Friday 22 February 2013

From The Head Teacher

The IB Diploma Programme in the press worldwide

Two articles on the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme caught my attention this week. The first was from the UK and the second from the USA. Both praised the programme in glowing terms, for the preparation it provides for university. The three key messages are:

1. IB DP studies prepares students extremely well for higher education and in a way that no other programme manages;

2. The IB DP is a qualification for choice for universities and gives good students an advantage over other systems;

3. This applies to top universities in the UK and to top schools and colleges in the USA.

I have reproduced some of the detail from the articles below, and provided links to the newspapers so that you can read the full articles.

IB develops the students top UK universities want

“The IB Diploma is a timeless classic, an icon of educational sense and high standards in a world where educational fashion shifts like hemlines”

“The IB develops students that top universities want: students with expert subject knowledge; with the skills good students require – research, essay writing, footnoting; but above all, with the spirit of intellectual inquiry and critical thinking, the ability to challenge, argue and ask questions. Universities are clearly aware of this: the offer rate and acceptance rate for IB Diploma students is notably above other post-16 qualifications, including A levels, with an 87 per cent acceptance rate for UK-domiciled IB Diploma students last year. And in the US, the IB Diploma is a sought-after passport to top universities from Stanford to Yale.”

From The Independent. Read the full article here:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/schools/the-ib-develops-the-students-top-universities-want-8503818.html

Students best prepared for US colleges by IB

“I feel very strongly that kids are best prepared for college by going through IB … The critical thinking and problem solving, the IB learner profile that is at the core of all learning, the amount of writing that’s asked of students is hugely advantageous. … But the level of discussions is what I’m most excited about seeing from our kids. … This program takes a kid and yanks them out of their comfort zone.”

From the Wichita Eagle. Read the full article here:

http://w.kansas.com/2013/02/13/2673623/campus-high-to-offer-ib-program.html

Richard Dyer

Head Teacher

Secondary

Website of the Week

International Mother Language Day—February 21st 2013

http://www.un.org/en/events/motherlanguageday/

Read to your child in their mother language this weekend!

"In this age of new technologies, books remain precious instruments, easy to handle, sturdy and practical for sharing knowledge, mutual understanding and opening the world to all. Books are the pillars of knowledge societies and essential for promoting freedom of expression and education for all."

Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO
Message for International Mother Language Day 2013

BIS PTG Mascot Design Competition

Sport News

Gymnastics Competition: Tuesday 19^th February

Earlier in the week our 2^nd Gymnastics Competition was hosted by BIS HCMC. There were students competing from both Primary and Secondary schools from across the City.

Congratulations to all students who participated and a special mention to the following AP2 students:

Qistina HELMY: winner of Level 3

Gemma-Rose NEVIN: 2^nd in Level 2

Hye Jin HONG: 3^rd in Level 2

U18 Football Fixtures: Wednesday 20^th February

Both the U18 Boys and Girls football teams got off to fantastic starts to their respective football seasons. The girls won 7-1 and the boys 5-0 against American International School. This is excellent preparation for the U18 Football tournaments that take place on Saturday 9^th March.

April Sports Holiday Programmes

Phil Drake

Director of Sports/Head of Physical Education

Quiz Night

Spring Concert

From The Head Teacher

Chúc Mừng Năm Mới

As we reach the end of the year of the dragon and prepare for the year of the snake, we are as busy as ever at the AP2 campus.

Music

This week in particular we celebrated our musical talent with performances by our IGCSE and IB Diploma Programme students who gave two wonderful performances of their examination pieces.

On Thursday, we held an informative University Information Evening for parents and students. Going to university is an important step. It's the first time our children as young adults go to live away from home, for many in a new country. It's the first time they have had such a wide choice of what to study; and it's a significant final step towards the rest of their lives. It would be good to be confident that when they leave, they've made the right choice; i would be good to know that they are well prepared.

Universities

On Thursday we heard that we all have a part to play: parents; teachers; and students. We can all help by being armed with all the information we need, and by gathering all the support we can.

Aidan Crowley outlined the extensive and comprehensive guidance processes we run at BIS to help our students to prepare for applications for universities in the UK and the USA and how we work to enable students to access the very best universities and colleges. We also heard from four of our Year 13 students who desribed their experiences in preparing for university applications. Rhianne Williams, Ashley Lee, Uyen Chau and Rosa Chung spoke eloquently and informatively about US and UK applications and emphasized the need to start early and be well organized.

If you planned to attend but couldn’t and would like more information, Mr. Crowley would be happy to send you the presentation details: aidancrowley@bisvietnam.com

In closing, may I wish the whole school community and your families a wonderful new year of security, good health and prosperity. An khang thịnh vượng!

Richard Dyer

Head Teacher

Secondary

Tết 2013

Tết is the common name for the Vietnamese New Year. The years are represented by 12 zodiac animals: rat, buffalo, tiger, cat, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig.

2013 is the year of the snake. According to tradition, babies, especially girls, born during the year are more likely to become wealthy.

Vietnamese people avoid doing bad things and try to do good things during Tết holiday.

Before Tết, towns and cities set up flower streets, families renovate houses and prepare food. The three days before Tết , the cities are empty as urban residents return to their family hometowns to reunite with relatives.

There are plenty of ways to wish someone a Happy New Year in Vietnamese. Traditional New Year greetings are:

Chúc mừng năm mới or Năm mới vui vẻ which means “Happy New Year”

Chúc may mắn which means “Good luck”

Sống lâu trăm tuổi which means “long life of 100 years”

BIS students and the Vietnamese staff celebrated Tết this week with performances at the Tết assembly . The assembly was a showcase of history, music and culture.

We wish a Happy Lunar New Year to all.

Mrs. Mai Le
Head of Vietnamese Studies

Sporting talent

Henry Tu, a Year 8 student at BIS, recently represented Vietnam in the ITF Under 14 Asia Junior Tournament (sponsored by the ITF Junior Grand Slam Development Fund). The event was hosted by Vietnam and was played in District 10, HCMC. Fifty-six participants from thirteen nations participated in the championships, which comprised two tournaments during the twelve-day event. In the first tournament, Henry achieved 3^rd place in both singles and doubles events. In the second tournament, he reached the finals in both events, losing narrowly in the singles and triumphing in the doubles. With the focus and determination displayed in the photograph above we are sure to hear more of Henry’s achievements in the future.

Mr. Robert Brownrigg

Head of Year 8

Year 9 Assembly

On Wednesday, Year 9 students had an assembly to reflect on their recent trip to Ha Noi and Sa Pa. As well as watching an excellent film of the trip made by Jack Puchalski, students were invited to reflect on times when they had demonstrated the core values of the trip: independence, teamwork, perseverance, leadership and physical endeavour.

Certificates were presented to recognise and reward individuals who had been seen to exemplify these values and characteristics whilst on the trip.

Mr. David Pollicutt

Head of Year 9

Friday 1 February 2013

From The Head Teacher

Growing Up Digital

Following Robyn Treyvaud’s very successful visit to BIS in January, we are proud to launch our very own guide for students, parents and teachers. Our prefects will be helping to build the web site and contributing resources. You can view the parents section here:

https://sites.google.com/a/bisvietnam.net/digital-citizenship/gallery

Make sure you visit often!