What a week. First off, a big congratulations to D2 students. Friday was the last day of classes and next Wednesday the exams start. Below you will see a picture of the full group with several candid photos at the end of the newsletter, thank you to Mr Mateusz for the lovely shots. It was a full day of events with the assembly, Clap Out, Pool party and the prom.
This week was not just a big one for the D2, our M5 students had their Personal Project Exhibition on Thursday. It was a great day with students sharing their interests with the school and greater community. There was clearly a lot of work and passion on display. Congratulations to the students, Ms Farah and everyone else who helped get the Exhibition up and running.
On Tuesday, Coach Pickell and the team put a new spin on the sports awards by having active competitions for everyone to get involved in. There was a lot of laughter and good-natured ribbing at the results. You can see the results of the awards below.
Looking ahead, our focus next week moves to exams. The D2 will start on Wednesday April 24th and go through to Friday May 17th. Due to this, Rafiki and other spaces around campus will be used at different times for the exams. Please keep an eye out for the signs indicating an exam in progress. The M5 will start their exams on Tuesday May 7th and finish on May 17th. The full schedule is below.
While not the same intensity as exams, we have our twice a year MAP testing for P4-6 starting Monday. On the 29th the M1-M3 will have their week on the MAP Math, English and Reading tests.
Through all of this we have 2 days off as public holidays. Friday May 26th is Union Day and Wednesday May 1st is Workers’ Day. There are no classes on either day, but the D2 students will have the outside scheduled exams on those days.
Please also see the information below about Earth Day on Monday.
Bob Cofer – Head of Campus
Earth Day
Dear all, next 22nd of April is Earth Day, the third Earth Day in the framework of the United Nations Decade for Ecosystem Restoration. In line with the values of UWC East Africa, for a peaceful and sustainable future, the sustainability committee wants to make a change and invite you all to also be part of the progress for a sustainable future. Therefore, we will have an assembly on Monday, in mentor time, where all students, staff, teachers, etc, are invited to reflect and also to go over the separation of waste in order to contribute to the recycling project. I invite you to watch this video by the United Nations in the framework of the celebration of this day.
In addition, around most of the UWC, there is a movement to celebrate Earth Hour, and we also wanted to join in. Together with the wellbeing committee, we have organised a campus-wide power cut on Monday from 19.00 to 20.00 hours. Two members of the committees will go to the dorms to give a talk about the environment and wellbeing, and thus give an added meaning to this hour without electricity, which also gives us the space to think about our electricity consumption and all the consequences for the environment. For those who live off campus we invite you to cut your power at the same times.
Sustainability Committee
Ben’s Corner
We have hit the ground running for Quarter 4 and, already, the events are coming thick and fast. The week started off with our annual Sports Celebration. We tried a different format this year with an hour of ‘friendly’ competition and challenges before the awards ceremony. It was a lot of fun and a great time was had by all involved.
A large turnout and an enthusiastic audience made for such an enjoyable occasion, a wonderful testament to the many talented and dedicated athletes we have across the whole school. To reiterate Coach Pickell’s message, special thanks must go to the small army of committed teachers and parents who give up so, so much of their time over many months to plan and deliver training sessions, organise friendly matches and take their teams to local competitions.
A community like UWCEA Moshi would not be able to run such a wide-ranging and inclusive sports programme without such selfless commitment from these coaches. Please, please, please do consider adding your name to our list of coaches. Passion and commitment are far more important than experience and the students really appreciate it.
Thursday’s Personal Project Exhibition (PPX) was an unmitigated success. Our M5 students showcased their learning with eye catching boards and display tables, alongside individual, entertaining and thought-provoking presentations.
Thank you to everyone who supervised our M5s across many months on their PP ‘journey.’ Special mention to our MYPC, Ms. Farah, for her unwavering support throughout the process and the countless hours she spent steering the ship.
Ben Morley – Deputy Head of Campus
Diploma News
This has been an emotional week for D2 as they come to the end of their secondary school career. Lessons have continued with revision and farewells.
On Friday we had the final assembly with the D1 students followed by the clap out. This is always an enjoyable event. We start with taking photographs showing the students university destinations which will be shared later as well as a group photograph. The D2 students then hid while we welcomed the D1 students and burst out of hiding when announced.
We started the assembly with the Honor Roll and Learner Profile awards. Then we had the questions about the year – who had never changed subjects, who started their IAs over the summer for example. Then we had the most likely to awards – who is most likely to be president was one. There was a sing along and then a few staff speakers. We finished as is tradition with singing “Africa” by Toto. Two lines are always poignant “It’s gonna take a lot to drag me away from you” and “I bless the rains down in Africa”. Seeing all the D2s hugging and singing along is very special.
The assembly is followed by the clap out. The whole school community lines the way from Karibu Hall to the playground. There were posters for each student and flowers being given out. Then we all gathered in the playground where there were hugs and goodbyes. More messages were added to the posters and tears were shed. The D2 students then had a pool party in the rain and then prom. The exams for D2 start on Wednesday and continue until May 17th.
On Thursday we had a visit from the UNDP representative in Tanzania, Mr. Shigeki Komatsubara. He spoke to the D1 Global Politics and Economics students and then had a chance to meet some students and tour the school. He seemed impressed by this. In the afternoon he spoke to all the D1 and a few D2 students about working for the UN and answered some probing questions from them.
Margaret Brunt – Diploma Coordinator
Residential Life
Dear UWCEA Community,
Welcome back to Quarter 4!
This week marks many of the year’s final events for our D2 students. It started with our D2 farewell residential dinners and culminated with yesterday’s Final Assembly, Clap Out, and Prom.
Congratulations to our D2 students and good luck with your exams!
As we say goodbye to some students, we are also preparing to welcome our new students next year. D1 students, if you are interested in being on the Orientation Committee, please fill out this form by April 20th.
Enjoy some photos from the last few days and have a great week!
Adnan Mackovic – Head of Residential Life
Kijana & Kiongozi D2 Residential Dinner
Kilele & Kipepeo D2 Residential Dinner
Kisiwa & Kipawa D2 Residential Dinner
Samba Band is Ready for the Clap Out
Clap Out Line Up
D2 Farewell Posters
MYP News
It certainly does not feel like the April break only ended a few days ago with all the exciting things that happened in MYP this week. Our students have been buzzing with energy and divining into new unit provocations and some intriguing activities. There is always something happening and not a single dull moment in the MYP. Something is always happening whether in the busy science lab, the workshop in the design lab, the PHE courts or the animated breezeway filled with students conducting surveys. Everywhere you turn, there’s something captivating happening, engaging both the minds and the hearts of our students. Every conversation you have with the students is enlightening with facts about their learning and about them. I am always proud to see our community of students fully immersed in learning, exploring, questioning, and growing as the year comes closer to its end. Have a beautiful week.
M1 and The Lorax Dr. Seuss’s Lorax has made his way to our M1 Language and Literature class that has just started exploring how Language and Literature can be used to develop our understanding of human impact on the environment. In the classic story, the Once-ler cuts down all the Truffula trees to make Thneeds, despite warnings from the Lorax. The students explored the literary techniques and non-literary techniques used in the audio/video book we explored while looking at point of view, plot development and stylistic techniques implemented to make this is a powerful text that symbolizes issues we face daily locally and globally in our world. If this was just the provocation, can you imagine what they have in store for us as the unit unfolds!?
M5 Updates M5 had a big week! They prepared for their MYPX and did a fantastic job. We are very grateful for everyone who came and was able to join us on the day of the event.
For those of you who missed it, please find the pictures and opening video here.
All M5 Personal Projects have been submitted to IB on the IBIS platform. For students sitting for eAssessments, Design e-portfolios and French Orals have been submitted as well.
Please see below the schedule for M5 eAssessments:
Students and parents/guardians will receive an email soon with guidelines and expectations. Study material is being complied and can be found here.
MYP Dates to Remember:
April 26th – Union Day (No School)
April 30th – Round 2 MAP Testing (M1, M2, M3)
May 1st – Workers Day (No School)
May 6th to17th – MYP e-Assessments (details and plans to follow)
May 24th – M5 Ceremony
June 10th to13th – M1-M4 Week of Giving Back
June 14th – Last day of Classes
Farah Fawaz – MYP Coordinator
Service
Our service program at UWCEA Moshi campus has been going really well this semester. Here are a few images from students hard at work serving in the various service offerings at UWCEA.
Art class with NEEMA
Reflection and review moments with student project teams
Daycare service is an interschool collaboration project to foster relationships within our existing community. Our M1-M3 students apply the design cycle they learn in Design class. Students design, build and supply teaching resources to this school to help reinforce learning experiences for this school.
Baden Dowie
Vermiculture Project
Worm Power! UWCEA is proud to introduce our new Vermiculture bathtub! Thanks to the Diploma Environmental Service Group and Mr. Baden, we have a beautiful home for our new worms. What is Vermiculture? It is the practice of growing worms to help break down food waste to produce nutrient rich soil and a natural fertilizer called “compost tea”. Worm “poop”, called “castings” is also an organic fertilizer and has many benefits to help plants grow. Worms are amazing little creatures!
Did you know they have five hearts? Have both male and female sex organs? And they breathe through their skin (From “5 cool things you should know about worms” see reference below)? What is even better, is that they are working hard every day to take food waste from the kitchen and break it down into nutrient rich compost and a fertilizer that will sustain our plants in the community garden. The next time you eat a delicious, red, garden-grown tomato, be sure to thank the worms!
Tuesday April 16 was our sports award event. We added an active session to this event by running 8 different competitions for the athletes during the first hour. The competition included things like 3-point shooting, vertical jump and netball shooting. It was fun to see Moshi Leopard athletes of all ages being active together.
The afternoon was without rain as we gathered on the tennis courts for the awards for the year. We celebrated the commitment, sportsmanship and hard work that the students, coaches and PE staff showed for this sports year. Congratulations to all the winners and to all the other athletes that participated in sports throughout this year.
During this last Quarter we will still be offering clubs for students. NTSAA competitions will be for Netball and Touch Rugby. The dates for those events are still being sorted with the participating schools.
Thank you all for your support to UWCEA Moshi Athletic Program
Coach Pickell
PYP News
Welcome to Katya (P4/5) and Jerome (EC/P1) who have joined the PYP. We hope you and your families will be very happy with us.
Thank you to Coach Pickell for sending out the after school clubs schedule. Please sign your child up for clubs on Life – there is no paper and pencil sign up. Clubs will start on Monday 22nd April and will run 2- 3pm. If you have difficulty signing up on Life please contact Agnes in the main office or Coach Pickell on joshpickell@uwcea.org.
On Tuesday afternoon we celebrated the Sports Awards – well done to everyone who participated in sports this year. The PYP winners of MVP and Coaches’ awards were: Aaryan, Adrian, Asahi, Atu, Christian, Coy, Daniel, Eliza, Ewan, Gabby, Hikari, Jack, Luna, MacKenzie, Milo, Parth, Shanice, Tendai, Tiago and Zach. The PYP Sportsperson of the year awards went to Gabby and Jack. Congratulations to everyone who won an award and also to Harjeet who won the penalty shoot out contest.
On Friday we lined the breezeway to clap out the D2 students who have now finished classes. It is always a little sad to realise that the D2 students will be leaving us soon. Many of the Diploma students have run clubs for the PYP children or visited our classrooms and they are friendly faces that we enjoy seeing around campus.
Next week, starting on Monday, 22nd April, the P4 – P6 children will take online assessments (MAP tests) in Reading, Language and Maths. These assessments will provide useful information about the children’s progress and will inform planning for the next steps for each child to move forward. There’s no need to do anything special to prepare for the MAP assessments – a good night’s sleep, a nutritious breakfast and a healthy snack are the only preparations that are necessary. The results will be shared by email at a future date
The rainy season generates a lot of mud. Please make sure that all of the children have a pair of indoor shoes in school. You might choose to keep a clean set of clothes in your child’s school bag – you know your child best and whether they are likely to end up in the mud!
Last quarter, the PYP Student Voice organised an inter-house joke competition. Thank you to everyone who entered. The results are now in:
First place = Meru
Second place = Mawenzi
Third place = Kibo
The overall winning joke was from Atu (Meru P6):
Q: Why should you always knock on the refrigerator door before opening it?
A: In case there’s a salad dressing.
Upcoming Dates:
Monday, 22nd April, Earth Day Assembly at 10:30 in Rafiki Hall organised by the secondary school sustainability committee.
Friday 26th April is Union Day and there will be no classes.
Wednesday 1st May is Workers’ Day and there will be no classes.
On Friday, 3rd May, we have the P2/3 primary gathering when they will be sharing their endangered animal expo with us. Please note that this is a date change and that there will no longer be a primary gathering on Thursday, 25th April.
Deborah Mills – PYP Coordinator
EC/P1 Class
What a great week back. We had wonderful show-and-tells this week. We are looking forward to more. Please allow your children to bring in their favourite items for show and tell. Each child will get time in the morning to share.
