BIS 5th Annual Invitational Swim Meet - 3rd February

This Saturday we are pleased to be hosting the 5th Annual Swim Gala at the BIS HCMC Secondary and Junior Campuses. With over 330 participants currently entered from 8 schools in the region, it's a sporting event not to be missed!
Interested? Save the date in your Facebook events calendar.
IGCSE & IB Music Recitals - 7th & 8th February
All are welcome to join us for an informal recital where you will have the opportunity to enjoy a performance by each of our IB music students and a solo or ensemble piece performed by the Year 11 IGCSE music students.

Interested? Save the date in your Facebook events calendar.
Nguyen Van Bay- insight from one of Vietnam’s National Heroes
Students of Vietnamese and History were indeed privileged this afternoon with a visit from legendary Vietnamese veteran pilot, Nguyen Van Bay. In an animated presentation, Mr Nguyen regaled our students with a collection of stories from his adventurous life.


More on this thought provoking visit from our students in next week’s update but in the meantime you can find out a little more here.
Atramento Magazine, Winter Edition 2017
Atramento Issue no. 3 - Winter Edition, now available online, is the latest collection of works from our student Journalism Club. If you enjoy travel, photography and creative writing this is a must read.

Atramentos' two Editors-in-Chief Alyssa Yap and Tue Minh Nguyen discuss the club and how we can keep up-to-date with their latest publications...Letting Creativity Flourish
Spotlight on Learning: Poetry Speed Dating
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
From If, by Rudyard Kipling

This well known poem from Rudyard Kipling was the theme of the conversation for Mrs Murphy’s Year 8 class with some with Poetry Speed Dating in the lead up to Valentine’s Day.
Retro Design is music to my ears…
It’s always fascinating to join students in their learning. I am so often inspired by the innovation in their thinking. One of today’s magic moments was speaking with design student Jina Jeon as she shared her new perspective on a traditional design.

Here, she describes her gramophone, designed with a contemporary twist.
“I have always been interested in gramophones but never had a chance to buy one. With an ambition to make one, I decided to use the opportunity presented by my IGCSE Design and Technology coursework. I wanted to develop an analogue music player that was modified to suit today's modern technology such as smartphones. I also wanted to maintain the authenticity of traditional gramophones that do not operate on electricity. After months of hard work, I was able create a smartphone amplifier that turned out to be really impressive, much better than what I had initially expected. Through this whole process I was able to build my critical thinking skills and I am very proud of my finished product.”
Thank you Jina, I know the DT department are so proud of your work too and it sounds wonderful!
Time to Upcycle Those Tired Old Uniforms
Our Greenr Minds Club continues the BIS drive towards greater sustainability.

This month we have the Upcycling House Competition, an opportunity for students to share their design ideas and make old school uniforms into useful everyday products.
Meet our University Guidance Counsellor- Ms Fran Halliwell 
For this week's 'Meet the Teacher' our Year 12 students, Jamie and Ji Min speak to College and University Guidance Counsellor, Ms Halliwell. Ms Halliwell joined BIS HCMC in 2017 after working in international admissions and recruitment at The University of Manchester. Let's find out more...
More University Visits
The world’s universities want to speak to our students!!
See the list of University visits scheduled for February and March. Add the visits as events using the BIS HCMC School Calendar

1st February The George Washington University, 12.30 - 13.20, 6th Form Common Room
6th February EU Business School, 10:50 - 11:15, 6th Form Common Room
27th February University of Toronto, 12.30 - 13.20, 6th Form Common Room
8th March University of British Columbia, 12.30 - 13.20, Study Room
12th March University of the Arts London, 12.30 - 13.20, 6th Form
14th March Swiss School of Tourism and Hospitality, 12.30 - 13.20, 6th Form
19th March UK Universities mini fair, After school, 6th Form and Study Room
For further information please feel free to contact our University and Guidance Counsellors
SISAC Athletics Championships 2018- Four from Six
Huge congratulations from us all to our SISAC Athletics team and coaches who came from the Championships this year with 4 of the 6 available championship trophies.
In the words of Mr Phil Husband, Director of Sport,
… many thanks for your efforts this weekend at the SISAC Athletics City Championships. Your exceptional technique and attitude was evident for all to see. Yet again we performed to our maximum and have excelled in the results.
Read more results from the SISAC Athletics Championships 2018
Sports Fixtures and Match Reports
For up to date information on sporting fixtures for Term 2 and match reports you can go to the PE and Sports

Recent Match Reports
Tet Shoebox Appeal 2018 - Ends Tuesday!
As the first of the Tet Shoeboxes go out to community partners this week, I would like to remind you that if you would like to donate, the collection ends on Tuesday 6th February.

Ms Lanyon-Jones creating Tet shoeboxes with her class this week as part of our Tet community project.

Yesterday our first collection of boxes were shared with the children from Mai Tam pagoda at their Tet party with activities arranged and supervised by our Year 10 students as an International Life Skills (ILS) project.
You still have time to join in, please follow the link for instructions on how to create the perfect Tet Shoebox.
Upcoming Events
Saturday 3 February: BIS U14 - U19 Invitational Swim Meet 8.00am to 2.00pm Secondary Campus Swimming Pool.
Tuesday 6 February: U11 - U19 Cross Country at AIS@PHM GC 7.00am to 12.00pm
Tuesday 6 February: SISAC U19 Girls Basketball City Championships 1.00 to 6.00pm at AmIS
Wednesday 7 February: U19 Boys Basketball City Championships 2.00 to 6.00pm at AmIS
Wednesday 7th and Thursday 8th February: IGCSE and IB Music Recitals from 6.00pm in the Secondary Campus Theatre
Thursday 8 February: SISAC U19a Football vs ISHCMC (Home) 4.00pm to 6.00pm. Please come and support the team. All welcome
Thursday 8 February: SISAC U19b Football vs ISHCMC (Away) 4.00pm to 6.00pm
Monday 12 to Friday 23 February: Tet Break
If you are able to, come along to cheer on the Barracudas at the swim invitational swim meet at the Secondary Pool tomorrow morning. Good luck to all our swimmers.
Have a wonderful weekend,
Kind regards,
Carl Mincher
Head Teacher
Secondary Campus