Mr Ian Battersby: Weekly Update 10/06/2022

One of the rescheduled events, which is a firm favourite with children and parents, is Sports Day. On Monday, we held 3 Sports Days starting with the F2s and F3s, this was followed by the Year 1 event, then the Year 2 competition brought the morning to a close. 

Our PE Team will provide a full report next week as they have been doing Sports Days for the other primary year groups throughout the week.  For now, I hope you enjoy this selection of photos from Monday.

Year 2 Storytelling Banquet Exit Point

Storytelling, Art, community, food and culture were the key ingredients in Year 2’s exciting Exit Point this week. At the end of every IPC unit of learning, there is a warming celebration and sharing of the wonderful learning journey that the children have been on, named an Exit Point. This is often the most loved part of any IPC unit and much loved by both students and staff.

For Year 2’s ‘Stories People Tell ‘ uni’, that started with a mysterious ‘Legends Live’ Entry Point, they shared their knowledge of myths and legends from different countries and eras across history, choosing their favourite tale to represent and share. The children designed their own headband prop to represent their historical character and invited F2s and F3s to come to the celebration and make their own too! It was fantastic to see the different ‘ages and stages’ working together, building their collaboration and communication skills in a caring context. We had members of staff from different parts of the school dressed as their own favourite legend to engage with the students and bring an extra layer of fun too!

The second half of our Exit Point was a true ‘legends’ banquet’, serving food from the different nations represented by the legends learned. The children tried different and new foods from across the world and discussed their favourites. For dessert, the children had had a part to play, baking their own peach cobbler earlier that day in honour of Martin Luther King Junior’s home city of Atlanta, Georgia (USA). They thoroughly enjoyed developing their skills in cutting and measuring, as well as learning the new skill of bread-crumbing.

It was a truly enjoyed event by the many classes involved, summarised by the much repeated phrase “Oh no! I can’t believe it’s home time already!”. Many thanks goes to all involved.

Ms Kirstie Stockley

Year 2 Teacher and IPC Leader

Year 2 Visit Year 3 at the Junior Campus

Last week, the Year 2 children jumped on buses and travelled down the road to visit the Junior Campus. They were welcomed on site with big smiles and open hearts by the Year 3 students and teachers. The Year 2s enjoyed a wonderful treasure hunt guided by the Junior campus’ youngest students which gave them a guided tour of some of the most fantastic facilities we have here at the Junior Campus – the Gym, Canteen, Library, Activ8, and the Art Room, to name a few. If they were lucky enough to spot them, they even got a wave from Ms Dee or Mr Chris through the window of their offices. Once back in the Year 3 classrooms, both the Year 2 and Year 3 children had to work collaboratively to work out the mystery sentence using the clues they had collected. Why not ask your child if they remember what the sentence said!

The Year 2 and Year 3 Treasure hunt is one of the important transition activities which take place towards the end to the year. It is essential that the Year 2 students, who will be Year 3 students in August, feel comfortable, familiar and excited about their new campus and who better to better to hear that from than the children who were in the same situation this time last year. Settled and happy children learn best, and this is something children, parents and teachers all wish for. The Year 3 teachers are all looking forward to welcoming a new cohort of Year 3s to the Junior Campus in a few short months.

Language in Focus

This week, we announced the winners of the Language in Focus (LIF) Tourism Poster Competition. We received hundreds of entries for this competition and the quality was exceptional! Everyone who entered really showcased the amazing landmarks in their country and made us all keen to start travelling again!

Here are the winners for each age category:

F3: Noah F3S  

Year 1-2: Avery 2S

Year 3-4: Siwon 4B

Year 5-5: Natsume 6M

The winning entries have been enlarged and will be displayed in the gym on both campuses. The other entries will be displayed around the campuses during International Week. Well done again to our winners and to everyone who entered!

To see all the winners and runners up and to find out more about the Language in Focus initiative, visit the Google site: https://sites.google.com/bisvietnam.net/languageinfocus

Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee

Last week, in the UK, there were many events to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.  As we are the British International School, we also held special events to join in with what was happening elsewhere around the world.  Everyone came to school wearing red, white and blue or dressed as a member of the royal family, then we all received a special Jubilee Cupcake.

F3 Street Party

Whenever there is a royal event, it has become traditional to hold street parties.  Families line up tables and chairs and communities come together to share food, sing and dance. In F3, the children made their party hats,  lined up the tables in the ELC, and enjoyed eating their cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches whilst  listening to patriotic songs. They even had a visit from her majesty the queen, herself, as well as on of her corgis.

Year 1 Party in the Park

The children in Year 1 also made cucumber sandwiches before heading to our secondary school courtyard to enjoy traditional games like ‘Duck, Duck, Goose’, ‘Pin the Tail on the Corgi’ and the coconut shy.  The children thoroughly enjoyed their taste of British culture.

BIS Primary Silent Art Auction

It is with pleasure that we invite you to participate in the BIS Primary Silent Art Auction featuring a unique collection of pieces created by our very talented primary students! 

Please click here to enter the gallery where you will be able to virtually browse through some remarkable art and to easily submit a bid for any pieces which may catch your eye.

