AIS MONTHLY NEWSLETTER | Issue Dec 2017
From everyone at AIS, have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
From the Executive Principal
Parent Survey by Dr Roderick Crouch
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he annual parent survey was conducted in November. There were 248 responses (23 from Kindergarten, 117 primary and 108 secondary), and for the first time the survey was sent in 3 languages (English, Vietnamese, and Korean). Year 1 families (28) followed by Year 9 (23) and Year 4 (20) were the best responders. Every year level had families responding which is pleasing. The survey consisted of 33 questions, each with 5 possible responses: strongly agree / agree / disagree / strongly disagree / no opinion. The results are similar between TD and TT (differences less than 4% per question). It was really pleasing to see the positive way our families view AIS. 97% agreed that the school is a welcoming place; 95% agreed their child likes school, 92% said their child finds school interesting and challenging and 85% said their child is making good progress. 88% agreed both that the school expects their child to work hard and achieve his or her best, and that the school is helping their child become mature and responsible. Any school across the world would be proud of these remarkable results, but for me they are not surprising as AIS is a very good school with a wonderful community. That these results are so high reflects the hard work and dedication of the staff to the students. This was also reflected in the survey with questions on the leadership, professionalism of staff and overall teaching drawing agreement levels of between 76-81%.
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There is always food for thought in surveys and I appreciate that so many parents took the time to complete the survey. We will continue to review our after school program (ASAs) to ensure it meets the needs of families. Next semester we will be offering nearly 90 (!!) ASAs as well as a wide ranging inter school and intra school sports program. The school production of Mulan was an outstanding success and greatly enjoyed by both cast and audience. Similarly AIS Celebrates was fabulous. We do have some very talented students, and it is wonderful that so many students have the opportunity to perform on stage. There is no doubt that AIS is a leader across HCMC in the performing and visual arts. As I reflect on the semester, I am pleased to see the progress of the students. A number of changes that were made this year are already bearing fruit. Students and families are taking advantage of the school counsellor to discuss any personal concerns, 41 different universities have visited AIS as part of our university preparation program, and more detailed secondary school reports will go out this week. Most pleasing is the way the students look after each other, and the wider community through the many fund raising events that have been held. I wish all families a happy and peaceful winter break and for those who celebrate it, a joyful and blessed Christmas.
AIS
Pathway to University (Part 2) by Mark Vella Deputy Executive Principal
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n Term 1 I wrote of the advantages that AIS students enjoy from having the IB Diploma as their university entrance qualification. While gaining UE qualifications is an essential prerequisite for university study, and is the primary focus of our Year 12 and 13 students, they also have to adopt a very organised approach to researching, selecting and applying to universities in their final two years at secondary school. AIS has a number of systems in place to support students throughout this process. In terms of university counselling the school works in partnership with a very experienced and successful educational consultancy, Avenue to Success (ATS). ATS counsellors meet with ALL senior AIS students. Counselling sessions with Year 12 students aim to assist them with the ‘big’ questions: in which country should I study? What type of institution is the best fit for me? What degree programmes and majors are the best match for my interests, talents and aspirations? By Year 13 most students have formed answers to these questions and the focus of ATS counselling is to identify specific institutions that the students will apply to and to support them through the application process. ATS has an extensive client list of universities and other tertiary institutions from Australasia, Asia, North America and Europe. When students apply to one of these universities the entire process is facilitated by ATS. Students applying to other institutions – and there are literally thousands of these in the US alone – still receive expert and informed advice and support from ATS. Two members of the AIS staff also have key roles in university counselling services, the Deputy Executive Principal (DEP) and his Personal Assistant, Ms Thi Duong. As DEP I co-ordinate the provision of year-level briefings, the scheduling of university visits and the administrative support required for student applications to universities. Each year I hold separate briefings on researching, selecting and applying to universities with Year 10, 11, 12 and 13 students. The timing and content of these sessions is varied and designed to best assist students at each particular age and stage of their pathway to tertiary entrance. A similar briefing is offered annually to parents during Term 1. Many of the universities that visit AIS, while obviously aiming to promote their institution and attract applicant, also offer to give general seminars on the application process in their countries and emerging trends in tertiary study and
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careers. All of this face-to-face counselling is supported by extensive online resources that are posted on dedicated pages in Managebac for the Year 11, 12 and 13 student cohorts. Semester 1 has been particularly busy in terms of university visits. To date we have received representatives from universities from Australia (8), Canada (2), Hong Kong (1), Japan (1), Singapore (1), Vietnam (1) and the United States (13). In addition we hosted the ATS University Fair, a multidestination event, involving 14 tertiary institutions. In Semester 2 we can expect more visits, particularly from Korean and Australian universities which tend to have later application timelines to those from North America and Europe.
