Arusha Campus News – 9 Oct 2023

Dhyan in P4,  flies through the air at the recent PYP Sports Day. Well done to the eventual winners Meru!

Tue 17th October – Classes restart

Tue 17th-Fri 20th October – Open Week at Arusha Campus

As we enter the mid-term break, I simply wish to remind everyone that we are now closed for the forthcoming week and will reopen again on Tuesday 17th October. We have designated the returning week as an Open Week. We still have a some vacancies for new school enrolees and so if you can share the news about the Open Week with friends and family and work colleagues we would be most appreciative.

In the meantime have a splendid holiday!

Phil

The NEC -P2 classes (pictured above) celebrated their sports day on Friday. There was amazing throwing, running and jumping but the best actions were dancing to ‘baby shark’!

All the students participated in every event and impressed their teachers and parents with how much they have improved. Well done everyone.

Amanda

Kavin, Rowan and Zach having fun with their water-powered vehicle!

STEM CCA designed water-powered vehicles, learning a little bit about alternatives to fossil fuel engines such as hydrogen cars,  friction, levers, and solving lots of design problems along the way. The furthest travelling vehicle managed 5.95 metres on 500ml of water!

Mr Jonny

U9 and U11 Rounders champions (see above) fantastically coached by Mrs Adele.

Rangoli patterns are bright patterns on the floor by the door to welcome visitors into Hindu homes. During the Hindu festival of Diwali, bright patterns are drawn on the floor to encourage the goddess Lakshmi to enter their homes.

P2/3/4 (above) made Rangoli Patterns this week.

A winning entry (above) from Ryan Laizer. Well done Ryan!

Well done to the PYP students from P3, 4 and 5 who all took part in the Poesia competition – Art section! They had a range of poems to pick from and represent in a piece of art. EVERYONE received a certificate for participating and I loved going through all the amazing pictures created. So much creativity and fun went into them.

I was only able to pick 2 winners from each year group due to Poesia competition rules. Those winners were:

Sam Van Der Goot P4

Ethan Laizer P3

Ryan Gift Laizer P5

Gaelle Hamadi P5

Baraka Sendze P4

Hanwen Guo P3

NB Hanwen’s image is shown below.

Asante sana Baba Aiden for coming in last week to share a climbing experience. See image above. The children all had a go and enjoyed it! When we think of ‘Who we are’ the children can now list ‘climber’ as one of their skills.

Another enjoyable sports day with the P3-P6 classes. See montage above. There were some outstanding performances in the shot, javelin, discus, tennis ball, long jump and triple jump  by many of our students, as well as some fantastic running in the 400m and 100m, what a great way to end the quarter.

MYP Students engage in music with Miss Sarah (above)

MYP had a great start to the school year, now it is time for a well-deserved break! Before we do so, let’s look back at some of the things that kept us busy in MYP. All MYP students came together on September 27th for an activity-filled day as many of their teachers were involved in the DP 3-way conferences. I enjoyed seeing students from different age groups work together and get to know each other. A week later, we welcomed MYP students and their families for their 3-way conferences. It was great to see many signed up to reflect on learning progress and set new goals with their mentors and subject teachers.

Also during the quarter, MYP students have explored the IB learner profile attributes Balanced and Principled during their mentor lessons. At the end of Q1, students were then asked to vote for their peers who exemplify the attitudes and skills associated with these attributes. The accompanying justifications showed that students have a clear understanding of what it takes to be Balanced or Principled and a genuine appreciation of the peers who were awarded with a certificate. Stay tuned to learn which learner profile attributes we will focus on in Q2.

Wishing you a fun and restful break!

Anoek

On Friday we celebrated the last day of the quarter with House Games. The whole school participated as seen above!

 

And it is a wrap for Quarter 1! Indeed an intensive quarter for the D2 students who have completed their mock Individual Oral in English Language and Literature, and/or their final Individual Oral in their SSST language, submitted their TOK Exhibition and some of the Science (Group 4) and Humanities (Group 3) Internal Assessments. After the October break, they will start working on their Mathematics IA and on the final assessment for Theory of Knowledge (TOK), the essay component. They will have to choose one of the May 2024 TOK Essay Prescribed Titles, recently published by the IB:

Is subjectivity overly celebrated in the arts but unfairly condemned in history? Discuss with reference to the arts and history.
How can we reconcile the opposing demands for specialisation and generalisation in the production of knowledge? Discuss with reference to mathematics and one other area of knowledge.
Nothing is more exciting than fresh ideas, so why are areas of knowledge often so slow to adopt them? Discuss with reference to the human sciences and one other area of knowledge.
Do we underestimate the challenges of taking knowledge out of its original context and transferring it to a different context? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.

