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Dear Parents,
As a school community we are rightly proud of what our students achieve, the education they experience, and the young adults they become. Each week we have the privilege of sharing their success within and beyond the classroom, and as you will see below this week is no different.
Whilst we are proud of who we are, we know that all communities that truly thrive have the confidence to welcome evaluation from others and undertake collective reflection to reaffirm their values and actions.
Over the last two years we have welcomed evaluation from numerous external educational bodies as well as sought insight from you, our parents, our staff and students. Whilst of course the last year has been one of responding to unpredictable events, in the background we have continued working to use this rich range of insights to begin shaping the next stage of the BIS HCMC story.
We are delighted to be able to share with you our updated Mission & Vision and the key areas that will form our Strategic Plan for 2021-24. Our Mission outlines who we are, what we do and what we seek to achieve for our students and their role in the world. Click on the Mission Statement below to read more.
There will be many opportunities to continue the conversation on our Strategic Plan in the weeks and months to come, beginning with the Parent Workshop and Headteacher’s Coffee on 6th April. Look out for further details to come.
This week we were finally able to hold our much loved Tet celebrations on Campus in which students and staff performed a range of popular Vietnemase songs to welcome the Year of the Buffalo in style. As they entered the last weeks of their school careers it was wonderful that our year 13 students were able to be together as a live audience as the rest of Campus joined via livestream. You can enjoy the performances too by clicking on the link below.
It is also with great pleasure that we are able to bring a round up as we welcome the return of sports fixtures in the city, as well as share many opportunities for you to be involved in school life in the weeks ahead.
My best wishes to you all for a wonderful weekend,
Sean O’Neill
Chuc Mung Nam Moi everyone, again. With the unexpected beginning to Tet festivities this year, we missed the chance to hold our annual Tet Assembly, which includes performances from a variety of our Vietnamese staff and students and an opportunity to celebrate one of the unique customs of our host country. It was excellent this week to bring our talented and creative Vietnamese and other students together for the Tet Assembly.
A huge thank you to Ms Mai and the Vietnamese staff and student team.
Click here to watch again.
Today we had our last Acoustic session @ The Curve for this term. This was the last one for our Year 13’s who will be leaving before the Easter break for Study Leave. We had a fantastic range of styles and performances from Year 7 right up to Year 13 on voice, piano and guitar. The student audience had a fun lunch time relaxing and listening to their peers perform. The next Acoustic Lounge will be on the 29th of May.
Emma Husband - Assistant Head of Secondary Music
Our Year 13 students will soon sit their final IBDP examinations, before embarking on the next stages in their educational journey. We seek to equip our students with the knowledge that will ensure their success, but also the skills that will carry them forward at university and beyond. As part of the IB Core lessons, our Year 13s have been participating in a programme designed to remind them of the key strategies and characteristics of effective study.
Making use of findings from cognitive psychology, the programme seeks to shift perceptions that ineffective techniques such as cramming, reading notes or staying up late revising can be replaced with carefully planned spaced practice, self-testing and a good night’s sleep. The students are taught strategies to make use of these approaches as well as considering how they can support one another in their revision. This helps our students to take a healthy, balanced approach to their studies, supporting their wellbeing while also contributing to their academic success.
Matthew Lambert - Assistant Headteacher
Season 3 of SISAC competitive sport began last week with the BIS teams being given the fantastic news of the go-ahead to compete in the leagues at the last minute. This season sees the U19 teams look to take the Football titles once more. The U13 and U15 teams pit their wits against other schools in Volleyball and Badminton. This season is the first of the year to play in a designated league format instead of friendlies leading to a City Championships. Therefore, the BIS teams will play against all District 2 schools in the district championships. The winners of the district championship will then compete with the best schools from District 7 in order to be crowned City Champions.
U19 Girls B Team Football fixture 25.03.21
To find out the results of all the Season 3 fixtures so far. Read the Week 26 - Sports Round-up, here.
