA Season 1 League! Our 5 teams (Jamboree Basketball, U13 Girls Soccer, U16 Girls Soccer, U12 Girls Basketball, U10 Girls Basketball) have exhibited stellar performances during Season 1 in the League.
By the end of the season, in January 2023, our teams have recorded these victories: AIS is is Jamboree Basketball ISSA Champions for this year, We have emerged first runner up for U13 Girls Soccer, U16 Girls Soccer, U12 Girls Basketball, and U10 Girls Basketball tournament). Once again, these victories could not have been possible without your unwavering support.
As we continue with ISSA Season 2 the following teams will represent AIS: the U12 Boys Soccer Team, the U8 Jamboree Soccer Team, U10 Boys and Girls Soccer teams, the U13 Girls and Boys Basketball, U16 Girls and Boys Basketball, and the U20 Boys Basketball teams. We anticipate greater victory as we continue with the ISSA League.
Gate Pass Policy
We have issued gate passes to all students and we expect all students to have them and show them whenever they come for training. If a student loses their gate pass, they should report to the Head of Specialties on [email protected] so that their card can be replaced.
MAKING OUR LEARNERS FUTURE-READY!
AIS hosted its first-ever University Fair on February 13, in association with Uniserv. Among the various universities represented were Istanbul Aydin University, University of Cyberjaya Malaysia, Thompson Rivers University, Wilfrid Laurier University, Middle East Technical University, and UCSI University Malaysia. We are pleased with the number of students and parents from the AIS Community and beyond who turned up and
could benefit from the information shared on how to complete university applications, alternative career options, selecting destinations for their further education, tips on recommendations and personal statements to successfully enrol and study abroad, options on available scholarships, visa applications, and much more!
Please watch our social media handles for details on the next University Fair! Let your career take flight!
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PARENT INFORMATION MEETING
Primary
Our PYP6 students are well on their way to completing their final year in Primary. In order to complete their IB Primary Years Programme (PYP), all students must participate in the PYP Exhibition. It is important that students’ families familiarise themselves with the Exhibition process and understand their vital role in it.
On January 13, our PYP Curriculum Coordinator, Ms Rachelle, and our PYP6 teachers hosted our PYP6 students and their families for an information meeting.
Those in attendance gained insight into the Exhibition process and the active role they need to play in order to support their child’s success.
Mr Sam, the MYP Curriculum Coordinator, also gave an overview of the Middle Years Programme and how we are supporting our PYP6 students in their transition into MYP.
We look forward to providing updates on our PYP6 students’ journey in upcoming newsletters.
Secondary
On February 10, we held an MYP4 and 5 Parent Information Meeting.
The purpose of the meeting was to provide a comprehensive overview of the Cambridge A Levels and IBDP curricula offered at AIS, including structures, mode of assessments, career guidance, admission criteria, and subject selection forms.
We would like to extend our sincerest gratitude to all the parents who were able to attend the meeting. Your participation and support are greatly appreciated.
For those who were unable to attend, we kindly request that you schedule a session with the A Levels and DP Curriculum Coordinator by following the link provided below:
Meet the DP and A levels Curriculum Coordinator
We believe that this session will be of great benefit to you in understanding the programmes and making informed decisions.
MEET TODDLE!
During the recently-held PYP CCC, we introduced ‘Toddle’ to parents. However, if you missed this session and are wondering what is Toddle, read on…
Over the last few years, AIS has been using multiple platforms to assist in the way our community communicates information; how teachers collaboratively plan transdisciplinary units, how parents, school administrators, and teachers can share class and student information, streamline attendance and report card processes and create proper documentation for IB evaluations.
Currently, we are doing all of these things across multiple platforms; Google Classroom, Drive, WhatsApp Groups, Managebac, School management software, etc. However, this year our PYP6 teachers, students and families are partnering with Toddle.
Toddle is the preferred teaching partner and school platform for over 1,200 IB schools. They support IB Continuum Schools with well-established PYP and MYP platforms and are currently working with DP Curriculum Coordinators to officially launch the DP interface. All of the processes mentioned above can ALL be done on this one platform.
As Toddle is designed for IB Schools, the features also support students’ and teachers’ journey through the PYP, ensuring we are in line with IB Standards and Practices. For this reason, we have requested the help of our PYP6 students and families. For the remainder of this year, we would like to test-run Toddle with the PYP6 classes. Based on this feedback of their experience, we will then look to implement Toddle in more classrooms for the 2023-24 academic year.
To date, our PYP Management Team, PYP 6 teachers, Learning Support Team, and Specialities teachers have taken Professional Development Training on how to best use Toddle. Our PYP6 students have taken time during their Genius Hour lessons to learn and begin using the platform and our parents are logging into the family app.
