It was Sports Weekend again here in Moshi and while we anticipate the deluge of students from all our visiting schools, the rain was less welcome. We had about 750 students involved in sport from noon on Friday till after 2pm on Sunday and despite everything mother nature sent our way, it was a great time.
I need to thank so many people that it would fill up a newsletter by itself, but please indulge me a short thank you set. First off to the gardeners and cleaners who managed to keep the fields and courts playable, and our spaces really mud free. Secondly to everyone that kept us fed, the kitchen crew had people going from 4:30am till nearly 10pm. I would also add in our PTA that brought in the additional “Food Lane” that was a big hit. For the sports itself, our PE team did so much prep work and were joined by staff and community volunteers to keep everything running as smooth as possible. They took the hiccups and schedule changes in stride to provide so much sport.
I would also like to thank our visiting schools, some of whom traveled a fair way to attend and have been doing so for decades.
At the bottom of the newsletter you can see a sample of photos from the weekend. Many taken by Mateusz our Physics teacher.
Please note below that we have a few other things coming up this month if you missed this event.
Bob Cofer – Head of Campus
Upcoming
Blood Donation Follow up
Tomorrow, the 21st of November from 11:00-15:00 a doctor from the National Blood Bank is coming to the health office and will be available to provide information about your blood donation last month.
AnnaMarie KCMC Service Co-chair
Kilimanjaro Mountain Club
Save the date for our November indoor presentation on Wednesday 22nd November 2023, 19:30Hrs at our usual venue, UWCEA Moshi campus social center.
Film, Kiswahili, History lovers – this is for you!
The lives of Denge and Yasmin, interwoven in a tale of resistance, courage, and fight for freedom, narrate the story of Zanzibar’s last years of British colonialism. The film weaves through the island’s 1950 coastal culture across the divides of class and racial segregation that were imposed by the colonial regime.
Vuta N’Kvute (Tug of War), which draws inspiration from Adam Shafi’s award-winning Swahili novel with the same title, will be screened on Friday 24th November 2023 at Moshi campus. Students of Moshi and Arusha and the whole UWCEA Moshi community are invited to a night of cultural reflection on the recent colonial history of Zanzibar.
The screening, with English subtitles, will be followed by a Q&A with the movie’s writer, producer, and director Amil Shivij, moderated by our IB Kiswahili literature students, who had the opportunity to tackle the book inside the classroom during the year.
This is a fantastic opportunity for UWCEA students and all of our community to directly engage with the director while learning and inquiring about the past that shapes today’s Tanzanian reality.
The original book by Adam Shafi will be available for purchase at the event.
UWCEA will open its doors, free of fee, at 7 pm for all of those interested in joining us for this must-see movie.
Location: The Green (In front of Karibu Hall) Dress code: Swahili Coast Age: 16+, younger audience is welcome with parental discretion.
Student Voice-Primary Beach Ball Disco
Diploma News
Obviously, the big news this week has been sports weekend. Our DP students were not just involved in sports but also as ambassadors. This group of students were in contact with the schools before and during the event. They organized their T shirts and wrist bands. They met the schools when they arrived, showed them around and made sure they had the keys to the rooms. Others helped with scoring and processing results.
School life carried on and the D2 students have submissions this week and are still working on their extended essays and TOK essays. For all students there are assessments ongoing.
The D1 students have chosen what they want to do for project week. Some of these projects involve a cost in addition to what the school provides. Please check with your child what they have chosen and that you are happy to fund it. This is a student organized event with some teacher support, and we will share their information when they have planned it early next year.
Margaret Brunt – DP Coordinator
PYP News
We had a lovely singalong with Ms. Jamie and Mr. Emmanuel this last Friday. Many thanks to the music department for all of their hard work this semester and the happiness that they create for the children. After singing, it was time to get active and the Student Voice led us in some physical activities to create some excitement and enthusiasm about Secondary Sports Weekend. Luckily we were all dressed in our sporty clothes!
Two football invitations have been sent home already.
We are hosting a friendly football tournament on campus against Kibo Shanty and PPA. This will take place on Friday, 24th November at 1:30pm. The sign up for this event is on a paper slip that should be returned to your child’s class teacher.
Some children have been invited to compete in the NTSAA football tournament on Saturday, December 2nd. An invitation has been emailed to parents through Life. Parents have to give permission on Life so that their child can participate. There is no paper sign up. The bus will leave campus at 6am. Details of the trip can be found on Life and in Coach Pickell’s email.
Other dates:
Friday, 24th November – Primary Sharing Assembly at 7:40am in Rafiki Hall
Friday, 1st December – The Student Voice are busy preparing surprises for the Beach Ball Disco which will take place in Rafiki Hall, 4:30 – 6:00pm. (More details will be shared later. (See photo above))
Friday, 8th December – Evening of the Arts – the PYP children will have some of their work on display.
Monday, 11th December – whole school assembly at 10:30 in Karibu Hall to mark the end of the semester. Parents are welcome to attend
Wednesday, 13th December – Primary Parent Teacher Conferences – sign up link to be shared later
Deborah Mills – PYP Coordinator
EC/P1 Class
The children have decided what project they would like to work on for the current unit on materials. They will be making robots out of different materials. This week, they will be gathering different kinds of materials that they would like to use. If you have any boxes such as tea, cereal, and so on, please send them our way. We have toilet rolls that we can use but if you have the longer kitchen rolls, that will also be useful. Also, any leftover foil pieces, cling wrap, or what your child decides to use, please send those in too. This is going to be exciting work that they will do.The picture shared is an example that can help spark conversations at home.
Mboka Mwasongwe
P2/3 Class
P2/3 is grateful to you! We are focusing this week on the many, many things we have to be thankful for and topping the list is our families. This is the kick-off week to another wonderful unit.
The central idea is: Rituals, traditions and artefacts are an expression of our beliefs and values.
We will begin this unit by considering the many Harvest festivals around the world, their similarities and differences. Home Learning this week is a Gratitude Journal that is best done a little bit every day. I hope that it is a task that brings something meaningful to the children.
We will also be preparing ourselves for the Sharing Assembly on Friday which will give the class the opportunity to present some of their learning in our science unit which we all enjoyed so much!
Kacey Buckley
P4/5 Class
Our classroom was covered in flashcards this week! The P4/5 children are making excellent progress learning their times tables and division facts. Our story telling unit has come to a close. We ended by identifying the different elements of a story and writing our own story in the form of a poem. Our new unit of inquiry is all about food! We plan to spend a lot of time in the kitchen over the next few weeks.
Transdisciplinary Theme: How we organise ourselves
Central Idea: Sustainable food production involves human decisions based on a variety of factors.
Lines of Inquiry:
Factors that affect plant growth
How the natural environment impacts the ability to grow and sustain food
How food is produced and distributed
The choices people have and make about food consumption
If you have any expertise in this area and would like to come and speak to the class or if you have any suggestions regarding places we could go for a field trip, please send me an email.
A lot of time was spent packing up the classroom so that our visitors for Sports Weekend could use the room for sleeping. How lovely to get back to school on Monday morning to see the board covered with thank you notes from the MIS girls (see photo).
Deborah Mills
P6 Class
Last week, P6 had a special guest speaker, Ms. Ingrid, who came to talk to them about making good advertisements. She shared many helpful ideas and gave P6 an interesting challenge of trying to sell a bottle of Aloe Vera Shampoo in teams. It was great fun!
P6 also interviewed ‘experts’ in our school about a day celebrated at UWCEA. In Maths we focused on place value and in IT we continued working on our coding skills.
A big thank you to all the P6 students who volunteered to be ‘runners’ for the Sports Weekend. Go Leopards!
Natasha Berri
Service
On a surprisingly sunny Saturday morning me, Mr David, Mr. Joao, his wife, and a KCMC resident, met to visit a local, by our students well-known, organization Songambele. They deal with inclusion, education, and spread awareness about people with disabilities in Tanzania.
We packed tennis rackets, made sure we had enough water or some sodas to give out and headed off. Throughout this day we were running, collecting balls, cheering on, and especially sharing energy and happiness. Wheelchair races, basics of tennis, even an actual match at the end of our visit. Those were just a few activities we facilitated. I was pleasantly surprised when I noticed how tired I was afterward. I believe I wasn’t the only one, who enjoyed this day to the best.
It was an eye-opening experience to see people with contrasting daily experiences. It left me with more than a thought. Such opportunities make me always deeply thankful, for studying here, at a place where everybody tries their best. This wouldn’t ever be possible without the initiative and tennis skills of Mr. Joao.
To all our other teachers, mentors, and all the others I forgot to mention, we as students see the effort you put into us and our community. We may not say it every day, but it is highly appreciated and means the world to us. Thank You!
AnnaMarie D1
Outdoor Pursuits
UWC East Africa promotes the exploration and development of the IB learner profile attributes such as being balanced, caring, and risk-takers within the classroom and beyond through its Outdoor Pursuits. This opportunity is extended to both students and staff.
