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,
A short introduction from me as I write this weekly update from the UK where I am currently for our annual recruitment. It has been a delight to meet with candidates and share with them, all about BVIS.
Along with the Principals from the BVIS/BIS schools in Vietnam and Nord Anglia Schools in South East Asia, we are meeting with potential teachers, sharing our good practice and learning from each other. It has been a delight to share more about BVIS with potential candidates.
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I am very much looking forward to returning in time for the Tet Festival on Sunday! My first one at BVIS. I am excited to see everything in action and celebrate this important time with our community. I look forward to seeing you all there!
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Thank you to all of our BVIS community for your generosity and care for our recent Tet Collection. Your kindness and care meant that we were able to support many community partners. The BVIS students helped organise the donations and deliver to those in need. Thank you again for demonstrating the power of coming together and the warm generosity of our BVIS community.
Sport at BVIS
Our Athletes have been extremely busy this week with City Championships and Swim Galas taking place. There was a magnificent atmosphere at the AIS Swim Invitational, which proved to be a real highlight. It was a particularly special event for our younger swimmers, many of whom walked away with medals. A standout moment and a BVIS first; Joy claimed 1st place in the 25m freestyle, making her the fastest swimmer in Saigon for her age group. A brilliant achievement and one to celebrate as swimming continues to grow here at BVIS.
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Sport is growing and more students are taking part in events which is very pleasing. Further on in the primary and secondary you will read more about the City Championships. This week we had 11 different Sporting competitions for our students where they competed against other schools with podium.
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 head towards Tet, and look forward to our Tet Festival on Sunday, things are more and more focused on getting ourselves prepared, learning about the culture and traditions. We had a lovely assembly from Year 2 focused on resolutions and the animals of the Vietnamese zodiac. It highlighted the values of Care and Respect that we are focused upon this term.
It has also been a time for the City Championships for various sports across various ages and last Saturday saw our children compete in an invitational swimming competition at the Australian School. For many of our Primary students this was their first swim meet and they pushed themselves so hard to improve their swimming and get PBs (personal bests). I was very proud of their efforts in the pool. Well done to all the children who took part.
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A Heart‑Warming Visit to Children Recovering from Life‑Changing Surgery
Our BVIS community recently visited the children who have undergone heart surgery funded through the generous support of our school. Last year, the BVIS Community has donated 10 life‑saving heart‑surgery packages to children selected by the VN Capital organization.
During the visit, our team met five children who have already completed their surgeries and are now recovering with remarkable strength and resilience. We also had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Khang, Head of the Cardiology Department, who shared valuable insights into the children’s congenital heart conditions, the multiple surgeries some have bravely endured, and the huge challenges many families face—from long travel distances to significant financial hardship.
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Representatives from FoBVIS, student leaders from our Community Team, and Ms. Tram joined this meaningful trip. It was a powerful reminder of the impact our BVIS community can make when we come together.
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Student Leaders in Upper Primary create their own Newsletter for Students
Each week the Y6 executives from the Student Council are now creating a helpful newsletter for students in Years 4, 5 and 6 for all things Upper Primary. This is a fantastic initiative showing the student leadership and agency in our school. Well done to our talented students!
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Year 2 Entry Point
Last week, Year 2 had a fun and memorable entry point for their topic ‘A Day in the Life’. Children got to try out 4 different jobs in school - astronauts, fashion designers, doctors and chefs. They used many different skills and it provided the opportunity for lots of vocabulary-rich English conversations. We were really proud of the children as they stayed calm while being excited and they collaborated well in their teams.
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Science and Life Cycles: Caterpillars to Butterflies
Early Years and Year 2 have enjoyed a lovely learning partnership as they explored the life cycle of a butterfly together. The children have been fascinated to observe the caterpillars day by day, watching them eat, grow, and change, and talking about what they noticed along the way. This shared experience sparked curiosity, rich discussion, and a real sense of wonder, while giving younger and older pupils the chance to learn alongside one another through hands-on, real-life science.
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Upcoming Events
01/02 – BVIS Tết Festival
02/02 – 06/02 – Vietnamese Perspective Week
03/02 – EYFS Tết Performance to Parents
04/02 – Tết Live Music Morning
05/02 – Desford Band Visit and Performance
06/02 – Áo dài Day for Students (Tết Festival)
06/02 – Last Day of Half Term
07/02 – 24/02 – Tết Holiday
25/02 – Children Return to School 
Pastoral Update
Over the last few weeks our school community came together to show incredible generosity and care for others.
