AP2 News 13/2/2015

BISbuzz Issue 22 | 1

BRITISH INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL - HO CHI MINH CITY| SECONDARY CAMPUS

FEBRUARY 13 | ISSUE 22

IN THIS ISSUE

From the Head Teacher 02

From the Principal 03

IB & IGCSE Performance Music Evening 04

Year 10 Trip ‐ Hong Kong 06

Community Service 08

Sport News 10

From The BIStro & Underground 11

February

16th ‐ 24th Tết holiday

26th ‐ 1st SEAMC

27th Year 7 Short Report

March

3rd Year 12 Parent Teacher Student Conference, 4pm

4th Interhouse Athle cs Sports Day

7th ABRSM Theory Exam

UPCOMING EVENTS


From The Head Teacher

Chúc Mừng Năm Mới ! As we near the end of the Year of the Horse and look forward to the Year of the Goat, I would like to take

this opportunity to thank all parents for their support of the school over the past year. You have support‐

ed in so many ways. Whether it is a ending PTG events, helping with Interna onal Day, providing useful

construc ve feedback to us or a ending the many concerts, performances, compe ons and sports

events that we run, your help is much appreciated. You have made significant contribu ons to the school

and help make BIS the excep onal community that we all enjoy.

Of course, the greatest support you offer is the direct support of your children. Sending them to BIS is the

first step. A er that, you ensure that they have the right nutri on, sleep, exercise and love to enable

them to learn and develop and grow. You encourage and help with homework and show your interest

and involvement through a endance at the Parent‐Teacher‐Student Conferences.

It is said that people born in the Year of Goat are polite, filial and kind‐hearted. They are ar s c, wise,

gentle and compassionate but should be careful to avid pessimism. As such, these people would be fabu‐

lous supporters of their child’s educa on at BIS, and we extend our best wishes to the “goats” and to all

of our BIS community for a healthy, prosperous and peaceful Year of the Goat: Năm mới toàn gia bình

an!

Richard Dyer Head Teacher, Secondary

From The Head Teacher

Start Date End Date

13 February 1907 1 February 1908



5 February 1943 24 January 1944

24 January 1955 11 February 1956


28 January 1979 15 February 1980




Year of the Goat


Senior Leadership Update

NewHeadTeacher

I am delighted to inform you that Mr Carl Mincher has been appointed to the posi on of Head Teacher

for the An Phu Secondary Campus with effect from 1 August 2015.

Mr Mincher was born and educated in the UK. He has a BSc Degree in

Geophysics, a Post Graduate Cer ficate in Educa on (PGCE) and was awarded

the Na onal Professional Qualifica on for Headship (NPQH) in 2006.

Mr Mincher started his teaching career in Cheshire in England. He then taught

in a number of UK schools before becoming Head Teacher of Llanfyllin High

School in North Wales in 2007. This will be his first overseas post.

Mr Mincher will come to Vietnam with his family. His wife Suzanne will be a

Biology teacher at BIS and their two daughters will be secondary students in years 9 and 12. Amongst his

interests Carl lists off‐road cycling, mountain walking and table tennis.

Last October I wrote to parents announcing that Mr Richard Dyer was leaving BIS in order to look for a

school leadership posi on closer to the UK. I am delighted to inform you that Richard has been appointed

Principal of the Bri sh Interna onal School, Budapest in Hungary. We wish him and his family well as they

move to a new life in Europe a er nearly 30 years in Asia.

NewDeputyHead

I am also delighted to inform you that Ms Ted McGrath has been appointed to the posi on of Deputy

Head for the An Phu Secondary Campus with effect from 1 August 2015.

Ms McGrath was born in the UK and went to school in Bournemouth before

gradua ng with a BEd (Hons) Degree from De Mon ort University in the UK.

She started her teaching career in Liverpool in England before developing her

interna onal teaching career for 10 years in FOBISIA schools in Bangkok and

Phuket. She is currently the Head Teacher of EF Academy in Oxford, UK, which is

an interna onal sixth form boarding school.

Ms McGrath will take over the responsibili es of Mr Peter Gillmore who has

been appointed to the posi on of Head of Secondary at Al Ain English Speaking School in the United Arab

Emirates. We wish him and his family well in this new post in the Middle East.

Shaun Williams CEO and Principal

From The Principal


The BIS Music Department’s IGCSE and IB students gave an evening of performances on the 10th February

2015 as part of an in mate opportunity to perform their exam pieces.

Our Higher Level IB student, Emma Ngo gave a 20 minute voice recital, performing pieces such as O Waly

Waly (Tradi onal English Folk Song), Schubert’s Love’s Sorrow and a Vietnamese fusion piece Khong The

Va Co The.

The IGCSE students had the op on to perform either their ensemble piece or their solo piece for the

performance aspect of their exam. The IGCSE students offered a range of ensembles, from piano, clarinet

and voice solos to a double cello concerto, a piano duet and a jazz quartet.

Students were professional in their approach and audience members were engrossed by not only the

musical and stylis c performances heard but also the challenging nature of a wide range of repertoire

that was performed. The standard of all our musicians at BIS grows every year but last night the IGCSE

and IB students highlighted not only their talent but also their dedica on and love for the subject.

The Music Department would like to wish all the Year 11 and IB musicians good luck for all their

upcoming exams.

Please see our Music Department Website for further photos and a short video of the highlights from that

evening:

https://sites.google.com/a/bisvietnam.net/bis-music/an-phu-secondary/ks4-and-ks5-projects Sarah James Director of Music “If you missed this musical evening, you missed a real treat. The standard was so high, I was enthralled,

moved and entertained. Such range and talent is rarely seen in the city. Make sure you come along next

year!” Mr. Dyer

IB & IGCSE Performance Music Evening


The Year 10s met early at school on Monday 26th January, full of excitement for the adventures ahead on Lantau Island, Hong Kong. A er a smooth journey, we arrived at our excellent accommoda on, the YWCA, with the students se ling into their rooms and exploring the site, and enjoying its picturesque views across the bay. We were introduced to our trip adventure company, North Star, who took care of us so well and guided us with exper se throughout the week’s varied ac vi es. I was very proud of the whole year group during the en rety of this trip; all students commi ed to the full range of ac vi es with unrelen ng enthusiasm, perseverance, and a keen sense of humour. Perhaps more importantly, I was impressed by how well they cared for and encouraged one another, looking a er the community, as well as strengthening and forming new bonds of friendship. This trip offered mul ple opportuni es to for outdoor learning, including archery, climbing, trekking, shelter‐building, stretcher‐making, stretcher‐racing (!), fire‐star ng and even a touch of fish‐gu ng. North Star’s daily ‘survival lectures’ ensured that the students truly understood the value and use of the skills which they were developing. The visit to the Big Buddha and accompanying nature trail also offered some enlightening cultural and environmental experiences. As always, the impact of a trip such as this is best described by the students who took part: For the first half of the day, we did rock climbing and archery. Since these two ac vi es were very new to me and therefore challenging, it felt great when I rang the finishing bell (at the top of the climbing wall) and hit the bull’s eye with my arrows. (Nhi Dang, 10N) For almost all of us, learning how to scale, gut and cook a fish was a tough challenge, but in the end we all enjoyed the experience. We then went on a hike to Mui Wo beach where we had to make a stretcher and run carrying three sandbags! To add to the excitement, we ended our day with a game of beach ul mate Frisbee. Undoubtedly, today will be a day we will never forget, with the beau ful scenery and fresh air that would have been impossible to get in the city. (Ha Thanh Le and Angela Kim, 10B)

Ben Wall

Head of Year 10

Year 10 Trip - Hong Kong


Community Service

Chúc Mừng Năm Mới

Visit to SOS Village, Go Vap

With the coming of Tet, it is easy for Vietnamese teenagers such as myself to forget that not everyone is as fortunate. Armed with good wishes, tradi onal cakes, cards and plas cine figurines, we set out to make the Tết holidays a bit brighter for children who can’t afford the privileges we o en take for granted. Nam Tran Year 13

May I take this opportunity to wish you all “ Năm mới vui vẻ , mạnh khỏe và thành công”

Mai Le, Head of Vietnamese

Last Friday, our students were taught how to make tradi onal Tết cakes which were then delivered on Saturday by a small group of joyful Y10 students to the children of SOS Village in Go Vap. Ms Deleporte, Community Coordinator


Three of our Sixth Form students went along to Van Thanh Park to appear on

an HTV program about VinaCapital’s Heartbeat Vietnam Founda on. The

student‐led community programme supported Heartbeat Vietnam, which funds

life‐saving heart opera ons for the most financially disadvantaged children.

