Weekly Updates on 21/02/2025

Dear Families

Over the coming months we are leading a series of seminars for anyone in Hanoi who wishes to attend. Our first seminar is on Saturday and is being led by the Deputy Head of Primary Mr James McMeekin. I hope many of you and your friends will be able to join some of these sessions. Click the image below for further information and registration

This weekend, several of our SLT members and I will be travelling to Abu Dhabi to participate in the annual NAE regional leadership conference. You will remember we hosted it here at BVIS last year. We will be meeting with colleagues form 26 other schools and will be sharing and learning about good practice across our schools that we can share with staff here. Mr Malcolm Wood and Mr Piers Roderick will also be leading some workshops on the sharing of good practice form their perspectives.

In due course I will be sharing some of the highlights from the recent Parent Satisfaction Survey. We have some great results to share with over three quarters (77%) of the topics you were asked about improving this year versus responses last. This is great news and demonstrates we are listening and travelling in the right direction in our desire to make the school the very best it can be in all areas.

Thank you to all those families that have already signed up to summer school we have had a great response and we look forward to welcoming many more families to this years summer school program. Click the image below for further details and register for your child:

On Monday, on behalf of our photo company partner Picture Day, we sent you the photo code of your child so that you can order to print your child’s photos from Picture Day website. They also provide exclusive offer of free ID photo and free delivery to school if you order by 23/02/2025

Finally, as you might be aware, the wet and cold weather of Hanoi recently, increases the risk of infectious diseases, including influenza. To protect your children and other family members from getting infected, we would like to share some advice taken from the Hanoi CDC and Department of Health as below: (https://hanoicdc.gov.vn/2013n/cum-mua-va-cac-bien-phap-phong-chong.html ):

1. Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing.

2. Wear a mask in crowded places; wash your hands regularly with soap or hand sanitizer (especially after coughing or sneezing).

3. Keep distance from people with influenza or suspected cases.

4. Get a seasonal influenza vaccine to prevent infected where appropriate

5. Eat nutritious foods and increase physical activity to improve your health.

6. When you have symptoms of cough, fever, runny nose, headache, fatigue, do not buy medicine to treat at home. Please contact a medical facility for timely advice, examination and treatment.

I wish you all a very relaxing weekend ahead.

Book-themed fancy dress and extreme reading challenges

We are excited to celebrate Book Week at BVIS Hanoi from 3rd to 7th March this term! Book Week is a vibrant event that fosters a love for books and reading among our students. Throughout the week, children will participate in a variety of exciting activities designed to ignite their imagination and enthusiasm for literature. From whole-school explorations of a selected book to buddy class reading sessions, every child will have the chance to immerse themselves in captivating stories. The highlight will be a dress-up day on Friday 7th March, where students can come as their favourite book characters, sparking creativity and conversation. Additionally, the "Drop Everything and Read" initiative will encourage spontaneous reading moments, while book donation drives will promote sharing and community spirit. With activities like extreme reading challenges, where students showcase their reading in fun and unusual locations, Book Week will transform our school into a lively hub of literary exploration and joy!

Acquiring Language Early

The Early Years has been focusing on language acquisition this week. Learning two languages, for some children three, is a skill that should be celebrated. The children use songs, symbols and signs to develop their understanding and connection between words. F1 have been looking at simple commands, F2 have been focusing on vocabulary in nature and F3 have been learning sentence structure that they can use to convey their wants and needs.

Building on what you know

After the Tet holiday, Year 1 eagerly returned to school, excited to explore the topic “Buildings” through various engaging activities. In IPC lesson, the children creatively took on the challenge of constructing high-rise buildings using recycled materials such as toilet paper rolls, cardboard boxes, and paper cups, marking the start of an inspiring new topic. During English and Vietnamese lessons, they were introduced to instructional texts and enjoyed hands-on activities like building blanket forts and creating sandcastles by following step-by-step instructions.

