Weekly Highlights 13/01/2023

Mr. Simon Higham, Principal

Dear Parents

As always, it has been an extremely productive week of learning at BVIS, with our staff and students once again working extremely hard to ensure that each day, we learn more and grow both individually and collectively.

At the beginning of this week, I shared the news regarding our recently awarded CIS International reaccreditation with all of our community. In this week’s Highlights, I wanted to take the opportunity to explain the process behind the reaccreditation and what this means to our school and our students’ educational experiences.

Q. Who is CIS?

CIS (Council of International Schools), is a not-for-profit membership organisation providing high-quality international education services to more than 1380 schools and higher education institutions in 121 countries.

Q. What are the timescales for international accreditation?   

CIS international accreditation must be renewed every 5 years. BVIS was first accredited by CIS in January 2017 and was scheduled to be reaccredited in 2022 but this was delayed one year due to the global pandemic.     

Q. What did we have to do to become reaccredited?     

Back in January 2021, the school began a period of self-study and reflection that included representatives from across our BVIS community – staff, students and parents. 

Using our self-study report, a team of evaluators visited our school in October 2022 and a full report was then produced, awarding our school full international accreditation from January 2023.

Q. What did the evaluators say about our school?

Across the report, we received over 100 commendations – an achievement that we are extremely proud of.

Below is just a sample of what the team wrote:

• The school’s positive culture and atmosphere is a major strength. Relationships between students and between students and staff are respectful, open, and honest. 

• BVIS provides an outstanding education with a strong commitment to community well-being through a global and Vietnamese perspective.

• Policies and procedures around safeguarding are exemplary.

• In EYFS, there are innovative teaching practices and a bespoke educational experience at BVIS.

• In Primary, the bilingual curriculum meets the needs of all students and ensures that the unique international setting at BVIS is embraced.

• In Secondary, there is a wonderfully positive culture of learning that is evident throughout BVIS leading to every child being cared for.

• Student voice at BVIS has been identified as a significant strength. A culture of trust and respect exists between academic, operations staff, and the student cohort.

• BVIS facilitates opportunities for students and parents to connect with universities from all over the world. 

• The school has a supportive and caring environment which fosters a positive staff culture.

• (The school) utilises available space well in order to support both teaching and learning and the well-being of students on campus.

• The new STEAM facility is an inspirational learning space in secondary that has had a hugely positive impact on learning.

• BVIS takes great pride and care in its communication and connections to positively impact student learning and does so to a high degree of efficacy in a bilingual context.

Q. What were the major recommendations in the report?

As with every self-study, there must be recommendations that are made, and these have already begun to be actioned. These include:

• Define what high-quality teaching and learning means at BVIS and ensuring that these become further embedded across our learning community.

• Define what it means to be a global citizen in BVIS and ensuring that this becomes further embedded within our curriculum and school community.

• Explore how best to support home language development of students who are not first language Vietnamese or English.

• Plan and begin implementing a systematic process to support sustained innovation in teaching and learning at BVIS.

• Explore options for further developing staff understanding of digital citizenship.

Q. So what is next after these commendations and recommendations?

As part of our ongoing commitment to continuous improvement and self-evaluation, we have begun to review our school’s Mission, Vision and Values to include relevant definitions of what it means to be a BVIS global citizen who has a Vietnamese perspective.

Additionally, during the next 2 non pupil days on 31st January and 28th April, our staff teams will focus upon agreed definitions of quality teaching and learning and how these can be further developed and embedded across our school – from EYFS to 6th Form.

Furthermore, a long-term plan will be devised to strategically map improvement priorities over the next 3 years, addressing both the major and non-major recommendations from the report, together with our own previously planned priorities. These will be shared with staff, students and parents at the start of the new academic year.

On behalf of everyone at BVIS, I would like to thank you for the continued support of our school to ensure that BVIS continues to provide the very best academic outcomes and pastoral care for every one of the students that we have the privilege to educate. 

Well done BVIS and well done to our supportive community!

School Photographs Update

On Wednesday this week, all parents received an email detailing how you can now access your child’s individual and class photographs and how these can be ordered and purchased online.

For any issues or further enquiries regarding school photographs, please do not hesitate to contact Ms Van Tran, the Pret-a-Portrait representative via email, mobile or Zalo. All details can be found in full on the email from Wednesday.

Thank you for taking time to read through this week’s Highlights and I wish you all the very best for the weekend ahead. 

Contact Us

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

Mrs Mary McAloon, Head of Primary

EYFS Tet Celebration

On Thursday and Friday, our EYFS children set the scene for Tet with a magnificent performance.  The children came together to help the audience celebrate this most special time of year when families gather to pay respect to their ancestors and recognise the changes, plans and progress they have made.  The theatre was full of warmth and excitement as they watched the children in full costume perform magnificent songs and dances to represent Tet.

Thank you to all our families who joined us for the performance. Congratulations to our EYFS children and their teachers for helping us all get ready for Tet.

Wearing your firm parenting hat

Over the last two weeks, Ms Khuyen and Mr Luke have delivered the fourth parenting workshop to a group of dedicated parents; this time they focused on wearing their ‘firm’ parenting hat. The session was about parents being fair and consistent with their children by setting boundaries and routines.  

Children feel comfortable and at ease when they are aware of the expectations in the household and find it an environment conducive to developing their independence and resilience. Structure in a child’s life is one of the key elements to supporting their development. That’s why educators at school begin providing an appropriate structure with routines that the children can follow independently. At BVIS we introduce this as soon as a child begins at school. This can be in Fundinotots as a baby with their parent or in Foundation One from the age of 2 years old.  

Thank you to all those parents who attended the most recent workshop.  The Tet holiday provides us all with time to spend reflecting on our family routines and structure.  I would recommend that every BVIS family takes time for this and set targets for the Year of the Cat. 

Primary House Games

This week Years 1 to 6 had a different approach to their usual PE and Swimming lessons.  As part of a fun and inspiring agenda to encourage our students to be active and stay healthy, the PE teaching team organised the ‘Primary House Games’ involving both football and swimming.  This event spanned across two lessons for each year group where they were competing in their houses and earning house points.

Well done to all our competitors for showing their team spirit and effort in the games and thank you to our PE team for organising such a motivational event for the BVIS primary students.  It certainly was a fun week for all!

Lower Primary Sports Day

Despite the wet weather, the lower primary children showed passion, dedication and endurance during their Sports Day this week.  On Tuesday, each year group spent 2 lessons on the BVIS Sports Field to participate in specially designed activities where children joined in to gain house points for their team. Teachers were keeping score on the sidelines as the children in teams completed the activities as many times as they could.  The cheers and sounds of joy that could be heard from the sports pitch were incredible, showing the passion and commitment that the children have for their team.  

Thank you to all involved in this sporting event – encouraging the children to play sports and exercise as an important part of their daily lives. 

Upcoming Events 

• 15/01/23: Tet Fair
  
  
• 17/01/23: School ends at 15:05 for the Tet Holiday
  
  
• 01/02/23: School resumes after the Tet holiday
  
  
• 13/02/23: Season 3 clubs begin
  
  
• 15/02/23: Y5 Residential Trip
  
  
• 16/02/23: Y4 Residential Trip
  
  
• 21/02/23 and 23/02/23: Parents Evening for B and I classes
  
  
• 27/02/23 - 03/03/23: Book Week Celebration
  
  
• 28/02/23 and 02/03/23: Parents Evening for V and S classes
  
  
• 03/03/23: World Book Day dress-up celebration
  
  
• 07/03/23: Y6 Residential Trip
  
  
• 07/03/23: EYFS Sports Morning

Mr Toby Bate, Head of Secondary

Mock Exams Week

As we reach the end of our mock exam week in January, I know that the students will be feeling tired but also that they will feel proud when they see how well they have done.

Mock exams are an important learning experience for the students to go through. They allow students to experience what it will be like in the external exams that will be coming later in the summer, giving each student the confidence in knowing that their hard work really does make a positive difference.

A huge thank you must go out to all the teachers who have helped supervise the exams in school and in particular Mr Steele, our Exams Officer, who has orchestrated the whole mock exam period.

Trip Thoughts

Before setting off on this year’s trips week I asked each trip leader to write a short review of what they were going to do on each trip and what they hoped the students would experience while they were away.

Mr Brown – Year 7 Trip

The Year 7 trip goes to Mui Ne and is focused mainly on team building and enjoying the incredible area around Mui Ne. Activities include archery, kite making and campfires as well as visits to the Fairy Stream and Ta Cu Mountain. Many other team building activities will take place at the hotel site. 

Mr Brown was most looking forward to seeing the youngest secondary students develop the friendships that will stay with them for the rest of the time in school and beyond.

Mr Cooper – Year 8 Trip

The Year 8 trip this year is going to Cat Tien and will be taking in the wonderful sights and sounds of the jungle during the activities . The main activities for this trip will be shelter building, disc golf, permaculture education and a jungle hike to name only a few. 

Mr Cooper says that he is really excited to see Year 8 make new friends in different tutor groups whilst they are away on their first school trip in Secondary. There is a really exciting range of activities for students to participate in, and he is hoping they will learn and develop a range of new skills during their time away.

Ms Mumby-Cole – Year 9 Trip

The Year 9 trip will this year go to Ho Tram for the first time. The students will stay in an eco-resort and will take advantage of the beach and the sea. 

Ms Mumby-Cole is most looking forward to seeing the students outside of their normal classrooms and seeing how they rise to the challenges they are faced with this week.

Mr Webb – Year 10 Trip

The Year 10 trip will go to Tri An Lake this year and will be focused on outdoor adventure. Activities such as stand-up paddle-boarding and hiking will be participated in alongside fun team building activities.

Mr Webb is most looking forward to seeing how our amazing students adapt to the various activities which might take them outside of their usual comfort zone.

New member of staff

We are happy to welcome Ms Abigail Rose to the school who will be teaching Psychology to Key Stage 5 students.

Ms Rose is joining us from the UK, but she has visited Vietnam several times before and is exciting to be joining BVIS. 

Please join us in welcoming Ms Rose to our BVIS family.

Upcoming Events 

• 15/01/23: Tet Fair  
  
  
• 17/01/23: Last day in school before Tet holidays; students are encouraged to wear Ao Dai in school
  
  
• 01/02/23: Students come back to school
  
  
• 14/02/23: Y11 Parents Evening
  
  
• 21/02/23: Y13 Parents Evening 

Safeguarding and Child Protection

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: