Arusha Campus News – 20 Aug 2023

Mon 21st August – Sustainability Week

Sat 26th August – D1 Pamoja Walk

Sat 23rd September – Rotary Triathlon

Fri 29th September – 24 Hour Run

Students on the Plains trip (above) to Monduli get their tents set up on a bluff overlooking the rift toward the massifs of Longido and Kitumbeini.

I told you last week that we would be up and running from day one and today, two outdoor pursuits trips returned. The Plains to Monduli returned from their two-day hike while the four-day Peaks Meru group also returned. They only just returned so we will publish a write-up on both trips in next week’s newsletter.

Our house has been a busy venue this weekend as on Friday we entertained all of the Arusha Campus staff for a community barbeque and then this evening we were thrilled to host our Diploma boarders for another garden party. The last of the partygoers has just gone back home as I write this!

As you can see above, this week is Sustainability Week. Nothing spectacular, but we felt it was a good idea to start the year off with some reminders about how we must try and live our lives in the most sustainable of ways. After all ‘Sustainability’ is fundamental to our mission and, in short, its who we are! So I would urge all of our parents and community members to please join in the activities and themes for the day. You don’t have to be in Arusha to join us – why not try to do these things at home wherever you are? Thursday should be fun because we want everyone who drives to school to try and car pool and ensure that all cars are full. We will have students at the gate recording the number of cars coming in on that day. Can we make a difference?

Here’s to a fun week trying!

Phil

PYP Share Time on Friday (above) was a chance to meet all the new faces in the Primary School

Welcome back. We have had a great first week back in the primary school. We would like to congratulate Ms Alina on the birth of her baby girl and to thank Mr Hywel for covering her maternity leave. We also welcome Monsieur Alli as our new French teacher.

It has been wonderful to see how excited the students are to return to school.

On Tuesday 22nd August from 2.00- 2.30pm, we will have the CCA Fair in the primary playground. This is a chance to meet the external CCA Leaders.

We would also like to invite parents to meet their class teachers on the following dates and times…….
NEC – Friday 25th August 8.00 – 8.30am
P1 – Tuesday 29th August 8.00 – 8.30am
P2 – Wednesday 23rd August 8.00 – 8.30am
P3/4 – Tuesday 22nd August 8.00 – 8.30am
P4/5 – Thursday 24th August 8.00 – 8.30am
P6 – Thursday 24th August 2.00 – 2.30pm

Amanda Bowen, PYP Co-ordinator

M2s pictured above, getting to know their new mentor Ms Hilary

A great first week back for our MYP students! Students were happy to see old and new friends and meet their new teachers. M1-5 developed their classroom routines and expectations and started their first units.

M1-5 classes meet with their mentor every morning and also have two scheduled mentor lessons each week. Mentors monitor student’s overall academic and socio-emotional wellbeing and are often the first point of contact for students and families. This year’s MYP mentors are:

M1 – Alli Abd-El-Rashid
M2 – Hilary King
M3 – Caitrin Trappe
M4 – Michael Rupiah
M5 – Sarah Keane

Our former M5 students have started D1 this week and may have almost forgotten about the eAssessments they took in May last year! Yet, the IB released the M5 eAssessment results on August 1st and we want to recognise and congratulate our students. The average grade obtained by students who achieved the MYP certificate was 5.07 out of 7. We are particularly proud of the effort and enthusiasm the students put in their Personal Projects. This was demonstrated in their results: a school average of 5.27, well above the world average of 4.05.

Anoek van der Vinne, MYP Co-ordinator

Congratulations to the Class of 2023 for gaining an average of 33.2 points (3 points above the World Average) in their DP examinations, with the maximum score of 45 points achieved by Marko! The examination session of May 2023 was the first examination session set back to normal conditions after 3 years that included various accommodations due to the Covid-19 pandemic and its consequences. Indeed, this year the students had to sit all the required papers and cover the full syllabus in each subject. A big thank you to the teachers who also had to adjust to those changes. More on this year’s worldwide IB results in this interesting article

 https://whichschooladvisor.com/hong-kong/school-news/ib-results-2023-why-are-grades-lower-in-2023.

As they move on to new pastures, we wish our Graduating class of 2023 all the best in their future endeavors.

The last couple of weeks saw new faces wandering around our beautiful campus, as we welcome our new cohort of D1 students. Following a week of orientation packed with activities and meetings, they are now settling into the routine of a UWCEA Diploma student, after navigating through their selection of subjects. Some of them have already signed up to audition for this year’s Secondary Musical: The Addams Family!

