Keeping my section short I invite you to see what is still happening in the school. Our students have been active both on and off campus and this will continue through the next few weeks.
Parents, please see the invites below to various events and a reminder that our end of year assembly is this Thursday at 10:30am.
Looking into the next year we have released the campus and school calendars for the 2025/26 school year. These can always be accessed through our website on the calendar page.
Please remember the last day of school, Thursday the 19th will be finishing at 12:10pm for all students.
Bob Cofer – Head of Campus
Upcoming Events
We’d like to invite all Uja Families to a Thank You picnic on Friday 14th June from 4:00 to 6:00 on the Green.
Please let us know if you will be able to attend by filling in this form All family members are welcome to attend.
Ben’s Corner
As the last M5s and D2s disappear into the sunset, you might think you would be safe to assume things would ease off or, at least, slow down towards the end of the school year…you would be wrong! Exams, summatives, Primary camps, football friendlies, a Peaks OP trip, Focus Days, TOKX, “Days of Giving Back,” Move-Up Day, the End of Year Assembly and, of course, the P6 Ceremony. In amongst all of this, there will be fond and tearful farewells and countless planning meetings for all that is yet to come next year and beyond.
At the same time, an enormous amount of work has already started behind the scenes to ready the school for the next academic year, in terms of admissions, recruitment, facilities and so forth. It really is relentless…in a good way…mostly. Remember, success usually comes to those who are too busy to look for it.
For all of us but, perhaps, particularly for those of us who are moving on to pastures new, I encourage you to find a few quiet moments amidst all the activity to be still, look back and appreciate the community that we are all fortunate to be a part of. Despite our flaws and challenges, find the time to acknowledge the people who have made it happen…say thank you…and mean it. I am certainly going to try to do this over the coming days.
To reiterate something I have written about here before, being busy is all too often an excuse. It is worn like a badge of honour. It becomes a contest. Busy. Busier. Busiest. Find the time to reimagine what it means to be busy. Find the time.
Ben Morley – Deputy Head of Campus
Diploma News
D1 Students completed their end-of-year exams this week. While there were lots of nerves in the beginning, they looked a lot more relaxed on Friday. They now have a better sense of how exams are run, which will prepare them for mocks and finals next year. On the report, you will see the final semester grade and the final exam grade to give you an idea of how they performed during the exam week. Reports are set to be published on 18 June.
We’ve proud of their focus, resilience and positivity this week. Next week, they will get exams back, spend time completing the Collaborative Science Project and participate in workshops to prepare for the transition into D2. They’ll also have their second CAS interview (Creativity, Activity, Service). Being involved in life outside of Academics is often a highlight for our students and the CAS Interview is an opportunity to share this experience with their teachers. So far, our D1s are in an excellent space to finish CAS well next year.
Returning Parents (M5 Parents) are invited to a Diploma Zoom next Wednesday at 4.30 (Tanzanian time.) I will send the link in a separate email. We’ll use this time to discuss subject choices, expectations and student life. We look forward to seeing you then.
Catherine Dowie – Diploma Coordinator
MYP News
MYP Week of Giving Back Coming Up As we approach the final week of school, our MYP students will step beyond the classroom to take part in hands-on community service. Students from M1 to M4 will visit local schools in Moshi to help prepare classrooms for the next academic year, painting, sanding, and brightening up spaces for young learners. This is part of our commitment to nurturing empathy, responsibility, and a sense of global citizenship. Full details and logistics will be shared in a separate letter. Let’s end the year with action, kindness, and connection!
P6-M1 Move Up On June 12th, our P6 students will officially move up to M1! To mark this milestone, our current M1s have spent the week preparing interactive workshops to introduce their younger peers to the MYP journey ahead. Having been in their shoes just last year, they knew exactly how to make it both fun and informative, sharing tips, stories, and excitement about what’s to come.
We can’t wait to welcome our new MYPs on board and help them get a real feel for the creativity, independence, and curiosity that define the Middle Years Programme.
M1 Music This week in M1 Music, students stepped into the spotlight to present the songs they’ve been working on throughout the quarter, either individually or in groups. Whether singing or playing the ukulele, students showcased their creativity, preparation, and growing confidence.
The class was divided into two performance dates, with some presenting on June 6 and the rest scheduled for June 13. Alongside their musical performance, students created short presentations to share background information about their chosen song, exploring its meaning, history, or cultural significance.
As part of their learning journey, students reflected in their notebooks on what went well, what could have been improved, and what steps they plan to take ahead of their final summative performance. They also considered the message they wanted their audience to take away from the music.
M1’s Debate Activity This past week, our M1 students had the exciting opportunity to visit the Arusha campus for a student-led debate and problem-solving event, organized by the incredible M4 students as part of their Community Project. The event brought together passionate young thinkers from both campuses to engage in global issues, debate structure, and collaborative solution-building.
Our M1s participated in traditional debate rounds and then joined mixed teams to brainstorm creative responses to pressing world challenges. They represented Moshi campus with confidence, clarity, and curiosity, showcasing their growing communication and critical thinking skills.
A huge thank you to Linnea, Fatimah, and Lorina for hosting us with such warmth and professionalism. We were proud to see our students step up, speak out, and form new connections across campuses!
M4’s End of Year Assessments Start this Week
M4 students will begin their end-of-year assessments on Monday, June 9th, continuing through Thursday, June 12th. This is a valuable opportunity for them to demonstrate their learning and reflect on the progress they’ve made this academic year.
We’re proud of their hard work and wish them all the best as they head into this final stretch!
MYP Dates to Remember
June 9th to 12th – M4 End of Year Assessments Week
June 12th – P6 to M1 Move Up Day
June 12th – End of Year Assembly
June 13th, 16th & 17th- Days of Giving Back for M1, M2, M3 & M4
June 19th – Classes End at 12:10pm pm and Reports Sent Out
Have a wonderful week ahead! Farah Fawaz – MYP Coordinator
PYP News
The end of the semester is fast approaching. Next week will be the last week of clubs and Saturday, 14th June, will be the last Saturday football session. The U7 and U9 friendly football matches against Hope had to be cancelled due to many of the children being absent due to illness. The U11 match went ahead. The final score was 3-2 to Hope but Milo and Jack are to be congratulated on 2 great goals.
This week, P6 had a wonderful morning at SCIS, participating in an inter-school maths event. We are hopeful that there will be more collaborative events for the children to enjoy next year. EC/P1 enjoyed a day camp in Weru Weru and P2 had an overnight camp at Kishari House.
The P6 class will have their Student Led Conferences on Tuesday, 10th June. The P6 children should attend classes as normal on this day.
On Wednesday, 11th June, we will have our picnic in Anna Marsden’s garden, starting at midday. The purpose of the picnic is for the children to have the opportunity to say goodbye to leaving primary staff. The children will make some brief speeches. They are encouraged to bring a dish of food to share. The food will be put on a central table. Parents are invited to join us. After the picnic the children can go to play and will then attend their clubs. Please bring a shuka or blanket to sit on if you have one.
On Thursday, 12th June, at 7:40am, we will have our P6 Move Up ceremony in Rafiki Hall. You are very welcome to join us. After the ceremony the P6 children will spend the day in M1 learning some of the routines and experiencing afternoon classes. When the move up ceremony is over, the primary children will have their move up morning and will visit the teacher in the class above to spend a lesson with them. In the case of current P5 children, they will spend some time in the P6 classroom with Ms. Natasha to learn some of the routines, but the P6 teacher in August will be Ms. Elisha.
At 10:30am on Thursday, 12th June, we will have the last whole school assembly of the quarter in Karibu Hall. There will be a slideshow of primary children showing which learner profile attributes best describe them.
On Friday, 13th June, starting at 8:00, the P3 – 6 children will play inter-house football and basketball. This event is organised by the primary house captains and I will share more details when I have them. All children should wear their house shirts on that day. Those children who are not playing will cheer on their houses.
Please note that the P4/5 class is collecting food for the Amani Centre for Street Children. We are collecting: beans, rice, maize flour, wheat flour, sugar, and tea. Please put any donations in the box outside the P4/5 classroom (Room 16).
The following week will be the final week of school. We will have a short gathering on Wednesday, 18th June, to say goodbye to children who are leaving UWCEA. This will be followed by a fun sports day. Thursday, 19th June, will be our last day of classes. Teachers will share information with you about class parties nearer the time. Please note that classes will finish at 12:10pm on this day. If your child is leaving school early for any reason, please let the class teacher know so that we can make the necessary arrangements.
Deborah Mills – PYP Coordinator
EC/P1 Class
We had a fantastic day camp on Friday. Thank you to all who made this day possible. Thank you, Isaac and Salim, for being our OP guides. The children learned how to set up tents, identify coffee and maize plants, and how to stay safe when crossing the road. Thank you, Ms. Neema and Mr. Leonard, for encouraging everyone to keep on going when they were tired, as well as for helping the children feel safe and joyful. Mr. Leonard gets a special mention because he rode the camels with all the children so that they would not feel afraid. The staff at Weru Weru were very gracious and kind to us. They allowed us to use their playground, trampoline and jumping castle.
The highlight of the day for all of us was seeing ALL the children bravely climb and ride the camels. What risk-takers they were. This coming week, we will write and draw our reflections of the day.
This coming week, we will be collecting all the class reading books as well as the library books. As we wrap up our unit and the school year, we will be sending home various books and folders for you to keep at home. Some books that we will continue using in the coming school year include the reading logs. These will remain at school.
Mboka Mwasongwe
P2/3 Class
P2 camping was a success! The rains did not begin until we were zipping up the tents. We had already had such a nice afternoon with a good walk and fun together. S’mores were enjoyed by all. The only complaint was a noisy rooster who was mixed up with his times. When it crowed at 2:30am and again at 3:30, voices called out from the tents, “Ms Kacey, is it morning? Can we get up?” Later, we were grateful to wake to a sunny day so we could fit in more playtime. Ms. Durriyah was a wonderful camper who gave everyone a helping hand. P3 spent Friday morning under the watchful eye of Ms. Zitha.
Next week will be filled with learning and a few special activities. The Farewell Picnic on Wednesday is an echo of our class’s Friendship Picnic from the beginning of the year. What a nice way to wrap up a wonderful school year.
Kacey Buckley
P4/5 Class
This week the class has been learning about the challenges faced by street children and have taken action by launching a food drive. We are collecting rice, oil, beans, flour, sugar and tea for the Amani Centre for Street Children. The children have made posters advertising this event and have displayed them around the school. Our intention was to visit the centre on Monday to learn about how they help the children enjoy their human rights by providing them with a safe shelter, nutritious food, education and medical care. Unfortunately, many of the P4/5 class have been unwell this week and so we have postponed the trip for the time being. Next week is a busy week as you will see in the PYP newsletter. Please note that the P4/5 children plan to have a sleepover in the classroom on the night of Monday, 16th June to celebrate the end of a happy and productive year. More details will be shared next week.
Deborah Mills
P6 Class
If you are given a 5-litre jar, a 3-litre jar, and an unlimited supply of water, how do you measure out 4 litres exactly? Or how do you form a perfect square using five triangles, a square, and a parallelogram? These were just some of the challenges P6 students encountered last Wednesday at the Inter-School Maths Challenge, hosted by St Constantine’s International School in Arusha.
Working in mixed-school teams, the children solved a variety of mathematical problems and earned points for accuracy, perseverance, reasoning, and teamwork. The winning team (congratulations to Anne and Louise) was recognised at the end of the event. Well done to all of P6 for being open-minded, great thinkers, and enthusiastic participants throughout the day.
In class, we have been deepening our understanding of fractions, decimals, and percentages, while also exploring new genres and developing our reading habits.
Next Tuesday is Student-Led Conference Day. It will be a regular school day, and P6 will continue with their usual lessons when they are not sharing their learning with you.
We also warmly invite you to our Moving Up Ceremony next Thursday in Rafiki Hall, from 7:30 to 8:00 a.m.
Wishing you a great weekend, Natasha Berri
Outdoor Pursuits
Outdoor Pursuits Update – End of Year and Looking Ahead
Final preparations are underway for the upcoming Mount Longido climb (2,637m), an exciting adventure for our students. With most participants in D1, this trek offers the perfect opportunity to celebrate the completion of end-of-year exams and enjoy one last exploration of the Tanzanian countryside before heading home for the break. It promises to be a memorable and rewarding experience!
Meanwhile, behind the scenes, the OP team has been hard at work finalising plans the 2025/26 academic year ahead of the summer holidays. We have been updating the OP section of the school website (Outdoor Pursuits – UWC East Africa), where you can now find the updated 2025/26 calendar, relevant policies and FAQs, detailed trip catalogues, and packing lists.
As always, please note that trip itineraries and associated costs are subject to change throughout the year due to factors such as transport availability, staffing, catering, campsite bookings, and other logistical considerations.
There have also been many ongoing discussions around updating our gear inventory, and the OP store is currently undergoing a full stock assessment. Mr Andy continues his quest to secure more storage space, regularly (and cheerfully) pestering Mr Cofer – watch this space! Next week, we will be holding our end-of-quarter meeting with the Arusha campus to coordinate planning efforts and review staffing for trips next year.
And finally, we’re proud to unveil the newly revamped OP noticeboard on campus. Mr Andy may or may not have spent an unreasonable amount of time staring at it to “get it just right,” but we think the results peak for themselves. It should help keep students well-informed and on track for another year of unforgettable OP adventures!
Sustainability
Friday afternoon, the M1 – 3 Environmental Service hosted a fundraiser at the Farmers Market with the support of the Sustainability Committee. Secondhand clothes from leaving D2s, M5s and more were on display for purchase, many bargains were had and the community supported their efforts for sustainable purchases ahead, including reusable cups for the campus Duka.
As D1 exams continued this week, our teaching staff continued to step up for recycling and compost. We pay gratitude to Ms. Linda, Mr. Mateusz and Mr. David for their help.
On Wednesday, Ms. Kacey and the P2/3s donned their gloves and took over the duty. They proved their knowledge of the school recycling and composting systems and even learned about the finished product, handling the healthy compost. With great appreciation, thank you to these young eco heroes for doing their part.
There are new kukus on order, keep on the lookout for new faces in the flock and roosting boxes to be installed in the coming days. A second thank you to Mr. David for being a true steward of sustainability, especially in recent months, he has truly stepped up for chicken care and other duties consistently. Thank you as well to those students who continue to support these efforts, keep signing up.
