The D1 project week and MYP Week Without Walls experience has come to an end. What a wonderful opportunity it was for those students to carry learning beyond our campus boundaries and apply their skills out in the real world. I had the opportunity to join a group of students on their D1 project week as they were working with Mkomazi National Park personnel learning about the different aspects of a national park from dealing with human-animal conflict, to poaching and conservation activities. Students on this trip were able to directly apply what they were learning to Global Politics as well as their ESS and Biology classes. I am sure you will hear much more about the different trips in following newsletters.
I thank all staff that made both the Week Without Walls and Project Week trips possible, these events do not happen without a lot of planning and support. To the parents, I also thank you as I am sure you had your own behind the scenes work to do in getting students ready for the week.
As we get back into the swing of classes, please note that we do have a Primary Gathering this Friday and the weekend of the 22nd to 24th is Sports Weekend for Secondary.
Bob Cofer, Head of Campus
Language Idol
Dear UWCEA Moshi Community,
I hope this message finds you well. I apologize for the change, but to accommodate more participants—including our PYP students—and to avoid a clash with the Dead Poets Society event, we have adjusted the time and date for LANGUAGE IDOL.
Updated Event Details:
Time: 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Location: Rafiki Hall
We’d love for everyone to join us in celebrating the beauty of our mother tongues! If you haven’t signed up yet, please do so using this Google Form link to represent your language and culture. And if you need any instruments for practice, feel free to reach out to me. PYP students have a different sign up procedure. Primary parents should not use the form but should email their child’s class teacher directly to indicate their child’s interest.
Thank you for your understanding, and we look forward to seeing your amazing performances!
Warm regards,
Verus – Activities Committee
School Merchandise
Welcome to Our New Store Location at the School Reception!
We’re excited to invite you to visit our new spot, now conveniently located at the school reception! Come check out our latest arrivals perfect for outdoor activities, including bucket hats in four colors, outdoor bandanas, quick-dry t-shirts, and more. Plus, we’re now accepting card payments for an easier shopping experience!
Open during school hours – see you there!
Ben’s Corner
It has been a quieter week at school with so many students off campus. Both Week Without Walls and Project Week offer our students a unique opportunity to step outside the classroom and immerse themselves in real-world learning experiences. This initiative is designed to engage students in hands-on activities that deepen their understanding of various subjects while promoting personal growth. Whether it’s exploring environmental issues, engaging with local communities or participating in team-building exercises, this week challenges students to apply classroom knowledge in practical, dynamic settings. The experience also fosters important life skills such as resilience, adaptability and collaboration…particularly when it will not stop raining (pole sana, M4)!
The benefits of experiential learning are aligned with the philosophy of the IB, which emphasises inquiry-based learning, critical thinking and global awareness. By participating in off-campus activities, students are encouraged to reflect on real-world issues and develop solutions through experiential inquiry. The IB’s holistic model encourages students to gain insights into cultural diversity, environmental responsibility and appreciate the importance of ethical leadership. This hands-on approach allows students to connect classroom concepts with tangible experiences, making learning more meaningful and relevant.
Some of our Primary students also enjoyed an off-campus adventure of their own this week. On Thursday morning, the P4-6 children ventured to the Karanga River on a hike and enjoyed playing and exploring the rock pools in the shallows.
A hugethank you to all our teachers and support staff who spent a week away from their families and home comforts to facilitate this wonderful learning experience. Just another example of what makes a UWCEA education so very special.
Ben Morley – Deputy Head of Campus
MYP News
It was a very quiet week on campus without the MYP students… and might I add, quite boring! However, that was not the case for all the students who were out on various trips during Week Without Walls. The students left campus on Monday morning and returned throughout the day on Friday. In a nutshell, every grade level immersed themselves in a series of incredible experiential learning adventures. From engaging with the Hadzabe and Datoga tribes to exploring the lush environment of a banana plantation, every experience was rich with cultural and ecological discovery. Students had the opportunity to explore rock pools and mangroves, recreate historical ruins with natural materials, and dive deep into understanding the carbon cycle through hands-on data collection across varied altitudes. Let’s not leave out the artistic and cultural activities like tie-dye workshops, drumming, modern dance, and traditional drama which provided creative outlets for collaboration and communication. These experiences not only nurtured affective skills and teamwork but also made learning truly come alive in the real world, all while having lots of fun and appreciating the hidden gems of our community!
I do not want to take the spotlight away from the students and would like to give them the opportunity to reflect and share their experiences in next week’s entry, but for this week, I would like to give a big shoutout to all the students and the wonderful team of educators who accompanied them on the trips. I would like to highlight the adaptability of our M4s and their teachers who had to return a day early due to the weather, and still found a way to make the experience carry on right here on campus!
Please enjoy the pictures and videos from the trip, and stay tuned for more about the week!
Have a wonderful week ahead!
MYP Dates to Remember:
November 22nd-24th – Sports Weekend
December 12th – Semester 1 Reports Released
December 13th – End of Q1 Classes end 1t 12:30 pm
Farah Fawaz – MYP Coordinator
PYP News
It was another busy week on campus for the PYP children. It was particularly exciting for our youngest learners. On Friday, the EC/P1 class presented a lovely primary gathering about teamwork and The Little Red Hen. For some of the children it was the first time that they had performed on stage in front of a big audience. They did a super job. Well done EC/P1. On Monday, EC/P1 are going on a field trip to Tilly’s house to see her chicks.
