Each week, we implore the teachers and students to keep their newsletter entries as succinct as possible, to limit the number of photos, posters, links and so forth. Yet, each week, it seems to grow exponentially! This week, I have the pleasure of unapologetically sharing our latest opus with the world.
Barely have we recovered from the overwhelming success of last Saturday’s latest TedX Youth event, that we are celebrating another week of exciting happenings and gearing up for countless more events on the near horizon…not least this afternoon’s Holi celebrations, the D2 Art Exhibition on Sunday, the Primary Student-Led Conferences on Thursday and the Farmers’ Market and Blood Drive next Friday. Not forgetting that Book Week is just around the corner!
Same again next week?
Ben Morley
Deputy Head of Campus
D2 ART EXHIBITION 2022
UPCOMING EVENTS
PRIMARY STUDENT VOICE & STUDENT GOVERNMENT
The Primary Student Voice and Student Government have joined together to organise a school wide international ‘bake off’ on Monday 28th March. Information and rules for the competition can be found in the poster below.
Please use this sign up link to enter. Each entry will cost 5000TSH and is payable to either Ms. Elisha or Mr. Morley. We look forward to your awesome creations!
LITERATURE CLUB
The Literature Club is proud to present to you…‘Le Cabaret!’
This is an M4-D2 event that welcomes short stories, poems, skits, songs, dances and anything else that you can think of to express your creativity! As Northrop Frye once said “Literature speaks the language of the imagination and the study of literature is supposed to train and improve the imagination.”
That is to say, join us for this wonderful night on Wednesday 30th March from 7:00pm in Rafiki Hall.
Please use this link to sign up. We sure do hope to see you there.
Please note that contrary to what the poster states, the event will be Wednesday 30th March during Book Week.
TEDX
After working diligently and ambitiously for many months, our wonderful TEDxYouth team was able to host the second TEDx event hosted by UWCEA after the equally successful one hosted in Semester 1.
Speakers from different parts of the world presented on a variety of topics; from the importance of cities to body image, the talks were filled with both current affairs that affect average people every day and also events from the past that continue to impact the world.
We also enjoyed performers from across Tanzania and beyond, who are all part of our special UWCEA community. A beautiful range of performances were shared, from dancing to music and spoken word poetry. It all tied in melodiously with the rest of the event.
All the talks left the audience thinking deeply and having just a little more “FAITH IN THE FUTURE” just as our theme stated.
We will let you know when our talks are posted to the official TED Youtube channel and we hope to see you at our next TEDxYouth@UWCEA event.
COUNSELOR’S CORNER
100 and Counting!
We have reached 100 in terms of students being ACCEPTED into universities. This month, we should continue to receive great news and more schools will provide their admission status updates.
Career and Skills Symposium
Thank you to all ISM/UWCEA parents, friends, alumni, and UWCEA staff that volunteered time on March 17th to talk mainly with our M4 and M5 classes about their careers and what skills employers are looking for. We had 37 volunteers from around the world on the schedule and 85 students participated, including some D1 and D2 students. Thank you to all who helped make this event possible. Students you were also great audience members.
D1 Parent Meeting Rescheduled
Unfortunately, the D1 Parent meeting originally scheduled for Tuesday 22nd March will be rescheduled to after the break, some time in April. Please watch the newsletter and your email for updates.
Dr. Andrea Kitomary
University Counsellor
P.E. & SPORTS
NTSAA Swim Meets
Last week, we had a total of 76 students representing the school in the NTSAA Primary and Secondary swim meets in Arusha.
Participating schools included Braeburn Arusha, UWCEA Arusha, St. Constantine’s and Kennedy House. There were lots of close and exciting races. In the end, we came 4th in the Primary event and were crowned overall winners of the Secondary version.
It was so pleasing to see first time competitors excelling on their debut. Congratulations! Thank you to the swimmers and coaches (Coach Sabini, Coach Debbie and Ms. Christine) who have worked tirelessly to prepare for the event, as well as chaperone on the day.
