Arusha Campus News – 29 Oct 2023

Last night the MadSoc Theatre Company from Malawi visited and performed ‘State of the Ape’ to an enthused audience.

Sat 11th Nov – NTSAA Secondary Athletics at Arusha Campus

Sat 4th Nov –  2pm TED-X Arusha Campus

Mon 13th Nov – M5 On-screen Familiarisation Exams

Fri 17th-Sun 19th November – Moshi Sports Weekend

Fri 1st December – School Thetare Production

Sat 2nd December – School Theatre Production

Fri 15th December – Final day of the quarter

Image above from www.valleyofthesundogrescue.org

I am not sure if the image above is a reflection of my behaviour this month during the Rugby World Cup or whether it describes something more profound. I wonder how many times I have asked students and colleagues to act in a way that I fail to emulate myself.  I see this as a peril in belonging to an organisation such as UWC whose values are embedded in an ideology that is impossible to perfect. As UWC stakeholders we sail close to the wind of self-righteousness on many occasion. As one of my former Directors used to remind me on a weekly basis, all we can do is ‘the very best we can’ and that will set us in the right direction. We are all quick to criticise our politicians and leaders who make decisions that seem wildly misaligned with our own ideas and yet, let’s stop and speculate whether they are actually doing as well as they can. We all bark at the postman from time to time!

One of our teams that certainly did the best they could this weekend was our swim team, some of whom are pictured above. Well done to all of them and their supporters.

And thank you to our support staff, students, teachers and parents who strive so hard week in week out to make this a fabulous place to  work.

Have a super Sunday.

Phil

A selection of PYP art (above) from around the classes this week

Art is one of my favourite activites. I love walking around and looking at all the different ideas the students have. They are so individual often from a single inspiration. The PYP encourages students to show creativity, appreciation and curiosity which enable students to develop their thoughts and to express themselves.
What is a PYP provocation?

A provocation can be presented in different forms and intends to elicit ideas to develop and discover new knowledge. It can be an image, a picture book, a question, a video clip, materials, a field trip, or a nature walk to spark curiosity about a concept or an idea. This allows the students to think independently by encouraging them to explore their interests

We use provocations to create curiosity, trigger wonders, stimulate engagement, generate questions, and drive inquiries. This learning tool inspires the students to bring meaningful learning as they become more inquisitive through observation, recording, and reflecting on the provocation’s discussions.

https://pypduniablog.wordpress.com/2022/06/27/the-power-of-provocation/

Amanda

P3/4 art patterns in nature (below)

These fine athletes travelled to Moshi on Saturday and braved the sweltering heat to play football. Not all players are pictured but they formed a joint team with Future Stars and played in a tournament at Hope International School in Moshi. Thanks to Jesse (Baba Ingraham), Rikus (Baba Sam) and Takeh (Baba Baraka) and other parents for organising and chaperoning.

This weekend, the NTSAA schools attended the first of two seasonal swim galas. St Constantine’s School was the host and on Friday the Primary schools fought it out in their swimming pool. UWC East Africa Arusha Campus turned out to be victorious and in winning, threw down the gauntlet to their older Rhino siblings who were preparing for Saturday’s Secondary gale. In the event, the Secondary School Team did not disappoint and came away as victors themselves. So a win double for the Rhinos from Arusha! Congratulations to the whole team, their supportive mums and dads and of course to Coach Kevin and Frank! Asanteni!

Pictured above is the M4 class on a field trip to Burka Coffee Estate.

We went on a field trip to a farm in a place called Burka. I saw living and non-living things interacting in a natural spring, where fish were in the water eating algae and hiding between the rocks. I saw the way humans conserve the environment by picking up all the pollution and by taking care of the animals – by feeding them and keeping them in a protected area. We saw people fixing a bridge which was above a river. During the wet season when it rains a lot, the river gets filled to almost the top. The way this relates to our unit is that it is a natural environment with human, other living and non living components.

Megan, M4

… and more from M4 below!

M4’s (above) strengthening their algebra skills at problem solving stations.

Application Season is Upon Us

November is around the corner, and with it comes the official start of the application season. Last Friday during Life Skills, Mr. Olivier led the Class of 2024 in a mindfulness activity by the pool to allow them to self-regulate and practice strategies that will help them through the coming season. It was a wonderful sight to see the cohort embracing this activity in their own way.

This was an important way to end last week, because this week was full of opportunities to have last minute individual/small group interactions with college admissions specialists about various aspects of the application process. We were honored to virtually host guests throughout the week who shared their expertise on topics ranging from what happens once you submit your application to a highly selective institution to guidance about completing the complicated financial aid forms. Students who participated in these events gained additional insights to help them be prepared to hit submit over the next couple of months with confidence and assurance that they put forth their most competitive application.

Tune in while you can

I cannot stress enough how fortunate our students (AND parents/guardians) are to be able to interact directly with the decision makers in the admissions offices. Students who have been participating in events have not only gained a better understanding of what they need to do as they make very important decisions regarding their post-secondary plans, but the connections they make at these events open the lines of communication with representatives who they can follow up with as they have questions throughout the process. Some of these connections continue once the student is on campus, and has already established a relationship with a key ally in their new academic home. This is why I once again emphasize the importance of reviewing the list of upcoming events below, and visiting the websites of institutions that you want to learn more about. They want to help you make the best possible decision, and have a wealth of information beyond their institution that can make a stressful process much more rewarding.

With that said, please see what is coming our way that you may not want to miss…

**This just in… 29 October: 5:00 PM EAT Hamilton College, Ithaca College, and Cornell University (just for UWC students) virtual presentation

31 October: Arusha 3:00 PM EAT NYU Abu Dhabi (TENTATIVE)

2 November: 10:20 AM EAT Sciences Po (France) virtual presentation

4 November: 7:30-11:00 AM EAT SAT exam – Moshi campus (See uwcea.org/tests for more information)

15 November: 4:45-6:00 PM EAT 15 on the 15th: US Liberal Arts Colleges Presentation and mini-virtual fair. November focus: SEVIS, 1-20, F-1 Student Visa and Enrollment
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

Keep exploring and enjoying the journey!

Cassandra Ford
College and Career Counselor
cassandraford@uwcea.org

Who remembers Juli (left) and Olivia (right) who graduated from UWC East Africa last year. Here they are, pictured above, meeting up for coffee in a cafe in Belgium!