So far, we have received glowing feedback from our students and look forward to keeping you updated in upcoming newsletters.
If you are interested in learning more about Toddle, click here for a short video introduction.
PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PSPE) @ AIS
Primary
PYP PSPE has largely been educating the students on various social skills with behavioural tendencies that are linked to the IB Learner Profiles that enhance responsibility, care and kindness. Over the last couple of months, some learners’ behaviours have progressively declined while others have improved. The central theme has focused on how we treat others with care, empathy and respect, whilst maintaining boundaries.
During the impending Anti-bullying Week we will be preparing students, together with some parent engagement, on how, together, we can tackle the issue of bullying. The approach has been to empower students to understand that discipline is not a punishment.
Secondary
Since the last newsletter, in the Secondary Department, we have focussed on setting boundaries and the meaning of no=no and stop=stop during our PSPE lessons.
Through reflection and group discussions students became more aware of their own and other people’s boundaries. It is important to speak up when you don’t want something to happen or when you want a situation to stop. They came to the conclusion that it isn’t always easy to stick to their boundaries and to respect other people’s boundaries.
Students got the opportunity to reflect on their behaviors and social interactions and adjust where needed.
AIS’ INITIATIVE TO REDUCE AND SUPERVISE SCREEN TIME
At the onset, we would like to thank members of the AIS Community who responded to the survey about our ‘Reduce and Supervise Screen Time’ initiative. We also appreciate those who were honest about not participating, but expressed their intent to be more mindful going forward.
We would like to share a few best practices that helped some families:
“What worked: Having lots of outside physical play options, especially what they like (upgraded their bikes, added toys), engaging in sports (we had football training sessions with swimming). Paying for a minimum TV subscription reduced interest, as there were few channels. Screen time was limited and earned for 1hr per day ( though it was hard to supervise and sometimes we exceeded the time limit). What did not work: If there was no engaging activity then they fell back to TV if unsupervised. Screen time was close to bedtime and there was always a request to finish an activity.”
“We tried to spend quality time with each other by playing a few board games and since I took some work also from school so that was helpful in reducing screen time. However, it was not possible to completely stop any type of screen timing but managed to see it in a controlled way. Also, I divided the time to watch so that the kid doesn’t have prolonged seating.”
“I have involved my kid in more extra activities, lessons, painting, baking and also I have introduced board games like Ludo and card games like UNO that we play as family.”
“Children played and engaged in outdoor games and watched TV for an hour after dinner (7-8pm). It worked perfectly, as the children innovatively engaged in several different games.”
“The children were able to engage in more housework, reading, and outdoor activities.”
LEARNING AND LEVERAGING
Interdisciplinary Unit Presentations (IDU)
All students in the MYP must undertake an Interdisciplinary unit at least once per year as part of their curricular studies.
IDUs allow students to synthesise knowledge from two or more disciplinary groups in order to reach a deeper understanding of a concept or topic. On February 6, students worked to create a product that embodied this synthesis and presented their products to their peers and teachers.
MYP 1 synthesised elements of Music, Language and Literature and Visual Arts to explore the modern reinvention of Greek myths with updated visual aesthetics. Their story narratives were enhanced by musical compositions and arrangements.
MYP 2 synthesised elements of Individuals and Societies and Design by creating a podcast or live broadcast show to teach other students about events in the middle ages
MYP 3 synthesised elements of Individuals and Societies and Mathematics to create ancient games which demonstrated networking, communication and patterns.
MYP 4 synthesised elements of French and PHE to raise awareness on personal habits and how our leisure choices have a direct impact on our quality of life.
MYP 5 synthesised two Sciences in order to explore how human activities, biological processes and chemical reactions impact the environment (atmosphere)
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MYP3 Cancer Foundation Tour
The AIS MYP3 students went on a fact-finding mission on Cancer issues in Uganda. They visited the Blessed Cancer Home on Sir Apollo Kagwa Road, where they interacted with the children suffering from various cancers. It was a moment to reflect and identify where they can contribute as a class project to reduce the cases of Cancer and also learn the major triggers. The visit gave many of our learners ideas to start foundations that will reduce the feeding, accommodation, and treatment gaps in Uganda.
AISA – Global Issues Service Summit (GISS)
The Global Issues Service Summit (GISS) is an annual event hosted by Association of International Schools in Africa ( AISA). AISA-GISS motivates and encourages students to learn about local and global issues – as well as sustainable solutions and equitable, inclusive action – alongside delegates and changemakers from AISA member schools across Africa.
The 2023 GISS was held at UWC, Tanzania. Eight students of MYP3 participated in the event. AIS delegates presented to the conference a theme on ‘Cancer in Uganda’ that was brilliant and well-articulated. The Summit involved service activities like tree planting, painting a school, river clean up, and sustainability meetings that gave the delegates time to detail the specifics of the issues affecting society today.
