Moshi Campus News – 25 Oct 2025

As we start back from the October break let me welcome back our returning students and families and also welcome the four new students that have joined us this past week. For everyone I hope this was a time to rest and recuperate.

We have a shorter newsletter this week but that does not mean it has been quiet. This week our Cultural presentations kicked off again on Thursday, Wednesday saw Service time back in action and Friday we had P4/5 take us through a Primary Gathering.

OP has been in full swing with a Kilimanjaro trip that finished during the break and two trips currently out, Mt Hanang and a plains walk at Monduli. We have reefs, rides, and peaks trips all in November.

On Monday we will have an assembly at 10:30 in K-hall, parents you are welcome to join us. Next Friday we have Halloween activities in Primary and Secondary, see below for more details and secondary students, more information about secondary events will be emailed to you.

Our Secondary Parent-Teacher conferences will be the afternoon of November 4th and the morning of November 6th. Parents you will have been emailed details on how to sign up and a separate email with your unique login code.

A reminder that Wednesday is the National Election and a public holiday so we will have no classes.

Bob Cofer- Head of Campus

The Trunk-or-Treat is for PYP and M1 and the haunted house is for M4-D2, more details to come for the full list of events for all age groups.

This has been a big week for many of our D2 students who are finalizing their University Applications, submitting their final extended essays and completing a number of end-of-semester assessments. We did extend their EE deadline to help them balance the demands of Uni applications and final submissions. This is a demanding season for our students and we are so proud of their resilience. Students are encouraged to reach out if they need support.

Next week we look forward to parent teacher conferences which will run on Tuesday afternoon and Thursday morning. Students must attend the conference with their parents. Please look out for a separate email about sign ups.

Catherine Dowie – Head of Diploma

Our D1 Chemistry students have been investigating how ideal gases are meant to behave – and how real gases behave differently. To begin, the class engaged in a Theory of Knowledge discussion around the questions: What does it mean to call something an “ideal” model? What do scientists gain and lose when they idealize reality? This helped set the stage for thinking critically about the role of models in science.

The students then researched the assumptions of the ideal gas model and acted them out using basketballs to represent gas particles. Students made predictions, observed and compared their results to theory, sparking a discussion on why real gases don’t always follow the “perfect” rules.

Later in the week, students used an online simulation of the ideal gas law. Students collected their own data by controlling variables such as temperature or volume, then constructed tables and plotted graphs to show the relationships.

These activities not only made the theory more memorable but also strengthened important IB Science skills – from writing hypotheses, recording data, graphing results and drawing conclusions. Giving them tools to approach their Internal Assessments investigations and beyond, as they learn to think like real scientists.

Mahek Pandit

While most of us were enjoying a well-deserved rest during the October break, Phuc, a D2 student, was busy inspiring minds at Moshi Technical Secondary School—not once, but twice!

Coordinating directly with the school’s Physics teacher, Phuc independently arranged both visits, continuing his tradition of turning holidays into opportunities for learning and connection.

On his first day, Phuc challenged students with an open-ended mathematical puzzle he designed himself: a Tangram problem that sparked curiosity and creative problem-solving. The students dove into the task with enthusiasm, exploring geometric reasoning through hands-on engagement.

The second visit took a fascinating turn as Phuc introduced the idea of proving mathematical theorems using principles from physics. The interdisciplinary approach captivated the students, blending abstract logic with real-world mechanics. One student even shared his own innovation—using electrical circuits to generate algorithms for color patterns, a brilliant fusion of electronics and computational thinking.

Phuc’s initiative reminds us that learning doesn’t stop when the bell rings. Sometimes, the most memorable lessons happen when we least expect them.

The first day back after a break always feels the same for students and teachers, funny enough. There’s that brief moment of collective confusion: “Wait, what day is it? Do we still remember how to school?” But by midweek, the MYP had quickly found its rhythm again, lessons and projects rolling, and loud conversations in the breezeways. By Friday, everything was back to normal… as if we’d never left.

M4 Language and Literature English
Big plans are underway for M4 this quarter as they dive into their new Language & Literature unit, The Power of Voice: Slam Poetry in and for Community. This unit is all about connection exploring how self-expression and storytelling can challenge assumptions and bring people together. Students will be studying and creating their own slam poems inspired by real issues that matter to them and their communities. Stay tuned for a performance event later this quarter, where their voices will take the stage in a celebration of creativity, courage, and community engagement.

M1 The Creative Process
Our M1 artists have been diving into the creative process this week, refining their stenciling and cutting techniques as they prepare for an exciting final project designing their very own album covers. This hands-on unit encourages students to experiment with layers, textures, and composition while learning the precision and patience that come with creating custom-made stencils. Each piece will reflect not only their developing artistic skills but also their individual style and imagination. We can’t wait to see how these designs come to life in the coming weeks!

MYP Dates to Remember

• October 27th – Whole School Assembly
• October 29th – Election Day – No Classes
• October 31st – Halloween
• November 4th – PTCs
• November 6th – PTCs
• November 21st to 23rd – Sports Weekend
• December 4th – Evening of the Arts
• December 8th – End of Year Assembly
• December 9th – Independence Day
• December 12th – End of Q2 – School ends af 12:30pm

Have a great week ahead,
Farah Fawaz – Head of MYP

This past Thursday eight students from M2 to D2 partook in the Dubai Scholars International Mathematics Olympiad. As one would expect from the name, this event was held out of Dubai and was held online. It allowed us a chance to compete with students from the Middle East, Asia, and other regions of Africa. We are still waiting on the results which will be announced on the 30th of October, but we are expecting good things.

Joshua, M5

Thank you to everyone who attended the P4/5 gathering on Friday. The children enjoyed sharing their learning with you and the rain did not dampen their spirits.

Clubs

After school clubs will start on Monday, 27th October and will finish on Thursday, 4th December. Club confirmations are shared on Life. If you missed the deadline, or if your child needs to choose a new club because their original choice is full or cancelled, please email me on deborahmills@uwcea.org.

Halloween 4pm Friday, 31st October

We still need wrapped candy to hand out at this event. Please donate this early next week, noting that Wednesday is a public holiday and shops may be closed

• 3:30 onwards – EAs will be on duty in the playground to supervise any children that arrive on campus. Children should wear a costume and have a bag to collect candy.
• 4:00 – Trunk or Treat starts on the paddock (the grassy area on the other side of the track behind the old stables)
• 5:00 – Everyone moves to the breezeway.
• 5:10 – Group photo
• 5:15 – Costume parade
• 5:25 – Halloween meal for everyone that has purchased a ticket. Sign up for Halloween meal tickets will close by the end of the school day on Tuesday;    this is earlier than originally advertised but Wednesday is now a public holiday and the kitchen team need time to get ready. Please send 6000 Shillings to the class teacher in a named envelope. M1 students can purchase from Ms. Furaha in the front office. Children who are not eating in the dining hall will go to the playground for supervised play.
• 5:50 – Children will move to Room 17 (near the toadstools) for cartoons
• 6:15 Parents will collect their children from Room 17.

MAP test results

MAP test results have been shared with P4 -6 parents on Learn. You should have received an email explaining how to interpret the results. If you have questions, please contact your child’s teacher.

Please note that Wednesday, 29th October, is a public holiday and there will be no classes or after school clubs on that day.

The PYP children will not be attending Monday’s assembly as the focus is directed towards the secondary students on this occasion.

Deborah Mills – Head of PYP

We have had a fantastic start to the quarter.
We welcomed Liam to our class on Tuesday, and he has settled in very well with our class community. 

Next week, we will begin our new unit.

Transdisciplinary Theme: How the World Works
Central Idea: The things we use come from somewhere else
Lines of Inquiry

• Materials are used for creating objects
• Properties of materials
• Materials are combined for different uses

We read the book ‘Not a Box’ by Antoinette Portis this week as part of our provocation. We used our imagination to reimagine a cardboard box creatively. You can view the children’s ideas in the classroom.

As we begin to look at materials, please start having conversations at home about what things are made of. For those who already know, you can start looking into which materials are better for the environment.

Well done to all the students for a great start to swimming lessons. Let us keep encouraging them weekly so that they can practice as much as possible.

Mboka Mwasongwe

Observation, Inferring, Hypothesis, Density, Conductivity – wow, the P 2/3 class is expanding its vocabulary! We had fun introducing the Scientific Method this week and doing 2 experiments. First we made an egg float by changing the density of the water. We also tested materials to see which conducted heat the fastest. Please ask your child if the butter melted first on the wooden pencil, the plastic fork or the metal knife!

The week ahead our science lessons will focus on the states of matter. We also have the exciting plan of going to the secondary lab for an experiment. Ms. Mika has invited our class for a lesson!

We are looking forward to clubs starting next week! As usual, we will have PE on Monday and PE Swim on Tuesday – we’re hoping for full class participation in the pool.

Kacey Buckley

As part of our work on our story telling unit the children read the story of Yeh Shen (a Chinese version of the Cinderella story). This week the children measured their feet and recorded the length, the perimeter and the area. We realised that all of our feet were far too big to have been considered beautiful in Ancient China! The children made tiny shoes that would fit Golden Lotus feet (feet that had been bound and were only 7.5cm long). The shoes and paper feet are on display outside the classroom. In maths this week we looked at how to find the perimeter of squares, rectangles and regular polygons. Next week we will look at how to calculate missing measurements and how to calculate the perimeter of regular polygons. One of our lines of inquiry is “How stories relate to culture and history.” Next week we will read stories from our different cultures and consider what we can learn from them.

Writing this week included personal narratives. We also started writing letters to our new penfriends at Sequoia Elementary School in California and will continue with this work next week.

The highlight of our week was our Primary Gathering. It was such fun to share chocolate chip cookies, maple syrup and chicken nuggets (to name but a few items) as part of our presentation on the importance of being resilient and realising that mistakes can sometimes have positive outcomes.

Deborah Mills

Welcome back to Q2!

Before the break, P6 began inquiring into their new Unit of Inquiry about Media. They’ve been real-world inquirers, exploring the types of media surrounding them during the break. The students have also dived into exploring Pop Art and Advertising and are currently busy creating their own Pop Art adverts. Soon, they’ll be launching campaigns through which they’ll explore various language, math, and social studies concepts.

One of our class discussions focused on how different generations get their news. We talked about how my parents’ generation had to be risk-takers when they transitioned to reading the news on their phones. In a full-circle moment, we decided that P6 students could show the same courage by using old-school ways of getting the news. So, I kindly ask that you check out a newspaper with your child in the next couple of weeks — just so they can experience the prehistoric world of print!

Elisha Jaffer

Congratulations to Isaiah, a student in M5, for his participation in the 10th edition of the Africa Aquatics Zone III Championships held in Nairobi, Kenya from October 16th to 19th, 2025. He competed in the following events: 200m Fly, 200m Free, 800m Free, 400m Free, 100m Free, 100m Fly and 50m Fly. The PE Department encourages students to share their athletic accomplishments so that we can celebrate them with the school community. We hope this will foster a spirit of competitiveness among our students.

“Courage doesn’t mean you don’t get afraid. Courage means you don’t let fear stop you.” – Bethany Hamilton

Lerato Pheko