Please visit this Fixtures list for all of the upcoming Season 3 matches and follow this link for Match Highlights of our U15 and U19 home games. Also make sure to visit https://twitter.com/BISHCMC_PE for more photos, videos and all of the action from each of our games.
Mr Husband - Director of Sport
This week saw the return of the much anticipated House Badminton Competition. The participation levels were fantastic and the badminton on show outstanding. Each age group was full of tough competition and the following were victorious:
U13 – Edward and Alex – Dalat
U15 – Aaryan and Mackenzie – Dalat
U19 – Sean and Khang – Hue
This week examination timetables have been shared with Year 11, Year 13 and some of the Year 10 students who will all be taking IGCSE or IB exams in the forthcoming months. The timetable has been shared on ISAMs for both the students and parents to see: it states all the individual entered exams, along with the dates and times of when they will be.
The sharing of this timetable makes these exams all the more real but it also gives a pinpoint to our students of when they will get to demonstrate the knowledge, skills and understanding in all the subjects they have been studying over the past two years in a formal external examination.
The BIS focussed IGCSE and IB examination period runs from the 28th April until the 11h June 2021.
To finish, I wish the best of luck to all the students who are sitting their examinations this year.
Mrs Abbie Astbury - Examinations Officer
Self confidence builds when you try new things without fear of failure - Vinkat Desireddy
This week saw our Year 11 students enjoy the second of their series of four activities designed to contribute to positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, accomplishment and health (PERMAH).
We check in again with some of our students as their engagement with the Year 11 Wellbeing Carousel continues to develop.
Mr Robbie Alexander - Head of Middle Secondary (Pastoral & Wellbeing)
Five of our IBDP Visual Arts students have been working studiously for the last two years to share a personal message through art. In a couple of short weeks Abby, Alejandro, Linh, DaHyun and Sagarika will take part in their IBDP Visual Arts Exhibition. We look forward to inviting close family and friends to the event and sharing the exhibition with our wider community. We will share more information soon.
Event details
Date: Wednesday 7th & Thursday 8th April
Time: 5:00 pm
Location: Nha Tien, 204B Nguyen Van Huong Street, Thao Dien
In next week’s CUG Webinar, which will focus on North American applications, the team will be giving an overview of what makes a strong application to Canada and the United States and how BIS HCMC prepares and supports students for success at world-renowned universities, including those in the Ivy League.
To sign up for this visit please click here.
April 1st North American Applications - how we prepare our students for the Ivy League and elsewhere
April 8th UK – UCAS, Oxbridge and the Russell Group – what parents need to know
April 15th Beyond the US and North America – other destinations
Further information and registration for these webinars can be found at the BIS CUG Website, along with recording of yesterday’s Introduction to CUG at BIS, CUG Webinar Series 2.
For those who may have missed yesterday’s webinar, about Staying in Vietnam for Higher Education, or who would like to hear it again. You can find the session link and password here.
Simon Finnigan -Senior University Guidance Counsellor
Wednesday 31st March: Year 7 Parent Teacher Student Conferences, online
Friday 2nd & Saturday 3rd April: IBDP Geography Fieldwork Expedition, Vung Tau (Fri) and HCMC (Sat AM)
April 6th: Head Teachers coffee Morning, 8:30am Secondary Auditorium
Wednesday 7th & Thursday 8th April: IBDP Visual Arts Exhibition 2021, Nha Tien Restaurant
Thursday 8th April: Year 8 Parent Teacher Student Conferences, online.
Have a wonderful weekend,
Kind regards,
Sean O’Neill
Head Teacher, Secondary Campus
101 Thao Dien Street,
Thao Dien Ward, Thu Duc City,
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Junior Campus
225 Nguyen Van Huong Street,
Thao Dien Ward, Thu Duc City,
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Secondary Campus
246 Nguyen Van Huong Street,
Thao Dien Ward, Thu Duc City,
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam