Clay Play and Glaze Days in Grades 9 & 10

As part of a unit exploring the major isms and movements post 1850 (give or take), we used Art Nouveau with its emphasis on hand crafting and nature-inspired decoration as our starting point for learning ceramic basics. 

Using templates, we hand built cylinders, using the correct joining method. Then, according to their plans, students added relief designs or carved into the clay. Some students made cut-outs and adapted the top edge. 

The pots were firstly bisque-fired to 900￮. Then the students glazed their vessels, again following a glaze plan. Lastly the final magic occurs, during the glaze firing to 1200￮. It is so exciting to have the kiln, so that students can truly appreciate the full process behind the enduring artform of ceramics.

MAP Growth Testing Update: Looking at Data

 

We have started two weeks of faculty inquiry into the MAP data - starting with a look at the data across the whole school and then moving on to a closer look at data in grade levels, subject areas and for individual students

The video above - Part 2 in our series of videos about MAP Growth testing at AISM this year - explains some the things we have already seen in the data, gives families some guidance about emotional reactions to test scores, explains where MAP fits in the whole story of assessment at AISM and explains the timeline for sharing reports with families.

If you have any questions about the content of this video, please feel free to contact Sam, our Director of Learning.

Sharing the Planet in Grade 2

In our Sharing the Planet unit of inquiry, Grade 2 learners have been inquiring into living things in different environments and how humans share those environments with living things.

We met with one of our parents, James Hogg, who is an Environmental Scientist and avid bird-watcher. He shared information about different habitats in Maputo and the birds we might encounter in each habitat. We also  learned about the importance of planting indigenous plants to support local wildlife.

We were also inspired by Jadav Payang, the man who planted a forest, and 2004 Nobel Peace Prize winner Wanagari Maathai, who told the story of the Hummingbird taking action.  We decided to plant indigenous trees and reached out to Ms. Colleen who taught us about the Spekboom plant, a super plant amongst plants!  She kindly shared some cuttings with us that we were able to plant and will be caring for on campus.  

Furthermore, we have been reading poems and stories about different habitats, and the 2H  Hummingbirds decided to write their own to show appreciation for the Earth.

Photo by John O'Nolan on Unsplash

MAP Growth Testing Update: The Big Picture

 

We have finished MAP growth testing for this academic year and are now starting the process of collating and analyzing data, inquiring into the data as a faculty, generating reports and sharing with families.


In order to make sure our community is fully informed about MAP at AISM, MAP during the global pandemic, what we do with the data, what the results do/don't show us and how to understand the reports, we will be making and releasing a series of short videos.


Part 1 (above) is an outline of the big picture of MAP testing at AISM, this year and into the next few years. Please take a few moments to watch the video as it will help you understand the school's strategy for MAP testing, the disruptions caused by COVID-19, our current reality and our plans for next academic year.


If you have any questions about the content of this video, please feel free to contact Sam, our Director of Learning.

The IB Learner Profile in the AISM Community

 

This is a video that shows the postcards we have designed in order to make the language of the IB learner profile more visible in our community. It features some beautiful photographs by some of our talented parents and teachers!

The IB learner profile is the most crucial element in the identity of an IB school like ours. The collective mission of IB schools is to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. This is the work of our whole community and can only be achieved when we are all doing our best to model the attributes of the IB learner profile to the young people we are educating and parenting. As the African proverb says, it takes a village to raise a child.

One of our current goals, as a school, is to rapidly bring the language of the IB learner profile to the surface in our community, to make it a priority to strive towards living it and to have high expectations for how we all behave and interact with each other. Keep an eye out for some of the initiatives that we hope will help us achieve those goals.

Feel free to contact Sam, our Director of Learning, if you have any questions, ideas or suggestions about how we can make this happen.