BVIS Highlights in October 2026

Monthly Highlights is a monthly 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 very warm welcome back to all our families following the half-term break. I hope you enjoyed the opportunity to rest and spend time together. An especially warm welcome to the new families who have joined us this week and over the past month. We are delighted to welcome you to our school community and hope you are already beginning to feel at home. 

An exciting term awaits our students, with many wonderful events and activities ahead, including our Spooky Sparkly Halloween Party next week! 

Last term was incredibly busy across the school. Events, workshops, competitions, sporting fixtures and many other activities provided our students with opportunities to learn, participate and challenge themselves beyond the classroom. 

We have been particularly delighted by the huge level of student engagement in our Extra-Curricular Activities this year. These activities bring our campus alive beyond the school day, and it is wonderful to see so many students exploring their interests, developing new skills and enjoying time with their friends. With such strong participation already, preparations for our Term 2 programme are well underway! 

We have also begun planning our expeditions for students across all year groups, starting with our Year 3 students and their very exciting sleepover at school. Following feedback from parents and students last year, we have made several improvements to strengthen the experiences on offer. We hope to see a high level of participation across every year group, as these expeditions provide valuable opportunities for students to develop their independence, confidence, resilience and friendships.

Please continue reading to discover what has been happening across Primary and Secondary, as well as what is coming up for our students and families. This includes the Primary Headteacher’s Coffee Morning this week, and we hope many of our Primary parents will be able to join us. 

From next Monday, poppies and other remembrance items will be available at school in conjunction with the British Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City. These are offered as a symbol of remembrance for all those who have lost their lives in conflicts around the world, including those who gave their lives in the service and protection of others. 

In Primary, poppies will be available from Reception in return for a small donation. In Secondary, students will be able to collect them from Mr Tootle. By wearing a poppy, we show that we remember and honour those who have fallen. 

Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend ahead. I look forward to another exciting and successful term together. 

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.   

Dear Parents,

Welcome back, everyone! We hope you all had a restful half-term holiday and are recharged for our exciting term of learning (and character building - developing students' confidence and capacities for independence, inquiry and resilience) in the primary school. We're thrilled to announce that Block 1 clubs will resume next week, with no changes to the fantastic activities that have already started this year. We also had our Belonging Bears event today with Year 1 - thank you to all the parents who came along - and began our collaboration with Secondary for the Year 6 'Six-in-Six Reading Challenge'. 

Looking back before the break, we had a wonderful half-term filled with memorable events, including the enchanting Moon Festival and the culmination of our activities on languages and global citizenship during Global Voices Week. Let’s continue to build on these experiences as we embark on this next chapter together!

EYFS Welcome Miss Phuc - EYFS Maternity Cover

We are delighted to welcome Miss Phuc to F3 as she joins our Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) team. Her enthusiasm and dedication have already made a positive impact, and we’re excited to have her with us. At the same time, we would like to extend our best wishes to Miss Tram Le as she embarks on her maternity leave. We are confident that all will go well for her during this special time. 

Moon Festival

This year's Moon Festival was a memorable experience for our students and the Vietnamese teaching team in particular. Year 3 and Year 5 classes dazzled parents during the assembly with a variety of memorable performances, blending traditional and modern elements of Vietnamese culture. From vibrant songs and dances to captivating storytelling in EYFS, the students showcased their learning and creativity, celebrating the rich heritage of Vietnam. It was a wonderful opportunity for our school community to come together and appreciate the significance of this important festival.

Global Voices Week 

Global Voices Week was an inspiring celebration of our students as global citizens, highlighting the combination of International Week and our focus on Global Languages. The EAL and VAL teams, alongside Mr. Simon and the teaching staff, created a week filled with stimulating learning activities that enriched the students' understanding of diverse cultures. Each phase of the school explored different regions of the world, delving into their unique languages, customs, beliefs, and iconic elements of their countries and people. This vibrant week culminated in engaging assemblies, where children from Year 1 to Year 6 proudly shared their learning and took to the stage. It was a truly wonderful week, fostering unity and appreciation for the rich tapestry of our global focused community. 

FOBISIA Code Breaking Challenge

Our primary students had an exciting opportunity to collaborate with secondary students in the FOBISIA Code Breaking Challenge, an event designed to push our young mathematicians to their limits. Participants engaged in a variety of fun and challenging problems, working both individually and in teams to break codes and unlock solutions. This engaging experience not only sharpened their mathematical skills but also strengthened the connection between primary and secondary schools, fostering relationships with older students and secondary teachers. A big well done to everyone who took part in this thrilling challenge!  

Upcoming Events: 

• 26th October – ECAs/Clubs continue for Block 1 
  
• 27th October – Year 6 Project Curiosity Showcase 
• 29th October – Year 5 Project Curiosity Showcase 
  
• 30th October – Halloween Event 
  
• 3rd November – Year 4 Project Curiosity 
  
• 9th – 13th November – School Photographs Week 
  
• 9th – 13th November – EYFS World Nursery Rhyme Week 
  
• 18th November – Parent Workshop; Reading without Distractions 
  
• 19th November – Teacher and Children’s Day Assembly 
  
• 26th –27th November – Year 4 Residential Trip 

Welcome (back)! 

Live Lunch: Celebrating Music, Creativity and Community 

Secondary Live Lunch continues to be a highlight of the school calendar, providing students with a platform to perform, build confidence and share their love of music with the wider BVIS community. 

Our August and September events featured an impressive range of performances from soloists, ensembles and bands, showcasing the talent, dedication and enthusiasm of our young musicians, with a surprise performance from Mr Dylan and Ms Mumby-Cole. Alongside the music, students also enjoyed themed creative activities. In August, we celebrated friendship at BVIS through friendship bracelet making, with our Student Leader’s expertise guiding the way! September's event embraced the Mid-Autumn Festival, with students creating lanterns to celebrate the Moon Festival. 

The excitement continues this term with themed Live Lunch events for Halloween (30 October), Illustration Day (27 November) and Christmas (15 December), featuring creative activities such as pumpkin painting, collaborative doodling, sketch cards and festive postcards. 

A huge congratulations to everyone who has performed and participated so far. Live Lunch is open to all musicians, and we encourage students of all ages and experience levels to get involved. Sign-up links for performers will be shared through Secondary Announcements ahead of each event. 

We look forward to celebrating even more student talent, creativity and community spirit throughout the year. 

Shrek the Musical JR: a fairy-tale come true 

Preparations are well underway for this year's production of Shrek the Musical JR, bringing together a cast of unforgettable characters, plenty of laughter and a healthy dose of ogre-sized humour. From performers and musicians to artists and designers, students are taking centre stage in every aspect of the production. 

This truly collaborative production showcases the breadth of talent across the Creative Arts and our friends in DT. Drama students are leading the way as the main cast, while our ensemble singers and student band are working hard to bring the score to life. Behind the scenes, students from Art & Design and Design Technology are creating props, scenery and visual elements that will transform the auditorium into the world of Far Far Away.

Performance Dates (Auditorium) 

• Wednesday 9 December - 4:30pm 
• Thursday 10 December - 4:30pm
• Friday 11 December - 6:00pm 

Tickets will be available from mid-November through the Primary and Secondary Receptionists at 80,000 VND per ticket. 

We look forward to welcoming audiences in December and celebrating the creativity, collaboration and hard work of our students. 

Lasan Swimming Club 

We are delighted to celebrate the return of our Lasan School Swimming Club this term! Run by our amazing PE TA’s and volunteer sixth form students!  

For many of the children from our partner Lasan charity school, this is a unique opportunity to access a swimming pool and develop an essential life skill that they may not otherwise have the chance to experience. Beyond learning to swim, students build confidence, resilience, and teamwork while enjoying a fun and active environment.  

We are incredibly proud to support this initiative and look forward to seeing our young swimmers grow in skill and self-belief throughout the year. 

MUN 

We are incredibly proud of four of our students who represented the school at the BIS Model United Nations Conference at BIS this weekend.

This marks the first MUN conference our school has attended in two years, making the occasion especially significant. Throughout the event, students demonstrated outstanding confidence, critical thinking, diplomacy, and public speaking skills as they debated global issues and collaborated with peers from other schools. Their commitment, professionalism, and willingness to step outside their comfort zones were a credit to both themselves and our school community, and we look forward to seeing our MUN programme continue to grow with our new MUN coordinator Ms. Hayley Allison.  

Pastoral Update 

Vietnamese Women’s day: Bake For Her x Florya 

To mark Vietnamese Women’s Day, students organised BVIS’s first-ever Bake for Her fundraiser, selling homemade treats and flower bouquets across the school. The event was a fantastic success, with every item selling out by lunchtime and creating a wonderful sense of community and celebration. 

Thanks to the efforts of the Student Leadership and Social Impact teams, and the generosity of students, staff and families, the fundraiser raised over 6 million VND. The proceeds will provide menstrual hygiene products for students at a rural secondary school in Ninh Binh, helping to improve access to education and wellbeing. 

This initiative also builds on Florya, another student-led project at BVIS which provides free menstrual products for students within our own school community. Together, these projects are helping to ensure that lack of access to essential hygiene products is never a barrier to education, both at BVIS and beyond. 

We are incredibly proud of the students for leading such a meaningful initiative and making a positive impact on the lives of others. 

Sparx Maths 

Sparx Maths XP (Experience Points) reward students for positive engagement with their learning. Students earn XP by completing activities on Sparx Maths, including homework, independent learning, and achieving learning streaks. The more consistently students engage with the platform and complete their work, the more XP they accumulate. 

XP points help to recognise effort, perseverance, and regular practice, encouraging students to build strong study habits and make steady progress in mathematics. Each month, we celebrate students who have demonstrated exceptional commitment through their XP achievements. 

Congratulations to this month's top XP earners: 

Champions of the week

House Point Update

Upcoming Events 

• 26th October – ECAs resume 
• 29th October – Year 11 Parents Evening
• 30th October – BVIS Halloween Event
• 4th - 12th November – Tanzania Trip 
• 9th - 13th November – School Photography
• 12th November – Y8-10 Pastoral parents evening
• 16th November – Y13 Parents evening 

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: