Welcome Back for the 2023/24 School Year

Welcome to all new and returning students, family members, and staff. I hope everyone has had a relaxing and enjoyable break. It is hard to believe but the new year is just about to begin with classes starting on August 14th. This year we will have the welcoming assembly on Tuesday at 7:30am.

Our new teachers have arrived and had an initial orientation with all teachers starting on the 7th. As I write this, we have new D1 students starting to arrive as they start their orientation officially on the 9th. Our MYP and PYP residential students will be here on the 13th.

Like always we have been busy over the break and there are some changes in action with some improvements to facilities and expanded residential space. We are also making upgrades in our online systems as well to make it easier on students and parents. We will be incorporating the academic needs into the “Life” portal so that you have more of a single point of call. We are also making some changes on the website and one will allow you to have more up to date information about events on campus. If you go to the calendar you will now see a tab for full school events and also one for campus specific ones. We will be adding Primary Gatherings, cultural nights and other events this week.

As I speak about online items I must remind you to update all medical, PC or student pass data if you have not done so recently. Hopefully you will have received an automated reminder if we need updates. We need this information to be current and accurate so students can get involved in school trips or other activities.

Once again welcome and I will see many of you over the next two weeks.

Bob Cofer – Head of Campus

Karibu Sana! For those of you who do not know me, my name is Ben Morley and I am excited to be entering my sixth year as Deputy Head here in Moshi. I will be supporting teaching and learning from EC-D2, working alongside the students and teachers and, hopefully, contributing in any way I can. I have four children of my own and, rather fittingly this year, they are spread across the PYP, MYP and DP!

I trust that everyone is rested, recharged and ready for what promises to be another fulfilling year of living and learning together. I will strive to continue to use my little “corner” of the newsletter to share reflections about ongoing learning across the school, to highlight specific events (such as the upcoming 24-Hour Run!!!!) or share details of special days. Above all, I hope to celebrate our collective achievements.

A particularly warm welcome to new students, teachers, staff and families to the UWCEA community. We hope your time with us is richly rewarding, full of adventure, both within and beyond the campus, and that you go on to form friendships that last a lifetime. Remember, we are all connected by our Guiding Statements. These Guiding Statements are and should always remain aspirational. They are not the end result but, rather, something we should try and move a little bit closer to each and every day. Indeed, we share a collective responsibility to do all we can to continue working towards these.

Lastly, a heartfelt thank you to all the support and ancillary staff for their ongoing efforts over the “break” in making sure the campus is game ready for Monday 14th August.

Ben Morley – Deputy Head of Campus

Karibu Sana, UWCEA Community!

I am Adnan Mackovic, your new Head of Residential Life, and I am thrilled to extend a warm and wholehearted welcome to each and every one of you. Whether this is your first venture into UWCEA or you’re returning for another exciting year, I can’t wait to meet you in person and share in this incredible journey.

As you step into this vibrant community, know that you’re not alone. Together, we’re about to delve into an unforgettable experience of growth, learning, and life-long connections.

Get ready to kick off your journey with a spirited and engaging orientation curated by our dedicated Orientation Committee, featuring our D2 students. From laughter-filled games to swimming in hot springs, these initial days promise a delightful introduction to your new home away from home.

A special welcome also goes to our new residential life team members:

• Rachel Mahon, Head Parent of Kijana & Kiongozi
• Jamie Wood, Assistant Parent of Kiana & Kiongozi
• Keziah Kamau, Assistant Parent of Kisiwa and Kipawa
• Josh Pickell, Assistant Parent of Kivuli

I am sure you are excited to meet them and see your returning residential parents as well very soon.

As you prepare to travel from all corners of the world, if you’re feeling those pre-travel jitters or have any lingering questions, remember that we’re here to lend a helping hand. Reach out to me at adnanmackovic@uwcea.org  for any questions or concerns. Don’t hesitate to connect with the members of the Orientation Committee as well – they’re here to make your transition smooth and enjoyable.

Adnan Mackovic – Head of Residential Life

First let me introduce myself to those of you who are new. My name is Margaret Brunt and I am the Diploma Programme Coordinator. I am the main point of contact for DP academic issues. My email address is dp_moshi@uwcea.org.

The first D1 students are already on campus and the others will be arriving in the next few days. The D2 students in the orientation committee have a busy few days planned for them to introduce them to the school, the diploma programme and Tanzania. One session will be talking about their subject choices. They should have already made these but will have the option to make changes easily over the next few weeks.

The majority of D2 students still have a week of holiday. Hopefully they have had a good break with a mixture of work and relaxation. We will meet in the first week of the year to talk about the year ahead.

Classes will start on Monday 14th August. In the first few days we will talk about systems and procedures including Learn, the system we will use for teaching and learning information.

Margaret Brunt – DP Coordinator

Welcome back to our MYP students and parents!  As the summer vacation sun sets, we are thrilled to explore a new academic year filled with possibilities and enriching experiences.
I hope you all had an amazing break and are now geared up for another year of learning, growth, and beautiful memories. Our dedicated team of educators is excited to guide and support you through our new MYP journey where we embrace every opportunity, challenge ourselves, and foster a community that celebrates diversity and encourages each other’s unique talents. Let’s make this year one to remember, as we embark on a quest for knowledge, creativity, and personal development.

Welcome back, and let’s make the most of this incredible academic adventure ahead!

MYP Dates to Remember:

• August 1st – M5 eAssessments and Personal Project results released by IB
• August 2nd – M5 IB official results sent out to students and parents
• August 14th – First day of school

Farah Fawaz – MYP Coordinator

Welcome back everyone. I hope you all had a great break. We are looking forward to a happy and productive year with your children. The individual classroom teacher articles below will give you any necessary information for the first week back. You will be sent a copy of your child’s schedule as soon as it is fixed and any important dates will be shared soon. After school clubs won’t start straight away – as soon as we have the options for this quarter and the starting date we will share that with you. Please ensure that your child wears a UWCEA T-shirt to school every day. These are on sale in the development office so please call in next week to purchase some if necessary. If you have any questions please email me or your child’s teacher.  We look forward to seeing the children and hearing all of their news on Monday, 14th August at 7:30am.

If anyone is interested in offering an after school club (Monday – Thursday 2-3pm) for the PYP children please email me on deborahmills@uwcea.org. We are a small staff so we need your support in order to offer the children a fun and varied program.

Deborah Mills – PYP Coordinator

It is school time! Ms. Durriyah, Ms. Neema and I are looking forward to meeting you all and being with the children again. We are excited to meet with our new students as well and for the fun week of getting to know one another. It is going to be an exciting year with new growth all around us.

As we start the week, here are a few reminders:

• The school day begins at 7:30 am.
• For EC1 and EC2, it ends at 11:20 am.
• For P1s, the day ends at 1:10 pm.

For the school day, your child will need:

• A healthy snack (We do not encourage candy or sodas. Please refer to Primary Handbook)
• A water bottle.
• In-door shoes (Slippers or Crocs) – These will remain in class for the quarter.
• Sturdy shoes for outdoor play.
• Change of clothes – These will remain in class in a Ziplock bag.
• A light sweater in case the weather changes.

You will receive a letter on the first day of school with more information. See you on Monday.

Mboka Mwasongwe

A fantastic school year awaits us in P 2/3! There’s so much to learn and we have terrific units of inquiry. On Monday, information about our schedule and upcoming events will be sent home. All that is needed for the first day is a healthy snack, a water bottle, and a great attitude! We will take our time this week settling into routines and getting to know each other. Please help your child come to school ready to talk about summer holiday experiences. Mr. Emmanuel and I are looking forward to the year together!

Kacey Buckley

I hope you and your children have enjoyed a relaxing break. I have had family visiting and we were lucky enough to spend time on Zanzibar and in the Ngorongoro crater. Seeing it through the eyes of visitors made me realise what a beautiful country we live in! Ms. Catherine and I are looking forward to meeting the P4/5 children next week. We have lots of fun activities planned for the first week back. If your child would like to share a photo of his/her activities during the break please send in a hard copy or email me one to be projected onto the screen. I will send home a schedule once school begins but just for your information, our PE day is Thursday. Ideally the children should always have shoes suitable for running in school as we sometimes head out to the pitch for running games .

The children should have the following items in school every day:

• a reusable water bottle labelled with your child’s name
• a pair of crocs, malapas or slippers that can be worn inside the classroom.
• a healthy snack – no junk food please
• a hat to wear on sunny days

I’m looking forward to seeing the children at 7:30 am on Monday, 14th August. Our classroom is room 16.

Deborah Mills

I would like to warmly welcome you to P6. I hope that you and your family had a wonderful holiday break. It is always so exciting to start a new school year – a year full of anticipation, of discoveries to be made and milestones to be achieved. I feel very blessed to be here and I am looking forward to the year ahead. My family and I have been busy exploring Moshi since we arrived last week. Having come from Moscow and just out of a six-month Winter, the sunshine and beautiful weather has been very welcomed!

Ms Zitha and I are looking forward to meeting our P6 children next week. We will be doing lots of interesting activities to get to know each other. Our PE day is Monday, so your child will need to wear suitable shoes that they can run in. Further details on our class schedule will be sent home once school begins. 

Could you please ensure that your child brings the following items to school every day:

• a pair of inside shoes such as malapas, crocs or slippers to be worn in the classroom
• a reusable water bottle that is clearly labelled with your child’s name
• a hat to wear on sunny days
• a healthy snack

Our classroom is room 15. I look forward to meeting your child on Monday, 14 August at 7:30 am.

Natasha Berri