The leader issue apr 2018

AIS MONTHLY NEWSLETTER | Issue Apr 2018

Social capital and emotional equity

From the Executive Principal

Social capital and emotional equity S

Dr Roderick Crouch

chools are very much about raising capital and increasing equity. By this I do not mean that they are simply about money, rather the purpose of a good school is to increase the ‘social capital’ of its

students. Social capital is the skill set we all need to manage life. The greater our collective skill set, the greater our social capital and the more we can do for ourselves, our family and our society. The way we teach at AIS, and the values our staff model and encourage our students to demonstrate, are specifically designed to raise the social capital of our students. All we do at school supports this - from the way we hold assemblies across the school; to the student leadership program; to what is taught in the classrooms (and how it is taught); to the modelling of respect between teachers and students (and students and students); to the service program that supports Loreto and charities; to the the outdoor education program across the school; and finally to a vast range of opportunities and activities in music, the arts and sport. We are a rare school that enables all students to mix with each other in a safe and secure environment, thus increasing their ability to interact appropriately. As parents are aware, we encourage all children to be the best they can be for the world. I am constantly impressed with the way our senior students interact with, not only each other, and the younger students in the school, but equally importantly, with other members of the community.

As parents are aware, I am a great believer that the best education for a child involves a solid partnership between home and school as we seek to develop both the heart and mind of a young man or woman.

We should never underestimate our influence as parents on our children. Part of that influence is when we form a partnership with a school that shares our values. When parents enrol their children at AIS, they take an emotional equity in the school. Rather than take a short term view, social capital increases exponentially when we build that partnership over the long term.

There is a famous proverb which statesIf you are planning for a year, grow rice.

If you are planning for 20 years, grow trees If you are planning for a century, grow men and women As we farewell our Year 13s in the next two weeks, it is important to reflect on the journey of school.

Some of our students are here only briefly, but many stay the long term. In doing so, they achieve success as they learn how to manage and build successful relationships – with ourselves, with others, with our family, our society – all of which flows from a good safe encouraging and supportive school like AIS. With this social capital, students go onto successful careers and contribute to supporting their family and improving the quality of our world … and our equity investment will have returned enormous dividends.

The Leader ¡ April 2018

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CANTEEN O

ver the last few months AIS has undertaken a tender for the operation of the canteen. Five companies were invited to tender and a two stage process was

undertaken, with students, staff and parents involved.

I am pleased to advised that AIS has reached an in-principle agreement with The Caterers to be our new school canteen operator from August. The Caterers is a well-known HCMC-based firm and currently caters for a number of international schools including SSIS and BIS secondary school.

Viva Foods will therefore finish in June and we thank them for their contribution to AIS over many years.

There will be a number of exciting changes to both the canteen and the lunch menu, in particular with a new contractor, and we look forward to The Caterers' arrival in August.

The Leader ยก April 2018

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Help Your Child to be Internet Safe Mark Vella Deputy Executive and Secondary Principal ince 2015 AIS has been a BYOD (Bring Your Own

S

child to recognise suspicious activity, like emails that

Device) secondary school. Fundamentally this is

are fishing for their password.

software to facilitate 21st century learning in order to

Most of the strategies above are practical or technical in

prepare our students to live and work in the digital

nature, and relate to internet security. However, one of

age, but it is also about fostering what is called ‘digital

the major concerns that parents have is how safely their

citizenship’. With students using devices at school and

children are engaging with other people on the internet,

at home, parents also have an important role to play

particularly via social media. The key here, as is the

helping their children to be internet safe and internet

case with most parenting issues, is being able to talk to

smart, to protect themselves and their personal

your child about their online behaviour. Let them know

information online.

that sometimes people aren’t who they say they are

about harnessing the power of ICT hardware and

online, and that they need to be careful about friending The process starts with teaching your child some simple,

or communicating with people they don’t know. Online

good habits. These include setting their screens to lock

bullying is another concern. Talk with your child about

automatically when devices are not in use; ensuring

what to do if they, or a friend, are targeted online. Remind

they have up-to-date antivirus software on their devices;

them that if someone is saying something that’s not

only enabling bluetooth and wifi when they are needed;

okay offline, then it’s not okay online. Encourage them

only downloading software from legitimate app stores

not to respond or retaliate – often a reaction is what the

and reliable, trustworthy websites; getting rid of apps

bully wants. Instead they should block or de-friend the

and games when they are no longer used or needed;

bully from messaging and social media sites. Let them

and using ad blockers in the browser to avoid clicking

know that they can and should come to you if they are

on any ‘dodgy’ ads.

being bullied.

It is particularly important to encourage your child to

For further information and advice about internet security

protect their personal information. Make sure they

and safety a good resource is: www.netsafe.org.nz

use long and strong passwords that don’t include personal information like dates of birth, addresses or names – these are the first things that people look for when they try to hack into accounts or use to guess security questions. Passwords should never be shared with others. Teach your children to be careful with the personal details they share, such as which school they attend. Check the privacy settings of the apps that they are using. Talk to them about their ‘digital footprint’ and help them understand that once they post anything online it is almost impossible to control who might have access to it and it can be difficult to remove. Teach your

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Good manners go a long way Rachel Perkins - Primary and Kindergarten Principal

s a parent I have always tried to teach my children

A

4. Get your child into the habit of waiting his/her turn

the skill of having good manners and the task is not

to speak. This is something a lot of children, especially

always as easy as it looks. So I thought that my article this

younger children have trouble with. That’s because often,

month would relate to supporting your child, whatever

they want to express their thoughts as soon as something

their age, to be polite and have good manners. I am

occurs to them. Children are also naturally self-centered

always impressed with the children's politeness at AIS, I

and may need reminders to wait until someone has

regularly hear, “Good morning Mrs Perkins’ and plenty of

finished speaking before interrupting.

’yes please’, ‘excuse me’ and ‘thank yous’.

5. Emphasise the importance of being gracious when Here is my top 8 tips on how to encourage your child to

competing. Teach your child not to gloat when winning

become well-mannered.

and to cheer others on when he/she is losing. Good sportsmanship will be an important skill for children to

1. Encourage them to say “Please” and “Thank you”.

have later in life when they need to work with others on

This, of course, is one of the cardinal foundations of good

projects and other endeavors at home and at work.

manners. As children get older, parents can encourage them to write thank you notes, preferably with pen and

6. Teach your child good playdate manners. Remind

paper. It goes without saying that children should learn

your child to follow the rules of their friend’s house when

how to say thank you for gifts that they receive; but they

on a play date, and to always clean up after themselves

should also be taught to say thank you to people who

before leaving. Be sure your child always greets the host

assist or serve them, such as waiters in restaurants, and

or hostess, never puts her feet on the furniture, and waits

even their parents when they do something for them in

until the host eats first at snack time.

the course of their daily routines.

7. Teach them the importance of empathy. Get your 2. Practice greeting people properly: Showing your

child into the habit of noticing those who might be in

child how to greet people properly is one of the most

need (someone struggling with a door or a heavy bag,

important skills you can teach him/her. Teach your child

for instance). Teach him/her to think beyond their own

to look people in the eye, face them directly, and shake

needs and think about how they can assist someone

their hand when meeting them. A great way to practise

who might need a helping hand.

these skills is by going over them with your child while role-playing. Of course there will be cultural differences

8. Set a good example. Your child will, of course, learn

when greeting but I feel the protocol is the same.

by watching you, so take a really good look at your own behaviour. Do you say 'thanks' when someone does

3. Remind your child to speak to people in a way he/she

something for you? It is great if we can be a good role

wants to be spoken to. That means not using use rude

model ourselves.

remarks or speaking in an unfriendly tone of voice, even when disagreeing with someone.

I hope that you found my article of interest and if you have any further questions please feel free to contact me.

The Leader ¡ April 2018

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This month’s showcase artwork: ‘Past, Present ....?’

By Nigel Hall

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his conceptual installation by Year 13 student Yen Chi Hyunh is inspired by the Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota and represents the struggle many young Vietnamese people have trying to find their own path in a modernising country that

has deep roots in tradition and cultural values. The boat represents Vietnamese society and the tree stump Vietnamese culture. People can only see the surface of the tree, it seems small and weak but it’s actually deep and powerful and hard to escape. The rope symbolises the inescapable but weakening bond that connects people to their culture as Westernisation and modernisation replace the traditions of the past. The boat is also used as a visual metaphor, as Yen Chi says - “Many traditional families along the Mekong live and work on their boats - it is both home and life itself. However, a boat is mainly associated with journey - something that takes someone somewhere, but these people are trapped by their boat all their lives.”

S

pring is one of the most exciting seasons during the year, the perfect time for a dance. Following the Senior Winter Dance, it was finally the time for the Juniors to have one themselves. This was the first ever dance that

was separated with the Seniors. There was a great turnout from the Juniors with about over 130 tickets sold and a large amount of that money earned was donated to Loreto. Those tuxes. The gowns. That hair. Yes, it’s the night of the Junior Spring Dance at ‘Hollywood’. From the decorations to advertising, the Student Representative Council had spent several weeks preparing for their special night happening on the 16th of March 2018. Greeting the students on the 2nd floor of the school, a red carpet was rolled out leading up to a beautiful and stunning photo booth, which was stylishly embellished with wondrous stars and curtains to match the theme. An incredible buffet was set up nearby, filled with the most delicious foods, catered by Al Fresco’s, for the students to eat and enjoy. Walking in, the auditorium was decked with unbelievable and phenomenal lights, red and black curtains reminiscent of the classic walk-of-fame.

The playlist was incredible and performances by the students were nothing less than fantastic. Both couples and groups of friends spent the night dancing, taking photos and making delightful memories with one another. It was certainly a night full of memories to remember.

By Luong Quynh Hoa and Mr Price The Leader ¡ April 2018

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U19 SISAC B POOL Football

By Coach Milan

T

he AIS Titans U19 team arrived at SSIS ready and

After a great day of football, the AIS Titans U19 boys

raring to go for their SISAC B Pool Tournament on

secured a well deserved 1st place in SISAC B Pool.

Tuesday 11 April.

The boys showed great determination, teamwork and concentration. The quality of football on show and their

AIS started strongly in their opening game with a 3-0 win

work rate was truly incredible to watch. All the players

over AAVN. The second game was even closer, with AIS

should be extremely proud of their achievement and we

managing to score a goal with the last kick of the game,

now look forward to taking on stronger teams next year

sealing a 1-0 win. This was a real test for the team but

in the A Pool!

the boys showed great determination and patience. Our final game was against the Singapore school. A very tight game finished in a 1-1 draw. This was enough to place the team in the final against BIS B. The game was again very close but the AIS boys wanted it much more than their opponents. The boys managed to score before half time and add another just after the break to make the final score 2-0.

U/19 Girls Football SISAC Tournament 2017/18

By Stuart Mullord fter some strong performances in the our lead-

A

who were able to battle their first games nerves slightly

up games, The U/19 girls footballers were ready

better, and were able to get the win. However, to the

for tournament day. The girls were scheduled to play

credit of the girls, they were able to bounce back and

four games back-to-back, against very strong 'Pool A'

win their next two games by defeating ISCHMC and

schools, at AMIS in District 7.

AMIS 3-2 and 3-1 respectively. Our final round game was against BIS, who had defeated the girls 6-1 in a pre-

With the blistering sun bearing down on them, the

tournament game.

tournament began. The girls first played against SSIS, The girls battled hard, with heavy legs and came into the half time break with a 1 all score line. The girls draw upon their last energy reserves to play out an entertaining second half, which unfortunately saw them concede a second goal, losing the game 2-1, but also gaining much self belief.

I could not be prouder of these young women. For their hard work and determination they achieved 3rd place overall. An outstanding result, Well done!

The Leader ยก April 2018

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Primary Sports Days

By Jo Denny - Athletics Director

ongratulations to all the students who recently took

C

These are some thoughts from the students about their

part in the Primary School sports days.

sports days:

The Year 2 and Year 3 sports morning was 12 March.

I enjoyed the Sport Day with sponge race, sack race…

Students participated in a range of activities on the

I liked all of them because I felt happy and excited. I

field, including the popular obstacle course. Students

thought they were challenging and so fun. My team was

challenged themselves in a variety of ways, displayed

really good because it was working as a super team to

good sportsmanship and team work.

beat the other team. We won 2 games. I was very proud of my team! – Kagwiria Y3JMA

Results were as follows: 1st : Pegasus 349; 2nd : Sphinx 344; 3rd : Phoenix 342; 4th : Griffin 339

I liked the one when there was an obstacle course.

When we had to pick up the beanbag and jump on the

On 13 March, Years 4, 5 and 6 competed in their

big mattress and then went to the hulahoops, and then

morning of sport.

The students moved around the

we had to run zigzag and then we had to jump over one

campus playing a range of activities, gaining points

more thing. Then we went through the tunnel, and then

for their houses. Some of the activities included street

went back and sat down in your group.- LouLou 2MLA

hockey, handball, endball, dodgeball, obstacle course and a water based relay. The morning was based

I liked the range of activities such as endball, hockey

around cooperation, participation and teamwork and I

and the obstacle course even though it was very hot!-

am happy to say that the students rose to this challenge.

Minh Tam 6FMC

Results for the day are as follows : 1st Phoenix 630;

I enjoyed at the end of sports day when the relays were

2nd Pegasus 625; 3rd Griffin 620; 4th Sphinx 618

ran as it showed we could cooperate with people we do not know. –Mina 6FMC

Final results and congratulations to : Year 1 had a separate event. On 14 March, Year 1 1st Pegasus 974

celebrated a morning of sport with Lotus and Thu Thiem

2nd Phoenix 972

campus combined. The students completed a range of

3rd Sphinx 962

10 activities based on the field displaying some great

4th Griffin 959

levels of individual skill and enthusiastic cheering on of everyone in their class.

The Leader ¡ April 2018

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By Jeremy Maher & Leigh Hansen - Spelling Bee Coordinators

B

oth Thu Thiem and Cherry Blossom campuses held the inaugural AIS Spelling Bee with great success.

Over 40 students at Thao Dien Campus attempted the Round 1 challenge. These students were

asked to spell on paper a total of 40 words from the list provided at the beginning of Term 3 (over 450 words!). Using these written spelling tests, we selected the top six spellers for each competition level. It was so pleasing to see so many students try out; students from every year level, students from our EAL programs and students new to AIS. At Thu Thiem campus, each class from Years 2 to 6 held its own spelling bee in order to determine the top spellers from each class. The top two students in each class were then selected to represent their class in the Round 2 final. It was wonderful to see the hard work in learning these difficult words pay off for the children.

The Round 2 finals took place in the second last week of Term 3. The top spellers for each competition level competed in a verbal spelling challenge. Not only did they have to remember difficult words such as “gainsay”, “zig-zag” and “emporium”, they also had to spell these out in front of their peers! The student, teacher and parent audiences were so proud of all finalists. Special congratulations, however, go to our 2018 winners: Years 2-3 TD: Kagwiria (3JMA) Years 2-3 TT: Yi Chen (3OGR) Years 4-6 TD: Geralynn (6KDE) Years 4-6 TT: Anya (5POR) We congratulate all students for entering the inaugural AIS Spelling Bee and for helping make it such a success. The AIS Spelling Bee will be on again next year so we hope to see even more students having a go.

The Leader ¡ April 2018

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Kinder Sports Day

By Patricia Robson

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n 30 March, the last day of Term 3, Kindergarten students from all campuses came together to

participate in a fun morning of 10 different activities that we have been learning about in PE with Mr Cuong. We had 2 sessions with Senior Kinder having first time slot 9 till 10 am. Then Junior Kinder had a turn from 10-11 am. Fun was had by SK but for JK it was a bit more daunting!

Kindergarten goes to the Water Puppets Show

J

By Patricia Robson

AIS Year 6 Maths Olympians O

By Kevin Demmon - Year 6 Teacher

n Saturday 7 April, six talented mathematicians from Year 6 competed in the first round of the

Asia Pacific Maths Olympiad for Primary Schools

unior and Senior Kindergarten were all very excited

(APMOPS). These courageous students were Wiktor

to go on a field trip in the bus to see the Water

Jurzak, Rima Ohora, Kang Shin Won, Le Minh Tam, To

Puppet Show. This was the culmination of the UOI

Gia Hung (Gary) and Pham Gia Khang (GK). They were

of How We Express Ourselves - Storytelling. The

chosen for their excellent mathematical understanding

students were able to see how the story was made

and they are the first ever AIS students to compete in

using puppets. Some were able to see the sticks

the Olympiad, where they had to pit their skills against

used to make the puppets come to life. Then at the

the best Year 6 maths brains in Ho Chi Minh City.

end the puppeteers came out to the front and we clapped to congratulate them on a great story about

The group have been practising hard over the last

dragons, farmers, ducks and fish - just to name a

few weeks, including attending lunchtime training and

few characters!

completing advanced maths homework. For the actual competition the students sat a 2 hour test which challenged their mathematical and problem solving abilities. Although the test had many particularly difficult questions, our students showed excellent knowledge, enthusiasm and determination. No matter what the final results, they can be very proud of what they have achieved.

The Leader ยก April 2018

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Intermediate Waterloo Maths Competition

B

y

participating

competitions

in

Mathematics

students’

practise

and further develop their problem solving skills. Nguyen Tran received a Distinction for his involvement in the Intermediate Waterloo Maths Competition.

The Saigon STEAM Fair: Students making a better world!

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By Charla Sweeney - Science and Mathematics Teacher

his year was the fourth Saigon STEAM fair for Middle and Secondary Schools and each year it gets bigger, better and more relevant! This year students needed to choose from one of the 17 Global Goals for Sustainable

Development as their inspiration to make a product using either the engineering or scientific method. AIS entered three junior secondary groups from the STEM After School Activity group. The three goals our students chose were: 1) Goal 6 ‘Clean Water and Sanitation’ – Steve’s (Year 8) investigation tested the microorganisms in the tap and drinking water in the school. Steve learnt with the help of Ms Tam our Lab technician, how to sterilise and prepare agar plates. Steve made a simple filter, which he proved reduced the amount of bacteria in the water.

2) Goal 7 ‘Renewable Energy’– Brian and Leif (Year 7) built a working solar powered model house. They learnt about connecting parallel and series circuits and proved that the 3V solar panel could recharge the battery in less than 10 min in midday sun.

3) Goal 3 ‘Good Health’– Jagravi, Jaime, Leo and Ivy (Year 8) wanted to put people off smoking by demonstrating how much tar a person’s lungs absorb from a single cigarette. They learnt with the help of Ms Dunnett how to set up the apparatus in a fume cupboard to carry out the test safely.

During the judging process, our students spoke clearly and enthusiastically about their projects and their passion for Science and the Global Goals was evident. Congratulations to the students for their hard work and dedication! Thank you also, to the parents who supported their children to participate in the STEAM Fair during the school holidays!

The Leader ¡ April 2018

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MUSIC NOTES A

By Andrew Sweeney t AIS, students are taught academic music in a highly professional way. The music department provides a wide range of extra-curricular performance ensemble opportunities. The music department promotes involvement in

an eclectic range of musical styles, allowing students from a wide range of cultures and abilities to experience the joy of music through compositions, research and performance. An essential aim of music is to provide the important skills needed in work and life such as: communication; self confidence; self-expression; leadership; organisation; teamwork and professionalism.

The senior concert band has now grown to over 60 students which makes it one of the largest ASA for student participation. It is fantastic to see so many students buying their own instrument and I encourage parents to consider buying an instrument for their child.

On Thursday lunchtimes we have started to learn jazz with a group of students. The ensemble consists of saxophones, trumpets, trombones, piano, guitar, bass guitar and drum kit. In jazz, notes are played differently in a ‘swing jazz’ style and the music is based on a blues scale. We have been rehearsing for a term learning the basics and new members are welcome to attend rehearsals.

The Leader ÂĄ April 2018

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AIS School Play:

By Gabriel Price

W

hen you think about witches, do you imagine the kind that you see on Halloween - the kind with pointy black hats, long black dresses, long

fingernails, striped stockings, and warts on their noses? Well, in The Witches,

by Roald Dahl, the witches are even scarier. That is because you do not know who they are. The witches in this play wear dresses and makeup, and with their disguises, they do not look anything like you would picture a witch to be. You never know when you might meet one!

On 10 and 11 May from 6-730pm at Thu Thiem Auditorium, under the direction of Ms Jacqui Gaynor the AIS Production Team will be re-enacting Roald Dalh’s, The Witches. The School play is suitable for ages 11 and above. Tickets are now on sale for 50,000VND. Contact: Mr Gabriel Price at: Gabriel.price@

aisvietnam.com for more information.

This play is sure to be different from traditional plays, as the audience will become a part of the cast!

The AIS Production Team

SPRING CONCERT

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egular whole-school music concerts are a way of building the AIS community through a

shared experience and for many of our students; school-based concerts provide their only exposure to live music. Exposure to live music is a valuable enrichment opportunity that can influence young students to choose to become a musician. Term 3 finished with a ‘Spring Concert’ featuring very polished performances from the AIS Big Band, the Year 11 IGCSE music students and four Year 7 singers.

By Jacqui Gaynor - Performing Arts Coordinator The Leader ¡ April 2018

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T

he PYP workshop about early years took place on Thursday, 22 March

2018, at both the Thao Dien and Thu Thiem campuses.

Parents of our youngest students participated in the workshop, which explored

the

importance

children's growth, and

of

play

for

from both the developmental

psychological perspectives. We looked closely into the

fundamental purpose of play in developing many areas of a child’s ' development such as thinking, communication, self-management, problem-solving and gross and fine motor skills.

Parents appreciated being able to gain new knowledge about recent research in play-based learning and the importance of incorporating the 'sense of play' in our daily life, as one of the crucial ways in contributing to our mental

By Mida Abdul - PYP Coordinator

health. It was great to see parents enjoyed themselves playing.

Chinese field trip

By Helen Zhuang - secondary school Mandarin teacher Eleven secondary school students visited Guangzhou, in China, during spring break, accompanied by Ms Zhuang and Mr Lee. As well as practising their speaking and listening, the students experienced Konfu, Chinese traditional dancing, and a Chinese tea ceremony class; all at Jinan University.

They also visited many places including the splendid China fold Village. It was an excellent international tour and the students gained greatly from the opportunity.

Year 7 Humanities World Celebrations Fair

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By Tess Maloney - Year 7 Humanities teacher

o celebrate diversity and to demonstrate their knowledge learnt in International Studies, the Year 7 students held

a World Celebrations Fair. Each group chose a celebration, holiday or festival to research and display. They were asked to perform or present their work and we were treated to a fantastic array of information, tasty treats, dances and costumes from celebrations around the world, including The Day of the Dead, Tet, Mardi-gras, Carnival, Monkey Banquet Festival,Thanksgiving, Holi Festival and many more.

The Leader ÂĄ April 2018

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