Students from Years 7–13 spent a week collecting Tet donations in support of local charities and community groups. The response was truly inspiring, with students, families, and staff all contributing to make a meaningful difference during this important time of year.
Following the collection, student representatives visited local community organisations to personally deliver the donations. These visits were a valuable opportunity for students to connect with the wider community, learn more about the work these groups do, and see first-hand the impact of their collective efforts.
We are extremely proud of our students for their compassion, initiative, and willingness to support others. Thank you to everyone who donated and helped make this Tet holiday initiative such a success.
IGCSE English Presentations:
Y11 students in the IGCSE English as a Second Language class presented last week as part of their Fashion unit. They have been expanding their vocabulary and critical understanding of trends, styling, and fashion culture - from the avant-garde to the fiercely practical.
Their task was to define and justify one item as an investment piece, explaining why it would hold the greatest financial, cultural, or historical capital. Students presented in groups of 3–4 and were guest judged by Mr Alex DeLisle.
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Congratulations to the winning team, who persuasively argued that watches are the ultimate investment item.
Student Successes
Just before Christmas Duy Anh and Nguyen Khanh (Year 10) participated in the International Economics Olympiad Preliminary Round 2025. I’m happy to be able to report that both were successful in this competition.
• Duy Anh received the National Honor Award
• Nguyen Khanh received the High Distinction Award
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Well done to both students, who both performed brilliantly in this highly competitive competition.
Launch of the House Áo Dài Design Competition
Following student voice feedback highlighting a desire to revive the mini house competitions of previous years, the Student Leadership Team set out to reintroduce moments of creativity and community fun.
This Thursday marked the launch of the Tết competition, with each house challenged to design an áo dài that reflects its unique spirit and identity. Students were encouraged to use any medium they wished - from sewing, painting, and drawing to more innovative approaches such as 3D printing.
House teams now have one week to create their áo dài and curate a catwalk presentation to showcase it, complete with commentary, optional choreography, and a carefully chosen soundtrack.
Ms Thùy and a panel of artistically knowledgeable judges will select the winning team, who will be awarded 100 HPs. Stay tuned for the results!
City Championship Winners
Yesterday, our U19 Girls Badminton Squad became City Champions after an outstanding display across the finals. The semi-final against ISHCMC was a tightly contested encounter that came down to a decisive final match. Leading from the front, team captain and seed 1 player Phuong Anh showed exceptional composure to secure a crucial 21–17 win in the final set, setting the tone for the squad’s success and demonstrating true leadership under pressure.
In the final against SSIS, Chau (singles seed 3) and Jenny (singles seed 2) produced two outstanding performances that proved pivotal to the outcome of the tie. Both players competed with confidence, focus, and resilience, taking their matches convincingly and building vital momentum for the team. Their performances highlighted the depth of talent within the squad and ensured the final once again came down to a deciding match, with the team firmly believing in their ability to finish strong.
With the pressure once again resting on her shoulders, Phuong Anh delivered a confident and powerful 2–0 victory in the deciding match to secure the championship and claim top spot in the city. A huge shout-out also goes to our doubles pairs Sushi & Lan Anh and Suri & Cas, whose contributions across the competition were invaluable. Every member of the squad played a significant role in this achievement, and it was a privilege to watch the team come together to earn such a well-deserved City Championship title.
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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 | Ryan Nguyen | 8zMat2y |
| 9 | Kevin Vo | 9zMat4 |
| 10 | Ruby Nguyen | 10zMat2y |
| 11 | Naomi Ho | 11zMat1 |
Bedrock Champions
This week’s bedrock champions are:
Year 7 – Ly Nam Phong (Ben)
Year 8 – Do Thanh Ngoc (Lily)
Year 9 – Dang Khanh Ha (April)
Year 10 – Nguyen Bao Ngoc (Ruby)
Year 11 – Chau Le Minh Triet (Tiger)
Year 12 – Ngo Khanh Ngoc (Sarah)
Congratulations to all the above students who came top in their respective year groups. A special well done to Khanh Ngoc (Sarah) 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 Suzi!
Champion Tutor Group of the week!
This week’s Champion tutor group is
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Congratulations to Hue2/789.Well done!
Housepoint Totals
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Congratulation to Hue house, who have held the top of the leaderboard!
Upcoming Events
30/01 – Season 1B Clubs End
01/02 – Tết Fair @ BVIS
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, 13)
03/03 – 06/03 – Residential Trips (Years 7, 8, 9, 10) – Out of School
09/03 – Season 2 Clubs Begin
10/03 – Year 8 Parents’ Evening
11/03 – Mock Examinations End (Years 11, 12, 13)
13/03 – Pi Day Celebrations
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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