Leopard's Tale |
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Dear parents, April is here, the cruellest month according to T.S. Eliot. I’ve always loved April. Back home it’s the month of bluebonnets and the true beginning of springtime. Here in Zambia, of course, this is much different, but no less welcome. April here provides a reprieve from the rains and heat of the past few months; and while swimming becomes a little more unpleasant, hiking and biking become much more appealing. A few things to look forward to this month in the Secondary school: we have our parent-teacher-student conferences coming up on the 7th and 8th. Look below for appointment links, also an email was sent out on Thursday with full information on how to set up an appointment. This month also finds the Grade 12s starting their study leave, and the preparations for the DP exams rolling into full swing. Also, for some of our students, we will be having MAP testing, which will provide us very useful data to monitor student progress and to make curriculum and instruction decisions for the future. Please enjoy the long weekend, and this lovely weather!  Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences 7-8 AprilDuring the afternoons of Wednesday, 7 April and Thursday, 8 April, we will be hosting Parent-Teacher Conferences for each student from Grades 6 to 12. Although we have had many important, informal conversations over the course of the year, this is the opportunity during the second semester for all of us to celebrate each student’s success and make goals for future progress. In this half-day format, all students will attend regular classes in the morning on the 7th and 8th. School dismissal will be at 12:30 and there are no after-school activities on these two dates. To ensure social distancing, conferences with homeroom teachers, specialist teachers and student support teachers will take place as Google Meet appointments and last for 15 minutes between 13:30-17:00 on both dates. We ask that you collect your child from school promptly at 12:30. Please note that there is NO SUPERVISION after school on either date. Kind regards, Dr. Rick Odum How to Book a Conference Please click on the relevant links below to select a time slot for your conference. You will need to arrange a separate appointment for each teacher you would like to meet with. Please help the teacher keep to the timeframe by ensuring that your appointment is for the first 10 minutes of the appointment slot, allowing teachers to have up to a 5 minute ‘transition time’ between Google Meets. In order to book Google Meet appointment slots, you will need a Google account. Once you have selected your slot, you are welcome to share the link with another family member should they wish to join as well. If you do not have a Google account, your child can use their school Gmail account to book the appointment and, after doing so, they can invite you to the ‘Meet’ too. If you have more than one child at the school and/or you wish to see multiple teachers, it will be your responsibility to coordinate the times accordingly so that conferences do not overlap. Please double check that your computer is set to the correct time zone. As always, if you have any questions or need any further support, please do not hesitate to contact Mache at [email protected] Teacher Name Short Link Bouillot, Florence F. Bouillot (French 10,11,12, Design 6A) Carriles, Monica M. Carriles (Spanish Gr7, 8, 10, 11 ab initio,12 ab initio) Chevannes, Naomi N. Chevannes (Design Gr6B & Gr7-10)) Chirwa, Fridah F. Chirwa (SST) Cobarrubias, Flor F. Cobarrubias (Spanish Gr6 and Gr9; Spanish B Gr11 and Gr12) Conte, Alta A. Conte (G6 Lang & Lit and I&S)(9PSE) Cruickshank, Adam A. Cruickshank (Gr9A I&S; DP Economics) Cullen, Clare C Cullen (G7 I&S, G8 L&L) Dobson, Marin M. Dobson (DP Physics, G10 Physics & G8B Chemistry) Egge, Steve S. Egge (Gr10 Math, Gr11 Analysis SL, Gr12 Applications) Gutierrez, Joanna J. Gutierrez (G6-11 Music/Choir) Haske, Jim J, Haske (G9B-10 I&S and DP History) Honnorat, Lionel L. Honnorat (TOK & French 11-12, CAS) Illingworth, Chel C. Illingworth (G6-10 Band) Lindstrom, Dean D. Lindstrom (Grade 7B Science, Grade 9 Math. Grade 11 Analysis HL, Gr12 Analysis) Maguire, Terry T. Maguire (G6-12 Librarian) Martin, Rob R. Martin (G8A I&S, EAL) Mrak, Trevor T. Mrak (G8B I&S, DP Geography, Gr11 TOK) Mulenga, Bupe B. Mulenga (G6A - G10A PHE) Murphy, Monica M. Murphy (G12 Lang-Lit) Nevers, Laurey L. Nevers (G6-12 Visual Arts) Potter, Tom T. Potter (G6-10 French) Reinman, Chantra C. Reinman (SST and G9X L&L) Reinman, Mark M. Reinman (G9Y L&L; G11 L&L; G12 Lit; G12 TOK) Seiler, Sheila S. Seiler (10 L&L and Math Foundations) Stewart, Bob R. Stewart (G8A Biology, G9 Biology, 11-12 Biology) Wayne Thompson Mr T - W. Thompson (G6B - G10B PHE) Tolino, Vanessa V. Tolino (G6-12Theater Arts) Turner, Ingrid I. Turner (G7 Lang and Lit) Van Rensburg, Elna E. van Rensburg (G6 Math and Science and G7A Science) Wallace, Karen K. Wallace (G11-12 Chemistry and ESS) Update on the 25/26 March PD DaysLast Thursday and Friday, the Secondary faculty met at the Palm Pavilion for some quality development of our professional skills through an in-depth examination of the selected curricular standards for each academic department. On Thursday, teachers were given time to look at what content, skills, and concepts are essential for students to master in each course/grade level, in order to access the material in subsequent classes/grade levels. Each department worked on curriculum alignment in their respective academic areas, and worked on establishing common expectations for students. On Friday, the whole faculty met in the pavilion to discuss ATL expectations for students at each grade level. Centered on “Self-Management” skills (Organization, Focus and Perseverance), the faculty had structured discussions and shared out what development in these areas looks like at each grade level, and came to some understandings as to what are some appropriate expectations for students considering their level of ATL development at each grade level.  MAP Testing ScheduleIt’s MAP testing season again! MAP, or Measures of Academic Progress, tests are online adaptive tests that give parents, students, teachers, and school leaders information about students’ progress and growth. All on-campus Grade 2-10 students take MAP tests in Mathematics, Reading, and Language Usage. The tests are scheduled during class time and are proctored by teachers. Students who need extra time to complete their tests will have make-up sessions in which they can do so. Here is a general overview of the Secondary school MAP testing schedule: Tuesday 6 April
Make-up sessions for Grades 6-10 as needed. Each student received their grade level’s MAP testing schedule, complete with times and the block schedule, in an email from Dr. Seiler, the Secondary School Assistant Principal on Monday 29 March. Our school’s MAP testing window closes Friday 30 April; MAP test results will be uploaded to your child’s portfolio on ManageBac in May. If you have any questions about MAP tests, you can ask your child’s teachers or visit the NWEA website. FAQS for the Class of 2021 & 22 We have a Frequently Asked Questions page to provide guidance for students and families around the May 2021 examination session. It is updated as the IB provides us with more information. You can submit questions through this form. Reminder: If students want to request a review of their Predicted Grades in a particular subject, they should email Ms. Murphy on 1 April. Class of 2022 DP deadlines - and DASH sessions - begin for Grade 11’s Our first DASH (Diploma After School Help) sessions got off to a good start for the Grade 11 class this week. DASH is an opportunity for students to get some extra time to finish up their DP coursework, even if they don’t have a “valid” reason for not meeting their deadline on the DP Assessment Calendar. This week, the focus was DP Music and the Extended Essay (EE), since the first official DP drafts were submitted in Music - well done, musicians! For the EE, our coordinator Ms. Maguire checked in on student progress and recommended some students to attend DASH to get caught up on some missing pieces. DASH is usually held in Mr. Dobson’s room on Monday, and in the Palm Pavilion from Tuesday to Thursday. As a reminder, students who want to take advantage of DASH must email the DP Coordinator, Ms. Murphy, and their subject teacher, and submit their current work to the ManageBac dropbox, even if it’s incomplete. Our graduating Class of May 2021 have been very appreciative of having the DASH option for all their DP assessment components, and we hope our Grade 11’s will also benefit from this balance between accountability and flexibility! DP Visual ArtsThe DP Visual Arts students have finished their course which ends with an Exhibition that they have set up in the PAC Gallery. It has certainly been challenging for the students as they missed studio time in the art room due to campus closures. They have overcome these obstacles. Their wonderful artworks and explanations of their art will be shared as soon as possible. Ms Nevers MYP and DP art teacher  Comments are closed.
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