After a two-week hiatus from the newsletter as I was a team member on an accreditation visit for another school, I am happy to be back. I physically returned in time to join the 24-Hr Run in progress. You can see more below concerning their efforts. Congratulations to all that are making this a success.
As you will see below the Upcoming Events section is bursting at the seams with so much the first two weeks. I would also like to note two other items not on that list. One is the Secondary Conferences. Those are the afternoon of October 25th and the morning of the 26th. Parents you will receive the online sign-up invitation this week.
The second is that we will have members of six regional National Committees visiting us on the 20th and 21st. They have been invited to see how students on both campuses are progressing and to see the school in action. As well they will be discussing some of the challenges facing UWC National Committees in East Africa as well as looking to build connections and support between the groups. This should be an exciting opportunity.
I hope everyone is enjoying the break, getting some rest and staying safe. I look forward to seeing you when classes start on Tuesday October 17th.
Bob Cofer – Head of Campus
Upcoming Events
Blood Drive
Mark your calendars!!
The KCMC CAS is very excited to invite everyone to join us at Rafiki Hall on October 20th from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm for the FIRST life-saving blood drive event of the academic year.
Besides getting the opportunity to save lives, there will be a warm and welcoming atmosphere, with refreshments and food provided throughout the day to ensure your comfort.
Blood donors are healthier! Keep in mind that Donating blood not only helps those in critical need but also offers various health benefits for the donors, Blood donation boosts red blood cell production and other bone marrow functions, and the blood gets tested for a number of infections which may be lifesaving, you will also get to know your own blood group which is always good personal information to be aware of. In large studies over a 50-year period, we can see that blood donors have better overall health outcomes!
You are in safe hands! All equipment used in the Blood Drive is standardized WHO-supplied single-use sterile material. Moreover, there will be a doctor and a nurse present on-site at all times in case of any emergency.
Remember! If you are under 18 please fill in the Consent form that has been sent to you via email.
Your participation in this event could truly be a beacon of hope for someone in need.
“One donation of blood can save three lives, let us save lives together!”
~KCMC CAS Group
Farmers’ Market
Let’s Talk Development
Hello everyone!
I hope this notice finds you in high spirits and brimming with curiosity!
Get ready because something fascinating is on the horizon! Allow me to introduce you to “Let’s Talk Development,” an event that’s set to be an extraordinary journey. Brace yourselves for a riveting panel discussion and spirited debates among your fellow students, all centered around the compelling theme of mixed market economies and the concept of development in Africa. And as the cherry on top, immerse yourself in transformative workshops featuring distinguished figures from various sectors in Tanzania. This event will take place in the 21st of October 2023 in Rafiki hall, UWCEA Moshi campus.
Here’s the real kicker: attending this event won’t cost you a penny! That’s right, it’s completely free of charge.
But here’s the catch: We have limited space available, with room for only 30 more staff and community attendees. To ensure you’re right in the heart of the action, I strongly recommend securing your spot at the earliest opportunity. So, don’t delay – reserve your place now by simply clicking the link below:
Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or need further information. We’re here to assist you every step of the way.
Thank you!
Primary Halloween
Secondary Halloween – Save the Date
Friday October 27th is planned for the return of the UWCEA Moshi Secondary Halloween. Currently groups are working on your Fun Filled Fright Night. More information to come in the next Newsletter…
Ben’s Corner
…and, just like that, we have reached the end of Quarter 1. Like many of you, I am well and truly cooked and ready for a rest! To quote one of the perennial inspirations in my working life, Simon Sinek, “Working hard for something we don’t care about is called stress. Working hard for something we love is called passion.”
Looking back over the last 8 weeks (and the many weeks that led up to them!), I see a quarter packed with amazing happenings and boundless passion. Some all singing and dancing events and, countless others, far more understated or, even, unnoticed.
I wanted to mimic the words of Faith Abiodun (Executive Director of UWC International) in last week’s UWC International Newsletter, “…as we observe the world grappling with multiple conflicts, the UWC mission takes on added significance. We must never underestimate the powerful role that education can play in bridging divides and helping to restore hope in the world.” He went on to echo the famous quote by UWC Adriatic founding president, Corrado Belci, “peace is not a comfortable process… it is that continuous process of giving without receiving in return, above all without knowing whether and when the process will ever achieve completion.”
Like Sinek, Belci, Faith Abiodun and, hopefully, many of you, I believe in a bright future and our ability to build it together. Sinek likes to imagine a world where everyone wakes up inspired to go to work, feels trusted and valued and returns home completely fulfilled, like they have contributed to something greater than themselves. Of course, most of us do not experience this every single day but I hope that we all feel elements of this from time to time. I know that I do and that is why I am already looking forward to all that is yet to come in Q2…but I will enjoy a few days of welcome respite first!
Ben Morley – Deputy Head of Campus
24-Hr Run
Our heartfelt gratitude to every student, parent, and community member who participated in our 24-Hour Run fundraising event for the UWCEA Scholarship Fund, on Friday 29th September to 30th September 2023. We had a fantastic turnout with overwhelming involvement from both students and parents. Creative stalls, team themes and activities that showcased the talent and diversity of our school community.
Together we raised an impressive $15,915 so far!
While we’ve made significant progress, the excitement isn’t over yet! If you couldn’t make it to the event or wish to further contribute, there is still time! Our Director Dr Anna Marsden has thrown down a delightful challenge. If we reach our target, she will cut her hair as a symbol of her commitment to our students and their dreams.
Once again, we thank our main sponsors TPC Limited and TFK for their support, and every member of the UWCEA community for making this event a resounding success. With continued support, we are confident we’ll reach our target and give a deserving student the chance to achieve their educational aspirations.
24-Hr Run organisers
Residential Life
Dear UWCEA Community,
It has been an eventful start of the year! As we close the quarter, and look back, students in residential houses have had a multitude of activities, events, and academic endeavors this quarter.
Some of the photos are below.
Over the break, our PYP & MYP students have headed home, and our DP students are either traveling in Tanzania or staying on campus. For those traveling, please communicate with me if your return-travel arrangements change.
For those staying on campus, they will be taken care of by Ms. Agnes, Ms. Grace, Mr. Emmanuel, and Mr. Thadeus. They will have opportunities to organize trips around Moshi or Arusha during this week as well or stay in the dorms and rest.
We also have a group of students currently climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. They should be back on October 10th.
Thank you to everyone for making Quarter 1 a success!
Adnan Mackovic – Head of Residential Life
PYP News
It was great to see so many parents at the conferences on Thursday. We had a lovely end to the quarter today! The secondary school wellbeing committee gave the children popsicles to congratulate them on the spirit they showed last week by participating in all the dress up days. Thank you to the committee for thinking of us!
As always, it’s been a busy week in the PYP. Below is a brief summary from each class.
EC/P1 have been exploring the number square. They looked for patterns in columns and rows. Next quarter, they will be inquiring about the best ways to add single-digit numbers to themselves as well as to double-digit numbers. Making sense of numbers is always fun.
P2/3 has been busy with considering how scientists use observation, questions and experiments to understand the world. They are looking forward to continuing with this in Q2. Perhaps on the break, your whole family can take time to notice details about nature and ask each other some of the wonder questions- Why is it like that? What would happen if….? How does it work?
The P4/5 children have been considering what makes a good story as part of their Unit of Inquiry about storytelling. They have been reading myths, folktales, fables and fairy tales and on Friday they entertained each other with story telling. After the break the children will write some stories of their own.
P6 have been busy this week observing and investigating plants. They were given an exciting STEAM Challenge that required them to build a Plant Light Maze and to prove that ‘plants seek light to grow’. P6 are looking forward to seeing how their bean plants go and will present their findings to the class after the quarter break.
Parents – please volunteer for after school clubs and Trunk or Treat!
Please will you consider offering an after school club (2-3pm one day a week) for EC2- P2 next quarter? We need more clubs for this age group but we are a small staff and rely on parent support. If you are willing to offer a club please email our sports and activities coordinator on joshpickell@uwcea.org
We hope to celebrate Halloween for the PYP on Friday, 27th October at 4pm. We need at least 10 cars to sign up for the Trunk or Treat for this event to go ahead but at the moment we only have one parent who has volunteered to participate. Teachers and some students have volunteered but we need more parent support. The children usually love this event so please sign up on the sheet outside Mr. Morley’s office.
