Before the break started there was a meeting with the D2 students to look at the remaining time and when Ms Brunt announced how few days were left there was a chorus of gasps. For these students there is a mere month from the end of break to graduation and for the M5 students only 7 weeks till they finish the MYP. This means we need to make the most of our time left this year and enjoy our time together.
The end of the term also had our conferences at primary and secondary. I thank parents and teachers for participating as it provides a good opportunity for a different type of feedback than reports.
This newsletter is a wrap-up of some remaining items from last term and some reminders of things to come. Please do check the important dates as this term is no different than any other and is packed full of all sorts of events.
Enjoy the rest of your break and see you Monday April 17th.
Bob Cofer – Head of Campus
Upcoming
Get your running shoes ready everybody! The sign-up for the “UWCEA 24 Hour Run 2023” is now open! You can sign up with your friends and create a team-maximum 24 people. Please remember that teams should include members from across the school and wider community…and don’t forget to leave some spaces for incoming students! The sheets are now posted on the dedicated 24 Hour Run notice board, outside Mr. Johnston’s office, where you can also find more information about the event.
Don’t forget to spread the word as well! As the April break is coming up, we kindly ask you to share our 24 Hour Run fundraising event with your families, friends and the wider community. The more people the better! This is our major fundraising event and we need everyone’s help.
You can contact the school if you have any questions or would like to become one of our lovely sponsors!
The 24 Hour Run Team
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. I am now looking forward to another fulfilling and dynamic quarter at UWCEA. For our D2 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 counter productive. 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 have our M5 Personal Project presentations on April 20th, the D2 Clap Out and the Prom on April 21st, Cultural Nights, MAP testing, Primary Camps, the TOK Exhibition, Focus Days, numerous NTSAA fixtures and sports days as well as OP Trips. Then, there is the small matter of exams, summative assessments and, not forgetting, the M5 Ceremony, D2 Graduation and P6 Ceremony.
Please be sure to keep up with all the latest happenings through this newsletter and be sure to get involved and help out and support wherever you can.
Residential Life
Well…. What a quarter it has been. It would be impossible to try and summarise this time. Rather, I would like to acknowledge our students, staff, ancillary staff, and our wider community. In addition to this gratitude, we cannot conclude this quarter without extending our gratitude to our Uja families. For all these mentioned are the pillars of residential life and without one of them, we would crumble. With over 200 residential students, it takes a tribe or rather, a village to keep everything functioning and my gratitude goes out to all those involved in our unique community.
As I reflect on this week alone and think about the collaboration between peers, the constant encouragement I hear throughout the dorms between one another, the exciting travel plans from DP, MYP and PYP, it makes me think more about how unique our community is. I could say more about our cultural nights, residential dinners, dorm rep meetings, inter residential games and rendezvous, but this has in some form or another, been mentioned above. For me, I am now thinking about our amazing proposals next quarter as it will be eventful on so many fronts. However, for now, I want to wish you as parents and guardians the best of times during the break with your loved ones if they are coming home and for those DP’s remaining, please know that they will be in good care.
Finally, whilst it is important to have a break and refresh the mind, it is now the business end for our D2 students and be prepared to balance your studies and your mental health.
Over the April Break, you can reach me at any stage and a special mention must be made to Mr Emmanuel, Ms Grace Y, Ms Grace M and Ms Agnes for helping us to keep the DP dorms open.
Rest well, refresh, and I cannot wait to see you all in Q4.
Simon Johnston – Head of Residential Life
Diploma News
The end is in sight for the D2 students. We spoke on the Thursday at the end of the quarter, about the remaining time. They now have 4 days of classes left as Friday 21st April will be a day of celebration. The exams will start on Friday 28th April with Business Management and continue until Thursday 18th May. Graduation will be on Friday 19th May and then students need to be off campus on Saturday 20th May. Hopefully they have all submitted their IAs and CAS portfolios and can now focus on revision. IB is about understanding and applying so the revision is more about practice than cramming.
For D1 there has been a break after a long and intense quarter. The next quarter will not be as long but will be busy, with End of Year Exams, Group 4 project and the TOK exhibition. Some have submitted their first IA with the first Economics Commentary.
The last weekend of the quarter we hosted a small MUN with students from Moshi and Arusha campus. The small size meant students got more of a chance to speak. There are more details elsewhere. The D1 Geography students had a chance to go on a trip.
Margaret Brunt – Diploma Coordinator
MYP News
Quarter 3 is known to be the longest quarter and has been quite the quarter for us in MYP. There is so much to celebrate and share in terms of learning experiences, new inquiry journeys and certainly some great reflection stories. I hope you get to hear more about that over this well-deserved break while having conversations with the students about their ongoing MYP adventures. There is a lot to smile about, and that is really incredible!
M3’s Vacation Wall It is very hard to not want to travel after experiencing this inside the classroom. Our M3s and Ms. Stephanie concluded their French unit with an exciting display to showcase the students’ writing products.
M1’s IDU Celebration This semester MYP1 students engaged in an exciting Interdisciplinary Unit that invited French, Mathematics and Design teachers and students to collaborate toward one major project. The entire project equipped the students to be “French real estate agents” selling properties to potential French property buyers. In French, the students developed parts of the home and negotiating vocabulary associated with property selling. In Mathematics, students learnt about scale, calculating area, perimeter and square meterage of homes. In Design, students designed and created a scaled down visual 3-dimensional model of a home. At the end of the unit, we hosted a “Property Sales Symposium.”
Our French property buyers arrived with great excitement to hear the students’ sales pitches and then negotiate properties deals. Well done to Ms Pearl, Mr Julian, Mr Dowie for a great IDU and also thank you to our generous French speaking community who came out to support and “buy” our students’ work.
A Message from Mr. Baden Dowie
“I always love it when students come round to the design workshop and ask to make something. This month it was Raymond, Townes and Joshua. And in just 4 short afternoons these students designed, sketched, measured-up, cut and assembled their wood pieces to form a brilliant little shelf and glue gun holder. I love it. Thank you so much.”
We also thank YOU Mr. Dowie for making the space such a welcoming and inviting place for everyone and spending time on reimagining the rooms to make them more accessible and safer for the students.
M5’S Personal Projects Our M5 students have submitted their reports, products, process journals, academic integrity forms and are ready to work on their exhibition. Their first stop was a DIY with Mr. Dowie where they spent the last week building free standing notice boards for their displays.
Great job!
Important MYP Dates to Keep in Mind:
April 1st – 16th Easter/ Spring Break
April 17th – Final Tweaks for Design e-Portfolio (if needed)
April 20th – All internal assessments submitted to IB by MYPC
April 20th – Personal Project Exhibition
May 8th- 19th – MYP5 e-Assessments and End of Year Summative Assessments
June 2nd – M5 Ceremony
Farah Fawaz – MYP Coordinator
PYP News
I hope everyone is enjoying the break. We look forward to seeing the children on Monday, 17th April. Mostafa Rihan will be contacting you shortly about the clubs on offer in Quarter 4 and the starting date for these. There will be no after school clubs the first week back at school.
Please check out https://pyp.uwcea.org/ to see the PYP Exhibition. It is possible for viewers to comment on the individual student pages. I know the P6 children would like to hear from you.
Upcoming dates
28th April – Primary Gathering PE
12th May – Primary Gathering Daycare
26th May – Gathering of Gratitude
Deborah Mills – PYP Coordinator
EC/P1 Class
Welcome back everyone. I hope you all had a well rested break.
This coming week, we will be reviewing our classroom routines as well as our essential agreements. We will also be completing our farm projects, adding the last touches to our creations before we call you in to look at them. Those who were away before the break will be creating their animals to add to their farm.
Do send in any holiday items that your child wishes to share for show and tell. We will have time to share about our holidays on Monday and Tuesday.
Mboka Mwasongwe
P2/3 Class
Quarter 3 was long and wonderful. We’re looking forward to the many things that we will fit into the upcoming quarter together; fractions, telling time, non-fiction writing, and more! We are mid-way through our Jobs unit and it has been a terrific focus so far. Our plan is to get to work ourselves and facilitate an operating Primary Postal System! We will make our plans the first week and keep you informed- it would be great to even have letters from parents make their way into the system.
In Q4, our schedule remains the same. Tuesday- Swim, Thursday- PE and Library, Friday- turn in Home Learning.
Kacey Buckley
P4/5 Class
The highlight of the final week of the quarter was a visit from some KCMC doctors. Daan and Florian set up various practical investigations for the children to develop their knowledge about body systems. The children swallowed water when they were upside down, listened to their hearts, lungs and digestive systems with a stethoscope and looked at what happened to their pupils when a torch was shone in their eyes. Many thanks to Daan and Florian for giving up their time and sharing their expertise. The children have completed their body systems games and models. They will share their learning with each other, early in the first week back. I will email you when we have set a date for parents to come into class and see what we have been doing. I hope everyone has enjoyed the break and look forward to seeing the children on Monday morning.
