Weekly Highlights 06/09/2024

Mr. Simon Higham, Principal

Dear Parents

Welcome back to this week’s Highlights following our 2 day public holiday. I trust that you had a great time with your families to celebrate National Day and 79 years of Vietnamese independence. 

As we are now well into our new term, I thought it would be useful to remind you all about our well-established Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy that is embedded within our school culture.

Please take time to read this school policy in full. It can be accessed using this link and is found when you scroll down to the bottom of the Homepage on our school website.

The policy defines Safeguarding and Child Protection in the following ways:

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children refers to the processes of protecting students from harm, preventing the impairment of their physical or mental health and development, ensuring that we seek to improve the general health and well-being of all students in our care and enabling every student to have the optimum life chances and enter adulthood successfully. 

Child Protection is the core element of safeguarding and is defined as the responsibility to protect children who are suffering or likely to suffer from harm as a result of abuse or neglect.

In particular, and as part of our policy guidelines, I would like to remind you about our photography and video guidance for parents and visitors. The poster below can be found in various locations across the school:

Should you have any questions relating to our photography and video guidance or any other section of our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy, please do not hesitate to contact myself or any member of the BVIS team.

The health, safety and welfare of every student at BVIS HCMC is, and will always remain, our number one priority.

Welcome to our New Teachers

This week, we are delighted to welcome Ms. Melody Lopez - Primary EAL Leader

Qualifications

- Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art and New Media Art, University of North Texas (2009)
- Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults (CELTA) (2011)
- Master of Arts in Professional Development for Language Education (2024)

Melody has been teaching English to young learners since 2011. She earned her BA from University of North Texas in 2009, and she continued her education in 2015 by completing the Trinity Diploma in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. She has since completed her MA in Professional Development in Language Education and has continued to be involved in teaching and training. She enjoys making art, traveling, and doing sports in her free time.

Live stream: “The Loving Moon” performance

As a shout out to our BVIS family, our Mid-Autumn Festival is here! Are you all ready to welcome the moon, carry lanterns, and immerse yourselves in the vibrant atmosphere of this traditional celebration?

The performance, titled “Loving Moon,” and performed by the students of Years 3 and 5, will be a memorable highlight as they share meaningful stories about the Mid-Autumn Festival. Through lantern parades, singing and dancing, our community will gather together to add further richness to our celebration of Vietnamese cultural heritage.

This year's performance will be live streamed to ensure that every member of our BVIS community can enjoy this Mid-Autumn Festival together!

• Time: 10:15 AM on Friday, 13/09/2024
  
• Platforms: YouTube & Facebook

We hope you enjoy the performance from home or at work!

Contact Us

Should you wish to contact your child’s Class Teacher(s) or Form Tutor directly, we encourage communication to be written in the language you most feel confident to use. 

Parents may also find it useful to contact their child’s class teacher(s) or form tutor directly for all individual queries about their academic work/social and emotional wellbeing in school.  Individual contact details can be found in the Parent's Handbooks or via our Primary/Secondary Receptionists.   

Wishing you all a safe and enjoyable weekend ahead.

Mrs Mary McAloon, Head of Primary

Primary Learning Technologies

On Friday we hosted an important workshop to guide parents in setting up the technology that students use in their learning. At BVIS, Years 3 to 6 students bring their own ipad to school as part of the home-school learning routines. This educational strategy is formed around the principle of a seamless transition for student learning with many pioneering resources now being online. In addition, the strategy focuses on the mission “Create Your Future” ensuring as educators, we guide and support students to build good habits and structure when using technology. This helps to ensure our students make healthy decisions; an example of this is the amount of time they spend on screens.

Thank you to all parents who attended the workshop; your support towards learning technologies for your child will help to ensure they have access to premium learning resources both at home and school.

If you would like further support in setting up your child’s iPad, then please contact Primary Reception by telephone at, 02837580709 or email at, primaryrecpetion@bvisvietnam.com. Our in-school experts will provide you with the help you need.

Parents Evening Meetings

Thank you to our B and I class parents who attended the individual parent meetings this week with class teachers.  This is a valuable opportunity to learn about how your child is settling into the new school year and hear about their individual targets for learning. Next week class teachers will host meetings for our V and S classes. If you have missed the opportunity to book a meeting, then please contact your child’s class teachers directly and they will happily find a suitable time to meet with you. Please note, these meetings can be hosted either face to face in school or online. 

Upcoming Events

1. 10 & 12/09/24: Parents’ Evening Meetings for V and S classes  
   
2. 11/09/24 - 14:00: Principal’s Afternoon Tea (open to all families)
   
3. 19/09/24 - 08:30am: Phonics Workshop 1 (open to F3, Year 1 and Year 2 families)
   
4. 26/09/24 - 08:30am: Phonics Workshop 2 (open to F3, Year 1 and Year 2 families)
   
5. 01/10/24 - 08:30am: Parent Workshop: Helping at Home for EYFS Primary Parents (open to F1, F2 & F3 families)
   
6. 03/10/24 - 08:30am: Phonics and Reading Workshop 3 (open to Year 1 to 3 families)

Mr Toby Bate, Head of Secondary

Student Leader’s Assembly

This week, our incredible student leadership teams introduced themselves to the whole school, explaining their roles and responsibilities for the year ahead.

The student council began by explaining the different committees, and what events they are currently planning. Between the environment committee, wellbeing, events, and communities, our students are encouraged to feel a sense of belonging at BVIS and are handed multiple opportunities to develop their skills and become involved in experiences and leadership outside the classroom.

Following the student council, each house introduced themselves, in a range of exciting and impressive manners! We were treated to songs, drama performances, and lots of energy! Each house established their place in the school in their own unique way and it was wonderful to see our students displaying their leadership and public speaking skills.

We can’t wait to see what our student leaders have in store for us this academic year!

Introducing Our New Design Technology Workspace!

We are thrilled to unveil our brand-new Design Technology Workspace, a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to nurturing creativity and innovation among our students. This dynamic space has been meticulously designed to guide students through every stage of the design process—from identifying and researching problems to crafting, prototyping, and developing fully functional solutions.

With the latest technological advancements at their fingertips, our students can now push the boundaries of their creativity even further. One of the highlights of our new workspace is the introduction of the UV Printer, a cutting-edge piece of equipment that allows students to add vibrant color and intricate details to their final designs, enhancing the graphical aesthetics of their projects.

A Sneak Peek at the Transformation

The photos included in this article showcase the progress made over the summer, transforming the space into a hub of creativity and innovation. Although Mr. Simon Higham shared a sneak peek of the renovation in his earlier Weekly Highlights, more opportunities to view the space are coming up. Join us at the Principal’s Afternoon Tea next Wednesday for an exclusive look and keep an eye out for future editions of the Highlights where we will continue to showcase this exciting new environment.

Opportunities for Collaboration

As our Design Technology Workspace is newly established, we are excited to offer opportunities for companies to display or promote their products or donate old advertising resources. We are particularly interested in products that showcase graphical elements of communication, as these will greatly support our students in their learning journey by providing real-world examples and inspiration for their own designs. If you are interested in finding out more about how you can collaborate with us, please contact me at james.chandler@bvisvietnam.com.

This new workspace represents our commitment to providing students with the tools and environment they need to thrive in the ever-evolving world of design and technology. We look forward to seeing the innovative and inspiring solutions our students will create in this exciting new space.

Getting Practical In Computer Science 

Students studying A Level Computer Science dived into hands-on projects to enhance their coding and problem-solving abilities. One exciting initiative involves programming MBOT robots, a task that not only hones their technical skills but also prepares them for the practical aspects of their examination. Students undertook the challenge of coding these robots to follow live instructions and participate in a miniature game of football. By engaging with real-world applications, we bring learning to life, offering our pupils an opportunity to explore their creativity and see the results of their efforts. This practical approach not only reinforces their knowledge but also ignites their passion for computer science.  

Sparx Maths Champions 

As we start a new academic year, I would like to inform new Parents and remind all Parents that students are recognised for the effort which they put into their Sparx Maths Homework.

This recognition comes in the form of the Sparx Maths Weekly Champions, who receive this accolade as the top XP earners in each year group.

Students earn XP by completing tasks in their Sparx Homework 

Compulsory Tasks earn 60-80XP 
XP Boost Tasks earn 120-150XP 
Target Tasks earn 120-150XP 
Independent Learning Tasks earn 100XP 

Students reach a new Sparx Level every 10000XP 

Huge congratulations go to our Top XP earners this week, who are:

House Sways

Upcoming Events