Weekly Updates on 15/03/2024

Dear families

I am delighted to say that our students have received an amazing set of offers from some of the best universities across the world. Congratulations to them and to Ms. Colleen our amazing University Guidance Counsellor who has supported them in the process.

Our academic results continue to impress and improve year on year. At a recent academic review meeting, it was clear that the predicted results for IGCSE and A Level are going to be very impressive.

A big thank you to all parents who attended one of my information sessions last week, I hope you found it useful. I have taken on board your additional suggestions and have already acted upon some of them.

On Monday evening I had the pleasure of attending the A Level and IGCSE music examinations performances. I was impressed by the incredible music talent we have in this school. It was a wonderful evening of high-quality performance. Congratulations to all the students and staff involved.

The school has been receiving many congratulations and accolades for the recent teaching and learning conference we hosted here. There were over 200 delegates and they were extremely impressed with our school, our students and the high quality education we are offering at the school.

I wish you all a very relaxing weekend ahead.

School Value - Perseverance

In Early Years, the children are encouraged to ‘have a go’ at everything. Mistakes can be made, and we learn from them, whether that be academically or personally. Having the confidence to try new things is to be celebrated and small steps in learning journeys are encouraged. This week, the Early Years children have been talking about the things they want to achieve, learn and be in life. Having a dream is so important at any age and we want BVIS children to reach for the stars and strive to be the best they can be.  

Service Learning in the Community Garden

Year 2 students had a wonderful experience when they participated in community activity in Community Garden. They planted trees, sprinkled sawdust on the ground and looked for plants in the garden. 

Learning the Art of Persuasion

Year 3 have been learning all about persuasive advertising and looking at adverts for popular chocolate and candy. This week we taste tested a variety of ingredients to help us think about the flavours, vocabulary and themes of our own chocolate bar designs. Will it be colourful and sweet with marshmellows, berries and sprinkles or will it be crispy, crunchy and full of protein with nuts and biscuit? 

School Values - Enquiry and Caring

Year 4 had the opportunity to meet a representatives from the Wild Rhino campaign belonging to Wilderness Foundation Africa organization to learn more about Rhinos and Rhino conservation efforts in Vietnam. This is one of the main topics of the IPC theme "Land, Sea, and Sky" that Year 4 is currently studying. The students participated in icebreaker games and collectively signed the Rhino Protection Pledge. Additionally, Year 4 organized a drawing competition with the theme 'Protecting Rhinos', which was both educational and meaningful. Afterwards, the students were invited to interact and take photos with an adorable rhino mascot! 

In Vietnamese lessons, year 5 is learning about the legend of “An Duong Vuong and the Citadel of Co Loa”. Using actions to retell the story, the children absorbed and remembered the story quickly. They also showcased their creativity through engaging role-playing activities. 

Book Week – Reading Focus

The Year 6 students had a wonderful week of celebrating a variety of different aspects of reading. They participated in buddy reading with Y3, created story characters using animals as their inspiration, listen to read-alouds, explored stories, built reading forts and dressed up as some of their favourite story characters.  

Students Leadership and Service Learning

Our Student Librarians and Student Ambassadors successfully raised funds by selling books and various items at the Tet Fair, with the support of the School Trade Union. This week, representatives from the Student Leadership visited the National Children's Hospital to deliver the donation to parents of the children who are inpatients and receiving treatment there. This experience serves as a wonderful opportunity for children to understand the significance of assisting their peers who are facing challenges.

School value INTEGRITY, RESPECT and CARING

Last week, secondary celebrated World Book Day over the course of the week. Students had the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities in tutor time, at break and lunch time and in their English and EAL lessons – all planned by our wonderful English team and librarians. 

In registration, tutors read and discussed texts written by and about strong female voices as part of our celebration of World Book Day and International Women’s Day. 

In English and EAL lessons, students participated in some wonderful activities planned and delivered by our excellent librarians, including speed recommendations, black out poetry, ‘fictionary’ and blind date with a genre. At break and lunch times, students engaged in a particularly challenging scavenger hunt in the library. 

Teachers spoke to their classes about what they are reading, and students completed a quiz. Outside of school, students engaged with bookmark and recreate a book cover competitions leading to some fabulous submissions! 

And throughout the week, we collected a huge number of books for Nhan Chinh school. 

School value INTEGRITY, RESPECT, CARING and GLOBAL CITIZENS

International Women’s Day 

Imagine a gender equal world. A world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. A world that's diverse, equitable, and inclusive. A world where difference is valued and celebrated. Together we can forge women's equality.  

BVIS Celebrated women's achievement and raised awareness about discrimination. We are taking action to drive gender parity. IWD belongs to everyone, everywhere. 

School value ENQUIRY and GLOBAL CITIZEN 

Last weekend we had 5 students compete at UNIS MUN. This was a fantastic conference with over 300 other students from across all of Asia. Our students are very much new to MUN but all persevered and all got involved in defending resolutions, raising POI’s and generally getting Volvos in as much debate as possible. Particular mention to Chieu Nghi who was the youngest student within her committee but got the conference on the final day to speak up and question one of her fellow delegates. Also, Yuji who shone throughout and became a real leader within his committee. A great job by all students. 

School value GLOBAL CITIZEN 

‘Daily Dragons Report from U13 FOBISIA Games – Thailand’

Day 1 Individual mentions (Dragons of Distinction):

#BeLikeDucMinh

Duc Minh wants to be prepared. He has worked hard in training and now is seeking clarity. This independent organisation and enquiry are just some of the values that sets FOBISIA team members apart. This morning, he woke up and was determined to maixmise his potential. To that end he searched for clarity in his roles, ensuring he knew all the rules and regulations around his event but also seeking performance criteria. He saw, absorbed, reflected and then sought information to deliver a performance. This kind of preparation cannot be coached, you either have it or you don’t. 

Duc Minh competed in the maximum races allowed in swimming, achieving a 2nd place and a silver medal in 25 Freestyle. The 2nd fastest swimmer at the competition in this stroke!! He also competed in 2 athletic events, striving to deliver his best. 

What stood out about Duc Minh, was his support of and care for his teammates. He was the motivator of his swimming relay team and was proactive in finding support for his friend who needed it. The Dragon community can all be proud to be represented by teammates like this! #BeLikeDucMinh   

#BeLikeBaoHan 

Bao Han stood tall today! Sometimes it’s hard to measure a person until they are thrown into a scenario of hardship, because that’s when character emerges. That’s when true Dragons rise up and show what bravery and heart are all about. Bao Han learned something of herself and showed everyone else what she is all about today when she stepped up for the 800m race. She was ready to work hard in an event she had little experience in and she set off at a startling pace, and incredibly was able to maintain it. Little did she know but Bao Han had made a critical error that meant she was running a longer race than everyone else. An already grueling 800m became much longer when she stayed in the outer lanes of the track, forgetting to move in with everyone else. She was getting overtaken, but not because she was slow, she was just running a different race! 

This extra toll and the realisation would have been enough to set the strongest of individuals back, but once Mrs. Laura was able to communicate with her, she slipped to the inside lane and Bao Han found some fire from somewhere. Lord knows that she should have had nothing left in the tank, but when adversity strikes, the strongest find another gear and this mighty Dragon managed to get a 4th place position in the race. Covering a considerably longer distance than any of the other athletes. 

Furthermore, as if that wasn’t enough, she continued to reflect this attitude all day. As a proficient swimmer, Bao Han was entered in many swim races. It was clear that she was spent, and I am sure she was tempted to give up. If we all reflect on hard times, it can seem easier to give up than to push through the pain, right? Well when the team needed her and with two swimmers already having to sit out of our races, Bao Han showed that same depth of character, the same strong values and respect for her team and despite her body telling her not to, she showed incredible resilience and perseverance to compete in a 50m backstroke event. We are SO proud of you Bao Han. #BeLikeBaoHan #Dragonsstandtall

Swimming medals: 

• Duc Minh – Silver – 25m Freestyle 
• Duc Hieu – Bronze - 25m

Breaststroke Athletics Medals: 

• Discus A – Gold – Duc Hieu 
• 1500m A – Silver – Tue Minh 
• 200m B – Gold – Danh Luu 
• 800m A – Gold – Tam An 
• Long Jump B – Silver – Duc Hieu 
• Discus A – Bronze – Tam An 
• Shot Putt B – Bronze – Kieu Vy 
• Triple Jump B – Gold – Minh Anh 
• High Jump B – Silver – Tue Minh 
• High Jump A – Silver – Danh Luu 

Day 2 – Basketball 

Girls – 2nd place  

Boys- 4th place. 

Today was a day that many dragons emerged and we were left with no choice but to pick 2 #DragonsofDistinction for each team. There could have been more.  

#BeLikeTamAn

Within our Dragons community, we strive to be team orientated. No one individual is stronger than the team. Once in a while strong individuals emerge as leaders, models and impactful talents. Whilst we have known for a long time about the talent held by this dragon, Tam An had such an impact across the games that today she had her own chant emanating from the bench. Her evolution from a talented and impactful individual to an athlete that raises team standards and athletes around her has been a joy to witness. Its fair to say that she was the standout athlete on the courts for all girls’ teams today and as a coach we have had athletes and coaches from other teams going out of their way to acknowledge her talent. Her ability to manipulate the ball and bend it to her will, her shooting, defensive diligence and sheer grit was central to our teams' success. What started as an individual strength, filtered through the team and tempered them into a tight knit unit of 5 which deservedly earned a place in the final, after beating the then undefeated RISS in the playoffs. Today the team started with a standout dragon and finished with a ferocious Horde! They left everything on the court today and Tam An should be proud of her own performance and the inspiration she provided. The team were simply outstanding today! 

#BeLikeMinhAnh 

Minh Anh was ‘the surprise package’ of the day. Her fitness, fight and comprehension of her role and the teams objectives were incredible, especially considering she has a few more years at this age group! She played every second of every game and did not look for a single break. She was a central pillar in this team and was entirely committed to her teammates, their success and she showed passion that proved how much she wanted to win.  

She was in her opponents' faces, forcing errors and creating opportunities for our team. As one of the younger (read smaller) players on the team, she was rebounding and stealing the ball from players whom she had no right to take the ball from. She listened to and actioned feedback and we cannot understate how important she was. A team full of Minh Anh’s would be any coach's dream. Being a Dragon means more than a shirt number to Minh Anh – that is culture and she is driving it!  

#BeLikeQuocMinh

Quoc Minh was a rock today. Whether it be attack or defence, he was ever present, solid and the true anchor of the boys' basketball team. His skill, determination and tenacity were on full show in today’s competition as he made play after play. His competitive spirit and pride in the team led to high energy and sustained effort. The team could feed off his energy and raised their game to be able to contribute points, assists, rebounds and turnovers. Quoc Minh gave everything he had, he put his body on the line for the good of his teammates and was pivotal in steering the boys to a hard-fought 4th place finish. This Dragon is here to stay and he will not be moved, by anyone! 

#BeLikeLeKhoa

Le Khoa is an intellectual and fluid athlete. He has an exceptional elegance to his basketball play which is rare in his age group. Throughout this tournament, he showed such quality in all that he did, from hustling of opponents to sinking 3 pointers. These physical skills are hard to develop and take hours and hours of practice. However, without the mentality and character to back them up, they are simply unused or inaccessible tools. What really set Khoa apart today was his team ethic, his drive and his determination to make a positive impact on the games. When on court, this sometimes quiet and unassuming student is transformed. He wears his heart on his sleeve, punches above his weight and dialled the passion level to 11 – a true dragon spirit that all can aspire to.  

Day 3 – Football 

Girls – 4th place  

Boys- 7th place.  

#DragonsofDistinction for each team.  

#BeLikeTueMinh 

Culture, team ethos and standards do not simply emerge. A coach or an individual can set them, discuss them and explain them, but for standards and culture to be embedded, it’s the team that has to adopt, take ownership and drive these, internally. Tue Minh is the standard. Not only was she our ‘Dragon of Distinction’ today, but she has been the one establishing high performing norms for effort and commitment during this trip. She has been the one walking the walk and transforming talk into action.

Her quiet, committed and strong presence on the pitch today was the backbone of the team. When everyone else on the team had been beaten with the ball, it was Tue Minh who was ALWAYS there to help her keeper, to pressure attackers and reduce chances of scoring. Football is not a game for individuals, but when you have individuals like Tue Minh, you have to thank your lucky stars. Whenever an opponent turned to face the goal, they were inevitably faced by the black and blue wall that was Tue Minh.  

This athlete in particular seems to run on an energy system that isn’t normal, she has a seemingly endless supply of it. Coupled with her grit and resilience her impact was awe inspiring. We are incredibly grateful for her efforts, her character and the fact that she is a Dragon! #BeLikeTueMinh 

#BeLikeVietHung

Sometimes it isn’t about standing out. It isn’t about scoring goals, winning games or lifting trophies. Sometimes it’s about character. About growth and about watching, learning and improving. How many goal keepers have won the Ballon D’Or?  

Viet Hung is our Dragon of the day, because he has shown a depth of character and a set of values that prove success is measured in many ways. His resilience throughout the tournament has been inspiring.  Being the goalkeeper is arguably the hardest position to be in, particularly when conceding multiple goals early on. It’s lonely, it’s pressured, it’s the last line of defence and often it is the goalkeeper who gets the blame. This could have caused Viet Hung to lose confidence in himself, for his commitment to drop or his focus to waver. Instead, the opposite happened – he was even more determined to make the effort to stop anything that came his way. Putting his body on the line and making multiple saves allowed the team to stay in the fight during games that could easily have been lost by higher scorelines. 

Viet Hung’s steely resolve and never give up attitude is the epitome of what it means to be a Dragon – we were extremely grateful to have this mentality machine and an individual like Viet Hung as our last line of defence. #BeLikeVietHung 

Primary

Secondary

University visits

We wish you all a very relaxing weekend!

Senior Leadership Team from BVIS Hanoi