Arusha Campus News – 21 Dec 2023

Poor Miss Christy! But what an entry into the pool and all safe in the knowledge that sponsors paid for the experience – all monies were collected for the benefit of the Young Women’s Empowerment club. Their cause will be revealed in the New Year!

Mon 15th January – First Day of second semester

The P3/4 Class balance on a fig tree at Maji Moto hot springs last week

A relatively short newsletter to see out 2023. The final assembly gave us a chance to say goodbye to some of our leavers, including Mr Hywel, who will be sorely missed. We thank him for all the amazing contributions that he gave to us.

We wish everyone assoicated with our School, a very happy holiday and hope that the rest of the year may be peaceful wherever you are. 

Please remember that the new semester starts on Monday 15th January. 

Have a super holiday.

Phil

The PYP Year drew to a close with a flurry of exciting events for the students and teachers.

Among many class trips, the P3/4 Class explored the hot springs of Maji Moto with parents and extra teachers tagging along tohelp with supervision. The picture (above) says it all about the fun that everyone had!

Top of the Pops has become an annual tradition and this year did not disappoint. The teachers got the ball rolling with their dance on stage much to the delight of the watching students. The collage below shows the class performances!

Have a great holiday!

Amanda

PYP celebrated the last day of quarter (above) to with a selection of fun activities chosen by the student council. There was Lego, beat the keeper, origami, dancing and paper aeroplanes.

It’s a wrap! Congratulations MYP students and families for making it to the end of semester 1!

We still made the most of the last week of term, both in terms of learning and fun whole school activities. Pictured are knowledgeable M4 music students Eleanor and Malaika guiding the artistic P6 students in making their orchestra posters in an MYP-PYP music class collaboration project. The same M4 class went off campus to plant trees as their action under their I&S ‘sustainable use of earth’s resources’ unit. Also pictured are our students during the end of quarter house games. Needless to say Mawenzi won, although I may be a little biased!

Looking ahead to quarter 3, please note all MYP classes will head out for their Week Without Walls trips from Monday 12 until Friday 16 February. More info to follow.

Wishing everyone a well-deserved break!

Anoek

Graham’s (M3) sculpture, above, shows an amazing appreciation of form and texture.

M3’s have been creating some amazing sculptures as part of their Flight in Nature ‘found object’ project. These are just some examples and we are excited to show off every single sculpture during our MYP Art show in the new year! Students collected recyclable and everyday objects such as cutlery, fabric, light bulbs and bottle tops amongst many other other wonderful materials. The photos do not do them justice and I am so proud of their hard work and creativity.

Miss Leah, Design

After such a busy semester 1, I think we will all agree that the December break did not come soon enough! The Addams Family school production was definitely the highlight of this quarter for me and I would like to congratulate Ms Sarah, Mr Ronald and the whole cast and crew for a wonderful show!

The majority of the D2 students have now handed in their final EE, a huge achievement, which means this big hurdle is now behind them. Over the break though, they will have to complete their TOK essay full draft.This is the last assessment for TOK. The students already had their 2 formal individual meetings with their TOK teacher to discuss the prompt they have chosen, and to review the outline of their essay. The full draft is due on the 15th January. They will then get feedback from their teacher and have a couple of weeks before submitting their final work. This will be the end of the TOK lessons so the D2 students will be able to use their 2 extra study periods to revise for the Mock exams.

In the meantime, the D1 students are currently working on their TOK exhibition commentary (1st TOK assessment) and Ms Kaya, our EE coordinator had a session with them last week  to introduce the Extended Essay and get them to start thinking about the subject they would like to write their EE in. The different steps of the process will start in January, with an internal deadline assigned to each step.

Until then, I wish everyone a wonderful December break!

Nathalie

In the second quarter, we focused on the literary text Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi, exploring the stories of two half-sisters and their descendants and the legacy of slavery in Ghana and the USA. In this activity, students worked in small groups to produce artistic or visual representations of the text. Here are two samples (above and below)

Mr.Toney, English

Exploration over the break and planning for the new academic year

Although 1 January 2024 will not be the start of a year in all parts of the world, January will begin a new semester and provide a fresh start for our campus community. Hopefully students will use a portion of the break to reflect on what they learned during the first semester about themselves, their strengths, their areas for growth, and experiences they want to have in the second semester. Then they can use this insight to gain a clearer sense of what they may pursue in the future through exploring careers, interests and creating a plan for “Round Two.”  Of course this will happen during their free time between catching up with loved ones and taking time to relax after a demanding first half of the school year.

