ESPRIT
Big Draw 2018, 5S
December 2018
Celebrating Our Achievements and Successes
Dear Parents and friends, At BIS, we aim for all students and staff to be ambitious for themselves and others. This term we have seen ambition in so many areas of school life. Two of our teachers were ambitious in June, as they returned from a visit to MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and enthused our community about new possibilities to ensue from our links with one of the top universities in the world. Our learners benefited from this collaboration as soon as they returned from their summer vacation. The creation of a learning hub for computing, an investment in new technologies and a launch of a new STEAM initiative, blending Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics are exciting new projects this year. Students were then encouraged to be ambitious and apply to take part in the Nord Anglia STEAM Festival hosted by Northbridge International School, Cambodia in October. Fifteen students from secondary were challenged through real-life, collaborative problem solving tasks whilst working in teams with others from our global family. This was the first regional Nord Anglia face-to-face collaboration; the second being The Global Games, which saw 22 children in Year 5 and 6 compete against other schools in basketball and t-ball. Browsing the pages of this edition of Esprit, you will see that events held at BIS have been numerous too this term! Our international celebrations included a visit from our British Ambassador, Gareth Ward; our amazing International Fair, held on a showery Saturday in November attracted even more visitors this year and the production of “Annie� which will be performed in the final week of term is promising to be first class. A personal November highlight for me was seeing our Performing Arts Department shine during a fantastic 2-hour slot in the British Embassy Inspire-Me Festival. An ambition of mine was to take our talented students to perform at a venue outside BIS and the large stage, at Hoan Kiem Lake, was a perfect location. Our famous BIS Choir created an impactful opening which showcased our students across music, dance and drama. If you add to the above all our BIS sporting achievements, a dash of FOBISIA, a pinch of House Events and a dollop of adventurous residential trips, you have a recipe for an amazing first term at BIS! Thank you to all our dedicated teachers and staff who have made this possible.
Ms. Sue Hill Principal
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Excellence in EARLY YEARS In the EYC at BIS we take a child-centred approach to learning where children develop language, explore and discover through play. Our highly skilled staff plan for learning opportunities across all seven areas of the Early Years Curriculum. The foundation years in a child’s education are crucial and research has repeatedly shown that a strong Early Years education gives children a love for learning and creates a solid foundation for the rest of their school life.
At BIS we know that the language development of all our learners is key and ensuring our students get every opportunity to develop their skills through talking, role play and performance is carefully planned for. The Talk4Writing approach that we use in Literacy teaches children how to re-tell stories, use language and help develop them as storytellers as they grow so that when they begin to start to map out and write stories they will already a wealth of ideas and experiences to draw on.
Bringing learning to life is key for children and we take learning outside where possible. Whether creating exciting menus in our mud kitchen, performing on the stage in our outdoor theatre or climbing and developing motor skills in our playground, the outdoor provision at BIS provides all our young learners with a wide variety of hands on experiences that are great fun! Catherine Passmore Year 1 Teacher and Phase 1 Leader
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MOON FESTIVAL
Celebration
Moon festival is always an exciting event at BIS Hanoi. This year, most of our students in the school got involved in many different activities. In Primary, Years 5 and 6 had a fruit-carving and arrangement competition (Mam Ngu Qua). They were all very ambitious and keen to get involved and made the afternoon meaningful and fun. The Moon festival assembly was another fantastic experience, which saw lots of different acts on stage such as singing and dancing involving all students throughout the school. Moon Festival is not only fun activity at BIS Hanoi, it is also an opportunity for many of our teachers and students who come from different countries to learn about an aspect of Vietnamese culture. Hai Nguyen Vietnamese Teacher
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HANOI OLD QUARTER TOUR
Moon Festival At BIS Hanoi, we pride ourselves on being a welcoming community that embraces members of all nationalities and walks of life. We also love celebrating our host country, Vietnam, and strive to learn about its fascinating culture and traditions. With this in mind, and back by popular demand, our Marketing team organized another walking tour of Hanoi’s Old Quarter for our parents – this time to celebrate Moon Festival. After watching our beautiful Moon Festival assembly, parents were just in the right frame of mind as they set off from school into Hang Ma Street. Shopping, sightseeing and a delicious lunch – great fun was had by all!
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Friends of
BIS HANOI
Coffee Morning & Developments A strong partnership between the school and our parents is a key ingredient to our success. To further strengthen this relationship, BIS Hanoi invited all families to join a coffee morning session for parents. On Tuesday October 30th, the inaugural meeting of “Friends of BIS” was held in the Parent Lounge. Over tea, coffee and refreshments parents from the Early Years Centre, Primary School, and Secondary school came together with BIS staff to discuss ways in which we could work together to make closer links between home and school. After an enthusiastic discussion, some excellent ideas emerged and from these ideas, five main themes evolved that we will work to develop further: 1. Care for the environment and taking action 2. Social events, both for parents and for families 3. Welcoming new families into our community 4. Fitness, health and well-being 5. Culture, language and local trips in our host city Each parent-led volunteer group is paired up with a representative from our school team to ensure that adequate support will be given to each initiative. We are currently exploring different possible activities and events to run throughout the rest of the academic year. Any interested parents are still welcome to join the group, share their ideas and help us to make them happen. Please email kate. fitzpatrick@bishanoi.com or find us on Facebook in the closed group “Friends of BIS Hanoi”. Kate Fitzpatrick Deputy Primary Head
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Progress in Primary It is amazing to see how children progress over the course of a term; leaps forward in learning come in varying degrees for our students but everyone’s learning advances. Academic progress is crucial and we tailor our learning to suit and support the needs of every child, ensuring challenge for all across the curriculum. Language and communication are some of the key skills that students learn and our Speaking Program has been running across Years 2 to 6 this year. With inspired presentations from our students on a variety of topics, our
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students are becoming well-prepared and confident public speakers. We provide additional opportunities to develop these skills through Phase exhibitions, Assemblies and studentled initiatives from our House and Vice captains. It has been an exciting and busy few months in the Primary school and as we reflect on our students’ learning we are feeling proud of their achievements and ready for the next challenge. Rebecca Carroll Head of Primary
Getting to know
DEPUTY HEAD OF PRIMARY
Kate Fitzpatrick Ms. Fitzpatrick is not a new face to BIS Hanoi, however, this year sees her in a different role. We decided to get to know her a little bit better. Could you tell us about yourself? Hello! My name is Kate Fitzpatrick and I am the Deputy Head of Primary here at BIS Hanoi. I am originally from London in England but have been a resident of Hanoi for over 4 years. I’ve also previously lived and worked in Melbourne, Australia. I have been fortunate to travel all over the world, meeting new people and enjoying different cuisines as I go. I have to say Vietnamese food is a definite favourite of mine. Keeping fit is important to me, I enjoy being ambitious by taking on different challenges like cycling from Hanoi to HCMC and competing in the half Ironman triathlon. I feel very lucky to live in such a beautiful country and to work at our school – we have such great students, families and staff. What inspired you to be a teacher? What is your teaching philosophy? Both my parents are teachers so I guess you could say they were my first inspiration! I had wonderful teachers growing up and I admired the qualities they possessed. Being able to teach future generations and nurture a love for learning is a privilege. There is nothing quite so rewarding as looking at the progress students in your class have made over a year. My teaching philosophy is to always have high expectations – students will always rise to meet them. Developing the whole child is of utmost importance too. Academic success is very important but so are the qualities outlined in our Aide-Memoire. I passionately believe that learning should always be fun and support the development of independent thinking, personal challenge and teamwork. Could you share your most memorable experience as a teacher?
The most memorable experiences for me are ones that involve student perseverance. It is not always easy to continue with something that you find difficult but the sense of achievement, felt by both the student and teacher, once you have, is incomparable. It is not easy to pick one example but teaching students how to read, watching them progress from sounding out words to reading books certainly stands out as memorable for me. What has impressed you most about our school’s development since your arrival a few years ago? I joined BIS Hanoi in 2014 and the school has gone through many exciting developments since then. I have been impressed by our wonderful teachers and the exciting learning opportunities they provide our students. The student performances, be they musical, exhibitions, drama or sporting always amazed me but now I think they have been taken to another level. The look of BIS Hanoi has also changed; you can see this as you walk around our school. The feature walls really brighten up the corridors and the redevelopment of the foyer area, including the coffee shop, have created a real community feel. Not to mention the upgrade to the sporting facilities, IT labs and the EYC playground. What are you looking forward to for the rest of the academic year? I thoroughly enjoyed the International Week we had during Term 1, it was a spectacular event. I am looking forward to seeing all the different performances the students will put on over the year. Looking at the progress the students make, both personally and academically, is sure to be a highlight too. I am also excited to further develop a sense of community by working closely with with the Friends of BIS - our parent/teacher group who aim to put together a diverse program of events ran by parents for parents over the year. ESPRIT December 2018 | 9
Explosion of Creativity:
The Big DRAW
The last week of October saw the return of our annual Big Draw festival, with students across all year groups participating. The festival was launched on Monday morning when students were presented with small frames on which they were encouraged to draw. All of these ‘mini masterpieces’ have been gathering in the dedicated space in the central part of the school to celebrate our focus on all things creative. The theme for this year was ‘play’ which has allowed us to encourage students to partake in imaginative and exciting activities. Students from F1 upwards have been using objects normally associated with play to paint and draw with culminating in some large-scale collaborative art. Lunchtime workshops hosted in the secondary art rooms provided opportunities for students to learn new skills they might not always have a chance to. F1 to Year 9 were all involved in preparing a canvas linked to the theme for the auction at the International Fair. All of the activities were brought together by a group of Year 8 and 10 students who took work produced by primary students and composed several large-scale 3D piece inspired by the artist Frank Stella. The creative subjects are extremely valued and are an important part of our work here at BIS Hanoi. Whether the creative route is one which your son or daughter may or may not take, it is important that we prepare them to be creative thinkers with the resilience and confidence to take risks in their future careers.
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It has been an extraordinary week and one I feel very privileged to be part of. It has been wonderful to witness our students engaging so confidently with their creative work and the collaboration amongst all pupils has been fascinating to watch. Stephanie Miller Head of Art
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International FESTIVAL The annual International Festival has become a muchanticipated signature event of the British International School Hanoi (BIS Hanoi). This year saw the 7th successful festival at the school campus on Saturday, November 10th. With the purpose of nurturing Global Citizens for the future, we are always thinking of others and keeping our values of Care, Respect and Integrity at the heart of everything we do. Through this event, we aim to educate visitors about cultures from all over the world through traditional games, 12 | BIS Hanoi
costumes, food, and other activities, and to inform them about their responsibility to community service projects. With the support of more than 62 brands and community services partners in Hanoi, the festival featured various cultural products and exciting activities, ranging from savouring flavourful cuisines to riding a pony! The festival is also a way of showcasing our talented students, parents, and teachers with 3 hours of impressive live performances. This cultural show offered an opportunity to learn more about different cultural
identities and admire traditional dresses from various countries. The stage also welcomed our lovely guests from the Russian Embassy School. The event managed to raise a total amount of VND120 million ($5,300) which will go towards BIS Hanoi’s charity activities as well as materials and community service projects that BIS Hanoi students will be working on when they travel to Tanzania early next year.
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World Travellers and Global Citizens: International Week Every year, International Week is a highly anticipated event in our BIS calendar. This year, our students recognised and celebrated the 24 different nationalities and cultures represented by our current student body. As our school continues to grow, our children become more globally minded and want to share and learn about each other’s differences and similarities. Travelling through the continents is where our minds continue to grow with wonder and curiosity. During the week we ate breakfast like the French, performed samba rhythms in Brazil, danced the ancient Maori Haka war dance in New Zealand, sipped salpicon drinks in Colombia, learned about the iconic war heroine Anne Frank in Holland, toured the USA, barbequed the South African way, experienced Ice Hockey in Canada, cooked Taiwanese dumplings, became mini Picassos, learned about the animals in Costa Rica, played a game of Malaysian kickball, told stories from Malawi, drummed the tanggu drums of China, pirouetted with the ballet of Russia, practiced yoga from Kazakhstan, sumo wrestled in Japan and, finally, we looked at the complex cultures of South Korea and Vietnam. Our International buffet, where we share delicious cuisine with our immediate school community, was once again a big hit! Through these wonderful activities, students have understood the importance of celebrating diversity and being inspired by others. Our parents and local embassies visited our classes to share their knowledge allowing children to have first-hand experiences and memories. We learned to recognise and appreciate other countries and cultures, and to embody the skills of being Global Citizens. 14 | BIS Hanoi
Our children have established that understanding one another’s languages or cultures is paramount to the success of a young person in the twenty-first century. Sally Tong Year 3 Teacher IPC co-ordinator and Global Campus leader
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Significant Moments IN BIS HANOI’S EARLY HISTORY
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Moments such as these form significant milestones in the life of a child. As parents we feel immense pride, as we share in our child’s journey towards maturity.
Time is a relative concept. When we are children it passes slowly; when we get older it passes too quickly. A young person’s life is full of important moments - their first birthday, learning to swim, learning to ride a bike, their first day of school. Moments such as these form significant milestones in the life of a child. As parents we feel immense pride, as we share in our child’s journey towards maturity. In a similar sense, the life of a relatively new school is full of significant events, too. These events signal the school’s growing maturity. Like proud parents, BIS Hanoi school leaders feel enormously proud of the moments that mark the journey of our school towards maturity. Once again, this edition of Espirit is full of significant secondary moments that mark our growing maturity. We are very proud of our students and teachers. They achieve so much every day. I hope you enjoy reading about these events, as much as we enjoyed making them happen. Pictures sometimes capture the magic of an event better than words; however, there are some events that provide very few photo opportunities. I wish to share with you a story, which has no photographs to illustrate it.
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On the evening of July 5 2018, I waited in my office almost alone. The children and teachers had left the school for the long summer holidays. It was 7 pm and the only other member of staff on school site was Diep, my PA. The school was dark and silent. The only light came from my computer screen.
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The screen showed the IBDP results home page.We were waiting for the online publication of BIS Hanoi’s International Baccalaureate Diploma Program results. I felt incredibly nervous because these were our first results. Elsewhere in the world, Mr Duckett, our IBDP coordinator, and Mr Airdrie, our Head of Sixth Form, were also online, ready to share with me our moment in history. Shortly before 8 pm, the files appeared and the printer began to grind into action breaking the silence of the room. As the results streamed out before me, I was filled with a sense of excitement. Our students had performed really well. There were individual successes - Nguyen Ngoc Hanh Tien’s 44 points - and collective success, too - our pass rate of 96% smashed the world average of 80%. An evening that began with a sense of trepidation had become a celebratory one. Please remember how you felt when your child first walked, first rode a bike or learned to swim for the first time. That evening, I experienced all of those sensations at once but those exam results did not happen overnight. They were the product of several years of teacher and student industry. Work completed diligently by students and supported by expert teachers resulted in a great moment for the school. There are very few photos that can tell the story of our students’ and teachers’ dedication but it is important that we recognise it and express our gratitude. Tim Webb Head of Secondary
In November, we celebrated the extraordinary achievements of three of our students: Shin Sang Yun (Year 12), Hoang Hai Ha (Year 11) and Vu Hang Giang (Year 11). Cambridge Assessment International Education awarded them the “Highest Mark in the World� certificates for their IGCSE Mathematics papers. Congratulations to our students and teachers on these fantastic results. They have brought tremendous honour and pride to BIS Hanoi.
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YEAR 12 IBDP CAS
Trip to Mai Chau On a beautiful day in mid-October, we arrived in the mountains of Mai Chau surrounded by blue skies and sunshine. We settled into our homestays in Lac village and enjoyed the delicious home-cooked food. We visited the White Thai ethnic minority group forty minutes away to explore and meet the village leaders who told us all about their way of life and challenges living there. Groups explored the project sites and looked at the work of the previous BIS CAS teams and other schools who have contributed to developments here. This trip has allowed students to carry out the first few of the five CAS cycle stages which are to investigate, prepare and demonstrate. Students should work through the five stages of CAS for all of their CAS experiences and show this on their Managebac portfolio throughout the eighteen months of their IBDP course. Hannah Agass Science teacher and CAS coordinator
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“ Groups explored the project sites and looked at the work of the previous BIS CAS teams and other schools who have contributed to developments here.�
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Welcome our
DEPUTY HEAD OF SECONDARY
Jay Graham In August 2018, BIS Hanoi welcomed our new Deputy Head of Secondary School, Mr. Jay Graham. We asked him a few questions to find out more about him and his mission at our school. Could you tell us about yourself? I grew up in a challenging area of Liverpool with which I developed an identity underpinned by the city’s globallyreaching music, its football dominance and a humbling sense of community and spirit. My childhood helped define the values I hold dear today. For 20 years or so, the city of Brighton and Hove embraced my soul. My wife and children were born here and it is to it I belong. Its rich tapestry of monuments and commercial lanes, its liberating heart and its national leadership on the environmental agenda make trips home so rewarding and meaningful. Seeing the soft hills of the South Downs that skirt the city always give me that warm feeling of coming home to family and friends. What inspired you to be a teacher? What is your teaching philosophy? Graduating at a time of economic decline, I farmed the abundant fields of Lancashire and crafted kitchen furniture in the leafy quarters of Sussex to make ends meet before I chose to work at American Express. There, I forged a promising career in global financial services. It was exciting work and it offered outstanding training and travel opportunities. My move to teaching felt like an epiphany. I wanted to make a difference to something more profound than a balance sheet. Education provided such a wonderful conduit. Wanting every child to grow up with self-love whilst being the best she or he could be, irrespective of background, remains my philosophy. Could you share your most memorable experience as a teacher? As a teacher, I have had many golden moments. My favourite has to be one of linking schools in Cape Coast, Ghana, with Varndean School in Brighton. The project led to huge cross-cultural exchanges between staff and students fostering significant global citizenship. 20 | BIS Hanoi
What has impressed you most about our school since your arrival? Aside from an immaculate welcome process courtesy of the HR department, I have been particularly impressed with the attitude and capabilities of our students. They ooze intellect, diligence and exhibit high levels of compassion and understanding. They are a credit to themselves, their families and our school. Parent engagement is very critical for children’s learning. Together with your team, how do you plan to engage parents at the secondary level? Communication and engagement with our parent body sits as a priority. You, your children and ourselves form a trinity of trust and purpose where all parties want the same outcomes of happiness and unbridled success for those in our care. We can’t do it as well without you. So read our communications, come to our events and tell us when we are doing things well and not so well. Integrity, care and respect will govern our interactions with you. What are you looking forward to for the rest of the academic year? This year, I am particularly looking forward to exploring how we can best equip the school for the pastoral challenges that come with a growing school. I am also a real advocate of a thriving House system. It is such an enriching vehicle for student engagement and identity, and I hope we can broaden and deepen its scope in our community.
HEALTH and Safety at BIS Hanoi
Warren Buffet once said, ‘Somebody is sitting in the shade today because somebody planted a tree a long time ago.’ I see this statement as having particular relevance to the field of health and safety which has, for long, been a passion of mine. We can often forget that the myriad of safety features that cushion our journey through life are the result of when things have gone wrong. Safety does not happen by accident but most certainly as a consequence of it.
in aspiring to the high standards rightly demanded and enforced in the UK. We have made huge strides forward in our practice.
Safety changes following high profile air accidents happen very quickly. Safety changes requiring behavioural changes, even with regulatory support, can take time. The UK Road Safety Act of 1967 introduced clear drinking and driving limits. For many years, driving after drinking was still acceptable as long as you were not caught. Over decades, attitudes have shifted considerably. Today in the UK, if you drive a car under the influence of alcohol, your spouse might even call the police on you -- feelings are that strong.
• We have a skilled Emergency Response Team to deal with extraordinary emergencies who are linked via radio communications. Supporting this are effective procedures to deal with a range of crises.
Safety within a different geographical context can present complications and frustrations, particularly when one has come from a nation with strictly enforced regulations and viable resources, infrastructure and support to secure safer outcomes. In my time in the Middle East, I watched as the regulatory framework tightened but the will of those in charge of enterprise to move health and safety forward remained loose. Vietnam is even farther back down the track in terms of its position on health and safety. As the nation and the economy continue to prosper, the importance of health and safety in schools and places of work will become more prominent. We feel we can play a leading role in taking this agenda forward but some changes will not happen overnight, particularly when dealing with parties outside of our domain. Yet, we will persevere because we care. At BIS, we place the highest importance on health and safety. We are a British International School, one of fiftysix Nord Anglia Education schools, and we are ambitious
Here are some of the things we are proud of: • We have state-of-the-art fire detection and fire suppression systems, and regularly run drills to ensure all persons have left the building in under two minutes and are accounted for very swiftly.
• We have improved risk management considerably and have detailed risk assessments for all school activities on and off-site. Our staff know what to do to manage risk but can react well if things go wrong. • We have an outstanding Facilities Management Department equipped with engineers to repair concerns swiftly, be they broken electrical sockets or gas safety systems in our science laboratories. • We report on incidents, including near misses, and use this information to learn and improve our practice. We continue to educate our children and provide training to staff to meet any organic need that is identified. • We leave no stone unturned in our regular health and safety audits and make repairs to premises or changes to practice where it is appropriate to do so. Finally, health and safety is the responsibility of all of us in our school community. We are stronger as a unit with collective ears and eyes. If you see anything that concerns you when on-site or hear anything from your children that alarms you, do contact us immediately. Jay Graham Deputy Head of Secondary
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STARS in Their Eyes Teacher Talent Show The evening of November 1st brought us an amazing range of performances from 30 of our own BIS Hanoi teachers. The teachers put in so much effort not only in having costumes made but with their rehearsing, singing and dancing. It was clear that the whole audience was incredibly impressed with the talents portrayed! Whilst the evening was incredibly entertaining, the event also raised $750 which will go towards the fundraising target of students going to the Global Campus Tanzania expedition later this year. A huge thank you to all of the teachers who worked so hard on their performances, but also a huge thank you to all of the parents, families, and students who supported this event! It really was a lot of fun! Laura Rea Performing Arts Leader
Interview with the winners – the SPAG Girls 1. What made you decide to enter the contest? It was obviously for a great cause which was our first incentive! The shows put on by the school are always so fun and high quality so we thought it would be great to be a part of one. In the English Department, we always encourage students to step outside of their comfort zone and do everything with enthusiasm so we thought we should lead by example and this was the perfect opportunity as not all of us are natural singers and dancers. We are also huge Spice Girls fans! 2. What inspired your group’s name, the SPAG Girls? If there’s two things we love as a team, it’s spelling, punctuation and grammar, and The Spice Girls so it seemed like the perfect name for us! 22 | BIS Hanoi
3. How much preparation and rehearsal was involved in preparing for the show? Luckily we had the expert help of Mrs Forster-Rea who prepared our music for us. From there we met to sort the singing and the dance moves. We recorded ourselves dancing so that we could watch it in our free time. It was a really lovely way to bond as a department and see other skills we all had that didn’t involve teaching and learning, and having five teachers together meant that we were always ready to give some ‘constructive feedback’ to each other. 4. How did it feel to win? We honestly did not expect it! We knew the Vietnamese House music and K-Pop tracks would be crowd pleasers but after seeing all the other exceptional talent the other staff had to offer, we thought we would just go up and enjoy ourselves, which we did! I think all the staff that got up on stage that night all did fantastically well and the crowd made us feel like we were all winners. 5. Will we ever see the SPAG Girls on stage again at BIS? Maybe! We have clearly inspired the original Spice Girls to reunite after 10 years so perhaps we should do it more often!
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PRIMARY
Live Lunch This year, the Performing Arts Department is continuing the tradition of Live Lunch concerts, giving our students an opportunity to share their musical journey with an audience of friends, parents and teachers in an informal setting. On October 10th, by 12:45 a not-so-small audience was gathered in Reception ready for the first performance of the show and we were not disappointed as the BIS Brass Band made it’s debut performance of 2018-19. One of the things that makes Live Lunch unique and special is its intimacy, which Ngan Khanh (5I) achieved beautifully with her vocal and ukulele rendition of The Show, during which you wouldn’t have heard a pin drop. Piano is a popular instrument at BIS and our youngest student Minh Ah (2I) performing a version for piano of Offenbach’s Can Can from the opera Orpheus in the Underworld. Jae Eun (4B) frequently performs at BIS events and on this occasion showcased her violin skills. Our growing number of wind players are gaining confidence with every performance including David and Seo Jun who performed on Oboe and Clarinet respectively. To finish the show, we were treated to a performance of Emeli Sandé’s Read All About It by the evergrowing Primary Choir. Our young performers were incredibly proud of themselves, such as David, who said ‘I was quite nervous, but amazed at the audience when I performed’.
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SECONDARY
Live Lunch Building on the success of Primary Live Lunch, it seemed only fitting to introduce the same opportunity to our equally talented and enthusiastic Secondary students. Opening the concert on November 1st was the honour of Mizuki (9B) and Hana (9H) who performed a mesmerising arrangement of Sparkle by Radwimps, followed by Rie (7I), Ye Eun (7H) and Jeanette (7B) whose performance of Count on Me showed control and ensemble-work well beyond their age. Demonstrating their spirit of collaboration and resilience was a group of our IB students lead by Quy Khang, Quoc Thai and Tony (Y12) who overcame the challenge of rearranging their ensemble due to illness at the very last minute. Catherine (7I) was next to take the stage with a spellbinding performance of Nino Rota’s Speak Softly Love from The Godfather. The finale of the concert was a true reflection on our students’ ability to organise, collaborate and persevere as the collective ensemble of Chae Yoon, Heidy, Jennie, Ye In, Se Yeon, Seon Ju, Hwa Yeong, Eun Jung, Kin You, Gu Hyeon and Do Yeon showcased their sensitive arrangement of Shaun’s Way Back Home. Live Lunch will return in Term 2 for both Primary and Secondary. Jonathan Scott Music Teacher
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BIS Hanoi Equips Students for the Future through
Collaboration with Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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Through our family of schools, Nord Anglia Education, we are very lucky to be collaborating with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to enhance the teaching and learning of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM). The partnership introduces fantastic opportunities to our students, including the STEAM regional festival and a planned visit to MIT in May 2019. All of the STEAM subjects teach and guide our students to innovate, problem-solve and think critically in an everchanging world. We want to equip our students with the necessary skills to thrive in the 21st-century workplace and we do this through discrete subject lessons but also through a combination of challenges centered around ‘project-based learning’ and ‘design thinking. In school, our students take part in the MIT challenges based on the work of MIT professors. This year’s challenges include “Super Natural”, where students closely observe the natural world and understand the physics behind an animal’s adaptation, then apply that knowledge to engineering design. Secondly, the “Medical Marvel” challenge will see students look into the potential of applying engineering principles to biological problems to improve human health, and in the “Epic Identity” challenge students will learn about wearable technology and its ability to improve human performance. In October, I led a team of 15 students as we travelled to Northbridge International School, Cambodia, to take part in Nord Anglia’s first-ever regional STEAM festival. This was an excellent event that required our students to develop their problem-solving skills. The theme was “Super natural”, and students had to work together to create a device which takes inspiration from the animal kingdom, based on the work of MIT professor Annette Hosoi. Our students were fantastic and generated some outstanding innovative ideas. One of our Year 8 students developed a device which detects predators and alerts the user; he learned how to program circuit boards, sensors and LEDs in a single morning. This summarises perfectly what STEAM is about: challenging students to think of innovative ways to solve real-world problems. Martin Toner Head of Computing/STEAM Leader
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th , 2018 th er 9 – 11 m in b m e v o N ival, y in Vietna e Me Fest sh Embass ti The Inspir ri B s part of e th mmittee a ised by o n C a ’s rg le o p s o a e w rsary of oi P 45th annive n with Han e o ti th ra te e p ra o b o c cele activities to a series of c relations. ti a m ained K diplo -U m a tn ts entert ie n V e d u st th , ra our h a pletho mber 11 m lake wit ie s, K d n n a On Nove a o b H t n s stude Hanoi’ s, t ir a o s h e C c n IS ie B th aud e two ts from bo ances by th ma studen ole dance, ra d of perform d n a usicians al mayp classical m econdary. A tradition s a spectacular S d ents wa Primary an y our stud b d te u c e x perfectly e r set. ur students close to ou ding and o n ta a. ts u o nd charism ances were resence a p e c n e g The perform ie a d st e au rmidable elighted th tremely d t n e m showed fo it m x t and com mmunity e Their talen the BIS co in s u f o all and made ! d prou
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CARVING OUT
our house IDENTITIES
On November 9th, we witnessed the creation of the Dalat Turtle, Hanoi Dragon, Hue Phoenix and Saigon Unicorn. Students were involved in an enrichment day to research, design and establish these new House identities. Year 7 devised and built incredible 3D House mascots; Year 8 designed their new dynamic House Kits; Year 9 researched their Vietnamese mythical creatures and produced their innovative House logo, motto and flag; Year 10 invented original House anthems and choreographed dances. The event culminated in a showcase of the new House identities; students performed their House song and dance to the delight of the rest of the Secondary School and a panel of esteemed judges. The day was led by the newly appointed Year 10 House Captains who did a fantastic job with motivating and inspiring the other students. Do Yeon Kim commented, “As a
House Captain, it was a good opportunity to develop our leadership skills and build relationships with different year groups.” Hanoi Dragons stole the show and secured the House trophy with their immense creativity, effort and strong new identify. Hanoi’s amazing 20-foot-long Vietnamese Dragon mascot roared into life and their high energy House Anthem set the stage alight. Congratulations to Hanoi! Suh Jin Lee, House Captain for Hanoi, expressed, “The emotions of receiving the House cup were hard to explain with words but we won because we are the Descendants of Dragons.” We look forward to our next thriving House Event with a competitive sporting edge at the end of term.
