The Gala Launching of the New Curriculum leading on to the IB programme took place on January 17 with a symbolic gesture of a tree planting by the Guest of Honour Dr. Nigel Townson, the Acting Director of the British Council. Dr. Townson also released 100 balloons to signal the commencement of the Centenary Celebrations. AKES,T thus joined the AKES and Aga Khan schools world wide in celebrating a journey of a hundred years.

We are in the process of being accredited to the Center for International Education (CIE) of Cambridge University.

The school is now a regular member of the ECIS (European council of International schools). Being a member of this august body of international schools will entitle us to be officially classified as an Academy in Tanzania by the Ministry of Education.

The Advisor-Advisee programme was launched at the start of the year whereby students are assigned an advisor for the period of their time in school, with not more than 10 students to an advisor. The programme has several elements, each attempting to address individual student needs whilst weaving its way through the total school programme.

The Form IV (2004) results released in March of this year were the best in a decade. The school was ranked 16th out of 802 schools in the country with 57 Division I and 16 Division II.

The Form VI Graduation Day was celebrated with the usual aplomb and fun. 158 proud students donned the graduation gowns and were felicitated by their parents and teachers. Dr. Peter Samaranayake, Head of Education, AKES, T presided over the function.

The "Student Welfare Committee" has replaced the Discipline Committee and is proactive on matters related to student welfare as well as student affairs so that issues that often lead to indiscipline are addressed before they occur where ever possible.

Five teachers attended the IBDP workshop in Kampala in January.

From May 14 to 22, 33 students and three teachers and two alumni attempted the adventurous trek up Mt Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest mountain and the tallest walk able mountain in the world. Five of the contingent including a teacher reached the highest peak.

For the first time, the Aga Khan Education Services, East Africa organised the Academic Olympics at the Aga Khan Academy, Mombasa. From 11 - 14 September students took part in quizzes, Science projects, Mathematics, Drama, Elocution and Choral Verses competitions. All East African Aga Khan secondary schools participated with Mzizima sending a contingent of 29 students and 3 teachers. Students won prizes in choral verse, drama and Mathematics. The Olymics proved to be an excellent academic and cultural learning experience for students.

From 19 - 25 September, 29 students and three teachers adventured to Mt Kilimanjaro, scaling the Africa's highest mountain. Of the 29 students, only four made it to the highest peak; Uhuru. All students returned safely, experienced albeit slighltly blistered.

Form VI students benefiited from an afternoon session with Medicine, Nuclear Physics, Banking, Education and Environment professionals. They discussed with students career challenges, employment prospects and qualifications to succeed in these fields.

The 14th Annual Sports Day was held at the Tanzania National Stadium on August 15. The day culminated inter-house games played from July to August this year.

Rufiji House emerged the overall winner with 402 points. Ivan Tarimo and Zyleen Kassamali were outstanding atletes with Kenneth Ponela and Mariam Makori emerging as top swimmers. Elvin Lwakabare and Sabrina Pinheiro were best in football.

“Variety is the spice of life” and that’s how Mzizima students performed on 3 October at the Aga Khan Primary School's Multipurpose Hall.

The audience were captured by the ‘Saiyaan’, ‘Rang-Rang’, ‘Feel the Groove’, ‘Arabian Dance’ and ‘The Mcnginis’ performances. Guests were heard praising the performance, lighting, backdrop, stage decoration and scintillating music. The Mzizima ‘TV crew’ beamed the performances on a large screen projector for the audience seated in the back rows. Kudos to Mzizima students!

Head of Education has been appointed to provide leadership in transitioning from a school system that offers only the National Curriculum into one that also offers the IB curriculum at all levels.

The Career Fair organized at Mzizima Secondary School was very impressive and the first of its kind in Tanzania. Both teachers and students had put in a lot of effort and we are sure that all who attended benefited greatly.

We had a representative from the Center for International Education (CIE) of Cambridge University visit our Secondary School.

We are currently “Prospective Members” of the ECIS (European Council of International Schools) and a recent letter from the CIS informing us that we will be given full membership once the IB curriculum has been launched in 2005. Being a member of this august body of international schools will entitle us to be officially classified as an Academy in Tanzania by the Ministry of Education.

We recently submitted our application to become an IB PYP (Primary Years Program) school. We have received a letter from the Regional Director confirming that as of Jan 2005 we will have the status of PYP Candidate School.

We have also been successful in ordering of the text books that are needed for the IB curriculum.

Our next major project is to start the ordering of science equipment as well as teaching resources. We have made our enquiries and have prepared our wish lists. We expect to enhance our labs considerably within the next few months.

The “Discipline Committee” as we call it, will be abolished at the end of this year. It will be replaced by a “Student Welfare Committee”. The focus will be to become proactive on matters related to student welfare as well as student affairs so that issues that often lead to indiscipline are addressed before they occur where ever possible.

We have planned many events during the course of the year for our Centenary Celebrations. The highlight of this will be the Groundbreaking Ceremony for our new Center of Excellence.

Six teachers attended the MYP workshop in Moshi in December and five more will attend the IBD workshop in Kampala in January.

On January 17, 2005 we launch the Centenary Year Celebrations with the Gala Opening of our new curriculum. At this time we will commemorate our efforts to move towards becoming a school that offers the International Baccalaureate programme at all levels.