Uru Academy's First Halloween!

            On Wednesday, Uru Academy had its very first Halloween party! Halloween is not traditionally celebrated in Tanzania, so our kids had no idea what to expect…

We started off the celebrations by introducing the idea with the Halloween special from Paw Patrol. Preschool shows such as Paw Patrol teach young English learners new words, building on their pre-literacy skills.

Fun fact: Our kids love Paw Patrol so much we name our three rescue dogs at the school Rebel, Rocky and Zuma!

Each class made a Halloween-themed art project out of recycled materials. Our little artists made pumpkin paper-plate masks, paper-plate black cats, lunch-bag monsters and toilet-paper-roll bats!

All our children had the opportunity to dress up in costumes collected from years of donations. They embraced the occasion to be silly, embracing their inner monsters and princesses. They were also able to see their future selves as professionals such as doctors, teachers or chefs!

We taught the kids to say “trick or treat!” Then they toured each classroom at the school, getting a piece of candy at each station. At the end of the day, everyone was exhausted from a long day of candy and play!

Many of the children we work with have a traumatic past. Neema International aims to meet their basic needs of nutrition, health and education as well as providing them positive childhood experiences. For these children, Halloween was much more than candy and a costume, but an opportunity to play in a safe and positive environment with their peers and trusted adults.

Can’t wait for Halloween next year!

Movement Learning at Uru Academy

            Uru Academy is proud to announce new daily gym classes! Our children and teachers spend all day engaged in lessons, ranging from math and English to vocational skills. Teachers routinely have children stand up, move and sing between each subject. Still, classes that sit all day see a drop in attention. Each class at Uru Academy now has one hour a day dedicated towards gym class!

 Physical activity gives the brain a break, time to absorb learned information. Our gym class teaches children cognitive and social skills through games and sports. Our gym teacher, Mr. Donacian, incorporates fun and developmentally-appropriate curriculum into his gym classes. Freeze dance becomes an opportunity for children to development their inhibition skills. Controlled breathing in yoga becomes a tool for emotional learning. Jumping through circles becomes a math lesson on patterns and numbers. Every game teaches children English through instruction!

            Gym is not the only time we incorporate movement learning in our daily routine. Movement learning is especially helpful for our kinetic learners. These children learn more through doing than they do through a traditional classroom lecture. Physical activity can help children apply what they learn in class to their real life. Take for example, Sensia. Sensi is a new child in Class A. She is learning how to count in English, but was having trouble with flashcards and counting objects in class.

During one of our gym classes we played “What Time is it Mr. Lion?”, a variation on the American children’s game “What Time is it Mr. Fox?”. In the game, one child plays the lion and the rest call out “what time is it Mr. Lion?” The lion then responds with “it’s time to take two steps”, or as many steps as they would like. The children then take that many steps forward. When they are close to the lion, the lion announces “dinner time!” This cues the rest of the children to run away, often laughing the whole way.

Sensia was able to watch her friends take each step with her, counting together as a team. She learned through playing, movement and peer guidance. After playing a few times, Sensia had counting up to five mastered! We look forward to solving future challenges with our kids through gym class and movement learning!

P.S. Sensi is looking for a sponsor!