1. BISbuzz Issue 14 | 1
BRITISH INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL - HO CHI MINH CITY| SECONDARY CAMPUS
NOVEMBER 28 2014 | ISSUE 14
IN THIS ISSUE
From the Head Teacher 02
SEOMUN 04
Intermediate Saigon Mathema cs Compe on 05
Community Service 06
MOVEMBER 09
Sport News 10
Winter Concert 12
Community Football Tournament 13
PTG 14
From The BIStro & Underground 18
November
28th ‐ 30th Year 11 IGCSE Geography Trip, Mui Ne
29th ‐ 30th Year 12 IA Gold Prac ce Expedi on, Da Lat
30th Terry Fox Run, 7.30am
December
2nd Year 8 Parent Teacher Student Conference, 4pm
3rd Year 12 Trip Kontum Parent mee ng, 3pm
3rd Year 10 Trip Hong Kong Parent mee ng, 6pm
4th Year 12 Trip IA Chiang Mai Parent mee ng, 4pm
4th Year 9 & Year 12 Trip Mai Chau Parent mee ng, 6pm
UPCOMING EVENTS
2. BISbuzz Issue 14 | 2
From The Head Teacher
Gree ngs form Hong Kong
I write this week's BISbuzz column in Hong Kong, where I am a ending the third annual Bri sh Schools
Overseas Conference. The conference is for schools, like BIS, that have been successfully inspected under
the BSO inspec on system. We gained an "outstanding" award in all categories when we were inspected
in 2013.
Yesterday I presented on the theme of global ci zenship. This was easy to do, as I simply described how
involved our students are in community service at all levels. The assembled heads of schools were very
impressed and it is safe to say that there is no other school represented at the conference with such well
developed programmes of service learning. We certainly do live up to our mission of "Global Ci zens,
Learning Together."
This week we are being "inspected" again, this me by the Council of Interna onal Schools. Two CIS visi‐
tors have been in school since Wednesday, conduc ng our first Five Year Visit. During this me they will
check on the progress we have made since the first visit and no doubt see how successfully we exceed the
standards laid out in the CIS manual. My thanks go to the teachers, students and parents who are helping
with this visit in my absence. I have every confidence that the quality will shine through and I very much
look forward to reading the report.
Richard Dyer
Head Teacher, Secondary
3. BISbuzz Issue 14 | 3
Learning Support Assistant
BIS is seeking a second Learning Support Assistant to join the Learning Support
Department at AP2 secondary campus. Learning Support at AP2 consists of in‐class
support, study skills development and homework support for students across the age
range with a range of mild learning difficul es.
Qualifica ons and experience are useful, but enthusiasm, teamwork and an ability to
relate to young people are essen al.
To apply, please send a brief CV and covering le er by email to Richard Dyer
(richarddyer@bisvietnam.com) by Thursday 4th December
4. BISbuzz Issue 14 | 4
SEOMUN
In November an intrepid group of 24 students from BIS set out once again into the chilling air of Seoul for
the 17th Annual SEOMUN Conference. A er travelling 2000 miles, geared with layer upon layer of cloth‐
ing, we dived straight into the breath‐taking culture of Seoul; whether it was savouring the assorted and
mouth‐watering street foods, undergoing par cularly hilarious mishaps at the Subway, or the numerous
retail opportuni es that le the female delegates (including myself) in awe.
This year SEOMUN hosted Mr. Choi Young‐Jin, the former Special representa ve of the United Na ons
Secretary General for Cote d’Ivoire, who delivered a truly engaging speech about the role of transparency
in achieving global peace. Every year, bright and able delegates from across Asia gather in Seoul, and this
year was no different. A er only a day in the conference, our delegates formed close friendships (along
with bi er hos li es) with especially ‘strong’ minded individuals. In ECOSOC, whether it was collabora ng
upon economic inequality and women’s rights in the Middle East, or formula ng an emergency resolu on
preven ng Yemen from being overrun by Al Qaeda in just fi y minutes, the fervour of debate ran high at
all mes. Upon arriving back in Ho Chi Minh, to our surprise (not really), Mr. Gamwell and Ms. Binnington
presented their own superla ves for our BIS delegates, which were all very well deserved I must say (and
grudgingly accurate). The invaluable insight, laughs, friendships and memories this experience has given
me, I will never forget. Till next year!
Saanya Mishra (year 11)
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On the morning of the 15th of November, both BIS teams travelled to BVIS to compete against 7 different
schools in a 4 round compe on. We entered two teams, ‘BIS 1’ and ‘BIS2’ comprised of Year 10 students
Thanh Tran, Nathaniel Vo, Angela Kim and Jun Won Hwang, Hieu Pham, Jin Ho Kim, Chae Won Oh and
Seo Young Jung . At 8:00 sharp, we all sat down and began our first round, which was the individual
rounds. Everybody sat in silence as we worked through a series of challenging ques ons that pushed our
brains to the limit. We had a great me finishing the ques ons, because it gave us valuable experience
and prac ce for the upcoming challenge, the ‘Pass it Back’ round. For this round, every team member has
to contribute, the first student receives the ques on, and the answer for that ques on will be used for
the process of solving the ques on for the person behind. So great teamwork was needed.
