This past week saw the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. While not everyone may agree on the role of a monarchy, Queen Elizabeth II was a leader who for over 70 years showed integrity, dedication to duty and a devotion to her country. Tanzania will be observing a period of National Mourning for the Queen through September 14th.
This upcoming week we have the 24-Hour run starting Friday at 3pm on Arusha campus, please see the Newsletter from Friday for the details. Please do remember that we have an 11:30am ending time on Friday due to this event.
Please also note some of the other events upcoming below as we head into the second half of the term.
Wednesday September 21st is UWC Day which is always the same day as the UN’s International Day of Peace. This year we will be celebrating with an assembly planned to start at 1:30pm followed by activities to 4pm. Primary clubs and secondary service will be postponed on the day.
PYP children are invited to stay for the assembly and the following activities. If you plan for your child to attend please make sure that you collect them from the classroom promptly at 4pm.
Students, parents, staff and community members are invited to attend school (or the afternoon) dressed in national attire / Blue and White.
Ben’s Corner
I would like to use my little corner of the newsletter to introduce this year’s Primary Student Voice. We come together every Monday to think about ways we can celebrate our community, promote and recognise our school Values and liaise between students and teachers. We have representatives from P4-P6. We are already heavily involved in the planning for UWC Day on Tuesday 21st September and have plans for a Spirit Day on Monday 3rd October. Look out for more information in due course. The Student Voice also collaborates with the Student Government to explore school wide ideas and initiatives.
At the moment, we are canvassing the Primary School for ideas and suggestions on how we might improve our learning environment and break times.
Ben Morley
From the Counselors
There will be a Virtual Parent Meeting on Thursday, September 22 from 10 to 11 am and 7:30 to 8:30 pm EAT for all D2 Parents. In this meeting we will review the application process that D2 students are going through now, deadlines to keep your child abreast of, and financial implications and preparation for parents to consider. This session will be recorded, and the link sent to parents. There is no RSVP for the session. The session repeats in the evening. The same zoom link can be used for both meetings. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4095574237 Meeting ID: 409 557 4237
UPCOMING College and University Visit Events
14 September: The University of Oklahoma 7:30 PM EAT (virtual presentation)
19 September: 10:10-11:20 am Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and Dartmouth College in Rafiki Hall
Swimming classes have started for P2- P6 children and the majority of the children have enjoyed themselves in the pool this week. If your child feels cold in the pool, Coach Sabini is understanding towards children who ask to get out of the water before the end of the lesson. If your child is not going to participate in the lesson for any reason, please be sure to send a note.
The P4/5 class will present in primary gathering on Friday.
As you will see mentioned elsewhere in this newsletter, classes will finish at 11:30 on Friday, 16th September.
Deborah Mills
EC/P1 Class
In their exploration of feelings, the children listed the emotions they feel everyday such as happy, sad, angry, scared, nervous and worried. We looked at happy and sad emotions and what each one would look like if we felt that way. Our discussions of what we would do if we felt these emotions needed more work. We took time to talk through sad feelings and what we could do when we felt sad.
The children chose our class tepee as the calming down area where one could go and think before making a decision. Ms. Mboka placed some pictures of the strategies that we talked about: counting to ten, talking to a friend or teacher, taking deep breaths and so on. The children added their own ‘happy’ pictures inside.
This coming week, we will be talking through strategies that help when we are feeling angry.
Mboka Mwasongwe
P2/3 Class
The week ahead looks great. We’ve got 2 weeks left with our Friendship unit. The Kindness Challenge was a success. The class was very proud of all the things they had done to be kind. This week, we will look at Emotions and think about how our feelings affect our choices and how we need to consider the feelings of our friends.
Please note the changed finish time on Friday and prepare to collect your children at 11:30.
Kacey Buckley
P4/5 Class
This week the P4/5 children investigated buoyancy as part of their unit on forces. The children had lots of fun testing different objects to see if they floated or sank. They were then given a ball of plasticine and challenged to see if they could make it float and support 10 marbles. The classroom was awash with water! Next, we will start working with simple machines and hope to visit Mr. Dowie’s Design Room. In maths the children are practising different addition strategies. We hope to see you at our primary gathering on Friday, 16th September in Rafiki Hall. Please note that classes will finish at 11:30am on Friday, 16th September to allow staff and students to travel to Arusha to participate in the 24 hour run.
Deborah Mills
P6 Class
This week, seeds have been planted to test what plants need to grow. We worked on report writing too so we can accurately record our progress. We measured and compared how far we could jump, combining PE and mathematics. There was our first class birthday on Friday, a new student Caleb, and several of the class auditioned for Beauty and the Beast over the weekend – you were all stars!
