Arusha Campus News – 12 Nov 2026

And they are off! An all action image from the Inter schools Primary athletics day at Arusha Campus last weekend.

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

Our swimmers were in action two weekends ago in the inter schools’ swim galas at St Constantine’s school.

Belatedly, in this week’s newsletter we have news from D1 Project week and some photos from the adventures that our students embarked upon.

Two weekends ago we took all our swimmwers to St Constantine’s for the first of two annual swimming galas. Our team performed heroics with the Primary squad coming a commendable 3rd place and our Secondary squad winning their gala outright. Well done to all of them and thanks to Coaches Kevin and Frank and of course Miss Caitrin.

The next weekend also saw inter school competition in the form of athletics with our annual track and field competition. Once again our athletes performed brilliantly to secure third place in both Primary and Secondary age groups.

Sports continue into this coming weekend with our U19 and U16 volleyball, netball, basketball and ultimate frisbee competitions. We will be sharing the campus with the Iyanna Foundation and their youngsters who will be enjoying the facilities we have. Unfortunately, this means that the swimming pool will be in use all day and unavailable for the community.

Finally, for you PYP families, come and enjoy the PYP Movie organised by Miss Nancy. Details below!

Have a good weekend.

Phil

As a security precaution we have taken the decision to issue a new parking sticker. Please drop by the main reception and pick up your new RED parking sticker and replace the old one in your car windscreen. We are aiming to ensure all cars show off the new parking sticker by the start of Semester 2 in January.

Thank you for your undrstanding.

The montage above shows a recent PYP trip to Beetopia where we learned about bees and the immense ecological influence that they have.

In PYP we love to get out of the classroom to learn by experiencing things first hand! After learning about the importance of pollinators, the P1/2 class went to see some bees for themselves. Here is their report:

On Tuesday we went on a school trip to Beetopia! We made model stingless bee hives which included: pots with honey, a brood where the eggs are laid and hatch, a blanket, an entrance hole and some pollen. We learnt that all the bees were female! They have 1 stomach for nectar and 1 for food. They vomit the nectar up. Each year 1 colony of bees makes 1 litre of honey. We tasted some! Written by P1/2 students.

‘I liked to see the bees and taste the honey!’ Alba

‘I liked looking inside the hive.’ Liam

‘It was interesting!’ Aarya

Miss Adele, Head of PYP

Iyanna Foundation is a registered non-governmental organisation under the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children. Our journey began informally in 2018 and was formalised in 2021, working with young people facing hard circumstances across the Arusha and Moshi regions.

We partner with public schools, community structures and grassroots organisations to reach children and families who are too often left behind — through chess clubs and competitions, school support, and programmes for adolescent girls and young mothers. Everything we do is guided by our mission: Tuwalinde na Tuwaelimishe — Protect and Educate.

This Saturday, 14 November 2026, children from schools and clubs come together for the second Arusha Mini Games. Opening ceremonies start at 9:00 am and the games finish at about 4:00 pm. The event is organised by International Mini Games in collaboration with Iyanna Foundation.

The games are held at two venues. Soccer and skating take place at the Aga Khan Sports Ground (AKU-ACER). Swimming, taekwondo, chess, archery, dance and ballet, and arts take place at the UWC East Africa Arusha Campus.

If you’ve noticed our Diploma students looking exceptionally thoughtful lately, there’s a good reason for it: the Extended Essay is buzzing across both year groups! Writing a 4,000-word independent research paper is one of the most rewarding hallmarks of the IB Diploma, serving as the ultimate preparation for university-level inquiry, critical analysis, and self-directed project management.
Right now, our D2s (Class of 2027) are crossing the finish line! Having submitted their final essays, they are currently meeting with their supervisors for their Viva Voce, a 20-to-30-minute concluding reflection interview, and finalizing their 500-word Reflective Statements to gain the 4 precious marks of Criterion E.

At the exact same time, our D1s (Class of 2028) are taking their very first steps! We officially introduced the Extended Essay process during DSS last week, and students are now busy exploring potential topic areas, chatting with subject teachers, and discovering what research looks like across different disciplines as they gear up for their EE Fair in December.

Whether celebrating the culmination of a major academic achievement or embarking on a brand-new intellectual adventure, we couldn’t be prouder of our students’ curiosity, resilience, and growth!

Ms Rachel – EE Coordinator

Mangrove restoration project in Tanga (above)

Last week MYP and D2 students listened to our D1 students present their work on Project Week, reflecting on what they had learned and how they will take that learning forward. Project week is an exciting part of the IB Programme, both challenging and rewarding in so many different ways. This year 15 different teams headed out to pursue projects they had designed themselves and spent 3 weeks preparing for. This is a huge undertaking: students form their own groups, identify a passion for a shared cause, find an NGO working in that sector, and work with that organisation to decide on project goals and design action plans. In their presentations of their project, several groups remarked that they hadn’t appreciated how important such planning and collaboration was before they started their project but they now see that communication with the host NGO is vital.

This year students travelled to Dar, to Mafia and to Tanga. Some groups stayed closer to home and worked locally to provide education and sports activities for local children. Two groups put on arts and sports activities for the children of Tumaini La Maisha, a home for children receiving treatment for cancer. ‘Seeing the children so positive when they have so much to be sad about was inspiring,’ they told me on their return. Another group made a promotional video for Jobortunity, as well as organising workshops on computer skills, online safety and critical thinking. This local NGO told us how much they appreciated the students’ energy, commitment and creativity and hoped that they would return to continue this connection. Three groups worked in marine conservation, planting mangroves and learning about the threats to this precious ecosystem. Other groups worked in education projects ranging from supporting children with autism to young adults preparing for employment and setting up STEM activities for girls, to inspire the next generation of female scientists and engineers in Tanzania. One student who spent time at KCMC hospital summed up their experience: ‘this was amazing and overwhelming at times, often at the same time. We saw c-sections in the morning and autopsies in the afternoon. It was the most incredible experience of my life.’

We are always looking for local NGO’s to partner with so if you, or someone you know, are involved with a local organisation where our students could make a contribution, please contact Ms Hilary on  hilaryking@uwcea.org

Miss Hilary, CAS Co-ordinator

Learning how to set up telescopes before returning that evening and seeing Saturn

The next generation of medical practitioners? The KCMC team had an incredible experience

Brightening up classrooms with hand-painted murals, designed by students to meet the teachers’ requests

Preparing STEM workshops with the University of Dar Es Salaam

Bringing joy into the lives of children with cancer

Getting ready to work in mangrove restoration on Mafia Island.

Off on an anti-poaching patrol in Mkomazi National Park

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

 

 

Is changing your mind a sign of weakness, evidence of learning or something else entirely?
We all hold beliefs and opinions that shape how we see the world. But what happens when new evidence, different perspectives or personal experiences challenge what we think we know?
Perhaps intellectual strength is not about always being right, but about having the courage to reconsider what we think we know.
What do you think?

Mr Stephane. Head of Theory of Knowledge