Arusha Campus News – 4 Feb 2024

Juanita (D2) is a model of concentration as she prepares to launch the shot put on Friday morning’s athletics day.

Wed 7th-Fri 16th February – D2 Mock Exams

Mon 12th February – D1 Project week

Mon 12th February – MYP Week Without Walls

Sat 17th February – Jane Goodall at Arusha Campus

Fri 8th March – PTA Cheese and Wine Evening

Tristan (M5) was the former NTSAA javelin champion in his age group. On Friday, he reacquainted himself with old foes from Orkeeswa in the 2023/24 version of the competition.

A big thank you to Miss Caitrin and Mr Samwel for preparing and running two splendid Northern Tanzania Schools Athletics Association athletics tournaments. If you remember, these events had been postponed when we received torrential rain in November. This time we were blessed with stupendous sunshine and soaring temperatures – and of course the ubiquitous white butterflies which are everywhere in Arusha at the moment! The days were superbly organised and on both days the overall winners were St Constantine’s. St Constantine’s athletes performed outstandingly and always with modesty and style. They were an example of how to win with grace and so I was very pleased for them!

A ‘Save the Date’ announcement! Jane Goodall will be speaking at Arusha Campus on 17th February so look out for further details when we have them.

Our D2 students are busy preparing for their mock exams whilst the rest of the secondary school will be out on Week Without Walls (MYP) or Project Week (D1).

Enjoy your Sunday evening!

Phil

Real life experiences are so important to a child’s learning.

In order to grasp a good general knowledge of the world children need to learn through experiences. They: 

Increase motivation 

Improve behaviour

Develop Communication & Language – experiences give children something to talk about.

Develop Understanding of the World

Develop Mathematical skills

As we walk round our primary school we see examples of real life experiences happening every day. The NEC lass went on a listening safari, P1 found ways to express themselves through dance, P2 visited the Arusha Giraffe Center, P3/4 have been learning to tell the time, P4/5 have produced plays from a story and in P6 the students have been developing vegetable garden.

Amanda

Thank you to Mr Jonny for coaching our athletes (pictured above), to Mrs Caitrin for a superbly organized event  and to our fantastic students for performing so well.

New NTSAA records for:
Long jump Roan Van Der Goot
Discus Sam Van Der Goot
Discus Teddy Mkwabe

Last week P2 visited Nat’s Dairy as part of their unit of inquiry into cycles. There are naturally occurring cycles all around us and nowhere better to see them than on a working farm. Pictured above is a wonderful example of a beautiful sentiment from Gaia, with her thank you letter.

Jabez caught in a moment of deep focus (D1) as he prepares to launch the discus on Friday’s athletics event

Next week on Wednesday, the D2 students will be starting their mock examinations with Biology in the morning and Humanities subjects in the afternoon. The mocks will take place in the PA until Friday 16th February and students with access arrangements will be in the Drama room next to the PA. These mock examinations give the students the opportunity to experience sitting an exam paper in exam conditions. For each paper, students get 5 min reading time prior to the official start of the exam (except for paper 1 in science, since it is a multiple choice paper). The students also get a 30 min and a 5 min warning before the end of the exam. We wish them all the best!

The D1 will be completing their Project week during the second week of the Mock exams. We have a wide range of projects taking place this year, such as a team working as research assistants for a professor in Dar, a group helping young children develop motor and practical skills through day to day activities in a hospital in Dar, another group going to Tuleeni Children’s Home in Moshi to help with creative activities with the children and helping around the home and the classroom, a group collaborating with the Chupis (a charitable organization run by women)… A couple of projects will also take place on our campus: the OP Student-Leader Training Program and a creativity team aiming to make videos for future students coming to our campus.

Nathalie

Jessica (M5) clears the high jump bar with centimetres to spare.

Exploring a world of possibilities

The last two weeks have been a whirlwind of activities, and have involved an array of international experiences. From 19-26 January, I was in India learning about institutions four states that are implementing a liberal education model, and are seeking to bring international students to their campuses to enrich the learning environment. I was honored to meet the founder of Symbiosis International University, which has been at the forefront of the global education movement for over fifty years. Then on the campus of GITAM, I had the pleasure of meeting (and being cheered on by) a group of students from Tanzania who are completing undergraduate and graduate degrees on the beautiful campus near a fabulous beach. In addition, I had a chance to spend time on the UWC Mahindra campus, where I had a chance to interact with students from around the world who are also a part of this magnificent movement we have joined.

While I was away, I received images from alumni who shared ways they are expanding their education beyond their home campus. Ken and Fien (UWCEA Moshi ‘21) met in the UK where he is doing a semester abroad at London School of Economics, and she spends another semester in a different country as she continues her studies at Minerva University. I also received the image above of Avinash and Christian (UWCEA Arusha ‘23) as they connected on the University of Pennsylvania campus because of the opportunity that Avinash has taken advantage of to take courses at other campuses near his college.

As I flew back (on Air Tanzania) and looked out at the sun rising on the horizon, I could not help but be excited about the world of possibilities that exist for our students. This week I met with the D1s in DSS to officially start their post-secondary planning process, and also talked with the M4s and M5s about joining upcoming visits to learn more about institutions they may never have heard of before. With everything that is happening in the world today, it is important to recognize that there is so much for our young people to look forward to as they step outside their comfort zone and explore a multitude of options that exist all over the globe!

Careers Symposium Recruitment – PLEASE HELP!

It is almost that time of year again. We are looking for professionals who are willing to come to campus in late March and share your expertise with our students. Our M5 and D1 students are at a critical stage in their academic lives. Learning more about the world of work, and careers that they may know very little about, will be extremely beneficial as they begin to plot their path forward. If you are interested in participating, or know someone who can bring their expertise to our campus, please email me at cassandraford@uwcea.org and I will share more details.

Keep checking the calendar of events on the UWCEA Careers website to see what is coming our way, including…

UPCOMING College and University Events

29 February: 4PM US Consulate is doing a virtual presentation for us – details to follow.
13 March: 7:30 PM EAT D1 Parent/Guardian meeting: Preparing for the pursuit of post-secondary opportunities (Part I)
26 March: 1-4PM CIS University Exploration Fair (Africa) – virtual

Take care and enjoy your weekend!

Cassandra Ford

College and Career Counselor
cassandraford@uwcea.org