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,
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I had the privilege of attending the TedX talks on Wednesday afternoon here at school, and it was incredible. With the theme of Unexpected Perspectives, the students spoke on a range of topics with such eloquence. It was inspiring. Their confidence and knowledge shone through, and it was a testament to their hard work and passion for the various topics they talked about.
My sincere congratulations to Truc Anh (Katelyn), Year 11, Minh Khoi, Year 12 and Tung Chi, Year 13.
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Thank you to all the parents that have attended parents' evenings across primary and secondary over the last number of weeks. Partnership and engagement do make the difference in the education of your children, and we are grateful to have such active parental engagement in our community. It does make a difference.
Tet Celebrations at BVIS!
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There is a great deal of preparation underway for our Tet Festival on Sunday, February 1st. I am personally very excited about this event, my first Tet Fair here at BVIS. Invitations were given to the eldest child in each family today to bring home. We are looking forward to a wonderful morning of fun and connection.
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Additionally, we would like to thank all the families that have generously donated items for the Tet collection, located in the primary foyer. The generosity of the BVIS community is truly wonderful, and we will be able to support many community partners because of your kindness and care. The collection is still ongoing, and donations are still being accepted.
Thank you for your kind support.
School Photos
Today, your child(ren) will have brought home a QR code for the school photos. All the school photos can be ordered online, both digital and hard copies. More details are on the flyer below.
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Desford Collery Band Visit
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We are delighted to invite you to a special musical event featuring the world‑renowned Desford Colliery Brass Band from the UK, performing at BVIS on Thursday 5th February, 4.00–5.00pm in the Auditorium. Founded in 1898 and recognised as one of the finest brass ensembles in the world.
Desford brings over a century of musical excellence, a rich tradition, and a versatile repertoire ranging from Baroque to Jazz. Open to all members of the BVIS community, this rare opportunity to experience one of Britain’s most iconic brass bands live promises an unforgettable afternoon—please register via the
Microsoft Form.
Next week, I will be in the UK for our annual recruitment. I am excited to meet a relatively small number of teachers needed for next year as staff retention here at BVIS remains high. In addition, we will be hosting our first Alumni event for BVIS students in the UK. I am looking forward to meeting BVIS alums and hearing from them about their experiences at third level. I look forward to sharing more on my return.
Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend ahead.
Contact Us
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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.
As we move further into this new half term, classrooms are buzzing with excitement as new topics are launched through engaging entry points with practical activities. Year 1 have been walking in the local area to look at buildings and Year 5 have enjoyed their river walk.
Alongside this, ECA club allocations for Block 2 ECAs (beginning March 9th) were shared on Friday, following a very successful sign-up period and trials for Upper Primary sports. The week has also been enriched with inspiring assemblies focusing on dance, singing and performance at the start of the week, and finishing with Year 5’s class assembly; a fitting end to a busy and exciting week.
Year 1 Entry Point – Local Area Walk
This week, Year 1 took a trip round the vicinity of the school to look at buildings in the local area, as part of our 'Buildings and Landmarks' topic. We were very impressed by the children's observations, as they noticed different shapes, colours and sizes of buildings. We also took this opportunity to teach students about road safety, and as it was a 'mini-trip', it helped prepare them for expectations on bigger trips as they get older. Well done to our observant and responsible Year 1s!
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A Wonderful Week of Dance with Juilliard Curriculum Specialist Ms Ashley Brown!
This week, BVIS had the pleasure of welcoming Ashley Brown, Dance Curriculum Specialist from our collaboration with the Juilliard-Nord Anglia Performing Arts Programme, for an inspiring series of workshops, lessons and assemblies across Primary. Her visit brought fresh ideas, professional artistry, and joyful energy to our school.
With Lower Primary, Ashley focused on playful movement exploration—helping students' express stories, feelings, and musical ideas through dance. Our youngest learners loved experimenting with shapes, rhythm, and creative imagination.
In Upper Primary, students were challenged with more advanced choreographic tasks. Ashley introduced movement vocabulary, spatial awareness, and expressive performance techniques that encouraged collaboration and artistic confidence. The students rose to the challenge brilliantly!
Her visit not only supported student learning but also strengthened our Juilliard partnership and enriched classroom practice for our teachers.
A huge thank you to Ashley for inspiring our dancers and celebrating the power of creativity at BVIS!
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Year 3 Entry Point Last Week
Last week, Year 3 launched their new IPC topic with a look at history, fossils and archaeology. There were exciting, hands-on activities that immediately sparked curiosity and enthusiasm. The children rotated through a range of practical activities in their classes, including digging in sand to uncover “fossils” and carefully examining old artefacts to identify what they might have been and how they were used. These immersive experiences encouraged thoughtful discussion, observation, and questioning, setting a strong foundation for their learning.
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The Solvers Workshop – Learning Through Making and Problem Solving
At BVIS, we are always looking for ways to offer students meaningful learning experiences that go beyond the classroom. The Solvers Workshop is a new enrichment opportunity designed to do exactly that.
The Solvers Workshop is a hands-on problem-solving club where students work collaboratively to tackle real-world challenges through design thinking, creativity, and practical making. Rather than focusing on screens or digital tasks, students spend their time in a traditional workshop environment, learning through doing and engaging directly with materials, tools, and ideas.
The approach taken in The Solvers Workshop builds on the success of hands-on STEAM activities delivered during the BVIS Summer School programme.
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During each session, the approach mirrors the way designers, engineers, and makers work in the real world and helps students develop confidence when approaching unfamiliar problems. A key feature of The Solvers Workshop is the opportunity for students to use real tools safely and responsibly. Under close supervision, students learn how to work with hand tools and workshop equipment, developing practical skills alongside an understanding of safety, precision, and care.