Benjamin Franklin is often quoted as having said, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” These are words that I live by, and have faced my share of setbacks as a result of not taking the time to plan in advance. Proper planning requires knowledge, which is gained through experience and research. Find some time during the break to learn about opportunities to expand your horizons through a range of activities. Here is a list of ideas for your consideration during the break:

Make a list of possible programs to enroll in for during the window of time from June-early August (ie. “Summer Camps”)
Set up or join a volunteer program
Seek out an internship or actual job (especially if it pays!)
Learn a new skill
Find out about entry requirements and college entrance exams
Take an online course
Create your own research project
Think about a CCA you will start next semester
Plan visits to college/university campuses (in person or virtually)

For D2s, you will either receive decisions from your early applications, finalize the submission of applications, start applications with later deadlines, or work on your Gap Year plan. Whichever path you are taking, continue to conduct careful research, ask lots of questions, and talk with people who have previously traveled the direction you are considering in order to gather valuable insights to assist with your decision making process. There is so much assistance available to ensure you are making the best decision for your future, so use it and choose wisely as you plan for a fabulous future!

D1s, I look forward to our first meeting in quarter three where we will discuss the first part of your well thought out post-secondary plan. Keep exploring and discovering a world of possibilities that exist for you!

Topic #2: Reminder – Alumni, we need you!

We would like to welcome back to our campus any of our alumni who are currently on a college/university campus and home/off for their break. If you are a graduate from the ISM/UWCEA classes of 2020-2023 and available (in person or virtually) during the week of 15-19 January 2024, we would love to host you on campus, and gather any expertise you are willing to share with our current students as they explore their options.

Also, when we return from break we will begin planning our Careers Symposium that will take place in March 2024, and are seeking alumni who are willing to talk with current students about your career field, the skills needed to be successful in your field, and your professional journey. If you are interested in either of these events, please reach out to me at Counselor_arusha@uwcea.org.

UPCOMING College and University Events

December – January: Dates and Times Vary This is an excellent time to tune into the virtual programming available via colleges and universities all over the world. Although many institutions will close for a week or two during this time, many will remain available via online and social media resources for your review during this break. Take the time to learn more about the varied options that exist all over the globe, and the scholarships you may be eligible for to pursue your academic aspirations.

Week of 15-19 January: Times vary EAT Wiki ya Wahitimu
(Alumni week) – more details coming soon!

Remember to continue checking the UWCEA Careers Website Calendar for information about new events coming our way! Review the list of events and mark your calendars so that you don’t miss important engagement opportunities.

Take care and enjoy your well deserved break!

Cassandra Ford
College and Career Counselor
cassandraford@uwcea.org

I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity I had to attend COP28 in Dubai as a Tanzanian Youth Delegate (see collage above). This experience was eye-opening, allowing me to engage in key discussions about climate action, adaptation to climate change impacts, and even carbon trading which is a growing aspect of dealing with carbon emissions.

One of the most rewarding aspects of COP28 was meeting and interacting with fellow young people from across the globe who are taking innovative actions and making significant contributions to sustainability efforts. I was inspired by their passion and appreciate the opportunity I had to learn from them.

My experience at COP28 was filled with remarkable moments. I had the honor of moderating a panel discussion within the Tanzania Pavilion on Climate Action from Children’s Perspective alongside UNICEF representatives. Another key highlight was witnessing ongoing negotiations in a meeting room open to people with special access. Observing world leaders in action in discussing our planet’s future left me in awe.

My experience was incredibly worthwhile! I do hope that COP28 will have fruitful outcomes. Seeing people in action gave me hope that people are taking action around the world however there is room for more progress.

Lastly, a final takeaway that I learned is that young people are capable of making a difference using our creative ideas, skills, and voices. Therefore, I encourage my fellow young people here at UWC East Africa to be courageous. If there is any issue you feel passionate about addressing, go for it! For me it’s climate change impacts, what is it for you? No action is small!

Doreen Ngemera (D2)