31 October 2014 | ISSUE 9

Dates for your diary

IN THIS ISSUE

From: Page

Headteacher & Deputy Headteacher 2

Y6 Pupils 3,4

MFL & PE Departments 5

Community Service Department 6

Introducing Our New Teachers 7

PTG 8

Lunch Menus from F1—Year 6 9,10

Contact information

225 Nguyen Van Huong St, District 2, HCMC

Tel: (848) 3744 4551

Fax: (848) 3744 4182

E-mail:

simonhigham@bisvietnam.com

BRITISH INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL - HO CHI MINH CITY

AN PHU PRIMARY

Newsletter

5th Headteacher’s Coffee Morning

14th Interim Reports issued

18th Y1 to Y6 Parent meetings - 3.00pm to 5.30pm

19th Y1 to Y6 Parent meetings - 3.00pm to 5.30pm

20th Teacher’s Day

30th Terry Fox charity run

November

From The Headteacher - Mr Simon Higham

Issue 9/Page 2

Scan here to access the

‘AP1 Parent Blog’

AP1 Parent Blog

http://ap1parentblog.blogspot.com/ Do you want to know what IPC, MP1 and ICT really mean?

Use the page „Educational Terms‟ on the AP1 Parent Blog to find out what the-

se and many other educational acronyms mean.

Do you want to know our academic results for students when they

reach secondary age? Click the ‘Academic Results’ page to find out

more. BIS knows your children, from EYFS to graduation in Y13.

If you are viewing this newsletter from a computer, simply click on the address

above to access the blog. If you are reading this using a printed ver-

sion, use a QR reader (such as the app inigma) and scan the QR

code on the left.

Welcome back and I trust that all families had a relaxing and peaceful half term holiday

and are now ready for more exciting learning opportunities.

Currently, all teachers are finalising their Interim reports for all children within school.

This attention to the individual progress and effort, enables learning to be assessed, evalu-

ated and tracked to ensure that the very best educational provision is given to every child

within our care. The reports will be given out on Friday 14th November. Parents have a

very important part to play in this process and I will be inviting all Y1 to Y6 parents to

our parent meetings on Tuesday 18th and Wednesday 19th November - please look out for

the letter that will be sent to you next week that outlines how appointments are made to

talk to class teachers and specialists. It is very important that every parent

attends these meetings, so please make a note in your diary of the forthcoming dates.

Next week is our first Headteacher‟s Coffee Morning of the year. The purpose of this meetings is to present top-

ics of interest to parents and give an overview of the vision and forward direction that our school is moving. In

addition to my input, I have invited Dr Jonathan Halevy from Family Medical Practice to give a short presen-

tation on ‟Nutrition‟. You have been sent a letter of invitation this week and I look forward to meeting with as

many parents as possible next Wednesday 5th November at 8.15am in the Multi Purpose Room.

The theme of this week within school has been very much linked to wider learning outside of the classroom en-

vironment. Cyclos, taxis, go carts and many other different forms of transport have been in the playground

forming the entry point to the new IPC topic of ‟Transport‟ in Year 2. Year 5 have visited the science labs at

AP2 this week to further improve their knowledge and understanding of scientific enquiry and Year 6 began

their new IPC topic on „Fairgrounds‟ by visiting Dam Sen Amusement Park to look at how fairground rides

work in readiness for them designing their own rides during this half term. The pictures on the front of this

week‟s newsletter reflect this trip and more photos are available on page 3.

Thank you for your continued support in maintaining the highest standards of uniform within school. Please

continue to ensure that all children are wearing the school hat and black leather shoes - all details of uniform

expectations can be found in the Primary Parent Handbook.

Finally, I would like to remind parents that when in school, all adults should use the designated adult toilet

facilities only. New signs have been put up this week to direct you to the toilets that are for adult usage only.

Please be aware that no parent should be in the swimming room changing areas at any given time. Your coop-

eration in this matter is very much appreciated.

I hope that you enjoy reading through this week‟s Friday newsletter.

Happy Halloween!

Y6 Trip to Dam Sen Amusement Park

Issue 9/Page 3

I really enjoyed Dam Sen Park,

the rides were amazing. I liked

the boat roller coaster and four

seated roller coaster which kept

on spinning round. The haunted

house was kind of scary because

the walk way kept shaking and

there were zombies, ghosts and

vampires. It was freaky!

By Nicole George 6B

This Thursday all of Year Six went to Dam Sen

Theme Park to have some fun before our new IPC

topic. It was an awesome day out! The moment we

got our tickets and put our bags down we all raced

to different rides. There were lots and lots of rides

- Phoenix ride, Log ride, Rollercoaster… There

were scary ones and not-so scary ones. When we

finished riding on all the different rides we went

to a haunted house. Not everyone went inside be-

cause it was really SCARY! After the haunted

house we got to have a few more last rides before

we left to come back to school. In the end we all

had so much FUN!

By Ly Hwang, 6B

Dan Sen Park was very fun yes-

terday! My favourite thing was

the log flume. The log flume was

really slow to start with and then

when we went up. When we got to

the top it suddenly became fast!

But that was not the best part.

Then all of a sudden there was a

drop! We went down so fast and

we all got wet! No one was still

dry. It was amazing!

By Jessica Battersby 6B

Y6 Trip to Dam Sen Amusement Park

On Thursday we went to Dam Sen Park.

There were so many rides and all of

them were awesome! My favourite ride

was the Water Log Ride! It was very

slow but at the end there was a massive

great leap of faith! Although most of the

rides were really fun, there was one ride

I did not necessary like - it was the dizzy

spin car ride. But at the end it was all

fun!

By Alexer Yap 6B

Issue 9/Page 4

Epic, fabulous, fantastic. Those would be

my top 3 words to describe Dam Sen

amusement park. It was very, very awe-

some! Everyone including all the teachers

enjoyed the unforgettable rides. My favour-

ite ride was the chair swing because it was

boiling outside and the chair swing cooled

me down. I think lots of other people also

liked the chair swing. I won't ever forget

our adventure at Dam Sen.

By Joseph Kim 6B

My favourite ride at Dam Sen was the spinning

coaster. The spinning coaster is a square with

two seats at the front and two seats at the back.

It spins around and goes backwards and for-

wards. It was quite scary because it was very

high and I was afraid I was going to fall! I also

reallt enjoyed the log boat, which is a boat in the

water but it has rails under the water. It goes

up like a rollercoaster. When it‟s up the hill it

slides down, super-fast into the water. The wa-

ter isn‟t deep but there are a lot of splashes,

therefor you get wet!

By Anna-Esmee Van Der Lei

Issue 9 /Page 5

Modern Foreign Language News

Bonjour, Hola, Ni Hao!

Children from Y3 to Y6

at AP1 are enrolled in

a Language Perfect

Online competition

from 3rd - 13th November

They are competing

against other schools

from all over the world

with the chance for

their language skills to

be recognised at an

international level.

I am asking for your

cooperation at home to

allow your children to

spend some time com-

peting. It can be done

on the Language Per-

fect website or by

downloading the app

for I-pads or Android

devices “Language Per-

fect”. Login details

have been passed to

your children, either

through their language

teacher (MP3), or

through a note in their

diary (MP2).

Ms Sophie Tighzer

Primary MFL Leader

Football - Phuket U9’s V SSA

On Thursday 30th October I played in a match against SSA for the BIS U9 Phuket team. The players in our

team were Ben Marshall, Oliver, William, Shubhankar, Tijmen, Ji- Sung, Vedanth, Freddie and Ben Wheller.

Oliver and Ben Marshall were from Year 3, and the rest of us were from Year 4.

In the first half, the SSA team scored before 10 minutes had passed. Our team was very flustered but in the

second half, I was happy to help the team by scoring 1 goal from the penalty spot. Next, the corner kick went

in for the other team, however Ben Wheller scored an equalising goal, and he led our team to win by scoring

one more goal. So the result was 3-2 to our team.

It was a good practice for us to get ready for the upcoming Phuket games. I think that our team played great

and we hope we do well Phuket.

Ji-Sung Nam - (Y4 student)

Community Service - Friendship Club with Binh Tho

Issue 9/Page 6

Good question!

With every portable electronic device using batteries of some sort, we know they don‟t last forever. They power

your calculators, remote controls for your AC, TV, music player, children's toys, mobile phones, laptops and

much more, but what do you do when they finally stop working? Answer: Bring them into school

As part of our commitment to protecting the environment, each campus in BIS strives to reuse, recycle and

reduce our waste wherever possible. Whether it is paper, card, plastic drinks bottles or even batteries, we

would like you at home to think before disposing of it with your regular waste. We understand

that it isn‟t that easy finding recycling points around the city so we have taken the initiative.

Each campus has a specific battery recycling point—their locations are:

AP1 Reception AP2 Under Croft TX Reception

We accept all household batteries—AA, AAA cells, rechargeable, button type and mobile phone batteries

The reason (the small print): Batteries that are thrown out with regular waste usually end up in land fill sites

or sometimes even burned. Over a period of time they can leak heavy metals (such as lead or mercury) and

corrosive acids which pollute our rivers, lakes and groundwater, contaminating the environments of many liv-

ing things. The good news is that recycled materials contained in old batteries can actually be re-used by vari-

ous industries.

Mr Ian Wilson

Exams & Community Service Officer

Community Service - what do you do with your old batteries?

Friendship Club is now in full swing and students in Years 1—3 have been enjoying spending time with our

friends from Binh Tho School. Before the half term break, they were eagerly preparing for their special Hal-

loween Party by making witches hats and spider webs (proudly displaying them above). This Thursday after-

noon, they met together to play games and have special treats as they strengthened bonds and enjoyed shar-

ing their time together.

Friendship Club is just one of the clubs on offer where our students get the chance to engage with other stu-

dents from our Community Partners where they develop friendships with other similarly aged children.

Ms Melanie Wagstaff

Y4 Teacher

Meet our New Teachers!

Introducing Our New Teachers

A chat with Ms Sophie, MFL

Teacher

Pick the first 3 words you think of when I say

Vietnam?

Pho, Traffic, Rain

What are your first impressions of BIS?

The children are so polite and enthusiastic

about languages, I love them! It is a nice place

to work at, open to new ideas.

What new experience have you had since you ar-

rived in Vietnam?

Having to ride a motorbike which turns into a

boat because road can be so flooded!

If you were writing a postcard to friends back home,

what would it say?

I am living the life!!!

A chat with Ms Melanie, Year 4

Teacher

Pick the first 3 words you think of when I say

Vietnam?

Welcoming, Exciting, Home.

What are your first impressions of BIS?

There is a real sense of community at BIS,

which is something that cannot be fabricated.

It is a fun, caring and supportive learning envi-

ronment for pupils and staff alike and I feel

privileged to be part of the BIS community.

What new experience have you had since you arrived

in Vietnam?

I have enjoyed sampling the local food and

meeting some lovely people from here and

abroad. Additionally, it has been great to visit

some of the amazing places around Vietnam

and the surrounding countries. I have also had

a bit of a hairy experience on the back of a mo-

torbike taxi, which is something I will think

twice about before repeating!

If you were writing a postcard to friends back home,

what would it say?

I would tell them that I am having a great time

here. I would write that it is fantastic place to

work and that the pupils are fabulous. As a

Brit, I would, of course, not forget to mention

the weather! It is a lot better than it is in the

UK!

Dear parents,

Meet the last two teachers from the 2014/2015 cohort. Melanie is in Year 4 and Sophie our MFL Leader. Once

again there are nothing but positive comments from both about Vietnam, their welcome and the wonderful

school that is BIS. Next week watch this space for profiles of other staff in our BIS community. Not just teach-

ers!

Ms Deirdre Grimshaw Deputy Headteacher

Issue 9 /Page 7

Meet our New Teachers!

Who would like to know more about in our commu-

nity? Do you have a great question that you would

like to ask? Email Ms Dee with any ideas for future

staff profiles and see who comes next!

deirdregrimshaw@bisvietnam.com

Issue 9 /Page 8

PTG

Issue 9/Page 9

MENU FOR F1 - F2 MENU 1 (WEEK BEGINNING 3 NOVEMBER)

DAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY

MAIN

COURSE CHOOSE 1

Honey Lime Chicken, Sautéed

Potato OR

Braised Tofu with

Cottage Pie-Beef OR

Chicken & Vegeta-ble Curry, Rice

Pasta with Pork Balls OR

Fish Teriyaki, Rice

Roast Pork, Mashed Potato

OR Chicken Noodle

Soup

Fish Goujons, Potato Wedges

OR Minced Beef & Vege-

table Stew, Rice

VEGETA-BLES

Choy sum & Car-rots

Chinese Cabbage

& Carrots

Spinach

Long Beans &

Carrots

Morning Glory

SOUP

Spinach & Melon

Soup

Watercress

Mixed Vegeta-

ble

Spinach

Cabbage & Carrot

FOR VEG-ETARIAN

ONLY

Dhal

Spinach & Melon Soup

Vegetarian Cottage Pie

Chinese Cabbage & Carrots

Pasta Napoli-tana

Chickpeas Salad

Vegetarian Noo-dle Soup

Long Beans & Carrots

Tofu & Vegetable Stew, Rice

Cabbage & Carrot Soup

MENU FOR F3 - YEAR 2 MENU 1 (WEEK BEGINNING 3 NOVEMBER)

DAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY

MAIN COURSE

CHOOSE 1

Honey Lime Chicken, Sau-téed Potato

OR Braised Tofu

with Pork, Rice

Cottage Pie-Beef OR

Chicken & Vege-table Curry, Rice

Pasta with Pork Balls OR

Fish Teriyaki, Rice

Roast Pork, Mashed Potato

OR Chicken Noodle

Soup

Fish Goujons, Po-tato Wedges

OR Minced Beef &

Vegetable Stew, Rice

VEGETABLES

Choy sum & Carrots

Chinese Cabbage

& Carrots

Spinach

Long Beans & Car-

rots

Morning Glory

SOUP

Spinach & Mel-

on

Watercress

Mixed Vegetable

Spinach

Cabbage & Carrot

FOR VEGETARI-AN ONLY

Dhal

Spinach & Mel-on Soup

Vegetarian Cottage Pie

Chinese Cabbage & Carrots

Pasta Napolitana Chickpeas Salad

Vegetarian Noodle Soup

Long Bean & Car-rot

Tofu & Vegetable Stew, Rice

Cabbage & Carrot Soup

DELI BAR OPTION

Bun filled with Ham

& cheese Served with

Salad

Jacket Potato filled with Baked

Beans & Bacon Served with Salad

Bun filled with cheese

& egg Served with Salad

Jacket Potato filled with Bolo-

gnese Sauce Served with Salad

Bun filled with Chick-

en & mayon-naise,

Served with Salad

Fresh Fruits & Salad Bar are available daily

Issue 9/Page 10

MENU FOR YEAR 3 - YEAR 6

MENU 1 (WEEK BEGINNING 3 NOVEMBER)

DAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY

MAIN

COURSE CHOOSE 1

Honey Lime Chick-en, Sautéed Potato

OR Braised Tofu with

Pork, Rice

Cottage Pie-Beef OR

Chicken & Vegeta-ble Curry, Rice

Pasta with Pork Balls OR

Fish Teriyaki, Rice

Roast Pork, Mashed Potato

OR Chicken Noodle

Soup

Fish Goujons, Po-tato Wedges

OR Minced Beef &

Vegetable Stew, Rice

VEGETABLES

Choy sum & Car-rots

Chinese Cabbage

& Carrots

Spinach

Long Beans & Car-

rots

Morning Glory

SOUP

Spinach & Melon

Watercress

Mixed Vegetable

Spinach

Cabbage & Carrot

FOR VEGE-TARIAN ON-

LY

Dhal

Spinach & Melon Soup

Vegetarian Cottage Pie

Chinese Cabbage & Carrots

Pasta Napolitana Chickpeas Salad

Vegetarian Noodle Soup

Long Beans & Car-rots

Tofu & Vegetable Stew, Rice

Cabbage & Carrot Soup

DELI BAR OPTION

Baguette/Jacket Potato

fill with ham, chick-en, cheese, egg,

tuna mayonnaise, baked beans, peas & bolognese sauce Served with Salad

Bun/Jacket Potato filled with ham, chicken, cheese,

egg, tuna mayon-naise, baked

beans, peas & bo-lognese sauce

Served with Salad

Wrap/Jacket Pota-to

filled with bacon, ham, chicken, egg, cheese, tuna may-

onnaise, baked beans, peas & bo-

lognese sauce Served with Salad

Bun/Jacket Potato filled with ham, chicken, cheese,

egg, tuna mayon-naise, baked

beans, peas & bolognese

sauce Served with Salad

Baguette/Jacket Potato

filled with ham, chicken, cheese,

egg, tuna mayon-naise, baked

beans, peas & bolognese sauce

Served with Salad

Fresh Fruits & Salad Bar are available daily