Thank you to everyone, staff, students, parents and community members that helped make this such a successful start to the year. You will have seen through the newsletters so far, and this one as well, that we are a community that is built around the school, but that we are about more than the education in the classroom. To make this work, it does require the engagement and teamwork of everyone involved and this year the teamwork has been on full display.
Looking ahead to after the break we will not be slowing down. There are the Halloween festivities, Outdoor Pursuits, Sports Weekend, Markets, Arts and other things for students at all levels to get involved in.
I do hope that you have a safe, happy and restful break and you come back energized for everything to come.
Bob Cofer – Head of Campus
Ben’s Corner
In our M2 English unit, we have been exploring heroes and the hero’s cycle. We explored the qualities of a hero, the choices heroes make that render them heroic and the impact they have on the world around them. As I have mentioned here before, Simon Sinek has long been one of my heroes. He is an author and motivational speaker but, above all, an unshakable optimist who believes in a bright future and our ability to build it together.
Ever since I read Sinek’s “Leaders Eat Last” a long time ago, I have tried to incorporate many of his ideas into my life. The book summarises the results of various case studies and research trials about stress and anxiety in the workplace, group dynamics, compliance, trust and happiness. One of his more celebrated motivational speeches centres around the power of kindness and the notion that simple acts of generosity can have a deep impact on others.
As we come to the end of Quarter 1, a quarter littered with so, so many amazing happenings and, as always, a Quarter not without challenges and hurdles, I wanted to draw our collective attention to this idea of being kind to each other. At a time when kindness seems glaringly absent in many parts of the world, let us be thankful and grateful for those that continue to show up each and every day. Let us remember the power of our words and actions…and choose kind ones.
Sinek likes to imagine a world where everyone wakes up inspired to go to work, feels trusted and valued during the day, then returns home feeling fulfilled, like they have contributed to something greater than themselves. Of course, most of us do not experience this every single day but I hope that we all feel elements of this from time to time. I certainly do.
There are opportunities to be kind every day. As we move into Quarter 2, let us all try to take them.
Ben Morley – Deputy Head of Campus
Residential Life
This Wednesday we closed the term with the first residential dinner of the year hosted by Kiongozi and Kijana. Students went back to the 90s as they ate out on the green listening to 90s tunes. They then arranged a well contested 90s quiz and ended the evening by showing off their dance moves. Students had great fun as did many of the staff who were reliving their youth!
Enjoy the break and see you all soon!
Ms. Rachel Mahon Kiongozi and Kijana Residential Parent
PYP News
The P2-6 classes had a lovely day on Arusha campus on Monday. The Arusha teachers worked very hard to prepare some fun activities for us. The children did fencing with rolled up newspapers, horse racing on hobby horses, sack racing, potato and spoon races and more. In our absence, EC and P1 explored the campus and had some adventures of their own which you can read about below.
Thank you to everyone who attended the 3 way conferences on Wednesday. I hope you found it informative to hear your child’s goals and their steps for achieving these.
On Friday, the P6 class presented in the primary gathering and taught us about the legacies of different ancient civilisations. It was a spirit day so the primary children enjoyed wearing their pyjamas to school. Thank you to the student voice for organising a very enjoyable PJ party and movie in the afternoon.
Please read below for a summary of news from each class:
EC/P1 had a lovely tour of the school this week. Thank you to all our community members who accommodated us and allowed us into their spaces. Walking into the cold room, being allowed to peek into the school safe, and speaking to Ms Anna, Mr. Cofer, and Mr. Morley were some of the highlights of our trip. All the photos taken are in our shared album.
P2/3 had a wonderful time exploring how sound is made and how it travels. The children asked fantastic questions and made good connections during our experiments. We are all looking forward to taking on the topic of Light in the first weeks of Q2.
P4/5 have been learning about half notes, quarter notes and one eighth notes in music. The children made paper pizzas with Ms. Jamie and Mr. Swai to illustrate this concept. On Tuesday we made real pizzas in the student kitchen. They were delicious! See Ms. Jamie’s newsletter for further information.
P6 worked with Ms. Keziah on the Zones of Regulation, a system that groups feelings into four zones to help us better understand and manage them. They discussed strategies for self-regulation when their energy or emotions become more intense, using tools like a Hoberman sphere and a calming jar as examples. They also finished their current unit of inquiry and did a terrific job of sharing their oral presentations at this week’s Primary Gathering.
Please note that Coach Pickell will send out the sign up link for primary clubs when the schedule has been set. There will not be any clubs in the first week back after the break.
Advance notice – the PYP optional Halloween celebration will take place on Friday, 1st November. We will start collecting candy donations the first week back after the break so please keep your eyes open for wrapped candy. The swim meet at SCIS is scheduled for the same day (1st November). Invitations for swimming have been sent out on Life. Coach Pickell and Coach Sabini are aware of the clash between the two events and will endeavour to get all swimmers back in time to join in with “trunk or treating”.
The PYP team wishes you all a relaxing break. We look forward to seeing the children back in school on Wednesday, 16th October. As this newsletter goes to press, Ms. Kacey is chaperoning an OP trip up Kilimanjaro. Good luck Ms. Kacey – we hope you have a wonderful trip!
Deborah, Kacey, Mboka and Natasha
PYP Music
In PYP Music this week, we got very hands-on with our learning.
P2/3 had guest musicians (D1 Isak and D2 Kyrre) showcasing their string instruments to finish off our unit on the string families.
They also discovered the wonder of the “water gong” where the students hit the gong, dip it in water and hear that the pitch gets lower. Ask a P2/3 to see why the pitch changes when it enters water!
P4/5 has been learning about note values which relate to fractions and what better way to strengthen their understanding of fractions than PIZZA? The students designed their ideal pizzas and then made real pizzas, using the toppings to resemble their chosen music notes. Who said music couldn’t be tasty and mathematical?
Jamie Woods
MYP News
We’ve made it to October break, and I couldn’t be prouder of what we’ve achieved together so far in the MYP division! Our students have tackled every challenge head-on, whether it was in class, during projects, or through their creativity in their extracurricular activities. Their hard work and energy have been amazing to watch. As we head into this break, I kindly remind everyone, especially M4 and M5 families, to plan upcoming holidays mindfully. Attendance is crucial for their success, and maintaining 90% attendance is a requirement. Let’s all keep this in mind, so our students stay on track and kindly consult the school calendar before making plans.
Now it’s time to take a break, recharge, and come back ready for what’s next. Enjoy the break, everyone, please rest up and get ready for more great things!
M1-M2-M3 MAP Tests Students completed their MAP tests and results will be shared as soon as we get back from the break.
M5 eAssessments- Final Reminder This is the form to register your child in the M5 eAssessments in May 2025. I plan on registering the students during the October break, so it’s important that all forms are completed by the deadline in mid-October. Please be aware that after the deadline, there will be a late fee and only a very small window for late registrations.
When We Get Back:
October 16th – Classes Resume at 7:30 am
October 22nd – Secondary PTCs 1:00-5:00 pm
October 24th – Secondary PTCs 7:30 -11:00 am
November 4th to 8th – Week Without Walls (Details to follow soon)
November 22nd to 24th – Sports Weekend
December 12th – Semester 1 Reports Released
December 13th – End of Q1 Classes end at 12:30 pm
Farah Fawaz – MYP Coordinator
Diploma News
There is much relief on campus as we head into the October break. It has been a busy and exciting quarter full of learning and growing. The D1 students completed their first CAS interviews, have started planning for project week, have settled into their subjects, have committed to a Service group, have written their first assessments and have received feedback from teachers on their progress.
The D2s have completed IAs, Language A orals and science experiments. They’ve led service groups, begun University applications, have mentored the D1s and supported each other. There is much to celebrate!
Parents can track progress on Learn but when we return from the break, parents can also sign up to meet the teachers. These conferences will take place online:
Tuesday, October 22nd: 1pm to 5pm
Thursday, October 24th: 7.30 to 11am.
We usually ask the students to attend so they can be part of the conversation.
We also welcome the arrival of Ms Vagisha Shrivastava who will arrive in Moshi, as scheduled, over the break – ready to start with her classes next quarter. She will be taking over her D1 English A class and D1 Self taught class. She is an experienced Lang Lit teacher and we are sure you will join us in welcoming her to UWCEA.
Lastly, I want to thank all the DP teachers for their hard work, dedication and care. Our students are lucky to have teachers who genuinely care about them and invest so much time and energy into their lessons, mentor sessions, duties and clubs.
I wish everyone a good break! See you soon.
Catherine Dowie – DP Coordinator
KCMC Blood Drive
The 27th of September will be marked as an extremely successful day for the KCMC service group as alongside the KCMC hospital and Blood Bank staff, our school collaborated on the Blood Drive; an event which encourages the students of our campus to donate their blood for those in need, especially patients in KCMC hospital. The Blood Drive was organized from 8:00 till 5:00pm and resulted in a total of 83 donations from the students, teachers, school staff and others. The KCMC service group made sure that the donors had the best experience throughout their blood donations by providing them snacks, relaxing music and mental support. It was yet another school event which is going to have a real impact on the Moshi community and we cannot wait for other upcoming Blood Drives in the future!
Hanna S
Project Week and CAS
Last week was a busy week for D1 for some non-academic areas.
A couple of weeks ago the Project Week groups were shared. They have now started to plan in earnest. They should have met with their supervisor and thought about the details of where they will stay, what food will cost etc. The detailed plans will be shared with you on Life as part of the trip details at the start of next quarter but please discuss with your students what they are doing.
For the students travelling to Dar es Salaam we provide a bus and two staff members will travel with them. Other groups need to make their own arrangements. They will need to arrange accommodation and decide what they will eat and how they will organise this. The planning is an important part of the process.
Also, we had the first CAS interviews. CAS or creativity, activity and service is at the core of the diploma. The first CAS interview is a chance to clarify the definitions and requirements and how to document it. Students will record this on Learn and as parents you should be able to see what they are doing, look under IB Data.
Students talk about what their plans are and what they hope to achieve. Many talk about the wide availability of experiences and how they like the opportunity to try new things. When talking about what excites them one student told me how he enjoyed meeting future friends. I am grateful to the team of teachers who have helped with these, we have enjoyed them and hopefully the students did as well.
Sports Update
Leopards on the Move!
Many students got involved in the last weeks in sports. There was a basketball clinic in Arusha for U16 boys as well as U19 boys and girls. These teams flexed and showed composure and experience in each game. It was easy to see that the hard work they are doing at practice is paying off.
The U13 and U16 Volleyball teams had a festival with some local schools also. There was lots of volleyball played, this program is building and with every serve we are improving. They will be ready to defend their sports weekend championship from last year.
Netball and U16 football played last Tuesday. The football was evenly matched and well played by both teams. Coach Ben and his D1 assistant coaches are fine tuning this team. As usual our netball community came out strong. It is exciting to watch as our girls seem to be playing at a higher gear each game. Make sure you come watch a game this year, they are good.
Primary track was well represented, thanks to all the runners. Keep up your practice because on Nov. 10 there is another Athletic event in Arusha that we will attend. Making sure we keep the primary busy, before that track event, there is a Swim gala on Nov. 1st at SCIS. Oh and I forgot we hosted a primary football friendly with local schools last week. It was an exciting debut for our girls football team with Coach Kacey. Very happy to see this, great job girls.
Have an active break Leopards, when we return we won’t have much time till it’s a swimming event, then an athletic event, then sports weekend. So be ready.
Coach Pickell
From the Counselors
We were fortunate to have 10 colleges from the U.S., all Davis UWC Scholar partner schools, come to visit both campuses this week – Concordia College, Davidson College, Earlham College, Lewis & Clark College, Macalester College, Middlebury College, St. John’s College, St. Olaf College, Wartburg College and Whitman College. In addition to a college fair, there were a variety of workshops for students and parents to learn about studying in the U.S., financial aid and more. At the end of the fair, one of the admissions officers shared that UWCEA’s two campuses had been the best experience of her 6 weeks of traveling across Asia, Europe and Africa. “Your students are the most engaged and most prepared (of any school I’ve visited on this trip). I wish every visit was like this.” Great job, students! And parents, great job raising such wonderful humans!
Sustainability Committee
On Monday, September 30th, the Sustainability Committee visited the recycling plant who takes all of our recycling. We toured the facilities and learned about the process through which they sort out and recycle our paper plastic and other materials. Mr. Urio, the plant’s manager was kind enough to give us an in depth look at the process of how plastic waste in the greater Moshi area can be repurposed for circulation and recycling. We truly appreciate the hard work of Mr. Urio and his diligent team of workers. We would also like to thank Mr. Elisha and his team of drivers who deliver all of this on a weekly basis.
After understanding such a complex process, we want to highlight the importance of sorting out our waste properly, so that it can be cleanly and efficiently taken to the plant, recycled and given a new life (brooms and recycled plastic products). Here is a gentle reminder that all bins are clearly labeled and include a sticker with all the information needed for sorting out waste.
We do not take wrappers, napkins or food contaminated items for recycling, please ensure your recycling is clean.
We are excited to inform you about an amazing opportunity regarding The Earth Prize!!! More information to come after October Break, it is a great opportunity for anyone who has creative projects in mind.
We are also making some progress in tracking our school’s waste footprint and hope to share a detailed analysis with you later this month!
We look forward to seeing our community steward a more clean and sustainable UWCEA during and after the break.
The Sustainability Committee
Belinda, Clara, AJ, Amador, Atu, Sharon, Aayusha, Belinda, Jovana, Nora, Ms. Irene, Ms. Mika and Mr. Will with Mr. Urio Photo credit: Ms. Mika
Atu is showing us recycled pellets from plastic bottles and their labels, Ask her or a committee member to learn more.
AJ, Amador, Jovana, Clara and Belinda unloading the truck
Outdoor Pursuits
Last weekend, the first rides trip of the year to Simba Farm was a success with 19 students enjoying testing their mountain biking skills on some tricky terrain around West Kilimanjaro. The next rides trip will be at the end of November so please sign up to continue improving your biking skills!
The North Pare trip went smoothly and all students summited Mount Kindoroko (2200m). Students enjoyed a breathtaking sunset as their reward and enjoyed a star filled evening. The first day was a challenging 5km ascent followed by a longer 8km downhill the next day.
Students on both trips were a credit to the school and should be proud of their completion. As we move into the October break, the OP team are looking forward to running the first PADI certification Reefs trip of the year. Students will be busy over the break completing their theory in preparation for this course.
The first Kilimanjaro expedition of the year left on Thursday and are currently making their way towards Uhuru Peak (5,895m). This is the most challenging of trips and for many the pinnacle of their OP experience. We wish them continued success and there will be a full write up to follow after the October break!
Finally, a big thank you to all staff who have been involved in running OP trips this year. Staff are integral to the running of trips, and they have been a fantastic help.
Wishing you all a restful and adventurous October break.
