AWOKO LOGO

IN

THIS
ISSUE

Director's Message

6TH-8TH GRADE Teacher
Another Year Gone By

"Health 4th-8th
"Your Health- understanding life skills." "

Kinder-First Grade
"*What should I do with my child this summer?*"

What a year!

HEALTHY FOOD REPORT CARD: GRADE YOURSELF!

"Birthdays"

Another Year Gone By

In the tradition that I started last year I thought I would share some reflections on being at the American International School of Freetown and being here in Sierra Leone.
Ten things I learned from my students this year:
1. Passion and interest in the subject are key to teaching.
2. Organization, organization, organization.
3.Have very clear expectations, goals, assignments and headlines.
4. Food is, still, the way to a Middle School students heart and mind.
5. What you think is cool is not always thought cool by the "next gen".
6. But sometimes it is---quilting anyone?!?
7. Board or computer games, activities and projects allow for deeper learning in complex and broad subjects.
8. Communication is a very thing different then talking.
9. To be take time to be prepared, and prepare for several outcomes.
10. Sometimes one pair of eyes is not enough and many hands are better then one.
Ten things I learned by living in Sierra Leone this year:
1. Beach days are necessary when living in Freetown.
2. Find a doctor, carpenter, dvd seller and cleaning lady you trust and stick with them through thick and thin.
3. Okada*s are way fun and a cheap thrill-just remember to mount on the left side.
4. How to run and do minor repairs on a generator.
5. To always have candles on hand.
6. Finding a place to call 'home' rocks and making it into one is a great project.
7. To walk s-l-o-w-l-y or in Krio "take time".
8. Hobbies are good things to have in Sierra Leone.
9. Cooking is a relaxing activity and it is even better when you do it for others.
10.That I still have a lot to learn
Patt Mills, 6th-8th grade Class Teacher

   

Your Health-Understanding Life Skills.!

We have come to the end of the school year. The health journal we kept will provide an opportunity to reflect on the health decisions we make this summer.
Having good health isn*t just knowing the facts; it*s also thinking critically about those facts andknowing how to use them every day. These were the goals of our health and character education for this year.

Setting goals for self improvement: students have had the opportunity to set goals for things they wanted to do to improve themselves. During this summer please encourage the students to write short-term goals by setting up a goal, listing and planning steps to meet that goal, checking their progress and finally evaluating the goal(s). They will feel better about themselves when they know they are getting closer to their goals.

Making decisions-making decisions is like some scientific methods. Considering the results of the choice helps our students to make better choices in future. They may find out about choices they could make, imagine the possible result of each choice, make what seems to be the best choice, and think about the result of their choice.
The health skills also involved managing stress, the ability to refuse, the need to communicate with people in order to meet your needs, the essence of listening to enable you to understand others needs and feelings, and to resolve conflicts if they arise.

Remember to be a wise consumer, which means making good buying decisions. When the students get older, they will have more responsibility for buying health products and services but for now they need to learn how advertisements can mislead. They therefore need to learn how to get valid or correct health information.
As for adverts, they are everywhere. Be aware of the tricks- find out who made the message and why, watch for tricks to make you notice or agree with the message, notice the values and points of view shown, and learn whether anything is left out.
Finally during the vacation remember to take more milk and little or no coke.
Edward Gembeh, Health Teacher 4th-8th grades

"What should I do with my child this summer?"

"What should I do with my child this summer?" is a question that parents often ask teachers. This is important to consider as the summer months offer a great deal of time for academic enrichment. This enrichment doesn't have to take place in a summer school classroom or with worksheets at home. Traveling to new destinations, visiting museums, art rooms and touring new parts of town are all important educational experiences that expand your child*s world and vocabulary. So why not make it an adventurous summer by moving your kids away from the TV and out into the backyard and beyond.

As you think about the new academic year remember that continued improved strength in reading will greatly ease your child*s transition into the next grade. To prepare for this continue our May reading challenge by building your home library and setting aside a time for your child to read every single day. Encourage your child in this by making it a family challenge! Let*s not forget to also build our math skills by playing math games that improve both our computation and estimation skills. Encourage your child to also use math in a practical way around the house by helping you with the shopping and any sorting activities. Math is practical so help them see its importance and relevance in your life!

As the year comes to a close, I realize how much I will miss my students and how much they have grown. It has been a positive learning experience for me to watch them take on the challenge of kindergarten and 1st grade and excel! Unfortunately, I will not be able to continue the journey with my kindergarteners as I will be returning to live in the United States.

I would like to extend my deepest thanks to all the other teachers and staff at A.I.S.F. who have made my year here an exciting and memorable one. I also owe a great deal to my parents who remained engaged and involved with my students and I throughout the year. The greatest thanks go of course to my students who taught me so much and made me laugh along the way while they did it! You*re all my little stars!
Ms. Spencer, Kinder-First grade Teacher 

What a year!
Where did the year go? How did June get here so quickly? A wise person once said, "Time flies when you*re having FUN!" Yes, this year has been so much fun for me. What a class- my 4th and 5th graders, full of so many interesting personalities. What an experience I*ve had this year!

I was ever so proud of my students yesterday at the End of year program. I was proud of their performances, the certificates they were awarded and of their hard work throughout the year. What a journey we have all had! As their class teacher, I have been able to observe them grow, develop, blossom, and mature throughout the year. Every student has grown in my class in a very positive manner. I am so proud of YOU- 4th and 5th graders! Bravo to you all for applying yourselves.

Our fieldtrip and end of year class lunch at Mamba Point on Monday was a huge success with students and parents. This trip was primarily an extension of our study of food and drinks in French. The fifth graders were able to collect some important data from their surveys. They were also able to successfully order their food and drinks in flawless French from me- the French speaking staff were unavailable that afternoon.

Here are some interesting facts:
4th and 5th graders' favorite drinks: de la limonade, du lait= milk, de l*eau minerale=mineral water, du jus de fruit= fruit juice, du soda= soda/soft drink/pop, du chocolat chaud= hot chocolate

4th and 5th graders' favorite foods: de la pizza, du poulet=chicken, des frites= fries, des crepes, du pain=bread, du couscous, des fruits, du hot dog, des sandwiches, du hamburger, du fromage= cheese, du riz= rice, des pates=pasta, des legumes......

One of my personal highlights of the year was Book Month * what a success! The AISF Mango Tree kept growing at such a fast pace. Author's Tea by Preschoolers-3rd Graders- Wow, book marks created by the Kinder first-Fantastic, the book jackets by 4th and 5th graders-Brilliant and the Radio Play by the 6th & 7th Graders Awesome. A BIG thank you to all the staff for your support and of course the students who rose to the challenge of reading as many books as possible. Our target was 200 books and boy, did we surpass ourselves! AISF students and staff read more than 350 books! So next year we are going to raise the bar. I also do appreciate the support from parents who helped create suitable reading environments for their children at home.

continued on next page

next page