This week we learned about line as an art element. We drew different types of lines and made string art. Next week, we will be working on drawing familiar objects by following step-by-step instructions. All the art we create will go into our art portfolio which we will share with you at the end of our unit. We will also be using these skills to illustrate our very own story as we conclude the unit.
The weather is beginning to change and be unpredictable. Please place a jumper or sweater in the bag if your child does not wear one in the morning in case it gets chilly.
The picture shared is of Mr. Baiden and Jerome. Our class went to the design room to create a musical instrument. Thank you, Ms. Jamie, for organizing this activity.
Mboka Mwasongwe
P2/3 Class
It was a busy, wonderful kick off to Q4! The children are so interested in our unit about Endangered Animals. We wrapped up on our consideration of the classification of animals and are now focused on what factors cause animals to become endangered. In the week ahead, children will select a specific animal to research and report on. Please mark your calendar for May 3rd when we will share our reports as our Primary Gathering!
We are grateful for the opportunity to visit the Kilimanjaro Project / Kijani Pamoja last Wednesday. We learned so much about the great work that the organization is doing to preserve trees that are endangered. A downpour of rain prevented us from having time to plant trees at their site; however, a plan is being made to get the trees to us. A special thanks is owed to Jennifer (Mama Hattie) who organized the trip. Her passion for the topic is inspiring.
I know that the rain does complicate life a bit for making plans. It would be helpful if you could just remain hopeful that the sun will come out every Tuesday despite how the morning looks at home. Please continue to send in swimsuits every Tuesday. As noted above in the newsletter, keeping a pair of indoor shoes at school has become more important during this season.
Thanks for all of your support!
Kacey Buckley
P4/5 Class
Welcome to Katya who is joining the class for Quarter 4. Kayta (Kateryn) was with us for a short while a couple of years ago and it is lovely to have her back at UWCEA again. In Language we have been focusing on the different ways using commas when punctuating sentences. In maths our focus has been adding and subtracting fractions with the same or similar denominators. We have also practiced reducing fractions. The children have been thinking about our new unit on building design and have been coming up with ideas of what they wish to inquire into over the next few weeks. The photo shows the class painting buildings in the style of the American artist, James Rizzi. On Thursday we enjoyed visiting the M5 Personal Project Exhibition. Our PE day is Thursday and the children are likely to get muddy when they are using the pitch. Please consider keeping a clean set of clothes inside your child’s school bag whilst the rains last. Next week the children will complete their MAP online assessments – see the PYP newsletter for further information on these.
Deborah Mills
P6 Class
It was great to see P6’s smiling faces return this week, ready to begin a new quarter!
One of P6’s favourite parts of the day is ‘story and snack’ time. It’s a time when we all gather on the mat, and the children enjoy their healthy snacks while listening to our class novel. This week, we sadly concluded our current book, “Finders Keepers” by Emily Rodda. It was a lively and adventurous story about a boy named Patrick who gets pulled into a parallel universe to ours. If you’ve ever wondered where all those missing socks and lost items go to in your house, then this time-travel story might just explain it (ask your child how)!
We also began our new Unit of Inquiry: Transdisciplinary Theme: How We Organize Ourselves Central Idea: Communities can be developed through beliefsystems that have specific structures and functions.
Lines of Inquiry:
Abrahamic belief systems.
Organization of belief systems.
Relationships between belief systems.
Next week we have MAP testing: Monday (Reading), Tuesday (Maths) and Wednesday (Language). We also look forward to Clubs starting again.
Natasha Berri
From the Counselors
Decision Day is fast approaching (1 May in the US), and Friday our D2s started the process of revealing their next destination. Some of the D2s posed for media pictures to let the world know where they are heading off to. These are just some of the many decisions that have been made, and more to come over the next few weeks/months. The Class of 2024 has worked hard to earn these opportunities, and we are excited to celebrate with them as they prepare to launch.
UPCOMING College and University Events
20 April: 5:00-6:00 PM EAT VirtU-8 universities presentations and mini-fair by eight diverse institutions in Qatar, UAE, and United States. (Virtual)
15 May: 4:45-6:00 PM EAT 15 on the 15th returns with a “Hot Admissions Topic” and a virtual fair with 13 Davis UWC Scholar Partners & 2 UWC “friends”
22 May: 7:30-8:30 PM EAT D1 Guardian/Parent Presentation: Post-Secondary Planning Part II: A World of Possibilities (Understanding international admissions)
**Also, be sure to take a look at the newly designed Calendar section of the UWCEA Careers website, as well as individual institution’s website/social media to stay up to date on more upcoming events**
