Moshi Campus News – 21 Feb 2026

This weekend we have our traditional end of February long weekend. As term 3 is our longest term this provides students and staff the opportunity to catch their breath as they move into March. For some this is time to stay at home relaxing, for some an opportunity to see parts of Tanzania and actually some are using this time to catch up or get ahead.

No matter how you use this weekend please note the many things going on when we start next week. You will see information about the Personal Project Exhibition and the production Oda Adeyemi. As well there is the International Day on March 7th and I hear the Market team is trying to get a market in next Friday as well. Please join us for all our events on campus.

Bob Cofer – Head of Campus

Our next on campus coffee morning will be on Tuesday March 3rd at 7:45am. You are welcome to join Anna and Adnan and me to talk about things happening on campus and plans for the future. We will be looking to host an online one as well later on so parents who are further away look out for that invite.
Bob Cofer

There is nothing better than a refresher moment, and on our campus we were treated to rain this week!! Some may call it a drizzle, some a shower (depending on our perceptions of rainy seasons), but it did rain, and with that came a much-needed reminder. In the MYP, learning is all about growth, reflection, and fresh perspectives… and sometimes, just like the rain, we all need a pause to reset, recharge, and let things soak in before moving forward.

With a long weekend ahead, this felt like the perfect metaphor: a chance to slow down, catch our breath, and come back refreshed and ready to learn. And of course, no rain would be complete without joy. Ms. Frida, fully embracing the moment and dancing in the rain… because if there’s one thing we do well on this campus, it’s finding learning, laughter, and a little magic in unexpected moments.

Now, onto the highlights from this week…

M5 Mocks Done and Dusted
Our M5 students have officially wrapped up their mock assessments. These were not easy, and they were never meant to be. Mocks are designed to stretch students, test endurance, and mirror the realities of formal assessments they will encounter beyond the MYP. Over the past days, students showed perseverance, focus, and maturity in how they approached the process (yes, they even asked Ms. Jenette for extra French sessions). From managing time and stress, to navigating unfamiliar question types and applying skills under pressure, they demonstrated that learning is not just about what you know, but how you respond when challenged.

While no assessment is perfect, this experience was a necessary and valuable one, an opportunity to reflect, grow, and build confidence moving forward. We are proud of how our M5s handled themselves, and we look forward to unpacking the results together as a learning experience rather than just an outcome.

Well done M5s, take a breath, you’ve earned it.

M5 – #MYPX2026
The countdown is on! Our M5 students are getting ready to showcase their Personal Projects, celebrating independent learning, purposeful action, and personal impact. From passion-driven ideas to meaningful outcomes, this exhibition is a powerful milestone in their MYP journey.

If you’re in Moshi, spread the word and come by! If you’re nearby and able to make it, we’d love to welcome you to campus. And if you’re farther away, stay tuned for updates through our school communication channels and social media.

The IB has invited schools worldwide to use #MYPX2026 when sharing Personal Project Exhibition moments. Any photos posted with this hashtag may be featured on IB platforms and websites, so snap, share, and celebrate with us!

We can’t wait to shine a spotlight on our M5s and their incredible work.

MYP/Secondary Swim Gala
Our MYP and Secondary students made a splash at the Swim Gala this week! This event was about much more than speed. It was about personal improvement, perseverance, and putting in the effort to beat one’s own time.

Throughout their PHE lessons, students have been working on time trials, technique, and stamina, and the Swim Gala provided a meaningful opportunity to see that progress in action. For many, it was about pushing past nerves, showing resilience, and celebrating growth, big or small.

Well done to all our swimmers for their commitment, sportsmanship, and energy in the pool, and a big thank you to the PHE team for organizing a fun and purposeful event! Thank you to all the team involved in this and to all the parents who flew in/joined to watch!

MYP Dates to Remember

• February 20th to 23rd – Long Weekend (Inclusive)
• February 25th – M5 Personal Project Exhibition Prep Day
• February 26th – M5 Personal Project Exhibition
• February 27th & 28th – Moshi Production
• March 2nd to 6th – Book Week
• March 9th to 12th – M5 Final French Orals
• March 12th – Evening of the Arts
• March 17th – Secondary PTCs
• March 19th – Secondary PTCs
• March 27th – Classes End Q3
• March 28th to April 12th – Spring Break (Inclusive)
• April 13th – Q4 Begins & Classes Resume at 7:30 am

Have a wonderful week,
Farah Fawaz – Head of MYP

Dear UWCEA Community,

As we head into the long weekend, we’re wrapping up the week on a high note – quite literally.

Open-Mic Night gave us an evening of music, poetry, and a surprising amount of courage for a Saturday night. Students performed and dedicated their pieces to people who matter to them: friends, family members, partners, mentors. Some were polished, some were raw, some required deep breaths before starting, but all of them felt intentional. It’s not a small thing to stand up in front of your peers and share something personal. They did it anyway.

We also kicked off our first Culture Night of the season, with our German community leading the way. They introduced us to elements of their culture, language, traditions. Culture Nights always remind us how much depth lies behind the flags we see on campus every day.

Our D2 students , fresh out of mock exams, were ambushed (in the best way) with a surprise Senior Skip Day trip to Maji Moto. After weeks of revision schedules, highlighters, and stress, they traded classrooms for water and sun. The timing felt right. There’s still a long stretch ahead, but a pause was well-earned.

And finally, as Lent and Ramadan begin, many of our students have entered a month of fasting, reflection, and spiritual grounding. Last night, we gathered as a community to break fast together. There is something profoundly moving about sitting side by side, across faiths, cultures, and backgrounds, sharing dates, food, and quiet conversation at sunset. It was simple. It was meaningful. It was exactly what community looks like.

Wishing everyone a restful long weekend, whether you’re fasting, feasting, revising, performing, or simply catching up on sleep.

Adnan Mackovic – Head of Student Life

This weekend, we are enjoying a much needed long weekend. Some D2 classes got their mock exams back while others will likely get theirs back this coming week. A mock report will be published on 9 March.

We have also started to plan for the D2 graduation which will take place at 3pm on 23 May 2026. Space is limited to 3 seats per student. We also want to invite travelling parents to a meet and greet on the evening of 22 May – we look forward to meeting over a drink and snack.

Please look out for the invitation to join our upcoming parent teacher conferences.

The picture is of some of our Diploma students working on the production backdrop.

Catherine Dowie – Head of Diploma

Last week, our D1 Business Management students had the exciting opportunity to visit Oasis Young Plants, located just a few kilometers from Moshi. The field visit provided a valuable chance for students to connect classroom learning with real-world business practice.

During the visit, we were warmly welcomed by Renee and Christine, the owners of the business, who generously took us on a guided tour of the farm. Students were able to observe first-hand how business concepts studied in class; such as operations management, marketing, and organizational structure; are applied in a real entrepreneurial setting.

An engaging question-and-answer session allowed students to deepen their understanding of key business concepts and gain insight into the challenges and rewards of running a growing enterprise. The experience was both educational and inspiring, reinforcing the importance of experiential learning in Business Management.

We are grateful to Oasis Young Plants for hosting us and for contributing meaningfully to our students’ learning journey.

William Mmassy

Last week during physics class we got an opportunity to win a Nobel Prize! At the beginning of the lesson we were given a task to come up with the solution to a physics problem regarding conservation of linear momentum, which won the actual Nobel Prize. At first, we were divided into pairs. Doreen and I started analyzing the problem and quickly found an answer to the first question, arguing that momentum was not conserved. As it turned out later, the tricky part was to prove the contrary. When we had reached a dead end in our thinking process, Mateusz suggested combining forces with another pair, Aleena and Prasanna. We both had missing pieces in our solutions; however, thanks to collaborative work, we completed the puzzle and finally solved this riddle! Teamwork makes the dream work, as they say. The winners will enjoy a dinner in Jackfruit covered by a “Nobel Prize” fund. Luckily, we got our prize straight away, unlike Frederick Reines, who waited 40 years to get his award.
Yuliia, D1

On Saturday, students and staff from our two touch rugby teams competed in the annual Open Arusha Touch Rugby Tournament, which attracted teams from all around Tanzania and as far away as Kenya.

The tournament featured some highly competitive matches, in which both teams played incredibly well to finish 2nd in their respective pools. This sent both teams through to the quarter finals of the cup. Despite a valiant effort, they lost their knockout games, including one to a retired Kenya-7s team.

A highlight was watching both teams dazzle their opponents with their favourite new set-move, “Gecko”, which led to at least five points in the tournament. This is testament to their hard work and creativity in executing their game-plan.

The students not only displayed some dazzling skills that bamboozled defenders, but also great sportsmanship. This was evident during the 2nd match in which the students exemplified respect to their opponents and the referee despite it being a frustrating match.

Final scores for Team 1 were: 5-3 win vs Dar Leopards, 1-6 loss vs Karen Crusaders, 4–0 win vs TRD Bulldogs and 3-0 loss vs TRD Wakuda.

Final scores for Team 2 were: 2-1 win vs Ukonga Warriors, 0-4 loss vs TRD Wakuda, 5-2 win vs Iringa Mwawa and 5-2 loss to Karen Crusaders.

Points were scored by: Ianto, Malo, Thomas, Mr. Finn (2), Onno (2), Townes (2) and hat-tricks by Raymond, Ivan and Mr. Baden.

Congratulations to the teams, Mr Dowie, Mr Finn and to the organisers of the tournament. It is fantastic to be able to contribute to the development of Rugby in Tanzania, and we already can’t wait for next time.

Every two weeks, there is a Kilimanjaro Dirt Road Hash which is a great way to explore the surroundings. We also have a wonderful Uja program for our students coming from all over the world to connect with local families. So, we decided to combine both, and we had our first Ujash this past Sunday!

It was so nice to see so many people showing up and new connections being made. The best part was probably the delicious food waiting for everyone at the end of the walk! A massive thank you to Tahera and her wonderful team, but also to all the Ujas who brought so much: pizzas, snacks, tables, chairs, and of course, your Ujas children who made the day even better!

Even though it was super-hot, everyone kept going and really enjoyed exploring the landscape together. As Cata said during her welcoming speech: “We want to encourage everyone who isn’t a hasher yet to join us every other Sunday. It’s a great way to explore new places and have an adventure.” This works both ways: if you are a Uja family, come try a Hash! And if you are already a hasher, why not join the Uja program? It’s a great way to get more involved in our community.

See you at the next Hash on Sunday, March 1st!

Many thanks to everyone who attended the primary swimming gala. Thank you to Coach Collin, Coach Patrick and Coach T for organising this very enjoyable event. After the gala we had a  picnic celebrating Coach Sabini’s 38 years at the school. Many thanks go to Ms. Kacey and Ms. Mkunde for organising the picnic and plaque. Everyone had a lovely time and the cake and snacks were very well received.

Next week the P4/5 class will go camping on Tuesday, returning Wednesday, and the P2/3 class will go camping on Wednesday, returning Thursday. Let’s hope for dry weather!

Book week will commence on Monday, 2nd March, so please take some time to start planning your child’s book character costume (to wear on Thursday, 5th March) and also email your child’s class teacher a photo of him/her reading in an unusual location or situation to be displayed on our “Get Caught Reading!” Board.

Deborah Mills – Head of PYP

We read The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle this week, acted out the story using little puppets and began to create our very own book using different art media. We will continue with this project next week and into Book Week as well.

The children participated well in the PYP swimming gala. They were all great risk-takers. They were also very happy to see Coach Sabini and enjoyed the picnic where we celebrated his legacy.

Home learning will not be given the week we return from the long weekend, but we will go to the library to change our books. Please send in library bags on that Tuesday.

A reminder that yearbook photos will be taken on Wednesday, the 25th of February.

Mboka Mwasongwe

We fit a lot into a short week! Swim Gala, a 3-D Shape Museum, more work on our Space Books, an art lesson with Ms. Miriam and a fabulous Fasching celebration with Mama Eleni – we deserve this Long Weekend. The photo is from our time with Mama Eleni who taught us about the German tradition of parades and parties to mark the days before Lent. The class had streamers and told jokes and even had our own mini parade with candy being tossed out! Thank you so much for the fun, Sophia!

Please do find time over this short break to take a Get Caught Reading photo and to make a plan for your Book Character costume. Also be in touch if you’d be willing to be a Mystery Reader and come to read during the week. I will be sending an email about available times.

Next week will be busy – don’t forget that Tuesday is our Swim PE lesson. If anyone needs to swap books at the Library (because of missing our Friday visit), we can do a book swap on Tuesday if you bring in books. Also on Tuesday, P3 students will be picking up their supplies from the OP store. And on Wednesday, we take off for our P3 camping trip to Simba Farms! P2 will be taking their lessons as usual and we will see them upon our return on Thursday before the school day begins. P3 students are welcome to remain on Thursday for lunch and club but will need to have a plan for their food as it is not included in the camping schedule.

Kacey Buckley

This week the children have worked on patterns in maths. As part of their unit of inquiry they have observed their seeds growing in different conditions. They have also considered the pros and cons of buying locally produced food. We are looking forward to our camp next Tuesday at Kahawa Shamba where we will learn more about coffee production in the Kilimanjaro region.

Deborah Mills

The last week involved what felt like half of Moshi and Arusha hosting P6 for PYPX field trips — from the African Blackwood Conservation Project, to Mbwa Wa Africa, to Simon Mtuy’s farm. A very big thank you to Cyril and Michael at African Blackwood, Jacqueline at Mbwa Wa Africa, and Mr Simon Mtuy for so generously welcoming us, and to Mr Rakesh, Ms Katie, and especially Mr Emmanuel for making the logistics actually work (no small feat). We also had a fantastic Swim Gala — thank you to Coaches Collin, T, Patrick and Ms Lerato for the energy, organisation, and for somehow arranging that the rains politely held off.

As we head toward the break, I think we can all agree that rest is needed and that it would be wonderful if every circulating virus could kindly pack its bags as well. A reminder that Yearbook photos are on Wednesday 25th February — please wear the school T-shirt. The long weekend is also the perfect opportunity to draft entries for the short story competition for Book Week and to snap those “Get Caught Reading” photos.

See you on Tuesday!

Elisha Jaffer

Primary students have been introduced to the concept of social awareness. The understanding that people have feelings, noticing how others may feel and choosing kind and respectful responses. Across grade levels, key vocabulary such as feelings, noticing body language, listening, inclusion, empathy, perspective, kindness, and respect are being explored.

The focus is to help students ‘see beyond self’ and pay attention to the people around them. As we move forward, we will continue to build on these foundations by strengthening students’ social skills, including positive communication, healthy boundaries, cooperation and responsible decision-making. The goal is to support students in developing positive relations with others.

Everyday ways to reinforce the vocabulary at home include:

• Talk about feelings: Ask your child how they felt during the day and what might have made others feel happy, sad, or frustrated.
• Model empathy: Share your own observations of body language, e.g. That person looks upset, I wonder how they’re feeling.
• Practice listening: Take turns speaking and listening during conversations to build attention and understanding. Invite your child to a conversation to encourage perspective-taking.
• Notice kindness: Point out and praise kind actions you see your child or others doing.

Keziah Kamau – Social-Emotional Counselor

This week, 22 students and 8 staff set off from Ngorongoro on an epic five-day adventure to Lake Natron, including a hike up Tanzania’s third-highest peak, Mount Loolmalasin (3,682 MASL).

Joining the expedition are School Director Dr Anna Marsden and Head of the School Board Mrs Tine Hemelings, who are taking the opportunity to understand the inner workings of the OP team and see firsthand how we operate. The trip also provides a wonderful chance for them to connect with students and staff in a more informal setting – ideally before anyone realises who packed the communal snacks.

The photo shows the group at the Ngorongoro gate.

Campus Skills Track Underway
As mentioned previously, the OP team is developing a skills development cycle track on campus to help students prepare for Rides trips. Our OP student leaders have already begun clearing the area and marking out the track. We’ll keep you updated on progress – and on who takes the first ceremonial tumble.

Linked to this, please read Marianne’s reflection of the previous rides trip.

King’ori Rides Exploration

The King’ori Rides trip was my first OP trip, and it has already become one of my most memorable UWC experiences. It combined peaceful evenings with iconic Tanzanian scenery, on- and off-road cycling, and an impressive number of flat tyres to create a truly wonderful outdoor experience.

We began with a 20 km ride near Mount Kilimanjaro. Although it was definitely a challenge for the first day, a light rain made the ride more comfortable, and the views of Lake Manyara made every uphill stretch worthwhile. From our campsite we spotted flamingos and even a few giraffes, and we spent the evening cooking, laughing, and sharing snacks in our tents.

The following morning brought near-perfect cycling conditions: cool, cloudy weather with a breeze and clear views of Mt. Meru and Mt. Kilimanjaro. Our ride wasn’t entirely smooth — dust, falls, and unexpected roadblocks tested us — but with help from our Arusha driver, we overcame every obstacle. We reached Macarela Inn by lunchtime, enjoyed a quick swim (and some well-earned naps), then set up camp and ended the day watching a football match.

We had been promised the final day would be entirely downhill, and it did not disappoint. We flew through the last 28 km — I felt like I barely used the pedals. The trip was everything I had hoped for: a chance to bond with Arusha and MYP students, explore the King’ori area, relax from school life, and improve our cycling skills.
A huge thank you to Mr Isaac, Mr Salim, Ms Mercy, Mr Baden, Mr Stephan (from Arusha), Mr Kato, and Mr Justin for making this trip possible. I highly, highly recommend it!

Marianne D1

The restoration and Workshop Service teams have been working tirelessly to achieve their project goals. We are proud to announce the sanding of 3x playground equipment pieces are complete, and this week the students have painted the red oxide rust primer onto the steel. Which means next week we can start applying the colour paint. Super exciting. One piece of equipment, namely, the swing, is still getting final sandings. We are motivated by the fact that the Daycare community school will be receiving their refurbished playground equipment in about a month. Refuse, Reuse and Recycle is our mantra during this labour-intensive project. Well done Student service teams, keep up the great work.

Baden Dowie- Community Engagement and Service