Moshi Campus News – 26 Oct 2024

As a school we are turning 55 years old. This week we will be celebrating that as well as our 5th anniversary of becoming a UWC. While I have not been here for all 55 years, I have been here long enough to appreciate the importance of this milestone. A lot has changed over the years and in talking to returning alumni and teachers I have heard lots of stories and seen lots of pictures. Most of the changes concern the physical school and fashion sense. What seems to be the same is the feeling of community and the respect for the values of the school. On Monday we will have the assembly to mark this celebration of 55 years at 10:30am. If you are around, please join us.

Much of the spirit of the school can be seen in the newsletter below, please take a look and see what students have been involved with across the different aspects of school life.

Parents should also have received an invite for the PTA Annual General Meeting Monday at 630pm in the Director’s garden. We look forward to seeing you there.

It’s a long newsletter this week so please be sure to click on the view entire message tab.

Bob Cofer – Head of Campus

This week we learned the sad news that our friend and colleague, Adam Hoerdt, has unexpectedly passed away.

Adam was with us at UWCEA 2019 – 2020.  He was a much loved teacher. It’s a long newsletter this week so please be sure to click on the view entire message tab.

Adam returned to Canada to help care for his son. He biked across Canada to raise awareness and funds for ARVC (Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy). Our thoughts are with Adam’s family and friends at this very difficult time.

On Monday, October 28th, our whole campus will gather for a special assembly to celebrate 55 years of ISM and 5 years as a UWC school. ISM’s legacy continues to shape who we are as a community, and this event will highlight the journey that has brought us here. Through a special panel of ISM alumni and current students, we’ll reflect on how ISM’s foundation and legacy have profoundly influenced who we are today. Becoming part of the UWC movement was a step forward in our shared commitment to education, diversity, and social impact—values that have been with us since ISM’s founding and continue to guide our community today.

Let’s all celebrate from near or far a happy anniversary to ISM and UWC!

On Friday our annual haunted houses will return for students in M4-D2. These community and student run houses will start at 7pm and sign up has already been sent out.

For M1-M3 there is an off-campus event that also has had a signup shared with students by Ms Farah.

Thank you to everyone that helps with all of our Halloween events.

Very little candy has been donated to the front office. If you would like to have sweets to eat on the night please put some wrapped candy in the box.

As the saying goes, the beauty is in the details. Understandably, this newsletter often focuses on the big-ticket events that impact large numbers of people or whole sections of the school. The size of this newsletter is a reflection of just how many such events we have! This can sometimes mean we have a tendency to overlook everyday happenings that make our campus such a special place. The small things.

For example, many of you may be unaware of the wonderful environmental centred projects operating every day across the campus and beyond. We have teams collecting, sorting and recycling waste on a daily basis. Each afternoon, a rotating group has the unenviable task of going through all of the bins across campus, separating out the ‘rigid plastics’ or the ‘contaminated paper’ and reorganising everything at the community recycling point. We have other groups managing our compost. Again, this involves getting their collective hands dirty, collecting compost and liaising with the kitchen team to organise food waste, before taking it to the compost area, adding leaves from the brush piles and carrying on with their day.

Across campus, the eagle-eyed amongst you may have noticed art works redistributed to liven up our walls. This is an initiative from the art team whereby people are encouraged to select a piece from the ‘Pic-Pick’ wall and hang it elsewhere.

If you have dropped by the Primary Playground recently, you may have noticed the addition of a hopscotch ladder and a four-square grid. These were designed by the Primary Student Voice who worked in tandem with our maintenance team to make their idea a reality. They are proving very popular already. Little things make big things happen.

Ben Morley – Deputy Head of Campus

This week, our D2 students have faced a flurry of summative assessments and celebrated a major milestone: the submission of the Extended Essays. While the week has been intense, we’re incredibly proud of them and know that this perseverance is preparing them well for life beyond the IB.

Meanwhile, our D1 students are settling into their academic routines. The time for subject changes has now passed—unless a teacher advises otherwise based on individual progress.  To those who attended the conferences this week, we hope both parents and students felt reassured about the learning happening at school. Please reach out with any concerns or questions. The D1s are also finalizing their plans for Project Week during the week of 4 November, booking accommodation, budgeting and setting up appointments with their chosen organisation.

Catherine Dowie – DP Coordinator

Dear UWCEA Community,

This week has been a whirlwind of summative assessments for both our MYP and DP students, with the added pressure of IAs, EEs, and other looming deadlines for the DP. Yet, in the midst of all this, our students showed incredible hospitality by welcoming a visiting group from Uzbekistan on Thursday night. It was a joyful evening that transcended academic stress and highlighted our vibrant community spirit.

We were treated to a rare double culture night, beginning with a Tanzanian showcase to warmly welcome our guests. Our Tanzanian students shared the rich diversity of the country through cultural displays, delicious food, traditional games, and stories. Then, our guests delighted us with an Uzbek cultural presentation—a beautiful gesture of gratitude that included insights into Uzbekistan’s history, customs, and dances. Some of you will recognise Robin and Dara Marsh (ex UWCEA teacher and student now living in Tashkent) in the photo.

Looking ahead, we’re excited to mark a significant milestone together. On Monday, the 28th, we’ll celebrate 55 years of ISM and 5 years of UWCEA! Join us at 10:30 am in K-Hall for a day of reflection, joy, and community spirit.

Best,
Adnan Mackovic – Head of Residential Life

It certainly doesn’t feel like it’s only been two weeks since the start of Q2, and that’s because so much is happening on campus with our MYP students! This is the beauty of the programme…there’s never a dull moment. Between engaging learning experiences, meaningful service projects, and a mix of individual and group projects, you can always find yourself answering questionnaires, being interviewed, and actively participating in the dynamic world of MYP students. Have a great week ahead!

MYP Visual Arts
Our M1 students are exploring the elements of Art, and each student is working on producing an original and impactful collage using magazine and newspaper cutouts.

Our M3 students explored and researched famous portraits by famous artists and prepared presentations where they had to answer specific questions and communicate their inquiry. 

M1-M3 Halloween Dress Up Party
M1, M2 and M3 students are cordially invited to a fun Halloween Dress Up Party in one of the school’s off campus houses. Transport will be arranged by the school to and from. Please keep the details in mind for the day students as we are excited to have them join us!
Day: November 1st, 2024
Time: 7:00-9:00 pm
Requirements: DRESS UP AND HAVE FUN!

M4-M5 French Capable

Dans notre cours de français, les élèves ont travaillé sur l’expression orale en utilisant des cartes Dixit pour décrire des images de façon vivante et détaillée. Cet exercice a permis aux élèves de pratiquer le vocabulaire adéquat tout en collaborant activement pour imaginer des histoires et interpréter les symboles présents sur les cartes. Ce travail a été une belle occasion d’améliorer leur confiance et leur fluidité en français, tout en s’amusant !Ce n’était pas facile parce que les cartes sont très abstraites, mais les élèves ont fait un excellent travail.

MYP Week Without Walls

All WWW letters have been sent out to parents/guardians. Kindly make sure you ensure the completion/ update of the following on our Life platform:

• Permission form
• Medical records
• ID documents (passport or government ID; non-Tanzanians require a Student Pass)
• Contact information

Reminder: All documents must be current. Upload copies by logging into life.uwcea.org and selecting the Passports tab. For permission passes, sign in at life.uwcea.org, access their account, and select the Trips tab. The deadline for this is Monday, October 28th, 2024.

During the week when the students will be away, I will send a daily email to parents/guardians with pictures and a summary of activities. I will also keep parents informed about departures, arrivals and return times to campus to keep everyone informed.

MYP Dates To Remember:

• October 28th – Assembly 55 years of ISM & 5 UWC
• November 1st – Halloween Haunted Houses M4 and Above
• November 1st – Halloween Dress Up Party M1-M2-M3
• November 4th to 8th – Week Without Walls (Details to be sent this week)
• November 22nd to 24th – Sports Weekend
• December 12th – Semester 1 Reports Released
• December 13th – End of Q1 Classes end 1t 12:30 pm

Farah Fawaz – MYP Coordinator

We have a new hopscotch grid and four square court in the playground (see photo). Thank you to Student Voice for this initiative.

On Monday, 28th October, there will be an assembly at 10:30am in Rafiki to celebrate 50 years of ISM and 5 years of UWC. The content of the assembly will be more focused towards the secondary school than the primary. The upper primary classes will attend for part of the assembly and all classes will be able to enjoy the cake at the end. Parents are welcome to attend.

Primary Athletics Day will take place on Thursday, 31st October. Your child should wear a house t-shirt (see Ms. Furaha in the front office if you need to purchase one), running shoes, a sunhat and sunscreen. Your child should bring a named water bottle. The event will finish before lunch. Parents are welcome to attend. If your child is too tired to stay at school to participate in their Tuesday afternoon club, they may wish to go home at lunchtime.

The optional Halloween celebrations will take place at 4pm on Friday, 1st November. We still need people to donate wrapped candy to the front office and to sign up to decorate their cars (the sign up sheet is on the primary notice board next to Ben Morley’s office). Many thanks to those who have already signed up and/or donated sweets.

The schedule for the event is as follows:

• 3:45 pm onwards, PYP children assemble in the playground.
• 4:00pm The children will go to the paddock (the area behind the stables) to go around the decorated cars collecting candy.
• 4:55pm Everyone will move to the breezeway. 
• 5:05pm Group photo
• 5:10pm Costume parade
• 5:20pm Halloween meal –  if you wish your child to eat at school, please buy a meal ticket from the class teacher for 6000 Tshillings before Wednesday 8:00am.
• 5:50 pm Cartoons
• 6:20pm Parents collect children from the playground

Deborah Mills – PYP Coordinator

On Thursday, the P2/3 music students had a very special guest, Mr. Chris Jouannet from France! He demonstrated to the class the Alto Saxophone as the students have been learning all about the woodwind family. They asked him lots of questions, played some notes on the saxophone and ended the session dancing to the theme from “The Pink Panther”.

Our PYP students love to have guest artists, so if you play an instrument and are free to showcase it to the different classes, we’d love to have you! Please contact jamiewood@uwcea.org to set-up a session!

Jamie Wood

We have had a week of exploring shapes and learning how to describe them using mathematical language. Next week we will conclude our look at shapes as we prepare to craft different types of buildings. We want to ask you to please collect any empty boxes, toilet roll tubes, and 300ml plastic bottles for us. Please send them to our classroom. We will recycle them as we start this unit’s project.

Thank you for a great start to home learning. All the children seem to be enjoying their work. Please do not forget to write a comment in their reading log. These comments are very useful for us and they inform how we assign their reading books.

We will be touring the school next week, looking at buildings and different building materials. Please make sure your child has walking shoes every day. A sun hat will be helpful on Monday and Wednesday.

Mboka Mwasongwe

Transparent, Translucent, Opaque – the song that we learned this week to describe the scientific principles of these terms has been looping in my head! We had a great week with investigating light and shadows. The flashlights that were sent in have been very helpful and we will use them more over the next 2 weeks.

In Math, we’ve been continuing with addition. We have also begun a study of data handling. Students are doing a great job of interpreting and making graphs. In Language, we are working on action verbs in the past, present, and future tenses. Thanks for all the reading that is going on at home. Our reading groups in class are making terrific progress!

Kacey Buckley

The children did a great job of learning unit related vocabulary this week. As part of our work on the earth’s structure we made play dough models showing the inner core, outer core, mantle and crust. They have been introduced to the idea of tectonic plates and next week we will start our inquiry into volcanoes and earthquakes. In maths we have started learning the properties of 2D shapes. We continued practicing mental addition and subtraction strategies. As part of their home learning next week the children will practice recalling the doubles facts of all numbers up to 10 and when they can do these without counting, they should move on to recalling the doubles facts of numbers up to 20. Our class read-aloud is “Because of Winn Dixie” by Kate DiCamillo. The children have written their own stories about naughty dogs that they have known! We will continue with our story writing next week. A highlight of the week was making a “calming jar” with Ms. Keziah. This is a tool for controlling emotions that we learned about in life skills class. If someone feels overly excited, they can shake the jar and watch the glitter settle, giving them time to calm down. We screwed the lids on tightly, but I recommend storing the calming jar the right way up (lid uppermost). Please note that the PYP athletics day is on Thursday, 31st October and that the last day for buying a Halloween meal ticket is 8am on Wednesday.

Deborah Mills

As part of our unit of inquiry on Media, P6 explored advertisements this week, learning how they grab attention, target specific audiences, and use different strategies to entertain and inform.

We welcomed Ms. Ingrid, our Admissions and Advancement Officer, as a guest speaker. She shared insights about her role at UWCEA, explaining how she uses social media, fundraising, website development, and merchandise to promote our school. Her presentation included practical tips for designing an effective advertising campaign, from choosing the right visuals and colours to crafting engaging messages.

Ms. Ingrid then challenged P6 to put what they learned into practice by working in groups to create mini television commercials using some of the strategies she discussed. The students enjoyed getting hands-on with the project, bringing their ideas to life.

In Language, we compared The BFG book with its movie adaptation, discussing the similarities and differences between the two. In Maths, we focused on improving number fluency and automatic recall of number facts.

Next week, P6 will start creating their own advertising campaigns to promote a special event we celebrate at UWCEA. We’re excited to see what they come up with!

Natasha Berri

With Early Decision and Early Action deadlines rapidly approaching for US universities, many of our D2s are feeling a huge sense of accomplishment as they submit their first university applications.  We encourage all of our students to plan to submit applications at least a few days prior to the official deadlines.  Their applications represent a huge amount of work and dedication on their part, and it has been wonderful to see their smiles as they submit.

D2 parents: if you missed last Wednesday’s parent update and Q&A meeting, please check your email for a link to the recording.  It will be most relevant for parents with children applying to the US.  If you have any questions after watching the video, please be in touch with the university counselor.

D1 parents:  save the date! 
D1 Parent Introduction to University Advising at UWCEA
Thursday, November 14 from 7-8 p.m. (EAT)
Zoom link to be provided prior to the meeting
Can’t make it?  Don’t worry!  We’ll share a recording of the presentation with all D1 parents.

This week the sustainability committee touched base on tracking waste, and emissions from our campus. There was also a handover of responsibility for the management of our campus and community recycling to the DP Environmental Service group.

Used Battery Disposal Point      
We also sent out an email earlier in the week to notify everyone that there is now a battery disposal box in the Library – please recycle any used batteries here! 

Flowers for Mr. Elisha (school driver) and Nora (D2)

A big thank you to Mr. Elisha, our school driver, who has been dedicated to delivering our cleaned and sorted recycling to the local plant.

Nora, our D2 member, released a Swahili guide for the community recycling system, now being used. This was received with thanks and commendations by our school community. The next step will be a standard policy for these practices, for all staff.

Public Service Announcement! Please be mindful in throwing away your trash. If you are not sure where something goes, put it in general waste. Please ensure all recycling items are clean and just a reminder; we do not take:

• Food contaminated items including paper plates
• Napkins
• Shiny paper or light plastics (wrappers, plastic bags or cling wrap)

Going beyond waste, going organic!
Looking ahead, the sustainability coordinator and Ms. Tahera have started to partner with a local organic farm and will be looking forward to the first orders of some items coming into our kitchen soon. Organic practices are a great step towards a sustainable diet that works for soils. Through soil regeneration, we aim to make a positive impact on our choices! 

We are looking forward to the progress of the tree planting, conservation and environmental service groups! Watch this space for updates. If you are in one of these services and have something to share, please contact Amador (D2) or email sustainabilitymoshi@uwcea.org.

Stay green

Sustainability Committee

Come along to the informational session!
When: 3:45 PM on Monday, 28th October
Where: Room 6

This week the next reefs trip departed to a new location – Emayani Lodge located just south of Pangani. On this trip, 16 keen students will complete their practical PADI open water training. PADI Open Water Diver is the first scuba certification level where a highly-trained Instructor will teach students how to scuba dive in a relaxed, supportive learning environment. Students have been busy completing their home learning for this course teaching the fundamentals of scuba diving ahead of the trip.

By the end of the course, students will have the skills and knowledge to dive at home or abroad and be an ambassador for the underwater world. We are excited to see the students’ progress over the next few days. For those interested in scuba diving, the next PADI certification trip will be in March for those interested. Please review the calendar on the school web-site for dates.

As mentioned last week, over the October break, the OP Team had a successful summit of Uhuru Peak (5,895m). Please read the brilliant review by Joel (D2) who was part of the trip.

Our six-day hike began at the gate, we were all very excited to start this journey, and most of us were also very happy to be out of the classroom again.

The first day did not present much of a challenge, we hiked a total of 8km, gaining 1000m in altitude from Marangu gate to Mandara hut. Hiking through the mountainous forest was a lot of fun – we were all still breathing normally and the group dynamic was picking up.

Arriving at Mandara hut, was rewarding after the 4-hour hike, the warm tea and hot chocolate were a perfect treat as I was starting to feel the cold that came with the altitude. Waking up at Mandara was truly wonderful, after a good night of sleep (since our heart rate was still moderately normal) waking up to green surroundings and beautiful sunshine was just the cherry on top. After a good breakfast of porridge and a lot more (it would be an understatement to say that we all had enough food) we set off for our 11km hike to Horombo hut.

This hike was also still rather easy. The only challenges we faced along the way were a few kilometres of very dusty path and the extreme weather changes – sweating whilst walking but putting on two more layers during the breaks. The environmental changes as forest morphed into bush and bush morphed into shrubby plains along the way were also interesting and made for a more eventful hike. Seeing Horombo hut only a few minutes away was relieving, even though the hike was not very challenging, knowing you were done for the day after hiking for 5 hours was rewarding.

The afternoon at Horombo hut was well spent, more tea and hot chocolate and then most enjoyed a nap whilst others relaxed around the huts. After a great dinner, we all headed to bed.

The next day was an acclimatization day, we got to sleep until 8 and after breakfast headed out for a 3 hour hike up to 4200m altitude. We came back before lunch and the afternoon was spent relaxing, building massive rock towers or napping.

The morning of day five was early again as we were to hike to Kibo hut (4700m altitude). Here we experienced another change in environment as the shrubby plains turned into a sandy and rocky desert, a surreal view. I also felt the cold and strong winds as halfway through the hike I decided a shirt was no longer enough for such altitudes. During the last 1.5 hours up to Kibo hut I could really feel the effect of the thin air as our walking speed halved but our breathing doubled. Arriving at Kibo hut was an amazing feeling, and this time I was very happy not needing to take another step. After some more tea and hot chocolate, and a short nap, a few of us set out for a 1-hour acclimatization hike in the afternoon. This helped me a lot as back down at Kibo I was then feeling a lot better.

Though we were warned that we might experience a loss of appetite, I saw none of the sort that evening as I was looking around at the plates loaded with spaghetti. Going to bed was a bit nerve wrecking as we all knew we would be waking up in three hours to start hiking again. Even though the sleep would be much needed, it was a challenge to fall asleep to the loud, fast pacing sound of one’s own heartbeat. It took me an hour to fall asleep, others didn’t sleep at all.

Waking up at 11 at night only a few hours later was better than expected. After getting ready we stood outside of the hut anticipating the long hike ahead of us. Everyone seemed to be in a surprisingly good mood and was not yet feeling the consequences of sleeping only a quarter of a night. The night hike up to Uhuru peak was a 6-kilometer hike, single file up a steep and scree zigzag pathway. For the first two hours I could still hear some chatter and most were still feeling awake and ready to continue hiking. After about 2.5 hours I separated from the front group, so from here on out I can only speak for myself. The tiredness really came out of nowhere and was like nothing I have ever experienced. My eyes would close whilst walking and as soon as I stood still, I started dreaming. From three in the morning until the sunrise everything sucked, my toes were almost numb, I was half asleep and the mountain only became steeper. However, the goal to reached the summit was enough to keep up my determination. Reaching Gliman’s Point half an hour after sunrise was a great feeling, I had made it so far already, however, this was quickly overshadowed by my tiredness as I fell asleep on a rock. Even though I did not want to keep going, we pushed forward to complete the last kilometer of the hike. This ended up taking me 2.5 hours. It sounds ridiculous but the thin air makes it very difficult to walk quickly, and the breaks we took were lengthened by the naps I took. Pushing through these last two hours was probably the worst thing I have done up till now. And I would like to say it was all very much worth it, but upon reaching Uhuru peak, I sat down and fell asleep. After taking some photos and trying to take in the view for a short while (which was stunning to be fair) we headed back for Kibo hut. For me, this was just as bad as the ascent, tiredness did not hold back but the only option was to continue downwards.

As I reached Kibo hut again I took a nap as others were starting with lunch. Getting up after the nap to walk down to Horombo hut that same day was the next challenge. The tiredness did not subside but walking with my friends again made the whole experience enjoyable again. That night, I don’t think anyone struggled to fall asleep.

The last day was a 19km hike back down to the gate from Horombo hut. Most people were feeling energised again and even though it was tiring, being able to go down feeling accomplished was great.

Being back at the gate also felt a bit weird, the six days went by very quickly but I could already barely remember the suffering that I had endured withing the past 48hrs. All in all, it was an amazing trip, the students got along great, had plenty of fun being out in nature, and made sure to support each other.