While we have had a lot happening this week, sports have been on display. The PYP primary gathering this week highlighted the PYP PE curriculum and this week students in both PYP and secondary traveled to Arusha for athletics. Of course, next weekend will be all about sports with Arusha campus and twelve other schools sending teams to participate in secondary sports. This is a great weekend with lots of opportunity for competition, but also for students to get to interact with students from other schools. As always, we highlight sportsmanship on this weekend as it is part of who we are as an institution.
Please come join us starting Friday at 12:30pm.
As you will see below, not everything is sports related as we have a lot going on every day.
Bob Cofer – Head of Campus
The view from the front gate Friday Morning with both peaks out.
Public Holiday
Dear Parents,
Due to the municipal elections, Wednesday the 27th of November has been declared a public holiday and school will therefore be closed for classes this day.
Ben’s Corner
In the PYP, P.E. promotes physical, social, emotional, and cognitive growth by engaging students in a variety of activities that encourage exploration, teamwork and personal reflection. Aside from the obvious benefits of healthy pursuits, P.E. supports the development of essential skills such as collaboration, resilience and self-regulation, aligning with the PYP’s holistic emphasis on nurturing well-rounded individuals. Through movement and play, students are encouraged to understand their bodies, develop confidence and embrace challenges, which contributes to their overall growth as inquirers and risk-takers.
It was wonderful to be an ‘active’ participant in Friday’s P.E. Primary Gathering, facilitated by the students with the support of the incomparable Mr. T. The audience was encouraged to join in as the students led warm up exercises, various games, such as Toilet Tag(!), and introduced us to the basics of different track and field events, contact rugby and football.
It was certainly very warm out there on the pitch, but it was a wonderful opportunity to showcase the students’ P.E. learning and celebrate the benefits of being active and making healthy choices.
Ben Morley – Deputy Head of Campus
Diploma News
This has been a busy week for teachers as they finished their comments for the D2 semester reports. Reports were published on Friday afternoon and we are so proud of all our students for the focus, resilience and hard work they have shown. While the grades are important, we keep reminding them that Universities are also looking for students who are actively engaged in the world and contributing members of our community. This is what truly sets a UWC student apart.
This week I was able to pop into a few Diploma classes and there is so much real-world learning happening. I found the Physics teacher sitting on the floor demonstrating forces. The Global Politics class was engaging with contemporary political issues, many of which were inspired by their experiences at Project Week. One of the English A classes joined the PYP6 class to discuss advertising techniques – since both classes are studying media and advertising. The diploma students helped the Primary students finish their planning for their own advertisements.
The D2s were also introduced to the Theory of Knowledge (TOK) essay topics. Each TOK teacher selected a topic to unpack with the students. The students will now have the opportunity to choose a topic that interests them to explore how knowledge is constructed by using real-life examples.
While the IB is certainly challenging, it looks to take learning beyond just theory and make it relevant and applicable to real-world contexts, fostering an awareness of the world around us.
To those who are looking to book transport home, please take note of the following dates:
School closes on 13 December 2024.
School opens on 14 January 2025.
The school year ends on 19 June 2025
Catherine Dowie – DP Coordinator
From the Counselors
D2 students are continuing to submit their university applications (and financial aid paperwork), and their sense of pride (and relief!) as they submit their applications is wonderful to see. We’ve also been thrilled to get to start celebrating their good news! Thirteen of our D2 students in Moshi have already received their first university acceptance. Students who have not yet applied – either because they are only submitting “Regular Decision” applications (not early applications) or because they are applying outside of the US to systems with later deadlines – are continuing to work on their application materials.
The D1 History class conducted a 40-minute online meeting with Harish Babla. Harish is an ISM graduate from the class of 1979. Forty-five years ago, Harish wrote a fascinating IB “extended essay” about the effects of Ujamaa’s policies on four different villages across Tanzania. That essay survived in the school archives for decades, only to be rediscovered by Dr. Anna and Dr. Wade a few months ago. Dr. Wade then assigned Harish’s essay to his students, making it one of the main primary sources for their understanding of daily life during Ujamaa’s impact.
Harish has since lived in the United States and Singapore, becoming a successful entrepreneur in a variety of industries. His willingness to speak with the class made history come alive as he reflected on the major changes that Tanzania experienced in the 1970s and the changes that it continues to experience today.
MYP News
The other day, I walked into class to find a group of MYP students having an intense debate, not about school assignments, but about a Netflix show they were binge-watching. They were “seriously” using the assessment criteria to evaluate the characters and the show’s overall “impact on society.” I couldn’t help but laugh. I don’t know if they did that because they saw me or if they were really serious about this, but for either scenario, I was extremely impressed by their creativity and ability to apply what they’ve learned to the most unexpected of situations! It’s this kind of out-of-the-box thinking that continues to be nurtured with our MYP day to day activities. I wish you a wonderful week ahead.
AISA GISS An email went out last week to parents/guardians about an opportunity for students to participate in the AISA Global Issues Service Summit (AISA-GISS) in Kampala, Uganda, from February 13th to 15th, 2025. This prestigious event brings together students across Africa to tackle critical global issues such as sustainability, equality, and social justice through workshops, community service, and leadership development.
We are seeking to send 6-8 students from each Moshi and Arusha campuses to represent our school. If you are interested in your child attending, please complete the interest form by Monday, November 20th to help us with planning. This opportunity is mainly for M4 and M5 students, however the dates clash with the MYP Personal Project exhibition prep days, so we encourage M4 students to sign up.
M2 Science In M2 Science, students have been working on an exciting experiment where they’ve planted seeds and are closely observing their growth. As part of this project, they’re gathering important data that will help them better understand how different salt concentrations affect the plants. So far, they’ve been recording their observations and now it’s time to organize the results. Students will use the data they’ve collected to fill in their table of results and create graphs that show the trends they’ve noticed. It’s important to remember that they should use the average results for each salt concentration and focus only on the concentrations they tested. In the next steps, students will also be writing a lab report!
M2 Art In M2 Art, students are creating beautiful A3 frottage artworks using pastel colors. The task involves arranging different tree leaves and making rubbings to capture their texture. Students can use up to three pastel colors and add fine details with colored pencils. They’re also designing a background that complements their rubbings, with freedom to choose texture and color. It’s a fun way for them to explore texture and color while creating a unique piece of art!
M3 Art Students are working on a series of watercolor portraits, experimenting with techniques such as wet-on-wet, wet-on-dry, gradients, salt textures, lifting, glazing, dry brush, and color blending. Each student is keeping a portrait journal to document their process, reflecting on what worked, what challenged them, and how they can improve. The journal will include their portraits, a description of the techniques used, and a reflection on their artistic journey. Even if some pieces don’t turn out as expected, these challenges are key to their growth as artists.
MYP Dates To Remember:
November 22nd to 24th – Sports Weekend
December 12th – Semester 1 Reports Released
December 13th – End of Q1 Classes end at 12:30 pm
Farah Fawaz – MYP Coordinator
Residential Life
Dear UWCEA Community,
Last week, our MYP and D1 students had an incredible time during Week Without Walls/Project Week, exploring the stunning landscapes of Tanzania while diving into unique projects. Meanwhile, our D2 students enjoyed a slower pace back on campus—a well-deserved chance to relax, recharge, and catch up!
This week, we’ve got some fantastic events lined up to keep the energy going:
🎤 Language Idol happened Friday from 4:00 to 6:00 pm in Rafiki Hall!
🎥 Movie Night is Saturday from 7:00 to 11:00 pm, also in Rafiki Hall. Hosted by the Wellbeing Committee, it’s the perfect way to unwind, snack, and enjoy a cozy evening with friends.
📚 D1 Project Week Fair is on Tuesday next week from 11:20 a.m. to 12:40 p.m. in K-Hall. Come check out the incredible work our students did during Project Week. They’ll be sharing their adventures, insights, and learning—and you’ll have the chance to ask questions and dig deeper into their experiences.
We hope to see you at these events! Let’s celebrate creativity, connection, and all the amazing things happening in our community.
Adnan Mackovic – Head of Residential Life
Sports Update
Sports Weekend is here!
This Friday we have schools from all over Tanzania coming to Moshi to play sports. This year we will have Football, Basketball, Netball, Volleyball, Ultimate Frisbee, Touch Rugby, Tennis and Cross Country. The games start Friday at 12:30pm and continue into the evening. Schedules of matches will be posted around campus so you can plan when to come and see the full range of sports on offer. In addition, there will be vendors selling a range of foods and drinks to fill you up and cool you down.
We hope to see you on campus.
PYP News
A large group of Moshi primary athletes headed to Arusha on Thursday chaperoned by Coach T, Coach Pickell and Ms. Zitha. The children came back in high spirits and said that they had had a great time. We are always on the lookout for female chaperones to support primary sports events. If this is something that you would be prepared to help with, please can you email me so that I can make a list of possible chaperones to be contacted as events are planned.
We enjoyed a lively PE themed primary gathering on Friday morning. Many thanks to Coach T for his enthusiasm and care when providing the children with such fun physical activities.
On Friday afternoon, four primary children performed at Language Idol. What risk takers they were to perform in front of a large audience. Congratulations to Gianna, Katya, Jiyu and Luna on some wonderful singing and dancing. Please see the photos below.