Inter-House Swim Galas
Our inter-house Swim Galas were held on Tuesday and Wednesday. PYP and MYP students showcased their learning, had an opportunity to assess their progress and score house points. Some of our most capable DP students joined in on the action and inspired the next generation of swimmers. The overall results were as follows:
Primary: 1st Meru 2nd Kibo 3rd Mawenzi
Secondary: 1st Meru 2nd Kibo 3rd Mawenzi
Upcoming Sports: U9/U11 Football Friendlies vs Kibo Shanty, Friday 18th March 2:00pm-3:30pm (Moshi) U15/U19 Volleyball Friendlies vs Rafiki Foundation, Saturday 19th March 2:00pm onwards (Moshi) U19 Boys & Girls NTSAA Basketball Tournament, Saturday 19th March (Braeburn) U13/U15 NTSAA Boys & Girls Football Tournament, Saturday 19th March (Braeburn) Blue Sand U19 Boys & Girls Basketball Tournament, Saturday 26th March (St. Jude’s)
Last Week of Sports/Activities Next week will be the last week for after school sports and activities. In addition, all PYP activities will be canceled on Thursday due to Student-Led Conferences. We can all look forward to enjoying more sports opportunities and activities in Q4.
Gilbert Kaburu Head of Activities and Sports
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
Last weekend was a quiet one for our OP trips but, do not worry, our OP staff were busy taking out the P6, P3/4 and P5 camp trips to Marangu Waterfalls, Mkomazi Rhino and Wild Dog Sanctuary and to Arusha National Park. This weekend, we have the third Peaks L3 trip (second to summit Mt. Hanang this year). This is a huge increase from three years ago where we struggled to run one trip.
The last trip before the April break sees our Reefs L4 group go to Fish Eagle Point to continue their service growing coral and helping to regenerate reefs in the area.
During this trip, some of our L7 (not really) students and staff will be taking part in the PADI Rescue Diver course meaning they will be one step away from becoming dive masters. As part of the Rescue Diver qualification, students are required to have First Aid certification. So, on Saturday, three of our Diploma divers and several other Diploma students from both Moshi and Arusha took part in a course presented by First Aid Africa. Students had a great timend a really learnt a lot during the day.
Robin Marsh
Head of Experiential Learning
RESIDENTIAL LIFE
A dark room with red seats spread across, the smell of popcorn and the excitement-filled murmurs conversing about what you are about to witness. The cinema experience is something that most of us residential students know as a luxury of being at home but, last Sunday, after an early morning and a two hour drive, we found ourselves feeling it here in Tanzania.
‘The Batman’ movie had been the topic of discussion among several enthusiastic students as its worldwide release approached. Personally, I had been waiting for this movie for almost three years and I was extremely keen on watching it as soon as possible, as I had been narrowly dodging spoilers online for days. With the help of my friend Gabriel (M5) who was also extremely excited for the movie, and my house parent Mrs. Val Munier, I organized a trip to Aim Mall in Arusha for a group of students to go and see it at last.
Upon sending out a sign-up sheet to M4s through D2s, about fifty students signed up within the first two hours! Due to the availability of transport, we had to cut down the number of students able to go. This had students scrambling to reserve their spot before they ran out and, ultimately, we had 30 students in all.
When we arrived, students were able to walk around in the mall for a bit before we all met at the cinema where excitement filled the air as we bought our popcorn and walked into that dimly lit screening room, a familiar feeling that was very welcome. With all the stress of school, the film really gave us a form of escapism and provided an immersive experience that I personally will not be forgetting anytime soon as I absolutely loved the movie!
It was a great experience and a really fun time. On the bus ride back to campus, students were already talking about doing this again in May for Marvel’s upcoming ‘Doctor Strange’ movie! I cannot wait and, hopefully, these movie trips will become something students are able to do a couple of times a year from now onwards!
