Next Monday we start the last part of the school year and like normal I find myself surprised to be writing this line as it seems that the year just started. For most students there are two months left in the school year, but for the M5 and D2 students there is even less time. In actuality for the D2 students they will be in their last week of classes as they then move into study week and exams to culminate at Graduation on May 18th. For the M5 they have only a little more time as their exams are also in May and they finish the 24th.
You will note that the first week back we have a Sports Celebration, Personal Project Day, Market, Prom and the D2 Clapout. In the weeks to follow we have an Earth Day assembly and events, MAP tests, OP trips and a lot more. Please always keep an eye on the school calendar so you can join us at community events.
I hope everyone is having a restful holiday and we look forward to seeing you soon.
Bob Cofer – Head of Campus
Upcoming
Sports Celebration
Please join us on Tuesday April 16th from 4 to 6pm as we celebrate the sports achievements of the school year. More information will be mailed directly to parents.
Farmers’ Market
Friday April 19th will be the next Farmers’ Market. Join us from noon- 4pm to sample the wares of different vendors. We look forward to seeing you there.
Ben’s Corner
I trust you all enjoyed a safe and restful break with family and friends. I certainly appreciated the time to disconnect and recharge at the beach. I am now looking forward to another fulfilling and dynamic quarter at UWCEA. For our D2 and M5 students, the coming weeks have added significance. Be sure to give everything you can to ensure your results are a true reflection of your efforts, abilities and understanding. Do not procrastinate. Be strategic and focused. Take time for yourselves as, forgetting to, is counterproductive. Listen to and look out for each other. Be mindful. At times, it will not be easy but make sure it is worth it and, as I have said to many of you, remember that this too shall pass.
Quarter 4 is (thankfully?) shorter than Quarter 3 but, rather unsurprisingly, there is a huge amount happening in the next 9 weeks or so. We hit the ground running with our M5 Personal Project presentations on April 18th, the D2 Clap Out and the Prom on April 19th, Cultural Nights, MAP testing, Primary Camps, the TOK Exhibition, Focus Days, The Week of Giving Back, Move Up Day, as well as sports fixtures and OP Trips. Then, there is the small matter of exams, summative assessments and, not forgetting, the M5 Ceremony, D2 Graduation and P6 Ceremony. Looking forward to it already?
A school like UWCEA is only successful if everyone gets involved. So, please be sure to keep up with all the latest happenings through this newsletter and the community calendar and be sure to get involved and help out and support wherever you can.
Ben Morley – Deputy Head of Campus
Diploma News
One of the lovely things about working in a through school (PYP, MYP and DP) is the links made. On Thursday I had the privilege to watch the PYP Hungarian Dance Club perform at the PYP gathering. Balazs from D2 has teaching them for most of this year. They have all really enjoyed the experience.
The break, or as I have described it to D2 students, the time without classes, has now started. For D1 it is a chance to rest, relax and catch up with work. Many of them have taken the chance to travel and see some of the region. For D2 it is a time to finish IAs and start the revision process. It is however important they take time to recharge their batteries.
Plans are in place for the end of school year and graduation events. Please note these important dates:
Friday 19th April 11:00 am – Assembly with D1
Friday 19th April 12:00 noon Clap Out – A chance for the school community to celebrate the D2 students. Please join us
Friday 19th April Afternoon – Pool Party
Friday 19th April Evening – Prom
Friday 17th May – Staff Appreciation Dinner
Saturday 18th May – Graduation Photos at 1pm
Saturday 18th May – Graduation – Seating at 2pm, ceremony at 2:30 and reception to follow
Margaret Brunt – Diploma Coordinator
Service
The KCMC CAS group this quarter has been highly active with the hospital in several activities. We planned to work most especially with the children’s oncology unit with several weekly food deliveries to improve the kids’ diets and organise a few dance clinics to help them improve their physical health. These were a huge success as we conducted two dance clinics with the whole CAS group and with a smaller group more recently. The dance clinics on 26th January 2024 and 15th March 2024 were received with great participation and the families’ moods were lifted. The food deliveries went just as smoothly as we were able to finish the whole quarter’s runs and planning for the holiday too, ensuring that our work can be consistent throughout the break as well.
Around 16 of our members were also able to attend and complete a First Aid Course led by amazing KCMC doctors. The class mainly consisted of a lot of “First timers”, so it was a very informative and eye-opening experience for those in attendance. We went through a slideshow of life-saving information and managed to put it into practical use through the use of a CPR mannequin. We are very grateful to the KCMC doctors for taking their time and effort to explain the importance of First aid, what to do in a critical situation regarding health, and how to potentially save another life.
If you are interested in joining one of our Dance Clinics or another KCMC event, feel free to reach out to any of our members on campus. Thank you for your support and see you soon!
Austin, Angel and Arthur (D1, KCMC CAS)
MYP News
Save the Date! M5 cordially invites you to our Personal Project Exhibition themed “Process Over Perfection”. It has been quite the journey… a journey of learning, self-discovery and rigorous experiences that was definitely a game changer for each student and the class as a whole. We made great memories and we hope to see you all there.
M2’s Stand Up Comedians – The Performance! M2 were incredible in their Stand-Up Comedy performances this week. What seemed easy at first turned out to be a learning experience where the students had to test their own personal attributes to come up with what they presented. In their words: “stand-up comedy is NOT the same as becoming the comedian”. They worked hard on finding relatable scenarios, common context and personal experiences that resonated with the crowd. It was definitely a wonderful end to a long dreary Monday! Theme of the event was: Ms. Farah is VERY old!
12 Angry Men… Well 31 Angry M4s! The Presentation!
Watch out everyone… you do not want to mess with this bunch. Mr. Erick and myself were true thrilled with what our M4 Language and Literature group put together in their Producing Text summative assessment. For a minute there, we thought we were in a real court room with real lawyers and members of a legislative council. M4 students showed commendable research skills, used sound argumentative language, demonstrated high standard presentation skills and were able to work well in a large group. It was something worth recording to be honest and we wish we had done that!
The Rock Jar Has Been Filled! M1 students have been working very hard to fill their “Rock Jar”. A full jar means that they have collectively exemplified school values, have come prepared to class, have been principled and mindful communicators and have managed to overcome some self-management challenges that comes with being “first time” middle school students… BUT what matters more than all of this, a full jar means ROCK PARTY! M1 celebrated by going to the movies and watching Wonka with Mr. Ben, Ms. Farah and Mr. Ramy. Personally, I do not think it gets any better than a good movie, a cold soda, popcorn and hotdogs on a hot afternoon. *Thank you Mama Tejveer and Mama Simreet for delivering the sandwiches.
MYP Dates to Remember:
April 17th – All-day set up for PP M5 (all M5 students need to be on campus at 7:30 am).
April 18th – MYPX
April 30th to May 3rd – MYP MAP Tests Round 2
May 6th to17th – MYP e-Assessments (details and plans to follow)
May 24th- M5 Ceremony
Farah Fawaz – MYP Coordinator
Outdoor Pursuits
The journey Zena and I took in the Usambara Mountains in Tanzania was absolutely incredible! The beauty of the landscape was unlike anything I’d ever seen before. As we hiked through the lush greenery, I was constantly amazed by the stunning misty peaks, and vibrant flora around every corner. The hiking posed to be difficult at times but it was worth the pain every time because when we got to the points from where we could see all of Lushoto. This feeling came over you as if the world felt like it could fit in the palm of your hand. But what made the trip truly special was the warmth and friendliness of the local people: their hospitality and the chance we were given to learn about their culture and deep history added an extra layer to our experience. The organization and support from the teachers was so thought out and well planned that if this wasn’t the case, the trip would have definitely been different and maybe even more challenging. Overall, it was an unforgettable adventure that left both of us feeling deeply connected to both nature and the people who call these mountains home.
Ryan B & Zena C
PYP News
Thank you to everyone who came to the Swahili Primary Gathering on the last day of Quarter 3. Well done to Ms. Linda, Ms. Silvia, Ms. Catherine and Ms. Margaret as well as to all the children who entertained us so well. Thank you also to the secondary school Activities Committee who organised a session of Bingo to celebrate the start of the holidays. It was great – popcorn, juice and prizes! Many thanks to Lyra, Verus and Olja for setting up and supervising the event – a great time was had by all.
The last week before the break also saw the PYP swim gala. Every child was listed for events and we all enjoyed a great display of swimming prowess. Many thanks to the PE department for organising this event – we all had a fun time.
There are no clubs the first week back. Coach Pickell will send out the sign up link when he has finalised the schedule for the new quarter. Also, keep your eyes open for an email from Coach Pickell sharing details of the sports celebration planned for 4- 6pm on the first Tuesday back after the break.
I have listed some important dates below but please keep checking the Moshi calendar and the community calendar as dates are subject to change. You will see that MAP assessments are scheduled for the week beginning 22nd April. There is no need to revise for these assessments. More details about the purpose of the MAP will be shared in the next newsletter.
Dates for this Quarter
Tuesday 16th April – sports celebration 4 -6pm. More details to be shared by Coach Pickell.
Friday 19th April – last day of classes for D2s. Primary children will line the walkway at midday to clap goodbye and to wish them luck in their upcoming exams. If you know any of the D2s and wish to join us, please come along.
Monday 22nd April onwards – MAP online assessments for P4-6.
Thursday, 25th April P2/3 Primary Gathering
Friday, 26th April Union Day – no classes
Wednesday, 1st May – Workers’ Day – no classes
Tuesday, 7th May – P4- 6 to visit PYP Exhibition in Arusha
Thursday, 16th May – P6 overnight camp
Friday, 17th May – Primary gathering – content to be decided.
Thursday, 23rd May – P2 overnight camp
Thursday, 30th May – Gathering of Gratitude – all parents are invited to this singing focused gathering
Thursday, 30th May – P3 overnight camp
Thursday, 6th June – P6 ceremony followed by primary move up. P6 will spend the day with M1. EC – P5 will spend 45 minutes with next year’s teacher
Monday, 10th June – PYP semester 2 reports issued
Wednesday, 12th June – short gathering to say goodbye to leaving students.
