Arusha Campus News – 3 Nov 2026

This is what it is like eating your packed lunch half way up Tanzania’s fourth highest peak of Mt Hanang (3423m asl). Exhaustion, heat, cold and rain all hit you hard but those experiences are comepnsated for by great company and the accomplishment of a magnificent hike.

Fri 6th Nov – Inter School Primary Athletics Championship at Arusha Campus

Sat 7th Nov – Inter School Secondary Athletics Championship at Arusha Campus

Thu 12th – Mon 16th – Reefs Challenge at Emayani

Thu 12th – Mon 16th – Reefs Discovery at Fish Eagle Point

Fri 13th Nov – PYP PTA Movie Night

Fri 20th to Sun 22nd – Moshi Sports Weekend

Fri 11th Dec – Last Day of Quarter 2

Service action is a component of all three programmes of the IB and the common assumption is that it is for the students to engage in. Well that is true but in our school we think its essential that all stakeholders engage in service action. Service action is defined in many ways but put simply it is when we do something that genuinely benefits others or the environment (moving beyond self-interest). In doing so we learn by doing—taking purposeful steps rather than just talking about or researching a problem. 

The images below show the ‘BEFORE’ and ‘AFTER’ transformation of a classroom at Magereza School opposite our own school. The team responsible? Anna, our phenomenal painter and Ngosha who is our acting Head of Maintenance. Both of these highly skilled workers leapt upon the suggestion to help out our neighbours. For three days they worked on the floor, ceiling, walls, windows and noticeboards to renovate a classroom for the children in Magereza School. How wonderful to have such caring co-workers. Thank you Anna and Ngosha.

The last two weeks have been as busy as ever – BIO/ESS Field trip, Peaks Adventure to Hanang, Plains Discovery to Monduli, training days for ascent attempts on Kilimanjaro and Meru, Diploma 2 reports, almost daily rehearsals for the Secondary production, not to mention all the teams training hard for Sports Weekend……the list is endless. Everyone is working hard and like Ngosha and Anna, doing their bit to make our school the happy place that it is. Look after one another and please notice when someone is struggling. We are a family and are here to help – service can happen within any family as we demonstrate that we are all human with an ability to be fallible as well as to care.

Have a good week.

Phil

In the picture above, P1, 2 and 3 enyoyed dance lessons with Mama Jimmy!

Recently I was asked by a new-to-UWC mum, ‘How can parents get involved in classes?’ In short, we love to work in collaboration with enthusiastic parents! This could be popping into school to read a book, chatting to the class about something you know lots about, hearing students read, or sharing your skills in other ways. If you have an idea, please talk to myself or your child’s class teacher or send me an email. This week the P3 and P1/2 classes had the pleasure of some dance lessons with Mama Jimmy/Cici.

Miss Adele, Head of PYP

Last week, Diploma students (above) explored Swahili culture through everyday activities at a restaurant, market and shop. This hands-on experience helped them develop their Swahili communication skills, gain a deeper understanding of local customs and traditions, and appreciate cultural diversity.

Miss Ann-Joyce, teacher of Swahili

M1 Design students (above) with their acoustic speaker boxes

M1 Design students built custom wooden smartphone speakerboxes designed to amplify sound acoustically. Students developed their problem-solving skills while cutting, shaping, and assembling their creations. Kylie did an exceptional job personalizing her speakerbox as a black cat, complete with striking green eyes!

Mr Rab, Design

Coincidentally in keeping with the Hallowe’en theme, Miss Claudia was drawing the human form through skeletions this last week. Here, pictured above, is her D1 Class sketching a skeleton.

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

The Human Library in UWCEA Arusha Campus had its first exhibit last week – Egon (above) in D1 told us about his adventures hitchhiking across Europe with almost zero money.

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 know something without understanding it?

You know a mathematical formula works. You can ride a bicycle. You recognise when someone is upset. But can you always explain how or why you know?

Think about it:
Is memorising the same as knowing?
Can you know that something is true without knowing why?
Can an expert know more than they can explain?

What does it really mean to know something?

Mr Stephane. Head of Theory of Knowledge