We have one sports tournament this weekend!  
The tournament is: U9,U11 & U13 Hockey Tournament.

The details for the tournament are below:
U9,U11 and U13 Hockey Tournament
League: Invitational Hockey
Host: Musikili
Saturday 25 May
Tournament starts at approximately 08:00 and end at approximately 13:30.

All the Best Leopards!

This past academic year, Grade 7 students have been involved in service learning with the Grade 4 students.  This process was coordinated by Martin Mikus and Maria Albornez. 

Service learning is seen as an engaging dynamic building on the core curriculum. Read the IB descriptions below to understand the service learning process.

Investigation: Students gather information about an issue through action research that includes use of varied approaches: media, interviews of experts, surveys of varied populations, and direct observation and personal experiences. The action research typically reveals the authentic need that students will address.
Preparation: The service learning process moves forward as students continue to acquire knowledge and raise and resolve questions regarding the authentic need. They identify community partners, organize a plan with clarification of roles, responsibilities and time lines, and develop skills needed to successfully carry out the plan.
Action: Students implement their plan through direct service, indirect service, advocacy, and/or research. Action is planned with partners based on mutual understandings and perspectives, and aims for reciprocal benefits for all involved.
Reflection: Reflection is ongoing and occurs as a considered summation of thoughts and feelings regarding essential questions and varied experiences to inform content knowledge, increase self- awareness, and assist in ongoing planning. When students have varying modalities for reflection, they grow to identify their preferred ways to reflect and value the reflective process. This leads to students becoming reflective by choice.
Demonstration: Student demonstration captures the entire service learning experience, beginning with investigation, and includes what has been learned, the process of learning, and the service or contribution accomplished. Sharing this with an audience educates and informs others. Students draw upon their skills and talents in the manner of demonstration, often integrating technology.

Reservations are now open for the AISL Fifth Annual Winter Sports Trip - and the first-ever Ski and Snowboard Trip!  This trip will take place during the April holiday 2020, departing on Friday 3 April and returning on Saturday 11 April.  

Following the success of the last four ski trips, we are excited to offer AISL’s fifth organized student winter sports trip.  On this trip, students who are experienced skiers will be invited to try something new - snowboarding lessons.

There is also a change in location to Crans-Montana in the Swiss Alps.  We have worked with the organizers at Les Elfes before for the ski trips to Verbier and are thrilled about the new trip location - Les Elfes in Crans-Montana, which has views of the Matterhorn.  Les Elfes is an experienced partner that specializes in winter sports trips for international school students.

AISL students get the chance to mix and make friends with students from other schools who are on the same trip.  They meet them through their daylong skiing and snowboarding lessons and also through the evening activities and mealtimes.

Past evening activities on the trip have included ice skating, a disco night, hiking in the mountains with flashlights, a sports night with team games, a movie night, and a movie-making night.  There is also a daytrip to a cheese and chocolate factory.

The Ski and Snowboard Trip will take place during the April holiday 2020.  Students will depart on Friday 3 April and return on Saturday 11 April. The chaperones for the trip are Nathan Chilton (Grade 5 teacher), Sheila Seiler (Secondary Assistant Principal), and Bridget McCall (Grade 1 Teacher).  All are experienced skiers and snowboarders.

All skiing and snowboarding equipment rentals (including helmets), lessons, lift passes, lodging, activities, round-trip flights, round-trip bus tickets from the airport to Crans-Montana, accident insurance, trip t-shirt, and sundry items are included in the trip price, which is $3200 USD.  (If funds are left over, they will be refunded to families.) Students should bring pocket money for the cheese and chocolate factory and for visits to the town surrounding the lodge. There is a video of the Crans-Montana lodging here.

Places are limited and are on a first-come, first-served basis.  Families are asked to pay a $1600 USD deposit by September 2019 and to pay the balance in November 2019.  This trip often sells out, so if you know you are interested, please fill out the forms so that we can save your child a spot.

The trip chaperones will host informational presentations in the Protea Room for interested families.  If you would like more information in the meantime, please contact Nathan Chilton at nchilton@aislusaka.org; he will add you to a mailing list. There will be a permission slip and more information sent out soon for those who are interested.

Image sources:

https://cardis-sothebysrealty.ch/region/swissalps/crans-montana/
https://www.liftopia.com/crans-montana/trail-maps
​https://www.luxvacation.com/crans-montana

They then learned about:

• building resilience,
• developing coping strategies,
• supporting their teen from a distance,
• informing their teen about safety,
• reducing high-risk behavior, and
• identifying support networks.

Organized by Julie Baldry, the High School and College Guidance Counselor, the workshop was a collaboration between the Secondary Special Educational Needs Coordinator, Angela Ingram, the High School Special Educational Needs teacher, Martin Mikus, and parents with counseling expertise, Noa Mor and Sonal Desai. Two of the presenters had also experienced recently their teen leaving home, and the emotions that this change evoked.

Feedback from the session was positive, and we will most certainly offer parent workshops such as this one in the future.

What's so special about this semester's Choir Concert? 

We are so glad you asked!

This concert is building off the "transportation" theme of MS students' recent Solo-Duet-Trio performances and then taking a closer look at where music can take us.  It features:

• contemporary music genres
• music selected by students
• male and female feature songs
• student planning and organization
• trips down memory lane to MS & HS Honor Choir trips
• ​the adult Community Choir
• ...and other surprises!

We hope you can join us for this special event and celebrate the accomplishments of our musicians with us!

Flor Cobarrubias Martin is excited to join AISL’s faculty as an MYP/DP Spanish teacher. She has now been teaching overseas for almost twenty years, teaching Spanish at all levels, including college, in England, the United States, Kuwait, and most recently, in India. She also serves as an IB examiner and as an AP Reader. 

Laurence Cartron is originally French but has lived all her adult life in Zambia. She has been teaching French since moving to Zambia in 1996 is looking forward to continuing as the Primary School French teacher. She noted that, after 23 years in the British education system, she is extremely excited to be joining AISL and its vibrant staff and culture!

Naomi Chevannes is originally from London, UK, having worked at her current school for 5 years. Teaching internationally has always been an aspiration of hers. She will be teaching MYP Design in the Secondary School.

Fridah Chirwa is Zambian by nationality and has a passion for teaching. As a qualified SEN teacher, she will take on the role of a Special Educational Needs Teacher in the Middle School.  She has already been working at AISL as a one to one teaching aide in the Primary School.

Jim & Liz Haske are ecstatic about heading to Lusaka, Zambia. Originally from America, Liz and Jim have been teaching abroad since 2002 and 2003. Liz looks forward to joining the Primary team and learning alongside kindergarten students. Jim will be enhancing the understanding students have of the world through the MYP Individuals and Societies and DP  History programs.

Trevor Mrak & Monica Murphy both grew up in western Canada. Monica will be joining the staff as DP Coordinator and IB Lang/Lit teacher, and Trevor will be taking over DP Geography and some MYP I&S courses.  After 10 years living in congested cities, they can’t wait to see the open skies and green space of Zambia.

.Behind every show and concert in the Tiyende Pamdozi Theater there is an enthusiastic team of students hard at work under the tutelage of Edwin Kamangala. This group of students recently showed their skills running the tech for the Primary Production "Adventures of a Comic Book Artist." They ran all the sound and light for the show using state of the art professional digital and wireless equipment. It takes weeks of preparation and a lot of know-how to make it all look so easy!  Well Done!

Our Personal and Social Education (PSE) curriculum is taught in Advisory lessons and sometimes during classroom learning.  For example, lessons on family and relationships might happen during a Language and Literature discussion. Lessons that relate directly to biology would be taught in that class.  Our weekly updates include hyperlinked learning materials when possible.​​
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For the week of May 20 in PSE lessons, students in the following grade levels are learning about the topics below:

• Grade 9 - Advisory with the Counselor - Relationships and Dating

​For the week of May 27, the following PSE learning is planned:

• Grade 9 - Advisory with the Counselor - Abortion - The students have requested this lesson in light of the recent decision in Alabama.  The lesson is that students will research the various laws in different countries around this issue.

Parents can reinforce learning at home by sharing what they know about these subjects.  They can share their family’s, culture’s, and religion’s perspective on these aspects of Personal and Social Education.

