Arusha Campus News – 4 May 2025

Juanita and Sameeha (D2) lead the Class of 2025 on the annual Clap Out cerempony on Arusha Campus last week. This tradition entails a procession of all the Diploima Graduates as they take a bow at the end of their last day of school before sitting their examinations.

 

Wed 14th May – 5pm PYP Exhibition

Mon 28th Apr – Fri 16th May IB Diploma Exams

Mon 5th-Fri 16th May – MYP M5 on-screen exams

Sat 17th – 18th May – Plains Discovery Monduli

Mon 19th – Fri 23rd May – M5 Work Experience

Wed 21st May – 6pm Art Auction Schwari

Thur 22nd May – 2pm Arusha Diploma Graduation

Mon 26th – Fri 30th May – M4 Exams

Fri 30th May – Fri 6th June – Diploma 1 Exams

Thur 19th June – Last day of Q4

The ESS/Biology participants from D1 took some time out from their rainforest fieldtrip to ‘enjoy’ the ferocity of the Themi River and Napuru Falls (above and below)

Apologies from me for there having been a lull in newsletter publication in recent weeks. I have been having a fabulous time with Diploma students, first on the Environmental Systems and Societies and Biology field trip to Napuru Falls. Every year we take the students who study these disciplines to a suitable environment to carry out field exercises such as mammal trapping for population studies, transects and biomass studies as well as carrying out biotic analyses of water courses. We analyse soil and water samples and even carry out moth trapping throughout the night! This year we battled the muddy roads leading up Mt Meru to Napuru which offered the perfect venue for a range of practical activities. The rain was unforgiving and it rained every night that we were there. Still, we dried out each morning and enjoyed memorable treks in the forest and along the Themi River. Well done to Mr Bryan, Miss Agnes and Miss Jackie for organising such a difficult event for over 60 students!

From there I made my way out to Burungi and Maramboi for the Plains Adventure trip as Mr Frank was undergoing his Wilderness First Responder training. You can read more about it in the article below.

In the meantime, Diploma Exams are underway and Miss Peterson and her team have expertly negotiated the first week. Its an anxious time for students and we have been reassuring them that they have done all they can to get where they are now. We have faith in them and are proud of them for getting this far. We are all behind them and remember you can only do the very best you can. No one can ask for more.

Best of luck and have a super week.

Phil

On Thursday morning two Land Cruisers, one from Moshi and one from Arusha, made their way to the western gate of Tarangire National Park. From there our four day hike was to begin. On the first day we circumnavigated Lake Burungi before settling into our campsite for the night in the woodlands. The sounds of lepoards in the surrounding dark sent us to sleep. The next day we trekked to the shores of Lake Manyara in amongst herds of wildebeest and zebra. At our second campsite we were asked to remain vigilant around the campfire as lions were in the area. No sooner had we we all retired to our tents when the lion chorus started, as though to remind us of their presence. On day three we encountered numerous animals at close quarters, including giraffe and warthog as we walked though the picturesque grasslands (pictured above). Our last campsite was in a beuatiful spot on the shores of Lake Manyara in amongst the palms of Maramboi. A splendid trip with superb company. Many thanks to Miss Jessica H and Mr David and Mr Salimu from Moshi for supervising the trip.

We have had a fantastic start to quarter 4.

P6 are preparing to share their P6 Exhibition with us very soon!
P5 completed their unit on Interaction is action with the support and engagement of Kafika House.
P4 enjoyed their class camp at Simba Farm exploring the concept of farm to fork and getting stuck in the mud.
P3 enjoyed their camp at WIldtracks learning about coffee farms and farming.
P2 completed their tourism unit with a luxurious stay at Nimali Lodge.
P1 celebrated a day camp riding their bikes and roasting marshmallows on a campfire.
NEC have been having lots of fun learning about different cultures and celebrations.

Amanda, Head of Primary Years Programme

Miss Ann-Joyce (top) and Miss Adele (bottom), share their learning experiences.

In the PYP, action is considered to be both an application of learning and an opportunity for students to engage in a form of contribution or service. During each of our units we create opportunities for our students to carry out action. These many include…
Participation – contributing as an individual, group or class.
Advocacy – action to support change
Social justice – action to support self or others
Social entrenpenuership – creative, resourceful or innovate change
Lifestyle choices – recognising and reacting to positive change

Our teachers often exemplify actiuon. The PYP staff had two learning experiences at the end of last quarter, one from Miss Ann-Joyce sharing her knowledge from the African Education Festival. The other was from Miss Adele, who shared her knowledge about conceptual understandings, and how to apply this to the classroom.

Thank you to both ladies.

The children (pictured above) learnt about the features and services of a hotel and were very lucky to have a tour of all the departments from account’s, reservations, hotel rooms, conferences rooms, restaurants and so much more. They were served breakfast and lunch and got an opportunity to swim. A great experience for our P1-2 students.

Miss Alina, P1/2

A fantastic turnout of parents to celebrate our students learning at the student led conferences. Thank you

P5 & P6 went to Moshi campus to celebrate their PYP exhibition. There was a great range of inquiries and a fantastic music performance.

Well done Moshi!

We are proud to announce that the second UWCEA Arusha Campus Escape Room is now open!

Please sign up as a team of 3 – 5 (or maybe 6!) players to try to outwit the fiendish puzzles and escape the vault.

The Escape Room costs 5000 Tsh per person to play and all proceeds go to the scholarship fund.

Please click on the image above to find the link to sign up for a slot or email Mr Rob robertairdrie@uwcea.org for a link. Sign up is currently open for the next two weeks but will be extended soon.

Good luck – and on behalf of the Escape Room Team, thank you for enjoying our puzzles!

M2 Students Isabella & Kulola (pictured above), sharing a motivational message to our graduating class for our traditional Friday Clap Out!

At the end of last quarter, our M4 and M5 students who attended AISA-GISS travelled to Moshi Campus to deliver their workshop on sustainable fishing to M3 and M4. It was a loud, lively day and a great opportunity for the two campuses to come together and learn together.

Congratulations to Eleanor, Janvi, Tommy, Jack, Linnea and Olivia for another fantastic performance. Thank you to Ms Farah in Moshi for organising this. We all had a great day.

Miss Hilary, AISA GISS 2025 Co-ordinator

The photo shows Lulu, Ava, Roan and Julius having the unique experience of observing an octopus up close.

Our Reefs programme continues to thrive and we still have spaces on our final Reefs trip of the year on 6th June.

To join this five-day, four-night trip, students must have completed Reefs Discovery at Fish Eagle Point and train twice per week in the pool, swimming at least 32 laps (800 meters) per session, for a month before departure. Activities include beach clean-ups, urchin removal, mangrove climbs, snorkeling, kayaking, and moving coral balls with a raft. On Day 1, travel to Fish Eagle Point, set up camp, snorkel, and paddleboard. Days 2 and 3 involve engaging in various activities and camp chores, with equipment packing in the afternoon of Day 3 and dinner at Fish Eagle Point. On Day 4, wake up at 4:45 am, pack, and depart at 5:30 am.

Quarter 3 was gruelling but the campus continues to buzz with events and activities. Our DP students and teachers have worked incredibly hard to provide a wide range of experiences for the community, and it’s been wonderful to see so much student leadership and dedication on display.

Beyond extracurriculars, our DP students have navigated a rollercoaster of emotions, with plenty of highs and lows. D1 students have fully embraced school life and are settling well into their classes. Many are already diving into major assessments, with the TOK exhibition having been accomplished after the break and their extended essays well underway. D1 students are preparing for end-of-year exams and beginning to imagine life as D2 students, as they watch this year’s cohort prepare to move on.

D2 students have completed their internal assessments, taken part in throes of final exams. With Graduation in sight, emotions are running high. Some students already know what’s next, while others are still making important decisions. As a D2 Biology teacher myself, we recently took time to reflect and write notes of appreciation and gratitude to one another.

As teachers, we go through this cycle every year—we’re always excited to see where our students will go next, but it never gets any easier to say goodbye.

Key Events for Q4
Graduation is on May 22nd – D2s should be off campus May 24th *Parents welcome for drinks on evening of May 21st at Schwari
D1s will sit end of year exams starting May 30th – June 6th
DP Parent Zoom – June 10th
D1 students have an EE Writing day – June 16th
D1 Q4 ends June 19th (D1s will be issued there D1 Semester 2 report). 
D1 Residential students should have left Arusha Campus by the end of the day on Saturday 21th June 2025.

Campus is closed for the break and therefore no accommodation will be available.

Jessica, Head of Diploma

Dear UWCEA Arusha Community,

We’re excited to invite you to our Art Auction, hosted by the Sustainability Committee, on Wednesday, 21st May at 6:00 PM at Schwari Restaurant.

This special event combines art, live music, and a wine and cheese tasting, all in support of a great cause: raising funds for student-led sustainability initiatives that aim to make our school more eco-friendly and future-focused.

You’ll have the opportunity to:

Browse and bid on original artwork from our school community

Enjoy a curated wine and cheese tasting

Listen to live performances by some of our talented school musicians

This relaxed and inspiring afternoon is geared toward parents, guardians, and staff—a perfect chance to connect, support our students, and enjoy some culture and conversation.

For any questions or further information, please contact:

Miriam Taylor – miriamt26@uwcea.org | +255 786 701 334

Chiara Salinas– chiaras26@uwcea.org | +32 479 05 41 01

We look forward to seeing you there and thank you for supporting a more sustainable future for our school.

Warm regards,
The Sustainability Committee