Sessions take place on Saturday mornings from 9:00am to 11:30am, allowing for extended, uninterrupted time to think, make, and collaborate. The Solvers Workshop is a unique opportunity that makes full use of BVIS’s specialist facilities and reflects our commitment to developing confident, curious, and capable learners.
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If you would like to find out more, please contact Mr James Chandler (Head of Computer Science and Design Technology) via email at james.chandler@bvisvietnam.com.
Upcoming Events
• 29 January: Block 1B ECAs and Clubs conclude
• 01 February: BVIS Tết Festival
• 02–06 February: Vietnamese Perspective Week
• 03 February: EYFS Tết performance for parents
• 04 February: Tết Live Music Morning
• 05 February: Desford Colliery Band visit and performance
• 06 February: Áo dài Day for students (Tết celebrations)
• 06 February: Last day of the half term
• 07–24 February: Tết Holiday
• 25 February: Students return to school
English: Gothic writing competition
Stephen King, one of the most famous writers of Gothic and horror fiction, once said that writers are not made but formed. This idea underpins the English Faculty’s approach to creative writing, recognising that strong writing develops through time, effort and practice.
During their Gothic Writing unit, Year 7 focused on building these skills. Their final challenge was to craft an original Gothic story, carefully using language and structure to create tension and atmosphere.
This year, we invited our Year 13 A Level Literature students to judge the work. After close reading and lively debate, they chose the following winners in order.
1. The Letter by Ha Anh Tran
2. Final flicker by Tram Anh Huynh (Mia)
3. The Mystery Noble by Duc Quang Nguyen
Congratulations to these students on a fantastic achievement.
We hope you enjoy viewing some of the excellent work produced by our Year 7 students and, as Stephen King reminds us, remember that great writers are formed through dedication and persistence.
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Award Winner!
Jimmy in Year 13 had already achieved awards for the best in Vietnam for Biology, Chemistry and Physics based on his AS examination results. He now has the prestigious “Best Across Four Award”, which is given to the student who achieved the best overall marks across all the AS subjects they take, whichever subjects they have chosen.
Jimmy has now won academic awards at both IGCSE and AS level for the Sciences and Maths. We look forward to seeing if he can perform just as well again in his final examinations coming up this summer.
Congratulations Jimmy!
January Live Lunch
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The Live Lunch performance this month was a vibrant celebration of student talent, featuring a beautifully blended programme from across the Secondary school. The Secondary Choir opened with a polished and expressive performance of A Million Dreams from the Greatest Showman, followed by impressive solo items that showcased individual musicianship—including a sensitive solo piano piece from Nick in Year 7 and confident solo vocal work from Sara in Year 13. The event concluded with an electrifying guitar performance that brought real energy to the space.
Together, these diverse acts created a warm, engaging atmosphere and highlighted the rich creative life of our school community.
Upcoming Recitals
We’re excited to invite families and friends to two upcoming recital events celebrating the wonderful musical talent in our Secondary school.
• Our Year 11 iGCSE musicians will perform on Thursday 29th January 2026 in the Theatre, sharing the solo or ensemble pieces they’ve been preparing for their final assessments.
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• On Monday 2nd February 2026 at 4pm in the Auditorium, our A Level students will present their beautifully curated recital programmes, showcasing their skill, dedication and creativity.
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All family and friends are warmly welcome to attend—please complete the Microsoft Form to confirm (linked below). Secondary students who plan to attend are kindly reminded to seek parental permission and arrange their own transport home.
Year 11 Recital Audience Registration
A Level Recital Audience Registration
Pastoral Update
In the return of lunchtime house competitions, our students sought out their nostalgia and completed a jigsaw challenge!
It was hectic from start to finish, with teams racing the clock to complete as many jigsaws as possible in five minutes. Hanoi and Dalat were neck and neck throughout, finishing strongly, with four completed between them. Saigon stayed calm under pressure though and powered through all five jigsaws before the timer, making them the clear winners. Students were in teams with members from each year group, encouraging collaboration between the different key stages.
This is a great example of some of the extra opportunities available to our BVIS students, providing teamwork opportunities in a fun setting!
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:
Year Group | Name | Class |
7 | Tony Truong | 7S |
8 | Bao Nam Tran | 8zMat2x |
9 | John Nguyen | 9zMat4 |
10 | Ruby Nguyen | 10zMat2y |
11 | Huyen Nguyen | 11zMat4 |
Bedrock Champions
This week’s bedrock champions are:
Year 7 – Ly Nam Phong
Year 8 – Nguyen Hoang Thuc Quyen
Year 9 – Dang Khanh Ha
Year 10 – Nguyen Bao Ngoc
Year 11 – Luong Gia Kiet
Year 12 – Ngo Khanh Ngoc
Congratulations to all the above students who came top in their respective year groups. A special well done to Nguyen Hoang Thuc Quyen who achieved the highest Bedrock points total across the whole of the secondary school this week!
Champion of the week!
This week’s champions are...
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Congratulations and well-done to Minh!
Champion Tutor Group of the week!
This week’s Champion tutor group is
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Congratulations to Hue1/789.Well done!
Housepoint Totals
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Congratulation to Hue house, who have held the top of the leaderboard!
Upcoming Events
• 28/01: Year 7 Parents’ Evening (face‑to‑face)
• 29/01: Parents’ Evening (online for selected subjects)
• 30/01: Season 1B Clubs conclude
• 01/01: BVIS Tết Festival
• 06/02: Tết Assembly
• 09/02: School closed for Tết holiday
• 25/02: School reopens after Tết holiday
• 03/03: Mock examinations begin (Years 11, 12 and 13)
• 03–06 March: Residential trips (Years 7–10) – students off campus
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:
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