Please see below for some important dates to add to your diaries:
22nd November – Secondary sports weekend. Primary children are welcome to come along and cheer on the Moshi teams.
29th November – PYP Sharing Assembly
30th November – U11 football festival at SCIS – more details to follow.
5th December – Evening of the Arts – more details to follow
6th December – Primary gathering hosted by the Daycare Centre
11th December – Primary parent teacher conferences (more details to follow)
13th December – Primary gathering (French)
Deborah Mills – PYP Coordinator
EC/P1 Class
We started the week with a lovely treat. The children enjoyed the walk to Tilly’s home. They met all the chickens and even got to feed them. Tilly and her mom taught the children about the materials they used to make the chicken coop and the areas where they played. The children also had juice and biscuits. Thank you Mama Tilly and Tilly for welcoming us.
The children spent the week making houses using toilet rolls and paper bags. We have small boxes remaining and they are still deciding what buildings to make with them. Some children wish to make shops, others a hospital/airport or train station. Hopefully, after this weekend, we will have agreed on what to make. This week, we will also attempt to create more buildings using playdough.
Mboka Mwasongwe
P2/3 Class
We have begun our 3rd unit of the year – Imagination. The central idea is:
Imagination is a tool we can use to think, create and express ourselves.
And the Lines of Inquiry are:
The value of imagination
Investigating what inspires us
How we demonstrate and enjoy our imagination.
It will be a wonderful time of being inspired by art, music and stories as well as opportunities to create our own.
This past week was very busy and active. When half of the class went to Arusha for an Athletics meet, the remaining students had a nice time with regular lessons plus some extra time with P4/5. They buddied up for a special DEAR session of reading together.
We will be back to our regular swim lesson on Tuesday. Apologies for the miss- the scheduled cleaning of the pool was running late and Coach Sabini asked us to have a regular PE lesson instead.
Kacey Buckley
P4/5 Class
This week the children watched a video about buildings that are designed to withstand earthquakes. We discussed that these buildings are expensive and are really only possible in wealthy countries. The children then had a go at building their own earthquake proof structure out of toothpicks and plasticine. They learned about volcanic eruptions and started researching famous eruptions of the past. The children have made the framework of their model volcanoes and will cover them in plaster next week. Once our work on volcanoes is complete we will start inquiring into hurricanes. In maths we have learned about tessellation and have started a piece of tessellating art, based on the work of MC Escher. We have some symmetry activities planned for next week. In our writing lessons we will be focusing on acrostic and kenning style poems.
Deborah Mills
P6 Class
This week, P6 teamed up with the D1 Language and Literature students for a fun collaboration. They shared their creative ideas for their advertising campaigns and pitched their storyboards. The D1 students gave thoughtful feedback, telling P6 what they liked and suggested ways to make their work even better. Their ideas sparked new inspiration and helped P6 look at their campaigns from a different angle. A big thank you to Mrs. Dowie and the D1 students for working with us.
P6 also became ‘Digital Wizards’ as they learned all about staying safe online. They talked about the importance of asking a trusted adult for help when needed and discovered why it’s smart to use usernames or nicknames, especially when gaming. P6 explored ways to keep personal details—like real names, addresses, and passwords—private, and how to stay safe when talking to online friends. They also thought critically about whether what they see and read online is true or reliable.
Using SMART advice, P6 explored simple steps to make sure their online world stays safe, fun, and secure.
Natasha Berri
Sustainability Committee
This week the sustainability committee continued to expand the campus compost duties, creating two composting areas in the duplexes for teachers to further our sustainable practices. As seen in our photo of Ren and Amador hard at work to build healthier soils on campus.
Well done to the M1 – M3 Environmental Service Group for taking responsibility for our school’s organic waste, building valuable compost this week. Thank you as well to the DP Clean-up Service Group for always being attentive to our campus’s recycling efforts as well as contributing to our ongoing soil regeneration efforts.
We are gearing up to start the process of selecting the new sustainability committee members, and passing responsibilities to the next generation. We hope that M4 to D2 students will help to continue all the progress made this year and build on the legacy of the committee. See you Monday in Mentor period for more information on the committee and what you can do to become a member!
As sports weekend draws closer, we aim to reduce littering and deal with the influx of visitors as sustainably as possible, stay tuned for more information from us on where to find recycling, waste stations and more, so that you can help to keep sports weekend as litter free as possible for our campus. We are all responsible and we look forward to your stewardship.
We look forward to the December 11th project sharation (environment and sustainability sharation) where all of our campus’s environmental, sustainability and ecologically driven project efforts will be presented to the wider community! Stay tuned for more information on this celebration of project efforts!
