Arusha Campus News – 3 Dec 2023

The AMAZING production of The Addam’s Family took place on Friday and Saturday.

Wed 13th December – 1.30pm Primary Top of the Pops

Fri 15th December – Final day of the quarter

Mon 18th-Fri 22nd – TALISS swim training camp for ages 12+/Advanced swimmers/competition level (Contact caitrintrappe@uwcea.org if interested.

Gomez (played by Itay) and Morticia (played by Viktoria) squabble on stage during the Addam’s Family.

Uncle Festa (played by Fares) and the Moon (played by Oriana) serenade the captivated audience.

This week has been all about the fabulous cast of the Addam’s Family and the supporting crew, band and everyone who worked so hard to create arguably our best ever production. Of course, all the above-mentioned would give the credit to the producers themselves – Miss Sarah and Mr Ronald – and rightly so! Take a bow Sarah and Ronald, you chose a complicated show and made it look easy. Above all, you made a lot of people in Arusha very happy indeed. Thank you!

Apologies for the late newsletter everyone. Enjoy the week ahead.

Phil

P3/4 (above) made water wheels to learn about water technology

Swimming is one of my favourite pastimes. I personally find it very relaxing. This quarter I was part of the beginner swimming CCA. It was extremely rewarding to watch students develop the confidence to swim a length. Four children successfully swam 25 meters by the end of the quarter. I am extremely proud of them.

6 Reasons Why Everyone Should Learn to Swim https://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com

The benefits of swimming are endless, and your child should learn to swim as early as possible.

1. It’s essential for safety.

There is water all around us, even if it’s as small as a bathtub. Making sure that your child is comfortable in and around water is essential to their safety.

2. It’s a low-impact sport.

Swimming is low-impact, as it’s performed in water. According to Bucknell University, the body is 90 percent buoyant when in the water up to your neck, so you’re not hitting the ground with the weight you carry on land. Swimming is the ideal sport for the well being of one’s body in the long run.

3. The value of teamwork is learned along with individuality.

But teamwork is learned in plenty of sports, so why is swimming special? The great thing about swimming is that there is also an individual aspect to it. In competitive swimming, you learn self-motivation and goal setting/reaching. Swimmers have their own personal set of times for their events.

4. Time management is inevitably learned.

Time management is a valuable skill as you learn how to take the little free time you have to get done what needs to be completed on time. This is a skill that swimmers will hold for the rest of their lives. Being able to divide and manage one’s time, to prioritize what needs to be done first, second, and last is an invaluable talent that is gained through competitive swimming.

5. Swimming is an incredible workout.

The sport involves moving multiple muscle groups in a high-intensity, cardio workout. All four strokes involve working different muscle groups. Introducing your child to swimming early on will promote a healthy life. Swimming also releases endorphins, which improves moods.

6. You can swim for the rest of your life.

If your child knows how to swim at a young age, this skill is forever with them. In their later years, their longevity and quality of life will be enhanced by swimming.

Amanda

Would you come to a dinner party to this house?

P3/4 visit the Sable Square sanctuary and were treated like royalty.

A fabulous morning of football took place on Saturday with four teams participating at St Constantine’s School. . The U9 and U11 girls played their hearts out. The U11 boys came 3rd and the U9 boys won the tournament. Well done everyone.

Jonathan (M4) hanging up his poster about Martin Luther King

The school musical also took centre stage in MYP this week!  Cast, band and backstage crew worked almost non-stop under guidance of Mr Ronald and Ms Sarah this week to make sure every line, every dance and every detail would be perfect. And they delivered; what an unforgettable performance of the Addams Family! Of course I am a little extra proud of all our MYP students; Ellen, Ella, Kasia, Lydia, Olivia, Sammy and Fabio did a fantastic job on stage and behind the scenes. Special mention of the brilliant performance as Pugsley by our M2 student Vedant, bravo!

Of course, we also had normal MYP lessons this week. Ms Laura’s M4 Individuals & Societies class is currently doing a unit about Rights & Protest. Students investigated significant leaders of the US Civil Rights Movement and shared their findings in a poster. 

Below are images of some MYP (and DP!) students who helped out Kafika House by selling wares to raise money at the Arusha Chroistmas Fair last weekend.

Anoek

Juanita and Nicolene pictured last week in Kigali at the Africa Aquatics Zone 3 Championships where they performed heroically.

Juanita and Nicolene have completed their first major mission for the colors of Tanzania and arrived back with the team in Dar es Salaam last week

Juanita had to complete a truly mammoth program with seven individual and three relay races. She was able to win a bronze medal with her 5:30.93 in the 400m freestyle. She achieved the same with her teammates in the three relays, 4x50m IM., 4x100m freestyle and 4x50m freestyle.

Nicolene managed to win four medals in four starts. Her most outstanding performance was the 200m IM. in which yesterday she improved her previous best by seven seconds in 2:54.79 and stayed under three minutes for the first time.

We are extremely pleased with the success and achievements at these Africa Aquatics Zone 3 Championships.

Rides Challenge (team pictured above): from Mkomazi National Park (Zange Gate) to Fish Eagle Point

Rain, mud, hot sun and humidity, hills, and COURAGE were at the rendez-vous for this first ever Rides Challenge trip at UWC East Africa. The group of people you see in the picture above have unlocked a new route for our Rides Programme, and they did it with strength and determination. A total of 275 km in an untravelled region of Tanzania, north of the Usambara mountains, going from bush to beach. Baboons, zebras, monitor lizards, herons, vervet monkeys, hornbills; not only did we travel through scenic views of Lake Kalimawe or Mambo View Point, we had some nice wildlife sightings the whole way.

To add to the challenge, on the last cycling day, we lost our two supporting cars because they got stuck between huge mud puddles and a broken bridge about 35 km from Fish Eagle Point, our final destination. Thanks to Yohana, Salimu and Sanga, the cars could return safely and undamaged after being stuck near Magodi for 30 hours. The group of cyclists carried on the journey to Fish Eagle Point on their own and made it happily after 3 and a half days of riding their bikes. The sea water, the showers and the seafood curry were much appreciated by the 15 Rides Challengers who came back on Sunday, happy and proud.

A journey to remember! Shout out to our staff members, and special thanks to our OP Student-Leaders Mark (D1) and Townes (M4) for their valuable contributions to the trip.

Karibuni OP!

Olivier

Seeing is Believing 👀

What a difference a campus visit can make! This week I visited Nottingham, UK to participate in a Global Counsellor Conference that included exploring the three campuses of Nottingham Trent University (NTU). During my time visiting the Nottingham, Clifton, and Brackenhurst campuses with admissions specialists from across the globe, I was reminded of how much you gain from being on a campus and engaging with current students and staff. From the presentation about their amazing Confetti program, to listening as current international students discussed their range of experiences, my appreciation for NTU and all that it has to offer students grew immensely. I recognize that visits of this type are not always possible, but it is important to spend time visiting virtually and/or in-person as much as possible and asking lots of questions before making a final post-secondary destination decision. A tertiary education is a major investment, and requires a lot of effort to make the best decision for each individual student. There is no one size fits all institution, but by conducting thorough research now, you/your child will lead to desirable outcomes when stepping onto a campus/a planned gap year filled with excitement about what the future holds.

This reality was reinforced when I met up with Ahmed (UWCEA ‘21) who is a student at Luther College doing a study abroad year at the University of Nottingham. He has made the most of his time at Luther, but is also enjoying his academic adventures in the UK as a result of doing his homework about this international opportunity that still keeps him on track for graduation in 2025. I can’t wait to see the plans of our current D2 students as they finalize their well researched lists, and what the D1s and M5 students are beginning to discover through their post-secondary planning process. Please take time to enjoy the journey with them by lending your willingness to research and learn about their interests and options.

Staying Connected

Talking with Ahmed about his endeavors at Luther and University of Nottingham, I was impressed with all he has learned about life beyond the classroom and his desire to share his wisdom with students exploring their options for life after UWC East Africa. Our UWC community is wonderful when it comes to staying connected and offering expertise to help each other along the way. This weekend there will be a UWC alumni panel where current students can learn from their peers on Davis UWC Scholar Partner campuses in New York, USA. We have very eager alumni on campuses around the world who are ready to assist in any way they can to ensure those coming behind them are best prepared for what lies ahead. Take a look at the list of events below (and on the UWCEA Careers website) to see other examples of ways to engage with alumni and experts in the global admissions community. Connect and learn as decision making time draws near.

Also, this is a last call to parents/guardians of the Class of 2025 if you would like Maia Learning Parent Portal Access, please complete the form in the link below. I will add all interested parents/guardians before the break.

Link to form for DP families only at this time: https://forms.gle/BxUYQ9YK7HWbjpNW8

UPCOMING College and University Events

2 December: Times Vary Information sessions with Bocconi (Italy), Science Po (France) and UWC Alumni Panel with Cornell, Hamilton, and Ithaca (NY, USA) Don’t miss these virtual engagement opportunities.

5 December: 7:30-8:30 PM EAT Are you a College Bound athlete? Come learn more about the process of playing collegiate sports on a US campus (virtual)

6 December: 7:30-8:30 PM EAT  Bard College Berlin. Studying in Germany and pursuing a degree in the humanities. (virtual)

9 December: 3:00-5:00 PM EAT Global universities fair (virtual). Register in advance via link on UWCEA Careers website calendar.
*TBD December: 7:30-8:30 PM EAT Do you need to create an Art Portfolio for your application? Join us to learn more about how to successfully create a competitive portfolio for admissions consideration. (virtual)

Cassandra Ford
College and Career Counselor
cassandraford@uwcea.org