International School of Zanzibar

Our Early Years students have been preparing something very special, a play that’s equal parts adorable and absolutely hilarious. Mark your calendars for 8:00 AM in the main hall on Friday, 5th June. You won’t want to miss it! 💙

Our ISZ Wahoo Swim Team went to Dar last weekend! 🏊‍♂️ 17 swimmers competed, and they represented ISZ with the kind of determination, teamwork, and sportsmanship that make us proud! 29 medals, 3 trophies, and most importantly, 32 individual personal best times. Those PBs tell the real story: hours of early morning training, pushing through tough sets, and believing you can go faster than you did last time.
The weekend was about growth, perseverance, and what happens when talent meets dedication. Every swimmer who stepped up to the blocks this weekend showed us what commitment looks like. 💙
Huge congratulations to all our Wahoos and massive thanks to the coaches for an outstanding weekend of swimming! 🌊✨

The Primary playground design exhibition was a success, with students confidently presenting their architectural visions to an engaged parent community.
The response was exceptional. Parents approached the exhibition with genuine curiosity, asking thoughtful questions about material choices, design rationale, and implementation. Their support and enthusiasm reinforced the value of this community-led project and validated the students' hard work.

The project now moves to its next phase: the FAUA.Studio .studio design team has taken the students' concepts and begun drafting the final plans for the new Primary play area. Student ideas are being translated into buildable designs, demonstrating that their creative work has real-world impact and application.

This project exemplifies experiential learning that extends beyond traditional classroom boundaries, showing students that their ideas, when developed thoughtfully, can shape the physical spaces they inhabit. Updates to follow as the project progresses from concept to construction.

Our Primary students are currently engaged in an authentic design project, creating a new playgroup area in collaboration with .studio, led by ISZ parent and architect Alexandra Papadaki.

FAUA Studio is an international architectural firm with an established presence in Tanzania, operating across East Africa and Europe. Their multinational team brings expertise in sectors ranging from hospitality to urban design, with a core focus on sustainable and contextual architecture. We're grateful for their commitment to this community-led project and the professional guidance Alexandra and the FAUA team have provided our students.

Our students were guided through three hands-on workshops that transformed them into young architects.
Workshop 1: Students measured the site and created a detailed map of the area.
Workshop 2: They zoned the map into play areas, created mood boards, and explored available building materials.
Workshop 3: In the 'Modelling Lab,' students built individual models of the playground equipment they envision.

The creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking involved in this project goes far beyond typical classroom learning. Students aren't just imagining a playground; they're problem-solving, making design decisions, and understanding how ideas become reality.

The next stage is an exhibition of student designs, which will inform final decisions about which elements will be constructed. We're incredibly proud of the work our students have produced and can't wait to see their visions come to life.

Thank you to Alexandra Papadaki and FAUA Studio for their commitment to this community-led project and for showing our students what thoughtful, sustainable design looks like.

This past term, our Year 3 students became business owners and their cupcake empire took over the school! 🧁✨

As part of their IPC unit "The Young Entrepreneur," students didn't just learn about business; they built one. They planned their product, made decisions as a team, developed ideas (spoiler: the cupcakes sold themselves), and ran every aspect of their bakery operation. The curriculum goal? To understand the basic skills needed to run a simple business: planning, collaboration, decision-making, and creative problem-solving.

These young entrepreneurs discovered what it feels like to create something, work together towards a goal, and see their efforts succeed. 💙

Business lessons learned, cupcakes devoured, confidence built. That's a successful unit in our book!

Friday's Francophonie Gala was everything we hoped it would be: vibrant, collaborative, and filled with the kind of energy that happens when students from different schools come together to celebrate language and culture. 🇫🇷✨

We welcomed students from École Française Arthur Rimbaud in Dar es Salaam, the French department at Kiponda Secondary School, and the Zanzibar Opportunity Institute to join our ISZ students for a day of creative collaboration. Mixed into teams, students painted and brainstormed elements of Francophone culture from around the world, tested their French knowledge in a language quiz, and competed in pétanque, frisbee, football, volleyball, and basketball. New friendships formed, French was spoken, and the spirit of friendly competition brought everyone together.

We were thrilled to have the French Embassy's support, whose contribution to our French department made this expanded inter-school event possible. And a heartfelt thank you to for their continued support. Thank you to Ms Laura for organising such a fun, engaging day. This is what learning looks like when it crosses borders and builds connections. 💙🌍