Do we need custodians of knowledge? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.

Are we too quick to assume that the most recent evidence is inevitably the strongest? Discuss with reference to the natural sciences and one other area of knowledge.

The D1 students have now completed a full quarter of work and will not be allowed to change subjects after the October break, unless it is recommended by their teacher. Considering the number of Learner Profile attributes that were awarded in our last assembly this week, the class of 2025 is finding its feet, slowly learning the right balance between their academics, extra curricular activities and social life. A few weeks ago, the D1 students also ended a Friday afternoon with some fun and creative activities that they organised in groups for the Primary students: it was a lovely sunny day, thoroughly enjoyed both by the little ones and the grown-ups!
Some important dates to add to your agenda:

Wed 7th to Friday 16th February: IBDP Mock exams
Friday 19th April: last day of classes for D2
Friday 24th April to Thursday 17th May: IBDP exams
Friday 17th May: Graduation

Nathalie

Pictured above is the D1 Biology class that were using their interdisciplinary knowledge of science and biology to make a scaled timeline of when life began. Everyone was so surprised that humans have only existed for the very last sliver far from the big bang!

Miss Jessica

Heena Suleman (D1) from Tanzania was the desereved winner of a RISE Scholarship. An amazing award and one that is so very well deserved. Well done Heena. If you want to read more about Heena’s award hen go to

https://www.risefortheworld.org/winners/heena-mohamedayaaz-suleman

The Student ARDEI Committee pictured above

The Student ARDEI Committee’s primary objective is to raise awareness and foster a strong sense of belonging among all students on campus. To achieve this goal, we reached out to students of varying academic levels about what were some of the barriers that were preventing them from feeling a sense of belonging.

We are thrilled to report that we received numerous positive responses, reflecting the sense of community that many students already feel. Simultaneously, we are trying to address the specific challenges highlighted by our diverse student body. One of the most significant challenges repeatedly mentioned is the language barrier.

Students have pointed out that the language barrier can impede effective communication among peers, teachers, and the overall sense of inclusion within the UWCEA community. Our initial action plan involves launching an English Co-Curricular Activity (CCA) in Quarter 2.

This initiative aims to create a supportive environment where students can improve their English language skills while building connections and a stronger sense of belonging within our community. We believe that by addressing this challenge, we can enhance the inclusivity and cohesion of our school community.

In addition, a divide between MYP/DP students and DP Day and Residential students was identified in several responses. Some ideas put forward to address these concerns include inviting and welcoming DP Day students to request weekend sleepovers on campus and to join the residential students in weekend activities. We hope to see this in action next Quarter. The House Council and Mentors are also working on an idea to have more interaction between MYP and DP students, perhaps using our joint Mentor time for activities other than assemblies. Stay tuned!

We look forward to sharing more updates on our progress and seeking additional input from our fellow students as we work together to strengthen our sense of belonging at UWCEA.

We are still on the lookout for students who are interested in taking over this amazing service opportunity. Please reach out to Miss Delphine or Ms. Christy if you have any questions, and keep a lookout for ARDEI when you choose your CCAs next Quarter.

The ARDEI Student Committee

On Saturday 28th October 2023, UWC East Africa will host “State of The Ape Address”, an adaptation of Franz KAFKA’s “The Report to the Academy” (1907). The play is produced by Madsoc Theatre, a professional theatre company in Malawi, run by Mwezi Arts. Mwezi Arts’ Executive and Creative Director is Stanley Malizani Mambo, an internationally acclaimed Malawian director and actor.

Tickets for sale from Wednesday 18th October 2023 at UWCEA, Arusha Campus.

This year the school has signed up for a language competition which starts off as a school competition and then the winners from that will be put forward for the global part of the competition. This means you will be competing against other students from schools all over the world.

The competition is open to all age groups from 7-18 years old. The competition is based on you performing a poem in a language which is NOT your mother tongue.

