Last night we enjoyed the community concert and I thank all those that entertained us for the evening. While there were many familiar and talented individuals it was also great to see some new faces up there all the way down to P5.
While I do not know all the swim results yet, there have been some good results, so an early congratulations to all our swimmers that are off in Mwanza this weekend.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Gelske for all the work she has done to support the school: hosting field trips at her farm, being a key player at the farmers’ market, helping with productions, providing flowers for special events and so much more. All of us at UWCEA wish Gelske, Jacob, Janieck and Eefke the very best as they start their new lives in The Netherlands.
I must say that it appears that the rainy season may have started back already. Please remember that particularly for PYP kids we suggest a set of indoor shoes that can be left at school. This really helps prevent mud coming in and anyone who has seen a PYP classroom knows that kids work everywhere.
Handwashing
Starting Monday, you should see handwashing stations at the front gate as you enter. As one of the best defenses against COVID-19 is handwashing we are requesting that everyone wash their hands as they come onto campus.
In the primary classes we have sinks and are working on a system of regular handwashing in the class. In secondary, we had another recent conversation with students reminding them of the importance of this precaution in preventing the spread of this and many other diseases.
You will have seen the recent emails keeping you informed of what we know regarding COVID-19 and the status of the school. We will continue to do so on a regular basis, so please keep an eye out for these emails.
Bob Cofer
Ben’s Corner
“Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known” Carl Sagan
The MYP sciences framework encourages students to investigate issues through research, observation and experimentation, working independently and collaboratively. The idea being that, as they investigate real examples of science application, students will discover the tensions and dependencies between science and morality, ethics, culture, economics, politics and the environment.
Thursday’s Science Fair was an opportunity for M1-3 students to showcase their findings from individual and group experiments over recent weeks. Many of these investigations explored these tensions and dependencies, focusing on real-life scenarios and situations that are part of their everyday lives…from exploring calorific foods or the effects of penalty shootouts on the heart all the way through to binaural beats and empowering potatoes!
The students spoke confidently and expertly about the science behind their projects. They spoke about the importance of hypotheses and how much of their learning had come in the process rather than the end product. Indeed, many students spoke of how their hypotheses had been completely disproved. On Friday, four of our young scientists then packed their lab coats and set off to the Inter-School Science Challenge at Kennedy House.
Well done to all scientists involved (big and small!). The experience was certainly an opportunity for students and adults alike to learn to appreciate and respect the ideas of others, gain good ethical-reasoning skills and further develop our collective sense of responsibility as members of local and global communities.
Ben Morley
Diploma News
Environmental Club
For several months the team of the Environmental Club worked on an environmentally friendly bench, which is made only from natural resources: sand, earth, manure and water. By their own example, they showed that living without polluting the planet is much easier than it seems, you just need to spend a little time. The bench is almost finished, but you still can join the Environmental Club team and help them to make this world better.
Big changes could start with a little bench!
Astronomy Club
Up, up, and away!
Up, up, and away! Those were the last words of the daring kids of the astronomy club as they watched their model rockets blast off into the skies. Last week, as part of the astronomy CAS that is led by the diploma students Peter & Imaan, p4-p6 students got to experience the effects of gravity and what it takes to overcome such a force.
The children partook in a fun activity of building and designing personalized rockets with the usage of everyday items such as vinegar. This activity was complemented by the added task of coming up with their own proportions and measurements of how much propellant would be enough, in relation to the size and weight of their rocket. The kids got to experience some of the same logistical task and challenges that engineers and astronomers at NASA experience on a daily basis.
At the end of the day, the kids learnt that gravity is not a force to be taken lightly, as some rockets were able to reach the extreme heights of about 50 feet while others barely being able to take off. All as a result of the careful, or rather not careful calculations, that went into the construction of the rocket, which, in the end, proved to be an important learning curve for our future young rocket scientists.
MYP News
Science Fair
The Junior classes in MYP (M1-M3) showcased their science knowledge and skills last Thursday, March 12. M3 students manned various stands with different themes and kept the audience engaged throughout the day.
M1 Mathematics Class
The M1 students have just completed a unit on measurement in Mathematics. In their summative assessment, they built eco-homes. Students also presented to their peers on how they arrived at the dimensions of their multi-roomed houses.
MYP Service The Day Care group was at the Day Care centre. They played games with nursery pupils and taught them how to colour motifs. Later they came back to reflect on their experiences.
M5 Timeline
Mar 16 ePortfolio subjects deadline
March 26 Career Fair
April 20-22 On Screen Mock exams (students registered for IB exams)
May 12-22 IB On screen examinations on various dates (students registered for IB exams)
May 18-22 UWCEA Moshi campus M5 End Year examinations (for non-IB exam M5 students)
May 25 – 29 M5 Work experience (All M5 students)
June 5 M5 Ceremony
David Ochieng
From the Counselor
What do you want to be when you grow up?
Some of us adults are still asking ourselves that question as we expect young people to make that decision with so many options to consider. Walking around the MYP Science Fair I discovered lots of future careers options for students as they presented their projects and the methods they used to solve problems and answer their hypothesis. Problem solving is an essential employability skill, and one that is introduced very early in life. Eventually we get to the question of “What problems do you want to solve in life?”, and that helps young people begin to determine the answer to the what they want to be when they grow up. Another important component of the decision making process is exposure. Many people seek the careers of the adults around them because that is what they know. However, the more we expose young people to a variety of careers/problem solvers, the more they begin to imagine the possibilities for their own lives. If you are seeking ways to explore careers with your child from primary through secondary school, here is a resource that I used to use that is full of ways to build a developmentally appropriate understanding of careers through a variety of activities: https://www.vaview.vt.edu/
In addition, we are still looking for members of our community who are interested in coming to share their expertise with our students. If you, or someone you know, would like to share a talent/skill/career with our students, please complete the form in this link to sign up as Community Experts: https://forms.gle/qdxwBcHsBsPKU45X8
Lastly, D1 families, please make sure you take a look at the Internal Deadlines document on this link to ensure you are aware of what your student is expected to do to prepare for their post secondary planning. In addition, there are key deadlines coming up to register for exams that are required by some universities. Please be sure to learn more about these exams (and their deadlines) on www.uwcea.org/tests.
Congratulations to all our Secondary swimmers who participated in the NTSAA swim meet on Saturday. There were lots of PBs and all students had a great trip to Arusha, swam really well and dominated in all the races. The team were pipped at the post for first place by UWCEA Arusha who had a very strong 16 & over category. Thank you to Debbie, Christine, Coach Sabini and our swim parents for all the work that goes into making such a successful team.
On the 28th of March there is a tennis competition for students 13 years and below at Kennedy House, please contact me if you would like your child to take part in this tournament. robinmarsh@uwcea.org.
Robin Marsh
Tennis Championships
Last week I went to Uganda to take part in the Confederation of African Tennis East Africa Junior Tournament. There were 3 girls and 3 boys. The girls’ team won against six countries – Uganda, Burundi, Kenya, Sudan, Ethiopia and The Seychelles. We are the under 12s champions! We have qualified to go to Morocco in September.
Eunice P6
PYP News
This week has been eventful for the students in P6. With Exhibition field trips and coming up with tools to conduct surveys, the pressure is on. Thanks, Ms. Catherine Shayo and parents for accompanying the children to the various places they have needed to go. We also enjoyed a gathering by the P3s on the theme of kindness. The P5s celebrated their body unit and have ended their week with a slumber party where they were joined by their Arusha counterparts. We have also had a good week in the area of sports and games. Congratulations to our chess team who went to Arusha for a tournament. Their courage and participation have done us proud. We also wish the team that has gone to Mwanza for a Swim meet, all the best.
The primary swim gala is on Wednesday 18th March. Be sure to wear your house shirt and bring your swim kit on that day.
I wish you all a lovely weekend.
Cathy Wambua-Saha
Can you help with our Exhibition?
Hello, we are here to ask you if you would like to donate some toys for the cats and dogs at Mbwa Africa and also blankets and rugs that they can use as bedding. Please put donations in the box outside Room 16 (the P6 classroom.)
Thank you, Ian and Scarlet P6
P6 Class
P6 broke free of the classroom this week! Manvir, Malveer and Ivan were given a demonstration of Babu James’s electric car. Tanya and Eunice went to Mweka to learn about the Roots and Shoots Program and to plant trees. Ian took his puppy to a local school to show the children there that if you raise dogs with kindness the animals will be kind in return. Julian and Milcah visited the Amani Centre for street children. Faraja and Mithra went to Kalani orphanage. Raymond and Rocco went to TPC to learn about the reintroduction of wild animals and how the problem of poaching is being dealt with. This weekend Townes and Reuben are hoping to visit a village in Monduli. We have some action underway: Ian and Scarlet are collecting toys and bedding for the cats and dogs at Mbwa Africa. Milcah and Julian ran an art activity at Amani and plan to return to run more. Next week we have visits to a school for the blind and an animal sanctuary planned. Many thanks to Ms. Catherine and all parents who have made these wonderful firsthand learning experiences possible.
Deborah Mills
P5 Class
It was another great week for the P5 class. The highlight this week was enjoying making new friends with the P5 class from Arusha. The 24 hours they were here were packed full of fun and educational activities. Thanks to Ms. Zoe, they were able to dissect a goat heart and lungs. After that they hiked to the river and appreciated the beautiful natural environment. When we returned to school, they played in the pool thanks to Mr. Sabini. Everyone had fun splashing and swimming. They followed that with a delicious dinner thanks to the chefs in the kitchen. Then, they walked back to Kishari house to play flashlight tag. The rain finally fell, thankfully late in the day, so they were able to watch The Lorax with their new friends. Today they were shared their projects, posters, books, and poems to do a final wrap up of the Human Body unit. It was a great visit, and I am very thankful everyone was cooperative and caring. We are very thankful to all that made it such a unique and awesome experience.
Sarah Brummel
P4 Class
The P4s have really enjoyed the shopping activity and they were allowed to have fun and get comfortable with playing shop. During the week, we started looking at the different denominations of coins within the British pound. In the coming week, we will look at the notes and start working on Tanzanian Shillings. We will look at the different denominations and move to add and subtract different amounts. In our Inventions unit, we are looking at the different inventions and reasons people invented. We are incorporating this with Design and Technology where students are also designing their own inventions or innovations. We are looking at passages about famous inventors and will be using inference and prediction as literary tools.
Cathy Wambua-Saha
P3 Class
“You’re off to Great Places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, so… get on your way” – Dr. Seuss
It’s been a bittersweet week. The students have excitedly been preparing for the assembly we had on Friday, while thinking about the goodbye they’re going to be saying to their friend Janieck. Along with Janieck, our class is also saying goodbye to his family. Ms. Gelske and Mr. Jacob have supported our classroom with various activities and field trips over the past couple years. They’ve also always been one of the first few people to volunteer for activities such as mystery readers, or coming into class to lead different activities with the students. We’re going to miss them and we wish them all the best with their move home.
I’d like to thank Mama and Baba Janieck, and Mama and Baba Nahar for all their effort organizing a wonderful party in the community garden for the students. Asanteni sana
Please note that Primary Swim Gala will be taking place on Wednesday 18th March. Please ensure your child brings their swim trunks for the gala.
Elisha Jaffer
P 1/2 Class
The children took to the playground to explore shapes this week. With pencils and paper, they drew out the shapes they encountered in nature. It was marvellous to see all of us startled to find shapes in the most unthought-of places. Questions that came from our exploration were quite informative. What is the difference between a line and a shape? Is a zigzag line a shape? I can’t draw a ball on my paper, but it is a shape. What do I do? We will explore these questions more in the coming weeks. If you are an avid mathematician who is interested in sharing your knowledge with the class concerning shapes, you are welcome to come and talk to the children. Please keep the discussions going on at home.
We celebrate Ezra this week. He represented us at a swim meet in Mwanza. Well done Ezra. We are proud of you!
Mboka Mwasongwe
EC Class
This week we began to prepare our ‘senses stations’. We’ll show you what we’ve learned about the five senses, and give you a taste of a sixth.
The children decided to make a model of the eye. A small group began shaping and cutting a large eye-shape to fit to our light board. They decided to use a plastic, wipeable backdrop on which they could alter the size of a pupil using board markers.
Within minutes, the small group attracted the attention of others. Labels were made, and our classroom books were searched through to find a picture of a brain. A brain was produced with pink card and attached to the eye with a ‘nerve’.
Next week we’ll be thinking about how to give hands-on examples for the other senses. We’re looking forward to sharing them with you.
Please send your class reading book into school this week so that we can change them.
