Secondary School Updates (2 December 2022)

Key Dates | Secondary Learning Showcase

Weekly update from Head of Secondary

Dear Parents,

BIS Hanoi has a tradition of running outstanding residential trips annually for all students from Years 7 to 12. Unfortunately, these have been put on hold for the last two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We are thrilled to be able to run residential trips again this year. Trips for students in years 7, 8, 9, 10, and 12 will take place from Tuesday, January 10 to Friday, January 13. The Year 11 trip will be in June.

Soon you will receive an e-mail invitation to the first of the Trip Information Evenings. The information evenings are aimed at providing students and parents with operational information about the trips and giving you the opportunity to learn about some of the activities and experiences that will be run during the trip. You will hear from the trip leaders and the external trip providers. 

We know that trips can make an enormous difference in the development of young people. They give students the opportunity to develop independence, improve confidence, and enhance their self-esteem. They also give our students wonderful memories that they'll take with them for the rest of their lives. 

We are also aware that our students have had few enriched opportunities to develop their social skills and collaborate with one another during the COVID-19 years. We look forward to bringing those opportunities back to our students and helping them make new, wonderful memories. 

We hope to see you at the upcoming parent information evenings about trips. Please look out for email communications. 

Chris Newman 

Head of Secondary

Key Dates

• Monday 7th - Tuesday 8th December: Chicago Production 

• Wednesday 14th December: Winter Concert 

• Friday 16th December: Principal Award's Assembly

Learning Showcase 

Sprint Maths

Thursday, November 17 saw the return of the annual Sprint Maths competition for the students in Years 7 to 11. The budding mathematicians were split into teams of 4 or 5 members and battled it out to gain points for their house in a test of both speed of mind and foot. Students were required to present a correct answer to the judges' table at the front of the room before the next problem was unlocked, resulting in countless laps of the auditorium. Those looking for any shortcuts or caught moving in an anti-clockwise manner were at the mercy of umpire Mr. "Hawk-eye" Airdrie and required to serve a period of time in the sin bin, which at one point was full of 7-year-olds, much to Mr. Airdrie’s glee.

In order to keep up with the pace, group members would take it in turns transporting answers or puzzling out questions in great shows of teamwork. The enthusiasm and energy displayed by all year groups was a pleasure to witness, with some fantastic math wizardry completed alongside some impressive physical fitness as students kept circling the auditorium for 30 minutes! It was a day to remember for both Dalat, who was victorious in Years 7 and 8, and Hue, who triumphed in Years 9 and 10. However, there could only be one overall champion, and that was Hanoi, which finished first in the Year 11 competition and was the most consistent house overall. Well done to all who competed, and we are already looking forward to the next installment!

Explaining the role of the school counsellor

What does a school counsellor actually do? This is a question that can come up a lot, and this article is a good chance to explain a bit more about me and my role. As a social-emotional counselor, my job is to talk to students and listen to any problems that they may have, whether they are study-related, dealing with difficult emotions, friendships, or mental health problems. My main concern is supporting the wellbeing of students when they have a particular need for that support and, if necessary, helping them get help outside of school.

School counselling is a good fit for me as I used to be a primary school teacher in England and also in Kathmandu, Nepal. In 2014, I retrained as a counsellor and psychotherapist and worked for the NHS before moving with my family to Myanmar and now Vietnam.

Although I mostly work with students individually as problems arise, my role is also important in preventing students from falling into poor mental health through a range of different strategies. This year I am chairperson for the BIS Community Wellbeing Committee. This is a new group comprised of different staff groups, parents, and students. The aim is to support the physical, social, and psychological wellbeing of all the different communities in the school. I’m a strong believer that the happier we all are, the happier the students will be. And the happier the students are, the better their grades will be. If you are interested in supporting us in this important role, please get in touch with me.

This year, I am also teaching year groups and individual classes about the importance of looking after your own wellbeing. Part of this work involves breaking down the stigma about mental health and promoting the idea that, just like physical health, we all have mental health. Sometimes this is good, and sometimes this is bad. And when it’s bad, it’s ok to seek help from a professional, as you would with a broken arm! With this in mind, I have also been involved in setting up a new role within each tutor group, that of mental health champions, to help embed these important ideas in our school community. Because ultimately, it is the students that can best support each other’s happiness, resilience, and contentment.

If you have any questions arising from this article, or just want to get in touch, please contact me at matthew.greenwood@bishanoi.com.