It is unbelievably that time of year again to say goodbyes. As we head into the last week of what seemed to me an incredibly fast year, let us try and take a breath and say goodbye to those from our community that will not be here in August. We are a small community so each person leaving is noticed for what they contribute and in turn noticed by their absence. To those leaving families, you will be noticed by your absence, and we will miss you. We wish you the best of luck in your next adventure and hope you keep in touch. You are always welcome back for a visit or to return.
For those of us that will be back in August please take this opportunity to do the things you enjoy and spend a little time on yourself. We really look forward to August and having everyone return refreshed and excited about a new year.
We will also have new members joining the community and the introductions started last week with Zoom calls for both students and parents of incoming D1. This Monday we will continue and have a Zoom with the MYP parents. In a future update I will also be sharing information about our incoming teachers. And thinking of next year, please see at the bottom of the newsletter information about the next 24-Hour Run September 20th-21st.
I would also like to say thank you to all members of the community that worked together to make this another good year. The parents who volunteered their time, energy and expertise on a multitude of activities and events. The uja parents who stepped in and supported kids when their own parents were far away. The school staff in all the different departments that not just educated kids, but kept them fed, clean and safe. And the students as well who contributed to their own education in and out of the classroom.
Parents, please join us Monday at 7:45am for our last assembly of the year.
To everyone, please, stay safe, travel well and enjoy the break.
Bob Cofer
Upcoming Event
Ben’s Corner
As the sun begins to set on another year of living and learning together, I would like to revisit the idea of belonging that I have explored in past “Ben’s Corner” pieces. What does it mean to belong? The great Maya Angelou once said, “I long, as does every human being, to be at home wherever I find myself.” For almost six years now, my family and I have called Moshi and UWCEA our home.
“UWC East Africa makes education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future. We are committed to developing balanced global citizens who are empowered to act responsibly in a complex world.”
As a school, we declare that “We are committed to developing balanced global citizens who are empowered to act responsibly in a complex world.” The world still feels incredibly complex but, perhaps, what we are all striving for is anything but. After all, do we not all hope for a simple sense of belonging? A sense of purpose and meaning. A connection to others, to something significant. As the UWC movement continues to “make education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future,” I hope that you all find time over the upcoming break to digest what this really means. In a time when so much rhetoric seems to be about disconnection, separation and inequality, we are all part of something trying to bring us all together. A shared sense of belonging. Of course, we are far from perfect but we are striving to bring the world together and surely that is what counts.
To all the students and teachers that are moving on, please do stay in touch and we hope a little piece of Moshi travels with you. All the very best in your next adventures. At the same time, we look forward to welcoming new faces into the community in August who I am sure will add value and, hopefully, soon feel that sense of belonging too.
Enjoy a restful break, travel well and land softly. Stay safe and look after each other.
Ben Morley
Diploma News
This week has been a different week for D1. The first two days were spent in class with exam papers being returned in most subjects. It is important that students review their papers to see what their mistakes were so they can see how they can improve. This is not just about the content but also about the techniques – did they manage their time well, did they answer the correct number of questions, did they use the correct format etc.
The second half of the week was the Collaborative Science Project. This is a chance for students to work with their peers who study different sciences and investigate a myth. A few projects we have had students looking at are
Can an avocado fall off a tree and break a human skull?
Does adding salt to water make it boil faster?
Which surfaces are the dirtiest?
There are more details below.
While the CSP has been taking place we have had the second CAS interviews. This is a chance to review students progress with CAS and make plans for next year. Some of my favourite comments during these are “I would forget it was mandatory as I was having fun”, “It made me realise how people have so much indirect impact on you”. Others talked about the friendships they have made and how they have been able to see so many different perspectives.
While most students have an incredible range of things they have done others know they need to make plans for more experiences. For many they know they need to write reflections and collate evidence.
Next week we move onto the TOK Exhibition. TOK or Theory of Knowledge is part of the core of the IB Diploma. It is a course which allows students to discuss how they know what they know. In the Exhibition they take a prompt such as “Who owns knowledge” and they take 3 objects that allow them to discuss this. On Monday they will review their written commentary and prepare a poster. On Tuesday they will present to their peers and the wider community. If you are in Moshi, please come along.
On Wednesday we will review the year and make plans for the break and the next year and on Thursday we will have the fun sports day. Friday is for packing and saying goodbye.
This is my last newsletter as DPC. I will be stepping down but will remain as a Mathematics and TOK teacher and also working with CAS. Ms Catherine Dowie will be taking over.
On Thursday Ms Dowie, Mr Adnan and I met with the parents of M5 students who will be returning next year for D1. The recording of the meeting and the presentation can be seen here.
Margaret Brunt
Collaborative Science Project
The D1 class was focused on Collaborative Science Project (CSP) this week. CSP is a group activity where students from different science (Group 4) subjects work together on a scientific or technological research, allowing the students to investigate the topic that they are passionate about. Overall, 10 hours of time is allocated for the CSP. Some students completed their project on their own throughout the year and the rest worked 3 days intensively from Wednesday to Friday for this activity. The students were mainly working on myth-busting.
First, on Wednesday, the science teachers introduced the CSP and its requirements in Rafiki Hall. Later, everyone was assigned to a group, where they had time for planning and brainstorming research ideas. On Thursday everyone was given a time for the action and designing the posters. On Friday the posters were finalized, and individual reflections were submitted. For the reflections students were required to write a 100-word paragraph on what collaborative skills they gained through this project. Using the posters, there was a 1-hour gallery walk, where teachers, parents, and students could walk, see the posters and ask questions.
CSP allows students to appreciate environmental, social and ethical implications of science/technology, also to understand the limitations of scientific studies. One of the requirements for this, is to try to investigate a topic that would integrate all the sciences; therefore, it is a great way for students to develop their collaborative skills, go beyond the curriculum and explore fascinating concepts.
MYP News
…and that’s a wrap! I cannot believe that this is the last newsletter entry of this academic year! There is so much to be grateful for, but today’s newsletter entry is dedicated to our students. We are grateful for you! As MYP educators, we are continually grateful for your curiosity and enthusiasm for learning in the MYP. You bring energy and excitement into our classrooms inspiring us every day. Your diverse perspectives and unique experiences enrich our lessons, creating vibrant discussions and fostering a sense of community within our MYP environment.
We are grateful for your resilience and determination in the face of challenges. We know MYP is not easy, but your perseverance motivates us to push the boundaries of our teaching and learning activities to provide you with the support you need to succeed. Your willingness to ask questions, seek clarification, and engage with challenging material demonstrates a profound commitment to your own growth and development.
We are grateful for the kindness and empathy you show towards one another. Your acts of kindness and understanding create a supportive and inclusive atmosphere where everyone feels valued and respected. You demonstrate the importance of empathy not only in your academic pursuits but also in your interactions with your peers, teachers, and the community.
You are the heart and soul of MYP! As this academic year comes to a close, know that you have made a lasting impact on us, and we look forward to continuing to learn and grow together next year! Enjoy the break… you earned it! Remember to make mindful choices, make moments count and have fun! See you soon.
MYP Theatre End of Year Recap- A Message from Mr. David! All five MYP Theatre classes have been actively learning about various facets of theatre and have entertained many audiences throughout the year. The M1 class adapted and performed ‘Cinderella’ at the Evening of the Arts and engaged in street theatre with acts such as magic, fortune telling, card tricks, contortionists, and living statues. The M2 class opened a comedy club, delighting audiences with stand-up comedy routines from all students and performed unique versions of ‘The Wizard of Oz’ and ‘Alice in Wonderland’ with creative twists. The M3 class delivered an energetic performance of ‘Three Suitors: One Husband,’ while M4 presented two different interpretations of ‘Twelve Angry Jurors.’ The M5 class created ensemble performances addressing social issues, delivering powerful messages, and staged a reading of ‘Waiting for Godot.’ A special thanks to Mr. Ramy and Ms. Farah, who stepped into the Theatre classroom halfway through the year to take over the M1 and M2 theatre classes, respectively. Their dedication made the students shine on stage, and the energy and enthusiasm in their performances are a testament to their hard work.
P6-M1 Move Up!
On Thursday, P6 (our future M1s) spent the day with our current M1s! They got to spend the day as MYP students. Starting the day off with Ms. Rachel was definitely a treat! They students took over the campus while exploring Geography skills and finding “desire paths” around campus! Then, they joined Ms. Haviland for a taste of Mentor Time! Welly boots and balloons always mean fun and games! Mr. Baden lured them with some Product Design activities in the Design Lab, and Mr. Julien lured them with Statistics! At the end of the day, I had the students come and tell me all about how FUN MYP is! Welcome to MYP, P6! It’s going to be great!
Week of Giving Back – Starts on Monday! On Monday, M1-M4 start their week of giving back Service experiences! Giving back to the community is a key element in the developmental journey of our students. Service as action is a requirement in the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP).
Reminders: – Students are kindly requested to dress appropriately and abide by the school’s dress code. Please remember that we are internationally minded and principled individuals who respect the culture of Tanzania and represent the values of the school. – Please bring enough water, wear a hat and sunscreen to remain hydrated and protected.
MYP Dates to Remember:
June 10th – End of Year Assembly
June 10th to 13th – M1-M4 Week of Giving Back
June 13th – Reports Issued
June 14th – Last day of Classes
Farah Fawaz
Residential Life
As the school year draws to a close, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to staff and students for creating a memorable experience this year, from academic successes to sporting achievements, artistic endeavors, and community service projects.
We end the school year with a week of workshops examining our current culture with students and setting up for next year with the goal of fostering a sense of belonging, encouraging personal responsibility, and promoting well-being.
Thank you to everyone who filled out the departure form. I’ll be sending the arrivals form next week.
Enjoy the break, get some well-deserved rest over the summer, and see you all next year!
Best, Adnan Mackovic
Workshop in Rafiki Hall &
Kisiwa Dorm Discussion
Sports Update
Leopards on the Move!
The U16 and U19 netball teams are geared up and ready to play this weekend in the NTSAA crossover championship. Good luck teams. We are ranked 2 in the Eastern conference so will be facing the Western number 1 seeded team. Come ready to play girls!
On campus this week we had a friendly volleyball match that was student organized by Malo. There were 3 games going on with a local team, it looked fun and competitive. Thanks Malo for finding this team.
Yesterday, the primary played a friendly match against Hope school. It was a great way to end the year.
Coach Pickell
PYP News
The P6 leaving ceremony on Thursday was lovely – thank you to Ms. Natasha, Ms. Zitha, Ms. Grace and Mr. Emmanuel. The P6 children spent an enjoyable day in M1 and the other PYP children had move up day. The photos show some of the PYP classes for next year – EC/P1 were having too much fun to take a photo!
Thank you to all parents for the help and encouragement you have given to your children and the primary school this year. As a teaching team we are all very grateful for your support. On behalf of the PYP team I would like to say goodbye to those primary students and families who are leaving UWCEA and moving to new schools – we hope you will come back to visit us in the future. We wish our P6 children lots of success as they move to MYP – we know Ms. Farah and her team will take good care of them! To P6 parents – thank you for entrusting us with your children and remember, even if you don’t have a child in primary you are still invited to run a primary club next semester! To all returning families, we look forward to seeing the children on Monday, 12th August at 7:30am.
Please note that there are no after school clubs next week and that children should leave promptly after classes unless they are having their lunch at school. All children should leave campus by 2pm as there will be no playground supervision after that time.
Please read the dates below – it’s going to be a busy week!
Monday 9th June – 7:45am whole school assembly in Karibu Hall including PYP slideshow (parents are invited to attend).
Wednesday 12th June – 7:40am gathering to say goodbye to leaving primary students in Rafiki. This will be followed by the fun sports day. The children should wear their house shirts, a sun hat and bring a water bottle. Thank you to Coach T for organising the sports, with the support of the PE department and some D1 students. Parents are welcome at both events.
Thursday 13th June – 7:45am P4/5 will present their posters and art on the breezeway. You are welcome to pass by, it will last about 30 minutes.
Friday 14th June – last day of classes, normal finishing time.
Deborah Mills
EC/P1 Class
We read ‘The Mixed-Up Chameleon’ this week and reminded ourselves that we need to be ourselves in all situations. It is easy to try and be like someone else, especially when you are nervous about something.
As I reflected on the year, watching the P1s move on to P2 and EC2 joining the P1 group, I couldn’t help but feel a little like the mixed-up chameleon. A mixture of emotions was rushing through me. On one side, I am sad to know that once we open, P1s will no longer be in the class. On the other side, I am so excited to see how grown up the children are and how many new adventures they will have. I know that Ms. Kacey is excited to receive the P1s and that they will have a wonderful time with her.
From Wednesday, we will be sending home the children’s work. Please send in a large bag to carry it all in. Also, return any outstanding library books, class books, reading folders, and the library bag.
On Friday, we will have a class party. If you can, please send something to share.
I wish you all a wonderful break. Ms. Neema and I are excited for the coming school year. We hope to see you all back safely in August.
Mboka Mwasongwe
P2/3 Class
Our vocabulary about Economics continues to grow! This week we looked at imports and exports. We used our IT session to research the top imports and exports from countries around the world. We also looked at advertisements and considered how marketing affects consumers. Students made their own ads for imagined products and they were really great!
Next week is sure to go quickly. There will be no clubs, but we will keep our specialists in place. Please have a search for any missing library books and the school Library bag to send in on Monday. We’ll have fingers crossed for swimming weather on Tuesday. Students will need running shoes on Thursday for our last PE but also on Wednesday for the Fun Sports Day! On Thursday in music class, we will have a special treat with Ms. Jamie who is planning to give the class the experience of going to the theatre! On Friday, the class asked if we could celebrate the wonderful year by having a small party. Please send in a few things to share. It’s true- we do have lots to be proud of this year!
Kacey Buckley
P4/5 Class
This is our last newsletter of the school year – the time went by so fast! On Thursday, the P5 children spent 45 minutes with Ms. Natasha and the P4 children stayed with me to meet the P3s. It was a very exciting day and everyone is looking forward to August! To end our buildings unit we talked about the possibility of building on the moon or on Mars and what materials and techniques might be used. We made our own lunar dust (a secret blend of flour, sand and salt) and created some model lunar pods – see photo. Next week promises to be fun. On Monday there is a whole school assembly at 7:45am in Karibu Hall. We also have a field trip to Marissa’s cob house on Monday where the children will mix mud and straw to make bricks. On Monday evening we will cook our own dinner and have a sleepover in the classrooms. On Wednesday it will be the fun sports day. On Thursday we will present highlights of our buildings unit to the other classes and parents. This will take place on the breezeway at 7:40am – please come and support your child if you are able to do so. Friday will be our last day together as a class. We would like to celebrate the end of the year with a class party so please send in some food to share (just a small amount). Thank you for all of your support and encouragement. Ms. Catherine and I have loved working with your children this year.
Deborah Mills
P6 Class
As we approach the end of the school year, it is hard to believe how quickly the time has flown by. I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to all the P6 parents and residential parents for their support throughout the year. It has been really appreciated.
One of the highlights of this week was our P6 Moving Up Ceremony. It provided us with a wonderful opportunity to say farewell to our P6 students as they move up to M1 and embark on their new journey within the MYP. I am incredibly proud of their leadership, hard work, and the many contributions they have made to the PYP. Their presence will be sorely missed, but our doors will always be open for them to drop by and say hello. The ceremony concluded with a beautiful rendition of “A Million Thoughts,” which truly captured the spirit and heart of the P6 children.
As this is our last newsletter for the year, I would like to wish you all a wonderful summer break. May this time be filled with relaxation and memorable moments with your families. I look forward to seeing you again next year.
Natasha Berri
Service Wrap-up
Service has developed wonderfully this year because of the great energy of our teacher supervisors and student service project teams. As the school year comes to a close, I would like to say thank you, firstly thank you to all the staff who facilitated and supervised the various student teams this year leading and guiding the students towards engaging the community in through giving of time and forming relationships. Secondly, thank you to all the students for their enthusiasm towards putting our community first, listening and meeting community needs. During our Wednesday service we had 19+ Service groups from M1 – Diploma. Here is a list of the services that ran this year and some of the accomplishments as well as a final update from the KCMC group.
Baden Dowie
KCMC
UWCEA sprouted from International School Moshi, and ISM was born from KCMC! KCMC CAS is getting ready for next year led by Miss Rina, Mr Ramy, Mr Baden, and Dr Marieke. Students with an appetite for welding, wool crafts, tennis/ basketball, medicine, music can support KCMC hospital patients by making a cargo vehicle for food deliveries, crocheting and knitting patchwork baby blankets and breast protheses, leading or taking part in wheelchair sports clinics, on-campus blood drives and first aid course as well as participating in a KCMC Christmas concert.
In the background, there is a weekly spinal cord injury food delivery happening (nonstop for five years now) as well as activities for our young oncology patients. All KCMC CAS students and teachers would like to thank Stéphanie Smejkal for her tireless input and countless trips to the KCMC Oncology Ward with knitted materials. We wish her the best in Brunei!
We are starting a mobile library for KCMC Pediatrics. In the past, this already used to be an ISM service by students to the KCMC Pediatrics Department.
The Chauhan family (Rhea M2, Sahil M5) already donated some lovely picture books. Any English/Swahili picture and simple text books in good condition are welcome! Please drop off at Miss Rina’s classroom or administration.
24-Hour Run, 2024 Edition
Ho ho ho!
The themes for the laps of the coming 24-Hour Run (Sep 20th-21st) are now set. Use the break to start gearing up and bring whatever clothes/props will make you the star of the lap!
Use also the upcoming break as an opportunity to find your first sponsors:
Auntie, would you like to sponsor me $10 while I’m running for a reason?
Grandpa, what about this year you don’t give me a birthday present, but you donate it instead to the scholarship fund?
Hey, neighbor, what if I wash your car and you sponsor me for the coming 24h run?
