December+14,+2009+(vol+1;+issue+17)

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=Pearl of the Week=  If I were a medical man, I should prescribe a holiday to any patient who considered his work important. -- Bertrand Russell =Humour Me=

== = = = = = Mark Your Calendars = ****January 13**: Term 3 begins; return to school
 * December 15-17**: Gr. 6-10 In-House Sports
 * December 14:** Report proofing in the library 2:00
 * December 16:** Collaborative Planning Time 2:00-3:00
 * December 17:** Reports issued 1:35
 * December 17:** Board Meeting 5:00
 * December 18** **: End of Term/Assembly- 10:00 AM release (schedule is forthcoming)

=**Have a Look...**= **In case you did not have a look last week...** Below please find a draft of a proposal for an early release day in order to embed more collaborative planning time into our schedule. The overall aim is to provide more collaborative planning time without decreasing time allocated for instruction and significantly compromising the time allocated to the after school activities programme. LODAT began reviewing this proposal last Monday. HoD's will be asking colleagues for feedback over the next two weeks. HoD's will report feedback from colleagues during our January LODAT meeting.

You may click below to review the proposed schedule.

[|IST Secondary School Day.docx]

=**Twiga Talk**= > Tuesday 15th December Periods 1+2 Grade 6 and 7 > Wednesday 16th December Periods 1+2 Grade 8 and 9 > Thursday 17th Periods 1+2 Grade 10
 * On Monday, December 14, we will all gather in the library to proofread reports from 2:00-3:00. Please arrive on time and be prepared to do some proofing and editing.
 * The House Sports schedule is below. Students will not have Period 1 and 2 classes during this time but will have Period 3 and 4 classes.
 * PA- Please be mindful of the recent "PA Use Guidelines" communicated last week. The PA can be used to make announcements during Homeroom and at 11:45 to remind students and faculty of a lunchtime event. Let's use the bulletin as our primary communication tool which means that all homeroom teachers must present the bulletin to students on a daily basis. Thank you for your cooperation!
 * As pointed out in Friday's briefing, we have been having a lot of problems with our Microsoft Exchange Server that hosts our email. This server has proven to be very difficult to maintain particularly in this part of the world. Consequently, we will begin the process of migrating our email accounts and data to Google Apps. **On Thursday, January 14**, the Tech guys will facilitate an in-service to help us use google apps (email and calendars). The migrating process will take place during the course of the semeste**r.**
 * Don't forget the "Holiday Hamper Drive" for the IST support staff over the next two weeks. Natalie will assign the important item that each grade level will bring in at the beginning of the week. Please encourage students in homeroom to bring in an assigned item. Let's aim for full-participation this year.
 * **Friday, December 18th** is a shortened school day which concludes at 10:00 AM. A special schedule detailing the day's events will be published early this week.
 * Thank you for your hard work this semester. I appreciate your commitment to your students and their families. I also appreciate the time many of you have taken to welcome me and "bring me up to speed" at IST. I look forward to our work next semester where we continue to collaborate and work together to improve the school. Stay tuned for Google Apps, the implementation of a new school management system, an Assessment and Reporting Handbook with a restructuring of our reporting periods, ESP, Gr 12 Mocks, IB Exams, End of the Year Internal Assessment for Gr 9-11, calendar changes in 2010-11- change in semester one/term 2 ending date and a possible early release day, etc...I believe that we have enough on our plates!!!

=**Kudos To...**=
 * Natalie for organizing the holiday hamper drive.
 * Steve Fogz, Steve Turner, Steve Toms, Jarrod, and Kitty for accompanying IST students up to Moshi.