Service Internship
Service as action is at the core of IB MYP. It seeks to develop caring members of the community who act to make a positive difference in the lives of others and their environment. At AIS, our students are encouraged and welcomed to nurture this lifelong attribute.
The MYP4, DP1, and AS students carried out a two-day service internship program in various organizations. Those at the Special Children’s Fund were involved in wheelchair assembling and distribution to communities in Kampala. At Katalemwa Cheshire organization, students worked with psychologists and therapists helping with various disabilities in children, while others went to Mukisa Foundation for repair and refurbish the facilities. It was a great experience for the learners to reflect and experience the ways in which people are trying to make our world better.
MYP4 & 5 Field Trips
MYP4 & 5 Field Trips took place on Tuesday, February 7 and Wednesday, February 8, 2023.
Field trips are well-planned, curriculum-related activities that enable students to connect theory to practise and apply what they have learnt in the classroom to real-world contexts in order to deepen understanding and enrich learning.
This time, students were able to visit the following places:
Entebbe Meteorological station
Students learnt about the types of weather, the skills, knowledge and qualifications needed to be a meteorologist, the daily work of a meteorologist and the equipment used.
Innovation Village Kampala
Students learnt about the steps necessary to refine and develop entrepreneurial ideas and get products to market. They also took part in a design thinking session in which they came up with problem statements related to Entertainment, Agriculture, Education and Transport,
MoTIV
Students were able to meet entrepreneurs in the artisan, craft and vocational areas. They learnt about how MoTIV supports these entrepreneurs through workshops, guidance, use of facilities and help to scale.
New Vision
Students learnt about all aspects of the news production process, from how stories are collected, written and edited, to the circulation and daily runs of the newspaper, to how the graphic plates are created and used by the printing press to create the twice-daily newspaper production runs.
Students were able to ask inquiry questions and complete a logbook reflecting on what they had learnt and how it related to their curricular studies.
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A Levels and DP Field Trips
On February 7, our A Levels and DP students embarked on an interdisciplinary academic trip to Haris International. The purpose of the trip was to provide students with real-life context. During the trip, the students had the opportunity to interact with Department Heads at the industry and to learn from their experiences.
We would like to express our gratitude to Haris International for accommodating our students and providing them with a valuable learning experience across a range of subjects, including Business, Economics, Computer Science, Chemistry, Biology, and Physics. This was truly an amazing experience for our students and we appreciate the time and effort put in by Haris International to make it possible
MYP1 – 3 Overnight Trip To Jinja City
The MYP1, 2 & 3 students finally had a night away from home. For some, it was the first time they experienced such an activity and the event took place over February 9 to 10, 2023 in Njeru municipality and Jinja City.
The students were engaged in horse riding, the source of the Nile tour, the Uganda Railway Museum tour, and a nature walk through the commercial farms of pawpaws, pineapples, mangoes, tomatoes, sugarcane, and avocado. They also engaged in bike riding and a tour of the restored shores of the River Nile. The tour gave the learners first-hand experience of the farming activities that create stock for the greater economy of the country. This was a wonderful opportunity for them to learn more about Uganda and discover their own strengths and challenges.
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Upcycled Plastic Boat Building Challenge 2023
In 2021, as part of the Flipflopi boat circumnavigation of Lake Victoria, the first Uganda upcycled boat-building regatta was held at the Victoria Nyanza Sailing Club in Kaazi, Kampala. At this event, alternate uses of waste plastic were showcased, as the viability of a circular economy in Africa.
This year, AIS MYP4 students will compete in a plastic bottle boat building competition and regatta with other schools and organizations of Kampala on Saturday, March 18, 2023, which is World Recycling Day, at the Victoria Nyanza Sailing Club at Kaazi. The goal is that each school/organization will bring the plastic bottle boat/canoe/raft that children have built and will compete in a short regatta (approx. 100 meters) at the Sailing Club. There will be a prize for the best design and the fastest boat/raft/canoe. Students are working on getting their materials organized for this event- collecting plastic bottles from around the campus and our AIS Cafe. We hope that through this activity, the whole of the AIS community will become more responsible and scale down their single-use plastic consumption.
All of us can help in the cause of keeping Uganda clean by reducing the use of single-use plastic like cups, plastic cutlery, soda bottles, and polythene bags. Below are some photos from Upcycled Plastic Boat Building Challenge 2021:
DUKE of EDINBURGH (DofE)
Duke of Edinburgh Silver & Bronze Qualifications Journey
The Soroti Qualifying Expedition took place from January 26 to 29, 2023 under the theme ‘Urbanisation and Culture’. Learners trekked 48 km and 24km for Silver and Bronze respectively, to qualify in those categories.