You have the choice of English, Welsh, French, Spanish, Italian, German, or Mandarin.

We give you a choice of poems to use but can also consider your own find. You will perform this poem on video and you will be judged on your pronunciation, delivery and general effort!
There is also an Art category to this competition which involves picking one of the poems provided and creating a visual image of the poem. No digital art work is allowed and it is to be submitted as a drawing/painting/poster. The competition will assess you on your understanding of the poem as well as creativity. This art work will be published in an E-book but prizes will also be given out.

Prizes for both competitions include a certificate for all participants and vouchers/books/other prizes for winners.

If this sounds interesting to you (I’m hoping for LOTS of interest!) then please complete the google form sent out to all students or email me directly – leahpainvin@uwcea.org

The website also gives you lots of information – Poesia

Hope to see lots of students sign up! The deadline has been extended to the 20th October.

Leah

Connecting in~person and virtually

Once again, we spent time over the last two weeks engaging with representatives from institutions who are excited to learn more about the amazing students at UWC East Africa. Although we celebrated Maulid Day last Thursday, we still hosted a representative from Vanderbilt University since they had already scheduled a visit to our campuses. Vanderbilt is one of the newest Davis UWC Scholar partner institutions, so it was great to have time to ask questions and learn about this renowned institution as students are expanding their realm of options. Also, many students joined the Six Colleges event that included highly selective Davis UWC Scholar institutions. Although the event was virtual, there was a chance to meet with representatives in their separate chat rooms after the general presentation. Many more events of this nature are coming our way, so stay tuned.

In addition, there are pictures above from our first mini-fair of the year with five Davis UWC Scholar Partner institutions. This week we hosted seven partner institutions (+1 additional institution) during a busy Tuesday that included presentations on essential elements of the post-secondary planning process, a mini-fair, interviews, and lunchtime chats. The admissions specialists raved about how wonderful our students were after spending half a day with them. I was so proud, and excited to see D1 students also actively engaged with representatives. On Thursday, it was great to see parents and students meeting with the representative from Middlesex University Mauritius and tuning in to multiple virtual presentations that took place in the evenings. Exploring options often and with an open mind will lead to excellent decision making when the time comes, so keep exploring and enjoying the experiences.

D2 Parent/Guardian Session on Thursday, 27 September

Last Thursday night we held the first parent/guardian presentation of the school year, where we focused on providing D2 parents and guardians with information and resources to support their child through the 2023-2024 application cycle. We covered a lot of topics related to the mental health and wellbeing of our D2 students through this stressful season, but also provided parents/guardians with tools to equip them as they become the biggest cheerleaders for their child through their process of preparing for life after UWC East Africa. If you missed the presentation, it has been emailed to all D2 families via the email that is on file, and is available on the UWCEA Careers website in the “Past Presentations” section.

Take a look at what is coming our way even over the October break…

UPCOMING College and University Events

9 October: 3:00-4:30 PM EAT Study Beyond Borders International Fair at Braeburn International School Arusha

10 October: 1:00-4:00 PM EAT Study in the United Arab Emirates Fair at St. Constantine’s International School

11 October: 4:00-5:00 PM EAT University of Florida Honors College presentation for UWC students and families (Register in advance)

15 October: 4:45-6:00 PM EAT 15 on the 15th: US Liberal Arts Colleges Presentation and mini-virtual fair. October focus: US Holistic Admissions

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

18/19 October: Moshi/Arusha College of the Atlantic (Davis UWC Scholar Partner Institution)

19/20 October: Moshi/Arusha University of British Columbia (Canada)

19/20 October: Arusha/Moshi  Goucher College (newest UWC Scholar Partner)

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

We have a lot of in person and virtual events to look forward to when we return from the break. Please keep checking the calendar on the UWCEA Careers website, and add events that you are interested in to your personal calendar so that you do not miss out!
Keep exploring and enjoy your break!

Cassandra Ford
College and Career Counselor
cassandraford@uwcea.org

What’s Your Kilimanjaro is a fun fund raising initiative that aims to support the plight of women in Tanznai who are struggling to prosper beneath the poverty line.

More details will follow in the new term but we aim to get as many people involved as possible.

Check out the info presented at this link https://mykilimanjaro.org/welcome