It has been a happy and productive quarter. Thank you for your support. We wish you all a happy and relaxing break with your children. We look forward to seeing the children back in school on Tuesday, 17th October.
Deborah, Mboka, Kacey and Natasha
Our Primary this week
MYP News
Quarter one is over! We’ve reached the end of a very productive quarter in the MYP section, and we’d like to take a moment to reflect on the journey so far.
Over the past few months, our students have shown determination and growth in their studies. They’ve tackled challenges, engaged in learning, and made great progress. It’s been great to see their development.
We also want to acknowledge the sense of community in our school. The friendships formed and the support from parents and teachers have made our MYP section a special place. We’re grateful for your involvement.
With the beginning of October break, we encourage you to relax and spend quality time with the students. Make beautiful memories together, whether you’re traveling or enjoying a staycation.
Looking ahead, we’re excited about what the next quarter will bring. Let’s continue to work together to support our students’ growth and success.
Thank you for being a part of our MYP community.
Have a restful October break filled with cherished moments and relaxation.
MYP Dates to Remember:
October 17- Classes Resume Q2
October 25- PTC (details to follow)
October 26- PTC (details to follow)
Farah Fawaz – MYP Coordinator
DP News
We have made it to the end of Quarter 1. Congratulations to everyone.
Last weekend we had the 24-hour run which despite the rain was an excellent event. There was also the Chinese Cultural Night which was very informative but was special because we had students from M5, D1 and D2.
This week was full of assessments for DP students as people have come to the end of units and wanted to assess students before the holiday. I’d like to reiterate what I said last week about the style of IB assessments being different to what students are used to and the fact that expectations for grades are different. We will spend time next quarter talking to students in more detail about grade boundaries and what they mean.
There are 15 students currently attempting to climb Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa and our view on a clear day. We hope the weather is good for them and they can look down and see the lights of Moshi from above.
To be Balanced is one of the learner profile attributes and is the most important one for this break. Students may need to spend some time working to catch and clarify work done this quarter but they must also rest. All the research suggests you perform better if you take breaks.
Having said that, D2 student have the Extended Essay Draft Deadline coming up and they do need to work on that, along with deadlines for other subjects and college applications. We will be sending the D2 students a copy of their IBDP exam registration soon so they can do a final check.
Some more updates from our service groups
Bee Club The Bee Club promoted bee awareness by selling the honey in glass containers during UWC Day. They will also process the leftover wax (a boiling process). The Education Committee of the Bee Club is still finishing its bulletin board outside of room 10. On November 4, Bee & Trees will present to the Bee Club a detailed explanation on how to install a new bee hive. Bees & Trees is providing a new bee hive as well as 100 seedlings for new trees. The Bee Club plans to work with the UWCEA administration and the Environmental Club on planting the seedlings, hopefully in the near future.
Coral Reef The Coral Regeneration Project at UWCEA Moshi and Arusha campuses is dedicated to restoring and preserving the marine ecosystems of the Tanzanian coast. Our aims for the coming year include:
The idea of service this year is to be more interactive, building on the legacy left by those before us, this includes a greater focus on research into conservation techniques, development of diving skills with a pool session once a month, this includes both those who do Reefs OP and those that don’t, engaging them in activities that will equip students for service through OP but also beyond UWC. In this, we allow some time for CAS reflections and team collaboration in various groups within the service group
KCMC We have taken part in the Songambele walk, we have already sorted all the rotations for the meal deliveries at the weekend and it is going really smoothly. We have visited the hospital including on Cancer Awareness Day. The first blood drive of the year will be happening on the 20th October. There will be another one happening in March or April. The students want to ensure that they go to the hospital more regularly and interact more with the patients so this will be our ‘extra’ goal for the year. We will keep trying to help out the hospital however we can and whenever we can.
