To everyone, student, parent or staff welcome. First off it is great to have so many people back on campus. I know that the small contingent of students that have been here since March are so excited to have all their old friends back. To our newest members of the community I wish you a warm welcome and hope that you settle in quickly and comfortably.
We will be working through this next week settling residential students into campus and opening the doors to day students to start classes next Monday, August 17th. Right now, things are looking very positive and we expect to see most of our nearly 300 students on campus for that day. To any students who are facing traveling challenges, we look forward to seeing you as soon as possible. This week our teachers are spending time planning how to support late arrivals and looking ahead to things like accreditation which is starting again this year. Speaking of teachers, as of last night we have all of our teachers here except the Head of Residential Life as introduced below.
As you can see below there is a lot of information for you and more to come in the following newsletters. For my part, I will keep this short.
Best wishes for the year.
Bob Cofer
Head of Campus
New Year, New Faces
I would like to officially introduce new members of our leadership team for the 20-21 school year. In PYP we have Mboka Mwasongwe and Deborah Mills who will be working together in the PYP Coordinator role with Mboka focused on EC to P3 and Deborah on P4 to P6. This will also allow them to also focus on preparations for our upcoming accreditation.
In MYP, Jeanne Aman will be taking over for David and working with Deborah and Margaret to strengthen our PYP to MYP to DP transitions among other projects.
Our new Head of Residential Life will be Simon Johnston who, with his family, will be coming from New Zealand at the end of the semester. Please let me also in this spot thank our Residential Parents for all their work currently to help in his absence.
I look forward to working with all of them and Ben as we enter this new school year and we will have plenty of opportunities for you to meet them as well either in person or virtually.
Bob Cofer
Medical Form reminder
Parents, if you have not done so, please use the link that was emailed to you to update the medical information for your children. If it is a returning student, all we need is the online link as seen above completed. This process helps us support all students through having the most recent and relevant information.
Meal Tickets
We have maintained the costs of meals this year at the same cost as last year. This means day students can purchase meal tickets in Accounts at 7000 Tsh for secondary and for 4500 Tsh for primary students. Meal tickets are not available in the dining hall so please purchase them ahead of time.
School entrance redesign
The school entrance has been redesigned as part of the process that will see an ATM installed near the front gate. We are hopeful that this process will help with traffic in the area and the flow of students as well. Please see the diagram below. We will have staff onsite to help as we make the adjustment.
Ben’s Corner
A very warm welcome and Karibu Sana to another year of living and learning together at UWC East Africa. For those of you who do not know me, my name is Ben Morley and I am very proud to be entering my third year as Deputy Head here in Moshi. I will be supporting teaching and learning across the school, from EC-D2, working alongside the students and teachers and, hopefully, contributing in any way I can. I will strive to continue to use my little “corner” of the weekly newsletter to keep you informed about ongoing learning across the school and beyond, to highlight specific curriculum and residential events or give details of special days. Above all, I hope to share and celebrate our collective achievements.
2020 has certainly been unique. Every year typically has a few defining moments but the last six months have seen something of a paradigm shift in the world. In fact, it seems that unprecedented is the new precedent and we are living through what will surely become a major turning point in history.
Over the last week or so, we have welcomed a small (but lovely) group of new teachers who have high hopes for the year ahead. I am sure you will join me in welcoming them to our special community. The first days of any school year are designed to allow returning students to reconnect with the community and, of course, to welcome new students and give them the opportunity to familiarise themselves with their new environment. Making these connections is even more important at this time as we all return to face-to-face learning. Readjusting to life back in the classroom may not be as straightforward as we hope, for students, parents and teachers alike. Over the coming weeks, it is paramount that we keep looking out for each other, being open, communicating and offering our support where needed.
For those of you who are joining us, we hope your time at UWC East Africa is richly rewarding, full of adventure, both within and beyond the campus, and that you go on to form friendships that last for a lifetime.
PYP Holiday Camp
As always, a huge thank you to all the support and ancillary staff for their efforts over the break to make sure everything is ready for face-to-face learning on August 17th. A special thank you to our wonderful EAs for hosting a hugely successful and warmly received PYP Holiday Camp. The Primary students (like many of us) have been champing at the bit to return to school, connect with their friends and have the run of our beautiful campus.
Our EAs put together two weeks of wonderful activities for our young learners, including swimming, touch rugby, football, music, arts and crafts, cooking and so on.
By all accounts, everyone had a wonderful time and it was a timely reminder of everything we have been missing during distance learning.
Ben Morley
Deputy Head of Campus
New from the Duka
This year the Duka (cafe) has some new menu additions as you can see below to compliment their past offerings and their assortment of personal items available for purchase.
Diploma News
It was very quiet on campus but that has changed. Many of our D1 students have arrived and there is now a real buzz here. It is a lovely feeling. A group of our D2 students have been working hard on planning an orientation for them and have been modelling the learner profile as they have had to adapt their plans constantly to deal with the changes being thrown at them. We have had staff meetings for the last week and looked at ways we can support our students who will not be able to attend the physical classes – more of that next week.
The majority of D1 students have selected their subjects but will have a chance to discuss these when they arrive or by Zoom if needed. Even after classes start there will be a time for changes. It is important that they discuss these and make sensible decisions based on their abilities and future plans.
The Diploma students will start classes on Monday 17th August. They will have some time with their mentors and then go to classes. They have been sent the deadline schedule and need to make sure they have checked this. We will talk more about this when school starts.
For those of you who are new to the school, my name is Margaret Brunt and I am the Diploma Programme coordinator. I am the person to contact if you have queries about your child’s academic progress. My email address is dp_moshi@uwcea.org.
Margaret Brunt
DP Coordinator
MYP News
I am excited to be the new MYP coordinator and I look forward to the year ahead. I have been working during the break to get up to speed with the programme and its requirements so I can serve the UWCEA community. My name is Jeanne Aman and some of you will know me from last year. I am eager to meet with parents and students alike. Let’s work together to make this year great. In the coming weeks we will have online and in school sessions to help parents better understand the MYP program and the different components. Look for more information in upcoming newsletters.
Jeanne Aman
MYP Coordinator
Sports Update
Welcome back UWCEA Leopards, I hope everyone is looking forward to getting back to some sort of normality in August as we start 2020/21 with a different outlook on life. I know how hard it has been to try and keep active while under strict lockdown measure. Fortunately, on UWCEA Moshi Campus we will have more space and as a result more freedom to resume some of our healthy activities.
NTSAA news – As a safety precaution it has decided to suspend all official interschool sports for quarter 1 and only hold more individual/non-contact sports in quarter 2. This means that we will be running Athletics, Cross Country, Cricket and a Swim Meet during quarter 2 with maybe some less official tennis/badminton tournaments a possibility.
In order to keep you all active and recover some of the fitness lost since March we will be running some internal competitions with UWCEA Arusha Campus so you can get some game time in some team sports. On campus activities will be back in action, with CrossFit and the other activities able to start again when the school opens.
On top of this we will be starting a running/walking challenge against Waterford UWC in Eswatini to see which campus can cover the distance from Moshi to Eswatini. So, keep an eye on the newsletter for more information.
Please contact me if you have any other ideas or would like to offer fitness/sports opportunities to our community in August, robinmarsh@uwcea.org.
Go Leopards Robin Marsh
From the Counselor
Take a pause. Breathe. Smile, and reflect on the good memories you created during this time away from the regular school routine.
As we gear up for the start of the new school year, the UWCEA Counseling Department hopes you have taken some time to relax and refresh to prepare for the next phase of your journey. Although this has been a challenging time for many, it has provided an unusual opportunity to reflect and explore in ways that most have never experienced before. We have been given an opportunity to develop greater self-awareness and to learn/enhance new skills. Hopefully you begin the new school year with a positive mindset and a determination to continue to work on self-improvement since we are all a work in progress. Speaking of which, please feel free to tap into our COVID-19 Counselor Resource document that we will continue to update with mental health and well-being materials throughout the first quarter of school.
Thank you to those of you who took the time to complete the Well-being survey that was sent at the end of the school year. We are using that information to help guide our work this year as our team expands with the addition of Ms. Blessing Nicholas on the Arusha Campus. Ms. Cassandra Ford and Mr. Emmanuel Kileo are returning to the Moshi campus to continue to provide socio-emotional resources and support for our school community as we navigate the various challenges that life brings our way. Please reach out to us if you find yourself (or your child) in need of our socio-emotional support, and we will continue to work on ways to be preventative and proactive in the implementation of mental health services in our school community.
On the career and college side of our work, we are excited about the exploration and research that students have engaged in over the long break. There have been lots of questions coming our way, and many students (with parents) engaging in the myriad of virtual resources available on Maia Learning and directly from the institutions that seek to find new ways to reach potential students. It has also been thrilling to hear about the internship and additional learning experiences that students engaged in during the break as they discover more about their interests and strengths. Our Life Skills program will delve into career readiness concepts as well as other skills necessary for a successful life during, and after, UWC East Africa. There will be numerous virtual presentations from colleges/universities and other organizations over the coming months, so stay tuned for more details.
There is so much to look forward to in the year ahead, and we can’t wait to begin the journey with you.
Stay positive, reflective, and safe,
UWCEA Counseling Team
Cassandra Ford
UWCEA Outdoor Pursuits News
This year will see our OP program expand again; it was only 3 years ago we were running 8 OP mountain hike trips. This year we will be offering more than 20 trips with 4 different focuses. The Mountain hiking will continue bigger and better than ever with Kilimanjaro’s Uhuru Peak summit the pinnacle. We would like to see the Water OP move all the way to level 5 where we are planning to have students will be involved in service, creating coral nurseries, planting coral, Padi dive certification and creating artificial reefs. Similarly we plan to gear our Mountain Bike OP up to get to level 4 or 5 also, with a planned fantastic level 3 ride from Arusha to Moshi (through Arusha National Park) and the new flatland hike which was a hit will also be developing, building on the level 1 last year to level 2 this semester and beyond by the end of the school year.
We have done everything we can to keep the costs of these trips as low as possible to encourage students to get involved, but this does mean strict trip limits based on transportation and other factors to minimize cost. For parents we will also simplify billing by adding most trips to your next quarterly invoice once you have approved participation. This should reduce any transfer fees some people incur. The exceptions are Socialist Peak and Uhuru which require significant up front costs.
Below is a list of trips and dates for semester 1 with dates and costs included. Sign up sheets will be out soon.
PYP News
Welcome to our new PYP families and welcome back to returning ones. We are excited to have the children back in the classrooms and are looking forward to a great year ahead. After school clubs will start the week beginning Monday 24th August – a sign up link will be emailed to you during the first week of school. Please ensure you update your child’s medical form. The link was emailed out at the end of July, if you didn’t receive it please contact Bob Cofer.
A reminder that, in line with the guidelines set out by the school board, visiting adults to campus will be required to wear a face mask when entering any building. As per our Covid guidelines on the website, if any students, parents or staff – or anyone they live with – develop coronavirus symptoms, they will be asked to stay away from school until they experience four symptom-free days. Thank you for your support and patience at this time. We are looking forward to seeing the children on August 17th and hope you all enjoy the last few days of the holiday.
If you are interested in any of the items below or need new PYP shirts, please see Mwegelo or Caroline in the Development office to learn more.
EC/P1 Class
Welcome to EC/P1! Emmanuel, Clara and I are looking forward to seeing all of you, new faces and old ones too. We will start off with a lot of activities to get to know one another before we delve into our first unit.
As you are preparing to come to school, do not forget these items:
A hat
A water bottle
Change of clothes in a bag, well labelled
Indoor shoes (e.g. flip flops)
Healthy Snack
For older students, any school items which you received the previous school year (e.g. library bag/books)
We will have show-and-tell throughout the week because we have been apart from each other for a long while. If your child would like to come to school with a show and tell, please allow them to.
The children will begin to create their essential agreements during the first week and take a tour of the school so that they continue to be comfortable with their surroundings. A class timetable will be sent to you on Monday so that you know when we will be having specialist lessons.
Mboka Mwasongwe
EC/P1 Teacher
P2/3 Class
Dear Parents and Students of P2/3.
Welcome to the 20/21 school year. I hope you’ve all had a fantastic, healthy and relaxing summer break. Here’s hoping this year is the most boring and normal year of our lives after all the excitement last year brought.
It will be my pleasure to be the homeroom teacher for your children. I know all of your children to some degree, whether it be through pop-ins into Ms. Mboka’s class, clubs, or break time duties. I am excited to get to know these bubbly and comedic humans coming into the class this year. Also, please remember to come with a snack, water bottle, a hat for outdoor play and indoor shoes.
I’m hoping we have lots of curiosity, laughter, and NORMAL adventures together.
Elisha Jaffer
P2/3 Teacher
P4 Class
Ms Zitha and I are looking forward to a wonderful school year with P4! We have terrific units planned for the year that will give us fantastic opportunities to grow as readers and learners. We will spend our first week of school getting back into the routine of classroom lessons and activities and reviewing P3 skills. I know that we’ve all missed being together. More information about schedules and class expectations will go out during the first week. Don’t forget to come with a snack, a water bottle, a hat for outdoor play, indoor shoes and a great attitude. We’re super excited about being back in the classroom with this lovely group!
Kacey Buckley
P4 Teacher
P5 Class
Ms. Lydia and I are very much looking forward to seeing the children on Monday, 17th August. We have some exciting activities planned for the week. I will send home a schedule with the children on the first day. They do not have a scheduled PE lesson on the first day back but should wear appropriate shoes for running in case we decide to play some games outside. Please send your child with a pair of indoor shoes that can be kept in the classroom. He/she should also bring a named, reusable water bottle, a snack and a hat – this last is very important because the children will be asked to sit in the shade at playtime if they have not brought a hat to wear. We are looking forward to a wonderful first week back and a great year ahead.
Deborah Mills
P5 Teacher
P6 Class
Welcome students and families to the P6! I am looking forward to seeing you all soon, and our first class circle where you will all share your favorite holiday memories. I was able to enjoy some time in Michigan with my family and dogs. It was beautiful and fun!
I am grateful to continue learning with you all, and exploring new units, especially after our unique ending of P5. You all impressed me so much with your responsibility and dedication during home learning. We will be using those new technological skills that you gained, both in school and at home.
We will have a class meeting at the beginning of the year to share ideas on ways to make P6 a great year for all of us. Please start thinking about what you want to do to make this the best P6 possible. Please remember to come with a snack, water bottle, a hat for outdoor play and indoor shoes.
