Weekly Updates on 20/09/2024

 Dear Families

A big thank you for huge support over what has been a very challenging two weeks. You will have received an email outlining a call for support for communities in northern Vietnam. I am also delighted to say that our sister schools in HCMC will also be joining forces with us on this appeal. Please see further info below:

Last Friday we continued with our celebration of the Moon Festival. This was a great day and was a wonderful way to conclude the week.

Last week our Year 12 and Year 13 students attended the university fair, this year hosted by our sister school BIS. It was a great opportunity for them to speak with many of the top universities and collect good information to assist their future applications.

I am always amazed but not surprised about how happy the children are in school. Each day when I walk the corridors, I am greeted by happy children enjoying their time at BVIS. Long may this continue.

Just advance notice that on Wednesday 2nd October from 6-7pm I shall be hosting a session on the differences between A Level and other curriculums. I do hope many of you will be able to join me. Please register HERE

I wish you all a very safe weekend ahead.

Enquiry

This week in the Early Years Centre the children have had the opportunity to investigate our fantastic new resources. Children are curious by nature and are encouraged to explore skills and methods by ‘having a go’. The Early Years curriculum supports children in their development and the teachers support by modelling new experiences. We learn by doing.

Meaningful and enjoyable activities

It was wonderful to see Year 1 children attentively watching the Mid-Autumn Festival performances by the older students and eagerly participating in the whole school dance. Afterwards, the children, along with their parents and grandparents, engaged in making lanterns from paper cups and decorating masks in the classroom. The Mid-Autumn Festival week concluded with many meaningful and enjoyable activities!

Kindness and community spirit

Well - done, Year 2, for your great performance at the Moon Festival last week! It was wonderful to see the children sharing their caring spirit by donating items to support people in the North of Vietnam. Your kindness and community spirit truly make a difference.

Speedy sounds

Year 3 students have been working so hard in their phonics groups this week. Every day the children split into small groups where they spend some time learning and reviewing the Read Write Inc ‘speedy sounds’, writing words and sentences which include the sounds they are learning, and reading books and answering comprehension questions about what they have read. It is great to then see the Year 3 children applying the knowledge they have learned in phonics lessons into their writing in other subjects too.

In the footsteps of explorers

In light of our current Year 4 IPC topic, ‘Explorers and Adventurers,’ Year 4 followed in the footsteps of explorers Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay by learning about the conditions on Everest and examining the equipment used on the mountain.
Afterward, students identified the features of a mountain by creating their own mountain dioramas and labelling them.

Singing, dancing and story telling

On Friday, 13th September, Year 5 welcomed parents to their Moon Festival Assembly. The students sang, danced and retold stories.
In class, students created shuttlecocks with their parents. Then everyone went to the sports hall to play.

The strength of community

Last week, our school came together to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival with some fun and meaningful activities that highlighted the values of collaboration and community. Year 6 families joined us in the classrooms to create Bánh dẻo (traditional mooncakes) and craft beautiful lanterns, sharing both the cultural significance and the hands-on fun of the festival.

It was a really lovely afternoon where we began fostering strong partnerships between students, teachers, and families. As children worked alongside their parents and grandparents, we witnessed powerful moments of teamwork, creativity, and connection. These interactions not only enriched the children's understanding of the Moon Festival but also reinforced our shared belief in the strength of community.

Secondary Weekly Update 20/9/24

An update from Ms Claire

Moon Festival Assembly

It has been another positive and productive week in BVIS Secondary. Last Friday, all students and staff were treated to a wonderful Moon Festival Assembly. This included dance, musical performances and some very competitive quizzes! All students involved did a fantastic job of hosting a lovely celebratory event.

On Tuesday, we had a very busy and successful Year 9 Options event. Students and their Parents were introduced IGCSEs and choices before being able to ask teachers and student ambassadors lots of questions about what the different GCSE courses involve.

Throughout the week we have been collecting donations for communities affected by the devastating floods. I have been humbled by the kindness and generosity of the school community.

The rest of this week’s newsletter offers insights into different departments and areas of the school over the past week.

An amazing new mural at BVIS Hanoi!

We are excited to share news about a recent collaborative art project. Our students worked together to create a stunning mural, drawing inspiration from the rich tradition of Aboriginal art. This mural is truly special because it comprises over 200 individual sticks, each uniquely painted by our students from years 7, 8, and 9.

Through this project, students learned about the artistic techniques used by Indigenous people and the deeper significance behind the symbols and patterns. The mural now brightens our school walls, serving as a reminder of the power of collaboration and the beauty of diversity.

Blue Dragon Workshops

This week, we have successfully organised 2 workshops with our long-term partner, Blue Dragon Children Foundation on topics: Anti Human Trafficking and Child Labour Law. These workshops were offered to KS4 and KS5 to increase their capacity of understanding Children’s rights, the context of child protection in Vietnam and how they can contribute impact to the process.

I want to thank all the students for their commitment during workshop. Their willingness to engage in such an important topic shows their compassion and dedication to positively impacting our community.

From Ms. Trang – Blue Dragon’s Coordinator: “During the activities, the students worked well in groups. They engaged, shared ideas confidently, supported each other, and were eager to learn, which was impressive.

The students were very serious about learning through this activity. I hope this experience will positively impact them, helping them share what they've learned with their peers, be more mindful of their surroundings, and build a strong foundation for continuing to learn about and advocate for children's rights in Vietnam and wherever they may go in the future.”

STEAM at BVIS

At BVIS, we are committed to providing students with a dynamic and future-focused education by incorporating STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) into our science curriculum. Our collaboration with Nord Anglia and MIT takes this a step further, bringing cutting-edge resources to our classrooms each term, designed to challenge and inspire.

Soon our students will begin working on their first STEAM challenge, centred around the fascinating field of artificial intelligence (AI) led by Prof. Faez Ahmed from the Mechanical Engineering Department at MIT.

You can watch the launch video with your child here: https://youtu.be/2LYoht0FUVo

Parent and Student STEAM Session

When: Wednesday, 2nd October, from 3:30-4:30pm

Where: S215 (Secondary Building)

I am thrilled to invite Year 7, 8, and 9 parents (plus 1 child) to an exciting, hands-on STEAM

workshop! This session is a fantastic opportunity for you and your child to dive into the world of STEAM and experience how it's transforming learning at BVIS

Together, you’ll tackle engaging challenges that will spark creativity, inspire critical thinking, and foster collaboration—all while having fun! Spaces are limited, so don’t wait! Be sure to register early (first come, first served) using the link HERE. We can’t wait to see you there!

What’s been happening in English?

Y7 have really been enjoying being Shakespearean actors in English! The photo below shows Tuan Minh and Thien Quang performing a midsummer night's dream

What’s been happening in Form Time?

10V has been successfully delivering their public speeches. So far, we have heard from two speakers who addressed two important topics: climate change and Typhoon Yagi. They presented their insights very well

Mr Ogden has shared how proud he is of his tutor group, 9V this week; nearly 100% attendance at Options evening! Also, they've raised 2.5 million in cash today for the Flood fundraiser, and they've started donating loads of goods as well!

University Guidance

We have started off the University visit season in full force. Year 12 and 13 Students were taken to BIS campus on Thursday 12 Sept to talk to over 100+ universities. Then on Friday, we had our own mini fair with Boston, Tulane, City University and UC Riverside, all giving our students some expert advice

 

University Visits

Primary

Secondary

We wish you all a very relaxing weekend!

Senior Leadership Team from BVIS Hanoi