Arusha Campus News – 8 Nov 2020

The tension builds at the start of the Under 8 Triathlon at Arusha Campus yesterday.

Caroline and Carmen hand out deserved congratulations to one another after their duel in the duathlon!

Yesterday’s Rotary Triathlon was a big success and i think most people thoroughly enjoyed themselves. There were some outstanding performances and the sprint finish to the Men’s Elite event was a sight to behold. UWCEA had a strong presence  –  plenty of competitors made the journey over from Moshi Campus. Arusha students performed amazingly with Anders competing in the Individual Elite and making a strong finish. Amazing effort! Also Tembo (U19 Duathlon) and Luanga (U19 Duathlon Team) were worthy winners in their races. And a great win for Billy, Josh and Ella in the Under 13 Team Triathlon event.

The super performances were a highlight but we should all remember that the purpose of the event was to raise money to fund important Riotary service projects in our area. Rotary projects strive to promote peace, fight disease, provide clean water, saving mothers and children, supporting ediucation and growing local economies.

This coming week we will be undergoing our CIS/MSA Preparatory Evaluation. As a school we choose to seek accreditation from the Council of Intenrational Schools and the Middle States Association. Why? This enables us to open our doors to an outside agency which employs experienced educators to evaluate how well our school is performinhg relative to how well we think we are performing. The outcome of the accreditation process will be a list of recommendations that we can consider in order to improve our practice. Thw whole process takes place in a 5 year cycle. Next week we are udergoing a Preparatory Evaluation which will be followed by a Full Evaluation in 12 months time. Of course, the visit will be virtiual this year and so the Evaluating Team will meet teachers, students and parents through Zoom meetings. I hope that I will be reporting a successful week all round in next week’s newsletter.

I have received some questions about our next Secondary School Parent Conference. This is being arranged for Thursday 18th November. Details will follow in the week.

Have a super Sunday

Phil

Assaf (right) and Alfred (left) celebrate their success in the Elite Duathlon this weekend.

Atkins and Luanga (above) share stories, music and language of Southern African Countries at the PYP Share Time.

Last week we were learned information about some of our neighboring African countries. This week we will have P4/5 and P6 Swahili Share time and next week EC, P1/2 and P2/3 will also share their Swahili work with Miss Ann-Joyce and her team.

Research shows that learning a second language boosts problem-solving, critical-thinking, and listening skills, in addition to improving memory, concentration, and the ability to multitask. Children proficient in other languages also show signs of enhanced creativity and mental flexibility.

Please check out this link for more information.

https://www.leadwithlanguages.org/why-learn-languages/early-childhood-elementary/

Amanda

For the last couple of weeks, the D2 students have submitted their US university application for Early Decision and a number of them will be submitting for Early Action next week. Students applying for US Regular Decision and to the UK, Europe and the rest of the world, still have some time to tweak their applications, essays and personal statement before submitting them.

Many institutions are currently reaching out and offering virtual presentations to our students, particularly to our first year students who have started exploring their options. Due to the recent elections in Tanzania, access to the internet has been a bit “temperamental” and has made it difficult for students to access the presentations individually therefore a couple of live group sessions were organised this week in the Library Annexe. On Tuesday, the students were able to attend a presentation by the Executive Director of International Admissions of St. Lawrence University, Mr Musa Khalidi, who focused on UWC students applying to the US in general. Yesterday, Jenny Howenstine, Associate Dean of Admissions and Director of International Recruitment at St Olaf College, made a presentation with a general focus on the differences between Liberal Arts Colleges and Universities in the US, and on applying for potential financial aid to study in North America.

Next week, students will be able to join a presentation dedicated to the process of applying to the UK with a representative from the University of Portmouth and from De Monford University.

Nathalie Vignard
IBDP Coordinator

Ready, Set, Pause…
Waiting on the internet has been quite an experience recently. Just after typing the title of this message the internet froze, and an unexpected moment of reflection began to unfold. We are all learning how to take a pause in life due to recent events, and in the process, are hopefully learning more about ourselves and how we handle when things don’t go the way we planned. This is an important life skill as we think about how we handle disappointment or frustration, and what we model for others in our lives, especially for the younger people who are always watching.

What is the first thing you do when something does not work out the way you planned? Have you found a way to make that a mindful moment? Do you take the pause as a welcome break from a mundane task? How are you turning disruptions in the routine into a moment to inspiration that leads you to do an old task in a new way?

We all need to pause from time to time, and allow our setbacks to turn into opportunities to explore life in new ways. It can make the wait (ie. for the internet to return) quite a different experience.

Speaking of waiting, it has been well worth the wait to bring a fabulous counselor to the UWCEA Counseling Team. It is with tremendous enthusiasm we welcome Dr. Robin Peterson to the Arusha campus on a part time basis. We are already exploring ways to collaborate, including the formation of a peer support program to provide secondary students with skills to help others deal with the challenges that life can bring. Stay tuned for more information as the counseling collaborations commence.

One thing that continues not to pause is the flurry of activity coming from the world of university admissions. We had 3o students apply to university over the weekend, and another 20 aiming for deadlines prior to 1 December. This will be a busy month, and we encourage students (and parents) to joining the virtual visits that are providing essential information to assist with the college planning process. On Tuesday we had a great presentation from Mr. Musa Khalidi from UWC Davis Partner Scholar Partner institution St. Lawrence University. He spoke with D1 and D2 students about the process of applying to US institutions, and what his campus has to offer to the diverse community of UWC graduates.

Next week we will continue November Apply Month with a focus on applying to the UK. On Tuesday, we will have a presentation from two UK institutions presenting exclusively to our community about the benefits of a UK education and the application process. In addition, on Sunday, 8 November, there will be a huge fair for Dutch institutions, which is becoming an ideal international location for students around the world. Don’t miss your chance to learn more, and see what else is coming your way on this link.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PkurQYYtwz1sdX5b44r22DgdZk4F-U8g/view

Asante sana na wekiendi njema,

UWCEA School Counseling Team

Welcome back everyone, to Album of the Fortnight. I know its been a little more than a fortnight since last an album was delved into through the outlet of the newsletter, but it feels good to be back in the saddle. Lets jump in. This fortnight, Kind of Blue by Miles Davis is on the hotseat. The album composed of not just Miles Davis, but six other stellar musicians consisting of John Coltrane, Julian “Cannonball” Alderley, Bill Evans, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb. The fascination held within this album is not just through the listening to the music itself, but also in the context that goes a long with it. The entirety of the album is based on modal structures, within which all of the artists mentioned improvise their way to a collection of tracks that provide the ultimate jazz experience. The septet begin the project in superb fashion, through the ambient, Sunday sounding So What. Coltrane, Davis, Adderley, and Evans all have a go at expressing their creative prowess, ranging from more open and space absorbent saxophone phrasing, to drawn out note runs and dissonant piano sounds. Freddie Freeloader receives the ambient baton of So What, with a continuation of the sassed up, (but more flamboyant) jazzy mix that hits the spot. Blue in Green, gives a more melancholic vibe, with Evans’ keys really making us feel the blues in this one (as the name would suggest). The drums take a couple steps back, letting the other instruments take center stage, as they take us through the motions of some soft, soothing sax, and delicate keys that rock you back n forth into a state of modal jazz euphoria. Give this classic a listen music lovers, see you next week.

Bram Davidson, D2

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