We witnessed the creation of the
DALAT TURTLE, HANOI DRAGON, HUE PHOENIX & SAIGON UNICORN
Emma Graham English teacher
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U15 Trip to Phuket The U15 FOBISIA team travelled to Phuket from the 5th to the 9th of November. This year the students participated in the Blue group for the FOBISIA games. Six schools were represented: BVIS and BIS from Vietnam, NAIS from Shanghai; Uplands and KTJ from Malaysia and Discovery Bay from Hong Kong. Students had the opportunity to meet and make new friends throughout the tournament. The first competition for the tournament was the Swimming gala. Most BIS students swam personal best times during the morning. Overall BIS came second in the pool. The afternoon students had the opportunity to showcase their athletic
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abilities. It was a close contested afternoon and BIS showcased determination and great sportsmanship. On Day 2, the Girls competed in the football tournament and the boys in the basketball tournament. Both teams had to face early losses in the tournament and had to fight back to earn their positions. The girls finished 4th and the boys were the champions on the day. On Day 3, the tournaments were reversed and the boys had to battle it out on the football field and the girls on the basketball courts. The boys finished 2nd and the girls 3rd for the basketball competition. The students worked really hard during the tournament and learned how to cope under pressure. Showing great perseverance and determination throughout. The students had a great competition and set the bar high for future teams. Well done Lionhearts! Salome Airdrie Physical Education Leader
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Year 10 TRIP TO DALAT
Leads to Spectacular Fundraiser During the month of September, Year 10 and 11P excitedly departed for their much anticipated trip to Dalat. Our first stop was the Datanla Waterfall which we reached via the thrilling alpine rollercoaster ride. From here, we made our way to Nam Qua campsite which is only accessible by boat. After breakfast the next day, half of the team went to Dankia Lake and the other half travelled to Lang Biang mountain. I was so proud of students in all activities. All of them participated in the leap of faith, hiking, abseiling down a 25-metre vertical cliff face, a zip line, a high ropes course and a team building activity. At times, students were far from their comfort zone and persevered through very real personal fears. Our students really supported each other to be successful: I saw so many examples of care and empathy - values that we deem core in our school community. On our last day we visited a local school for deaf students. We were able to deliver toys and share activities with the students there. We set a goal for each tutor group to fundraise 10,000,000 VND in order to provide the school with a dryer for their clothes. After our return to school, on October 2nd, Year 10 and 11P hosted their fundraiser for the hearing-impaired children in Dalat. I am proud to say that during their fundraiser they achieved more than 50% of their target with a whopping VND20,102,000! In preparation for this event, students were split into teams comprising of a games team, a competitions team, a refreshments team and a marketing team. This ensured a wide range of activities on 34 | BIS Hanoi
offer during the fair and the sweet treats helped to keep spirits high throughout the morning. Years 7 - 9 were invited to enjoy the fair and we are grateful to them for their generous contributions to our fundraising total. I look forward to seeing how Year 10 and 11P find the rest of the funds required to reach our goal. This kind of problemsolving and activity will be excellent preparation for their future IB CAS programme as well as providing valuable resources to the Lam Dong school. Rachel Stevenson Head of KS4 & Teacher of Business Studies ESPRIT December 2018 | 35
Halloween
Party
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On October 2nd, almost 200 students attended the BIS Halloween party with this year’s theme being Autumn Harvest. The party was organised by a group of year 12 students as part of the CAS component of their IB qualification. There was a vast spectrum of fancy dress on display some of which was amazingly intricate and imaginative and it was Ana Luisa (9B) who was adjudged as the winner of the fancy dress competition with a real work of art painted onto her face. Students enjoyed food, music and each other’s company in what was a very successful evening.
Edward Westropp Assistant Head of Secondary
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GOLD Expedition
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Through having to survive in a different environment, we learnt an important lesson that preparation is the key to success The Gold DOE expedition was an extremely valuable experience for the four of us and the fact that we did it in a foreign country (Korea) really made it a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Did we face a lot of hardships? Of course we did, and if you decide to go then you will too, but this is what the DOE is about, it is about challenging yourself and striving for greatness. It is about living outside your comfort zone and facing tough obstacles.
“
Through having to survive in a different environment, we learnt an important lesson that preparation is the key to success. One of our group’s members learnt his lesson because he actually brought a pair of Dr. Martens on the hiking trip. As a result, his feet skin got so swollen that he needed painkillers to keep on going and none of that could have happened if he brought proper shoes instead of fashionable ones. All things considered, the Gold DOE trip is something that a person must attend if they have a chance to do so. It was one of the greatest experiences we have ever had, even though there were a lot of hardships and sometimes we felt like we were being tortured. But it was worth it as we built a strong brotherhood and gained some invaluable experience that will help us a lot in our future endeavours.
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Bang: “Prepare to fail is preparing to fail.” Thai: “I learned that water can be very good and very bad at the same time!” Daniel: “We are all vulnerable in the forest in pitch dark”
Dam Viet Bang Nguyen Nhu Hoang Anh Phan Van Thai Daniel Nielsen
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Going Global with
GLOBAL CAMPUS!
It has been another exciting term with Global Campus at BIS Hanoi. We have been working hard to make Global Campus more visible around school and so we are proud of the new display area outside the Library – please take a look when you are next on the 2nd floor!
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This year, for the NAE Global Challenge, we are focusing on Goal 4 (Quality Education) and Goal 16 (Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions). The Global Challenge ECA students have been working hard to identify places around Hanoi and northern Vietnam that have needs related to Goals 4 & 16, and to generate ideas of how to help people who are not as fortunate as us. We will have more to report later on in the year.
Two of our students had the incredible opportunity to visit the United Nations on the annual Global Campus trip to New York City over the summer. Congratulations to Ha Ngan (13I) and Duc Tuan (11S) for representing the school brilliantly and becoming our UNICEF Ambassadors for 2018-19. Here is what Ha Ngan had to say about the trip and this opportunity:
“Participating in the New York UNICEF Trip is truly a oncein-a-lifetime experience that has really shaped my mindset about current global affairs. Through the various MUN sessions & different workshops, I now finally understand what it means to be a global citizen. The concept of global interconnectedness had never been more vivid to me as the trip came to an end; students from all different backgrounds and cultures all came together as global citizens to discuss the same issues that existed in every community.� James Forster Global Campus Coordinator ESPRIT December 2018 | 41
Juilliard Dance comes to
BIS HANOI This year has seen an exciting addition to the Performing Arts Department. Whilst the Music team have been working with the Juilliard curriculum for two years now, we have just started to teach Dance. Through our unique Juilliard collaboration, our students gain the confidence to perform in all aspects of their lives, unlock their creativity and free their self-expression. On November 13th and 14th, we were visited by Salla Saarikangas - a professional dancer and choreographer who not only trained at the Juilliard school but has worked worldwide in a professional dance career spanning many decades. Salla worked with Miss Allen, Miss Rea and many students over these two days: teaching lessons, hosting workshops and providing professional development for our staff. It was an incredibly inspirational visit for both staff and students. We will be welcoming Salla back in March and we cannot wait! Laura Rea Performing Arts Leader
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Community Service Our community service focus of people, animals and the environment all played a part in Term 1. People It is always wonderful to see our community partner Hy Vong School for disabled children visiting BIS. Linking with Year 6, our students take the lead with games and activities, showing yet again that all children no matter the background or disability want to have fun and make new friends. The British Defence AttachĂŠ visited BIS to talk to our students in November. As part of a poignant community project with the focus on our Aide-Memoire characteristics Global Citizens, Reflection, Respect and Care taking on extra meaning. In conjunction with the British Embassy, we linked many areas of the curriculum to the Remembrance and Poppy Appeal, in support of the Royal British Legion, with the message of peace throughout. Thank you to the students involved from the Community Art ECA who designed and created a wonderful backdrop: the Sixth Form students who volunteered to run the poppy sales; the Year 9 History class who took part in the assembly; Year 5 who helped to raise awareness in primary and, last but certainly not least, the staff and student choir who performed at the assembly and Cua Bac church for the UK and Commonwealth Remembrance Service organized by the British Embassy. Animals We started the year with the global issue on the illegal wildlife trade with the Wilderness Foundation Africa visiting BIS to talk to our students about the plight of the Rhino. Following this came the exciting news of our very first chicks hatching at BIScoop. Mother and babies are doing well. Environment Our ever-popular BIS garden continues to flourish, with many classes linking to subjects and the curriculum along with the Garden ECA. Helping towards another successful harvest for the International Fair were donations from the sale of our organic fruit, vegetables, herbs and free-range eggs, helping sustain this wonderful open space for our students to gain first-hand insight to our environment. Mr. Kevin Halpin Community Service Manager
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Hoa Lan Road Vinhomes Riverside Long Bien District, Hanoi
Tel: (84 24) 3946 0435 Email: bishanoi@bishanoi.com Website: www.bishanoi.com