All proceeds will be donated to our community partners, Free The Bears and Laws For Paws who have engaged with our students, relentlessly raising awareness of the plight of domestic and wild animals in Vietnam.

The auction will close on Sunday 19^th June after which, you will be notified should your bid have been successful.

Thank you for supporting our community partners and for taking the time to encourage our budding young artists through your investment in their work.

Tracey Brownrigg
Co-Curricular Coordinator and
Community Service Project Manager

International Week 2022

As we swiftly head towards the end of the academic year 2021/2022, we are all looking forward to almost everyone's favourite celebration, International Week 2022.

In assembly today, we launched International Week 2022. For the next 7 days, over both campuses, we have a range of activities and events organised which will provide our children with a greater understanding and respect for all the incredible peoples and cultures that make up our world, and more importantly, the 42 nations represented on the two primary campuses. From the Global Cafe, where 28 stalls will provide food from some of those nations represented at BIS HCMC, the International Experience in the Sports Hall and then finally the parades on Thursday and Friday which are always a sea of colour.

For the first time in several years, we are in the very fortunate position of being able to invite parents in for the parades, which we are sure will be very popular. Keep in mind that room will be tight, so get there early if you wish to sit. Masks must be worn inside the gym. Please note, you will only be able to attend the parade/s your child/children attend.

A detailed guide of all that is happening on the Early Years and Infant Campus over the week can be found here:

BISHCMC International Week 2022 - Parents' Guide

PTG AGM

Last night we gathered for the PTG AGM and it was wonderful to be able to celebrate the work of the PTG this year. Despite the roadblocks that Covid presented, the PTG were absolutely brilliant in managing to organise events each term, both virtually and in person.  

We were also afforded the opportunity last night to say a big farewell and thank you to our outgoing Primary PTG Chairperson Gayatri Shankar.  As the chair for the last 3 years, Gayatri has had a tough job navigating the perils of Covid but she has done so brilliantly and always with a big smile and a commitment to finding a way!  We are very sad to say goodbye to all the family but they take with us our very best wishes for their new adventure in Singapore. Come back for the Spring Fair Gayatri!

PTG Pre-Loved Fair 2022- Saturday 11th June

We look forward to seeing you there.

 Event Details:

Date: Saturday 11th June

Time: 9.00am to 12.00pm

Location: Secondary Campus Auditorium

A BIS Community event

BIS Summer Sports

Dear Parents and BIS Sports Stars. 

Unfortunately, the annual action packed BIS Summer Sports School will not go ahead this year due to construction work on each campus. However, so that all of our sports enthusiasts can stay fit, healthy and skilled over the summer break, BIS will be advertising Summer Camps in our local area. These are all run by our trusted 3^rd Party External Sports Providers who you know and love from our paid CCA programme. 

Please click this Summer Camps 22 link to see information regrading these weekly Summer Camps throughout the holiday period. Please note that all booking, payment and communication should be done directly with the 3^rd Party External Sport Provider. BIS will take no responsibility for the camps, we are simply promoting the excellent activities that will be happening in An Phu this summer.

I hope many of our children take up the offer of these camps, learn new skills and make new friends along the way.

I hope all of our BIS families have a well deserved break over the summer and I look forward to seeing you again next year for some competitive sport in HCMC and beyond!

Phil Husband

Director of Sport

w/c 13/06/22                          International Week

w/c 13/06/22                          Staggered sharing of reports

14/06/22 - 15/06/22             Global Cafe

16/06/22                                 International Parade of Nations

22/06/22                                 F1 End of Year Celebration with F1S, V, N @ 8.45am

23/06/22                                 F1 End of Year Celebration with F1B & I @ 8.45am

24/06/22                                 Term ends @ 11.50am

Symptomatic (Any Cold/Flu/Covid Symptoms) - stay off school until symptom free. 

Take a precautionary Rapid Antigen Test at home prior to return and keep the school informed. 

Any concern you have at home with the health of your child, and include the Health and Safety Leads of each campus (EYIC Ms Sarah Curran sarah.curran@bisvietnam.com and JC Mr Chris McKelvie Christopher.mckelvie@bisvietnam.com.

It is vital, also, that you inform the office of any positive case within your family – these are called ‘household close contacts’.

If your child needs the School Nurse to administer any prescribed medication during the school day please do not put medication in the school bag but contact the School Nurse and sign the appropriate form.

Ms Sarah Curran and Mr Chris McKelvie, Deputy Headteachers

Online application for Fundinotots

Are you a qualified teacher?

If you are, and are interested in doing some supply/cover teaching at BIS, please contact either Chris McKelvie (christopher.mckelvie@bisvietnam.com) or Sarah Curran (sarah.curran@bisvietnam.com).  They will arrange to meet and talk you through what is required in order to join those who we call upon to cover classes when the teacher is unable to be there. 

And Finally…

As we approach the end of the year, please note that reports will be available on ISAMS next week.  Please download the report and save it to your own personal files.  Reports are released on different days for each year group. Please also take time to read through the report with your child, particularly the targets set.  If you have any questions around the reports, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher who will be happy to meet with you to discuss. 

I hope you have a relaxing and enjoyable weekend,

Ian Battersby

Headteacher