Weekly Highlights 08/11/2024

Mr. Simon Higham, Principal

Dear Parents

Thanks again for taking time to read through this  week’s Highlights, allowing you to engage and connect at home, with our school.

This week, I have been particularly proud of all students who have taken part in the SISAC City Championships across a variety of different sports and venues. 

Whether gaining a victory or defeat, the bulldog spirit is most definitely alive and kicking, with our students giving their all to score that next goal, shoot the next basket and beat their individual best times. Congratulations and well done – Go Bulldogs!

Our thanks to everyone that took part, giving their very best at all times and to our coaches who were with them all through this journey. Equal thanks go to all parents who have attended games and cheered on the Bulldogs – as always, your support is much appreciated and valued.

Look out for more details about specific sports and final results in the Primary and Secondary sections of the Highlights, both this week and next.

BVIS Principal Update

Last month, you received the announcement that this year will be my last as Principal of BVIS HCMC as I will be taking up my new role of Principal of BIS HCMC from 1st August 2025. 

I would like to thank all of you who have sent me messages of goodwill, encouragement and congratulations over the last few weeks. Your kind words have been both appreciated and touching. My successor will inherit a school that is in an incredibly good position and destined for even greater things in the future.

As stated in the letter sent to parents on 23rd October: Our focus is now on conducting a global search to find the right candidate to become the next BVIS HCMC Principal and to ensure the school continues its impressive journey.

The global advert is now live and shortlisting will be concluded by the end of November. Interviews are scheduled to take place on Monday 13th and Tuesday 14th January with a decision announced to all parents thereafter.

Reminder: School Photographs Taken All Next Week

This year, BVIS will be using the professional company ‘Picture Day’ to take the individual and class photographs for our school. 

Dates in School: Monday 11th November until Friday 15th November

Venue:  BVIS Sport’s Hall on the 3rd floor

For all details about which day your child(ren’s) photograph will be taken on, please refer to the email that was sent to all parents on 30th October. 

For all details relating to uniform, please refer to the Parent Essentials Section from our school website, where EYFS, Primary and Secondary Parent Handbooks can be accessed.

After all photographs have been taken, you will be sent more details on how you can purchase photographs using most debit and credit cards for local and international payments, made directly on their website or by bank transfer.

Direct contact details for Picture Day are: 

• Email: hello@pictureday.asia 
• Hotline: 0243 717 3588 (Monday-Friday, 09:00-12:30 & 13:30-16:30). 

Support is available in English and Vietnamese for your convenience.

Mysterious Halloween Family Movie Night

From enchanting pathways filled with ghostly figures to a cinema space brimming with unique Halloween vibes, our Halloween Family Movie Night at BVIS brought families an unforgettable and delightful experience.  

Our thanks again to the Friends of BVIS (FoBVIS) for their help and support in making this event, truly spooktacular.

Read more about Halloween Movie Night and see some great photographs of the event by clicking on this link.

All Things Biology!

This week has been Biology Week across Secondary with a themed focus upon conservation and biodiversity. Read more in Mr Bate’s section below, especially regarding Eric’s inspiring talk about native Vietnamese birds and the current threat to their habitats – well done Eric!

Welcome to our new teacher

Ms. Ríoghnach Devine - Primary Teacher

Qualifications

- Bachelor of Education, University of Belfast (2016)

Ríoghnach graduated from St Mary’s University, Belfast in 2016 with a B.Ed in Primary Education. Since then, she has worked as an international primary school teacher in Doha, Qatar, with experience in both Early Years and KS1. She is currently studying a Masters in Psychology. Ríoghnach’s interests include playing Gaelic football and scuba diving

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.   

On behalf of everyone across our school, we wish you a very relaxing and family orientated weekend ahead.

Mrs Mary McAloon, Head of Primary

Bulldogs go Cross Country!

On Saturday last week selected BVIS U9 and U11 students participated in a Cross Country event hosted by SSIS. The students entered a distance according to their age group and competed against a number of SISAC schools. The aim was to run at a pace that they could sustain for the distance and complete the race as fast as they could. Students across the city cheered one another as they worked hard to race against time and reach the finish line.  

Congratulations to all students who participated in this citywide sporting event.  Stand out performances were from Kha Hy in Year 3 finishing 6th, Mia in Year 6 finishing 17th and Jiwoo in Year 4 finishing 8th in their races. Thank you to all teachers who accompanied, and families who supported, the students to achieve great things!  

Project Curiosity

This week marked the final week of the Upper Primary Project Curiosity showcase. We welcomed over 150 parents to school from Years 4 to 6, where students proudly presented their projects with remarkable dedication. A huge thank you to all parents and students for your engagement. The event was a wonderful opportunity to strengthen family bonds and spark meaningful discussions. It also served as an important stepping stone in students building their public speaking skills. The teaching team is incredibly proud of the students’ hard work and growth during the process of research, preparation and presentation. The next opportunity for students to practice their public speaking is the Speech and Poetry competition that is held over Terms 2 and 3. Please do look out for further details of this after the Tet holiday.

City Championships

Throughout the week our U11 and U9 football teams competed in the city wide Championships with other international schools. Championship week is the finale of all that students have been preparing for in the sports squads since August. Throughout the term, each week the football squads played friendly fixtures against other international schools, preparing them for the selection of games they were set to play in the final Championship. The U9 Girls Championship was hosted at BVIS, we welcomed six other international schools to the home of the Bulldogs for this special occasion.  

During each Championship, every student played with courage, passion and skill, demonstrating the Bulldog team spirit. Students developed their perseverance, teamwork and sporting achievement through the experience and we as a school are proud of their achievements. Congratulations to all teams for representing BVIS with such integrity and excellence throughout the week and thank you to their coaches for all the support and guidance provided along the way.

There is one last City Championships next week when the U11 Girls B team meet other international schools for their competition.  Go Bulldogs!

Block 1B Clubs

Following the week’s break to allow for the city championships to take place, the new schedule of Block B Clubs commences next week from Monday 11th November. I am pleased to announce that Block 1A of the primary clubs programme was a huge success and students enjoyed the variety of activities on offer. 

Thank you to all families who have registered their children to experience a new hobby or a previous favourite activity for Block B. These experiences are an important part of student life at BVIS, which supports and promotes the development of a holistic approach to learning.  I look forward to seeing the outcomes and achievements over the coming weeks.

Upcoming Events

1. 11/11/24: Club block 1B begins
   
2. 11/11/24: Parent Workshop: The Power of Design Technology: Inspiring Young Minds Part 1
   
3. 11-15/11/24: School Photographs – please see ClassDojo for your child’s individual schedule
   
4. 25/11/24: Parent Workshop: The Power of Design Technology: Inspiring Young Minds Part 2
   
5. 29/11/24: Year 1 Starts Christmas at BVIS!  Ticket only event for Year 1 families
   
6. 03/12/24: EYFS Helping at home Parent Workshop: Routines, boundaries, and challenging behaviour
   
7. 06/12/24: Year 2 Production – Year 2 families invited
   
8. 14/12/24: Christmas Fair – ticketed event

Mr Toby Bate, Head of Secondary

Saigon Senior Logic Maths Competition

On the day of the Saigon Maths Competition, around 60 students gathered, each representing their school with the hope of achieving success in both individual and team events. After the individual round, which tested our own problem-solving skills, we moved on to a series of team challenges, each requiring unique strategies and teamwork.

One of the events was "Passback," where four teammates collaborated to solve interconnected problems. Each person depended on the previous teammate's answer to complete their own, meaning they shouldn't communicate, and one incorrect answer could lead the entire team astray. This event required not only strong individual skills but also a balanced team that trust each other’s work.

Another event was the "Relay," where we physically ran to check the answers or to skip the questions. I believe the purpose of running was to increase our heart rates and simulate stress, making it harder to focus while solving math problems which was unexpected but effective twist!

Finally, in "Break the Code," we had to think critically to decipher complex puzzles, challenging us to apply logic and creativity under pressure.

I was thrilled to place 3rd in the Individual round, an achievement that surprised and delighted me. The day was a memorable mix of mental and physical challenges, teamwork, and individual accomplishments, all within a lively, competitive atmosphere.

Humanities Department

This week, Year 11 students have been learning about the “Giants” of the European Renaissance. Students read about prominent Renaissance figures across various fields such as sculpture, painting, literature, and science. They then shared their knowledge with classmates, and finally, the listeners presented what they had understood back to the whole class. Through this cycle of reading, speaking, listening, and speaking again, students were able to engage with knowledge in a more active, enjoyable, and lasting way.

Biology Week

This week was BVIS’ Biology week, which this year has focused on conservation and biodiversity. The natural world is a fragile place, and we hope we have managed to raise some awareness of the perils facing the natural world, as well as some of the success stories that are happening. The students’ have had daily facts and information about conservation and biodiversity on a global scale, but also with a focus on Vietnam, to broaden their horizons and make them realise how special the world we live in is.

Eric (13B) gave an incredible presentation about birds of Vietnam, including many pictures taken by his father. Eric discussed the different types of birds in different areas of Vietnam, threats facing birdlife in general and some specific critically endangered species. Eric showed not only pictures, but also the sounds of these birds as well! Eric also discussed conservation and reintroduction efforts of the Saurus crane in the Mekong Delta. It was an incredible talk and enriched all those who attended.

Mr Chris from primary on Thursday also gave a talk about bugs. Mr Chris is a keen entomologist and has collected bugs in Vietnam as well as the USA and has a wealth of knowledge about bugs and how this amazing group of organisms is also under threat. Mr Chris shared two of his collections which were mounted very professionally!

University Guidance Counselling Update

This week, University Ambassador Sway features a series of articles designed to support students in their university applications and career exploration, in addition to alumni interviews and upcoming university visits.

On Tuesday October 29th, the Faculty of Science from the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) visited BVIS. Students had an excellent opportunity to explore study options at one of the most prestigious universities in Hong Kong and globally.

Founded in 1963, CUHK is a forward-looking, comprehensive research university with a global vision and high ranking of #36 in QS World Universities ranking (2025). Its mission is to blend tradition with modernity and to bridge the gap between China and the West.

Art competition

FOBISIA are currently running their visual arts competition with the theme of the project being “Greener Planet”. 

This year's event challenges students to envision a sustainable future world through their art. What does a greener planet mean to you? Express your ideas through any medium: painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, textiles, digital art, photography, and more. Final submissions should be in JPEG format.

Submission Requirements:

Please ensure to include your full name and class on your artwork. Kindly hand in your work to Mr. Marshall.  The deadline for all work is the 13th of November. 

House Sways 

The links below display the House Sways, which are put together by our House student leaders. As the term progresses different posts and updates will be added displaying the relevant news for each of the Houses. 

Dalat - Dalat House News 
Hanoi - Hanoi House News  
Hue - Hue House News 
Saigon - Saigon House News 

Sparx Maths Champions 

The Sparx Maths Weekly Champion is the student who is the top XP earner 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:

Bedrock Champions  

This week’s bedrock champions are:  

Year 7 - Lam Tinh Son 
Year 8 - Le Hong Minh Quang 
Year 9 - Kosuke Yamamura
Year 10 - Mai Kim Ngan
Year 11 - Ngo Khanh Ngoc

Congratulations to all the above students who came up on top in their respective Year groups. A special well done to Mraz (Le Hong Minh Quang) who achieved the highest Bedrock points total across the whole of Secondary! 

Champion of the week

This week’s champion is...

Champion Tutor Group

This week's Champion tutor group is...

Housepoint Totals

There were only 8 housepoints that separated Hanoi and Dalat this week, every housepoint counts!

Upcoming Events