Welcome to the new year. For some of you this is like coming home as you have been here a long time, for some it is the start of a new, and hopefully exciting, chapter. Either way I feel we got off to a great start this week and thank you to everyone that made this happen.
As a school we have a lot of different things happening and they can start very quickly in the year. An example of this is that our Outdoor Pursuits program already has the first two trips out with a Peaks trip to the top of Meru and an introductory Plains walk at Monduli. Over the next few weeks, we will be having other events such as the Pamoja walk bringing the D1 students from both campuses together and the MYP Orientation. Some of these are listed below. I encourage you to keep an eye on the school website as it has a page with the school calendar as well as the Moshi Community events so that you know when all the primary gatherings, assemblies, cultural nights, markets and other events happing on campus are.
As I mentioned to everyone at the welcoming assembly, the school offers opportunities to students of all ages to try new things in their classes and clubs. As a parent, to parents, may I suggest you encourage them to take advantage of these opportunities. As a school we believe that education is more than what happens in the classroom so the more students get to engage beyond the classroom, the more they will benefit. Soon the students in PYP and secondary will get to sign up for clubs and activities, please encourage them to be involved and to try new things.
So, welcome back, I hope everyone has a fulfilling and fun year and see below for more about what is happening around campus.
Bob Cofer – Head of Campus
Upcoming
Parent Coffee
On Thursday the 24th at 7:45am we will have our first Parent Coffee of the year in the Social Center. Myself, Anna and Ben invite you to join us to talk about the school and the year ahead. It is also an opportunity for some of you to meet Adnan our new Head of Residential Life. I look forward to seeing you then.
Bob
Cultural Night
Our first Cultural Night will be Sunday the 19th at 7pm in Rafiki Hall. These nights are an opportunity to hear students talk about their home country and learn a bit more about the world. This Sunday two students from Norway will be presenting.
Farmers’ Market
Ben’s Corner
Jump in! Jump out! Turn yourself about. I said jump in! Jump out! Now introduce yourself… My name is Ben (YEAH!) And I like teaching (YEAH!) And I think that I’ll be teaching for the rest of my life (FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE)
Thank you Ms. Jamie for inspiring me to kick things off a little differently this year! Like half of the school, I cannot get this out of my head! The first days of any school year are designed to allow returning students to reconnect and, of course, to welcome new students and give them the opportunity to familiarise themselves with new faces and a new environment. Making these connections is so important and, going forward, it is paramount that we keep looking out for each other, being open, communicating and offering our support where needed.
Hongera to our Student Orientation Committee who created a wonderful programme for our incoming D1 students and a reminder that there is a lot planned for our MYP Orientation next weekend.
A special mention to Sage (D2) who stayed in Moshi over the break and single-handedly delivered meals from our school kitchen to the KCMC spinal cord injury patients, each and every week of the holiday…he richly deserved a thank you cake from our Student Government Co-President, Deo.
It was lovely to see everyone at our Welcome Assembly on Tuesday. We welcomed our new teachers to the UWCEA community and I wanted to say a huge ‘congratulations’ to all of them for surviving their first week!
In fact, they have all been in-country for some time now, involved in an orientation programme of their own. We hope you enjoyed meeting our students and are starting to feel part of the community. We feel very lucky to have you. “Mtu ni watu” as the Swahili saying goes. Together, we have much to look forward to.
Ben Morley – Deputy Head of Campus
Diploma News
We have made it to the end of the first week. It has been an important week for both D1 and D2. The D1 students are settling into the new programme and the D2 students are starting the last year of their secondary education.
The week started with time with their mentors to talk about the school and the structures. Then the students moved to class. For D2 it was often straight into teaching. This is a two-year course and unless there was a new teacher there is no need for introductions. For D1 the classes are still not fixed. We are flexible for a few weeks as students are thinking about what best suits their future plans. Students have been challenged to think in a different way in TOK. We have discussed the differences and similarities between data and information, or between facts, opinions and beliefs. Or even what is the most important part of a fork?
On Wednesday we met all the students to talk about Service. This is an important part of school life and all MYP and DP students engage in service on a Wednesday afternoon. We offer a wide variety of options including working with local schools, preserving bees, helping at the local hospital and working in the community garden. Students have been sent a Google Form to select their choices and we will notify them soon what they are doing. We also talked about the option to run clubs and coach sports and there are some amazing ideas being discussed.
On Thursday a group of students got together to plan for a mentor session about Tanzania. We do this every year, but it is a chance for the local students and the longer-term residents to share some information and discuss ways to behave to show respect to the community.
On Friday we met with the D2 students to talk about some longer-term events.
The timetable for their final examinations is here. The exams will start on April 24th and end on May 17th. Graduation will take place on Saturday May 18th. Please note that each student is only allocated 3 tickets although they are allowed to give them to friends. The also met the college counsellor and talked about what they need to do.
This Sunday August 20th we have the first cultural night of the year. This is a chance for students to share information, facts and food from their country. We start with Norway.
Margaret Brunt – DP Coordinator
Residential Life
What a fantastic start to the school year! The energy and excitement that echoed across our campus during the first week were truly remarkable. From extending a warm welcome to our new D1 students through airport pickups and engaging orientation sessions, to sparking connections and friendships at the inaugural bonfire, our week was nothing short of eventful.
The Residential Life Introduction Talk set the tone for the months ahead, while the “Comfy Talks,” thoughtfully led by our D2 students, provided safe spaces for candid conversations. As our students settled into their dorms, residential parents played a vital role in fostering a sense of belonging through room organization and communal living expectations.
Throughout the week, our D2 students orchestrated a myriad of activities that both familiarized students with their surroundings – like campus and town tours – and allowed them to unveil their hidden talents at the lively Karaoke Night. The Maji Moto trip allowed students to connect with nature, and various teambuilding games to each other.
Staff also introduced the students to our Safeguarding approaches and support systems available at the school. And yes, the school bell rang for the first classes, gently nudging us back into our routine. The Sunset Dinner on the Football Pitch served as a perfect conclusion, creating a space for students to relax and deepen their connections.
In addition, our MYP students have arrived and are gradually acclimating to their new surroundings, with their orientation set to commence next weekend. Our final PYP arrivals are expected this Monday or Tuesday, and with those last arrivals, we should have a full house to kick off the year.
Our heartfelt appreciation goes to the tireless D2 Orientation Team and the dedicated staff members across various departments who helped orchestrate these remarkable events during the orientation week. Your commitment is what makes UWCEA an unwaveringly vibrant and supportive community.
Stay tuned!
Adnan Mackovic – Head of Residential Life
MYP News
Week one is over already, can you believe that?! It was such an exciting week filled with wonderful activities, ice breakers and getting to know each other and getting things in order. Our MYP family is growing and we are thrilled about that. As the new school year begins, we focus on organizing ourselves and finding what strategies suit us best. It’s a time of self-discovery where we learn how to manage our daily routines effectively. We experiment with different methods, to identify our personal styles. This phase isn’t just about arranging materials; it’s about aligning our thoughts and goals to strike a balance between school and personal life. In light of the latter, our M1s, M2s and M3s have been provided with planners (thank you Mama Morley for designing them). Our M4s and M5s are expected to have their own self-management strategies and are of course more than welcome to ask for planners should they want/need them.
Moreover, and to continue in the spirit of getting things in order, here is a message from our lovely Ms. Haviland:
MYP Orientation Welcome back to another year of learning, laughter, friendship and activities at UWCEA!
In order to orient our many new students and re-orient our returning students we have decided to run an MYP …well, Orientation this year. We hope this will help create a cohesive group from M1 to M5 and across the residential and day student communities.
Please don’t worry if your family has already made other plans or something unexpected prevents your student from joining us. We are hoping for a grand MYP turn out, but things happen. Also, if any parents are eager to join us we’d love as many chaperones for the sleepover as possible.
Please get in touch with Ms. Haviland (Room 11) if you need more information or want to chaperone. havilandstaggers@uwcea.org
So what do you need to know? WHEN: Starts: Friday, August 25, 15:00 (3pm) Ends: Saturday, August 26, 12:00 (noon) IT’S AN OVERNIGHT!!! WHERE: We’ll start in Rafiki and then move around the campus WHO: ALL MYP students, but ONLY MYP WHAT: (SHOULD STUDENTS BRING?)
Toiletries and Towel
Change of clothes with a jumper/fleece for the evening
Trainers/Sneakers for activities, sandals/slids for after
Appropriate Sleepwear/Pajamas
Sleeping Bag/Blanket and Pillow
Personal Tent (if you have one)
The Schedule
MYP Dates to Remember:
August 16th – Wednesday Afternoon Service for all MYP
August 25th – 26th MYP Orientation
August 28th – Whole Secondary Assembly
August 28th – Clubs and Activities Start for MYP
September 29th – 24 Hour Run
Farah Fawaz – MYP Coordinator
Sports Update
During this first week and the next week students have been leading impromptu activities at secondary, it has been great. I have joined in on a couple myself. Starting August 28, we will move into our scheduled activities and clubs. Our teachers are preparing many different clubs for the students to share their personal passions with the students.
Running a club is also a great opportunity for community members to take a risk and organize a club for our students. Please accept this invitation and come build relationships and enjoy this club time that all students participate in.
PYP clubs are Monday – Thursday from 2pm-3pm
MYP / DP clubs run Monday, Tuesday and Thursday in two session 3-4:30 and 4:30-6pm and Wednesday only 4:30-6pm
Thank you for considering running a club at UWCEA, please contact me at joshpickell@uwcea.org for more information and to get you on the schedule.
Coach Pickell – Sports & Activities Coordinator
PYP News
I hope your children have enjoyed the first week back at school. We were delighted to see them return to campus on Monday and have enjoyed hearing all of their news. It was lovely to see so many parents at Primary Gathering on Friday. A warm welcome to new families that are joining us this year. We also have new members of staff joining the PYP team – welcome to Natasha Berri who is joining us as the P6 teacher, Jamie Wood who will be teaching Music and Ester Mayala who is working in the Inclusion department.
Coach Pickell, our new Sports and Activities Coordinator, is busy liaising with teachers and Diploma students to put together a schedule for after school clubs. Parents are encouraged to offer an after school club. If you have an idea for an activity, for this quarter or a future one, please email Coach Pickell on joshpickell@uwcea.org. Our tentative starting date for clubs for this quarter is Monday, 28th August. More information will be shared with you shortly. Saturday football will begin on Saturday, 19th August, as communicated by email.
On Thursday, 24th August, we will host a “Meet the Teacher” evening 18:00 – 19:00. We will start outside near the toadstools for tea and coffee and will then move into the classrooms at 18:20 for a presentation. There will be the opportunity to ask general questions about the year ahead. Specific questions relating to your child’s progress can be answered at a later time, either by email or by making an appointment to meet with the teacher. The presentation will be repeated at 18:40 for the benefit of those parents who have more than one child at the school. School T-shirts will be available for purchase (10,000 Tshillings) on the night. Please note that all PYP children should wear a UWCEA T-shirt to school each day.
The Primary Parent Handbook is now on the school website https://www.uwcea.org/wp-content/docs/PriHBook.pdf and contains helpful information about the structure of the PYP and curriculum. If you have any questions please speak to your child’s teacher or email me.
The school calendar can be accessed online at https://www.uwcea.org/calendar/ There is a tab to access the Moshi Community Calendar and opening the “today” tab will display the information in a conventional calendar format. This calendar is regularly updated.
Some useful dates for your diary
Thursday 24th August – Meet the Teacher 18:00 – 19:00
Friday 1st September – P4/5 Primary Gathering
Friday 15th September – P6 Primary Gathering
Thursday 21st September – Peace Day
Wednesday 27th September – Maulid (provisional)
Friday 29th September – EC/P1 Primary Gathering
Friday 29th September – Saturday 30th September 24 Hour Run. PYP children need to be accompanied by a parent.
Friday 6th October – Last day of classes
Tuesday 17th October – Classes start
Deborah Mills PYP Coordinator
EC/P1 Class
We have had a week of getting to know one another and sharing about the things that make us unique. The children enjoyed books about the first day of school and how we all handle our nervousness differently. Most voted, Don’t Eat the Teacher by Nick Ward as their favourite.
This coming week, we will begin looking at the year’s first unit. The unit sheet went home with you already. We will start exploring the following line of inquiry: How people are similar and different. We will be listing things to explore over the course of the quarter. Do have these conversations at home as they will filter onto us as we have class discussions.
Home learning will be sent this week. Instructions on how to complete the home learning will be included in their folders. Every child will receive reading books or picture books. Some children will receive extra practice with word or number work. Home learning should be returned on Friday or Monday if you need the weekend to spend more time reading with your child.
Mboka Mwasongwe
P2/3 Class
It was a Super First Week in P2/3! We had a wonderful time getting to know each other and starting our lessons. I hope you heard good things about some of our activities: making Jitter Juice, our Magic Playdough, the first art project of the year. Our unit is Heroes and we will spend the first two weeks looking at Superheroes. The students are excited to talk about the topic and have lots of great ideas about what superheroes can do and how they try to help others. I sent home an email on Friday making a request for colorful t-shirts for making a class set of hero capes. Please send them in by Wednesday so we can create our capes by Friday. If you did not receive that email, please let me know by emailing me at kaceybuckley@uwcea.org.
The Central Idea of our Heroes Unit is: Heroic figures have an impact on communities and cultures.
We will have more fun next week with writing and drawing and pretending about Superheroes!
On Monday, Home Learning will be sent home and is expected to be returned on Friday. Therefore, please return any zipper folders that did not make it back to class last week. We will also need Library bags and books on Monday for our Library time. PE will be held on Tuesday and Thursday. Students are expected to wear running shoes and are encouraged to bring a hat and a water bottle. We also expect students to be wearing their school shirts everyday.
Thanks for all your support with the first week of class. I’m so excited about the learning we have ahead of us!
Kacey Buckley
P4/5 Class
This week the P4/5 children spent time getting to know each other. We made posters about ourselves and started some self-portraits. We also drew up some essential agreements which are the rules and routines we will use this year in class to ensure a safe and happy atmosphere that is conducive to learning. Next week, we will begin our first unit of inquiry.
Transdisicplinary theme: Who We Are Central Idea: How a person thinks and feels about themselves shapes them as a learner. Lines of Inquiry:
Factors that influence self-identity (Causation).
How a growth mindset develops a learner (Causation).
The children will bring home reading books starting on Monday. In P4-6 the children are expected to read for a minimum of 20 – 30 minutes a night. There is not a set day for changing books – the children should change the book when they have finished it.
I look forward to seeing many of you for the Meet the Teacher evening on Thursday 6-7pm, starting on the grass outside the primary classrooms.
Deborah Mills
P6 Class
It has been a great first week back to school for P6. We have been busy learning new routines and expectations, as well as doing some fun team-building activities to get to know each other. Students worked together to see who could build the tallest tower out of marshmallows and pasta and we played some games such as ‘What I Like’ and ‘Two Truths and a Lie’.
We also discussed the attributes of the Learner Profile, set goals for the year, did a Maths Assessment and wrote Acrostic poems using our first names. You can see our Acrostic poems on the board outside of our classroom. Next week we will begin our first Unit of Inquiry, ‘Early civilisations have shaped how the world is today’.
We have several new students joining us this year and we warmly welcome Devraaj, Hikari, Niko and Zach to our class. We look forward to meeting Devraaj and Niko when they arrive next week.
I am proud of the enthusiasm and great attitude shown by P6 this week and I am really excited about the year ahead.
I look forward to seeing you this Thursday for Meet the Teacher evening.
Natasha Berri
From the Counselors
University
My name is Aizhan Smagulova, and I am your new university counselor this year. I’m sure that most of you have met me, and for those who have not, I’m happy to introduce myself to you. I’m from Kazakhstan, the country of the great steppe, beautiful nature, and is a welcoming nation. As a daughter of the great steppe I really miss the kurt cheese, kumys (horse milk) and gathering with my family/friends for kazakh evening tea tradition called “al endi ozimiz shai isheiyk“. In a nutshell this means that we have hours and hours of tea, dinner, tea, more food and sweets tea ceremonies with our closest ones to process the day’s events, share dreams and hopes and spill some tea. (An essential part of social connectedness in our society, can you believe that we have lived thousands and thousands of years without a social media, huh?) As a descendant of nomadic culture, I have been traveling around for a bit, living here and there, studying, working, and truly enjoying getting connected to the cultures and traditions in each of those places. During my studies in Budapest, I thoroughly enjoyed the local thermal baths, saunas, as well as the stunning architecture in the old center of the city. My favorite part in Moscow was visiting the natural and historical parks such as Tsaritsyno, Vorobyevy Gory, Kolomenskoe, and Izmailovsky, as well as enjoying promenades along the embankment of the river. Some days, I would also just walk along Leningradskiy prospekt from the beginning, which started next to my dorm, to the center – 6-hour walks with my headphones were indeed a working stress coping mechanism during my undergraduate studies. The best part of my two-year US Covid adventure was definitely all the visits and hikes in the national and state parks, where my friends and I would meditate, camp, cry, laugh, and enjoy nature and each other’s company. One of the most memorable moments in my life was sitting next to Niagara Falls for thirty minutes straight and just embracing the gigantic, infinitely beautiful, and powerful flow of water – I do believe that a part of my ego was left there, somewhere in the great waters between Canada and the US :’).
On a more serious note this is the link to the registration and calendar for our campuses virtual and in person visits. Please be mindful of checking with it regularly.
There are going to be two virtual events next week; meeting with EU business school and Information session with Davis Partner Institution Hamilton College.
There’s one more piece of important news I wanted to share with you now, unfortunately the 7th of October SAT session will not be held on our campus, and we’ll only have the November session. This may affect your college choices for EA and ED, so please see me or write me an email, so we could think what can be done to make sure this unfortunate change won’t affect you negatively.
P.S. D2s – Read my emails, set the appointments and can’t wait to meet with the rest of you very soon. Please start working on your Personal Statements and Common App essays :,). Oh the places you’ll go! <3
Aizhan Smagulova – University Counselor
Social Emotional
I hope everyone had a restful and joyful holiday and a very warm welcome to another year at UWCEA Moshi, to both new and old members of our community. Campus has been buzzing this week with lots of excited and a bit nervous students (and staff!) sharing stories from the holiday and somewhat ready to take on the new school year. Naturally it will take us all some time to get into the swing of things with new schedules, routines and activities etc, but as we do so I would like to encourage everyone to be kind, supportive and helpful to one another.
I wanted to take the opportunity to introduce you to our WELLBEING SUPPORT available on campus, which this year has doubled in size. Yey!
My name is Frida Marealle and this is my third year as a socio-emotional counselor at the school. Apart from supporting students with their wellbeing and my role as a Safeguarding lead, I will also continue to be involved in overseeing the whole school Life Skills curriculum. My residential mentor duties are in the MYP girls dorm KIOTA every Wednesday night.
This year the school is beyond happy to have Keziah Kamau, a Counseling Psychologist as an additional socio-emotional counselor and safeguarding lead. She is also a residential parent in the DP girls dorm KIPAWA and the DP boys dorm KISIWA.
We will be sharing the responsibility of ensuring that students, parents and the community feel seen, listened to and supported while at school Our room number 18 is located in the heart of the school, opposite the staff lounge and we have an open-door policy. Please swing by to say hi if you get a chance!
Below is our time table and contact details. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the wellbeing of your child, please do not hesitate to get in touch!
