Dear Parents and Students,
It is always a special moment when our community comes back together for the start of a new academic year, and it was certainly the case on Wednesday as students excitedly returned to Campus.
When I spoke to each of our students on our first morning together, we discussed how the start of this year is even more special. Firstly, because we can look forward to a full year of learning together on campus with a full calendar of events, fixtures, productions and expeditions - all the experiences that characterise BIS school life. It is also, of course, made even more special because this year we celebrate the 25th anniversary of BIS.
To mark the start of our special anniversary year, we welcomed a special guest to our opening assembly- the first ever BIS student - Jenny Nguyen.
Jenny shared with all our students why BIS is such a special place to her - the teachers that inspired her, the opportunities she took - and most importantly the life-long friendships she made. Thank you Jenny for such an inspiring start to the year.
As we embark on this year, I asked our students to reflect on the people who have contributed to BIS over these 25 years of our history - the thousands of students, parents, teachers and support staff who have all left their legacy. I also asked them to consider how, through every lesson, event, activity or friendship they make, they can contribute to an even stronger BIS community, and make memories and friends that will stay with them for life.
Each year our community is renewed by the arrival of new families, new students and new teachers. Our new teachers, talented professionals from across the globe, have completed a comprehensive induction programme and have made a positive start to BIS life. Look out for our ‘Meet the New Teacher’ feature in weekly updates to come. I know you will join me in welcoming them to our school community.
It has been my great pleasure to meet our new families this week at our ‘New Family Orientation’ and ‘Parent Welcome Coffee Morning’ events - from us all, a huge welcome to our community - we look forward to getting to know each other and working together in the years ahead.
Lastly, a huge congratulations to our 2022 Cambridge IGCSE students who received their examination results yesterday. It is with great pride that we share their wonderful achievement in this week’s update.
A great education is about much more than results, but these moments of celebration are an important symbol of the shared endeavours of students, teachers and parents. I know you will join me in congratulating them on their achievement - a wonderful way to embark on this school year together.
My very best wishes to you all for a successful academic year ahead.
Sean O’Neill
Head of Secondary
We are incredibly proud to share the Cambridge IGCSE results awarded yesterday to British International Ho Chi Minh City students . It is wonderful that the knowledge, skills, and aptitudes of our students have been recognised with these excellent academic results, among the very best worldwide.
We know the importance of environment to student learning and wellbeing- and are always looking for ways to develop our campus facilities. It was my pleasure to share some of the small but important improvements we have made to the Secondary Campus over the summer break, with students this week and see their excitement at using their new spaces.
We will continue to develop key community spaces on campus throughout the year -more details to come.
We will continue to develop key community spaces on campus throughout the year -more details to come.
It was wonderful to see the number of families who attended the New Student Orientation events held on Tuesday 16th, the day before school began for our students. The events were held across all campuses, with the Secondary orientation in the afternoon and including presentations from our leadership team, welfare and guidance and PTG and ending with a campus tour provided by the group of people who know it best - our students.
It has been my pleasure to welcome 15 new colleagues to our team of 120 teachers on the Secondary Campus. Recruiting outstanding teachers to nurture, support and challenge our students is crucial to further developing the quality of learning on our campus. We are fortunate to attract significant interest from colleagues across the world for each BIS teaching role, and so our new teachers have been selected from competitive fields, not only for their quality and experience but also the alignment of their educational values with ours here at BIS. I know they will enjoy a professionally and personally rewarding experience at BIS and make a significant contribution to our school.
Look out for our “Meet the Teacher” section in next week’s update.
Students can find out more about the CCAs on offer next Monday 22nd August during our CCA fair, where teachers, students and providers will share the clubs that they are passionate about and that our students can join or lead.
At BIS we have an extensive co-curricular programme that provides a wide range of enjoyable and challenging experiences beyond the timetabled curriculum, and allow students the opportunities that help them to develop the character traits and learning skills outlined in our mission. We encourage students to develop care through community service learning, and challenge themselves in sports, performing arts, and other creative projects, in a balanced and age-appropriate way.
The co-curricular programme includes our co-curricular activities, also known as clubs, and our expeditions. We have a number of CCAs led by students in school, as well as CCAs led by our teaching team and a small number of paid CCAs with external providers. Alongside our CCAs, later in the year our Key Stage 3 students experience a week of off-timetable activities designed to break out of the walls of the classrooms and curriculum during our Week Without Walls.
The Schoolsbuddy sign Up for Co-Curricular Activities will be live from 5pm Monday 29th August and close at 5pm Monday 5th September. Further information will be shared next week.
All our students need to do is: Be Involved:
Lauren Binngtion - Deputy Head- Enrichment
All students wishing to play in orchestra, concert band or sing in chamber choir should audition next week (w/c 22nd August 2022). There are audition times available at lunchtime and after school. Please check the google classroom page n56sugf for further information and to sign up for a time. You need to prepare a short unaccompanied piece on your instrument or voice.
All are welcome to audition.
Ian Alexander, Director of Music
Dear BIS Sports Stars.
Welcome back to the new academic year and what will hopefully be an excellent year of competitive sport at BIS.
As the first competitive matches against other schools will start the week beginning Monday 12 September, we will be starting trials for season 1 sports in the first full week back at school (week beginning Monday 22 August). Therefore, please see information for the upcoming trials process for season 1 sports squads:
You can find more information here - Trials Information
- Sign up via the below google.form prior to coming to the first trial of the week (for the relevant sports team(s) you wish to trial for). You must indicate the favoured and second best position for that particular sport(s).
- If you are successful in gaining entry into the squad, you will automatically be entered onto SchoolsBuddy for the CCA.
- Trials will only take place early for Basketball. Cross Country and Athletics squads will be free to sign up in the normal SchoolsBuddy CCA sign up process.
Sign up for basketball trials (by students only using BIS email) - Basketball Trials Sign-Up
Season 1 Sports (September to November)
- U13 Basketball (trials)
- U13 Cross Country (no trials)
- U13 Athletics (no trials)
Season 2 Sports (November to February)
- U13 Football (trials will take place in November)
- U13 Table Tennis (no trials)
- U13 Athletics (no trials)
Season 3 Sports (February to May)
- U13 Volleyball (trials will take place in February)
- U13 Badminton (trials will take place in February)
If you have any further queries please contact Mr Husband at Philip.Husband@bisvietnam.com.
Wednesday 24th August: Year 12 Parent Information Evening, Secondary Auditorium, 6.00pm
Monday 29th August: Year 13 Parent University Guidance Session, Secondary Auditorium, 6.00pm
Tuesday 30th August: Year 7 Open Morning, Secondary Auditorium, Secondary Auditorium, 9.00am
Wednesday 31st August: Year 10 Parent Information Evening, Secondary Auditorium, 6.00pm
A number of Covid restrictions remain in place in accordance with the existing Ministry of Health (MOH) and Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) decrees for schools.
The following covid related protocols apply to all community members (staff, students and parents). These are simplified as the 2K Protocols for future reference.
Enjoy your weekend,
Kind regards,
Sean O’Neill
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
