Arusha Campus News – 13 May 2025

Nicolene Viljoen (M2) powers her way to yet another Tanzanian swimming record. More about Nicolene’s remarkable exploits in this newsletter but this young lady is well on her way to competing with the best in the world at a future Olympics!

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 – 3.30pm 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 UWC masters swim team came 4th place out of 11 teams with 8 swimmers. From left, Tim Davenport, Samwel Shepa, Stephane Rabanowitz, Kevin Asimiwe, Carolynn Fischer, Amanda Bowen, Sarah Rejman and Tine Hemelings

This week’s, rather late, newsletter carries a distinct swimming theme. Off the back of the very well organised Arusha International Masters Swimmimng Championship, hosted by Arusha Campus on Saturday. Our School’s team was simply magnificent. They are pictured above after an exhausting day in the pool where they more than held their own against stiff opposition from all around East and Southern Africa.

While our senior athletes were performing in Arusha, one of our younger students was continuing to break records in her own championships in Dar. Read more about the remarkable Nicolene Viljoen later in this newsletter.

Events will be flowing thick and fast in weeks to come and nothing is more important in my calendar than the PYP Exhibition. Mr Jonny and his class have been working hard for weeks now on Primary’s blue riband event. Please come along and marvel at the incredible range of skills that these Primary ‘graduates’ have accomplished. If I were to choose one showpiece to demonstrate why our school is different to all the others – it would be the PYP Exhibition. Thank you to Mr Jonny and his class in advance.

Finally, please feel welcome to come along to our special alumni event entitled ‘Building on the Legacy’ at the Boulevard Inn on Thursday evening this week. Entrance is by reservation only – please follow the details on the poster in this newsletter.

Have a super week.

Phil

Our Educational Assistants, support staff and Diploma student Elisabeth helped out at the masters swimming gala.

P3 camp at Wildtracks in Usa River

Monitoring children’s screen time is extremely important and involves setting limits, using parental controls and having conversations with your child about the content and usage. It’s also important to model healthy screen habits and create screen-free zones.

Here’s a more detailed look at how to monitor screen time:

1. Set Screen Time Limits:
Age-appropriate limits:
Younger children may need no screen time or very limited educational programming. Older children and teens may have higher limits, but with emphasis on balancing screen time with other activities.
Flexibility:
Allow for some flexibility within those limits, perhaps by allowing children to “earn” extra screen time through completing chores or other tasks.
Block certain times:
Consider blocking screen time during specific times, such as bedtime or during family activities.

2. Utilize Parental Controls:
Device-specific controls: Most devices and platforms offer parental controls that can help you manage screen time and content.
Content filters: Use content filters to restrict access to inappropriate content.
App limits: Set time limits for individual apps or games.
Location tracking: Some parental controls also include location tracking features.

3. Engage with Your Children:
Open communication: Talk to your children about their screen time habits and the types of content they are consuming.
Be a good role model: Model healthy screen time habits for your children.
Watch together: Watch some programs with your children and discuss what they are watching.
Encourage other activities: Encourage your children to engage in other activities, such as physical activity or social interactions.

4. Create Screen-Free Zones:
Designate areas:
Create screen-free zones in your home, such as the dining room or bedrooms.

5. Monitor Content and Usage:
Preview content:
Preview video games, apps, and TV shows before allowing your children to use them.
Check ratings:
Check TV, video game, and movie ratings to ensure they are appropriate for your child’s age.
Engage in discussions:
Ask your child about what they are watching or playing and how they are feeling about it.
By implementing these strategies, you can help your children develop healthy screen time habits and ensure they are enjoying their screen time safely and responsibly.

Amanda, Head of PYP

The M5 girls in deep converstaion as they prepare for one of their on-screen exams

This week marked the inaugural meeting of the MYP Student Government! These student leaders will represent their peers, collaborate with the DP Student Government and ensure that MYP voices are heard in school-wide decisions. We look forward to seeing their leadership in action as they work to strengthen student life and foster collaboration across our secondary school.

M5 students wrapped up their final classes and officially began their IB MYP on-screen exams this week. So far, they’ve completed assessments in English Language & Literature, French and Swahili Language Acquisition, Humanities and Mathematics. Pictured are the M5 students making the most of their time with some final Maths revision before heading into the exam. With Science and Interdisciplinary exams still ahead next week, they are well over halfway through. We’re proud of their hard work and wish them continued success!

Anoek, Head of MYP

The M5 boys look equally apprehensive before the same exam!

From an early stage in her swimming career, Nicolene stood out due to her exceptional feel for the water, strong body control, and remarkable ability to apply technical corrections quickly and accurately – all essential traits for competitive swimming.
She earned medals in her first appearances at national championships and made a major breakthrough in 2024 with her selection for the Tanzanian national team and her first international medals. By the end of that year, she had firmly established herself within the Tanzanian swimming community.
Nicolene’s main events include the 200 m and 400 m individual medley, 200 m breaststroke, and 200 m butterfly. She currently holds six Tanzanian national records:
On the 50-meter (long course) pool, she holds records in the 100 m and 200 m breaststroke, 200 m butterfly, and 400 m individual medley. On the 25-meter (short course) pool, she holds the records in the 200 m breaststroke and 200 m butterfly.
Nicolene is known as a reliable and focused competitor who can draw on deep reserves when it matters most – a quality that separates good athletes from great ones. She is also a valued teammate, appreciated for her cooperative spirit and leadership within the training group.
At 13 years of age, Nicolene is still in the early stages of her athletic development. Entering full-scale elite training is neither necessary nor appropriate at this point. The current focus lies on gradually expanding her abilities across all four strokes, with an emphasis on longer distances, and supporting her long-term potential in a responsible and sustainable way. Special care is taken to promote healthy physical development and to instill the core values of sport.
Her goals for 2025 include further international competitions and continued progress in building a broad skillset. In the long term, she aims to compete successfully on the continental and potentially global stage, with aspirations of reaching finals at African championships – and perhaps even standing on the podium.
Nicolene’s development clearly shows how talent, discipline, and a supportive, professional environment can come together to form a promising path forward. As an athlete, she is an unpolished diamond whose full potential has yet to be revealed.

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!

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