Mr Sean O'Neill: Weekly Update 05/11/2021

Dear Parents and Students, 

Through the last few months, I believe we have learned to more consciously practise gratitude in the face of ongoing challenges...

This week, I feel a profound sense of gratitude towards our host country. Witnessing the spirit, efficiency and effort of all involved in the vaccination programme over the last week, we can feel fortunate that, as guests in Vietnam, our children are able to receive the vaccination in support of their health and wellbeing. 

Talking to a Vietnamese colleague this week about gratitude, she told me of the Vietnamese proverb:

“Ăn quả nhớ kẻ trồng cây” - “When eating fruit, remember the one who planted the tree.” 

While of course the nature of the pandemic has meant that it has not been one, but many to whom we can be grateful, I believe the principle remains. 

As we complete our campus renovations and put all measures in place to enable students to return to school, our students and teachers are still working so hard - persevering in the collective endeavour of Virtual Learning, and their continued energy and enthusiasm is truly impressive.  Please enjoy once again, in this week's update, a small flavour of learning taking place, with a focus on learning within our Spanish Department, The Big Draw from our Art Department, as well as the Virtual Co-curricular Competitions that continue with a round up of our students’ stunning performance in the FOBISIA Mathematics competition. 

My thanks to all who participated in our PTG Social event yesterday, which brought together parents, students and teachers, with a spotlight on the wonderful work of our IBDP CAS students - a really great event.  We will continue with our Parent Partnership Series later this month, focusing on the principles and practices of Assessment and Feedback that underpin teaching and learning at BIS in both a virtual and face-to-face setting. Look in the ‘Dates for your Diary’ section - further details to follow .

We look forward to updating you as soon as possible with plans for the coming weeks.  In the meantime, my best wishes to you and your families for a restful weekend,

Sean O’Neill

FOBISIA Online Mathematics Competition 2021

From 4th-8th October, 68 of our Key Stage 3 students took part in the FOBISIA Online Mathematics Competition hosted by The Seoul Foreign School. The competition was split into 3 rounds: Individual, Group and Video.

The Individual Round participants were given 1 hour to complete 20 questions based on the theme of “Then and Now”. Here are two sample questions for you to try:

Are you smarter than a FOBISIA Mathematician?

3D printing is a method of creating a three dimensional object layer-by-layer using a computer created design.  The 3D printing of a model can take minutes or even days based on overall size and geometry of the 3D model and the printing technology used.  The larger the part and the more complex its geometry, the longer the printing process takes.   The castle in the video took 10 days to 3D print!

10. If we used the same materials and 3D printer settings to print a 5g cube and it takes 6 minutes to 3D print.  Assuming similar proportions, what is the mass of the castle in kilograms?

____________________________________                                   
1 point

11. If the volume of the castle is approximately 0.96 cubic metres, what is the length of the cube to the nearest millimetre?

____________________________________                                   
1 point

Students who performed exceptionally well were awarded a Gold, Silver or Bronze certificate. I am delighted to share our certificate winners:

Considering over 3000 students competed and only 76 Gold certificates were awarded, I’m sure you will agree this represents a phenomenal achievement! Well done to everyone who took part!

The Group Round consisted of a 2-hour online escape room activity. The students entered as teams of four and tried to “escape” in the fastest time possible. Congratulations to everyone who managed to get out in time!

We were allowed one submission for the Video Round. David Hong, Janice Lee, Ella Jang and Siyeon Oh from Y9 and InSung Hong from Y7 chose to represent BIS and were tasked with producing a 3-minute video based on the title “The Evolution of Technology Through Mathematics”. I’m sure you will be very impressed with their entry:

More information can be found on the competition website: https://www.fobisiamaths2021.com 

I look forward to presenting your certificates when we return to campus.

Ben Sillitoe
Assistant Head of Mathematics, KS3 Mathematics Coordinator

Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) in Spanish

Knowing the traditions of the countries whose language we are studying allows us to broaden our vision of the world and appreciate cultural diversity. In Spanish, we have been exploring the festivals and customs of the Hispanic world. Día de los Muertos is a traditional day celebrated in Mexico and other Central American countries where we remember and pay respect to those who have left us. It is a festival where we remember our loved ones and has been a World Heritage festival since 2003.

To learn more about this, our Year 7 students created a digital altar and designed masks to show the coloured faces. Years 8 and 9 created invitations to a Día de Muertos themed fiesta. With Year 10, we explored the offerings that are made to the dead and created an altar together. The IBDP students have been learning about the cultural importance and traditions of the festival, comparing this to other celebrations around the world, whilst discussing ideas and opinions with peers.

The Big Draw 2021

A reminder about the Big Draw activities that are taking place throughout November.  You can still take part in the following activities and share with us.

You can join the House Competition to make an unusual drawing tool at home.  To find out more details read - The Big Draw House Competition 2021.

Students are also encouraged to draw a postcard and send it in to our Art Teachers before Monday 15th November.  You can find out more about the Big Draw - Create a Postcard.

Janet Williams
Head of Art

Saigon Children’s Charity – Christmas Card Orders

As a group of Year 12 students, we have been working with Saigon Children’s Charity since 2020 with the hope of contributing to a brighter future for disadvantaged children.

It is our pleasure again this year to support them by selling Christmas cards which have been hand designed by the children, with six different designs to choose from.

With  Christmas just around the corner, we would like to invite you to place your orders now!  For just  VND 25,000/card you too will be making a donation to Saigon Children’s Charity with 100% of your purchase price going directly to them.

Please click here to get further details about the designs, available delivery methods and to place your order.

Thank you for your support

Jessie, Hope and Mia (Year 12 BIS students)

Digital Safety with Jon Taylor of BeSafe-online.uk

Last week, students and parents were given the opportunity to hear about Digital Safety from Mr Jon Taylor of Besafe-online.co.uk. 

It was a valuable insight for parents into how we need to be actively involved in our children’s digital lives and work with them to help them understand the benefits but also the dangers of navigating the digital world.  

In case you missed the workshop, we would like to share the link again - Digital Safety Webinar for Parents with Jon Taylor

We will be sharing the materials from the webinar in due course with parents also. A link to his website if you would like to read more is https://www.besafe-online.co.uk/.

Virtual Acoustic Lounge - a Replay

Just because we want to celebrate the performances of our fantastic artists.  Here is last week’s Acoustic Lounge session again.

A Successful PTG Coffee Catch-Up

A big thank you to the LUV Project Students for joining our PTG Coffee Event this week. The presentation was insightful and professional. We can certainly learn something from you. We also had a chat about the Community Partners and the Sustainable Clubs our children can join at BIS. It was great to see such a committed, passionate group of students and BIS staff. The PTG are happy to support them.

Don’t forget to look out for the fundraising campaign to help the LUV Project on Social Media.

Thank you 

Mel Rowe

CAS - The Luv Project Vietnam

“The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention”  - Oscar Wilde 

After yesterday's presentation in the PTG Coffee catch-up, here is a brief reminder about the Luv Project from last week’s Update.

In response to the very recent challenges faced by HCMC families due to Covid-19, we at BIS HCMC have founded The Luv Project Vietnam — a Year 12 student-run, community-based initiative which aims at supporting vulnerable children across Ho Chi Minh City through fundraising, awareness campaigns, and educational programs. 

You can find out much more about the project, working in conjunction with the international NGO Planète Enfants & Développement (PE&D) to host a fundraiser for their emergency fund collection through our website.  By visiting the Donate Now page on our website, you will find all the relevant information which you can use to participate in this fundraising effort.

Your support for the Luv Project is very much appreciated and for more information about our organization please feel free to contact us via our website or follow us on our Instagram page (@theluvprojectvn)!

Thank you for your time.

The Luv Project V

NAE Global Campus Virtual Swimming Gala - from 6th-14th November 2021

To see more details you can read Mr O’Neill’s previous Weekly Update, here or check your emails.

NAE Virtual Young Musician of The Year 2022

The NAE Virtual Young Musician of the Year competition has been launched this week.  Check the Global Campus site for information about categories and ages and start to prepare your video performances.

Speak to a music teacher if you need any help or have any questions or help uploading your performances. 

• Monday 15th November: The Big Draw - Create a Postcard, deliver to Secondary Campus Art Department.
• Thursday 18th November: Parent Partnership Webinar: Assessment & Feedback: Values and Approaches at BIS HCMC, 3pm, online.
   

Have a wonderful weekend, 

Sean O’Neill
Head Teacher, Secondary Campus