15th November 2013
newsletter Dear ISHCMC community, On Tuesday this week a very successful ‘On the Couch’ evening was held in the MPR at the School. Mr. Adrian Watts facilitated the discussion. Mr. Rafi Kot from the Family Medical Centre; Briar Jacques a Counselor at the Family Medical Centre; Mr. Matthew Anderson, Special Agent and Assistant Regional Security Officer at the US Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City and Mrs. Ginny Condra, one of our enthusiastic parents and long term HCMC resident, enlightened the gathering with stories about the do’s and don’ts of Vietnam. There were some enlightening stories about the experiences that each had been involved in. We all learnt a great deal about living as guests of this wonderful country. In addition various HCMC organizations and businessses provided information about their activities. These included:
Simon Leslie Headmaster
Operation Smile LIN Foundation BodyShape Gym The Art Room Sunshine Group Saigon Sports Academy Dancenter ISHCMC PTO Friends of the Street Children KOTO Thank you on behalf of the School to each of the participants – and to Mr. Watts – for sharing their knowledge during a very enjoyable evening. Thankfully we managed to stay dry towards the end of last week as Typhoon Haiyan threatened Vietnam. Unlike the Philippines, Vietnam was spared the unimaginable devastation that the typhoon caused. One of our GIN groups with the assistance of the ISHCMC SRC is organizing some fund raising activities to support the Filipino people. These funds will be transferred through the International School of Manila to UNICEF. With kind regards. Simon
Dear Parents,
Adrian Watts
Director of Academic Studies Deputy Headmaster
Hope you have had a good week as part of our ISHCMC community. I certainly have enjoyed this week and it has made me feel very good about being here in Vietnam at ISHCMC. Firstly, having our senior volleyball and U15 basketball teams travel to Phnom Penh last weekend for MRISA competition and our Stingrays to Hanoi this weekend brings home our connectivity as a school and the opportunity for ISHCMC sportsmen and women to compete against others and make new friends in other international schools. Secondly, it was wonderful to see the Primary School Production, The Firework Maker, the student performances were excellent and it was obvious that they had worked very hard and assisted by teachers and support staff, collaboratively created a lovely evening’s entertainment. Thirdly, the caring nature of our ISHCMC students has been exemplified by their immediate reaction to the devastating consequences of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. Students throughout the school have come forward with fundraising ideas and are now in the process of raising money that will through the International School of Manila be transferred to UNICEF. Lastly, the ISHCMC on the Couch session on Tuesday proved to be a very informative evening with everyone in the audience learning something new from our four guests about health provision, third culture children, security in HCMC and getting involved in the city life as an ISHCMC parent. It was a very informative and useful evening.
Linking to ISHCMC on the Couch and I want to share an article that I would usually post on http://4u2nomore. blogspot.com/ but thought that I would link it to advice from the US consulate security officer given during ISHCMC on the Couch. During the discussion the question of security on the way to and from school was raised. It was suggested that the best thing for students to do was walk in groups with other students and to have a route which had potential stopping points along the way that could be used in the case of students being followed. In the article that I am sharing with you the following extract is taken from the conclusion and again it links to a strength of ISHCMC as a community school, that students can walk and bike to their school each day. ”Pope’s most important suggestion to raise and educate healthy, successful and curious learners is to focus on the whole body. “Kids who walk or bike to school do better than kids who drive to school,” Pope said. “That’s because they’re getting their bodies ready to learn.” If the stress and anxiety of school is causing students health problems or to exhibit signs of depression, everyone needs to re-prioritize.” http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2013/11/how-can-students-be-successful-in-a-high-stakes-world/ Have a good weekend, Adrian View on mobile device? Slide to see more.