Ap2 newsletter 22nd May

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BRITISH INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL - HO CHI MINH CITY| SECONDARY CAMPUS
MAY 22 | ISSUE 33
IN THIS ISSUE
May
25th—29th Year 10 & 12 Exam Week
25th—29th KS3 Assessment Week
26th IBDP Visual Arts Exhibition Opening
30th Graduation Ceremony, 11.30am
June
3rd—4th Year 10&12 Literature Show
6th BIS Aquathlon, 7am
UPCOMING EVENTS
From the Head Teacher 02
IB Visual Arts Exhibition 03
Guidance at BIS 04
Community Service 07
Sport News 08
PTG 10
Quiz Night 11
From The BIStro & Underground 12

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From The Head TeacherFrom The Head Teacher
Identification Cards and Campus Access - AP2
Our enhanced security arrangements have been in action for two weeks now. I ouwl like to thank all
parents and visitors for their cooperation. With the cards worn around neck on the red and blue lanyards,
adults on site are now much more easily identified as parents or legitimate visitors.
As a reminder, any parent without a valid school parent card and all visitors needs to follow the procedure
outlined below:
1. A form of photo identification card (e.g. driver’s license or ID card) will be requested from you by the
guard.
2. The ID will be exchanged for a visitor badge with a red lanyard.
3. Each visitor will be required to sign in and complete all sections in the visitors book.
4. On leaving the campus, each visitor must sign out and exchange the visitor badge for their photo ID.
In addition all parents and visitors on campus are expected to wear their parent card or visitor badge
around their necks using the lanyards provided.
Nepal - VND22,032,700 and rising
Our student led campaign to support Nepal following the devastating earthquakes started in earnest this
week. By Friday morning, a total of VND22,032,700 had been raised. The fundraising will continue next
week. The money will be transferred to the British School, Kathmandu, to be used in their rebuilding
projects. This message from Chris Phillips at the school describes how.
At the moment we are working with our current charities because we can be assured that money pledged
to our care will result in every single penny being spent on projects that TBS children and students can
help them with and see develop over time.
We will be directing our efforts to helping school rebuilding projects for our Dhading project schools,
Bungamati DSA school (hearing and sight impaired children) and the Disabled New Life centre. The
buildings have been devastated and they served large communities of people who needed them
desperately. These projects will benefit children, are related to education, and we know they will give long
term benefit to the children and people of Nepal.
In the short term we are trying to get supplies and temporary shelter to these projects as many of the
people are staying outside. We know for certain that one of the schools in Dhading has been completely
destroyed.
For more information on the projects we work with and for continued updates go to
http://www.tbskathmandu.org/extra-curricular/community-service-charitable-work/
The best way for you to assist at the moment is to donate to the cause, which will go towards immediately
supporting the projects and for the future rebuilding of earthquake proof buildings. For information on how
to donate please go to the following link:
http://www.tbskathmandu.org/extra-curricular/community-service-charitable-work/how-you-can-help/
Richard Dyer
Head Teacher, Secondary

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Guidance at BIS
It’s been a busy time in guidance over the past couple of weeks. On the 5th
and 6th
of May we hosted Korea
University and New York University Abu Dhabi.
The visit of Korea University marked the third visit of Korea’s elite universities this year. It was a pleasure to
host Mr. Kim and Mr Seo who were generous with their time before and after the presentation. During the
counsellor meeting we were able to discuss how student applications are evaluated as well as student profile
and life at Korea University. The event was again very well supported by our community and I would like to
extend my thanks to all the parents and students who attended and engaged with the KU representatives.
Following our visit to Saadiyat Island last March, NYU Abu Dhabi returned to visit BIS on Wednesday 6th
May. NYUAD is an incredibly selective and supportive university. Ms Loh presented to an engaged student
audience who gave up their lunch period to attend. The students posed some excellent questions which
revolved around choice of major, type of community in NYUAD and importantly what activities students
engage in beyond their academic curriculum. We look forward to welcoming NYUAD back to BIS in the
autumn.
THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA NORTHERN CAMPUS TOUR
I was privileged last week to attend the University of California Northern Campuses of Berkeley, Davis, Merced
and Santa Cruz. The tour was incredibly intense and along with the other 45 counsellors we covered over 600
miles of Northern California visiting the four campuses.
Starting in UC Davis the campus is expansive and incredibly well equipped. Known for its programmes in
environmental studies, botany, animal science, viticulture, agricultural sciences, biological sciences,
engineering and studio art Davis is very much a city on a campus. The neighbouring city of Davis is welcoming
to students but the community is firmly based on and around campus. The academic programmes are of high
quality and there is a full extracurricular life available to all students. The bicycle is the vehicle of choice on and
off campus…there are literally thousands!

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After Davis we travelled to UC Merced. This trip gave me an insight into the vastness of the State of California.
Having travelled 2.5 hours from San Francisco to get to Davis it was almost three hours to get to Merced.
Merced is the newest of the UC campuses and is located in a somewhat rural area. However, being the newest
has its benefits. The architecture and building design are futuristic. The university makes the most of its
location and there are solar panels located throughout the campus as well water tanks which heat and cool
the entire campus. Sciences are particularly strong in Merced along with social sciences and humanities and,
due to its size, students are able to engage in undergraduate research opportunities on a regular basis.
From Merced we travelled to UC Berkeley. I was particularly looking forward to this campus as our very own
Uyen Chau is currently finishing her second year. Berkeley was an interesting visit from a number of
perspectives. Firstly, we got to sit in on an application case study session where we read three applications for
2015. We got a first-hand insight to the changes in admissions priorities for this year and onwards. Not only
has Berkeley been the most selective college of the UCs but it is looking to become even more so. The student
panel comprised of international and domestic students who shared their experiences of the last four years.
All students were about to graduate and were able to shed light on the competitiveness in Berkeley as well as
their extracurricular life. One component of their experience that all students shared was the high workload
and how at some point they had all been humbled by others around them. Whilst Berkeley has strength across
all disciplines it is particularly known for engineering, architecture, business, theoretical physics, molecular
and cell biology, political science and English.
I managed to meet up with Uyen who was, in fact, sitting her statistics examination that
night. She shared her thoughts on her first two years at Berkeley and despite the challenge
of new classes she felt thoroughly prepared. I’m also looking forward to Uyen returning to
BIS next week.

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The last campus to visit was UC Santa Cruz. UCSC is set in a forested area and has a beautiful outdoor feel.
UCSC is renowned for its programmes in marine sciences, biology, psychology and linguistics. As part of the
visit I also attended the Long Marine lab where professors and students are working with marine life and local
and federal government on significant environmental projects.
As well as taking part in an admissions panel, the career centre also gave a lecture and shared the top ten
characteristics employers are seeking in graduates.
This was a very interesting session and it was also enlightening to hear the tools we use in guidance to aid
students make decisions on academic and career progression are also used in the university setting. The
college uses a personality profile similar to the Do What You Are programme BIS uses along with a Career
Interest Profiler to help students identify aptitudes, a working Holland Code Index and preferred learning
styles.
Ability to work in a team structure Ability to make decisions and solve problems
Ability to plan, organise and prioritise work Ability to verbally communicate
Ability to obtain and process information Ability to analyse quantitative data
Technical knowledge related to job Proficiency with computer software
Ability to create and/or edit reports Ability to influence others
The visit to the four campuses has been incredibly beneficial for us as a school. We are now up to date with
admissions initiatives which include increasing enrolment for California residents which will have an impact on
international applications. As a school we have an individual contact in each university who specifically reads
international applications. We also have also shared our school profile and extended a personal invitation to
each university to visit us in the autumn.
I look forward to reporting on future visits and welcoming more and more institutions to BIS.
Aidan Crowley
College & University Guidance Counsellor

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Year 12 – COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECTS – Review – Part 1 of 10
Over the course of this year we Year 12s have been divided into committees and tasked with the
challenge to manage a community service project from start to finish. The first in our series of reports
belongs to Loreto Committee 1 who worked with Loreto Kids Charity – bridging education gaps, lifting
learners of our future.
Loreto Committee No.1
We felt it was a great opportunity and privilege to
make a real difference in our community as a team.
As part of our project we carried out an awareness
campaign. While BIS has always been a school
partnered with community service projects, it was a
completely different experience being directly
involved in the planning and execution of a school
wide campaign like this, as opposed to just donating
to different charities.
Our community project with Loreto consisted of raising awareness through making posters and designing
a website, as well as organising a fund raising event involving sponges thrown at Ms Bellaoui, Mr Roman,
Mr Perera and Mr Durok. As enfoyable as the whole project was, it also taught us valuable teamwork and
organisational skills and helped us get to know each other better.
When we think about the blood, sweat and tears invested into our project, the memories evoke much
laughter, but also fear - because anyone would be fearful of the amount of paperwork we had to wade
through. More overwhelming, though, is our sense of achievement and joy. Joy, because we have
accomplished something that we all thought was near impossible at the start, with the IB workload loom-
ing in the background, and because we have self-managed a project that will result in a disadvantaged
child getting a scholarship and gaining an education, which will open the door to a higher standard of
living.
Our project could not have succeeded without the PTG, our supervisors Ms Morris and Ms Deleporte, and
of course, our community project partner, Loreto. This awareness campaign has brought us a lot of
challenges, but even more joy, and we hope that an opportunity like this will arise again in the future.
Tuna Nguyen
Two committees were partnered with Loreto. Through their fantastic campaigns and competitions they
managed to raise awareness throughout the school and raise a total of 8,952,000vnd collectively to
support projects focused on developing education of children within the Vietnamese provinces.
Community Service

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Sport News
U14 Girls Volleyball Championships
Last Thursday was a great experience for the team. For many of us who went to SSIS to compete in the
Volleyball City Championships, it was our first time and we were all proud of making it onto the team and
earning second place. Although we were a little disappointed not to win the competition we still really
enjoyed playing against the other schools. We are very proud of how hard the team has worked, and
how much we have improved over the year, despite bumping into each other at times. We have had a lot
of fun playing together, and hope the team next year can win the title.—Lena Chan Year 9
Dance Competition
On Wednesday 6th
May 15 students from AP2 travelled to RISS to participate in the annual dance show.
The students ranged from year 7 to year 12 and performed a variety of styles in five different groups. It
was a great afternoon and a fantastic opportunity for all the students to showcase their talents, as well as
enjoy watching students from other schools. Each student performed superbly, and it was great to see
such a diverse and talented group of dancers represent the school.

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On Saturday 6th June AP2 will host its 8th annual Aquathlon. This year the Primary event will take place a week
later on Saturday 13th June. Further information will be sent from the Primary Campus shortly.
An Aquathlon is a fun and fast-growing sport that combines both running and swimming.
The swimming will take place in the An Phu Secondary pool and the run will follow a safe route around An Phu, past
the Primary School. The race briefing will take place at 6.45am and the first race will begin at 7.00am.
In both races, boys and girls will set off at the same time but they will not race against each other. The distances for
each age group are:
11 - 13 years: 300m swim, 1.5 km run
14 - 17 years: 400m swim, 2.5 km run
Parents/Staff: 400m swim, 4km run
Please note the ages for this event will be taken as of 1st August 2014 (the start of this academic year).
Students may wish to enter individually or as part of a team (where one student does the swimming and the other
the run). Please indicate this on the entry form.
You will require a swimming costume, goggles, a hat if you wish, towel and suitable clothes/trainers to run in
(including a t-shirt). A small snack and refreshment is also recommended for after the event.
If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact me at PhilipDrake@bisvietnam.com.
Sports Holiday Programmes
Please see the following Holiday Sports Programmes which will take place during the summer break at BIS
HCMC. Registration can be made at each of the school campuses.
End of year Camp
Start of year Camp
Date Sport Time Head Coach Age
Prices (all in
VND)
Location
29/6-3/7 Swimming 8.45am-1.45pm Mr Vinh F2 upwards
Various prices (see
letter)
AP1 Swimming
Pool
29/6-3/7
Skills factory -
mini soccer
8.15am-9.45am SSA Age 3 - 5 years 1,600,000 AP1 small field
29/6-3/7 Football 8 am-11 am SSA Year 3 upwards 2,200,000 Big field
29/6-3/7 Basketball 1pm-4pm SSA Year 3 upwards 2,200,000 AP2 Sportshall
Date Sport Time Head Coach Age
Prices (all in
VND)
Location
21/8-25/8 Swimming 8 am-1.45 pm Mr Vinh F2 upwards Various (see letters) AP1 pool
21/8-25/8
Skills factory -
mini soccer
8.15am-9.45am SSA Age 3 - 5 years 1,600,000 AP1 small field
21/8-25/8 Football 8 am-11 am SSA Year 3 upwards 2,200,000 Big field
21/8-25/8 Basketball 1pm-4pm SSA Year 3 upwards 2,200,000 AP2 Sportshall
21/8-25/8 T-ball/Softball 4pm-5.30pm Mr Richard Year 3 upwards 660,000 Big Field
Phil Drake
Director of Sport

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PTG

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From the Underground & BIStro
Menu 3 (25 May)
From the Underground & BIStro
DAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY
MAIN
COURSE
CHOOSE 1
Chicken Carbonara
OR
Roast Pork, Rice
Pasta Bolognese-
Pork
OR
Sweet & Sour Fish,
Rice
Battered Fish &
Chips
OR
Nasi Lemak
(Chicken & Egg)
Chili Con Carne -
Beef, Rice
OR
Won Ton Noodle
Soup
VEGETA-
BLES
Bok Choy & Carrot
Salad
Long Bean, Carrot
Salad
Morning Glory,
Carrot
Salad
Choy sum &
Carrot
Salad
SOUP Choy sum Spinach & Melon
Tomato & Tofu
Soup
Mixed Vegetable
DESSERT
Mixed Fruit Mixed Fruit Mixed Fruit Mixed Fruit
VEGETARIAN
Braised Tofu &
Beans, Rice
Choy sum Soup
Mixed Fruit
Veggie Pasta
Chickpeas Salad
Mixed Fruit
Vegetarian Chili
Con Carne, Rice
Tomato & Tofu
Soup
Mixed Fruit
Tofu Noodle
Soup
Choy sum &
Carrot
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
Chocolate Mud Cake
Swiss Roll
Fruit Cup
Curry Puff
Samosa
Fruit Cup
Banana/Carrot
Muffin
Sponge Cake
Fruit Cup
FRIDAY
Honey Lime Chicken,
Sautéed Potato
OR
Beef Rendang, Rice
Broccoli & Carrot
Salad
Watercress
Mixed Fruit
Dhal
Broccoli & Carrot
Mixed Fruit
Donut
Cream Puff
Fruit Cup