On Thursday, we joined UWC schools and colleges across the world to recognise and celebrate UWC Day. This annual event coincides with International Peace Day and, this year, the global focus was “Shaping a Sustainable Future.”
The afternoon started with a wonderful whole school assembly hosted by our Student Government. The Community Choir and Primary Choir treated us to two songs, including a hauntingly beautiful rendtion of Ukuthula, a Zulu call for peace in the world. We enjoyed related, thought provoking presentations from EC all the way through to DP, before dispersing to various student-led workshops, panel discussions and presentations.
The day ended with a community gathering on the bottom pitch where we created our own world map…and captured the moment with a drone. Look out for the images next week!
It made me very proud to be part of such a special community,
Ben Morley
Deputy Head of Campus
Upcoming Events
24 Hour Run
Only 7 days are left before the long-awaited 24 Hour Run! While Moshi campus is getting ready to welcome more than eighty students from Arusha who will be joining the event, the students’ teams keep up the fundraising spirit. Our goal is to raise 50,000 USD for a full 2 year IBDP scholarship, which the Dare to Dream program has pledged to match.
With the event knocking at the door, every contribution to the scholarship fund is a step toward giving two brilliant students the opportunity to receive a UWC education. However, we can only reach this goal through community effort, if you would like to make a contribution to the scholarship fund, you can donate here: Cafdonate
Of course, you can also sponsor a team directly. Another great way to support the scholarship fund through the 24-Hour Run is by purchasing the event’s exclusive merch: a sustainable tote bag and the 24-Hour Run t-shirt designed by one of our talented students-available at the Advancement Office, Moshi Campus.
Every donation counts!
The 24 Hour Run Team
Residential Life
As the semester progresses, we are seeing more and more activities on campus: UWC Day this week, 24-hour run is almost here, and Spirit Week is next week. This should provide plenty of opportunities to get involved and get creative and active.
Reminder: please fill out the departure and arrival forms for this October Break by September 30. Late responses will not be accommodated.
Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
Adnan Mackovic
Head of Residential Life & Pastoral Care
Sports Update
This week, we enjoyed a number of impromptu games that had some exciting finishes and we definitely gained valuable experience. The U19 boys had a friendly basketball match against our ready to play U16 boys who needed a challenging game before they travel this weekend…great job by both teams!
The U19 girls football team also laced up their boots yesterday for a friendly match. An opportunity to make some last minute adjustments to their game plan so they are also ready for this weekend.
On Saturday, we will be bringing three full buses to play in NTSAA fixtures at St. Jude. Wish us luck. I know our teams have worked hard and are ready.
Leopards on the move!
Coach Pickell
Sports & Activities Coordinator
Experiential Learning
Last Saturday, as part of the Peaks Discovery experience, a group of 17 students from Moshi joined our peers from Arusha campus, and headed towards the North Pare Mountains.
After a 2 hour drive, we arrived at our starting point and began our journey just before noon along with excellent weather.
While enjoying beautiful views, diverse biomes and fun conversations, we hiked for 5 hours before reaching the summit of Kindoroko, the highest peak in the North Pare. We immediately pitched our tents and started to prepare dinner, which was delicious and accompanied by an amazing sunset. After dinner, we had free time which we mostly used to lie down on the grass and observe the stars appearing over the border between Kenya and Tanzania.
The next morning, we cleared the camp and started our way back. While descending, a more challenging path than we expected, we talked about the great experience that we just shared and the excitement of going on the next trip. We got to meet incredible people and make new friends. We also learned new skills, ranging from setting up a tent to chopping vegetables! Definitely the best part of the trip was the opportunity to appreciate the beauty and variety of Tanzania’s nature.
Congratulations to all the students who completed the trip and thanks to Ms. Rachel, Mr. Russel, Mr. Isaac and the rest of the staff for joining us and making this an awesone experience that we are not going to forget.
David (D1)
D2 Biology Field Trip
The D2 Biology cohort was treated to a unique experience on Tuesday as we stepped into the world of genetic innovation at Maua Mazuri Tissue Culture Lab, right here in Moshi. This hidden gem is changing the game for local agriculture, offering a glimpse into how science can “turn your acre into a money maker,” according to CEO Jack Langworthy.
Maua Mazuri specializes in tissue culturing, a cutting-edge technique with transformative potential. They take banana meristems and cultivate them in a controlled, sterile environment over eleven months.
The result? Disease-resistant, higher-yield, and larger banana crops. The lab work extends to combatting Banana Mosaic Virus (BMV) and Sigatoca leaf diseases, which plague banana farms. By using tissue culturing, they have found a way to create resilient and disease-free banana plants. This breakthrough promises to bolster local agriculture and improve food security.