Poetry Performance and Sports Day

Year 2 was thrilled to participate in a Poetry Performance this week, showcasing their creativity in front of the school ambassadors. Each child shared their unique poems, demonstrating the hard work they had put into the event. Additionally, the students had been preparing diligently for Sports Day, which fostered teamwork and friendly competition. After an exciting day of athletic events, the results were announced, and the winning team was Da Lat. Their impressive performance earned cheers from peers, making the week a memorable celebration of both artistic expression and sportsmanship.

Creative thinking skills

In our IPC lesson, Year 3 demonstrated strong teamwork by collaborating effectively to build a cacao tree model. Children communicated confidently, sharing ideas and solving problems together. This activity helped children strengthen their teamwork, communication, and creative thinking skills.

The Land, the Sea, and the Sky

Year 4 has kicked off Term 2B with the theme "The Land, the Sea, and the Sky" opening up a world of rich imagination for the students. In Vietnamese, to spark their creativity, they participated in an exciting "hook" activity—folding animals from newspaper. With their skillful hands and vivid imagination, the students crafted adorable animals and embedded meaningful wishes within them.

The Minotaur and the Labyrinth

This week Year 5 started a new unit looking at the Greek Myth of the Minotaur and the Labyrinth. As well as designing mazes on paper and using apps, they went outside to build labyrinths and obstacle courses themselves, and then tried to help their friends get through the course while blindfolded.

The Beauty of Vietnam

This week, Year 6 students participated in various activities to begin new topics in each subject. They created a wonderful project showcasing the beauty of Vietnam by drawing unique images to complete a map of the country. Additionally, in Vietnamese Humanities, they explored the ethnic groups of Vietnam and their distinctive cultural festivals. The teachers were delighted and proud of the students for their enthusiastic participation in the poetry performance.

 

Secondary Weekly Update 21/02/2025

An update from Ms Claire

It was great to welcome so many parents to our online information session this Monday looking at Y9 and Y11 IGCSE and A Level choices. Forms will be distributed on Monday to students, and they will have next week to finalise their choices. If you have any questions about this process, please just contact me or Mr. Piers.

Just a reminder that next week we have our Year 11 PTC on Tuesday. We look forward to meeting lots of parents at this event.

School Magazine

Our student-led school magazine has been published in hard copy this week, showcasing the incredible talent and creativity of our young authors and artists. From thought-provoking articles to stunning artwork, this edition highlights the bright voices within our school community. Here is a copy of the online version for you to enjoy: IGNITE TERM 2 2025

Duke of Edinburgh’s Silver Expedition

Last weekend, Ms. Peig Toomes and Ms. Hannah Grayson joined the Duke of Edinburgh Silver Award students to complete their assessed Trek in Sa Pa. Over the course of the weekend, students (and their very tired teachers!) walked at least 65,000 steps, covering over 35km in journey length, all while carrying their tents and food for their self-sufficient trip.

Students completed the trek in their year groups and they crossed over rice fields, through bamboo forests and up and down incredibly steep hills. They enduring falling, being submerged in water and even losing their shoes whilst trying to navigate through the rice fields, but they ultimately showed immense resilience and determination to find the correct route and complete their treks. Ms Peig and Ms Hannah were really impressed with the team work that students demonstrated as they helped each other to cook their meals and carry their equipment.

All of the students involved should be very proud of themselves for embodying the BVIS values of integrity, respect and care throughout the weekend, in unusually difficult circumstances!

Digital Learning

In today’s digital age, developing strong digital skills is crucial for success in both education and future careers. Our KS3 students have been diving deep into the internal components of digital systems,. This exploration not only equips them with essential technical knowledge but also fosters critical thinking and problem-solving abilities, preparing them for a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Committed Students

On Tuesday the English department ran the first of 4 additional mock exams for Year 11 and Year 13 students after school in the exam hall. In Year 11, 41/45 of our First Language English students attended, and attendance for the additional mocks was over 90%. The English team are proud of our students who made the difficult decision to stay behind on a cold, wet Tuesday afternoon to dedicate an extra hour to their studies. It's a really positive step in the right direction ahead of upcoming exams, and the English team hope they can maintain this level of dedication. Mr. Sutherland, Ms. Mary, Ms. Grayson and Mr. Ogden are looking forward to marking their papers!

The next English after school mock will take place on Tuesday 4th March.

Groundbreaking Girls:

Whilst we have always had strong and talented girls representing the Dragons on the courts for Volleyball and Basketball, Football has not shared the same level of participation or enthusiasm. There have been individuals who have not had the opportunity to represent the school because we have been unable to put together a KS5 team. Until now! For the first time in over 7 years BVIS Dragons have played a Girls Varsity Football fixture against CISH with a squad of 13 players from Year 10 to Year 13. These girls have independently driven interest and opportunity from within the school community and were relentless in their drive to represent our BVIS Dragons. Hiep Huyen Trang put her body on the line to prevent countless goals being conceded, while Sophie literally threw her body to the ground in a last attempt to prevent a goal being scored. Alongside some fancy footwork from Luu Ha and Ngoc Linh there is an aura of excitement about what this team might build towards. With little experience it will be a steep learning curve and mistakes will be made, but with a growth mindset and a whole lot of enthusiasm there is excitement for what comes next, and we can't wait to celebrate Hoang Xuans first goal of the season! Needless to say we are incredibly proud of the girls for trying something new and for bravely putting themselves out there, getting comfortable being uncomfortable and leading the way for future Dragons to follow. This IS heart, this is Dragon culture!

Integration and innovation:

We are excited to announce the launch of a new "Walk and Talk" option for our KS4 and 5 Core PE students! This innovative option aims to provide students with an opportunity to develop deeper understanding of different training methods while offering a unique and enjoyable experience that is heavily backed by science to develop heart health, cardiovascular fitness and a range of associated benefits.

Zone 2 training, as it is commonly referred to, is a form of low-impact aerobic exercise that emphasises maintaining a steady, sustainable effort over time. By staying within a specific heart rate zone, typically around 60-70% of maximum heart rate, students can work on improving endurance and overall cardiovascular fitness. The beauty of this method is that it’s both effective and sustainable, making it a perfect fit for those looking to enhance their fitness without putting undue stress on the body. It is ideal for beginners, those that are inexperienced or those that are interested in getting fitter, but don’t know where to start.

Our "Walk and Talk" sessions combine this Zone 2 approach with conversation, allowing students to engage in meaningful discussions while enjoying the physical benefits of aerobic exercise. This option not only offers a way to build stamina but also supports mental well-being. Walking in this zone has been shown to reduce stress, improve mood, and even enhance cognitive function. It’s a great way to experience the positive effects of regular exercise, both physically and mentally.

By integrating this training into our Core PE program, students are encouraged to explore a method of physical activity that can be applied to their everyday lives, can be completed anywhere at anytime and develop an understand the science behind heart rate zones. We hope that as they experience firsthand the advantages of consistent, low-impact aerobic exercise and the social aspect of walking and talking this will also fosters a sense of community and camaraderie, making fitness a fun and engaging activity. Reinforcing the idea of ‘Fit for life’ and ‘Lifelong healthy habits’.

The more they engage in this process the more they will learn. They should see progress in the data they are recording and this in turn should motivate them when they begin to see the distance they cover increase over time. We look forward to seeing the positive impact this will have on their overall health and well-being and are really encouraged by the amount of students that are electing this as an option! Ask your child in KS4 or 5 if they are participating and why not have them lead your family in a zone 2 session once a week?

Innovative Teaching and Learning – Drawing upon real life contexts

Developing maths skills in real-life contexts is essential, as it empowers our students to navigate everyday situations. 7V have been working on their financial skills and party planning in their mathematics lessons this week. Students were given a budget and a choice of shops to choose from to plan their perfect party, purchasing, food, drinks, a DJ and decorations. Students worked in teams to complete the challenge, also creating a party invite and a poster showing how they used their money. This activity was lots of fun and allowed students to make informed decisions based on data analysis—ultimately enhancing their ability to solve practical problems effectively.

Secondary