Neema We, the NEEMA service group, have outlined our objectives as follows:
We aim to foster strong and lasting relationships with the children. Our goal is to create a safe and supportive environment where they feel valued and cared for.
We want to bring happiness to the children’s lives and help them build connections, both with us and with their peers.
We want to encourage the children to express their opinions, engage in debates, and share their ideas. We believe this will increase their confidence.
We plan to expose the children to new and enriching experiences, encouraging their curiosity.
We want to make Wednesdays a ‘happy hour’ for the children. We want them to look forward to Wednesdays as a time of fun and learning.
By building deep relationships, we hope to gain a better understanding of the children’s backgrounds, allowing us to provide more personalized support.
Margaret Brunt – DP Coordinator
From the Counselors
Connecting in person and virtually
Once again, we spent time over the last two weeks engaging with representatives from institutions who are excited to learn more about the amazing students at UWC East Africa. Although we celebrated Maulid Day recently, we still hosted a representative from Vanderbilt University since they had already scheduled a visit to our campuses. Vanderbilt is one of the newest Davis UWC Scholar partner institutions, so it was great to have time to ask questions and learn about this renowned institution as students are expanding their realm of options. Also, many students joined the Six Colleges event that included highly selective Davis UWC Scholar institutions. Although the event was virtual, there was a chance to meet with representatives in their separate chat rooms after the general presentation. Many more events of this nature are coming our way, so stay tuned.
In addition, there are pictures above from our first mini-fair of the year with five Davis UWC Scholar Partner institutions. This past week we hosted seven partner institutions (+1 additional institution) during a busy Tuesday that included presentations on essential elements of the post-secondary planning process, a mini-fair, interviews, and lunchtime chats. The admissions specialists raved about how wonderful our students were after spending half a day with them. I was so proud, and excited to see D1 and M5 students also actively engaged with representatives.
D2 Parent/Guardian Session on Thursday, 27 September
That night we held the first parent/guardian presentation of the school year, where we focused on providing D2 parents and guardians with information and resources to support their child through the 2023-2024 application cycle. We covered a lot of topics related to the mental health and wellbeing of our D2 students through this stressful season, but also provided parents/guardians with tools to equip them as they become the biggest cheerleaders for their child through their process of preparing for life after UWC East Africa. If you missed the presentation, it has been emailed to all D2 families via the email that is on file and is available on the UWCEA Careers website in the “Past Presentations” section.
Take a look at what is coming our way even over the October break…
UPCOMING College and University Events
11 October: 4:00-5:00 PM EAT University of Florida Honors College presentation for UWC students and families (Register in advance, virtual)
15 October: 4:45-6:00 PM EAT 15 on the 15th: US Liberal Arts Colleges Presentation and mini-virtual fair. October focus: US Holistic Admissions. Link to register for these events:
18/19 October: Moshi/Arusha College of the Atlantic (Davis UWC Scholar Partner Institution)
19/20 October: Moshi/Arusha University of British Columbia (Canada)
19/20 October: Arusha/Moshi Goucher College (newest UWC Scholar Partner)
4 November: 7:30-11:00 AM EAT SAT exam on Moshi campus (See uwcea.org/tests for more information)
We have a lot of in person and virtual events to look forward to when we return from the break. Please keep checking the calendar on the UWCEA Careers website, and add events that you are interested in to your personal calendar so that you do not miss out!
Keep exploring and enjoy your break!
Aizhan Smagulova – University and Career Counselor
Outdoor Pursuits
Student reflection on recent Plains Trip
After our last minute pack up on a Sunday morning it was finally time to go. We were not many in numbers at first but when we got to our campsite it felt like any other trip. The first day we walked 12km, the second day was 15km and the third day was 5km up to the Tarangire gate. Like usual it took time to bond with the people from Arusha campus, but the moment we found our similarities and complained about the work we left behind it just clicked. I loved the second day when we walked all the way to lake Manyara. The walk itself wasn’t what attracted me, but the view was breathtaking once we got there. We had a very friendly guide, Mr. Cornell, who I appreciate to this day and won’t forget. Personally, this trip wasn’t as hard as all the other ones and from Mr. Isaac’s plans and discussions seem like great things are to come.