The documentary is due to be shown on HTV9 at

9am on the 23rd February.

A er comple ng their community project we asked our

students for feedback on how they felt it went. As a group

they thought it was a wonderful experience and on

reflec on they made the following observa ons:

“Going to the hospital was really meaningful, to see those kids and keep them company and make them

smile we think made a difference. The hospital visit was very worthwhile and construc ve. We learnt a

lot from talking to the children and appreciated the efforts of the organiza on.”

The Sixth Form students involved in Heartbeat Vietnam

have raised awareness and helped in Vina Capital’s

objec ves “Have a heart. Give a heart”.

Kevin Halpin Community Service Officer

CommunityServiceProject–HTVAppearance


Sport News 6th February 2015

BIS Secondary Campus Inter‐House Athle cs Day

Wednesday 4th March Thong Nhat Athle cs Stadium, 138A Dao Duy Tu, District 10

Dear Parents, The Secondary Campus Inter‐House Athle cs Day will take place on Wednesday 4th March at Thong Nhat Athle cs Stadium, 138A Dao Duy Tu, District 10. Students will be transported by bus from the school to the athle cs stadium. They need to arrive at school by 7.55am for registra on, wearing their house t‐shirt, PE shorts and trainers. Students should not bring valuable items to school or wear jewellery. Hats and sun block are compulsory. The first events will begin at approximately 9.20am and students will return to school at around 3.45pm. Please organise the collec on of your son/daughter at BIS at approximately 3.45pm. Students who nor‐mally use school transport will be bused home accordingly. Parents are encouraged to come and sup‐port the students. Your son/daughter will be given a bo le of water on the day which they should con nue to refill. Water sta ons will be placed around the stadium. You can provide your own food for your child or lunch should be ordered and paid for before the day and will be delivered to the stadium (this will be organised next week). Light snacks will be provided by the school. Students should take any necessary medica on with them and hand it to the teacher accompanying them on their circuit. Inhalers, for those who use them should be carried and taken to all events. There will also be a first aid sta on at the stadium. This year Sports Day will be compulsory for years 7,8,9,10 & 12. Year 11 and 13 will remain at school to study. All students are expected to take part and they will all par cipate in a minimum of four events. If your child is unable to par cipate on the day, please could you provide your son/daughter with a signed note for them to pass to their form tutor. If you have any further ques ons, please do not hesitate to contact me on the above email address. If you have any queries in Vietnamese, please contact Mr Dyer’s secretary, Ms Huong on 08 3744 2335 Ext 112. Yours sincerely,

G. Willis Gary Willis Head of Physical Education


From the Underground & BIStro

Menu 1 (25 February)

From the Underground & BIStro

DAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY

MAIN COURSE CHOOSE 1

Roast Pork, Roast Potato/Rice OR

Chicken Noodle Soup (Pho)

Fish Goujon & Potato Wedges

OR Beef & Vegetable Stew, Rice

Roast Chicken, Yorkshire Pudding

OR Pork in Dark Soya Sauce, Rice

VEGETABLES Choy sum & Carrot

Salad Chinese Cabbage & Carrot

Salad Broccoli & Carrot

Salad

SOUP Tomato & Tofu Spinach & Melon Mixed Vegetable

DESSERT Mixed Fruit Mixed Fruit Mixed Fruit

VEGETARIAN Vegetarian Noodle Soup

Tofu in Soya Sauce Mixed Fruit

Tofu & Vegetable Stew, Rice Spinach & Melon

Mixed Fruit

Chickpea & Vegetable Curry, Rice

Mixed Vegetable Soup Mixed Fruit

DELI BAR OPTION

Baguette / Wrap Fill it with a variety of choices including ham, chicken, cheese, tuna mayonnaise, beef,

baked bean, mixed bean, bolognese sauce

SNACK MENU

Curry Puff Samosa

Fruit Cup

Banana/Carrot Muffin Sponge Cake

Fruit Cup

Donut Cream Puff Fruit Cup

AP2 News 13/2/2015

Education

Transcript of AP2 News 13/2/2015