Ataho Musiime (D1)
PYP NEWS
Student-Led Conferences (SLC) signup links were sent home this week. The children are looking forward to spending time with you as they share their learning. Please make sure that you follow the link to Meet The Teacher and schedule your appointment.
Thank you to those who joined us for our Swahili Primary Gathering this Friday. We will have a French Primary Gathering on Friday 25th March.
Book Week is coming, the tales are getting fat, please put a story in the writer’s lap! Send ‘get caught reading’ pictures to your class teacher, the wilder the better. Also, do not forget to let your class teacher know if you wish to be a Mystery Reader. Most delicious of all, if you have baker’s fingers, do not forget to sign up for the Student Voice and Student Government international bake off!
Preparations are underway for International Day which will be taking place on Saturday 23rd April. Our PYP children have been invited to participate. This is a student-led event and they will be sharing details with us soon. Just to note that participants will need to wear their national dress or something that they feel represents their culture. This holiday will be a great time to open up the suitcases and get these ready.
Upcoming dates
· Thursday 24th March – Student-Led Conferences (NO CLUBS)
· Friday 25th March – French Primary Gathering
· Monday 28th March – Book Week
· Friday 1st April – Last day of Quarter 3. Normal finishing time.
Mboka Mwasongwe & Deborah Mills
PYP Coordinators
EC/P1
ECs have been exploring the letter ‘b’ this week, looking for things that begin with ‘b’ all over the classroom and in books. We encourage you to do the same at home.
This week, we read Pinocchio in preparation for Book Week. The children have decided to create wooden puppets for their book door and will begin to do so in the coming week. Pinocchio opened up a lot of discussion threads. One of them was about being safe, who to talk to and who not to talk to when you are in an unfamiliar place. This is a conversation that we will continue in the coming week.
Well done to all our little swimmers who braved the crowd and took part in the Swimming Gala this week.
Mboka Mwasongwe
P2
Growing up, Swim Galas were always my favourite day of the year. It was so great seeing all the excited faces on Tuesday enjoying the PYP Swim Gala. Over the past 4 years, I have seen many of our students improve in their swimming. A ‘well done’ to everyone, alas, Kibo’s winning trend has finally ended!
This week, the students in P2 have been reviewing place value, addition and subtraction. We have completed posters and are preparing for the Student-Led Conferences which will take place next Thursday. Please remember to book your slot or email me if you would like private arrangements made.
Elisha Jaffer
P3/4
It has been a lovely week in P3/4. We had a blast at the Swim Gala! All swimmers have made huge improvements in their abilities this year. This week, we have enjoyed our work with lines and angles in Maths. We taught our friends in P5 how to use a baseplate compass by taking them on a Treasure Hunt on the pitch!
We worked hard to prepare for our Swahili Gathering. We reflected on all the learning and fun of our Exploration unit. We have begun gearing up for our Endangered Animals unit which students are bringing a lot of background knowledge to already. The lines of inquiry for this unit are:
-Factors leading to the endangerment of species
-Actions by humans which affect animal survival
-The responsibilities humans have for the survival of other species
This is a unit that will allow us to focus on Research skills and the Learner Profile attributes, Knowledgeable and Caring. Our trip to Mkomazi was such a fantastic lead-in to this wonderful unit.
We are excited about the Student-Led Conferences on Thursday. As mentioned already, there will be no classes that day but we hope that all students will be able to come in with a parent or Residential Parent to enjoy reviewing the terrific learning that has been happening all year. Let me know if you have any questions. I look forward to seeing you on Thursday.
