Arusha Campus News – 3 Oct 2026

Our MYP students and teachers joined forces with Moshi Campus and each year group travelled to a different location in Tanzania top carry out their week long field study. We call this week a ‘Week WIthout Walls’ .

Sat 3rd Oct – U13 Football at Kennedy House School

Tue 6th –  Mon 12th Oct – OP Peaks Challenge Kilimanjaro

Weds 7th Oct – Last Day of Quarter 1

Mon 19th Oct – First Day of Quarter 2

I love this picture! Ritha learning about culture and identity in P5 – don’t we ALL we wish we were in Teacher Sean’s class!

Lots of pictures of the MYP students on their Week Without Walls trips in this week’s newsletter.  Next week we will feature articles about the Diploma students’ project week experiiences.

The benefits of taking our learning away from the traditional classroom are many. Students and teachers refine their collaboration skills as well as getting the opportunity to immerse themselves in real-life situations. For many, the opportunity to engage in service opportunities is particularly rewarding. Thank you to parents and teachers for making it possible to undertake such a week.

I hope we can all get a well earned rest this weekend.

Phil

M1 (aabove) took time out of the mentor classroom last week to plant some trees in an area of the school campus. Lets hope the rain comes soon for them!

Pictured above are images from the recent UWC Day day in the Primary School

On 21st September we celebrated UWC Day. A chance to unite with the other UWC schools around the world and consider how we can make a positive difference. This year the theme was ‘Action for Peace, Planet and People.’ In Arusha, we decided to focus on the planet and water. Students engaged in discussions about local and global key issues. Through hands-on activities, they learnt about issues ranging from plastic pollution, to soil restoration. It was great to see different age groups working collaboratively. Finally, it was also a day to honour our diverse community; thank you for your support encouraging your child to wear cultural clothes.

Miss Adele, Head of PYP

As part of our unit on Culture and Identity, P5 students (pictured above) brought our learning to life by exploring how food serves as a powerful medium for self-expression. Dishes carry memories, traditions, and a piece of our personal heritage, offering a tangible glimpse into who we are and where we come from. As students shared homemade noodles, tacos, pizza, kimbap, and traditional baked treats around a shared table, the classroom transformed into a vibrant hub of cultural exchange.

Preparing a dish from one’s heritage and offering it to peers is an act of vulnerability and pride. By sharing our favorite foods, we open doors to meaningful conversations, discovering that while our flavors and recipes may differ, our fundamental appreciation for community and connection remains identical. Sharing a meal fosters empathy, curiosity, and mutual respect across diverse backgrounds. In line with the UWC mission, moments like these remind us that promoting peace and international understanding often starts simply—by sitting together, listening to each other’s stories, and sharing a meal.

Teacher Sean, P5

Pictured above, on their way back from the trip, the M1s bought tree seedlings to beautify our campus.

This week, all MYP students were out on our Experiential Learning trip dubbed Week Without Walls (WWW). The trip combines interdisciplinary learning (knowledge and skills of two subjects) and outdoor pursuits skills. This was an opportunity to take learning into the community through various fun and interactive activities with various communities from as far as Pangani for the M2s to as close as Usa River for the M3 class. It was a pleasure to speak with a number of students when they arrived and they were so appreciative of this great opportunity which enabled them to bond, learn and practice taking responsibility, initiative and taking learning into the real world. A big thank you to all the teachers who went on these camping trips and offered care and support to the students throughout the week.

Next week is the last week of this Quarter. On Wednesday, 7th we will have End of Quarter games organized by the House Council. Please ensure that your children wear their House T-shirt on this day. We will have the End of Quarter Assembly from 11:00 – 12:00pm. The school day ends at 12:00pm. The Second Quarter begins on Monday 19th October.

Here are M1 learning how the Hadzabe are able to make fire using locally found twigs……..and no matches!

M2s learned about mangroves and shoreline erosion during their visit to Pangani.

M3s getting co-ordinated under the expert tutelage of the CAC drama teachers!

One of the M4 groups carrying out a biomass assessment at a low altitude location before comparing their results to the high altitude location.

On the M5 trip, every day starts with a daily exercise routine. Here are the students getting started on the first day!

Dear UWCEA Community,

The Rotary Interact Club would like to invite students, teachers, and other members of our school community to take part in a charity chess competition at UWC East Africa on November 14th.

Participants can sign up in either the beginner or intermediate/advanced category. Registration is 15,000 TZS per person.

Half of the registration money will go towards prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in each category, while the other half will be used to purchase chess sets to be donated to local schools and elderly homes.

The aim is to provide engaging activities for children and encourage mental stimulation and cognitive wellbeing for the elderly, including as part of Alzheimer’s prevention initiatives. UWCEA students will also help teach chess in these communities.

We hope this can be a fun day of chess while giving back to our community!

SIGN UP FORM is accessible at this link https://forms.gle/BXn8yJb9Ca4TJz8d7

Best regards,
Rotary Interact Club

PYP and D2 students were the only students left in campus last week. Here, above, they are seen playing games with each other.

Thank you to all the parents who joined us in person or virtually for our three-way conferences. These meetings gave students and their parents an opportunity to check in with their teachers, reflect on what is going well and where they may be struggling, and discuss strategies and goals for the next quarter.
Quarter 1 is a busy time for D2, with major deadlines alongside the start of university applications and planning for life beyond school. During a recent DSS session, Ms Meghan, Mr Kendis and I acknowledged that it can feel like a lot. Our message was simple: do your best, one step at a time. Making time for friends, hobbies, relaxation and a good night’s sleep is also important.

During Catch Up Week, students had dedicated time to focus on outstanding work, assignments, their Extended Essay and university applications. They attended school as usual, following a structured schedule with morning check-ins, supervised study and activities such as walks, football, board games, baking and mountain biking. At this particularly busy stage of the DP, the week provided a valuable opportunity for students to set their own priorities and make meaningful progress while maintaining a healthy balance.

Project Week gave our D1 students the opportunity to work in small groups on something they are passionate about, taking the lead in planning and carrying out their own project as part of the CAS programme. Projects range from mangrove conservation and painting murals at school to working with education-based NGOs and supporting communities in other parts of Tanzania. I am looking forward to hearing about their experiences when they return, and we will share more about their projects and the impact they have had in next week’s newsletter.

Miss Anoek, Head of Diploma

Above, teachers and students engage in the 3-way conferences that took place two weeks ago.

Below, teachers hosted brunch on the last day of Catch Up Week. Mr Rob and Mr Stephane at the crepe or pancake station.

Henley (left) and Fatima (right) were the Secretary Genrals at the recent MUN conference in Arusha.

From 11th to the 13th of September, I had the privilege of serving as one of the Secretary Generals for this year’s UWCEA MUN Conference alongside Henley. After many months of planning, lots of sleepless nights and many unsubmitted assignments it was unreal to finally see the conference come together.

One of the things I am most proud of was being able to host the closing ceremony in the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals because it was such a unique place to end what is usually a bitter-sweet ending. This year, we also broke our previous record for delegate numbers, with 140 delegates taking part in the conference.

More than anything, I loved watching all the delegates become more confident in speaking, challenging ideas, increasing their global awareness and even attacking other delegates!

It was a lot of work and stress, but seeing the conference actually become a reality after all the preparation was one of the most rewarding experiences I have had at school.

Fatimah Kanji (D1)

Everyone has a story worth sharing, and the Human Library aims to give the UWCEA community a way to share those stories!
The Human Library is an initiative platform where anyone can give a 10 minute talk about something they’re interested in and are excited to share! On Thursdays, a 10-minute presentation or talk will be held in the canteen at 12:40-1:00 PM. It is an opportunity to express your ideas, thoughts, stories, or anything that you are passionate about. The Human Librarians will offer any assistance needed, whether it’s setting up speakers or joining the talk with the speakers.
Parents, guardians, and anyone with a story are encouraged to sign-up from the QR code in the image above or by simply clicking on the image itself.

If there are any questions, please feel free to contact Mr. Rob  robertairdrie@uwcea.org

 

Can you be right against everyone else?
(Asch Conformity Experiment)

Look at the image above.

Which line is the same length as the target?

C, right?

Now imagine everyone around you ‘chooses’ a different answer.
Would you trust your own judgement if everyone disagreed? OR…
Would you change your answer?
If you are the only person who thinks you are right, how can you know?

Discuss with someone who disagrees with you.

When was the last time you changed your mind?

Look at the image above. What do you see?
A duck? A rabbit?

Now look again. Did the image change, or did your interpretation change?

We do something similar with ideas and beliefs. Sometimes new evidence changes our minds. Sometimes a different perspective does. Sometimes someone we trust changes our minds for us. And sometimes, even when the evidence changes, we don’t change our minds.

So when was the last time you changed your mind — and what made you change it?

Discuss it with someone who disagrees with you.

Mr Stephane. Head of Theory of Knowledge

CLICK on the image above to register!