The P4-6 children went on a hike on Thursday and enjoyed playing in the rock pools at the river.
On Thursday, 14th November, some of our athletes will be attending the NTSAA meet on Arusha campus. They will leave at 7:20am and return by 5:30pm. The invitations have been issued through Life.
Next Friday (15th November) Coach T and the EC-P6 children will be presenting in the primary gathering, showcasing some of the work that they have been doing in their PE classes. This gathering will take place on the bottom pitch and will start at 7:40am. Seating and a tent (for shade) will be provided.
All children should:
Wear appropriate running shoes
Bring a water bottle
Wear a sunhat
We look forward to seeing you there.
P2 – 6 children have been invited to participate in the Language Idol performance on Friday 15th November, 4 – 6pm in Rafiki Hall. This event has been organised by the Activities Committee of secondary students. An email with full details has been sent home. In the words of the organisers, “This event aims to celebrate the incredible diversity of cultures within our campus by showcasing performances in the children’s mother tongues. Through song, dance, spoken word, and instrumental performances, they are invited to share a piece of their heritage and let our community experience the beauty of our unique languages”. If your child is interested in participating, please email the class teacher giving details of the act. The children will perform to their classmates Monday – Wednesday of next week and a final selection of four acts will be forwarded to the activities committee to be included in the Friday afternoon presentation.
Deborah Mills – PYP Coordinator
Diploma News
While the D1s have been away on Project Week, we have had a quiet, restorative and reflective week with the D2 students during our first Catch Up Week.
Students were placed in small groups with a teacher who acted as an advisor, keeping them accountable for meeting their own personalized goals. Students had the freedom to work around school on whatever they needed. Many students caught up on Extended Essays, IAs, University Applications and sleep – lots of sleep (thanks to a later start at 9am!)
Most students are feeling rested and re-energized after the slower week.
D2 reports will be published on Friday 15 November.
More information on D1 Project Week to come next time.
Catherine Dowie – DP Coordinator
EC/P1 Class
We now have three weeks before the end of November and we will be dedicating it to buildings. Thank you for all the boxes and rolls you sent to class. We appreciate it. They will add great variety to our project.
Tilly has invited us to visit her home and meet her baby chicks. We will look at the building they are housed in and the materials used to make the structure. Our visit will take place on Monday. We will take a 5-minute walk to her home after registration. Please make sure the children wear walking shoes as they come to school in the morning and have sunscreen on.
ECs will be moving into their number unit in mathematics. They will be fully immersed in number work in the classroom, so take every opportunity to count, read, and write numbers at home.
Mboka Mwasongwe
P2/3 Class
Rainbows of fun! We had a wonderful week of exploring the science behind rainbows and other properties of light. I hope your child can now explain what is happening when a rainbow appears in the sky. Two of our experiments that showed how light bends when passing through water left the children exclaiming “Wow!” and “I see it!” We had a particularly fun time looking for rainbows in bubbles! It is always a delight to show students a lesson rather than just tell them.
We also finished a beloved chapter book, The Wild Robot. Please ask your child about the story. It is my favorite read-aloud for this age. We will take a one-book break from the series and read another terrific book, Nim’s Island. May I remind you how much children this age still delight in being read to? Yes, we want them each to read on their own every day but please do look for times to continue reading aloud. It’s so good for them!
Kacey Buckley
P4/5 Class
We had a wonderful time at the river on Thursday. The purpose of our walk was to explore our local area and get to know some of the beautiful places in Moshi. We walked through the coffee fields enjoying views of snow sprinkled Kilimanjaro. At the river, the children hopped from boulder to boulder and enjoyed playing in the shallows. There were two fishing nets to share between 26 children but a fine harvest of tiny fish was collected and proudly displayed in a bucket. Mr. Mushy, one of the school askaris, showed us how to use the net to better effect and caught the best sized specimen of the day. On our return to campus we enjoyed homemade popsicles in the playground and then went for a very welcome swim in the pool.
Our time in the classroom has focused on rocks. We used Double Decker candy bars as a model for sedimentary (three layers), igneous (microwaved candy) and metamorphic (squashed and squeezed in a plastic baggie) rocks. Dr. Anna visited the class to show her rock and fossil collection. The children used magnifying glasses to look for layers, crystals and other features in the rocks. On Friday, Mr. Morley spoke to the children about his recollections of the 2004 Sumatran earthquake and the ensuing tsunami. The children will continue carrying out independent research of natural disasters online.
Friday, 15th November, is the PE primary gathering and some of the P4/5 class will be acting as MCs. You are very welcome to join us on the bottom pitch at 7:40am.
Deborah Mills
P6 Class
This week, P6 had the fantastic opportunity to interview ‘experts’ within our school about a special day celebrated at UWCEA. Gaining first-hand knowledge is a valuable way to deepen our understanding of a topic. To prepare, P6 came up with their own questions about their chosen day. The class then participated in a “Collaborative Writing Chain,” where pieces of paper were passed around, allowing everyone to add their questions and build on each other’s ideas. A big thank you to our ‘experts’ who gave up their time (some even multiple times) to be interviewed — it was really appreciated.
On Thursday, we went on a mini hike with P4/5, ending up at the river. It was a perfect morning to get outside, improve our fitness, and have fun playing in the river with nets and buckets. The cool water helped refresh us as the day started to heat up. We caught and observed crabs, fish, and tiddlers before releasing them back into the river. It was a fantastic way to play in nature and explore our nearby surroundings.