And let’s not forget our D2 students, wasting no time getting back to work to meet their first deadlines this semester! This indeed will be a stressful semester for them, and the key to their success, as they have been reminded several times already, will be good time management skills and a good sleeping pattern. Ms Cassandra has also actively started to work with them on their university applications.

Nathalie Vignard, DP Co-ordinator

In Diploma Biology this week (pictured above) we have been exploring the ideas behind the nature of science using challenges with cup stacking. We came up with concepts around teamwork, resilience when things get harder and the rules change, positive competition and a focus on communication.

Jessica Peterson, Head of Maths and Science

Karibu Tena: Let the cycle begin/continue

After a busy summer of visiting college campuses, connecting with colleagues and a few alumni, as well as spending time with loved ones, it is good to be back on campus with familiar and new faces. I am excited to hear what our D2s have accomplished during the long break, and get to know the D1s as they begin their IBDP adventure. My experiences during the month of July have left my head spinning with ideas that I can’t wait to share, but also with a sense that there is still so much that we all need to do in order to be prepared for another admissions endeavor. Our D1s will have time to get settled, adjust to life on campus, and remain open-minded about an array of options. While our D2s will finalize their plans so that they can begin applying or preparing for their next adventure after UWC East Africa. Either way, I am here to help and provide resources to make this process as smooth as possible. Please make sure you are reviewing messages posted in Toddle for up to date information that will help you support your child as they prepare for life after UWC East Africa. I have already posted multiple messages and resources that I hope you will find useful.

Food for thought

Here are a couple of articles that I read recently that were written by one of my favorite college admissions bloggers. The topics covered are very relevant topics as we begin another college admissions cycle. Please take a moment to review these to gain a better understanding of what lies ahead.

College Admissions is Not Fair (US)https://sites.gatech.edu/admission-blog/2023/07/13/lets-get-few-things-straight-about-college-admission/

Juniors (D1), Can We ChatGPT? https://sites.gatech.edu/admission-blog/2023/07/20/juniors-can-we-chatgpt/

Lastly, I will close this section of the newsletter each week with information about upcoming events I think you will find beneficial. Please take a look, and try to attend when applicable, even if it is just to open your mind to something you had not considered before.

UPCOMING College and University Events

26 August: 7:30-11:00 AM EAT SAT in Moshi (See uwcea.org/tests for more information)
31 August: 7:30-8:30 PM EAT The University of Chicago institution introduction and overview of the supplemental essay process. Link: Coming soon
5 September: 4-5:30 PM EAT Nottingham Trent University (UK). Parents and students are welcome to campus to learn about studying in the UK and this institution.
7 September: 7:30 PM EAT The University of Oklahoma (US) Major Davis UWC Scholar Partner with the most UWC alumni currently enrolled.
13/14 September: Arusha (13th)/Moshi (14th) Time: TBD Huron University College at Western (Canada). Offers a UWC specific scholarship.
15 September: 4:45-6:00 PM EAT 15 on the 15th: US Liberal Arts Colleges Presentation and mini-virtual fair. September focus: Effective Interviews
Link to register for these events: https://www.davidson.edu/admission-and-financial-aid/visit/international-visit-programs/15-15th-liberal-arts-colleges-across-united-states
Many more visits coming your way, so stay tuned!
Keep exploring and enjoying the journey!

Cassandra Ford
College and Career Counselor
cassandraford@uwcea.org

Juanita Viljoen (D1) has been nominated for the African Junior Championships in Mauritius in December. Juanita will be part of the 24-man team of athletes representing the colors of Tanzania at this year’s African Junior Championships from December 6th to 10th.

Juanita’s coach at Riptide Swim Club commented “This award is the direct result of Juanita’s consistent training diligence and her willingness to push boundaries.”

The African Junior Championships are held every two years. For the young athletes, they are a way station to present their individual level of performance in an international arena, in competition with their peers. Many international top athletes have achieved their first successes at international youth championships. We wish Juanita a lot of fun in Mauritius and the necessary stamina to survive the training kilometers that she still has to complete until December, then success will come almost by itself.

As we embark upon a week of sustainability awareness, may I remind everyoine that we have a very effective recycling centre at the end of the car park. The effectiveness of the recycling is matched by how we as users support the sorting process. Our PTA has provided many bins to allow us to do this but I would appeal to everyone to follow some suggestions that will help us.

Please ‘crush’ your cardboard so that we can stack it easily. Flattened cardboard boxes take up much less room. Also please try to sort your waste and dont be tempted to leave your box of rubbish for someone else to sort.

We have installed CCTV overlooking the centre but it would be a shame if we had to resort to scrutinising footage to see who is not using the facility as they should.

Thank you