The adventure exposed them to Iteso culture and the people, homesteads, economic activities in Soroti, and also a service activity at the Soroti School of the Blind.
The Bronze candidates will complete the level at the end of this term while the Silver candidates will wait until the end of the academic year to enable them to cover the 52 hours of activity. We congratulate all those who successfully completed the expedition.
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Clubs & Activities
This Yoga club’s activities aim to bring a significant change in young learners day to day life and mainly understand the health benefits of practising Yoga every day.
The learners are already practising string crossing and simple rhythms on the open strings.
The objective of the Club is to promote teamwork and collaboration among members, to develop writing and storytelling skills among club members through a collaborative process, to explore the creative process of scriptwriting, and learn the elements of a compelling story.
Students have learned how to develop characters for a script and scenes, create a plan for the camera angles, and list of equipment needed. They are now working on rehearsals and filming their script.
We are exploring all board games and currently concentrating on chess techniques. A few learners are beginners and therefore we incorporated basics as well as intermediate skills to cater to those who have prior knowledge of the game.
This half-term we have concentrated on the rules of Kickboxing and lifting the knee technique. Students have a strong passion for the game and will give them good fitness and self-defence techniques.
ASSEMBLIES
Early Childhood
Earlier this month, our Reception students made us all proud with their Assembly performance!
The three streams showcased what they learned during the Unit ‘Surroundings and Emotions’. Children know that our surroundings can affect our feelings, they know how to express emotions and that certain emotions can be seen through body language.
- Reception Hippos came up with a dance that expresses different emotions.
- Reception Giraffes role-played the story of the Gingerbread People (inspired by the famous Gingerbread Man), where they focused on the various emotions of the characters.
- Reception Elephants performed a skit displaying the transition of negative emotions into positive emotions.
Well done, Reception! We also want to thank the parents for supporting and encouraging their child by attending the Assembly.
Secondary
On January 16, MYP5N presented their Assembly on the theme of human rights in celebration of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the UN. Students paid homage to the work done by Martin Luther King. The IB Learner Profile exhibited was Open-Mindedness. Through music and poetry, they shared information on gender equality, climate crisis, human trafficking, and discrimination.
On January 23, MYP4G’s Assembly was based on the theme ‘Caring and being Open Minded’, where they showcased their thoughts that all cultures have their own values and that as a world of diverse humans, we need to show solidarity and acceptance towards the many cultures present therein.
On February 6, MYP4S advocated the importance of saving the wetlands in celebration of World Wetlands Day on February 2. They made an insightful presentation on the present crisis of the loss of wetlands and how it affects the loss of biodiversity and global pollution. They recited the poem, “Wetlands” by Talal Athar and sang a song that they penned together
ASSESSMENTS
Primary
Internal Assessment
All students from PYP1 through PYP6 have just completed their Internal assessments. The goal of these assessments is to provide the basis of informed teaching, helping learners overcome difficulties and ensuring that teaching builds upon what has been learned. They
also, help learners to understand what they have achieved and what they need to work on.
Teachers are working hard to ensure assessments are marked, corrections are done, and they will provide remediation to students that need it. You are welcome to look at these assessments during the Parent Teacher Conferences. We wish the students all the very best.
Secondary
MYP 1-4 MAP tests and MYP 5 Mock eAssessments
The first week back at school from Monday, February 20 sees the MYP students involved in assessments.
MYP1-4 will undertake MAP assessments in Math, English and Science on Tuesday, February 21 and Wednesday, February 22. These are adaptive tests, held twice a year, which measure progress over time.
Please ensure students bring their laptop on these dates.
MYP5 will sit Mock assessments for their May eAssessments from Monday, February 20 to Friday, February 24.
These will be full mocks which cover all topics. These assessments will give valuable exam practice and give a clear picture of the needed areas of study focus over the remaining three months until the final exams.
Student Portfolios and SLCs
At the end of this term, students and parents will participate in Student-Led Conferences (SLCs). Here is a chance to get away from a focus on summative grades and instead focus on the formative development of knowledge, understanding and skills. Students will explain this development to parents by way of a portfolio of pieces of work they have selected in order to demonstrate their development across subject groups and skill areas, in addition to goals they have set for themselves
DP and A Levels Mock Assessments
On Monday, February 20, DP and A Levels students will be sitting Mock assessments in preparation for their final external IBO and Cambridge International Assessment Examinations, which will be held during the May-June session.
The purpose of these Mocks is to provide the students with valuable exam experience, as well as the opportunity to assess their learning and receive valuable feedback on areas for improvement.
TALENT HUNT
