Weekly Highlights is a weekly newsletter sent by the BVIS Leadership Team to parents, providing updates on notable news and activities at the school. The newsletter consists of three main sections: updates from the Principal, Head of Primary, and Head of Secondary.
Dear Parents,
Thank you again for taking time to engage and connect with us through the Weekly Highlights. I can’t believe how quickly this term is moving ahead – time really does fly when you’re having fun!
One of the great advantages of being a school that houses F1 to Year 13 students across one campus is that I have the opportunity to have diverse conversations within a very short period of time. I wanted to share with you, my experiences over a one-hour period this week:
It is always lovely to see our Fundinotot children attending school on Tuesday and Thursday mornings and I enjoy interacting with both the children and families that attend – these are our youngest students on campus with our special programme for children from birth to 36 months.
Click here to find out more about FundinoTots at BVIS.
As I walk back towards my office, it is always a pleasure to speak to our EYFS children who have recently told me all about their recent trips outside of school and the excitement this evoked. Of course, a little role play in the EYFS kitchens is also a personal highlight.
Interacting with our Primary students always brings me great pride, hearing about their recent curiosity projects and showing their enthusiasm for learning. Their ability to work with care and respect really does show the pride they have in being a BVIS student – and in one child’s words, BVIS is like their second home!
Nearly back to my office, I connect with some of our older students who tell me about their upcoming external examinations and how their previous exams have gone. Listening to their honestly, positively and thoughtful reflections really excites me about what the future holds for them and how our school has nurtured a truly international outlook, without them losing touch with their own identity.
They look forward to their last exams and celebrating together at our Graduation on 14th June.
As you can see, BVIS is a very special place that we call home that holds a whole wealth of opportunities across a very unique setting.
BVIS students shine at the Young Musicians Showcase 2025
For further pictures and information about the recent successes of our young musicians in the recent Showcase event, please click here to access the post from our school website.
BVIS Bulldogs Shine at the FOBISIA Games in Thailand
As mentioned in previous editions of the Highlights, please take time to look through both the text and pictures of our Bulldog successes in the recent U11 FOBISIA games. Click here to access.
Contact Us
.png?h=350&w=999&rev=59915f8e402f44ad848483379c17ecb5&hash=0B180714BF8196A044848045AB5182AB)
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 lovely weekend, full of joy and kindness to others.
Belonging Champions
Following the parent workshop on deepening a sense of belonging in primary, we are introducing a new role for primary parents called “Belonging Champions”. A Belonging Champion will be a parent volunteer whose role is to encourage interaction among all parents of the children in the class. We will begin with a pilot in F1, Year 3 and Year 5 for the remainder of this academic year.
Belonging Champions will be extremely valuable to our school community and greatly appreciated by all. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the parents who have volunteered to be Belonging Champions in their endeavour to enhance our community. A ‘Belonging Champion’ will represent the parents of their child’s class, starting with the trial classes this term, and provide a channel of communication among parents, class teachers and the Friends of BVIS group.
We will reflect and evaluate the pilot at the end of June in preparation for launching Belonging Champions in every class from August 2025.
Transitioning into Secondary
As our students reach the end of Year 6, their thorough preparation and secure foundation from primary school ensure they are ready for their next steps in their educational journey. The primary years at BVIS equip a child with the confidence, skill set, resilience and determination to excel in their endeavours as they move into their secondary years. With outstanding academic proficiency in English and Vietnamese, plus a deepened understanding of mathematical concepts, knowledge in the sciences and humanities, and a creative talent, BVIS students have the best toolkit to tackle the challenges ahead, all in the medium of English.
We know the preparation that teachers facilitate meets the needs of our students at school. Equally important is the support that children receive from families at home. For this reason, our transition team hosted an information meeting for families to learn and prepare for the changes ahead. For families, having knowledge and understanding of the difference between primary and secondary, and knowing what situations to look out for with individual children, is key to a successful transition. Thank you to all families who attended this meeting – your support is invaluable. If you missed this meeting or have further questions about the transition to secondary, please contact your child’s class teachers who will happily support your family.
Student Leadership Collaboration Day at BIS
On Friday, student leaders from Year 6 joined a collaboration day with student leaders at BIS HCMC. This is now an annual event that the two sister schools facilitate, allowing students to share their experiences and evaluate their action plans following a year of hard work in their roles as student leaders. Throughout the day students were also involved in team activities, which gave them the opportunity to practice their leadership skills with new team members.
BVIS hosted the inaugural collaboration day in 2024, which was a huge success and led to its continuation for our student leaders this year. We are extremely proud of our student leadership teams and what they achieve for their community each year. Supported by a lead teacher, each year they generate new ideas and implement exciting opportunities for their fellow students. Thank you to each of our 2024-25 student leaders for all that you have achieved for the primary students and our community partners at BVIS.
INSERT: Photos from Simon Jenkins or Tram Le of the student leadership day – ask them to send one early Friday morning
Upcoming events
1. 27/05/25 @13:30: Puberty Workshop for Parents led by Raffles & American International Hospital
2. 30/05/25: Children’s Day Celebrations (Students only)
3. 03/06/25 @13:30: Year 3 to Year 4 Transition Parent Meeting (for Year 3 parents)
4. 05/06/25 @08:30: Every Child is Unique – Parent workshop Part 1 (for F1 to Y6 parents)
5. 11/05/25: F3 to Year 1 Transition Parent Meeting (for F3 parents)
6. 12/06/25 @08:30: Every Child is Unique – Parent workshop Part 2 (for F1 to Y6 parents)
Computer Science and Design Technology Update
This week marks a proud milestone for the Design & Technology Department as our first-ever Year 12 cohort has successfully completed both their exams and coursework. As part of their studies, they undertook a challenging design and improvement project, reimagining outdated or unpopular products to create innovative and relevant solutions. Alongside this, they’ve tackled new and advanced syllabus content, including the impacts of emerging technologies, renewable energy sources, modern and smart materials, processing techniques, and much more.
Throughout the year, students have demonstrated excellent time management and professionalism. They have successfully met the frequent coursework deadlines and produced folders of an exceptionally high standard. We encourage everyone to take a look — the quality, creativity, and effort on display, they are truly impressive. As a school we’re incredibly proud of what the students have achieved, and we’re excited to start the next academic year with our first Year 13 cohort.
Staff Training Update
We are proud to share that 12 members of the BVIS Secondary staff have recently completed i‑act training, the UK’s leading evidence-based and accredited mental health and wellbeing programme. Accredited by The Royal College of Psychiatrists, i‑act equips individuals with the tools to better understand and manage mental health and wellbeing in the workplace.
Congratulations to Mr Rob Duff, Mr Jon Every, Ms Kelly Aldersley, Ms Katie-Ann Mumby-Cole, Ms Eliza Hart, Mr Lee Adams, Mr Alex De Lisle, Mr Jonathon Tootle, Ms Chloe Wyatt, Ms Jess Humphreys, and Mr James Webb, who are now even more equipped to support the wellbeing of our students and the wider BVIS community. A special thank you to Ms Hayley Allison for organising this valuable training.
Another Successful Mini Harvest
The BVIS Horticulture and Gardening Club enjoyed another successful mini-harvest this week!
Past successes include sweet potatoes which students took home and roasted, aloe vera that BVIS staff used to sooth summer-holiday sunburns, and even Italian basil that topped the Term 1 celebration pizzas! But this term saw something a little spicier: ginger!
Grown from kitchen leftovers, the students, guided by Ms. Mumby-Cole and Mr. Tung, used their harvest to make delicious ginger-infused soda.
Adding to their impressive efforts, the club has also managed to grow its first pineapple from offcuts and scraps! While it won't be ready to eat for several months, this is a remarkable accomplishment and a testament to the students' dedication and resourcefulness in their thriving garden.
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.
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
Top XP earners this Term are:
|
Year Group
|
Name
|
Class
|
|
7
|
Bim Luu
|
7S
|
|
8
|
Hoang Khoi Nguyen
|
8zMat2x
|
|
9
|
Anna Quach
|
9zMat2x
|
|
10
|
Chi Hieu Nguyen
|
10zMat3
|
|
11
|
Minh Hung Nguyen
|
11zMat1
|
Bedrock Champions
This week’s bedrock champions are:
Year 8 Le Hong Minh Quang Mraz
Year 11 Do Nhat Minh Anh
Year 9 Chung Quang Huy
Year 7 Bui Nha Uyen
Year 10 Nguyen Dinh The Dung
Congratulations to all the above students who came up on top in their respective Year groups. A special well done to Mraz who achieved the highest Bedrock points total across the whole of the secondary school this week!
Champion of the week!
This week’s champion is...
Congratulations and well-done to Kevin!
Champion Tutor Group of the week!
This week’s Champion tutor group is
Congratulations to 789s/saigon3 well done!
Housepoint Totals
Congratulations to Dalat house, who keep at 1st house for 2 weeks. Congratulations to Saigon house, who move from bottom to the 2nd house.
Upcoming Events
1. 30/05/25: Live Lunch for May
2. 12/06/25: Whole School Music Concert
3. 12 – 13/06/25: Year 6 Transition Days
4. 18 – 24/06/25: Activities Week
5. 23/06/25: Media Awards Evening
6. 25/06/25: Final Day of Term 3 – School ends at 11:30am
Safeguarding and Child Protection
The health, safety and wellbeing of our students remains the number one priority at BVIS HCMC.
Should you have a concern for the welfare of any child in our school, please refer to our Safeguarding poster below:
