Moshi Campus News – 12 Oct 2022

We have finished another successful term and you can see some photos of this below. This was meant to be a short newsletter to brief you for the start of the next term on October 17th, but there is too much to share to keep it really short.

Thank you to those that came in to see the two Athletics Days and the PYP parents that came for the conferences.

In the week we return there are a few events that you should be aware of. For the M5 parents please see below about the Zoom on the 17th. For all Secondary parents we have those conferences on the 19th and you will get an email concerning the signup and details. On the 21st we have two events, one is the Blood Drive and another is the Farmers’ Market. I think it is really important to point out that both events are almost exclusively run by students as part of different service projects.

And of course, the following week we have the Halloween events on October 28th. That is not all that weekend as we have visiting teams for both Football and Basketball that Saturday.

As I write, a large group of students are on their way up Kilimanjaro (see photo). We wish them a great expedition!

Never a dull moment so get your rest and we will see you soon.

Bob Cofer – Head of Campus

This is an optional event which is held outside of school hours.

• Trunk or Treating
• Costume Parade
• Halloween Supper
• Dance Party

Parents – here’s how you can help:

Sign up to decorate your car for the Trunk or Treat (we need 10 cars for the event to go ahead and at the moment we have 5 signed up).

Donate wrapped candy to the front office to be distributed at the cars.

Buy a ticket for the supper (6000 Tshillings from your child’s teacher – money in a named envelope please).

Help your child to find/make a costume and a bag in which to collect candy.

Many thanks to Christine Brandsma and her team of volunteers who are planning some spectacular haunted houses for the evening on 28th October. Sign up sheets for transport will be displayed on the breezeway. Sign up early as spaces are limited.

There is a collection box for wrapped candy donations in the front office.

More details to come later, but mark your calendar for Monday November 7th at 5pm for the yearly PTA AGM.

I hope that everyone is enjoying a safe, restful and/or productive (!) break. As always, a huge thank you to the staff who worked over the holiday to supervise the students who remained on campus. Also, hongera sana to the (hopefully) successful Mount Kilimanjaro mountaineers. Over the break, a record breaking group of students and supporting adults headed for the summit. At the time of writing, I do not know if they all made it to the top but it is certainly a massive achievement for all involved regardless.

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, Blood Drive, OP trips, Halloween, NTSAA sports meets, Sports Weekend, Evening of the Arts and so on. Rehearsals for the much anticipated production of Beauty and the Beast will also ramp up between now and the December break.

Please be sure to keep an eye on/bookmark the calendar and monitor these newsletters closely to see where you can take part, be involved and help out.

As I have previously mentioned at this stage of the year, 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 events, activities, clubs, CAS, OP trips both after school and over weekends. We are very fortunate to have you all.

Asante sana kwa wote.

Ben Morley – Deputy Head of Campus

I hope your child has had a wonderful and restful break and are ready for the quarter.

As always, it is filled with an array of activities and new initiatives that will engage all cohorts. I have to say, I am very much looking forward to seeing everyone again.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank our wonderful staff who looked after our Diploma students over the break and remind parents that our residential dorms for PYP and MYP officially re-open on Sunday the 16th of October.

If you have not already sent through your child’s arrival details to me or their respective house parents. Please do so as soon as possible.

Just a reminder that I have been up Kilimanjaro with the students, returning 11th October. I will be following up on all communications soon.

Simon Johnston – Head of Residential Life

I am writing this before a large group of D2 students leave to attempt the summit of Kilimanjaro, hopefully when you read this, they will have made it. Other students will have spent the break relaxing while travelling around Tanzania. Many others will have spent their time on campus. Hopefully all of the DP students have had a balance of work and relaxation.

For D1 the break should have been a chance to review the quarter, to reflect on what went well and what they need to improve. The three-way conferences on October 19th will be a chance to review their progress and make plans with their parents and teachers. The IB Diploma Programme is very different from what many are used to and there are adjustments needed to learning style. The assessments can also be in a format that students are not used to. There is also the challenge of being with people from a variety of backgrounds. The teachers know this, and we will support students with the associated challenges.

For D2 the break was a chance to catch up on their Internal Assessments and their Extended Essay. They have checked their entries for the IB Diploma examinations and I hope to have sent a copy to students and parents for a final check.

Margaret Brunt – DP Coordinator

College Essay Writing: Moving Closer to the Final Draft

As students go through the October break, they should work on their college personal statement as known as a motivation letter. This document is critical for application admissions. Oftentimes, colleges also have several supplemental questions that need to be answered and students wait until the last minute to address these shorter essays. This is a mistake as these supplemental essays are what colleges use to determine if the student is a ‘fit’ for their institution. Students must always answer these supplemental essays even if they are indicated as optional.

