Isamilo has established a whole series of annual events over the years and these provide competition, opportunities to help the community, entertainment (for students, parents and the wider community) and a chance for students to learn outside of the classroom.
The Annual Sports Day is held at Kirumba Stadium, about 10 minutes walk from the main school site. The Stadium is a great location, with a 400m track, long and triple jump pits and marked areas for throwing events. This is always a really exciting day and students take part in a full range of athletics track and field events for their House Teams.
Sports Day is always an opportunity for our most talented sportsmen and women to shine, but it is also a real team day too. We encourage all students to take part in at least one event and earn points for their Houses. It is also a great opportunity for Student House Captains to further develop their organisation and leadership skills both in the preparation training of their teams and during Sports Day itself.
The Annual Year 10 Trip to Geita Gold Mine has been running since 2003, and it is excellent to continue to build on a great relationship with GGM, one of the biggest Gold Mines in East Africa. This trip always provides students with excellent examples that they can use for iGCSE Geography and Economics.
Students are able to experience large scale industry first-hand and learn about the mining process from exploration surveys and drilling, to the construction and operation of the huge open cast mine, to the chemical processes involved in the extraction of gold from the ore. Students also investigate the positive and negative impacts of the mine on the environment as well as the local community and the nation of Tanzania. During this trip, we also use rivers in the area to complete a river study for iGCSE Geography.
The Annual Cross Country Championships is always a much anticipated event. The whole school takes part and there are races of varying lengths throughout the day for all ages – from a lap of the school field for pre-school children, to the hilly 5.5km Senior Boys Race. Usually held on a Saturday, it is an event that is very well supported by the school community, with stalls and a BBQ organised by the PTA.
Secondary students take training for this event very seriously and all students are encouraged to take part to earn points for their House.
This is always a big event for the Secondary School since it generally involves large numbers of students and staff and lots of preparation in the lead up to the big night! In the past plays have included Bugsy Malone, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Oliver!. Last year saw Blood Brothers, the London West End musical, hit the bright lights of Isamilo’s stage and the audience made comments like ‘It was like watching a movie, I didn’t want it to end!’. Well having made everyone cry last year we’ve decided a bit of fun is in order so this year’s production is going to be a creative extravaganza in the form of The Lion King. We hope you enjoy it!
These take place once a year for most year groups (except Year 11 where there are two so that parents can monitor progress even more closely in that all important iGCSE exam year). These are an opportunity for teachers and parents to raise any concerns and also to praise students in the format of a brief one-to-one conversation. For more in depth discussions or if there is ever a need to talk outside of this fixed event it is easy to make an appointment to see individual teacher. Parents’ evenings are conducted in the early evening to ensure working parents can attend. Of course, reports are also issued on a half termly basis.
This is a whole new venture and one we hope will be very exciting! This year, our first year of 6th Form, the A-Level students includes some of our very talented actors and actresses from last year’s Secondary show (Blood Brothers) and we wanted to give them the opportunity to keep up the good work so we have decided to put on a show that allows them to take a little more ownership and initiative and with a slightly more adult theme. We’re going to start with a play called The Woman in Black, a terrifying tale that many students are familiar with having studied it in English.
Annually, Years 3 and 4 produce a play. The main parts are taken by Year 4s – every child has a spoken part – and any additional speaking parts are taken by Year 3 children. Year 3 form the core of the choir, but all children sing; the play is peppered with songs.
Some pupils learn an amazing number of lines, and we have to remind ourselves that they are only 8 or 9 years old. The pupils thoroughly enjoy acting and once in costume, the children are transformed into their characters; they earn to listen for their cues and support each other.
For the first time, in April 2010, Isamilo Students will travel to France to the resort of Les Arcs for a ski trip. This is a very exciting opportunity and a party of 50, including 15 from Morogoro International School, will exchange tropical East African temperatures for snow in the Alps. The trip will include ski tuition during the day from expert instructors, and evening activities around the resort including ice skating, bowling and going to an ice hockey Match.
The school boasts a lovely 25m swimming pool (the only one in Mwanza City) and pupils work hard in lessons and clubs towards the annual Swimming Gala. All students are encouraged to take part, if they are able to, and the standard of swimming at Isamilo continues to improve. Non-Swimmers are encouraged to take part in the fun ‘Tug of War’ event alongside the excitement of the relays and the more conventional races, including the challenging Individual Medley which is always a wonderful showcase for some of our best swimmers.
Throughout the school year students also compete for their Houses in various team sports including: cricket, rounders, netball, basketball and football. These ‘House Matches’ usually take place after school and are very well supported and fiercely contested events.
Once a year Isamilo Students have the opportunity to take place in a Sports Tour. These have included visiting and playing against schools in Kenya, and in 2009 we took part in a fantastic weekend of Sport at Morogoro International School. Our cricketers also took part in a national competition in Dar es Salaam.
This was an exciting new development during last year (2008-9) and one we will now be making an annual event. The day included all students wearing traditional costumes from all around the world, a whole variety of talented performers, adventurous foods to taste and students learning new skills and geographical details. Furthermore, in the evening students came together to put on a talent show for parents and the local community.
The Annual General Meeting is an opportunity for parents and teachers and members of the local community to gain greater insight into the overall workings of the school and also to raise any issues they might have. It generally involves presentations from the Head Master and the various Heads of Departments, budgetary discussion and then a Q & A session, all interspersed with some entertainment from students and staff. It also provides an opportunity for everyone to meet the governors and PTA members and to register their interest if they should wish to join the school in these capacities.
These induction days, placed towards the end of the Summer Term, allow students making the big moves (from junior to senior school and from iGCSE to A-Level) to gain some insight into what will be expected of them and what they can expect from lessons and activities.
For Year 7 it will largely be focused on meeting secondary teachers and orienting themselves within the new system of specialist teachers and classrooms. For the 6th Form it is a little more in-depth since it may influence final subject choices and help them to prepare for the high-pressure time ahead. Days will include careers guidance, lesson tasters, CV writing, organising CAS options (see 6th Form section of the site for more details), signing code of conduct contracts etc.
The extended walk took place in Moshi this year and saw the majority of Year 10 learning a whole range of skills as they fended for themselves (protected by askaris and staff!) camping, cooking and carrying their equipment over a period of three days.
For more details on the IAYP see the Secondary Department extra curricular page.
Organised by the Year 11 students this event was held this year at the New Mwanza Hotel and saw students and teachers come together for a celebration of all the hard work accomplished. Happily this year it wasn't
so much a 'leavers' event as a welcome to 6th Form event! A good time was had by all and students and staff alike all looked very glam!