Last weekend was my first participation in an OP trip to Kilomeni as an assistant trip leader along with 14 MYP and DP students, my colleagues Mr. Russell and Ms. Kacey, and our trip leader, Mr. Isaac Foya. I enjoyed the experience as the challenge of hiking allowed me to find out so much more about myself and be mesmerized by the beautiful landscape and nature of my host country, Tanzania. This trip made me all the more proud to be a part of the UWC East Africa because of its robust outdoor learning program which supports the school’s guiding statements like offering “a holistic and diverse portfolio of learning experiences.”
Below are two of the feedback shared by students who participated in the trip:
“The trip was a memorable experience. From climbing the steep peaks to walking through the forests in the rain, everything was challenging and fun, especially the delicious dinner in the tent.” (Alwalid, D1)
“It was an interesting experience and a fun one. I am proud that I made it up and back down. I will surely do the Longido hike next year. Thank you to Mr Isaac and to all the teachers who encouraged us during the hike.” (Anais, M1)
Rina Gillegao
From the Counselors
We look forward to seeing many of our D1 parents/guardians during today’s virtual meeting. This will be the first of a series of presentations as we take the families of our D1 students through the process that they have embarked on. Post-secondary planning is not an easy task and requires time to build self-awareness that will be applied when making well informed decisions about the path(s) our students will want to take after graduation. Mark your calendar and plan to join us on Tuesday as we start this journey together.
D1 Parent/Guardian meeting about Career and College Readiness
In addition, there are lots of ways to explore some of the excellent options that exist for life after UWC East Africa. We continue to add events to the UWCEA Careers website calendar and welcome you to take a look to make sure you are not missing anything. This weekend there are some major open house events from institutions across the globe that you may want to register for in advance and attend from the comfort of your own home.
College and University Events
18-19 November: Times vary Institutions from around the globe are hosting virtual Open House events throughout the weekend. See UWCEA Careers website
21 November: 7:30-8:30 PM EAT D1 Parents/Guardians: Introduction to Careers and College Readiness (virtual)
29 November: Time: TBD Bard College Berlin. Studying in Germany and pursuing a degree in the humanities. (virtual)
30 November: Time: TBD Memorial University of Newfoundland (Canada). Studying in Canada and Experiential Learning/Co-op opportunities.
2 December: 11:00 AM- 1:00 PM EAT Science Po University (France) Open House event (virtual)
5 December: 7:30-8:30 PM EAT Are you a College Bound athlete? Come learn more about the process of playing collegiate sports on a US campus (virtual)
6 December: 7:30-8:30 PM EAT Do you need to create an Art Portfolio for your application? Join us to learn more about how to successfully create a competitive portfolio for admissions consideration. (virtual)
Aizhan Smagulova – University and Career Counselor
Community Garden
Community Garden! With all the rain, the garden is thriving. The sunflowers planted during UWC Day are finally blooming and orange marigolds are everywhere. Students planted beans, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, lettuce, spicy peppers, basil, rosemary, chia, radish, watermelon, and carrots. All the fresh, organic produce gets donated to the school kitchen. If you need a beautiful place to rest and relax, the garden is an oasis of peace on our very busy campus. You are welcome!
Umoja Short Course
A new opportunity at UWCEA: join the UMOJA UWC Short Course organizing team.
Once again, the UWCEA Moshi campus will host the UMOJA UWC Short Course starting at the beginning of July, and eight new exciting positions in the organizing team are now open for application! If you are interested in joining the UMOJA team, you should consider applying.
About the Short Course The UMOJA Short Course, an integral part of UWCEA’s mission, is a week-long program designed to ignite intercultural understanding and leadership among young students from all over the world who apply directly to the course. Through engaging activities, discussions, and meaningful connections, participants delve into themes such as peace, diversity, and sustainable development. This transformative experience not only fosters personal growth but also enhances our students’ global perspective. UMOJA is a testament to our commitment to providing an enriched educational experience that transcends borders and unites young minds in a common pursuit of a more sustainable fair world.
Apply now If you are 21 years old or older, you are passionate about the themes of community building, sustainability, and intercultural understanding, and you would like to dive into Tanzanian culture and nature, you should consider applying to be part of the team as a coordinator.
The coordinator roles are open for both Lead coordinator positions and General coordinator positions.
The Lead coordination has openings for
Finance
Partnership and Outreach.
The General coordination has openings for
Program Coordinator
Communication and Outreach Coordinator
Participant Coordinators (two positions are open for this role)
Fellowship Coordinator.
You can read more about each position here. You can apply by filling out this form.
The application deadline has been extended to the 24th of November 2023