I require all personal statement essays to be reviewed before being submitted. I also strongly recommend that students submit their supplemental essays as well. Please encourage your students to work on their college essays over the October break to make sure they have enough time to write quality responses to their essays.

Andrea Kitomary – University Counselor

 

Athletics Day has been tremendously busy yet hugely successful for all students. PYP and MYP students have been practicing their events for the past eight weeks and showcased their hard work through Athletics day. Students were happy, excited, energetic and motivated to put their best performance for the day. In addition, students competed against other Houses and worked together to get the highest points for their team. I am very proud of the students’ dedication, as many took the extra mile in participating in more than four events to help their team get more points. Some Students’ records were very impressive for their age compared to the National Qualifications. Our next Olympians could be from UWCEA Moshi! I would also like thank Fabio, a D1 student, for taking many of these lovely pictures.

Results:

PYP Athletics Day

• 1st place Meru
• 2nd place Mawenzi
• 3rd place Kibo

Secondary Athletics Day

• 1st place Mwenzi
• 2nd place Kibo
• 3rd place Meru

Mostafa Rihan – Sports and Activities Coordinator

We closed our 1st school quarter with two amazing hikes. Last weekend we ran our Level 1 peaks hike to Kilomeni. For many students this is the “test hike” to gauge whether pursuing all peaks levels is a decision they want to make. For some students it was a clear yes, and pursuing Level 5 Peaks to Kilimanjaro was now etched in their plans. For others they were happy to succeed and enjoyed the challenge of level 1. Our Outdoors Pursuits program is strikingly unique and offers a range of adventurous experiences that range in challenge and difficulty. We celebrate student choice in these experiences and support them wherever they choose to explore.

During the weekends from October 1st until October 2nd, both campuses have come together to climb the 1st mountain in the peaks for outdoor pursuits programme. When we arrived at the mountain base at 10:00 we had acquired our equipment, such as tents and our bags. Once everyone was ready, we began the climb at 11:23. The first 30 minutes were relatively fine as we walked at a 5 degree elevation which was already quite difficult with the bags on us, until suddenly we began climbing 40 degree elevation hills, later we had eaten a quick brunch and continued our destiny which was to reach to mountain top, arriving there only 3 hours later, it was already 15:10 and we were exhausted but relieved, we didn’t have to climb any higher! We had taken a group photo at the mountain peak and proceeded for another hour and a half to reach the campsite, and once we were there, we did it! We had finally arrived at the campsite. Once everyone had set up their tents, we either played frisbee and football, or relaxed in our tents. Later, at 18:30 we ate dinner and everyone cleaned up, preparing for an early sleep at 21:00 for tomorrow’s hike downwards which was 6km in total length.

Once we woke up at 5:50 in the early morning, I got out of the tent only to be shocked to see the fog that coated around the campsite due to ~1900 meter elevation above the sea level. As I prepared breakfast everyone had already woken up and was ready to eat. Following breakfast, the entire UWCEA group had packed up leaving nothing but our footprints. Whatever we brought to the camp, we had taken with us. The hike downhill took only 2 hours and 30 minutes, which was more than half of the previous day. After exerting too much force upon my legs, I was very pleased to see the yellow Toyota buses from UWCEA campuses. We had done it! We had indeed completed peaks level 1 outdoor pursuit programme. And this is only the beginning, cause wait till I talk about the L2, L3, L4 and L5 in the following months!

– Mark (M5)

And on the 6th October UWCEA OP Program broke records as we sent up our largest ever team of hikers up KIlimanjaro! 40+ student hikers set out to accomplish their dreams of climbing the tallest mountain in Africa. In a couple of days the UWCEA flag will be flying high above the continent. We express huge Thank You’s to the logistics, organising team, trip leaders, staff and porters on this expedition. We wish all participants the best of luck, and for us here at school just below Kili, we are cheering you on.

These pictures are of their way up and we will share more in the next newsletter. 

Baden Dowie – Experiential Learning Coordinator

The second quarter is here and there is a lot happening in our MYP division as always. We keep trying to nurture our mindset as MYP learners to make sure that we are on the right track to fill this word with leaders who have an open mind and who are innovators and creative problem solvers. After all, we see better through an open window than a closed one…

A few reminders:

• Education is not about absorbing knowledge without ever questioning it.
• We have to use our knowledge in a way that is not solely egotistical and self-centred.

To be amazed, and never stop questioning, is the only way we

• can hope to understand the complex phenomena of the world we live in.
• understand the information and knowledge available, and to understand how it is produced to be able to critique it and form one’s own opinion…

A few announcements:

Parent-Teacher-Student Conferences:
The conferences are happening on October 19th and the logistics will be shared and communicated by the school.

MYP Interdisciplinary Units (IDUs)
In the MYP division, interdisciplinary learning supports students to understand and explore units from two or more disciplines or subject groups, in order to “integrate them and create new understanding”. Learners are expected to transfer knowledge and skills to make sense of unfamiliar situation. They bring together concepts, forms of communication and the know-hows of different subject groups to explain a phenomenon, solve a problem, create a product, or raise a new question in ways that would have been unlikely through a single discipline.

Please keep a look out for our upcoming IDUs.

MYP5 Personal Project:

All our MYP students have been registered on IBIS (the IB portal that is used for the latter) for the completion of this requirement. Students are expected to be working on the product and Personal Project report as per the dates and deadlines shared on Toddle and in the PP guide.

MYP5 e-Assessments:
Our MYP5 students who have opted for the e-Assessment option have been registered on IBIS (the IB portal that is used for the latter).

• Students will be sitting for the following assessments in May 2023, on screen:

• Students will be preparing a Design portfolio to upload on IBIS in April.
• The maximum total score for the IB MYP certificate is 56, with a grade from 1-7 assigned to each required e-Assessment.
• Students must achieve a total of at least 28 points, with a grade of ‘3’ or higher in each e-Assessment component, to be eligible to receive the IB MYP certificate.

Farah Fawaz – MYP Coordinator

On Monday the 17th at 5pm we will have a Zoom meeting for parents of M5 students to help them understand the transition to the Diploma Program at UWCEA. This meeting will also address some questions that have come to us about applying to other UWC schools or leaving at the end of M5. We look forward to seeing you then and please use this link to connect.

Welcome back for Quarter 2. We hope you all had an enjoyable October break with the children. Please be sure to read the PYP Halloween article.

Dates for your diary – this list is not exhaustive so please keep checking the school calendar.

• 28th October – PYP Halloween
• 28th October – EC/P1 primary gathering
• 11th November – Daycare Centre primary gathering
• 25th November – PYP Sharing assembly
• 18th – 20th November – Secondary Sports Weekend – secondary students will participate in the team sports but primary children will enjoy supporting the UWCEA teams
• 29th November – Semester 1 Sports Celebration
• 2nd December – Evening of the Arts
• 7th December – PYP Parent Teacher Conferences
• 8th December – Last day of classes

Deborah Mills – PYP Coordinator

Welcome back to school after our short break. I hope you all had time to rest and spend some quality time together.

This first week, we will take time to review all that we learned last quarter and get back to normal school routines. Reading books will be sent home but home learning will be sent in the following week.

Swimming begins this week so please remember to pack a swimming bag for Thursday. The children need a towel, floaters, swimming costume, goggles, crocs or slippers and sunscreen.

Just a note on school requirements, children do need to come to school wearing a school T-shirt. With our little ones, they need shoes that they can easily put on and off as well as trainers on Tuesday for P.E.

This week, we will also begin talking about our coming gathering. We will start exploring what we would like to do for the gathering together. We would like the children to make some decisions as to what they will present for the 28th of October.

Mboka Mwasongwe

P2/3 is the place to be! We’re excited about Quarter 2. The Goal Setting Conferences were a wonderful opportunity to look at student strengths and to consider areas of growth. It will be fun  working towards those goals in this new Quarter.

We are starting a new Unit: BIOMES

 

Central Idea: The interaction of living things and their environment can create unique ecosystems.

Lines of Inquiry:

• The location on our planet determines the features of different biomes
• Biological needs of living things within an ecosystem
• The relationship between big and small living things

Parents, it will be a fun Unit for you to have discussions at home and perhaps watch documentaries together. I think that the students are going to love exploring the world and thinking about different biomes!

Our schedule stays the same for Quarter 2. Days for you to remember:

• Tuesdays: PE Swim
• Thursday: Library and PE
• Friday: return Home Learning

Kacey Buckley

We have a busy and fun filled week ahead because we are going to start learning about the causes of earthquakes. We plan to build structures using toothpicks and marshmallows and shake them to see how earthquake resistant they are. We will learn about tectonic plates and will research some major earthquakes. The children will start taking home spelling words as part of their home learning. We will continue with our reading groups. Our language focus will be adverbs. In maths we will continue working with angles. Please read the Halloween section of the newsletter. We need parents to decorate their car for the trunk or treat or to donate wrapped candy to the front office to make this event a success.

Deborah Mills

Thanks to all parents who were able to attend the goal setting conference this week: either in person or online. The children enjoyed telling you about their progress and there was lots of positive discussion about their next goals. Today we finished our topic with group presentations: there was lots of variety with quizzes, stories, posters and games and a lot of good skills on show. The PYP athletics day was a great success with lots of fun and had new achievements across all the track and field events. Well done everyone.

Our topic next term is: How we express ourselves – Media helps us to create, extend and challenge our perception of the world. It’d be great if you can start discussing/ researching this with your child over the break, plus reading too of course. Have a great break everyone.

Hywel Davies