Dear Parents,
At BIS we take health and safety very seriously. Next week, we will be having a two-day health and safety audit conducted by our Nord Anglia Regional Business Director and the Principal of BVIS here in Hanoi. Although we conduct regular health and safety checks internally, the benefits of an independent visit are numerous and can help us to improve further.
One general concern, here in Hanoi, is the effects of air pollution on our health. Jon Witton, our Health and Safety Officer has been working with different companies, both on how we can accurately monitor air pollution here in Long Bien and the ways in which we can filter the air in classrooms to make a better environment for learning. Next term, we will have an air quality monitor installed on our BIS roof which will provide more accurate information on the air quality outside. Inside the classrooms, we have been monitoring with a mobile device as well as looking at results from trials conducted by external companies. This information will enable us to make the best decisions on how to minimise risks of pollution on health.
Another area of health and safety which concerns us here at BIS is how to keep our community safe on the roads. Last year we had a campaign to promote the wearing of helmets on bicycles and motor bikes. Outside the Early Years Centre and the Main Campus, you will see large posters designed by our students which are a reminder of the fact that wearing helmets helps prevent serious head injuries. Please ensure that children wear helmets when they are collected by motor bike from the EYC as well as when they arrive independently on bicycles and scooters.

Sharing Achievements at BIS
I thoroughly enjoyed the KS3 assembly this morning which was led by students in Year 8. The focus was on the importance of being part of a community and highlighted some of those enjoyable activities we take part in when part of a group. The delivery was polished; the articulation and quality of spoken English was impressive and the talent of our students second to none. Congratulations on the quality of performances: the singing, musical duets, dance routines and humorous but scary Hakka made for a highly entertaining start to the day. The important message about those who are not fortunate to be part of a caring community and how we can help was also delivered. Our students are certainly looking for ways to help our BIS community partners and become more globally minded.

Next week, I am looking forward to celebrating Year 6 learning and achievements in the Phase 3 Exhibition which will be held on Friday. Parents are welcome to come and see what amazing learning has been taking place this year.
Parents are also invited to our first IB Showcase on Thursday 5th April which is a chance for our Year 13 students to celebrate by showing the huge portfolios of work they have created. The event will be an audio visual feast taking on the style of a museum exhibition. Visitors can wander around at their leisure and view work the students are proudest of. In addition, we will be treated to background music, visiting community partners, visual art displays, a premier screening of Ngoc Duc’s Film Studies piece, Theory of Knowledge presentation highlights and condensed Extended Essays.
I look forward to seeing many of you at the exhibitions next week.
Ms Sue Hill, Principal