Ms Deirdre Grimshaw: Weekly Update 14/05/2021

With an average attendance of over 99%, we have been delighted by the engagement of our students in their Virtual School this week.

While not the same as having a campus full of lively children, it has been a real pleasure to visit classes where lessons have been in action and see a screen full of smiling faces beaming back.  Thanks to all the parents for your support in ensuring the children are dressed for school, in a suitable working environment and ready to learn.  It really does make a big difference in their engagement and attitude when the learning conditions are right.

We will continue with Virtual School next week (unless we hear otherwise!) and the teachers are well prepared in continuing to support and teach the students. Should there be any issues or concerns, please do get in touch with your child’s class teacher and we will do our very best to support in any way.

We are looking at all events in the coming weeks and deciding on a case by case basis what we need to do.  Class Teachers, Year Leaders, Department Leaders or I will be in touch with the relevant parent groups for events that will need to move online, postponed or adapted or in the worst-case scenario, cancelled. We will do our best to avoid cancelled events at all costs but as always, we must adhere to the Government decrees and guidelines at this time.   While we know this will disappoint all involved, we see the benefits of the swift actions that are being taken to protect Vietnam and we must also do our part.

Year 3 Art Exhibition

 “Art is not what you can see, but what you make others see” – Edgar Degas

During Term 2, the children in Year 3 spent their IPC lessons learning about different artists and art movements as well as creating their own works of art. This culmination of hard work resulted in a breathtaking exhibition which took place on Tuesday 27^th April in the Activ8. Displayed for our visitors to see were the children’s interpretations of many different inspirations such as pop art, impressionism, silhouette art, and work linked to our English text, The Iron Man.

We were very lucky to have many guests pass through the exhibition during the day, with Year 3 children playing host to all. Guest were able to weave and meander through the pathways which were lined high with work from every child in the year group.

As well as other Junior Campus classes, our Year 2 friends from EYIC came to explore and see what learning would be like for them when they transition to the Junior Campus next academic year. Year 3 parents were shown around by their children in the afternoon and were incredibly impressed with the volume and range of art produced.

The Year 3 Art Exhibition would not have been possible without the hard work of the children and teachers, but particularly the TAs who helped to set up the exhibition for our visitors. A massive well done to everyone involved. What a wonderful exit point for our IPC topic Visual Representations.

Aziza Williams, Year 3 Leader

ISHCMC Friendly (SEASAC)

The 2020/2021 Academic Year has seen the Barracudas access competitive swimming via a range of different approaches. Most recently we were fortunate to take a small group of 8 students to compete in a Friendly Swim Meet with ISHCMC, to add an extra element of competition for the ISHCMC students as part of their Virtual SEASAC Swim Meet.

Our participating students; Matheo, Harry, Ryan, Richard, Ben, Yunji, Sao Mai and Kim Ly produced outstanding results with many new Personal Best times. In every event we participated in, we finished with a podium result, an outstanding achievement!

Kim Ly, Sao Mai and Richard also achieved New School Records. Kim Ly achieved the 11 – 12 Girls 100m Butterfly and 200m Individual Medley. Sao Mai achieved the 9 – 10 Girls 200m Backstroke and 100m Butterfly and Richard achieved the 11 – 12 Boys 100m Butterfly. A fantastic effort!

Well done Barracudas!

Emily McClelland, Head of Aquatics

Christina Noble Children’s Walk For Hope – 23^rd May 2021

“The future of our world is the future of our children, our beautiful children.  For many of them, it is a matter of giving them back their future, giving them life, giving them hope.”

Christina Noble - OBE

BIS HCMC has had the pleasure of partnering with Christina Noble Children’s Foundation for more than 5 years. As a school community, we have not only raised funds as well as awareness for the work that they do but our students have engaged with the children they support through various co-curricular activities as well as being part of the Year 12 CAS projects.

We are privileged to again be able to be a part of a global event to help protect children from exploitation and trafficking.  Every day, children around the world are exploited and trafficked…

For over 31 years, Christina Noble Children’s Foundation has been working against these practices in both Vietnam and Mongolia.

We would like to encourage you to register for the Global Virtual Walk which takes place on Sunday 23^rd May 2021 to raise much needed funds to help protect and support vulnerable children.

BSB Nord Anglia Virtual Swim Meet

The BIS Barracudas participated in a Nord Anglia Virtual Swim Meet conducted by the British School of Beijing. This was a very large meet involving many of our Nord Anglia School, with over 2000 participating students.

The Barracudas achieved outstanding success with 15 Gold Medals, 22 Silver Medals and 24 Bronze Medals. All our students achieved new Personal Best times, this is an outstanding achievement and a reflection of our students’ determination.

Huan Le achieved a New School Record in the 6 and under Boys 100IM, whilst Kim Ly achieved the 11 – 12 Girls 50m Butterfly School Record. Congratulations to Huan Le and Kim Ly.

Well done Barracudas!

Emily McClelland, Head of Aquatics

Health and Safety

COVID Procedures at the Junior Campus

Key points to remember are:

• If your child is sick with a cough, temperature or cold, please keep them off school. Please notify Ms Nhi  (Nhi.Mai@bisvietnam.com)  028 3744 4551 in the office and their class teacher of their absence.
• Temperature checks on arrival. Students coming to school with a temperature above 37.8 degrees celsius will be checked twice more and if their temperature is still high, parents will be asked to take them home.
• Masks must be worn at all times, except in classrooms.  All children should have their own mask and a spare, preferably labelled with their name. If you would prefer that your child continues to wear a mask in the classroom, we are very happy to accommodate this.
• Year 3 and 4 Students to enter through Gate A
• Year 5 and 6 Students to enter through Gate B
• Bus children to enter via Gate C
• All parents must wear a mask on site and will only be allowed to come on site at the end of the day to pick up children from the designated areas, (small field Year 3 - 5 and basketball court, Year 6). All parents should enter through Gate A and exit through Gate B.
• Parents must have an appointment if they need to come on site at any other time.  Please email or call Ms Nhi (email listed on first bullet point)  028 3744 4551

26&27/05/21                      Junior Campus Production TBC

26/05/21                              U11 Netball v AIS @ BIS TBC

And finally…

Please do pass on ‘big hellos’ to all the children.  We have posted our weekly assembly on Seesaw and it reflects on friendship during this time.  We would encourage you to find some time to watch with your children and talk about they are feeling at this time and what they can do to feel better.

Have a wonderful and safe weekend.