This week the D2 students started their IB Diploma Exams and despite yesterday being a Tanzanian holiday, it was not a holiday from exams and several of us spent parts of yesterday with students taking their Business and Global Politics papers. While not everyone has taken an exam yet, due to their different schedules some have had exams in three classes already. The exams will continue until May 17th and end with French. On May 7th our M5 class gets into the swing of exams as well. We wish all of our students the very best of luck over the next few weeks.
This week was a bit more subdued than last week, and I am sure this is partly the move from the end of classes celebrations to the reality of exams, but the weather played its part as well. To say we have had rain would be a classic understatement. This has also impacted swimming and PE classes but also some clubs. Please note the comments from primary teachers below.
Next week we have a split week with the May 1st Worker’s Day holiday on Wednesday so there will be no classes on that day but the D2 will again have exams.
Bob Cofer – Head of Campus
Ben’s Corner
…we have lift off! On Wednesday, our D2s kicked off their ‘final exams’ and, over the coming weeks, they will spend many hours in Rafiki Hall and environs putting pen to paper.
The word ‘final’ is so loaded, so non-negotiable and, in this context, I am not sure it is particularly apt. The IB has always emphasised both internal and external assessments but measuring achievement through final exams has its advantages and disadvantages.
There are the obvious pros such as standardisation, assessing students in the same way across the board allows for fair comparison. Exams allow for comprehensive evaluation by testing a wide range of knowledge and skills acquired over a course. For many students, they are an incentive, motivating individuals to study and engage with course material. You could also argue that final exams prepare students for university as they often mimic the format of tests used for college admissions or professional certifications, helping students prepare for future endeavours. This final vindication is not one I necessarily agree with.
The cons are also well documented. Exams come with seemingly high-stakes pressure, creating significant stress and anxiety for many students. It makes sense that this pressure may negatively impact performance or wellbeing. Again, although the IB tries to mitigate this, exams have limited scope as they rely heavily on a single assessment event. You could suggest that exams promote a cramming culture, prioritising memorising information over deeper understanding. This is certainly something we encourage students to avoid.
For me, the most pertinent con is that although we allow for accommodations, final exams may not account for differences in learning styles, backgrounds or, even, abilities among students.
I guess the only universal truth is that the results of these final exams do not define anybody. My advice is to do all you can so that you leave each exam having given a true representation of your best efforts at this time. “Let your mind alone and see what happens.”
Ben Morley – Deputy Head of Campus
Diploma News
The D2 exams have started, and some students have had exams in all five sessions so far. Five of them had exams for two subjects in Friday afternoon’s session. They did one paper early and then were supervised during their break before the next paper. The attitude and behavior so far has been very good with most students using their time wisely. There is a certain look as they think, “what can I write in the last minute?”
The exams continue until the May 17th with graduation on the May 18th.
D1 are enjoying being the oldest year group. They heard on Thursday what their EE subject will be and who their supervisor is. They now need to start brainstorming ideas.
Some important dates
D1 End of Year exams May 27th to May 31st
D1 Collaborative Science Project (compulsory for all students) June 5th to 7th
D1 TOK Exhibition (compulsory for all students and an actual assessment task) June 10th to 11th
End of Semester Friday June 14th
Margaret Brunt – Diploma Coordinator
MYP News
It’s time for our weekly roundup of what’s happening in the MYP section, and let me tell you, it’s always a challenge to choose what to include…in a good way! Every week, we realize more and more that we’ve got a lot to celebrate, from student achievements to hitting milestones, and I promise, there’s never a dull moment in MYP. And you know what? We love the noise! It is good noise in this case… the sound of our learning community in action. Every week, we get to witness the unique strengths of our students in different settings, and it’s truly inspiring.
So, here’s another week of cheering on our students and being part of the growing MYP community!
M5 Drama – Waiting For Godot M5 theatre students and Mr. David have been working on bringing the classic “Waiting for Godot” back in style! What can you do with 22 students and only 5 roles? Well from the looks of it, you can do plenty! Stay tuned for the dates… you do not want to miss it!
M2 Language and Literature: This quarter the M2s are inquiring into graphic novels and how authors use language and visuals to communicate a message. We are studying the novel, American Born Chinese by Cene Luen Yang. As an introduction to the terms, students drew their own graphic novels. Each student had to include a slice of pizza, an umbrella and a pen. We will be working towards creating longer graphic novels which directly respond to the novel we are reading. Thank you M2 and Mrs. Dowie!
M2 Life Skills: Our unit of inquiry this quarter is around Nutrition, Healthy Eating and Cooking. This week the students looked at what percentages of each food group we should be consuming daily. You can remind your children at home that they need to eat their 25% vegetable portion daily! Thank you M2 and Mr. David!
M1 Drama: The students are almost ready to put on quite a show as they come to the end of their unit on “Street Performances”. We do not want to ruin the surprise, so here are some teasers! Thank you M1 and Mr. Ramy!
M5 eAssessments and Preps The schedule for M5 eAssessments is as follows:
All information about exams, conduct during examination and notice to candidates can be found here.
Students are encouraged to read the information mindfully to understand the information clearly. I will go over this with them as well.
M1-M2-M3 MAP Tests Round 2:
The tests will start this week and make up sessions may run into next week based on this schedule.
MYP Dates to Remember:
April 30th – Round 2 MAP Testing (M1, M2, M3)
May 1st – Workers Day (No School)
May 6th to 17th – MYP e-Assessments
May 24th – M5 Ceremony
June 10th to 13th – M1-M4 Week of Giving Back
June 14th – Last day of Classes
Farah Fawaz – MYP Coordinator
Sustainability
Hello everyone!
This past week our committee was highly engaged with the school community in honour of Earth Day that happened on Monday, April 22. We held an assembly in which we talked about Earth Day, some environmental global challenges, Tanzanian environmental challenges, recycling practices and most importantly our activity with the collaboration of the Well-Being Committee, the hour of the planet. This activity was in reality a UWC initiative, as most UWC’s were doing the same thing at the same time, of cutting down the electricity of each school for 1 hour, that was named the hour of the planet. This movement was also celebrated on March 24 all over the world, as part of the environmental awareness campaign organized by the WWF for Nature, that encouraged people to turn off their lights for 60 minutes to raise awareness for environmental issues. Many countries and famous landmarks also joined the movement and turned off their lights, such as The Eiffel Tower, The Colosseum in Rome, the Parthenon, La Sagrada Familia, the Akshardham Temple and Sydney Opera House. On our campus we decided to not only cut the power off for Earth Day, but to engage all of our school residential life in activities of mindfulness and awareness, therefore we had two members of either the Well-Being Committee or Sustainability Committee go to each dorm and organise talks and activities. These talks and activities varied from each dorm, as we had members in PYP dorm, MYP dorms and DP dorms, but generally the feedback and results of the activities were very positive, and our campus showed its collaboration and engagement to the environment!
This was a very successful initiative from our committee, and we hope to even improve it for the following year and continue on doing more school activities to raise awareness on the importance of sustainable practices and advocacy.
Lastly, we want to share our appreciation for all the collaboration that we saw on Earth Day from the school staff that was very helpful and punctual when cutting electricity off, the student community that gave 1 hour of their time to participate in our activities and the Well Being Committee for their hard work. We also want to state that we are looking for more ideas of what the school community would like to see from us, therefore we will leave you with this link with the information of all the Sustainability projects that are currently happening on campus and a picture of the members of our committee, so you know who to approach!
Thank you for reading and we wish you a lovely weekend,
Sustainability Committee
Sports Update
Leopards on the Move!
This quarter for NTSAA there will be netball and touch rugby tournaments. The primary will travel on May 18 for netball and on May 21 for touch rugby. They have already started practicing and learning these relatively new sports to our students.
Secondary dates are still to be determined, but the crossover semifinal championship for NTSAA will be on June 8th.
Primary and secondary clubs have started. If any parent would still like to lead a club for the secondary levels, there is still time to get involved. Please see a picture of one of the primary clubs below in the PYP section.
We have started an inter house mini-tournament series for this quarter here on campus. Currently, we are running an indoor football tournament. We have 7 teams competing to win house points. The teams are multi-aged and so far, the games have been fun and competitive. With the music playing during the game even the primary students watching the games in the stands are having a good time.
Coach Pickell
Primary News
On Monday, the primary children, led by Ms. Jamie, kicked off the Earth Day assembly by parading into Karibu Hall playing musical instruments they had made from recycled materials. Thank you, Ms. Jamie for this fun activity.
This past week the P4 – 6 children took MAP online assessments in Reading, Language and Maths. The data from these assessments will help teachers plan for the children’s future learning. The results will be shared with you at a future date as not everyone has completed the tests yet.
Clubs started on Monday. Many thanks to those DP students and community members who give up their time to run clubs for the primary children. The photos shows the Taekwondo club, led by Mohammed (D1) and the EC/P1 Play club, led by Mr. Emmanuel.
Next Friday, we have the P2/3 Primary Gathering on the theme of endangered animals. Rafiki Hall will be out of use because of exams – more details of where we will meet will be shared later.
Please note that there will be no classes on Wednesday, due to the Workers’ Day holiday.
Deborah Mills – PYP Coordinator
EC/P1 Class
Thank you for allowing the children to come to school with items for show and tell. Our conversations are growing in depth. Everyone is learning to ask meaningful questions, and those bringing their items are looking for more ways to speak about them. Some children have not bought anything, please remind them and let them choose what to share even if it is a picture of something, someone, or a place they wish to speak about.
Due to the rain and changes in weather, swimming lessons can sometimes happen and sometimes not. Please send in swimming kits and we will make decisions to the minute. This week, we had some children swimming because the sun was shining, and those who did not come with their kits on the field doing P.E.
This past week, we learned how to sketch cats, adding all the details that tell them apart from other animals. P1s practiced changing a cat picture into different types of cats such as lions, leopards, and so on. The children will choose what they wish to learn to draw in the coming week.
Mboka Mwasongwe
P2/3 Class
It was a muddy, busy terrific week in P2/3! We kicked off our work on research skills and the students have loved it. Each child is researching a specific endangered animal. We have talked about how to find information in texts and how to record information. Next week we will be putting our research notes into a shareable format (either a booklet or a poster). We also hope to create a 3-d diorama of our animals in their habitats. Please plan on coming in on Friday the 3rd as we will be presenting our Endangered Animal Expo as the Primary Gathering!
Did you know that we are lucky to have biweekly time with Ms. Frida? She has begun a study on self-esteem with the class and it’s so helpful. This past week students were asked to write down a list of things that they are good at, this was an easy task for some and difficult for others. Please take some time this week to remind your children of the many things they are good at! Confidence is a wonderful life skill.
We had a record number of students without swim kits last week. Please send in the swimming suits or or a note explaining why you do not wish your child to swim.
It has been helpful to have extra shoes this week because of the mud. Thank you for helping with this!
Kacey Buckley
P4/5 Class
The P4/5 children have worked hard this week sitting for their MAP tests in the IT lab. We are looking forward to getting back to our normal routines next week. In maths we will be looking at mixed numbers and improper fractions. Over the next few weeks, we plan to go on some trips to notable buildings in Moshi to see examples of local architecture. Mrs. Dhani shared a slideshow with us so that the children could learn about the Sikh festival of Vaisakhi. On Friday we will visit the Sikh Gwudurwa to learn about the building. The children have finished their pop art paintings in the style of James Rizzo and these will soon be on display on the breezeway. Wednesday is the Workers’ Day holiday and there will be no classes. The photo shows the P4/5 children setting up the toys ready for the EC/P1 play club.
Deborah Mills
P6 Class
It has been a week largely spent indoors due to the rains and MAP testing. P6 are to be commended for how focused they have been and the efforts they have shown.
Clubs also resumed this week, providing P6 with an opportunity to explore their interests and connect with children of different ages.
Here’s why P6 love Clubs:
We like that you get to choose a new club each quarter. Trying new clubs is fun because you can learn new skills and try things that you wouldn’t normally get to do. Niko, Christian and Zach
We like clubs because we can open our minds to different activities and play with different age groups. Clubs helps us to be confident and self-disciplined as well as helping us to grow and learn. Atu and Hikari
We love how some clubs stay all the time, some clubs stay temporarily, and others may be created every quarter. It gives us lots of choices in what we want to learn about. Clubs can be really helpful with learning what to do in our daily lives. Tiago, Alice and Devraaj
Natasha Berri
From the Counselors
Decisions (D2), Decisions (D1), Decisions (M5)
Decision Days are coming! For many of our D2s, they have to make a decision by May 1 (USA), with some exceptions due to delay in financial aid paperwork processing. Although the choice was easy for some, others are finding it quite difficult. I remain available to discuss any concerns that students have about finalizing their post-secondary destination decision, and hope that they are consulting all relevant resources to make the best choice for themselves, while also trying to BEAT their response deadline in order to move forward. There are others with later application deadlines and/or decision dates, but stay on top of things so that you do not miss your “Decision Day” based on the country(ies) you have applied to.
D2s who need to apply for a student visa for university should begin that process ASAP after finalizing their university commitment. Wait times can be long, and they’ll want to make sure that their visa is set for them to be able to arrive to their university on time for the start of the school year!
D1 and M5 Decisions
D2s are not the only ones with big decisions to make as we make our way through this final quarter of the school year. For D1s, they are beginning the process of developing a list of possible post-secondary destinations, and working to understand everything that they need to consider as they create a balanced list of options. Last week, we talked with them about important things to consider when researching universities as well as the basics of university costs and financial aid – you can review the presentation here. D1 parents: please plan to join us on 22 May for Part II of the post-secondary planning series we started in March. More details will be shared in the next newsletters.
M5s are putting serious thought into what courses/curriculum they will embark on next year. This is the first time many of them have had to make such weighty decisions, and it is great to see so many of them utilizing their resources and reflecting skills. I have enjoyed meeting with some of the M5 students who have scheduled appointments with me to discuss their options, and welcome others who have questions as they consider their choices.
UPCOMING College and University Events
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)
**Be sure to take a look at the new section on the UWCEA website with events organized on a Padlet, as well as individual institution websites/social media**
The smokeless kitchen was a project that won the Young Aurora Prize in 2019 and received some financial aid to further develop it. Families in Moshi cook outside their houses and the system they use emits excessive amount of smoke. When people use wood stoves and fireplaces, chemicals are released into the air. Some of these chemicals are poisonous and some may even cause cancer. The project they created had a main goal of building stoves that will reduce the smoke emitted and therefore will be a better alternative for people. It reduces the chances of getting cancer. Recently Emily, Rocio, Kyrre, Mohammed and I built one in a house nearby the school with the assistance of Mr Julien and Mr Josephat.
The family really liked it and were able to use it in 3 days after we finished.