Deborah Mills
P6 Class
This week P6 newsletter was written by the students:
Today we planted trees for Kayleb’s action for his PYPX on mining. Kayleb told us the reason we need to plant trees is because when you’re making a mine you need to cut down trees to clear space and so the wood can hold up the mine. We did some reparations by planting five new trees. We started by digging holes, then pouring water in. Next, we put in the plant and covered its roots with soil and more water. We felt happy and fulfilled that we made the world a better place. We couldn’t have done it without Mr. Sulpis, so thank you to him. It all went well and maybe in the future our kids will stand in the shade of our trees. We hope to plant more trees at TPC soon. -Scarlett, Kudzai, Declan, Greener, Leon and Kayleb
We picked up trash around campus for Colin’s action for his PYPX on marine conservation. Litter may hurt the sea animals because when it rains or floods it goes to the ocean and some sea animals might think the trash is food. We did this also because we want the school and the environment to look neat and not to pollute. So, as you can see throwing trash is bad so if you do it STOP!! – Alayna, Ida, Simreet, Colin, Sabine, Sena, Mahi, Mariam
Here are some things that could help us at home over the break. We could practice Mangahigh, for math. We could practice swimming, rugby, basketball, football etc. We could do coding or typing.com. We could speak French and Swahili. One last thing, we could choose one of the activities on the home learning grid for Ancient Civilizations. Plus, reading is good, all the time . -Anais, Gus, Agha, Angad, Caleb
Hywel Davies
Outdoor Pursuits
Reefs level 4 Service dives and PADI advanced Open Waters were held at Fish Eagle Point this past weekend. There was great energy and enthusiasm on this trip because all 14 students who signed up for PADI advanced Open Waters, passed! Well done to you. Another success was new concrete coral balls were moved with the catamaran and dropped off into deep water. And the existing coral nursery and concrete balls were beautifully scrubbed of all the algae to help the coral grow. The students arrived back on campus on Tuesday with huge smiles on their faces. Great job everyone.
As our third semester comes to a close this week. I want to acknowledge Mr Olivier Edmond, Mr Isaac Foya, Mr Salim and Mr Isack Igenge for all your amazing contributions this semester. Also, I’d like to celebrate the 625 students and staff who joined our various OP trips. By this semester 3 we have had a total of 21 trips since the start of our school year. Well done team.
We wish you all a safe vacation period and we look forward see you all in quarter 4 and on one of these remaining trips.
Reefs L1: Intro to Fish Eagle Point: 20 April – 23 April
Rides L3: Umbwe to TPC: 29 April – 1 May
Plains L4: Maramboi: 13 May – 17 May
MYP Mindfulness: 13 May – 14 May
Reefs L2: Open Waters Activities: 3 June – 6 June
Experiential Learning Coordinator- Baden Dowie
Sports
Rugby is a game that unites a community and with this in mind, I must acknowledge how within a matter of 6 weeks we have grown from a squad of 7 to over 45 students of all genders training, learning the game and competing. What makes this even more special is our newly developed connection with Zara Adventure Tours, who offered to sponsor us for our jerseys to promote not just their incredible company and what it does for so many Tanzanians, but also for what it does for our sport. We, with Zara Adventure Tours support, have produced a unique UWCEA rugby jersey for our entire squad and can now compete as UWCEA Leopards in conjunction with Moshi Bulls on the rugby scene. Thank you, Zara Adventure Tours, for your support, and we shall wear our new jerseys with pride on and off the field as the games await us. Asante Sana.
From the Counselors
D1 Virtual Parent Meeting Recording
If you missed our virtual D1 parent meeting on 3/23/23, please take this opportunity to watch the recording. Use this link.
D2 Parents: Financial Aid Award Letters
As are into April, many of your students will receive their final admission status letters as most deadlines are in early April. After receiving all offers, if finances are a priority for your family, I encourage you to review all financial award letters together. You may contact the financial aid offices of your student’s admission choices to get clarification. I am also willing to review these letters with families or students.
SAT exam
The next SAT exam happens on May 6, 2023, at UWC East Africa, Moshi campus. The deadline for payment is April 21st. Please don’t delay having your student sign up. The next SAT test is in June but our students (D1s) will be completing final exams the week of the SAT so this is not advisable. Students will also be able to take the exam in August and October and receive their results in time for an early application submission.
M5 students wanting to try out the exam are also welcome to register. Our school does not offer the pre-SAT exam.
Failure teaches you more than success will ever teach you. In one sentence, that is what this past quarter has taught us as a diverse student government. From organizing several successful events to facing poor planning and inevitable failures in some activities, each of which has been a unique mosaic of learning and service.
Highlights of the student government success include our MYP blooket night, the spirit week, the well-hosted and beautiful hospitality towards our UWC patrons Shelby and Gale Davis, a glimpse of the beautiful cultural nights we hosted along the quarter, and the very grassroots of the inclusive community we are fostering through the weekly student government hangout with the PYP peers. Additionally, along the way, the activities committee has worked tirelessly to formulate the residential house system and the well-being committee has effortlessly worked on creating our unique buddy system. Furthermore, we must remember the campus and cultural committee that has been inspiring with the constant updates on the current affairs wall. They are now working on a student study center and hangout area.
Next quarter holds more opportunities for service and bringing our school community together. We look forward to hosting more events and a successful PROM, especially as we further promote inclusivity. We also hope to cement our relationships with the PTA and the broader school community.
Great appreciation to the PTA for working closely with us and organizing a memorable International Day, and cheers to the Primary Student Voice for constantly working with us. Remember, when everyone is part of the change process, we make UWCEA Moshi Campus our home.
Once again, from the student government, we reiterate our commitment to making this campus more inclusive and a home away from home. We wish you a safe and restful break and look forward to building a sustainable future together next quarter. Remember, we exist because you exist!
Amalia, Deogracious and the Student Government
Go Make a Difference
The Go Make a Difference Program is a UWC initiative, created by a former UWCer, and available to UWC students only. It is a grant scheme that gives you the opportunity to be awarded the financial means to put your mission into action.
Fifteen enthusiastic D1 students, led by Mr. Joao and his wife Ms. Margarida, went to Arusha to attend a workshop about this UWC initiative on Saturday, March 25th.
Amongst them there was Deogracious who had learnt about this program before, had submitted an application and … was granted 1,000.00 USD to implement his project.
Congratulations, Deogracious!
These students were eager to know more about this initiative, learnt about other projects that received a similar grant in the past years, and heard Deogracious explain how he applied for it. They also exchanged ideas amongst themselves and with the Arusha students who participated in this event.
During the workshop, Deogracious was given his Go Make a Difference certificate in front of the potential candidates as a way of giving them an extra motivation to develop a project and apply for a grant. It was important for them all to hear a fellow colleague who has just earnt this award to understand that it possible for all of them to be awarded the same.
The workshop was conducted by Mr. Juan (juangarciacelaya@uwcea.org) and Ms. Kaya (kayamizuguchi@uwcea.org) who are teachers in Arusha and are the coordinators of this program at UWCEA. This is a good example of collaboration between the 2 campuses.
Think about something you always wanted to change back home but you didn’t have the means to. Think about something that you are very passionate about. Think about how you can make a difference with $1,000 USD. Prepare a plan, discuss it with the coordinators and apply.
Let’s Go MAD!
Let’s Go Make A Difference.
For more information, please and come see me (Mr. Joao) here in Moshi, check the official website (https://www.gomakeadifference.global/) and/or get in touch with the coordinators of the program at our school.
MUN@ Moshi
DELEGATES CALL, the phrase our delegates, and us, heard over the past 6 months. After the UWCEA MUN conference in Arusha took place, we got an unexpected challenge from Irem and Olivia delivered through Ms. Nathalie and Mr. Joao.
Immediately after we received the news, we started working. Many long nights, meetings in scorching weather, quick talks before curfew, bothering Mr. Joao while he was on duty, and secretly meeting through Mr Bob’s TOK class, all went into the planning of the Moshi MUN conference held on March 24th.
It was a long roller coaster of emotions, exhaustion and hard work; though all of it paid off. The conference varied from a learning experience, insightful explanations, arguments and fruitful discussions to the chaotic events of the MUN crisis. This conference was, in such a short time, one of the best projects we have organised in UWC; and we feel extremely honoured to have been able to host it.
We thank all the organisation teams, our supervisors (for putting up with us), all the chairs for the hard work they put into this, and lastly to all the delegates that took part in the conference!
