UWC East Africa Arusha Campus Saturday 27th September 2025

The Diploma students hard at work on focus day earlier this week.

Mon 29th Sept to Fri 3rd Oct – Project Week (D1)

Mon 29th Sept to Fri 3rd Oct – Week Without Walls (M1-M5)

Mon 29th Sept to Fri 3rd Oct – PYP MAP Testing

Thur 2nd Oct – NEC to P2 Fun Sports

Fri 3rd Oct – P3 to P6 Inter House Sports Day

Tue 7th Oct – Secondary Three-way Conferences

Wed 8th Oct – PYP Three-way Conferences

M5 celebrate National Dress Day as part of Spirit Week

UWC Day is the annual global celebration of the UWC mission and values, which takes place on 21 September every year, to coincide with the UN International Day of Peace. UWC Day is a moment to celebrate the strength and diversity of the UWC movement and our mission for a more peaceful and sustainable future through connecting and mobilising UWCers globally. This special occasion is celebrated by thousands of people worldwide, including students and staff at UWC schools and colleges, national committees, UWC alumni and friends.

This week we celbrated a Spirit Week and a Focus day to coincide with UWC Week.

Have a super weekend everyone!

Phil

Mr Airdrie’s class also enjoying National Dress Day (below)

The PYP students enjoyed dressing up and made the most of an entertaining Spirit Week

We have had a fantastic time celebrating spirit week. Thank you to parents for all their support.

Spirit weeks are important in schools because they boost morale and foster a positive school culture and a stronger sense of community. They allow students opportunities for self-expression, builds confidence, sparking joy and are a fun activity to do.

Spirit weeks offer numerous opportunities for students to interact, find common interests, and bond with one another, breaking down barriers and fostering a more inclusive atmosphere.

Mrs Amanda Bowen, Head of PYP

This week the P1/2  visited the Orkeeswa school at Monduli (see image above).  They had a wonderful experience learning about how communities work together as well as how to care for the environment and make resources such as honey and soap.

As part of our unit we learned how to take care of our teeth. The children practised brushing their teeth.

MYP student government (above) pictured during a lunchtime meeting

The MYP Student Government meets regularly during lunchtime to share their experiences, celebrate what is going well and raise any concerns with the administration. They are proactive in coming up with solutions to challenges and are also busy planning exciting events to bring fun and community spirit to all MYP students.

Interdisciplinary Learning in the MYP

Each year in the MYP, students take part in an interdisciplinary unit. This provides students with an opportunity to connect different subjects in order to develop new understandings, create meaningful products or tackle real-world issues. At the Arusha Campus, these units are linked to the Week Without Walls trips, which will head out next week:

M1 will travel to Lake Eyasi and Mto wa Mbu. Their focus on Visual Arts and English will allow them to explore the lifestyles of the Hadzabe and Datoga tribes, as well as discover more about the Makonde and Maasai cultures.

M2 take on the Swahili Coast unit, combining Swahili and Individuals & Societies. They will investigate the historical, geographical, linguistic and cultural richness of the Pangani coast.

M3 students will explore the intersection of Music and Swahili, deepening their language skills and cultural knowledge through the arts. A highlight will be workshops at the Cultural Arts Center in Tanzanian music and dance, culminating in student performances.

M4 head to West Kilimanjaro, where Mathematics and Sciences come together. Students will study how biomass growth changes at different altitudes, while also enjoying forest hikes, river swims and outdoor fun.

M5 will visit Mto wa Mbu with a focus on Physical & Health Education and Sciences. Using the natural environment as their classroom, they will investigate the links between fitness, Biology, Chemistry and Physics.

3-Way conferences

Our Secondary 3-Way Conferences will take place on Tuesday 7 October. On this day, there will be no regular classes. Instead, students and their parents will attend only the meetings they have booked with subject teachers. Conference sign-ups will be managed through our LIFE platform.

Miss Anoek, Head of MYP

A first win for the U13 girls this season with a hard-fought 1-0 win against Braeburn on Tuesday. Our goalscorer was Zahra! 

It has been another exciting week of fixtures for our UWC teams!

U13 Football

The U13 Girls demonstrated excellent improvement over the quarter, finishing with a well-deserved 1–0 victory over BISA after a determined performance. The U13 Boys also showed clear development, earning a 0–0 draw but dominating much of the match with their confident play. Thank you to Coach Ronald and Coach AnnJoyce

U16 Basketball
Both our Girls and Boys teams claimed wins in their friendly games against SCIS. A big thank you to Mr. Adam and Coach Shelly, our very own D1 student, for their great coaching and support.

U19 Football
The U19 Girls continued their development with a well-earned 1–0 victory, while the Boys showed real progress in their performance, finishing with a 0–0 draw but clearly demonstrating their strength and control throughout the game. A huge thank you to Coaches Katy and Imma for stepping in to guide the teams this week.

We’re now looking ahead with excitement to more action this weekend, with U16 Volleyball, U19 Volleyball, and U19 Netball all competing at St. Jude’s. Best of luck to all teams!

We began the week with vibrant celebrations of UWC Day, centred on this year’s theme of “Voices for Peace.” Student leaders from the House Council and Focus Day Committee organised events that not only celebrated our UWC identity but also invited us to reflect on our values and consider how we live them out—both as individuals and as a community. We often talk about our mission and ideals, but this was a chance to ask ourselves: what are we truly doing to put them into action?

See photo of posters (above) displayed in the PA / Students creating posters with Moya who led one of the group discussions / Thinking about our own values and how the connect to the UWC values

As part of the activities, student groups created posters highlighting the many ways our school already embodies UWC values—achievements we can be proud of. At the same time, they identified areas where we could do more, reminding us that our journey is ongoing. These reflections are now displayed in the Performance Area, offering a powerful reminder that the actions of each individual matter, and together we shape and strengthen our commitment to the UWC mission.

IB Project Week is an important part of the CAS program where D1 students step out of the classroom to engage in real-world projects. It is a chance to collaborate, take initiative, and experience the value of meaningful service—understanding that true impact comes not from surface-level helping, but from listening, connecting, and contributing to genuine needs in the community.

At the same time, D2 students have their Catch-Up Week, which provides much-needed breathing space to manage deadlines and stay on top of their workload. Each day begins with a mentor check-in and ends with a check-out to support time management, organisation, and creating a realistic to-do list. To balance academics with well-being, students also take part in fun and active non-academic sessions to de-stress and recharge. The most significant focus of the week is completing the Extended Essay, a major milestone they have been working on since last December.

Next week we have our quarterly DP Parent Zoom, please join us if you can:

Time: Sep 30, 2025 14:00 Nairobi
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87424610377?pwd=IoJUBwW4lHHeAQFyJwbvz4npE60uNj.1

Meeting ID: 874 2461 0377

Passcode: 924414

Miss Jessica,  Head of Diploma Programme