Chisi

MARCH NEWSLETTER

The ABCs of Education
Another month has gone by as we navigate the tricky waters of this hybrid way of learning. Between online and in-person lessons, both our pupils and teachers have been challenged to reframe the way they engage with educative activities. This must be taken as a positive experience – because the more we develop the skill of adaptation, the more likely we are to succeed in an ever-evolving landscape of technology and face-to-face (or mask-to-mask) connection. We are always being given ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO GROW.

In this newsletter you will find Achievement, Bravery and Creativity in the face of, what can often feel like, adverse conditions. We applaud the efforts of all individuals - be it teacher, pupil, parent, guardian, administrative or auxiliary staff alike – who have come together to facilitate the continuation of good education despite the constraints placed upon our strong community.
Thank you – and we hope you enjoy the read…

Ms Jamie McLaren
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Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! Earth Day 2021

by Sanaa Ibrahim – Upper Six Pupil & Digital Media Liaison

Celebrated every year on April 22, Earth Day is an important event that highlights the need to build a healthier and more sustainable planet for us to live on. People around the world celebrate the planet's environment and raise public awareness about pollution and climate change.

This year, as a cause of the pandemic and not being able to freely interact with each other on school grounds, Chisipite Senior’s Conservation Club has decided to make use of the “Flora- Green Focus” app which promotes building positive life changing habits and results to being more aware of the environment. The purpose of this app is to promote productivity. Whenever you want to make progress towards a goal/complete an assignment, the app allows you to plant a seed which grows and grows until you complete your task. If you cannot resist the temptation of using your phone during that period of time, the tree will be killed! This will enable students to work harder and without distractions, as well as having the environment in mind. A Chisipite Conservation Club group has been made on the app so progress across the club can be tracked and we can all grow virtual trees together as a club.

The Form 1 year group has been attending TEDEarth School where they are ‘embarking on 30 virtual adventures that will help them understand and celebrate the natural world, while learning about how dependent we are on our planet.’ (Source: https://ed.ted.com/earth-school) Earth Day is a very valued and auspicious day which is always celebrated by Chisipite Senior, this year students have made goals to volunteer for clean-ups around town and pick up litter. “For earth day I will save rainwater and use it for watering my plants. I also bought seeds to plant some vegetables, and I will aim to use refillable water bottles instead of plastic bottles”, a student from Form 2 said. Students have also been doing a lot of thorough research to properly educate themselves and have been trying to refrain from using plastic bags, and instead using reusable shopping bags.
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“Protect the earth and live healthily so that you never have to fear for the future.”
- Zahra, Form 2
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Community Conscious Spoken Word Activists

by Ms Jamie McLaren

You may have been following our Instagram and Facebook accounts where you will have seen that The Spoken Word Society took part in CNN’s #MyFreedomDay with their performance art installation, highlighting the plight of the child slave in the cobalt mining industry. In addition to this visual reminder to remain aware and to take action where we can, to help improve the lives of others, the pupils co-wrote a poem which played as a soundscape for the piece. Herewith the text of that poem.

Be sure to check out our social media pages for photos and video footage of this important event.
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Spoken Word members 'performing' on CNN's #MyFreedomDay

Spoken Word Poem

BLACK & BLUE
for the child slaves in the cobalt mining industry
from The Chisipite Senior School Spoken Word Society

RUVIMBO:
Small space. Dark space. Crowded space.

SARAH:
Dark blue and black

DANAI:
Darkness
Down in the ground
65 feet with bare hands
And little light

CARISSA:
Trapped, held and possessed
Children over worked and poorly treated
Kept from learning and
Instead are left in the burning sun

JORDAN:
The children dig until their flesh is bare, completely exposed
Threats and hatred shadow over their every move

KUNDAI:
The ground that bleeds technology has cried for our withdrawal
And the stories of our little hands, shall they remain untold?

RACHEL:
You are swallowed by darkness when you should be cradled by sunshine,
You should run freely, not be constricted to hours of sorting sludge.
Your hands should be playing with toys, not scared by scavenging for minerals,
Your lungs should be filled with fresh air and giggles, not damaged by dust and chemicals.
Childhood is a right you will not experience.

DANI
There go the children digging beneath the earth
They say one pound amounts to their worth
Watch them as they enter the trench
Cloth to their nose to conceal the stench
Sweat escaping their skin through the cracks
Breaking the rock as they break their backs
Deep in the ground is where they waste away
Digging their own grave day by day
To this life they are bound
Destined to be Six and six feet underground.

THANDEKA:
The sounds of metal on cobalt and rock refuses to leave my brain
I hear the laugh of other children in the distance.

NICOLA:
We are digging for a light that is not ours.
Our, minds, bodies and our souls are the cost
of the greedy delights only our treasure powers

NICOLE:
The heat radiating from my phone
is the same heat burning down in those mines
many feet under the ground

ZOE:
Sunlight,
something so beautiful that we take for granted.
We never appreciate the sunlight
because we are too busy glaring
at the light coming from our screens

TAPUWA:
Instead of laughter
The sound of picks on stone
For us to enjoy
The very luxury
Of technology

HANNAH:
In your hands you hold the product of a thousand shed tears-
Hands that were battered and scarred,
The sting which penetrates young vision,
And the cobalt seizing young hearts.

TINO:
Because they have no choice,
Because they have no voice

MAKA:
My measure of time is punctuated
Not by number of sentences that’ve undergone punctuation,
But by the pain in my arms
And the ache in my back
And by the knowledge and fact
That this metallic tink, tink, tink
Is the only music that these ears will hear from within
This deep and dark tunnel.

NICOLA:
Can you hear our cries in this Cobalt cage?

SARAH:
I hope you hear me when you use
the phone I made.

First Term House Activities

by Ropafadzo Kanongovere – Upper Six Pupil & Digital Media Liaison

We have entered the third month of the year, and The Green Machine has continued moving at full steam! Unfortunately, this year Chisi will not be having its annual gala that is loved by all and is always full of cheer and excitement. Despite this, the girls were still given an opportunity to show team spirit and support for their houses through the virtual Interhouse Running Competition.

The competition called for all the girls to run or walk as many kilometres as they could for their house. The heads of houses used the Adidas running app, which the girls were required to download and sign into, to track the progress of their house members and take note of how many kilometres each person had run. In the end, Patrons’ emerged as the winners, with an impressive combined 1000km, followed by Spring with 933km, then Anderson with 796km, and last but not least St. Pauls with 575km. The girls are commended for their strong efforts, and for showing overwhelming enthusiasm even in the face of a difficult period. Furthermore, it was a great opportunity for the Chisi community to show team spirit while keeping fit.
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The next Interhouse Activity was the Scratch Coding Competition, open only to the Juniors, and hosted by the Science Club. Roughly ten girls from each house volunteered to represent their house and take part. The goal of the competition was to create a short animation either individually or in a group, using the platform ‘Scratch.’ Congratulations to all those involved, and to the winning team from Patrons’, with 167 points.

Second was St Paul’s with 68 points, followed by Anderson with 54 points and Spring with 24 points. This competition was aimed at the Juniors to encourage them to be involved in house activities and feel a stronger connection and sense of sisterhood. It is also beneficial to the form ones, to allow them to feel more included in the Chisi community and settle better into school.
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The Senior Drama Production:

A Mysterious Comedy

By Sarah Vingirai – Upper Six Pupil, Deputy Head of Speech & Drama & Digital Media Liaison

‘The show must go on.’ The Speech & Drama department has stayed true to these words by taking on the challenge to bring forth their art and entertainment in the form of film. This will be in place of a live senior play that they would have otherwise been presented in normal circumstances. Auditions and casting have taken place and filming has started with the incredible assistance of the technical team who have helped with costumes, locations, lighting and editing.

Without spoiling the plot, word has it that you will be intrigued by the mystery and looming suspense of the storyline so incredibly written by our very own Rumbidzai Chinamo. So, grab your popcorn and prepare to enjoy the show. So what is in store? We got in touch with some key players to find out more:

What is the theme of the senior production this term and is it structured any differently this year compared to other years?
Mr Roper (Speech & Drama Assistant Teacher): One of the most exciting aspects of this production is how differently it is structured from previous years at Chisipite. As a whole Dramatic endeavours in the previous year had become highly restricted for live shows for safety reasons leading to a rise in online performances. The production this year is born out of that change and has shifted for the first time toward a play more in the style of a film released online, but of course with a little bit of added Chisi spice.

Without a doubt the difference in the dramatic conventions between film and plays will set this production apart from previous years as well as the exciting fact that it is a student led production.
In terms of theme, I think what is presented has layered depth and has thematic variability to allow the audience to latch on to features they resonate the most with. This production has elements of comedy, family drama, conspiracy, police intrigue and murder mystery. Personally, I would say the theme that means the most to me as an audience member (potential spoilers coming up, be warned) is redemption.

Makavimbikaishe (Head of Speech & Drama): I suppose the main theme is how all the puzzle pieces of the past have a way of shaping the result of the future.

Zoe (Deputy Head of Speech & Drama): Much like a lot of the senior productions this one is full of a lot of brain-tickling incidences and suspense.

How is it coming along?
Mr Roper: It’s a tricky one to answer right now because the drama department is going to be seeing progress occur in waves due to the limitations and benefits of it being presented in film format. We are simultaneously steps ahead and behind at the same time. As opposed to a play where we would view individual moments of acting first and give feedback in real time and then build the world, for a film scene to show promise the set, lighting, editing, camera work and acting have to be on point at the same time. That requires the actors and tech team to be working together from the outset. Ultimately, we will see scenes that come in more slowly but which will be closer to completion. I am going to say however that a promising foundation is being laid behind the scenes from both the tech team and the actors.

Makavimbakaishe: Quite well, I’d say. After some initial stumbles and bumbles, I’m proud to see how amazingly the Team have stepped into their new roles. I’m in literal awe and inspiration.

Anything for the audience to look forward to?
Mr Roper: Look forward to? Not really…
Well, apart from the fact that its Chisipite’s first feature film, the story will leave the audience guessing until the very end due to the numerous twists and turns, the actors are simply fantastic and the tech team have finessed over details to essentially create the template for a full film-world to ensure it feels authentic. In a time when the next big Marvel film is only coming out in May, I for one will be looking forward to this student led home-grown Chisi film.

Zoe: The audience should look forward to unexpected turns and a lot of suspense the audience will literally be sitting on the edge of their seats trying to solve out the whole situation and just rooting for certain characters.

Anything to add?
Makavimbikaishe: A shout out to the Tech Team for adapting so efficiently and general excitement for the production. I broadcast our full intent to entertain and intrigue almost to a criminal extent...
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Online Character Workshop with the playwright

Alumni interview: Julia Grotto

by Kiara Hodgson - Upper Six Pupil and Digital Media Liaison

Julia Grotto, the daughter of Mrs Grotto (HOD Art), finished her Upper Six year at Chisipite Senior School in 2012, before briefly returning to do assistant teaching in the Physics department, where she realized her passion for education. Soon after, she went on to do a Liberal Arts degree at Harvard University, majoring in physics, and she now works in medical animation (https://xvivo.com/our-animation-team/), combining the trifecta of her passions- education, science and art. The following are highlights from an interview with Julia:
Do you have any favorite memories from your time at Chisi?
So many! I have this memory from the gala - I was in Vumba house and the night before the gala, I was trying to paint a huge banner for the house decorations and all the other boarders came and helped me paint it, including those that were in different houses. It was amazing having everyone work together like that. The other thing I really enjoyed was being involved in the musicals, I used to play in the band and it was always so much fun to put on those shows for everyone.
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What do you think made you inclined towards physics?
I’ve always been very curious about why things function the way they do and growing up I was constantly asking my parents “why”, about all sorts of things. Physics to me, seemed to naturally be the answer to all the why questions, since it teaches you all the laws of the universe. So, I believe it stemmed from curiosity, as well as that then being the science that I performed best in. As a visual person I’ve also always appreciated physics for its observable side.

How are you currently combining your trifecta of passions - education, science and art?
I spend half my time reading science and half my time illustrating it, and the things that are produced are for educational purposes. The medical articles I read inform how I end up illustrating different concepts. I never would’ve thought this combination existed, but it is so great, and I enjoy being challenged in it.
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Artwork by Julia Grotto while she was a pupil at Chisi
What did the path to finding a way to combine your passions look like?
I had always struggled with how little visual representation there was in science and I felt as though that was a void I was able to contribute to. During my final year at university I came across an ‘Animating Science’ course, the name itself intrigued me and I signed up right away. During one of our lectures a guest lecturer, the Founder and Creative Director of the scientific animation company XVIVO, came to talk to us about his experience in the world of scientific animation. I approached him immediately after class to inquire about the possibility of interning at XVIVO. Fortunately, they had taken in several interns in the past for Summer positions and so I immediately applied. Some weeks later I was thrilled to have been given a chance at learning and working at XVIVO after graduation. As my academic focus at university had been Physics, I had much to learn in the realm of scientific animation and medical illustration. During the interview for the position, I had expressed my excitement for immersing myself in the animation production process, in particular storyboarding – the creative and visual development portion of animation pre-production. The whole team at XVIVO were very supportive throughout my time working with them. In retrospect one of the most important aspects I now appreciate is the challenge and intensity of the work entrusted to me right from the get-go.

It’s fairly well known at Chisi that you did really well in your A levels. Do you have any studying advice for current students?
Well, everybody is so different in their learning style, but looking back what I always tried to do that was helpful is to figure out metaphors for yourself that can represent the concepts, reframing these things in your mind for yourself and making those connections. Sometimes your brain makes these abstractions subconsciously and it’s about trying to be conscious about it. It’s not about how much time is spent studying so much as it’s about how efficiently you’re studying.

Would you advise others to pursue the combination of art and science if that was something they were interested in?
For sure, I find it strange that there’s this chasm between the two fields in so many people’s minds. I don’t think the sciences and the arts should be treated as separately as they are. My mindset on this was probably influenced by the fact that I grew up with one parent who was more scientific and one who was more into arts, so I’ve always had both those influences at one time. I believe when you have a mind for both you really can offer a different perspective, and that’s valuable in a lot of places.

How do you feel your time at Chisi has contributed to your path in life?
One of the things I look back on quite often is the concept of servant leadership. I resonated a lot with the idea behind it - I liked that everyone was given a chance at responsibility- and taking on responsibility is one of the most important things you can do in life, in my opinion. It was so different to any other school’s leadership that I had heard of, and it allowed the year group to work together in a way I hadn’t seen elsewhere. The fact that you were serving whoever you were leading, improving how things functioned and being there for others - that’s a concept I’ve tried to carry with me wherever I’ve gone. It contributed to me wanting to serve others in providing education, which influenced my career path. When you contribute to educating a generation, in a wide scope of things you’re serving people by helping humanity continue forward.

Is there a life lesson you’ve learnt since school?
I think one of the most valuable things I’ve realized is the importance of the ability and desire to learn.

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Artwork by Julia Grotto while at Chisi (left) and Harvard University (right)
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Chisipite Senior School
Hindhead Ave,
Chisipite,Harare
Zimbabwe
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