Moshi Campus News – 2 May 2026

For those that have a long weekend I hope you are enjoying the brief rest. On campus we continue to have events despite the testing season as you can see below.

Over the month of May, we will have the celebrations for our departing D2 and our mostly continuing M5 classes. We will also start the welcoming process for the new D1 students and those MYP joining residential. This makes for an interesting and quite emotional time for the students and staff involved in both. It is a bit of the cycle of life here at school.

Next week’s newsletter will likely be a bit delayed as I will be joining students on an OP trip that finishes Sunday.

Bob Cofer – Head of Campus

This week the D2 students started their final IB exams! We had a good start. As expected, some papers felt better than others. One student did say to me, “It feels so normal.” After D1 exams, mock exams and plenty of assessments, the students really are well prepared. This week, we continue and we also have some language listening exams.

The D1 yearbook committee is hard at work trying to get the yearbook published before graduation. One of the things UWCEA does well is provide lots of leadership opportunities for our students and this project has been an excellent example of learning and leading – learning to raise funds, learning how to design the book, learning how to organise large numbers of people and learning how to stick to a schedule. Thanks to our sponsors, Altezza, Shah Tours, Quality Supermarket Uganda, Chief Frank and Rose Marealla, Jackfruit and Aleema’s supermarket who will be featured in the yearbook this year.

Catherine Dowie – Head of Diploma

Sometimes I wish we could have a live stream of everything happening in our MYP classrooms because there is simply no way we can capture it all in one weekly newsletter (and if we tried, you’d probably be reading it until next week’s edition comes out!).

Across the school, learning is in full motion. Our M1 students are out and about, exploring the campus through science as they tackle real-world questions related to living things. M2 students are diving deep into Genetics, asking big questions about inheritance and identity. Meanwhile, our M4 students are engaging in rich discussions and explorations across French and Individuals & Societies, making connections that go far beyond the classroom. And that’s only a glimpse of what’s been happening…

The highlight of our week, however, is our M5 students, who have just completed their final week of official MYP classes and are now preparing to transition into their examination period. It is a significant milestone that reflects years of growth, resilience, and hard work. We wish them the very best as they step into this next phase. We know they are ready, and we encourage them to stay balanced, take care of themselves, and trust the journey that has brought them here.

We are proud of you, M5. You’ve got this.

M5 Visual Arts
The M5 Visual Art students had been waiting for a sunny day to do their cyanotype prints using plant forms, manmade and natural materials on cyanotype prepared paper. On Friday as the Farmers’ Market began, we had to rush to catch the sun and place their artworks under recycled perspex frames and waited for about 15 minutes for their artworks to “develop”. Cyanotype is one of the earliest photographic processes and works through a light-sensitive solution made from ferric ammonium citrate and potassium ferricyanide which was applied to 300gsm paper. When exposed to sunlight, a chemical reaction occurs that produces the rich blue pigment known as Prussian blue and the objects placed on the surface become “negatives”. The students created interesting, haunting and layered effects with this method combining chemistry and art…on this occasion it was an experiment with most pleasing results!

M3 Visual Arts
M3 students have begun their exploration of the human form in Visual Arts. For their first activity, they experimented with drawing a cartwheel to capture movement and understand how the body shifts through space. This helped them focus on proportion, balance, and the flow of motion. In the following activity, students explored key elements of art such as line, shape, proportion, and form in representing the human figure. They applied these concepts by selecting a famous athlete as inspiration, analyzing how the body is positioned in action and translating that into their own drawings.

M1 Mentor Time
M1 students kicked off with a fun team-building challenge where they were asked to gather random objects and assemble them in creative ways. This quickly turned into a lively and laughter-filled activity, as students negotiated ideas, tested designs, and brought some very unexpected creations to life. Beyond the fun, the task encouraged collaboration, communication, and problem-solving, setting a positive tone for working together throughout the year.

MYP Dates to Remember

• Monday May 4th to Friday May 15th – M5 eAssessment and M5 final exams
• May 18th to May 22nd – M5 Work Experience
• Monday May 25th – M4 exams start
• Tuesday May 26th – M5 Ceremony
• Wednesday May 27th – M5 Students Leave
• Wednesday May 27th – Possible holiday
• Monday June 8th to Wednesday June 10th – M1-M4 Week of giving back – No class
• Thursday June 11th – MYP Fun sports day
• Friday June 12th – Last day of school for students

Have a wonderful week,
Farah Fawaz – Head of MYP

Pyp Rugby is back! We are so proud of our young tough PYP rugby club, this week we have been working on effective ball carry, ball passing, crashing into the tackle bags, offsides, safe-strong tackling and stealing the ball. The boys have also been playing mini games to learn how to go to ground after a tackle, how to place the ball after a tackle, how to ruck over the ball to protect the ball from the opposition and then repeating the moves until they can get the ball across the line for a try. Huge thank you to Ms Debbie for her support, to Ms Zita, Coach T and Mr Colins for a great start to the season.

Please look out for Junior Rugby festival on the 22 May
Baden Dowie – Rugby

I hope everyone enjoyed the long weekend. You will have received an online survey regarding the languages that the Primary school children speak at home. At UWCEA, we aim to celebrate students’ home languages and raise their visibility within school life. We would appreciate your help in answering the questions. Please can you complete one form for each of your children as their levels of proficiency might be different. It would be very helpful if this could be completed by the end of Friday, 8th May.

Looking further ahead, Mr. Baden is planning a contact rugby training day 1pm – 4:30pm on Friday, 22nd May. This event will be open to boys and girls P3 – P6 and looks like being lots of fun. Invitations on Life will be coming next week.

The photos show the tree planting club collecting germinated Newtonia buchananii seeds during last week’s visit to the Kilimanjaro Project, at Weru Weru.

Please note the following events:

• Monday, 4th May  – P2/3 trip  Rau Forest
• Tuesday 5th May  – P4/5 and P6 trip to Arusha to see the PYPX
• Wednesday, 6th May – P2/3 Expo on endangered animals
• Friday, 8th May –   P4/5 visit to St. Margaret’s

Deborah Mills – Head of PYP

We had a wonderful start to show and tell this week. The theme for this week was to bring in something that makes you happy. We had a variety of items bought in from huggable toys, racing cars, art notebooks to magnets. Each child had a bunch of questions from the students and they all had fun answering them. Eijaz emerged as the one who asked the most questions for each person presenting. You will receive an email which will highlight the theme for the coming week. Thank you for supporting the children through this.

Mboka Mwasongwe

The Endangered Animal Expo is going to be great! The students are so interested in the animals they have chosen to research. They are loving the chance to be creative with their dioramas. We hope that many of you can make it on Wednesday at 7:45 for the presentations in our classroom.

On Monday, we are set to go hike in the Rau Forest! Please send children with good walking shoes, a healthy snack and a water bottle. A rain jacket is a good idea though we’re hoping for good weather. The class will leave at 8 and be back well before lunch.

Thank you for the home support in both of the exciting activities!

Kacey Buckley

The highlight of our week was visiting the Sikh Gurdwara as part of our unit looking at the design and purpose of buildings. We learned some of the history of the building and how it is used. Afterwards we visited the langar (community kitchen) and had a delicious snack of potato bhajia, juice and cookies. Thank you very much to the Sikh Temple Committee, Mr. Karan and Mrs. Dhani for making this visit possible.

On Tuesday, 5th May, we will be travelling to Arusha campus to see the P6 PYP Exhibition. We will leave promptly at 7:30am and hope to return to campus by 3pm. On Friday, we will visit St. Margaret’s Church as part of our UOI. We will leave at 8:30am and will be back by morning break. Please approve your child’s participation in both these trips on Life.

In our maths classes the children  are working on equivalent fractions and simplifying fractions. This will require putting multiplication and division skills into practice. Please keep working on these areas at home. The children have their log ins for Times Tables Rock Stars in their home learning books.

Deborah Mills

P6 has been working on rounding and comparing decimals — focusing on place value and what those numbers actually mean (not just where they sit). We’ve also started reading Frindle and The Lemonade War, which has already sparked some strong opinions and a healthy level of competition.

In our Energy unit, students have been building circuits using batteries, wires, and a lightbulb, and then pushing themselves to include two components in one circuit — lots of trial and error, but we got there.

We’re also finishing off our Piet Mondrian-inspired artwork and continuing with our graffiti posters, so the classroom currently feels like maths, science, and controlled chaos all happening at once.

Elisha Jaffer

The KCMC Service Group recently continued the Chair Project, an initiative focused on improving access to basic sanitation for patients who struggle to use pit latrines. This time we delivered 30 chairs, adding to the 20 we had previously built, bringing the total to 50 chairs. And these weren’t outsourced or donated. We made them ourselves.

At first, working with tools and materials we weren’t used to was tough. It was messy, unfamiliar and honestly it even felt over-demanding of ourselves. But we stuck with it. Over time, we got better, more confident, more precise. By the end, we had created something real. Something useful that we could be proud of.

When we delivered the chairs, the hospital officer responsible for distribution couldn’t have been more grateful. That moment mattered. It reminded us that even simple solutions can make a real difference. We also agreed that if there are more practical needs like this, we’re ready to step in again.

On Wednesday 29th April, we hosted a Dance Clinic at KCMC and it was a day neither we or the children are going to forget.

We danced with the children in the oncology ward. We danced with their parents too. We played games, shared snacks, laughed a lot. The energy in the room completely shifted. For a moment, it didn’t feel like a hospital.

Even the children receiving chemotherapy at the time were part of it. We made sure to bring the experience to them, with snacks, small gifts and just our presence. And somehow, despite everything they’re going through, they showed up with so much joy. That’s what stayed with us.

We didn’t just go there to run an activity. We went there to connect. To bring some light into a space that doesn’t always have it. And honestly, we hope we gave those kids a day they won’t forget anytime soon.

Martyna

There are two new recycling stations at the MYP 4 / 5 dorms and between Kipawa and Kisiwa.

We are glad to announce that we have placed new paper and plastic recycling and compost stations around Kiota, Kivuli and between Kisiwa and Kipawa. This is another step towards our sustainability practices on campus, and we can all be more protective and mindful, keeping our campus clean!

SWAP SHOP is back!
From Monday, the 4th of May, you can drop off any pre-loved items at room 6. The Sustainability Committee will also be providing baskets and bags for collection in dorms!

The M1-3 Environmental Service will host the swap shop in the last weeks of school. You will have the opportunity to donate and to grab new clothes and other items right here on campus. Typically, the first items are free; anything after the third item will have a modest cost (1-5k).

Funds will support various endeavours on campus, while anything remaining at the end of the swap shop will be donated to good causes around Moshi as well as to a wonderful organization in Dar es Salaam, courtesy of our very own Bernard (D2).

Community Garden and Community Chicken Care
Join us in the community garden by volunteering for chicken care and community garden care. The QR codes will take you to the sign-up sheets with instructions. Help us make sure there is community in our regenerative spaces!

Thank you to our wonderful M1-M3 environmental service group for stewarding our recycling and compost program for the past fortnight. Now it is over to others to take over for a week. Thank you to those who have stepped up so far!