The visit tied in seamlessly with our Biology syllabus, where genetic engineering was a recent focus. Witnessing these techniques firsthand, bridged the gap between theory and real-world applications, showing us the potential of genetic manipulation in enhancing crop quality. Moreover, this experience offered a fantastic segue into ecology. By reducing the need for pesticides and fertilizers through genetic improvements, we can align agriculture with ecological sustainability.
Gratitude to Mr Ken for organising this event, truly something to have learnt from.
Damien (D2)
PYP News
Many thanks to the Student Government for planning special activities for the PYP children for Thursday’s UWC Day celebrations. It was great to see the Nature Club, Earth Club and Primary Choir performing in the assembly. The children enjoyed the afternoon workshops and were busy sorting waste, painting recycling bins and making posters reminding us all to save electricity.
Spirit Week
The secondary school students in the Wellbeing Committee have organised a Spirit Week for next week and the PYP children have been invited to attend. Monday-dress as a teacher. Tuesday-twins day (dress like a friend/friends). Wednesday-dress as a clique from a Movie or TV show. Thursday-holiday. Friday-sports heroes. This is an optional event-join in with as much or as little as you want. The idea is to have fun!
Next Friday-Primary Gathering and 24 Hour Run
Friday 29th Septembe is a Primary Gathering. The P2/3 class will be sharing some of their work on heroes. That Friday afternoon is also the start of the 24 Hour Run. We hope that many of the children will be able to participate. If the children turn up for an hour and run or walk around the track, they will help to raise scholarship funds from their sponsors but they will also experience increased pride and self-esteem as they will see themselves as part of a solution to a problem. It is an inspiring event-with snacks for sale, great music, fun themed rounds and a great sense of community spirit.
Halloween
It feels strange to be talking about Halloween in September but, given the timing of the break, we need to start planning early. The PYP children will celebrate Halloween on Friday 27th October from 4:00-6:00pm. It is an optional event that will take place out of school hours. You can support this event by:
-Sending wrapped candy to the front office: There will be a box for donations in the Front Office from Monday. It is not always easy to find wrapped candy in Moshi so start purchasing it early and, if you are travelling over the break, please keep a look out.
-Signing up for the Trunk or Treat: Parents and community members-we need you to decorate your cars and hand out sweets/treats. The trunk activity often involves a simple game or activity but this is not compulsory.
-Start thinking about your costume: There will be prizes for the most creative, spookiest and best homemade costumes!
-Purchase a ticket for the Halloween Supper: These will be available after the October break and will cost Tsh 6000.
Clubs
PYP Clubs will finish on Wednesday 4th October as we will be having our ‘Three-Way Goal Setting Conferences’ on Thursday 5th October. We envisage that clubs will start again on Monday 23rd October but more information will be shared nearer the time. Please email Coach Pickell if you would like to offer a club (joshpickell@uwcea.org). We count on community support in order to provide our youngest learners with a fun and varied program.
Three-Way Goal Setting Conferences
These conferences will take place on Thursday 5th October. They are attended by the teacher, the parent (or residential parent) and the child. Sign up information will be shared with you shortly. There will be no PYP classes on this day.
Deborah Mills
PYP Coordinator
EC/P1 Class
May peace be with you.
The shared picture is of our class all dressed up in blues and whites for UWC Day, a day of peace.
This week, we explored teen numbers as a class. We began with 11 to 15 and will continue to 20 next week.
It was a wonderful, busy week in P2/3. We finished our first chapter book, ‘Mrs Piggle Wiggle,’ and the students have been in a swirl of activity thinking about and writing new chapters for the story. We have ve also begun reading ‘The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe’ which has the children very excited.
Planning is underway for our class Primary Gathering next Friday. We are looking forward to sharing our learning with you. Please join us in Rafiki at 7:30am.
Kacey Buckley
P4/5 Class
The P4/5 children were risk takers in their MAP assessments this week-for some of them it was their first time taking a formal test. It is a big undertaking to sit quietly in the IT lab for an hour, answering questions about Reading, Language and Maths. I was very proud of the maturity that they showed.
Our time in the classroom was spent practicing dictionary skills, learning to use conjunctions and identifying many different kinds of nouns. In Maths, the children used their protractor skills and subtraction skills to calculate missing angles. They have also been revising the meaning of the words “sum,” “product” and “difference.” The children have set goals regarding something they would like to do, but cannot do yet and we will display these on the breezeway, alongside our yetis. Next week, we will focus on the purpose and structure of stories. We will spend a lot of time reading and will start writing stories of our own. Starting on Monday, there is a Spirit Week, organised by the Secondary school Well-being Committee. The details can be found in the PYP section of this letter. Please note that Thursday will be a national holiday.
Deborah Mills
P6 Class
It has been a very busy week in P6! We celebrated UWC Day and the International Day of Peace by reflecting on the ways that we spread kindness to others and what peace means to us. We had fun as we participated in a ‘sorting waste’ race, and we discussed the ways that we can contribute to a more sustainable future.