The University Information Hub 3rd Floor, B Corridor
Professor Tanaka of Okayama University, Jap
As in many other aspects of life, the web has been something of a ‘game-changer.’ Up until the age of the internet the whole process was dependent on the university counsellors and paper-based brochures and applications. Today information, advice, counselling and applications are all available online. Many of our students, while benefitting from the general advice and guidance provided by the school and ATS, quite happily and successfully navigate the entire process of researching, selecting and applying to universities independently.
For these students, the main support required from the school is producing documents to support their applications; in particular transcripts, IB predicted grades and official school recommendations and/or teacher recommendations. Ms Duong is extremely experienced and efficient in providing this administrative support. Armed with a ‘gold-standard’ university entrance qualification in the form of the IB Diploma and advised, guided and supported by the system outlined above, each year AIS students successfully apply and are admitted to high quality universities around the world.
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From the Primary & Kindergarten Principal
Helping your child enjoy Maths by Rachel Perkins
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hank you for the very positive feedback on my ‘helping your child enjoy reading’ article. This month, I would like to continue the theme of helping your child in their academic studies, by looking at Maths. As with reading, it is important to try to make Maths as much fun as possible games, puzzles and jigsaws are a great way to start. It’s also important to show how we use Maths skills in our everyday lives and to involve your child in this. Please find below my top 5 tips for helping your child enjoy Maths. 1. Be an example Many adults say they disliked Maths in school. If you are one of them, be careful that you don’t communicate that attitude to your child. Help them improve their attitude toward Maths by showing them that you are confident when completing routine tasks like counting your change in your purse or wallet, checking your bank account or completing your tax return. You can also point out the importance of Maths in different professions including architecture, medicine, fashion design, restaurant management and computer programming. Talk to your child about how you use Maths in your job. 2. Play Maths games at home There are many games your child can play that involve Maths. Even young children can learn to enjoy Maths by playing games such as chess, dominoes, puzzles, Yahtzee and Uno. There are many on-line games available but I personally feel that playing a ‘hands-on’ game is the best way to have fun and practise Maths skills.
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3. Help your child use Maths every day Encourage your child to solve problems involving Maths outside of school. In the supermarket, ask them to work out the price of four cans of items you are buying. In the car, ask them how long it will take to travel to your destination based on your speed. In the toy shop, ask them to calculate the price of a discounted toy and how long it will take to save up her pocket money to buy it. 4. Familiarise yourself with Cambridge Scope and Sequence for your child’s year group. It’s important to know what Maths skills your child should learn in their year group. You can access the Maths your child is learning through the curriculum letter sent home at the start of the new Unit of Inquiry. If you know what your child will be learning, it will be easier to complement those skills with activities at home. 5. Pay attention to details You can help your child with their Maths homework by making sure they show all their work when solving equations and that they check carefully for correct calculations and answers. It’s a good idea to limit distractions and set aside the same time every day for all homework. Try not to put pressure on your child to work quickly, let them complete it in their own time and support when necessary. If you have any other ways of encouraging your child to enjoy their Maths studies, please feel free to share them with me. Happy Maths learning!
AIS CONNECTS SENIOR ART & DESIGN STUDENTS TO TOP UNIVERSITY AND INDUSTRY SPECIALISTS by Nigel Hall
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s part of AIS’s ongoing desire to forge educational links with quality universities, thirteen AIS senior Art and Design students, recently visited RMIT University as special guests at their Art & Design Careers Week. RMIT University is ranked No. 1 in Australia and 17 in the world for Art & Design. There our students experienced the work of students in the Bachelor of Design, whose work was showcased in Graphics & Visual Communication, Illustration & Imaging, Environment & Interiors, Fashion, and Mixed Reality displayed in specially designed pods within the campus. Students heard from industry expert, Mr Guillaume Monier, the Chief Operating Officer from Glass Egg Digital Media. Glass Egg is the third oldest art and design video game outsourcing company in the world, producing impressive 3D graphics for Microsoft, EA and Xbox games, to name a few. Glass Egg was established in 1995 and Vietnam is now leading the charge for 3D video game artists worldwide, ahead of Japan and the USA. The company employs over 350 people; mainly artists, designers, concept specialists and programme coders in an ultra-modern technological environment using the most advanced software to produce their work. Mr Monier spoke about what it takes to make a video game and the various careers available in the industry, from 3D artist, to executive producer. The students were inspired by the industry veteran and, following on from the RMIT visit, four talented students - Ju Eun Choi, Annie Tran, Minh Thuy Pham and William Pham had the honour of visiting the Glass Egg studios in District 4
Glass Egg Office
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to see the game production in action. They witnessed how their art studies could result in actual work and were given an insight into what it is like to be a professional artist in the 21st Century. It became clear that Art and Design is not merely a subject for recreational activity but a significant employment arena and a powerful contributor to the world’s most successful economies. To quote from the UK’s Guardian newspaper, “the UK’s creative industries contribute almost £90bn net to GDP; it accounts for one in 11 jobs, a rate rising more quickly than all other parts of the economy. These jobs are also among the least likely to be lost to automation“. The 21st Century is truly a renaissance period for artists, designers, musicians and all those who have an interest and talent in any of these and related fields. The study of these subjects at school and beyond is very much related to successful employment in a growing worldwide market. Beyond the specialist areas of subject specific work all employers and industries now recognise the importance of abilities related to information processing, reflective and critical thinking, and, in general, the meta-cognitive skills that are essential ingredients of creative and artistic pursuit.
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CAS
SPOTLIGHT CAS Spotlight aims to highlight the achievements of AIS students in the CAS Programme. CAS - Creativity, Activity, Service - is an IB programme taken by Year 12 and 13 students at AIS. The CAS ethos is that the IB Learner Profile be taken beyond the classroom. Students undertake a range of different experiences that generate initiative, personal growth and commitment. Students are expected to organise and plan their own CAS Experiences.
In July 2017 Tien Tran, Year 13 at AIS, traveled to Imfolozi Game Reserve, South Africa. She was there with other Vietnamese students to learn about how to ‘Save The Rhino’. This is her CAS story:
Save the Rhino I
won a trip to South Africa to camp in the wilderness with 10 other students. The purpose of the trip was to gain awareness about the conservation of endangered wildlife, especially rhinos. I spent 5 days in the wilderness, walking during the day to observe not just the rhinos but also other wildlife. I gained a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness between humans and animals. The days spent in the wilderness opened my eyes to the world around me. After this trip, I became a Youth Ambassador of the Wilderness Foundation and my role is to spread awareness about rhino poaching in South Africa because of horn consumption and distribution in Vietnam. Since then, I have spoken at school assemblies, seminars, press conferences and public lobbies. I meet regularly with the other ambassadors to discuss the next awareness campaign. I hope that you too can jump on board and ‘Save The Rhino’. by Tien Tran
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AIS A S CHRISTMAS RISTMAAS PARTY PARRTYY On Wednesday 13 December, many families attended the AIS Christmas Party. While enjoying the music of the AIS choirs and band, all families and children enjoyed a variety of activities and entertainment, from water balls, to face painting and gingerbread cookie decorating. There was a special appearance by Santa and all the children lined up eagerly for their photos and chocolates. It was a great event. The school community raised over 10,000,000 vnd for the Christina Noble Children’s Foundation. Thank you to all of our sponsors for their very generous contributions and for supporting such a worthwhile charity.
Christmas Music at the AIS Family Christmas Party
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usic and Christmas go naturally together, like plum pudding and custard. This tradition of Christmas carol singing, which dates back to the Middle Ages, is relived annually at the AIS Family Christmas Party held at the Thao Dien Campus. The AIS Band, Highschool Choir and Primary School GLEE singers presented age-old and modern carols celebrating both their performing skills and the Festive Season. Middleschool ensembles entertained the families with contemporary songs to finish off another very successful AIS music event. by Jacqui Gaynor
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CELEBRATING MULAN AND A NIGHT AT THE OSCARS
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SISAC U11 Badminton Tournament O
n Monday 20 November, students from Thu Thiem took part in the SISAC U11 Badminton Tournament. It was pleasing to see AIS take part in this event. AIS had four doubles teams entered. Students played eight games throughout the afternoon. As the tournament progressed their skills and understanding about the game of Badminton improved. There were some tight games in the boys’ doubles where the last shot of the match decided the outcome. Congratulations to all students who took part, their sportsmanship, fair play and skills should be commended. Well done to Lan Anh Nguyuen (Suri) and Ngoc Bao Tran Nguyen (Tran) from 6ABR who placed 2nd in the girls’ doubles. by Rachel White
Swim Squad ISPP Swimvitational 2017 O
n 18 and 19 November, our AIS Titans Swim Team left for Phnom Penh, Cambodia to participate in the ISPP Invitational 2017. Everyone did a fantastic job and returned home with some trophies, and lots of personal bests! Congratulations AIS Titans Swim Team for your performance and to these four individuals: Girls 8 & under 2nd Place- Kim Ly DOAN (3BMA) 3rd Place- Bao Ngoc TRAN (4LHE) Boys 8 & under 1st Place- Richard NGO (4LHE) Girls 11-12 3rd Place- Daria SULEK (Year 8) Well done all!
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by Jet Asis
AIS Spelling Bee contest A-I-S S-P-E-L-L-I-N-G B-E-E
AIS PRIMARY
SCHOOL SPELLING CONTEST
Term 3, 2017/2018 – Spelling Lists and Full Information Available in Mrs Perkin’s Newsletter (Friday 8 December)
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here will be AIS Spelling Bee competitions next term, for any interested students in Years 2-3 and Years 4-6. Full information and word lists have been provided in Mrs Perkin’s latest newsletter (Friday 8 December). Interested students will have Term 3 to study the provided word lists. There will be a written test at the end of Term 3 to decide the strongest six (6) spellers from each level. These students will be invited to a verbal Spelling Bee to see who the best speller is for 2018! Please ask Mr Maher (Cherry Blossom Campus - jeremy.maher@aisvietnam.com) or Mr Leigh Hansen (Thu Thiem Campus - leigh.hansen@aisvientam.com) if you have any questions by Jeremy Maher
Hour of Code @AIS O
AIS has participated in this year’s Hour of Code; promoting logical thinking, computer science skills and coding knowledge. The hope is for our students to build off this experience and persevere with learning to code, in fun and creative ways. They can go to code.org or tynker. com to find tutorials and activities for any level of coder! by Jeremy Maher
Intermediate Saigon Mathematics Competition
n Saturday 25 November, AIS had three teams participate in the Intermediate Saigon Mathematics Competition at The American International School. Well done to all students for their participation. By participating in competitions like this, students practise and develop problem solving skills. Special congratulations must go to Le Nguyen Tran who was placed equal 4th out of 76 students after achieving a perfect score (positions were placed according to time taken to complete the test). In the Number Cross round, AIS Team 2 consisting of Heonjun, Quang Myoung, Minh Quan (Bob) and Nguyen were placed 3rd overall out of 19 teams. In the Relay round AIS Team 1 consisting of Yeon Woo, Huy, Duy Uyen and Nhat Minh were also placed 3rd. Nhat Minh did all the running for the team and he said after that he thought he was at a track and field event, not a Maths competition. The AIS Team 3 consisting of Khanh Anh, Huy Bih, Nhat Anh and Anh Thy filled in at the last minute and did a great job. Once again, this is a commendable result for AIS and a very big congratulations to must go to David Gakowski and his Intermediate Maths Competition team. by John Pollard
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