Thanh TRAN 10N
We then faced another set of team rounds, the mathema cal “adrenaline” had just began rushing in our
bodies as we prepare for the upcoming rounds. The crossnumber challenge was one which requires effec‐
ve communica on and coopera on between teammates. BIS 2 team had done exactly that and
achieved 1st for this round with only one error. Moving on to the relay round; one person from each
team had to volunteer to run and receive a ques on from a stand located around a loop, and subsequent‐
ly sprint back to our table. This round was the hardest out of all as speed and accuracy are both a necessi‐
ty. As we lined ourselves up, the whistle blew and a rampage of mathema cians ran to collect their ques‐
ons to bring back for their team. Although fa gue and headaches were experienced by many of us, our
efforts got ourselves into 3rd place for that round. Overall, BIS 2 came third out the 4 rounds; a massive
achievement for our younger students!
Nathaniel VO 10S
Intermediate Saigon Mathematics Competition
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Go Vap Pagoda Orphanage visit
The Go Vap Pagoda Orphanage commi ee is com‐
mi ed to making the lives of the children at the
orphanage a li le brighter by organising fun and
crea ve ac vi es for them. We plan to make at
least three visits each academic year and each pre‐
vious trip has been a memorable experience for
both the student and teacher volunteers. The com‐
mi ee meets once a week to organise the visits,
recruit volunteers and develop new ac vi es for
the children.
Our first visit of the year was on 15th
November.
The trip started early on a Saturday morning and,
during our 30 minute bus drive to the orphanage,
the commi ee members split the student and
teacher volunteers into groups to run a designated
ac vity such as jewellery making, pasta art and
sand art, as well as a range of ac vi es for the chil‐
dren with disabili es. When we arrived, it was a bit
hec c at first, but everyone eventually found their
assigned area and began to interact with the children. We were greeted warmly by both the children and staff at
the orphanage and the joy they expressed touched us deeply. It was wonderful to know that we were able to make
a small difference in these children’s lives.
For many of the volunteers, the highlight of the trip was the parachute game that we played with the children with
disabili es. During the planning process, we found it challenging to come up with an ac vity in which everyone
could par cipate as the children there suffer from a wide range of disabili es. The parachute game allowed us to
include everyone in the ac vity, despite their diverse and challenging medical condi ons, and the children had
great fun. They were smiling and laughing as the parachute created a breeze around them and it was a joy to see
them having such an enjoyable me.
While the ac vi es were going on, there was another small group of volunteers who spent their me with the ba‐
bies who suffer from hydrocephalus (otherwise known as ‘water in the brain’), a medical condi on in which there is
a build‐up of too much cerebrospinal fluid in the brain, causing progressive enlargement of the head. It was heart‐
breaking to know that these children had been abandoned by their parents due to their serious medical condi ons
and that they will not have a full life span, simply because their medical condi ons were not treated early enough.
The commi ee members are currently planning to incorporate support for these children into our ac on plan in
order to improve their quality of life.
Being a part of the Go Vap commi ee has been a truly amazing experience. Interac ng with the children at the or‐
phanage was not only fun and exci ng but also rewarding. Although the visits are only for a few hours, every se‐
cond is worthwhile knowing that we have brightened the children’s lives and helped them find more laughter in life.
We are currently looking for more student volunteers to join us on our next visit a er the Tet holiday. If you would
like to accompany us, please sign up when we start adver sing in January. In addi on, the commi ee would also
welcome any ideas about possible ac vi es that we can do during our me at the orphanage. We hope see you
soon at one of our future visits.
Su En Chan and Katherine Nguyen,
Go Vap Orphanage Commi ee
Community Service
7. BISbuzz Issue 14 | 7
Year 12 Community Service Project Management Challenge week!
Over the last 2 months, Year 12 have worked in commi ees to create awareness campaigns in support of
five of our BIS community partners. This week, they showcased their campaigns with the rest of the
school through videos, posters and games whilst raising funds. As part of their campaigns, the Year 12s
had to present their proposals to the PTG to pitch for funding. This was an excellent opportunity for our
students to develop their leadership skills. The students will reflect on their work during ILS next week.
Ms Deleporte – Community Service Co‐ordinator
8. BISbuzz Issue 14 | 8
BIS Community Golf
Saturday November 22nd
, saw the first BIS Community Golf day. The event was held at Twin Doves golf
course in conjunc on with the Vietnam Golf Associa on (VGA). Pupils, parents and teachers of all ability
ba led it out with some of the finest golfers in the city. Awards were given to:
‐ Tony Tran (U13 Male Champion)
‐ Dang Quang Anh (U10 Male Champion)
‐ Hanako Kawasaki (U15 Ladies runner up)
‐ Kentaro Kawasaki (U18 Male Champion)
‐ Mr McGraw (Teacher Champion)
Despite the intensity of the tournament, it was a fun and enjoyable day for all golfers, experienced or be‐
ginner. We look forward to our next collabora on tournament with the Vietnam Golf Associa on.
Kentaro KAWASAKI Year 12
10. BISbuzz Issue 14 | 10
Sport News
The SISAC Championships ‐ Swimming
On Tuesday the 25th November BIS took part in the SISAC Championships. Compe ng against swimmers
from 5 other Interna onal Schools. All students from BIS AP2, AmIS, SSIS, ISHCMC and AIS contributed to
the success of the event and also achieved many personal bests.
It was exci ng to see the overall team trophy awarded to BIS, along with several Individual trophies which
are listed below.
Overall combined points:
BIS HCMC ‐ Champions
· U14 Girls – Champions
· U14 Boys – Runner up
· U19 Girls – Champions
· U19 Boys – 3rd place
Individual Trophies:
Lim, Zhuo Jun 1st place 100 Points U14 Girls
Villamil, Angela 1st place 100 Points U19 Girls
Hwang, Jun Won 1st place 100 Points U19 Boys
11. BISbuzz Issue 14 | 11
Trips week mee ngs 2014‐15
Please see details below rela ng to trips mee ngs. Trip Leaders will communicate directly with you with
further details
Phil Drake
Director of Sport/Ac vi es & Trips Coordinator
Term 1 Key Dates
25th November U14 & U19 Swimming City Championships.
5th December IGCSE PE Video Modera on 1.
7th December AP1 ECA’s finish.
12th – 15th Bangkok Feeding Frenzy.
14th December AP2 ECA’s finish.
Year 12 Trip ‐ Kontum 3rd December 3.00 ‐ 3.45pm Room 420
Year 10 Trip ‐ Hong Kong 3rd December 6.00 ‐ 6.45pm Auditorium
Year 12 Trip ‐ IA Chiang Mai 4th December 4.00 ‐ 4.45pm Room 414
Year 9 & Year 12 Trip ‐ Mai Chau 4th December 6.00 ‐ 6.45pm Auditorium
Year 8 Trip ‐ Dalat 8th December 6.00 ‐ 6.45pm Auditorium
Year 12 Trip ‐ Philippines diving 9th December 6.00 ‐ 7.00pm Study Room
Year 7 Trip ‐ Madagui 9th December 6.00 ‐ 7.00pm Auditorium
14. BISbuzz Issue 14 | 14
Agenda
AP2 PTG Meeting
Friday 5th Dec 2014 at 8.15am
Adoption of minutes of previous meeting
News and Updates
Updates on Drug testing
Community Service
Review of past events:
-Teachers Day (20th
Nov)
Upcoming events:
-Christmas Bazaar (6th
Dec)
-Lost Property (9th
Dec)
18. BISbuzz Issue 14 | 18
From the Underground & BIStro
Menu 2 (1 December)
From the Underground & BIStro
DAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY
MAIN COURSE
CHOOSE 1
Beef Lasagne
OR
Seafood Fried
Rice
Cheese Pizza
OR
Pork with Onion, Rice
Honey Baked
Chicken,
Sautéed Potato/
Rice
OR
Pork Noodle Soup
Hamburger OR
Szechuan
Chicken, Rice
VEGETABLES
Morning Glory &
Carrot
Salad
Chinese Cabbage &
Carrot
Salad
Long Beans &
Carrot
Salad
Choy sum &
Carrot
Salad
SOUP
Spinach & Melon
Soup
Mixed Vegetable
Soup
Spinach Watercress
DESSERT Mixed Fruit Mixed Fruit Mixed Fruit Mixed Fruit
VEGETARIAN
Vegetarian
Lasagne
Chickepeas Salad
Mixed Fruit
Cheese Pizza
Mixed Vegetable
Soup
Mixed Fruit
Tofu Noodle Soup
Long Beans &
Carrot
Mixed Fruitit
Aloo Tikki Burger
Mixed Beans Salad
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
Swiss Roll
Crème Puff
Fruit Cup
Chocolate Mud
Donut
Fruit Cup
Curry Puff
Samosa
Fruit Cup
Muffin
Sponge Cake
Fruit Cup
FRIDAY
Ham & Cheese
Croquet Monsieur &
Roast Potato
OR
Chicken Rice
Bean Sprouts &
Carrot
Salad
Tomato & Tofu Soup
Mixed Fruit
Oriental Fried Rice
Tomato & Tofu Soup
Mixed Fru
Curry Puff
Samosa
Fruit Cup