Wednesday, 12th June – fun sports day (tentative date still to be confirmed)
Friday, 14th June – last day of classes. Normal finishing time of 12:30pm.
Deborah Mills – PYP Coordinator
EC/P1 Class
I hope you have all had a restful break and are ready for another exciting quarter.
The transdisciplinary theme for this quarter will be how we express ourselves. This is always a fun unit as our central idea is: ‘Visual arts are a tool to extend our ability to create and express ideas’.
The lines of inquiry we will be exploring are:
Illustrations
Visual art techniques
How everyone can express their ideas through the arts
One of the approaches to learning we will be developing is communication skills. We will be kicking off with a daily show and tell. This first week of school will be free for all as we practice the etiquette of show and tell. In the following weeks, everyone will be assigned a day where they will have the opportunity to bring in an assigned item for show and tell.
If you are an artist with your particular form of creating visual arts, please get in touch with me so that we can share with the children what you do.
Mboka Mwasongwe
P2/3 Class
We are looking forward to Q4 in P2/3! There are so many wonderful things to learn and do. In support of our Endangered Animals unit, we will go on a field trip on Wednesday, April 17th to the Kilimanjaro Project / Kijani Pamoja in order to learn more about the efforts being made for reforestation in the region. We will be reporting on the trip and other things at our class Primary Gathering on April 25th. (Please note that this is a Thursday.) Other dates to know for Q4 are about our class camping trips. P2 will have its overnight trip on May 23rd. We will stick close to school and stay at Kishari House. P3 will go to Simba Farms the following Thursday on May 30th! More information will come closer to the dates but please mark your calendars.
Our class schedule remains the same this quarter. PE Swim on Tuesdays, outdoor PE on Thursdays. Send in Library books on Mondays and Home Learning folders on Fridays. Thank you again for all of your support. It has been a terrific school year so far!
This photo shows the kids from class who participated in the fabulous Hungarian Dance club with Balazs.
Kacey Buckley
P4/5 Class
I hope that the children have enjoyed a fun and relaxing holiday. We ended last quarter on a high note with celebratory Bingo, a cooking activity (see photo), doughnuts courtesy of Jeremy and Thomas plus the last episode of The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. Next week will see a return to a more regular routine. We will think about the considerations to take into account when building a structure and will investigate strong shapes. In maths we will continue our work on fractions and in language we will focus on using commas. There will be no afternoon clubs the first week back. Ms. Catherine and I look forward to seeing the children on Monday.
Deborah Mills
P6 Class
Welcome back! I hope you had a wonderful break. It’s amazing to think that your child is nearing the end of the Primary Years Programme (PYP). Change, even if it feels a bit scary, is a significant part of life’s journey. It helps us become resilient and more adaptable, which are really important traits for dealing with life’s ups and downs.
This quarter, we’ll be preparing the P6 students for their transition to the Middle Years Programme (MYP). The M1 students will talk to the P6 students about what to expect and share their schedules. We’ll have a special ‘Moving Up Day’ for the P6s to experience what a day in the life of an M1 student is like. Additionally, we’ll celebrate their journey from PYP to MYP with a special Ceremony.
We’ll also have MAP testing, a camp, and two new Units of Inquiry. In Maths, we’ll cover topics such as chance and probability, geometric patterns, exponents, and decimals.
Our photo shows P6 with their Learner Profile leaves – a special award given at our Primary Gatherings. At our last Gathering, Zach received a leaf for being Reflective, and the entire class received a leaf for exhibiting all the Learner Profiles during their PYP Exhibition. A great achievement!
I look forward to seeing you all next week.
Natasha Berri
From the Counselors
As college decisions continue to roll in, we strongly encourage our D2 students to attend any virtual “Admitted Student” events that may be offered. Taking part in activities planned by their potential universities can be quite helpful as they sort through their options!
College counseling meetings with D1s have been productive and have focused on the importance of exploring. By spending time exploring now – both exploring their interests and hopes for their future, and exploring the options offered at different universities – our students will be well prepared for the next phase of the process: applying!
If you’re not sure where to start, here are a few resources that you might spend some time exploring:
Trying to research Davis partner universities in the US? I’ve created this spreadsheet to compile publicly-available information on all of the Davis partner universities. Please feel free to make a copy for your own purposes – you can then sort, edit, add information from your own research, etc. I hope it’s a useful tool for exploring some great schools!
Scholarships list – this is a list of scholarships that we’ve shared on our UWCEA Careers & Universities website. Some of them require a nomination by the counselor. Many of these are very competitive scholarships that attract top students from around the world, but we would love to talk with our students about any that they might be interested in pursuing.
UPCOMING College and University Events
15 May: 4:45-6:00 PM EAT15 on the 15th returns with a “Hot Admissions Topic” and a virtual fair with 13 Davis UWC Scholar Partners & 2 UWC “friends”
**Many more events are on the UWCEA Careers website and the institution websites/social media**
