​We are constantly striving to improve communication - especially as some community members feel like we communicate too much while others believe we could communicate more! And although we recognise that it is almost impossible to please everyone, we wanted to share that there are several ways to stay informed about - and celebrate - AISM news, information, reminders and upcoming events. 

This AISM Weekly Bulletin is our main medium to keep our families informed on such things as the day to day happenings on campus, before & after school activities, school events, helpful resources, and important dates and reminders. This is emailed directly to your inbox each Friday (if you hear of people who don’t see it, please remind them to check spam/junk). 

The AISM website is a great place to find information about the school, the faculty and staff, the curriculum documentation and much, much more.

The AISM Whole School Calendar has all the upcoming community events including sports, meetings, holidays etc in one place. This page is password protected (check the top of the Weekly Bulletin for the password).

We also have various social media platforms such as the AISM Facebook page, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and a YouTube channel for you to ‘follow’, ‘like’ and share with family & friends. Some of the more commonly-used hashtags to follow would include #aismlearns, #aismcelebrates, #aismcommunity - but there’s so much more too!

The PS & SS WhatsApp Communities and Grade Level Groups are created by the Communications Team (Tony & Mishal).

• The Community Announcement feature is used to remind the community of events shared in the Weekly Bulletin and on the Whole School Calendar.
  • PS: This group is here to share PS events, information and reminders usually following up on information already shared through the bulletin & whole school calendar (password protected). Please note that this group is not the main channel for school announcements - official information will be sent via the AISM Weekly Bulletin (emailed on Fridays) and Grade Level communications (via Seesaw or email). If you have an issue, go to the source: address it privately with the relevant person. This could be the teacher/Learning Advisor, PS Admin Assistant ([email protected]), the Communications Team (Mishal & Tony - [email protected]), or other key personnel (www.aism.co.mz/useful-contacts)
  • SS: This group is here to share SS events, information and reminders usually following up on information already shared through the bulletin & whole school calendar (password protected). Please note that this group is not the main channel for school announcements - official information will be sent via the AISM Weekly Bulletin (emailed on Fridays) and Grade Level communications (via ManageBac, or email). If you have an issue, go to the source: address it privately with the relevant person. This could be the teacher/Learning Advisor, SS Admin Assistant ([email protected]), the Communications Team (Mishal & Tony - [email protected]), or other key personnel (www.aism.co.mz/useful-contacts)
• The Grade Level Groups are used by families to communicate about reminders, activities & events for that particular grade.
  • These groups is here to support AISM families with information, reminders within specific grade levels. It’s a place to ask questions when you’re unsure who to ask. Please note that these group are not the main channel for school announcements - official information will be sent via the AISM Weekly Bulletin (emailed on Fridays) and Grade Level communications (via Seesaw or email). Instead this is a parent/volunteer-run group. This group is for support and information sharing, not for personal opinions or venting. Let’s keep it helpful and respectful.
  • GROUP RULES:
    • Be Respectful: Treat everyone with kindness and politeness.
    • No Complaints: If you have an issue, address it privately with the relevant person, not in the group. This could be the teacher/Learning Advisor, PS Admin Assistant ([email protected]), SS Admin Assistant ([email protected]), the Communications Team (Mishal & Tony - [email protected]), or other key personnel (www.aism.co.mz/useful-contacts)
    • Posting Times: Only post between 07:00-16:00, unless it’s urgent.
    • Reply Properly: Use the "reply" function when responding to specific comments.
    • No Inappropriate/Unnecessary Content: Avoid jokes, sensitive topics, and unverified news.
    • Take Conversations Private: If a discussion is between two people, move it to a private message.
    • Admins’ Decisions: Admins may remove members who don’t follow the rules.
    • Suggestion: Mute the group chat to avoid constant notifications; you’ll still see all posts.
    • By following these guidelines, we can maintain a positive and supportive group. Remember, you are responsible for your posts. When in doubt, refer to Rule 1: Be Respectful.

There are several systems that are used across AISM. Knowing how to access these systems will really help you stay in control! Essentially there are only four systems that you, as families, need to be aware of:

1. OpenApply: the admissions and essentially student information system for AISM.
   • Login: YOUR email address - just click 'forgot password' to get an email to reset it! For further help accessing OpenApply, please contact [email protected]
   • Through Open Apply you can:
     • Apply to AISM (or add sibling information for a future admission)
     • Check and update contact details and other family information​
2. ManageBac: the curriculum software that AISM uses
   • Login: YOUR email address - just click 'forgot password' to get an email to reset it! For further help accessing ManageBac, please contact [email protected]
   • Through ManageBac you are able to:
     • Find out about the subjects & planners
     • Check tasks, assignments and grades (Secondary)​
     • Access Report Cards
3. SchoolsBuddy: the system that the Integrated Learning Department uses to manage before and after school activities
   • Login: YOUR email address - just click 'forgot password' to get an email to reset it! For further help accessing SchoolsBuddy, please contact [email protected]
   • Through SchoolsBuddy you can:
     • View and register for Before and After School Activities for your son/daughter
4. Seesaw (Primary only): is both a digital portfolio and communication tool that allows students and teachers in Primary the opportunity to share learning experiences. :  
   • Login: YOUR email address (after invitation) through the app of the browser
   • Through Seesaw:
     • Parents can contact teachers, get an insight into school activities and celebrate learning with their child(ren)
     • Students can share their work and learning with their peers, parents and family
     • Teachers can communicate with parents and share class events
   • For help accessing Seesaw, please contact the classroom teacher

As always, if you struggle to locate information about any area of our school community, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We are happy to help!

​One of our big goals for this school year will be to develop a Culture of Kindness in Primary School, one that is built around our School Charter, which focuses on three words: Happy, Respected, Safe.

One of the first steps in creating this culture  is to understand that in order to be kind to others, one has to be kind to oneself first. In order for students to deepen their understanding of how to foster our own wellbeing, Ms Heather, our Primary School Counselor, and I have planned to lead wellbeing assemblies for our students throughout the school year.

We started these assemblies this week with our Grade 4 and 5 students, focusing on personal wellbeing strategies to look after ourselves in order to be able to give back to others. After some thoughtful discussions, students engaged in different mindfulness activities to practice some of the strategies they discussed. Mindful Body Scanning, Yoga, Mindful Reading and Mindful Drawing were stations that kept our students engaged.

​And look at what I stepped on when walking through campus today: What a beautiful surprise to see this on one of our walkways.

Here at AISM, we realise that preparing for a new school and/or a new school year is challenging enough so we try to minimise the stress by providing all supplies & books where possible. See below for more information

• AISM will provide all stationery for Primary School learners. 
• For Secondary School learners, you will be happy to note that notebooks and other classroom materials will be provided by the school, however learners are welcome to purchase their own individualised notebooks if they would like.
  • Secondary learners are also encouraged to bring a pencil case with basic stationery supplies such as pens, pencils etc. For PE, students would need appropriate clothing and footwear. If your child wants to use a locker, please provide a combination lock.
  • Additionally, for our G9-12 students, it is necessary to bring a Geometry set and a TI-84 (all Models) OR TI-Nspire (non-CAS models) graphing calculator.  

We had a decent turn-out at the DigCit Parent Session on Tuesday morning with 21 primary and secondary parents attending - some great initial discussions! 

This was the first of several sessions where our focus was to share tech challenges and successes, AISM's approach to Digital Citizenship, the importance of home/school partnerships especially in this area & sharing parent-friendly practical suggestions and resources. One of the main aims was to involve parents in deciding other possible foci for future sessions.

This truly is an area where community involvement - students, teachers and parents -  is needed in order for us to navigate successfully! Here are the resources, presentation and handouts that we included - looking forward to sharing further in future sessions - more information to come!

*Please contact Adrian (843077560) if you wish to join the WhatsApp group for the activities.

RULER Approach
At AISM, we employ the RULER Approach, developed by the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, to guide our teaching and learning in Advisory classes. Additionally, we adhere to the SHAPE standards to guide instruction on essential topics such as Puberty and Adolescent Sexual Development, Gender Identity & Expression, Sexual Orientation & Identity, Sexual Health, Consent & Healthy Relationships, and Interpersonal Violence. Click here for the Middle School and High School RULER Unit Overviews.

Advisory
Advisory is a regularly scheduled class within our Secondary School, aimed at facilitating regular meetings for small groups of students. These sessions foster relationships beyond the academic realm and provide a platform for learning directly related to their well-being. Advisors, who are responsible for planning and facilitating these classes, collaborate with the Social Emotional Counselor to offer targeted workshops on health and well-being topics. Advisory is a weekly fixture in all Secondary School grades, spanning from Grades 6 to 12.