We also completed our MAP testing. I was proud of the positive mindset shown by P6 and for the way they took their time to carefully read the questions and try their best.
Next week, P6 will begin writing their oral presentations based on their research on an invention created by an early civilisation. In language, we will focus on converting nouns and adjectives into verbs using suffixes and in Math, we will be looking at place value and patterning.
Natsha Berri
MYP News
This week, I had to revisit our school Values on multiple occasions to find answers for various questions I was asked by the students. In the spirit of continuous growth and learning, I reached an AHA moment (unintentionally, but very gladly).
I realized that the IBMYP Programme matches one of our UWC Values perfectly: “An education in a global context that promotes an appreciation and understanding of multiple perspectives and interdependence of individuals, societies, and environments”
With our MYP framework, we continue to understand different perspectives and how everything in the world is connected. We appreciate and learn from people from all around the world. It’s like putting together puzzle pieces to see the big picture of our global community through a diverse, holistic approach to learning, fostering global citizens who not only embrace multiple viewpoints but also recognize the profound interconnectedness of our world. This is a transformative potential educational synergy.
Inquiry in M5 English Lang and Lit
M5 students are exploring the novel Welcome to Lagos. This week, they engaged in very interesting discussions focusing on inquiry-based learning. In groups, they focused on specific themes or characters and generated open-ended questions related to the assigned theme or character.
The questions encouraged critical thinking and discussion.
M5 e-Assessments
M5 students will sit for the following on-screen examinations based on their subject selections:
*all of the above are externally moderated by the IB
In addition, all students have to submit the MYP Personal Project and complete all Service requirements.
The IB will award an IBMYP certificate to each candidate who has: *gained a grade total of at least 28 points from six subject groups, the interdisciplinary on-screen examination and the Personal Project combined, out of a possible maximum of 56 points *gained at least a grade 3 in each subject *gained at least a grade 3 for the personal project *gained at least a grade 3 for the interdisciplinary on-screen examination *completed the school’s requirements for service as action
This certificate is: *Validated–MYP courses and MYP certificates officially recognized (May 2016) *Recognized–a culmination of the MYP teaching and learning experience
If you wish for your child to sit for these examinations and have not completed the form yet, please do so as soon as possible. I will register the students on the IB portal using their official names as per passports (confirmed by parents/guardians as per the Google Form). Kindly fill in the form: M5 eAssessments May 2024
MYP Dates to Remember: September 28th-Public Holiday September 29th–24 Hour Run October 6th–Last day of classes for Q1 October 17th-Classes resume for Q2 October 25th-PTC (details to follow) October 26th-PTC (details to follow)
Farah Fawaz
MYP Coordinator
DP News
There have been two main focuses this week, the CAS interviews for D1 and UWC Day.
The CAS interview is a 10 minute check in with Mr. Morley or me. It is a chance for students to clarify their understanding of Creativity, Activity and Service and the CAS Project. Trying to define creativity without using the word creative is a challenge we all face! We also discuss what they are doing or are planning to do, often the conversation reveals that they are doing more than they think. We discuss how to record these experiences and advise them to “do what you can now and write your reflections as you go.” It is always good to see what people have already done and the vast majority of conversations are positive.
On Wednesday, the DP Service Groups were asked to write a description of what they hope to achieve this year. Some of these are shared here witg more to follow next week.
Community Clean Up: *Make Lema Road more aesthetic *Create a cleaner Shanti Town *Raise awareness for recycling and proper litter disposal
Three Schools: *Set up a collection of helpful posters learning numbers, sounds etc. *Fix and repaint old or damaged benches and shelves *Improve the classroom environemnt using our design ideas *Introduce entertaining sports
Environmental: -Community Garden:
*continue our work in the garden building on what was achieved last year
*beautify campus while at the same time providing vegetables and herbs for the school’s kitchen
-Waste, Worms and Compost:
*design and build a worm bin, focused on developing our compost program to provide rich soil for the garden and assist the sustainability group with recycling on campus
-Awareness and Conservation:
*fcous on the conservation of electricity and water and reduce food waste through education and awareness
More than a Drop: *build a safe space and community that we can all learn from *make meaningful contributions to someone’s day *explore other cultures *understand others and collaborate together to create new opportunities for everyone *push ourselves out of our comfort zone *have a long term impact on the girls of our service by helping them develop useful skills that support their future endeavours
Arts at KEA: *create a collaborative space with the local communities
*build a connection with the children from the school
*promote a high variety of artistic techniques, allowing the children to learn and to express themselves through art and communicate with each other in creative ways…and simply have fun
Lastly, UWC Day was a big success and much of this was student-led, with some input from teachers. The students should be very proud.
