Moshi Campus News – 23 Oct 2021

Welcome back for the second quarter. I hope you are well rested and had a great break.

Personally, I find this one of the more interesting quarters in that it is naturally shorter than some others and as well it is a very full quarter, so it moves even faster.  Some of this you can read about below as the OP program and sports are in action as I write this and next week the after-school activities start again.  Next weekend we have our Halloween festivities then November brings more OP, sports and community events with of course Sports Weekend as the big event.

Secondary parents please do not forget Wednesday is 3-way conferences and the signup email was sent already. If you are not in Moshi and sign up, teachers will contact you with a zoom link for that meeting.

In case you missed it, the UWC International appointed a new Executive Director at the end of September. Read more about Faith Abidun joining UWC here.

Bob Cofer – Head of Campus

Friday 29th October.

PYP Parents please can you:

• Donate wrapped candy to the front office
• Sign up to decorate. your car for the trunk or treat
• Purchase a Halloween supper ticket (4500 Tshillings) if your child plans to eat at school.

4pm – The children will start gathering in the playground. They should be in costume with a bag or container for candy.

4:15pm – Trunk or treating begins.

5pm – Trunk or treat ends and costume parade takes place on the breezeway

5:20pm – Children will collect Halloween supper from dining hall. All tickets must be purchased by Thursday morning. (tickets from class teacher in advance)

5:30pm – Movie behind P2,3,4 classrooms.

6:00pm – Children collected by parents

Please note that this event is optional and takes place outside of the school day.

Only 1 week to go…get ready for Halloween! On Friday the 29th of October in the late afternoon and in the evening, Haunted Shanty Town comes alive! With the secondary students who signed-up for it, we celebrate Halloween. We have Ghost Town at school with 3 performances of the D1 drama students, starting at 5pm. Besides we have at school the 2 Fortune tellers, Madame ‘Shetanie’ and Madame ‘Mzuka’, who is currently replacing Madame Matilda. They are very experienced and will tell you your future by reading your hands, using cards, and using their magical powers. Don’t miss it! They will be at their sacred grounds when the sun sets.

You can also visit the haunted houses in Shanty Town, starting from 6:40pm. There is an experimental laboratory at Kishari House, and we have a haunted Prison Island. Transport is provided by the school, also the scary trip to the ‘Black Hole’.

The sign-up sheets are almost full, rush to them in the breeze way to secure a spot for the Halloween celebration! When your group is full and you have an adult to accompany you, you can get a map and the tickets/visitor cards from Mr. Coldwell, the drama teacher. Don’t forget to bring the map, your visitor card, and a water bottle to the Halloween celebration. And get yourself a scary costume!

“Do you have the courage to join us at the Halloween Fundraiser Disco?”

We, the members of Courage Café CAS group, would like to invite all M4 – D2 students for this spooky event that will take place on the 30th of October (Saturday) from 7.00 pm – 10.00 pm. Tickets can start from 2,000 TZS but we appreciate higher donations. V.I.P ticket for 10,000 TZS will give you an access to the private lounge with halloween treats and other surprises. Tickets can be purchased from 25th of October (Monday). To buy the tickets look for Zosia or Sayyada (D2’s) during the school hours or after.

Dress code: Halloween costumes

By attending this event you support the actions of the Courage House which is a long-term rehabilitation program for minor victims of sex trafficking.

The PTA hosted a Welcome Back Picnic yesterday at Kishari house. The kids really loved the bouncy castle but the highlight may have been the tug of war between new staff and “older” staff. We will let you ask who won.

The PTA also welcomed the new teachers into our community with a small gift.

Please see the notice here about the PTA Quiz Night on Wednesday November 10th at 7pm. This event is a fundraiser for the PTA as well as being a great time so please come and join us..

I hope that everyone had a safe, restful and/or productive (!) break. As always, a huge thank you to the staff who sacrificed their holiday to supervise the students who remained on campus. Also, hongera sana to the hugely successful Mount Kilimanjaro mountaineers. Over the break, all 24 students and all supporting adults made it to the summit and, more importantly, made it home again safely. A massive achievement for all involved.

Quarter 2 promises to be as fulfilling as ever with things happening at every turn and some exciting events on the near horizon…Secondary Parent Teacher Conferences, Halloween, NTSAA sports meets, Sports Weekend, Evening of the Arts, PYPX and so on. Please be sure to keep an eye on the calendar and monitor these newsletters closely to see where you can take part, be involved and help out.

In a relatively small community, such as UWCEA, so many wonderful experiences are available across the age ranges and this only remains possible if everyone continues to support each other by volunteering their time, expertise and adding value to the community. Of course, there are the “big ticket” events where our school’s Guiding Statements are clearly evident but it is in the daily interactions, away from the cameras, where they really live and breathe. The school is a mission-driven organisation and the staff are certainly key drivers of that collective aim, empowering and supporting the students to act and take responsibility as internationally minded, global citizens both here at school and beyond our walls. As I am sure you can appreciate, for the UWCEA staff, the working day does not end when lessons finish. Many teachers and EAs are involved in activities, clubs, CAS, OP trips both after school and over weekends. Again, many staff were also working extremely hard over the ‘break,’ addressing all those jobs that are difficult to complete when school is in session. We are very fortunate to have you all.

Asante sana kwa wote.

Ben Morley – Deputy Head of Campus

This has been a short week and it has been good to see the majority of students back on campus. A huge congratulations to the students who were able to summit Kilimanjaro over the break. I hope students were balanced over the break and combined work and rest. A big thank you to all the Uja families who spent time with our students over the break. The photos looked amazing.

For the D2 students the deadlines continue along side assessments for their classes and college applications. The time management and organisational skills they are learning will be with them for life. Teachers are working on reports for the D2 students, and these will be issued via ManageBac on Thursday 4th November. Thank you to all of you who responded to my email with the entries for the final examinations.

We are hoping to see many of you at the student, parent, teacher conferences on Wednesday, whether by zoom or in person. We are hoping this new three-way format will be beneficial. You should have received an email about it, please contact us if you haven’t.

Margaret Brunt – Diploma Coordinator

I hope you managed to have a relaxing and recharging break, ready to go in the Outdoor Pursuits program again this quarter. We have a very much scaled down program this quarter due to there being less weeks in the quarter and of course the big one, Sports Weekend!

A massive congratulations must go to Mr Isaac, Mr Salim, Mr Emmanuel, and the Peaks Level 5 students who took on the challenge of Kilimanjaro’s Uhuru Peak at the beginning of the break. The fitness requirements we have introduced over the last 2 years have paid off on many trips but none more than on the summit trip, where, for the first time in Mr Isaac’s 20+ year time at ISM/UWCEA, the entire group managed to summit. This is truly an extraordinary achievement and one all participants should be proud of. This is what two of our summiteers had to say:

“No words would be able to describe our excitement throughout the journey of conquering the highest free-standing mountain in the world. Every day we were discovering something new on our way up the mountain. Rain forest met us with welcoming shade and warmth, moorland with peace and clouds just beneath our feet, alpine dessert scrutinized our endurance with piercing wind and lack of sleep. The last day, as we were going higher into the eternal ice zone, you could almost feel the altitude sickness propagating inside your body, blurring your brain and ability to walk. For a second you start questioning your abilities, but then you see the sky lightning up, showing you the most beautiful sunrise in your life behind the Mwenezi peak. After you reach Gilman’s point, “it’s all mental”, as our Arusha friends like to say. It’s not any more about your fitness, but about your ability to push forward no matter what. And then, you did it! Standing right at the Uhuru peak, you realize that you completed something unbelievable. You managed to touch the sky.

Kilimanjaro is a tough hike. But it’s not the Uhuru peak that changed us. Rather, it was our path to it. It’s the physical and mental boundaries that we pushed, it’s the friendships we established and the knowledge and experiences we’ve gained.
Kilimanjaro is more than just a mountain. It’s a whole new life that we lived in these 6 days. A life to which we all hope to come back one day.”

By Ivan and Johannes (D2)

Due to the overwhelming popularity of our plains program, we have included a second level 2 trip next quarter to accommodate all the students who have shown interest in taking part in this program.

This second trip left this Saturday the 23rd to the 25th of October and should see students walking through wildebeest and zebra herds and includes a canoe trip in Lake Manyara.

Unfortunately, the Usambara Level 2 trip on the 29th of October has not had enough students register and so now has been postponed until Q3.

The Reefs Level 3 students are busy finishing off their eLearning components for their PADI dive courses and are very much looking forward to learning a new skill with their practical component or enhancing an already established skill on the advanced course, on Thursday the 4th of November.

Robin Marsh – Experiential Learning Coordinator

What is the importance of learning a skill?

Welcome back to Q2 of our flourishing MYP programme!

I think the most repeated sentence the students have heard from us in Q1 and are hearing again and again since we came back is: “It’s not about the content, it’s not the what, it’s the how! You are learning skills!”.

In the MYP programme, and across all subject groups, we are collaborating as teachers and students to focus on the progressive enhancement of skills. So, when it comes to content or skills, it’s the “chicken or the egg conversation” in MYP.

We live in a constantly evolving social setting that is definitely driven by technology and dependent on it. Facts, figures and information (in each of the eight MYP subject groups) are accessible. They are there, and they are true. Having said that, it doesn’t seem pertinent to memorize all or any advanced information.
What seems to be most important however, is understanding how to find, access and investigate the information that our students can most definitely research on their own.

Let’s refresh our “skills bank” which we are constantly exploring in our MYP program:

The MYP team believes content knowledge is very important in all subject areas, but there are many more nuances now that we have to consider. Many “textbooks” most definitely are not as nuanced as we would like. So, let’s think about our “chicken and egg” until next week when we discuss more about our “hottest topic”, the assessment criteria, what they mean and HOW they work!

Snapshots of the Week:
Our M1students visited P6 to discuss their experience with the PYP exhibition last year. It was a wonderful learning journey through which P6 students asked their questions and got some answers, and M1 students recalled, reflected and even re-evaluated their previous learning!

Thank you Ms. Sarah and P6 for having us!

How does one summarise a quarter in Residential Life? A question I have been asking myself all week, and I think it can be summarised in words:

Dynamic, adventurous, nerve-wracking, friendship, diversity, embracing challenges, acceptance, tolerance, perseverance, resilience, gratitude and of course, contribution.

We have had a special start this year and have embraced the new developments within our campus, new faces from all corners of the world and all ages in Residential Life. Our staff have worked tirelessly to create a culture where everyone feels at home, away from home.

I wanted to take this moment to thank not only our Residential Parents, but our mentors, support staff, and our outside community. For it is everyone’s involvement that has enabled us to come together as one, overcome the hurdles and immerse ourselves within the school values and our Moshi community.

We move into the quarter ahead with exciting plans to build on the culture we have created thus far and to foster an environment of care, trust, and mutual contribution. Whether it be residing over our new extension to our Kiongozi dorm, assisting with the implementation of the new Makutano Lounge, the application of Diploma mentoring with MYP, or supporting our peers with their academic commitments; one cannot say there will be a dull moment!

Whilst it might seem a stretch to be discussing this now, I would like our residential students to consider their plans for the December break now as we close our residential houses from December 10 to January 8 and I would like to know the details as soon as possible. As guardians from afar, do look at the UWCEA calendar and consider booking flights early to see your loved ones.

Simon Johnston – Head of Residential Life

With our second quarter kicking off, I hope you have had the chance to take some well-deserved time to relax, recharge and enjoy!

October 10th marked WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY – a day aimed at raising awareness on mental health, and as important as ever to recognize. This year’s theme is Mental Health In An Unequal World with the slogan Mental Health Care for All – let’s make it a reality. The theme highlights how mental health is understood, accepted, and recognized across the globe, and how access to mental health support varies.  Here at UWCEA Moshi Campus, student mental health is one of the main priorities from EC to DP. If you are concerned about your child’s mental health, please reach out.

The month of October is also the (UK) BLACK HISTORY MONTH. In the Diploma program, Life skills classes took a closer look at why Black History has its own month and had productive conversations on Black History Month and the Black Lives Matter movement.

Exciting news for PYP

Starting this quarter, I will be spending time in the P2-P6 classrooms every other week for Social & Emotional-Learning (SEL) inspired activities. SEL helps students acquire important skills to understand & manage emotions, social awareness, feel & show empathy for others, establish & maintain positive relationships, and self-management. If you as a parent have any questions or wish to learn more about this, please reach out.

As part of the After School Activities – I will be offering a Mindfulness Club for P3-6 every Wednesday between 2-3 pm. We will be exploring how our bodies & minds are connected, ways to be mindful, and how breathing, yoga, and cloud gazing can help us calm down (plus much much more…). 

Frida Marealle
Socio-Emotional Counselor
fridamarealle@uwcea.org

Athletics Days
Two weeks ago, we had the PYP and MYP-DP Athletics Days. It was two days of little blood, a lot of sweat and (thankfully) no tears. Our students from Early Childhood to Diploma outdid themselves in a variety of track and field events. There were lots of personal bests registered over the course of the two days. Most of all, it was a community event, with parents, grandparents and friends enjoying the thrill of sports. Even our friends from the Daycare Centre participated in some races.

The scores in both sections were very close, as shown below:

PYP Athletics Results

• 1st place- Kibo (287 points)
• 2nd place- Meru (234 points)
• 3rd place- Mawenzi (224 points)

MYP – DP Athletics Day:

• 1st place- Kibo  (598 points)
• 2nd place- Meru (577 points)
• 3rd place- Mawenzi (548 points)

We would like to thank the families who made it to campus to cheer on the athletes, the teachers and students who helped run the event, and the athletes who pushed their limits and hopefully learned lessons on how to set targets and work towards achieving them.

Upcoming events

• Saturday 23rd of October: Under 19 Boys and Girls Football friendly with UWCEA Arusha at UWCEA Moshi
• Friday October 29th: NTSAA Primary Swimming Gala at St. Constantine’s International School
• Friday 5th of November: NTSAA Primary Athletics at UWCEA Arusha
• Saturday 6th of November: NTSAA Secondary Athletics Day at UWCEA Arusha
• Saturday 13th November: SCIS Secondary Swim Gala at SCIS Main Campus
• Saturday 13th November at 10.30am: U15 Boys and U15 Girls Basketball Friendly Matches at UWCEA Arusha
• Friday November 19th to Sunday November 21st: UWCEA Sports Weekend

Basketball Friendly match against Moshi Basketball Club

On Wednesday, the 6th of October, our U19 Boys Basketball Team featured in an exhibition game against the Moshi Men’s Basketball Team (KMBC). Our hardworking squad managed to get the win with a score of 60-59 in the presence of an amazing school atmosphere and led by the able coaching of Simon Johnston.

Playing for the first time together against a physically superior team posed challenges we faced head on, and managed to overcome. It was a privilege to face off with a team that plays in the National Basketball League, it is our hope to be involved in more games/activities with them. We are now eagerly training and waiting for sports weekend to continue this great momentum. Written by Mapalo, Captain  U19 Boys Basketball

Sports Weekend

Preparations for this year’s Secondary Sports Weekend scheduled for November 19th-21st are in high gear. We will host a sizable number of schools in football, basketball, swimming, touch rugby, cross country, netball, ultimate frisbee and tennis. The confirmed schools are: UWCEA Arusha, HOPAC, St. Constantine, International School of Zanzibar, Orkeeswa, Rafiki Foundation and Mawenzi School. Please prepare your calendar for this exciting sports event.

After School sports and activities starting next week

Quarter 2 Sports and activities will resume next week for PYP, MYP and DP students. We anticipate some hiccups, but these will be resolved as the week goes by. If you have any questions or need assistance on this, please contact me.

Gilbert Kaburu – Sports & Activities Coordinator

Welcome back to school. We are looking forward to a happy and successful second quarter. On Friday we enjoyed the P3/4 Primary Gathering about all the science activities they have been doing in class. Next Friday the PYP children have the option of celebrating Halloween by Trunk or Treating on the top pitch from 4:15pm onwards. Don’t forget to donate wrapped candy in the front office and to purchase a Halloween supper ticket from the class teacher (4500 Tshillings) if your child plans to eat at school. The P6 students have started working towards their Exhibition and we wish them lots of success over the coming weeks. The final presentation will take place on Tuesday, 7th December. On the sports front life is returning to normal. On Friday, 29th October we have some children participating in the swim meet at St. Constantine’s. On Friday, 5th November some of the children will attend an athletics meet on Arusha campus. Mr. Gilbert Kaburu will contact you if your child is involved in these events.

Deborah Mills & Mboka Mwasongwe – PYP Coordinators

Welcome back to school. I hope you all had a restful mid-semester break. We welcomed Ryker to EC this week and Indie will join us next week.

We will be exploring a new central idea this quarter: Mini-beasts have certain requirements to survive.

Our lines of inquiry are:

• Our needs and the needs of mini-beasts
• Our responsibility for the well-being of mini-beasts
• How living things change as they grow

This is a fun hands-on unit. We watched a story called caterpillar shoes as a provocation. You can watch it as you begin to have these conversations at home.

We have started our swimming lessons. ECs swim on Wednesday and P1 on Thursday. Please remember to send in swimming costumes/towels, goggles if desired, arm floaters for those who need them and slippers or crocs.

Mboka Mwasongwe

It has been a quick start to quarter 2 with the students settling in quickly. We’ve been practicing our addition and number construction using base 10 blocks, and will continue to do so next week. We’ve further discussed what communities are and the children have drawn different things they have in their Moshi community. Next week we will continue to build on the idea of community by creating a short writing piece.

Students in P2 will begin swimming on Monday. Please ensure they bring a swimsuit, sunblock, towel and goggles (optional) for the lessons, these should be in a separate bag from their school bag. The students are swimming quite early in the mornings and may be cold, so please send in a hoodie as well that they can wear to keep themselves warm.

Elisha Jaffer

Phew, the Primary Gathering came together! The class has been so excited with the learning from this unit and they did a fabulous job of telling the audience about the many things we’ve done so far. If you were able to be there, I hope you saw their interest in the investigations we’ve done into the Properties of Matter. Our next steps will involve experiments as a means to teach the Scientific Method and to consider the properties of Solids, Liquids, and Gases. We welcome all willing volunteers who have an experiment that they would be willing to share with us!

It’s not only our unit that is filled with big things to learn. We are busy with borrowing in subtraction and carrying-over in addition. We will be doing lots with measurement in the next 2 weeks. We are focusing on procedural writing and reading instructions.

The week ahead is back to normal with clubs kicking off on Monday. We will have Library on Monday, PE Swim on Tuesday and regular PE on Thursday. It is warming up so please be sure kids are coming to school with water bottles and hats.

Kacey Buckley

We had a short but productive week in P5. The children have been looking at the push and pull factors involved in migration. For language we have been looking at prepositions – see photos. Next week they will continue with this theme, finish their country study posters and inquire into some historical migrations. In maths we will be working on multiplication and division. Please note that after school clubs start on Monday and that the optional Halloween celebrations will take place on Friday. Please send in 4500 Tshillings for a supper ticket if your child plans to eat at school.

Deborah Mills

It was a short week, but the P6 did an excellent job of starting their exhibitions. Topics were decided upon, central ideas created, lines of inquiry written, and a list of questions started to begin their research next week. They were able to check out books from the library today connected to their topics. We had a super sweet treat with a visit from the M1 class who shared their experiences and the expertise they gained from doing the PYPx last year. The class did a great job asking questions and listening to advice. They also enjoyed learning who their mentors were today.

Next week they will visit with their mentors for the first time and start researching with media. They will also look for organizations that they could visit and continue to think of people they could interview. I am looking forward to a great quarter with this group who have chosen interesting and diverse topics to explore.

Sarah Brummel