Weekly Updates on 14/02/2025

Dear Families

A very warm welcome back and Chuc Mung Nam Moi. I trust you all had a great TET holiday with your families.

I would like to say thank you to everyone who attended the BVIS TET Fair it was an incredible event. Thank you.

We also extend our heartfelt gratitude to the parents and students who generously donated to the Tet Appeal and project Tet Shoeboxes. Your kindness and support have made a significant impact, ensuring that those in need experience the warmth of the Tet celebrations. All the in-kind donations have been delivered to our social partners as well as our beneficial community in Hanoi, Dien Bien, providing them a Tet full of joys, luck, and happiness. Thank you.

It is great to see the children back in school and we are very much looking forward to a great half term ahead. 

Just before the TET holiday I spent time interviewing potential teachers for our school at the NAE Outstanding Teachers for Outstanding Schools event based in London and Manchester. I had the privilege of meeting many candidates who wish to join our prestigious school here in Hanoi.


We are beginning a series of seminars led by our senior staff here at BVIS to help support families with important issues that we know many might face. The first of these seminars will take place on Saturday 22nd February. Click the image below for further details and register.

A quick reminder that we are running the summer school again this year. Click the image below for further details and register for your child:

I wish you all a very relaxing weekend ahead.

BVIS Primary Poetry Performance

We believe in the power of performance poetry to give every child a voice, unleash their imagination, and transform words into unforgettable experiences!

I am delighted to announce that we will host a Poetry Performance event this term to celebrate our poetry unit and enhance students' performance skills. This initiative not only fosters a love of poetry but also empowers our children to communicate effectively, nurturing essential skills that will benefit them throughout their educational journey and beyond.

In February, students who register with their teachers will participate in the first round of auditions, led by our enthusiastic student ambassadors. They will guide their peers through the performance process, offering encouragement every step of the way. Students can choose to perform either their own poems or works by other authors, individually or in groups. The semi-final round will then be conducted by teachers, culminating in the final showcase on Wednesday 5th March. This event will be a joyful experience for all participants and a wonderful opportunity to enhance the learning journey.

This term in STEAM (Science  - Technology  - Engineering  - Art  - Maths)

• Year 6 are exploring and comparing places through maps and art, and exploring the invisible world around them with microscopes.  
• Year 5 are becoming engineers, building the strongest bridges and Roman siege engines.  
• Year 4 will be exploring the physics that form our planet, weather, and geology.  
• Year 3 are becoming product designers and chocolatiers, making their own chocolate and then turning it into products.  
• Year 2 are becoming biologists, classifying animals and creating habitats for different species.  
• Year 1 are being architects, learning about structures and building farms.  

We believe in the power of STEAM to ignite creativity, spark curiosity, and shape the innovators of tomorrow!

Music: Looking back and looking ahead

What a vibrant and musical start to the year it has been in BVIS Primary! Our students have been immersed in a rich tapestry of performing arts experiences, filling our school with the joy of music and performance.

We've celebrated colourful cultural events like Tet, Christmas, and Moon Festival with vibrant performances and musical and dance activities. Our choir has been exceptionally busy, leading the way with their enthusiastic participation.  From hosting the Big Sing to performing at assemblies, open days, and even local Christmas markets, they've truly shared their love of singing with the wider community.  

Singing and performances are a central part of our weekly assemblies, providing a platform for students to showcase their talents and build confidence.  It's wonderful to hear music ringing through the corridors, emanating from every class, peripatetic lessons, ECAs, assemblies, and even as students exit for the day!  We're also thrilled about our new collaborations with BVIS Secondary for our live lunchtime performances, offering exciting opportunities for our Primary students to work with their older peers.

Looking ahead, we have a number of exciting events to look forward to this term:

• Vietnamese Instrument Workshop: Mrs. Diệu Thảo will be leading a fascinating workshop on Vietnamese instruments.
• More Live Lunches:  Our collaboration with the Secondary school continues with more live lunchtime performances.
• Virtual Musician of the Year Competition Results: We eagerly await the announcement of the winners of our Virtual Musician of the Year competition who will represent BVIS all across the World through Global Campus.
• Juilliard Curriculum Specialists Visits: We're delighted to welcome visiting specialists from the Juilliard School to further enrich our music program this term.
• The Little Mermaid Jr.:  The highlight of the term will undoubtedly be our Primary Musical, "The Little Mermaid Jr."!  More details about this exciting production will be shared soon.
• We believe in the power of music and performance to nurture creativity, build confidence, and enrich the lives of our students.

Secondary Weekly Update 14/02/2025

An update from Ms Claire

Happy New Year! I hope you all had a wonderful time celebrating Tet. It has been great to welcome students back into school this week for Term 2B.

Creating opportunities to connect with parents is really important to us. Our preferred method is to be able to meet parents face to face, however we realise that traveling to school during the day or in the early evening for some families can be challenging. Therefore, over the coming months we will be trialing using a blend of in-person and online opportunities for parents to meet with school staff.

Our first online event is on Monday 17th February and is an information session about IGCE and A level course choices. There will be two online meeting times:

• 7.30pm -8pm Meeting for Y9 and Y11 parents with translation in Vietnamese
• 8pm – 8.30pm Meeting for Y9 and Y11 parents with translation in Korean

The meeting is targeted at Y9 and Y11 parents, but everyone is welcome to attend. If you would like to attend, please complete this form: https://bit.ly/4hwZ95x

In addition, our Parent Teacher Consultations (PTCs) for Year 11 (on the 25th February) and Year 13 (on 11th March) will include an option for both online and in-person appointments. Information will be sent to Year 11 parents and year 13 parents will receive information in the coming weeks.

Residentials

Today Parents of students in Years 7,8,9,10 and 12 will have received letters about our residential programme. This year our residentials were originally scheduled for October, but following Typhoon Yagi, we moved them to June. All residentials will take place from Tuesday 3rd – Friday 6th June 2025.

Residential trips are a vital component of our educational experience for students, offering them the chance to engage in experiential learning outside the traditional classroom setting. These trips foster teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills as students collaborate on various activities. Additionally, immersion in new environments encourages personal growth, independence, and resilience, helping students develop confidence and social skills. Such experiences can also enhance their understanding of academic subjects through hands-on learning, making lessons more memorable and impactful. We are thrilled to be able to offer our students such a range of exciting and fun residential experiences.

The remainder of his Newsletter details the fantastic opportunities for each year group.

Year 7 – Ninh Binh

Through this trip, students will have the opportunity to explore the breathtaking natural scenery, learn about the culture, and experience the daily lives of local people in Ninh Bình. Additionally, outdoor activities will challenge them both physically and mentally, creating opportunities to connect with nature and their surroundings. This is a valuable chance for students to learn through hands-on experiences and develop essential skills.

Most importantly, the trip encourages students to learn from their interactions with peers and teachers, boosting their self-confidence, resilience, and enhancing key skills such as leadership, teamwork, trust in teammates, communication, and respect.

Year 8 - Cat Ba

Students will have the opportunity to experience the beauty that Cat Ba has to offer and engage in activities like hiking, kayaking, fishing and teambuilding activities.

The outdoor activities will challenge students mentally and physically and build students’ enthusiasm for nature and the environment.

Year 9 - Mai Chau

The theme of this year’s residential trip is ‘Community Service and Outreach’. The students will engage in a variety of tasks designed to help poorer communities in Mai Chau. These activities will include things like roadbuilding, teaching students in local schools, and helping to renovate a school library. We believe that it is extremely important for our current Year 9 students to engage in challenging Community Service projects as a way of building empathy, leadership and teamwork skills, as well as supporting the local community.

It is our intention that by supporting our students to become leaders, to achieve as much as they can in school and out, that they will build character, develop resilience, leadership, teamwork, and communication strategies. In addition, the skills learned on this trip are a fantastic addition to any school, university or career application. The Students will also experience lots of outdoor activities, such as hiking, rock-climbing, raft building, and kayaking.

Year 10 – Sapa

Students will take part in a varied programme where they will engage with a local H’mong community and learn skills from the villagers for example, cooking. The students will also support the local Dao Community School. This is a really great opportunity for students to give back to a community within Vietnam and make a real difference to this area.

Furthermore, students will get the opportunity to climb to the top of Fansipan and experience a cable car ride whilst also getting their adrenaline rush on the new Alpine coaster in Sapa. These outdoor activities will challenge students mentally and physically but will be experiences they will never forget.

Year 12 – Dalat

This thrilling school trip will be filled with exciting outdoor activities that will challenge students’ limits and create lasting memories. They will experience exhilarating activities including a high rope course, hiking through stunning scenery, stand-up paddleboards (SUP) and enjoying the tranquility of the natural surroundings. This school trip to Dalat offers more than just sightseeing – it's a chance to connect with nature, build teamwork, and develop valuable life skills like resilience, problem-solving, and communication.

Primary

Secondary