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"It's that time of year! Our annual Holiday Hamper program is being launched this week in the school community and will lead into Christmas. Primary classes and Secondary Advisory groups will be putting together bins full of food and household items for our AISL Support Staff to show our appreciation for all the hard work that is being done around campus. Students in each Grade/Advisory group (along with various groups of other AISL staff) will select items from a list to purchase and bring into school before the holidays. Once the bins are complete, we'll be distributing them to the recipients just before we break in December. This has been a great tradition for a long time and is a great part of the giving nature of students and our school community as a whole. If you have any questions, reach out to your child's homeroom teacher or advisor, or you can get in touch with Mr. Mrak in Secondary. Thanks as always for your support!"
  Mr. Kasonde has been working as a guard at AISL since April 2019! His job entails ensuring that all students and staff feel safe and protected within the AISL community. This week, we found him at our primary school gate diligently making sure that students arrived safely to their buses and that visitors were registered before entering the school. Although a recent member of our school community, one thing he truly enjoys about working at AISL is the tranquil environment. From the bustling trees to the kindhearted students, he appreciates the time he spends safeguarding everyone. During his free time, Mr. Kasonde loves listening to Zambian music because it allows him to nurture his creativity skills and love for Zambian culture. Zambian culture is a big part of his life and being a Bemba, he finds comfort and joy in identifying with a culture and country that is diverse and compassionate. If there is a person that inspires Mr. Kasonde, it’s his sister. He’s grateful for the authoritative and mother-like role she had on him when he was younger. Now as an adult, his biggest advice to students is to never view violence as a solution to one’s problems, because in hindsight, it may result in a large cost. Fun fact: In the future, Mr. Kasonde would love to visit South Africa or South America. And quite interesting, he would also love to pursue a career as a DJ! DofE - Deborah and Florence  MUN in Barcelona  From 18 thru 28 November, fourteen of our high school students attended an international conference in Barcelona, our first such trip since the COVID-19 pandemic ended. For the first part of the trip, we all enjoyed many of the city’s beautiful historic and tourist sites, such as La Sagrada Familia Basilica, Park Buell and Castillo de Montjuic (Montjuic Castle). The main highlight of the trip was our participation in the BCN MUN conference, hosted by the American School of Barcelona. Click here for a diary of what we did each day.
 For the past few weeks, Grade 10 students have been meeting with our DP Coordinator Ms. Murphy and High School Counsellor Julie Baldry to discuss Grade 11 course selections. These conversations cover post-secondary plans, interests, and academic strengths. AISL’s Grade 11-12 offerings are flexible enough to meet a range of student needs–whether that means the full lB Diploma, the IB Courses pathway, or the AISL High School Diploma. This Friday, students will receive a form where they can make their final decisions about which courses they want to pursue.
Although it’s early in the year to begin this process, it has two major benefits. First, it gets Grade 10 students thinking about long-term plans, and in light of those plans it can motivate students to make improvements in their ATLs. Second, it allows the Secondary Leadership Team to create next year’s schedule in a timely manner, as this is a months-long process which can’t start until the Grade 10’s have submitted their course choices. Another major development is in Grade 11, as the students submitted their EE proposals to departments this week. These proposals are anonymous, and faculty members will discuss the research questions as a team, provide feedback to the students, and allocate supervisors.  University of Manchester, UK Florence has learned that she has been accepted to attend the University of Manchester to study for the 4-year Master of Materials Science and Engineering with Honours. Materials Science is a synthesis of physics, chemistry, and engineering. It is the building block on which modern industry has and will continue to advance. This programme provides a thorough grounding in the scientific principles governing the physical, chemical, and mechanical properties of all solid materials, and the opportunity to specialise in the study of a particular class of material (metal, ceramic, or polymer) through a choice of options. The extensive final year project enables students to tackle a topic at the forefront of Materials Science in depth. It will develop further practical and analytical skills. Formal teaching in communication and transferable skills, including basic management and organisational behaviour, computing and presentation techniques, is given to complement the academic training. The University of Manchester is highly respected across the globe as a centre of teaching excellence and innovative research, ranked #28 in the QS World University Rankings 2023. www.manchester.ac.uk   Suchi has three more universities to choose to attend. She has recently been accepted by the University of Amsterdam, the University of Groningen, and Tilburg University to study for the Bachelor of Science in Econometrics and Operations Research / Data Science. This English-taught degree programme examines questions such as, ‘Did the economic crises have an effect on elderly care?’; ‘How can we increase profits sustainably?’; ‘How will Brexit affect the European economy?’ Econometrists help to answer these questions by analysing real data through mathematical and statistical models. The degree course trains students to programme models and interpret outcomes to answer questions effectively. University of Amsterdam, Netherlands The University of Amsterdam is a public institution that traces its roots back to 1632. The university is spread across four campuses in the Netherlands – the City Centre Campus, the Roeterseiland Campus, the Amsterdam Science Park and the Academic Medical Center. The University of Amsterdam is ranked #39 in Best Global Universities (U.S. News 2023). Universities are ranked according to their performance across a set of widely accepted indicators of excellence. www.uva.nl  University of Groningen, Netherlands The University of Groningen is the second oldest university in the Netherlands and has built a reputation for excellence. Many talented people have passed through the university during its rich 400-year history, including Nobel Prize winners like Ben Feringa (Chemistry, 2016) and Frits Zernike (Physics,1953). Some have been pioneers in their respective fields, such as the first female university student and the first female lecturer in the Netherlands, the first Dutch astronaut and the first president of the European Bank. While the city’s history can be traced back to 300 BC, today Groningen is a vibrant student city with the youngest population in the Netherlands – one in four people in Groningen is a student! www.rug.nl  Tilburg University, Netherlands Tilburg University is a thriving university specializing in Social Sciences and Arts & Humanities. Social connection, academic excellence, and a strong campus feeling are at the heart of its educational experience. Understanding and serving society is what drives the university. Tilburg’s green campus offers an attractive base for fostering an international community where students and teachers can inspire and challenge each other. Tilburg University consists of five different schools: Economics & Management, Law, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Humanities and Digital Sciences, and Theology. www.tilburguniversity.edu   University of Bath, UK Mehdi has received an offer to attend the University of Bath and study for the four-year Master of Electrical and Electronic Engineering with Honours. Through this degree, students learn the latest theoretical, hardware and software skills to pursue a professional career as an electrical and electronic engineer. The course gives students a broad and flexible education in electrical and electronic engineering. The range of engineering units lets them tailor their degree to their interests to support individual future career choices. From the first day, students study the principles of electrical and electronic engineering, as well as explore new engineering techniques. This allows them to grow their technical knowledge and provides the skills and understanding of current challenges relevant to the workplace. These include areas such as engineering processes, professional practice, ethics, and sustainability. The University of Bath’s strategy is to drive excellence in education and high-impact research, foster an outstanding and inclusive community, and enhance its strategic partnerships. It is the Times and Sunday Times ‘University of the Year’ 2023. www.bath.ac.uk   Royal Holloway University of London, UK Vivian now has another university offer from which to to choose. She has learned that her application to study for the Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Digital Media, Culture, and Technology has been successful. Our lives are shaped and mediated by the digital. Social platforms, streaming and viral media, personalisation algorithms, gaming, and creative digital content have changed what it means to be a human today. This innovative degree will allow students to become experts in the practices and cultures of digital media and to understand how they have transformed almost every industry. It will also provide the industry-standard skills to create the best digital media content in the world and prepare students for a flourishing career in the creative digital industries. Royal Holloway University of London is placed 36th in the UK by the Times Higher Education rankings (2023) in the category of 'International Outlook': recognising its broader outlook as a global university. The rankings use three separate indicators to judge 'international outlook’: international staff ratio; international student ratio; and proportion of internationally co‐authored research papers. www.royalholloway.ac.uk   University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, WI The University of Wisconsin Milwaukee has accepted Louis to the Bachelor of Science Architectural Studies program. UW-Milwaukee is an important academic institution with an impressive alumni base, strong research profile, and deep community engagements. The four-year undergraduate pre-professional program in Architectural Studies prepares students for graduate studies in architecture and related design and construction fields. The primary goal is to introduce students to architecture as both a technical and cultural practice. Over the course of their studies, students enrol in a variety of studios, lectures, and seminars to accrue skills in architectural making, thinking, design, visualization, digital fabrication, prototyping, and simulation. In addition to learning essential analytical and creative-problem solving skills, students are required to complete courses in structures and construction, environmental and building technology, human behavior, and contemporary criticism. In their fourth year, students are asked to select from a wide range of architectural electives and advanced studios, allowing them the opportunity to craft a curriculum based on their areas of interest. Graduates of the program can continue their studies at the UW-Milwaukee School of Architecture and Urban Planning by applying to the Master of Architecture (M.Arch), Master of Science in Architecture (M.S.), or Master of Urban Planning (MUP) program. www.uwm.edu   Abilene Christian University, TX This week, Cross learned that he has been accepted to attend Abilene Christian University to study for the Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation Management. The program includes modules in psychology, physiology, leadership, ethics, and health and wellness promotion as well as finance, economics, risk management, conflict management, communication, and first aid. There are sports and fitness practicums built into the program too. Electives include martial arts, snow skiing and boarding, and canoe camping. People who are enthusiastic about the chance to work in professional, collegiate, or recreational athletics have a career advantage when they possess a degree in kinesiology, sport, and recreation management. Sporting organizations require employees with many of the same financial, operational, and marketing skills as any other business. However, an aspiring sports manager should also have a thorough knowledge of issues that are unique to the industry. In addition, a sports manager with a specific focus within the field acquired through a sport management degree could find themselves in a more marketable employment position. Abilene Christian University is a private institution that was founded in 1906. It has a total undergraduate enrolment of +/- 4,000 and is located on a 272-acre campus in the city of Abilene. www.acu.edu   The PTA would like to introduce ‘The Giving Tree’ this year as our Christmas Charity. We will be supporting the Living Hope Today Foundation based in Lusaka, Zambia. The Living Hope Today Foundation was created to benefit people infected and affected by HIV/AIDS and the project that they are supporting this year is Chesed Academy.
Chesed Academy is a Grade 1-12 school in the Kanyama/Makeni area of Lusaka. The school began eight years ago to educate displaced children in the Kanyama compound whose families had been impacted by HIV/AIDS. The school now has a permanent location and offers both primary and secondary education to children in the surrounding area. This year, we will set up two Christmas trees, one in the primary tuck shop area and the other one near the admin office at the Secondary entrance. Currently, they have no decorations, so we will be 'selling' Christmas baubles to the AISL community at a cost of 50 kwacha per bauble, which they will then put on the tree to decorate it. Alternatively, the children can bring in a bauble from home, along with a 50 kwacha donation. The more baubles, the brighter the tree, representing our support to the children of Chesed Academy. The funds will be used to provide a Christmas celebration from the children of AISL to the children of Chesed Academy who otherwise would have no Christmas. Please help us give these children a day to remember and encourage your children to come and put a bauble on The Giving Tree. We would greatly appreciate your help by sending in at least 50 kwacha with your children to decorate the tree. We will be selling the baubles at the primary tuck shop every day at school pick up and also by Shantall at the administration office. Many thanks, The PTA In the G3 unit of inquiry, "Where we are in place and time", the students are learning about the world's place in our solar system. Last week, students returned to school in the evening to deepen their understanding about the night sky. With the support of Ms. Jill and Mr. Louw, students used the "Star Walk" app to identify planets, constellations, satellites, galaxies, asteroids and more. The evening was filled with activities connected to our unit. They played Ichidunu, a popular Zambian game played by children at sunset, listened to recounts of Zambian constellation myths, read a bedtime story in the library, and enjoyed a sleepover at school. The next morning, the tired yet enthusiastic students enjoyed a breakfast potluck feast!  Thank you for joining us for the 'Supporting Early Literacy' series, focusing on reading and writing for children ages 3-7. This two-part series of Parent Information Sessions took place on Tuesday, 15 November and Tuesday, 29 November. Here are the slides for families who would like to use them for future reference.
On Tuesday, 22 November, the Grade 4 students had their Celebration of Learning for their unit, 'How We Express Ourselves.' The students started with the song, "Che Che Kule", which they also shared during their Performing Arts Assembly. After that, they shared their learning in Modern Languages. They showed how they learned other languages from each other and they presented their posters about their culture. Besides that, they shared their learning journey in Visual Arts and how the field trips inspired their art. We ended with our learning in the homeroom by sharing our realistic fiction stories, identity mind maps and geometric art. We were so happy that all of the families were able to join us.  WEEK OF CODINGAlthough we missed the dates to be a part of the official Africa Week of Code which the UNESCO Institution for Information Technologies in Education in partnership with many other NGOs sponsor each year, the AISL secondary library is happy to sponsor a week of coding activities from Monday 12 December to Thursday 15 December after school from 14:30-15:15. Students in G6-G12 (and their parents) are welcome to stop by any of our coding stations to play with our DJI Robomasters, watch a Lego Mindstorm Robot demonstration, try their luck with Scratch or do any number of the Hour of Coding activities we will have available. The second semester of CCAs will have ended so we hope to have many secondary students bring their school laptops or iPads and stop by to have some fun. There will also be a chance for secondary teachers to sign up and bring their classes during the school week to the library. The stations will be led by G7-G12 students from the STEM club and other tech-savvy students. We hope to see you sometime during that week! Our Second Book Swap of the Year Our first book swap in September was well-advertised and a rousing success with many people swapping books. Our second book swap on 18 November was not well-advertised and we only had one patron bring a book to swap. We will try to do a better job of advertising for our third book swap at the end of March. Thanks to Shailja and her daughter for their help in managing the event and also their insight as to why there were so few patrons this time round. Here at AISL, we aim to learn from our mistakes and so you can expect some amazing publicity surrounding our next book swap. Camera Shy G9s When asked to send us a picture of their advisory for an activity we were doing, the above picture is what the 9As did. Some of the students are hard to recognize in their whiteboard sketch portraits but we applaud them for their creativity.
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