Kacey Buckley
P5
Many thanks to Ms. Kacey and the P4 class for taking time on Wednesday to show us how to use compasses and follow a bearing (see photo). Our new navigational skills might come in useful on our overnight camp! The P5 children set off for African View Lodge on Thursday morning full of energy and enthusiasm. Part of the trip will involve a visit to Arusha National Park. We should have a fine view of the dormant volcano, Mount Meru, and will see soda lakes and different animals. This trip will provide an exciting introduction to our new unit of inquiry:
Central Idea: Natural hazards that result from earth processes often need human intervention. Lines of Inquiry: -Features of extreme weather, earthquakes and volcanoes -How humans and animals respond to changing weather patterns -Interventions to manage extreme weather
We will share photos of the trip on our return and look forward to building on the knowledge learned during this excursion with follow up activities in the classroom next week.
Deborah Mills
P6
On Tuesday, we had the Primary inter-house Swim Gala: well done to all our swimmers. It was clear to see everyone’s progression: from the excellence of the Swim Squad working hard to lower their personal best times, to swimmers competing in their first ever races. It was lovely to see P6 children helping some of the younger learners in their races across the pool too.
Ejvind, from Denmark, joined P6 this week and it was great to see him get involved and swim in the gala. Ejvind, welcome to UWCEA.
In class, we have completed our work on averages and revised division. In our unit, drawing on the children’s research, Ms. Heloise is kindly working with us showing how to recreate a Benin Bronze. We will look at their historical importance too.
In our Primary Gathering, we celebrated our progress in Kiswahili: the culture aspect demonstrated in a dance with a Kiswahili book reading and announcements too. The class also redrafted their writing of life as a Chagga tribesperson and decorated them to appear “ancient.” These are ready to share at the SLCs next week. I hope as many of you as possible can make it.
Hywel Davies
MYP NEWS
The Assessment Criteria Story Growth Mindset Episode #18
“Education is not the filling of a pot but the lighting of a fire.” – W.B. Yeats
As we come closer to the end of the Quarter, our MYP learners are busy with culminating activities to end their current units. At this time, it is important to remind ourselves as part of the MYP team (educators, learners and parents) that MYP assessment informs teaching and learning.
As stated in IB’s MYP: From Principles into Practice (2014), assessment in the MYP aims to: • support and encourage student learning by providing feedback on the learning process • inform, enhance and improve the teaching process • provide opportunity for students to exhibit transfer of skills across disciplines, such as in the Personal Project and interdisciplinary unit assessments • promote positive student attitudes towards learning • promote a deep understanding of subject content by supporting students in their inquiries set in realworld contexts • promote the development of critical- and creative-thinking skills • reflect the international-mindedness of the programme by allowing assessments to be set in a variety of cultural and linguistic contexts • support the holistic nature of the programme by including in its model principles that take account of the development of the whole student
Having said that, remember that we are assessing prescribed subject specific objectives using the assessment criteria for each subject group in each year of the programme. We are looking at achievement levels and not grades which mean we are simply answering the question: “where are we now?” and reflecting on how to better our skills in order to achieve higher levels.
Looking forward to collaborating on a very successful culminating journey for Q3.
Farah Fawaz
MYP Coordinator
DP NEWS
On Monday, we participated in a Latin American tradition following Women’s Day–a day without women. Given the large number of female staff, both teaching and support, we could not do the entire day and, so, settled on ‘a lesson without women’ for our M4 to D2 students.
Female staff and students disappeared and the male staff and students participated in workshops organised by some D1 students. These allowed for discussion about roles in society and ways to improve lives for women. Later, Mentor Time was spent in a scavenger hunt as groups of D1 and D2 students ran around campus trying to solve clues written by their mentors. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.
On Tuesday, the Prisma Group ran a Sex Education Festival providing games and informational activities for students from M4 to D2. On Wednesday some of the DP students participated in the Swimming Gala, representing their Houses. On Thursday, students had a chance to participate in the Career and Skills Symposium.
Today, the D2 art students will set up for their Art Exhibition. This is the culmination of two years of work. It is not just about the work but also the curatorial rationale explaining why they have produced the work.
Next week, we start the CAS interviews where D2 students get a chance to talk about how taking part in Creativity, Activity and Service has been an integral part of their development at the school.
