Weekly Highlights 19/09/2025

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 to the many parents that came to the Online Safety talk by Jonathan Taylor on Wednesday. We say regularly that our children will thrive when parents and teachers work in partnership. This was a great example.  It was also a great example of the holistic approach to learning here at BVIS.

 
When searching for a school, parents, for the most part, know what they want.  For younger students, the focus is often on looking for a nurturing and caring environment where their children will be happy and safe.  For older students, the focus will often shift to academic outcomes, the importance of good grades and university options for the future. 

Our hope is that we offer both ends of the scale and everything in between.  We want our students to have the best holistic education, one that nurtures them regardless of age and challenges them educationally in an age-appropriate way.   This week, I have seen so much evidence of this across the school. 

Our primary students demonstrated their maturity and kindness as they shared what they had learned during Inclusion Week and seeing it in action in a classroom as two students supported another who was finding noise challenging.  To support, they got headphones for him, spoke kindly and without judgement, helping their classmate feel valued and cared for.

Seeing secondary students engage with Jonathan Taylor who was with us on Wednesday, was an excellent reflection on how well our older students engage with the world around them.   Their honesty and the insights they offered were a good reflection on the holistic approach to learning that they receive here at BVIS and how it will help them navigate the world beyond our doors. 

Please continue to read through the highlights to learn more about the many and varied opportunities our students have had this week and what is coming up in our calendar, that will ensure all children have access to the best holistic education possible here at BVIS. 

For new parents, you will shortly be receiving a survey to complete. This survey delves into your family’s admission to BVIS. By completing the survey and sharing your feedback, we can learn how to help families that join us in the future. Thank you for your support.

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 Parents’ Handbooks or via our Primary/Secondary Receptionists. 

 It’s been an eventful week with learning coming from both inside and outside the BVIS community. We had a fantastic visit from Jonathan Taylor. Jonathan is an accomplished and highly regarded Online Safety and Social Media Consultant, specializing in safeguarding children online. He was in school on Wednesday and presented to parents, students and staff on this very important area. 

It was lovely to see so many in our community taking this opportunity to learn. Jonathan’s session with our Year 5 and 6 shared hugely important and valuable knowledge and skills. If you get a chance, please talk through this with your child to ensure you are keeping them safe online.

First Class Assembly

At the end of the week, we also had our first ‘class assembly’ of the year. 6V's assembly was a play about a new student settling into Year 6 and dealing with the different emotions they may be feeling on their first day. They used the film 'Inside Out' as their inspiration with children playing the roles of Joy, Anger, Sadness, Disgust and Fear.  It was great to see the children confidently performing on stage. Thank you to all the parents who came along to watch the performance.

Student Leadership Collaboration

On Friday this week, our Y6 House Captains and Student Council members travelled to BIS HCMC for the second annual Nord Anglia Primary Student Leadership Conference. The four Nord Anglia schools in Vietnam came together to collaborate, share ideas, and create action plans to help improve each of their school communities. The conference was a huge success, with all our student leaders learning lots and they are now excited to bring their new skills and ideas back to help continue improving BVIS for all. 
 

The importance of Enquiry and Science Investigations - Year 4

In Science this week, Year 4 deepened their understanding of food chains through a fascinating hands-on investigation. The children dissected owl pellets, carefully examining and identifying the remains inside before labelling the different body parts they found. This engaging activity not only developed their scientific enquiry skills but also gave them an exciting insight into how owls fit within a food chain.

Upcoming Events

• 22 – 26/9: FOBISIA Online Codebreaking Competition
• 25/9: Parent Workshop on Phonics for F3 and Lower Primary
• 25/9: Parent Workshop on One Note for Year 4
• 2/10: Parent Workshop on Phonics and Reading for Lower Primary
• 3/10: Moon Festival
• 6 – 10/10: International Week
• 10/10: Last Day of First Half Term
• 11 – 19/10: Half Term Holiday
• 20/10: Return to School
20/10: Return to School

BVIS Battle of the Bands Competition

The BVIS Battle of the Bands is a music competition for students to showcase their ensemble music-making abilities. They will be able to compete in either the KS3 or KS4/5 round and then to be the overall BVIS winning Band. The overall winners will then go on to represent BVIS at the upcoming Saigon Battle of the Bands in the new year, competing against schools from across the city.

Sign-up is now open for the BVIS Battle of the Bands Competition. Please register now to be in with a chance of being crowned champion! 

Deadline for registration is Friday 3rd October.

Global Campus Young Musician of the Year Competition

The Virtual Young Musician of the Year Competition is now open on Global Campus, Nord Anglia Education’s online platform for student enrichment and global collaboration. Our BVIS musicians are welcome and encouraged to participate (open to Primary and Secondary students).
 
This competition invites students to showcase their musical talents in one of two main categories: Art Music (formally composed and notated expressive music, e.g. Mozart) or Popular Music (typically created for mass appeal, e.g. pop and rock). Two students—one from each main category—will be awarded the prestigious Best in Show title and receive an exclusive Juilliard Masterclass experience to enjoy with their class.

How to Enter:

Students may submit their entries via the Microsoft Form using their school login, or directly to Mrs Amos via frances.amos@bvisvietnam.com. All entries from BVIS HCMC will be judged internally, with winners and selected runners-up receiving:

• Certificates
• House points / class Dojo points
• An invitation to perform at our Showcase Concert on Tuesday, 18th November at 4:00 PM
 
Important Dates:

• Entry Deadline: Friday, 24th October
• School Winners Announced: Monday, 10th November
• Global Campus Submission Deadline: Monday, 26th January 2026

Global Winners Announced: Wednesday, 13th May 2026

We look forward to celebrating the incredible musical talents of our BVIS students and joining our fellow NAE schools in this exciting global event. Should you require further details, please contact your child’s Music teacher or Mrs Amos directly.

Global Debate Club Launches for the Third Year

The BVIS Global Debate Club is back for its third year as a lunchtime ECA. The club focuses on the British Parliamentary Style of debating and gives students the chance to practise persuasive speaking, teamwork, and critical thinking.

As part of the Global Campus Global Debates, BVIS debaters also compete virtually against other Nord Anglia schools across the world at three points during the academic year. This provides a unique opportunity for students to engage with global issues, exchange perspectives, and represent BVIS on an international stage.

The club is open to all students, with sessions organised at three levels: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Whether new to debating or experienced in competition, every student is welcome to take part.

The Global Debate Club meets every Friday during second lunch in Room 034.

Student Council Committee and Digital Innovator Interviews

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 week are: 

Bedrock Champions

This week’s bedrock champions are:  

Year 7 – Le Hong Minh Khue
Year 8 – Nguyen Ngoc Thien Huong
Year 9 – Le Hong Minh Quang
Year 10 – Le Nha Zooc Linh Chi
Year 11 – Tran Nhu Bao Thi
Year 12 – 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 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 Quang!

Champion Tutor Group of the week!

This week’s Champion tutor group is 

Congratulations to 789v/Hanoi4. Well done!

Housepoint Totals

Congratulations to Saigon house, who hold on to the top spot!

Upcoming Events

• 25/09 – Year 9 Options Event
• 25/09 – UGC Coffee Morning with Parents
• 30/09 – Global University Fair
• 01/10 – Year 7 Pastoral Parents’ Evening
• 13/10 – Half Term Holiday Begins – School Closed
• 20/10 – Students Return to School

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: