Key Dates | Pastoral Update | Virtual Learning Showcase
Dear Parents,
We have reached the half-term holiday, a timely opportunity to reflect on the successes we as a Secondary School community have achieved in the last 10 weeks. We know from student feedback that our students have greatly enjoyed the strong teacher presence and deliberate collaborative design of our Virtual School Experience. Through breakout rooms, chats, online discussions, and Teams channels, students have had the chance to learn through purposeful interaction. Our Virtual School has run smoothly and the learning has been strong, which is a testament to the commitment of teachers, the willingness of students, and support from parents.
The situation in Hanoi has improved considerably, and in the back of our minds we prepare for when students are permitted on campus once again. The key question now, as a learning community, is what have we learnt during the virtual school that we will continue to do when face-to-face.
I wish you all the best for a restful holiday. Take care and stay in touch.
Yours sincerely,
Chris Newman
Head of Secondary
School is always incredibly busy for the Sixth Form (members of Years 12 and 13). This is just as true during periods of online learning as when we are together in school. The academic rigours of both the IB and BIS Hanoi Diplomas put a lot of pressure on the students, and it can be particularly challenging for them to manage the time needed to make progress and keep up with deadlines, manage their classes and their own wellbeing.
Year 13 students have just completed six days of PCTs, and for the first time these have been online, creating new challenges to overcome and skills to adapt. This follows from the deadline for the all-important (for IB Diploma) Extended Essay, as well as, for the majority of our Year 13s, coming at the height of university research and application season. The Year 13 students have dealt with this with great resilience and open-mindedness. Their feedback, via meetings and tutor reps, and understanding of a challenging set of circumstances for all will help us continue to refine our online provision.
The Year 12 students have also been busy, and had had the disadvantage of beginning their Sixth Form experience online. However, involvement in lessons is good and there is a real sense of camaraderie amongst many of the students. They are working this week to prepare lessons on the UN sustainability goals to teach to younger year groups as part of International Week, and have thrown themselves into the role of Sixth Form students eagerly and with great energy.
Online learning takes its toll on energy and enthusiasm for everyone over time. We all need each other’s support in many different ways to be able to make the most of this challenging time. For students at home, the additional time it takes to study work delivered online compared to face-to-face lessons adds to the anxiety they may feel about their studies. It is important that we at school as you at home keep checking in with these young people to make sure their welfare needs are being met. Students need to be active and to have downtime. They need a quiet place to study, preferably not their bedroom, and need to know that their parents understand the demands on their time and can hold them accountable for their work. Most importantly, our Sixth Form students need sleep; 8 or 9 hours a night of uninterrupted sleep, ready for the next day. Sleep is perhaps the most important need these young people have that they regularly sacrifice. The most important message they need to hear, both from school and their parents, is that at night work stops, whether complete or not, and they need to try to get rest and sleep.
Taking time out to explore mindfulness and to have fun is also important. Through the contributions of Ms Peters, Dr Greenwood and Ms Lozano the Sixth Form students have received great advice about different ways to switch off and regenerate. The Year 12s have also been working on small collaborative “Monthly Missions” set by me to bring them together in a more humorous cause. Some of the contributions to the “Paper Toss Challenge” were particularly exceptional, with one even involving one of our alumni students.
Speaking of whom, on Friday this week the Year 13s (and later, Year 12s) will have the opportunity to hear messages of support and reassurance from many of our students from past years. It is our hope to continue this active and regular communication with our alumni as they all have so much to teach us and our current students. We are very fortunate to have two excellent year groups in this year’s Sixth Form who will continue the trend of inspirational and joyful participation on a wider stage.
Robert Airdrie
Head of Sixth Form
English | Humanities | Art | MFL | Vietnamese | Science
Year 8s protest in International Week!
What global issues do Year 8s care about? What would they like to change in the world? What inequalities linked to the theme of connections and making connections with Black History Month, Year 8s researched the life of Olaudah Equiano: born in 1745, a former slave and campaigner for the abolition of slavery. They listened to rap artist Inya’s performing ‘Freedom’ based on the life of Olaudah Equiano and then wrote their own rap or political placard/poster. After the finishing touches are added, we hope to showcase their talented and politically-minded creations after the half-term break.
8Z focused on forms of protest within the theme of connections. Together, the class explored different examples of protests from around the world as well as different modes of protest. Black History Month was brought to the forefront as learners were tasked with making a protest poster that included elements of connections as well as Black History Month.
Wayne Kassebaum
English Teacher
International Week in Art and STEAM
As part of International Week, Year 7 worked with the STEAM and Art department to create an artwork based on the theme of ‘Connections’. Students chose maps that were meaningful to them and drew a line that tracked an important journey for them on their map. We were so pleased to see students choose maps and journeys they have been on from around the world. These places included Russia, Singapore, India, Vietnam and Korea and the journeys ranged from Hoi An to Phu Quoc, and from Seoul to Busan.
After creating their individual lines, they combined them with others in their class and arranged the straight lines and the primary colours of Piet Mondrian to create their final outcome. We were so pleased at how they built connections with their peers in a visual way and with their overall effort.
Eibhlín Göppert
Art Leader
International Week in Humanities
As part of International Festival, our Year 8 students have worked with the Humanities (Geography and History) teachers to explore the theme of ‘connections’. Students began and ended the session by exploring what connection means to them and what connects them to people, places and experiences. There was some excellent engagement amongst our students in our breakout rooms where they explored shared connections with each other. Individually, they then explored their own ideas and connections to the wider world. Their work will form the basis of a brand new display in the Humanities corridor, ready to welcome them when they (eventually) return back to our classrooms. Well done Year 8s!
Shaun O’Callaghan
Humanities Leader
Languages International Festival Session with Year 10
We all know that language connects us in so many ways, which is why the MFL, Korean and Vietnamese departments teamed up to deliver a bespoke session to Year 10 as part of our International Festival at BIS Hanoi.
All over the world, people celebrate New Years and the coming of a New Year. We know that each country has their own traditions during this festival, such as eating bánh trưng in Vietnam, playing games such as Yunnori in South Korea and eating doce uvas (12 grapes) as the clock strikes 12 in Spain.
But have you ever thought about how these (very different) traditions connect our cultures and the connections that can bring us together? Year 10 spent their session researching the main traditions and events that different countries celebrate during their New Year and how these connect us all.
Our students spoke about how the meanings and symbols of the New Year bring people together and they made explicit links showing the connections between different cultures.
The MFL team, the Korean team and the Vietnamese team are all so proud of the communication, risk taking and thoughtful nature of the students in Year 10. It was wonderful to see students working together to learn about other cultures and to celebrate their own!
Georgina Dorr
Head of MFL
Year 9s have been learning about the New Poetry Movement (Phong trao Tho Moi). It has been an amazing experience for all of the students in remaking some of the famous poems into their own forms. Have a look at these brilliant works!
International week in Science
In Science we have learned about different scientists and their work and how they collaborate on global projects. IB students were encouraged to look at examples of international-mindedness in each of the units of their chosen subjects.
In Chemistry this week Year 9 students were learning about explosions and implosions that have made the news around the world. They learned about volcanoes and the difference between chemical and physical explosions. Biology students have been learning about diet and nutrition in the context of international food choices. Physics students have been learning about the importance of developing alternatives to fossil fuels and the necessity of global collaboration in the fight against climate change.
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