If you would like your child to opt out of any of these lessons, just send an e-mail to your child’s Advisor and make sure your child knows.  If you have any questions, you can contact your child’s Advisor.

Dana Schwarzkopf for her five years of service as a Secondary design teacher. Dana has been instrumental at restructuring the Design and Advisory programs as well as supporting the Grade 10 students with their Personal Projects.  Students will greatly miss Dana’s eagerness to lend a hand and support, despite her busy schedule as she earned her doctorate degree.  We know that Dana will continue to have a positive influence on her students in the future as she moves to Oman and reconnects with former colleague Kathleen Bowin at the American British International School.  

Francesca Mulazzi for her four years of dedication to AISL in her wide variety of roles as the Secondary Diploma Programme coordinator, extended essay coordinator, CAS coordinator, DP language and literature teacher, EAL specialist, and differentiation coach. Francesca’s work ethic has been unparalleled. She is renowned for stepping up and being willing to take on new roles whenever called upon. Her organization and straightforward approach to student care will be greatly missed.  We wish Francesca all the best as she embarks on a great adventure in Spokane, Washington, USA,  where she will be revisiting her role as a Secondary Principal.

Iole Pizzola for her five years as our Primary SEN teacher and Head of Primary SEN. Over the years, she has built strong protocols for the department regarding communication and differentiated support. She also tirelessly researched, vetted, and networked additional support resources around the Lusaka area and Southern African region. Her strong work ethic and attention to detail shine through in everything that she does. Iole’s ability to nurture personal relationships between families, educators, and SEN professionals, has created a strong and positive student service model. We will miss her quiet dedication and subtle sense of humour. We wish her and her family the very best as they return to the United States to be near family.

Karen Beaty for her two years of service as one of our Kindergarten teachers. She has been a very collaborative member of the Primary faculty, not only as an integral member of our science curriculum committee, but by supporting with school-wide and community events over her two years such as Zambia Day and the ISAZ TTT Conference. In addition to Karen’s even-keeled and positive character, we will miss her willingness to help out and sense of adventure. We wish her and her family a smooth transition as they return to Vancouver, Canada, where she will resume teaching in her former school district.

Ken Hoffman for his seven years of service as MYP Individuals and Societies teacher, DP World History teacher, and CAS coordinator. Ken will be remembered by his students as a passionate educator, one that made history come alive through animated stories. Ken and his wife, Joy, have also been beacons of hope in the local community as founders and managers of RHO Appleseed Community Center, and NGO in Bauleni. Best of luck to Ken as he continues in the field of education in California, USA.

Maria Albornoz for her two years of dedication as a Student Support Services teacher. Maria came to AISL as a novice in her trade and will be leaving as an admired professional. She will be missed by students and teachers alike for her support and advocacy of students with learning challenges.  Maria’s genuine smile and kind disposition have left an indelible mark on all that she worked with.  She will be returning home to Chile with her husband and will continue her career in the field of education.  

Mark Cormack for his two years of service as the PYP French teacher. He has been instrumental in the implementation of phases of language development as part of our Primary Modern Language Program. He also played a key part in supporting the Primary Talent Show. In addition to his collaborative, kind, and cheerful spirit, we will miss his passion for movies, his initiative for learning Nyanja, and his accompaniment on the ukulele in our assemblies. We will miss him and his family as they return to Vancouver, Canada, where he will resume his role as an Assistant Principal in his former school. 

Olaia Ruiz for her three years of service as an MYP and DP Spanish teacher. Olaia is known for being a hands-on, innovative instructor that often worked behind the scenes with various projects and little fanfare. Most notably, Olaia has been instrumental in training staff in various aspects of the Middle Years Programme as well as the role of the Personal Project supervisor. We wish Olaia all the best in her future endeavors.  

​Rod Oliver for his four years of service as MYP Individuals and Societies teacher and DP Geography teacher. Rod has been a strong student advocate and could be found on the bleachers at most every athletics event. His students will remember him as a teacher that was always willing to give up his time to provide extra support. Moreover, students will miss his intriguing classroom discussions.  We wish Rod all of the best in his future teaching and traveling adventures.