The school year is up and running with most of the students back on campus. It was great to see people reconnecting with those they had not seen since June or welcoming in those that are new.
We will have the “official” welcome Monday at 10:30am with an assembly. Parents are welcome to join us as the Student Government kicks off the new year. This week we also have the first Farmers’ Market of the year so join us Friday afternoon as well.
Remember school and community events are all available on the website calendar page. It is updated regularly so please check it often. Our first major event of the year is the 24-Hour Run on September 20th. More to come about that soon.
The newsletters are here to give you a glimpse at what has happened on campus as well as what is to come. Sometimes, like today, there is a lot to see so make sure none of it is cut off by your email.
Welcome back and I hope everyone has a great semester.
Bob Cofer – Head of Campus
Upcoming Events
Auditions for the Whole – School Production
Dear UWCEA Community, this year’s musical and theatrical collaboration is our own, East African adaptation of an award winning South African play: “Tin Bucket Drum” – a story of the human spirit’s triumph over adversity. We shall be auditioning for acting/singing roles on Thursday 22nd and Friday 23rd in the Music Room. Students who have already submitted a response via the Google document (sent last week), will be sent a form to choose an audition time via email. Additional sign-up sheets for auditions will be displayed on the notice board between Room 10 and 11, at Monday breaktime.
Auditions will follow the following schedule.
Auditions for PYP & Day Students will be from 2:20 – 3:20 pm
Open Auditions 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Open Auditions 4:40 pm – 6:00 pm
Friday Open Auditions 1pm – 2pm
Please note that we will also be requesting assistance with costumes, set design and promotion at a later stage, so look out for this in later newsletters!
Many thanks, Production Team
Private Instrument Lessons
UWCEA Moshi offers 30 minute, private lessons on guitar, drum kit and piano (beginner – intermediate levels). Lessons cost $10 per 30 minutes and are invoiced at the end of each Quarter. Sign-up sheets are usually posted on the notice board next to the main music room entrance, alternatively you can speak in-person to Mr. Swai, Mr. Samuel or Ms. Jamie. If you are someone who might be able to offer instrument lessons on different instruments, please feel free to contact Mr. Samuel.
UWCEA Community Choir
The Community Choir brings together students, teachers, support staff, parents and members of the wider Moshi community, with a shared love of singing. It is open to all and will meet on Thursdays, 3:30pm to 4:30pm in the music room. This semester, we will be focusing on original songs (with an African flavour) for our whole-school production. The Community Choir is scheduled to have its first meeting in Week 3 – Thursday, August 29th. Karibuni!
Ben’s Corner
Firstly, as always at this time of year, a huge thank you to all the people who have been working tirelessly behind the scenes to make sure school was ready to launch for the start of the Quarter and now, we have lift off!
These early days are designed to allow returning students to reconnect and, of course, to welcome new students and give them the opportunity to familiarise themselves with new faces and a new environment. Making these connections is so important and, going forward, it is paramount that we keep looking out for each other, being open, communicating and offering our support where needed.
This year, a far greater emphasis was placed on the idea of orientation across the grades, with numerous activities in the MYP to encourage us all to connect with each other as well as school expectations, communication, conflict resolution, trust, wellbeing and, of course, the UWCEA Mission and Values. It has been a very fulfilling few days!
Hongera to our Student Orientation Committee who helped create a wonderful programme for our incoming D1 students both last week and over these last few days, covering many of the same areas.
Lastly, a huge ‘congratulations’ to all of our new teachers for surviving their first week! In fact, they have been in-country for some time now, involved in an orientation programme of their own. We hope you enjoyed meeting our students and are starting to feel part of the community. We feel very lucky to have you. “Mtu ni watu” as the Swahili saying goes. Together, we have much to look forward to.
Ben Morley – Deputy Head of Campus
Diploma News
The week started off with an orientation of our classrooms as all diploma students took part in a scavenger hunt. Students searched the campus for their teachers and then had to answer a riddle or problem closely associated with the curriculum in that course. We asked students to solve complex mathematics questions, speak in a foreign language or connect works of literature to the IB concepts. The D2s acted a good guides, helping the D1s find their classrooms and teachers.
During the rest of the week, we welcomed all students back into classrooms. The D1s had the opportunity to meet their teachers and get to know their subjects. Many of the incoming diploma students are still learning how to use our online platform Learn, how to submit work and how to create google docs. Students can continue to change subjects this week but from next week we will require parent-consent before making changes. Parents can see the subjects their children are currently signed up for under their parent account on Learn.
The D2s are looking ahead to the submissions of some Internal Deadlines this quarter: this is work that will be submitted to the IB and will contribute to their final grades. This is a wonderful opportunity to showcase all they have learnt. The D2s will need to work hard to meet their deadlines in each of their subjects.
A reminder please to book flights early if students plan to fly home to make sure that students do not miss school days.
Catherine Dowie – Diploma Coordinator
Residential Life
Dear UWCEA Community,
The past two weeks have been a whirlwind of activity and energy as we wrapped up the D1 orientation and embarked on the MYP and combined D1-D2 orientation sessions. These sessions have been instrumental in aligning us all with the school’s mission and core values, helping us reflect on why we are part of this incredible community, and focusing on our well-being. Together, we’ve explored the essential question: “How can I make the UWCEA experience the best it can be for myself and my community?”
I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to the D2 Orientation Crew, Residential Parents, and all the teachers who played a crucial role in organizing and leading these sessions. Your dedication and support have made this orientation not just informative but truly inspiring.
As we move forward through the year, I encourage each of you to continue being kind to one another and to our environment. By doing so, we contribute to a thriving community where everyone can enjoy the best possible experience.
Please take a moment to enjoy some photos from the past two weeks below.
With gratitude and enthusiasm for the journey ahead,
Adnan Mackovic – Head of Residential Life and Pastoral Care
D1 & D2 circle on life at school
D1 & D2 session on school expectations
MYP students get to know each other
MYP students explore school values
MYP News
Week one of an exciting academic year has gone by very smoothly and with lots of action! It is always a joy to see our MYP community come together with energy, curiosity, and a shared sense of purpose. This year, we’ve kicked things off with a special MYP Orientation Week, setting the tone for a year filled with learning, growth, and collaboration. From our youngest MYP students to our oldest, everyone has embraced the spirit of inquiry and teamwork that defines our program.
MYP Orientation Week This year started off a bit differently for our MYPs. We started the year with 3 days of MYP Orientation. Students (returning and new) engaged in team building activities, dug deeper into our mission and values, explored communication techniques and conflict management strategies, some MYP refreshers and lots more. It is always wonderful to see how this community comes together, whether it is an M1 student or an M5 student, everyone comes together so nicely! A big shout out to our M1, M2 and M3 students who played MYP Bingo and did a great job!
MYP Up and Running Classes “officially” started on Thursday, and so much is already happening!
In MYP Music, students spent some time digging deep and asking themselves “Why do I listen to the music I like? Who or what inspired me to listen to this?” Each student then chose two songs that are important to them and next week they’ll have to guess which song belongs to whom! Fun times ahead! Thank you Ms. Jamie!
In M1, students were busy getting to know their way around the school, their classrooms, getting their email addresses set for Life and Learn and most excitingly they had their first Science class! Thank you Mr. Ramy!
M2 students came running to me on Friday and said: “Ms. Farah! We finally understand Math! It is so fun!”. They are building a raft (not a real life one) and applying skills while having fun! Thank you Mr. Amos!
In I&S, Global Contexts were the focus for the week! Students refreshed their memories while coming up with questions related to the subject that fit each of the 6! Thank you I&S team!
Few Reminders Kindly be mindful of the following information shared in our school’s handbook:
M3, M4 and M5 students are required to have devices with them as per the school’s policy and handbook. A phone does not qualify as a device, and they will not be allowed to use their phones for assignments, notes or anything academic related.
M1 and M2 students are not required to have devices. We have tablets that were bought last year in order for us to integrate technology into our classes with them.
MYP Dates to Remember:
August 19th – First School Assembly
August 26th – Secondary Clubs Start
August 28th – Service Starts
September 14th – M1 Campcraft with New M2 and M3 Students (details to follow soon)
September 20th to 21st – 24 Hr Run
September 21st – UWC Day
September 30th to October 4th – M1, M2,M3 MAP Tests
Have a great week ahead, Farah Fawaz – MYP Coordinator
Outdoor Pursuits
It’s been a busy start to the year with OP trips up and running. We continue to run a wide range of OP activities aiming to be inclusive to all. The first peaks trip has already departed to Mount Hanang (pictured) this weekend with 15 keen Moshi students involved. The aim this year is to give a short summary report for each trip so please keep your eyes peeled!
With over 25 trips planned, the year ahead looks very busy so please keep checking Life regularly for upcoming trips. A few important dates for new parents to be aware of:
31st August: D1 Campcraft (Pamoja Walk). This trip aims to welcome our new D1 cohort and introduce our D1 students to Outdoor Education. This is a great opportunity to meet Arusha counterparts and for returning students to show new students the rudiments of OP at UWC East Africa.
14th September: Two days, one night trip for M1 students and new M2 and M3, to introduce them to the fundamentals of outdoor education at UWC East Africa. The trip includes short hikes and workshops on camping skills, cooking skills, basic first aid skills, OP equipment use, environment recognition, wildlife observation, orientation, and more. M1 Mentors accompany students on this mandatory trip, along with OP Coordinators and OP Student-Leaders.
I would like to take this opportunity to remind parents and guardians to please check Life regularly and upload documents required for trips in plenty of time.
If you would like to find out more about each trip then please visit the school web-site and click on ‘Outdoor Pursuits’ tab located within the ‘Learning’ link. Here you will find a comprehensive overview of the OP program including costings, OP catalogues and packing lists.
Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions at andrewross@uwcea.org.
Andy Ross – OP Coordinator
PYP News
Welcome back to what we hope will be another happy and productive semester. It was lovely to see the children return to campus on Monday morning, full of news about their activities over the long break.
Clubs
After school clubs will start the week beginning 26th August. Coach Pickell will share the details of the clubs on offer next week. After talking through the options available with your child, please sign up on Life. If you are willing to help out with our after school programme, it is not too late to offer a club for this quarter (2-3pm Monday – Thursday). If you are interested, please email joshpickell@uwcea.org stating the name of the club, preferred day and the age range of participants.
Football
As shared by email, Saturday football started this week and will run 9:00 – 10:30am.
Production
P5 and 6 children are invited to audition for roles in the school production, “Tin Bucket Drum.” The auditions will take place on Thursday afternoon at 2:30pm onwards. If your P5/6 child is interested in participating, they should let their class teacher know early next week and we will pass the information on to Mr. Samuel. P2 – 6 children will also have the opportunity to be in the chorus.
Meet The Teacher
On Thursday, 22nd August, we will have our PYP Meet The Teacher evening. This will be an opportunity to meet your child’s teacher and hear some details about the year ahead. The evening will follow this format:
6:00pm meet on the grass area outside Rooms 15 and 16 for tea and coffee and welcome.
6:15pm presentation by your child’s teacher in the following locations:
Ms. Mboka (EC/P1) will meet in Room 3.
Ms. Kacey (P2/3) will meet in Room 4.
Ms. Deborah (P4/5) will meet in Room 16
Ms. Natasha will meet in Room 15
The presentation will last for 20 minutes.
At 6:35pm you can move to a second presentation (if you have more than one child in PYP)
7:00pm second presentation ends.
Parent Handbook
All parents should have received the Primary Parents’ Handbook by email which gives information about life in the primary school and expectations. If you have not received this, please can you let me know (deborahmills@uwcea.org) and I will send it to you.
Deborah Mills – PYP Coordinator
EC/P1 Class
This week, we focused on one of our essential agreements – kind hands and kind feet. Everyone worked on showing care, sharing well, and making sure their neighbour was ok. Zavier, Leah, and Alson received a leaf for consistently showing kindness to their peers. Next week, we will choose another essential agreement to focus on. The children will be more than happy to share their learning with you at home.
We celebrated three birthdays this week—happy birthday to Tilly, Leah, and Ms. Neema. The picture taken is of the first day of school when we had two birthdays to celebrate.
Next week we will begin exploring our first unit of inquiry.
Transdisciplinary Theme: Who We Are
Central Idea: Friends and family help people become part of the community.
Lines of Inquiry:
How behaviours and actions affect relationships
Exploration of thoughts and feelings
Compare behaviours expected at home and school
Navigating social settings, including interacting with others
For new parents, please come to ‘Meet the Teacher Night’ on the 22nd of August. This will be a time to look at the school and class culture and how it affects the children’s daily schedule.
Mboka Mwasongwe
P2/3 Class
It was a terrific first week in P2/3! We had a wonderful time getting to know each other and starting our lessons. I hope you heard good things about some of our activities; our Magic Playdough, starting the chapter book called My Father’s Dragon, or our first art project of the year- Alphabet Soup.
Our initial unit is Friends and it will be a great way to help us establish expectations for our classroom.
The Central Idea is: Friendships enrich our lives and require nurturing in order to develop
On Monday, Home Learning will be sent home and is expected to be returned on Friday. Therefore, please return any zipper folders that did not make it back to class last week. We will also need Library bags and books on Monday for our Library time. PE will be held on Tuesday and Friday. Students are expected to wear running shoes and are encouraged to bring a hat and a water bottle. We also expect students to be wearing their school shirts every day.
Thanks for all your support with the first week of class. I’m so excited about the learning we have ahead of us! Please join us on Thursday for the Meet the Teacher evening beginning at 6pm.
Kacey Buckley
P4/5 Class
It’s hard to settle back down to studying after a lovely, long break but the P4/5 children did an excellent job this week. There was holiday news to share and new friends to be made. We already have lovely displays of Lego minifigure style self-portraits and All About Me posters on display on the breezeway. The children have completed some maths, writing and reading and have generated some Essential Agreements (a list of behaviour expectations for the year).
Next week, we will start our unit of inquiry.
Central Idea: We harness a variety of forces to make things move.
Lines of inquiry:
How simple machines transfer force and energy to make work easier.
Why forces can cause a change in motion
How people have overcome challenges by harnessing forces.
Next week the children will bring home reading books and should read for 20 minutes each night and record their reading in their reading journals. There will also be some other simple home learning activities to complete each night.
I look forward to seeing many of you at the Meet the Teacher evening on Thursday, 22nd August, at 6pm.
Deborah Mills
P6 Class
P6 has kicked off the first week with enthusiasm and energy. We’ve been busy getting used to our new routines and expectations, all while having fun with team-building activities to help us get to know each other better. The children worked hard to build the tallest towers using marshmallows and pasta, and everyone shared their “All About Me” bags, filled with special items that tell us more about who they are.
We also created Acrostic poems using our first names, which you can see on the board outside our classroom. We read the book Have You Filled a Bucket Today? and talked about how we can be ‘kindful’ both at home and at school.
Next week, we’ll start our first Unit of Inquiry, ‘Early Civilisations Have Shaped How the World Is Today.’
I look forward to seeing you next Thursday for Meet the Teacher evening.
Natasha Berri
From the Counselors
University Essay Workshop – September 3, 4 and 5 The first week of September, all UWCEA D2 students across both campuses will have the opportunity to participate in a university essay workshop. Participants will be matched with an admissions representative from a university who will offer early feedback on a university entrance essay. Over 40 representatives from universities around the world have signed up to participate and will be offering feedback on UK “personal statements”, European “letters of motivation”, US “Common App essays”, US “supplemental essays”, Switzerland “motivation letters” and more. This is an opportunity for our D2 students to receive expert feedback from an admissions representative with their unique perspective and experience before submitting their essays officially to universities and also a chance to practice talking to admissions representatives – an important skill in this process. More details will be shared with D2 students and families soon.
University Visits to Arusha and Moshi Campuses Starting Soon!
We are very lucky to have a number of amazing colleges and universities from different parts of the world coming to talk with our students. The details are still being finalized but please note that the schedule of visits will be posted on our UWCEA Careers and Universities website. These visits are typically open to D1 and D2 students. There will also occasionally be events for M4 students, M5 students and families.
Student Government
Hello everyone!
Welcome back!! We hope you’ve all had a well-rested holiday and are ready for the new year:)
The student government is back with more ideas, events and energy and are going to be actively working to bring together our campus and surrounding community. We are a team made up of three committees and MYP representatives and a total of 25 people. One of our main goals is creating a more open environment where our fellow students can bond with one another and have a breather from the IB. We will soon be announcing our upcoming projects, but in the meantime, if you want to always be aware of what’s going on, we will be regularly sharing information on our Instagram page @uwcea_moshi. This is our last working semester, and we hope to make it as enjoyable for you all as we can 🙂
The Student Government 2024
Volunteer Service Fair This Wednesday, there will be a fair in Rafiki hall and students will all be able to walk around and sign up for their services. From 2pm to 3pm it will be for M1- M3s and from 3pm to 4pm it will be open to M4’s – D2’s. There will also be stands to learn more about the plans for sports and clubs.
Orientation Week
This year’s orientation week was an exciting yet stressful experience as we guided the new D1s through their transition. As the Orientation Committee, we organized several activities to ease the D1s into this new chapter of their lives. These activities ranged from campus tours and icebreakers to workshops on academic resources and student life here at UWCEA. They were designed to familiarize new students with their surroundings and build a sense of community, and I would say that the efforts were successful. It was incredibly rewarding to see the growth and connections that began during this week. While some students initially found the transition difficult, over time, they started feeling more at ease, and it was gratifying to know that we played a part in shaping a positive and memorable start to their UWCEA experience.
