Weekly Highlights 20/03/2026

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,

At BVIS, we know that strong parental engagement is one of the most powerful influences on a child’s success at school. When parents and school work in partnership, children benefit from greater confidence, consistency and clarity throughout their learning journey. For this reason, we place great importance on supporting parents as they navigate the school years alongside their children. 

We are always delighted to welcome parents to the wide range of sessions we offer across all age phases. This week, it has been wonderful to see such strong engagement, with parents attending the Secondary Exploration Morning, the Nutrition Talk, the Parent Talk on Effort and Engagement, and the University Talk led by our students. Alongside this, many families also joined our EYFS Sports Mornings 

Last weekend, our Secondary students proudly represented BVIS at the BIS Invitational Swim Meet, competing across two long and demanding days of racing. The BVIS Hammerheads showed great determination, teamwork and sportsmanship in the pool, supporting one another and representing the school with pride throughout the event.

It was fantastic to see their commitment and resilience across a busy race schedule, and we are especially proud that many of our swimmers achieved personal best times, reflecting the hard work and dedication they have put into their training. Well done to all of our swimmers for representing BVIS so positively and demonstrating the true spirit of the Hammerheads team.  

Each of these well-attended sessions provided meaningful opportunities for parents to engage directly with BVIS staff and students, gain insight into our approach to learning and teaching, and further strengthen the partnership that sits at the heart of our community.

We look forward to continuing these conversations and hope to see many parents joining us next week for Afternoon Tea with the Principal, on Thursday 26th March at 1pm in the Auditorium where we will share further updates and enjoy the opportunity for open discussion together. Please scan the QR code to register. 

Student Survey 

Next week we will launch our student survey to all students from Year 3 to Year 13.  This is an opportunity for the students to share their thoughts and opinions about our school, from facilities to food, and lessons to extra-curricular activities. Students will have a voice in sharing how we can improve our school.  We will share all the results with students and parents once all the surveys are completed and the results analysed. 

BVIS Summer School 2026 

Our Summer School is really beginning to take shape now with day trips being planned, activities already in motion and it is pleasing to see a good number of students already signed up.  Please see the poster below for more details. 

Thank you, as always, for your continued support and partnership. Our community remains at the heart of everything we do. 

Please continue to read more about what has been happening across primary and secondary below including updates from trips and 15th Anniversary Celebration Week! 

Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend ahead. 

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. 

 This week, our Year 4 and Year 6 students embarked on their residential trips to Long Hai and Madagui respectively. This is an exciting opportunity to extend learning far beyond the classroom. Residential experiences play an important role in developing independence, resilience and teamwork, as students challenge themselves through new activities and shared experiences with their peers. We will get a full report next week, but it has been a wonderful and exciting experience for all.

Assemblies this week have been focused on the importance of Digital Citizenship and on YouHQ, the system we use with students so they can self-monitor wellbeing in Year 4-13.

Year 5 Residential

Last Friday, our Year 5 students returned from their residential trip to Can Tho with happy memories, stronger friendships and greater independence. Through activities such as mud fishing, boat racing, traditional cake making, coconut leaf crafts, treasure hunts and a lively talent show, children experienced the culture and spirit of the Mekong Delta in meaningful and memorable ways.

They showed enthusiasm, resilience and teamwork throughout the trip, embracing new challenges and supporting one another with maturity and care. The residential trip had a very positive impact on their personal development, helping to build confidence, responsibility and self-belief, while creating joyful shared memories that will stay with them for years to come.

Thank you for your trust and support in allowing your child to be part of this special experience. We are very grateful for the opportunity to share these memorable moments with them.

EYFS Sports Mornings

On Wednesday and Thursday this week, F1, F2 and F3 had their Sports mornings in the Sports Hall. They have been a wonderful opportunity for our youngest learners to stay active and develop their physical skills. Led by our fantastic PE team and EYFS team, the children have taken part in a range of fun activities designed to build coordination, balance and confidence. It has been great to see the children enjoying movement, working together and developing a love for sport and physical activity from an early age.

End of 15th Anniversary Celebration Weeks - Pink Friday

We ended our 15th Anniversary Celebration Weeks in wonderful style with Pink Friday, giving everyone across the school community the chance to show their love for BVIS by coming dressed in pink. It was fantastic to see students and staff proudly celebrating our school spirit together. The day marked the culmination of two weeks of special activities and events linked to our 15th anniversary celebrations, reflecting the pride, community and shared memories that make BVIS such a special place.

Speech and Poetry Competition

The Speech and Poetry competition has been launched in all Primary classes, and we can't wait to see what our students bring to this year's event! Year 1 – 4 have been busy developing and practicing their performance poetry skills. This year's speech theme is; We All Belong, and our Year 5 and 6 students have been working on writing and delivering a compelling speech on the topic. 
All students in Year 1 – 6 are invited to join the competition in English, Vietnamese, or both languages. Don't forget to submit a video of your poem or speech to your teacher by 27 March for a chance to move on to the semifinals happening in April. Stay tuned for more updates!

Upcoming Events

• 26/03 – Principals Afternoon Tea
• 26/03 – Healthy Habits Workshop for Lower Primary
• 27/03 – International Food Day: European Food
• 08/04 – AIH Pediatrics Workshop
• 11/04 – Block 2 ECAs pause until Term 3
• 13/04–17/04 – Green Week
• 16/04 – Year 3 Sleepover • 17/04 – End of Term 2 (early finish on this day)

Secondary Exploration Day

This Tuesday we welcomed prospective and current parents from both Primary and Secondary to listen to an interactive presentation from the Secondary Leadership team and University Guidance counselling team. 



The event allowed parents to learn more about how the Secondary school is different from the Primary school, but also how it is very much aligned. Parents were able to ask specific questions relating to transitioning between Primary and Secondary school as well as moving from KS3 to IGCSEs or from IGCSEs into A levels and beyond.

Pastoral

Our annual house football competition started this week! This is a hugely exciting period in the school calendar, with lots of students watching, and cheering loudly!
 
This competition always delivers lots of energy, teamwork and house spirit, as students work together to earn points for their house. We look forward to seeing some fantastic football and enthusiastic support from across the year groups.
Already this week, Saigon have stormed into an early lead into the standings by winning both their matches, with Hue just behind, followed by Dalat and Hanoi. But who will take the cup this year? We wish all teams the best of luck and look forward to an exciting few weeks of competition.

UGC Student event

This week, we hosted an inspiring session where our Year 13 students shared their real journeys through the university application process. From tips on writing a compelling personal essay to the essential skills developed along the way, such as resilience, time management, and self-reflection, their honest insights deeply resonated with both students and parents.

Minh Tien, our University Ambassador, shared a powerful reflection: “In the end, university is not simply a destination marked by an acceptance letter. It is a chapter in a much larger story, the story of who we are becoming. The name of a university may open doors, but the person we grow into during that journey is what truly determines how far we will go."

A huge thank you to our Year 13 speakers for their openness. It was especially meaningful to witness many students stepping onto the stage for the first time, confidently expressing their perspectives and personal experiences. The session was filled with practical advice, reassurance, and genuine moments of pride. 

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	Kien Dang Nguyen	7V
8	Bao Nam Tran	8zMat2x
9	Sam Nguyen	9zMat3y
10	Ruby Nguyen	10zMat2y
11	Chi Hieu Nguyen	11zMat3

Bedrock Champions

This week’s bedrock champions are:  

Year 7 Huynh Khai Bach
Year 8 Nguyen Hoang Thuc Quyen
Year 9 Pham Tien Minh (Ben)
Year 10 Nguyen Bao Ngoc (Ruby)
Year 11 Nguyen Chi Hieu
Year 12 Ngo Khanh Ngoc (Sarah)

Congratulations to all the above students who came up on top in their respective year groups. A special well done to Nguyen Bao Ngoc (Ruby) 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... 

 

Congratulations and well done to Khanh Linh (Ruby)!

Khanh Linh has made very good progress in songwriting and produced an excellent piece of writing for the trip. She is efficient in completing tasks, including the trips form. She is demonstrating positive communication in lessons—well done.

Champion Tutor Group of the week!

This week’s Champion tutor group is  

Congratulations to 789i/hue2.Well done!

Housepoint Totals

Congratulation to Hue house, who have held the top of the leaderboard!

Upcoming Events

21/03 – Saigon International Schools’ Battle of the Bands hosted at BVIS
25/03 – Year 11 Parents’ Evening
26/03 – Principal’s Afternoon Tea Event
02/04 – Year 12 Parents’ Evening
07/04 – Creative Arts Celebration
15/04 – International World Book Day
17/04 – End of Term 2 – School finishes 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: