Weekly Highlights 06/04/2022

Mr. Simon Higham, Principal

Dear Parents

Thank you for again engaging and connecting with our school through the Weekly Highlights and I trust that you have had a very restful and rewarding long weekend.

Shhh – Silence Please

Starting back to school again after the Reunification Day/Labour Day public holidays, always signals the beginning of this year’s external examinations. Year on year, our IGCSE and A Level students work extremely hard to ensure that together, with the expert guidance from their teachers, they are confident and extremely well prepared. Last year’s examination results can be accessed here.

On behalf of everyone across the school, I would like to wish all of our students who are taking external examinations the very best and look forward to receiving their results in August. 

In addition, I am very excited about this year’s Year 13 Graduation event that will be held at Le Meridien Hotel on Saturday 18th June. This is one of my favourite events of the year when we formally say farewell to our Year 13 students who next year, will be continuing their studies at some of the world’s top universities. 

Our BVIS HCMC alumni

Once a student has graduated from BVIS HCMC, they become part of our school’s history forever. Recently, we have been speaking with our alumi and finding out what they are doing now and how their time at BVIS has helped them to prepare and be successful in their lives away from HCMC and Vietnam.

In this post, hear from our alumni - Khang Nguyen (Harry) about his current MSc Physics and Astrophysics programme at the University of Birmingham in the UK. Harry graduated from BVIS HCMC in 2018.

Read here about Magda, who also graduated from BVIS in 2018 and is currently studying in her last year of a bachelor's degree in Global Communications at the American University of Paris, France.

 The New Normal

It has been very pleasing to read about the return of Extra Curricular Activities to school life. In Secondary, clubs began again before the long weekend break and in Primary, they will start from Monday 16th May following a short sign-up period. 

In line with the latest decree, all students are now given the option to remove their masks for outdoor sporting activities. Given the recent increase in temperatures, this has been received very well whilst also allowing those who still want to wear a mask to do so.

Our school community continues to ensure that health and safety lies at the heart of what we do whilst we continue to transition into determining what is our ‘new normal’.

Vaccinations

We continue to work closely with our local DOET and health authorities with regards to vaccinations for our 5 – 12 year olds. As yet, we have not received any significant updates from them however when we do, this will be communicated immediately to all relevant parents who are waiting for their children to receive their first vaccination.

Contact Us

Should you require any help, support or advice, please do not hesitate to contact us using the information below:

(028) 3758 0709 / ext. 111 orprimaryreception@bvisvietnam.com

(028) 3758 0717 / ext. 211 or secondaryreception@bvisvietnam.com

Have a great weekend ahead and thank you for your continued support of our school.

Mrs.  Mary McAloon, Head of Primary

Speech and Poetry Competition

This year’s Speech and Poetry competition is now in full flow with the semi-finals having taken place this week. Semi-finalists are put forward for the final round which occurs next week.  This year the children are sharing their entries through video to share their presentation skills that they have developed through their time in our Virtual School Environment (VSE).  The final round will be judged by a panel of teachers selected by the Language Learning Department.  

We look forward to hearing the children’s speeches and poems as they use their best presentation skills.

Reading Together

Towards the end of May, Ms Truc our school Librarian, will be hosting a special session for parents to learn some of her top tips for reading successfully with children at home.  For the latter part of the session, children will join their parents in the library to share books, read together and enjoy time in the fabulous new library environment.  

The aim of the session is to encourage and inspire an increase in reading together as a family at home on a regular basis.  Educational research shows great benefits for children’s learning at any age of reading regularly with a familiar adult, especially a family member. 

Reading regularly together as part of a daily routine will promote many positive aspects for your child, but one most important skill to highlight is reading independently. Look out in the upcoming events section below for the dates of Ms Truc’s library sessions for parents where you can learn more about the benefits of reading for your child.

INSERT photos of new library

Extra-Curricular Activities (Clubs)

Thank you to all families who signed up for the trial club programme, which is scheduled to commence on Monday 16th May and continue for 5 weeks.  Club places are now allocated and children’s schedules can be viewed on the CHQ club system from Monday 9th May.  From this date, if your child has been allocated a paid club, then please make the payment required by 5pm on Thursday 12th May to secure your child’s place.  Any payments not received by this date will result in places being allocated to children on the waiting lists.  

Thank you for your support in keeping to the club set up timeline as this will ensure the trial programme commences successfully.

Upcoming Events

Mr Jack Rudin, Head of Secondary

The health, safety and wellbeing of our students remains the number one priority at BVIS HCMC.

Should you have a concern for the welfare of any child in our school, please refer to our Safeguarding poster below: