This newsletter provides information about events at the British International School in Hanoi during the first term of the 2014-2015 school year. It recognizes students who received the Principal's Award for their commitment to learning. Upcoming events for the second term are announced, including mock exams for secondary students and sports competitions. Updates are provided on activities in secondary science, Vietnamese language learning, and a year 4 class trip to the rock climbing gym.

1. BRITISH INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL - HANOI
NEWSLETTER
DECEMBER 19 2014| ISSUE 16
IN THIS ISSUE
From Mr. Anthony Rowlands
Principal’s Award - Term I 2014/2015
From Mr. Christopher Short
From Mrs. Karen Hanratty
Secondary Science
Secondary Vietnamese
Year 4 Visits Vietclimb
Whole School Assembly - End of Term I
Fundinotots Programme
Contacts
02
03
04
05
06 - 07
08
09
10
11
12
Issue 16 | 1
UPCOMING EVENTS
7th
All students back to school for Term 2.
8th
KS3 Football vs Wellspring
12th
-16th
Secondary Mock Exam Week
Year 8 Information Morning
13th
Year 6 Learning Insights & Expedition
Parents Information Session
Year 9 Parents Evening and Options Information
14th
KS3 Boys Football vs SIS
15th
F1/2 Learning Insights Parents Information Session
16th
KS3 Boys & Girls Football vs Concordia
JANUARY

2. Issue 16 | 2
From Mr Anthony Rowlands - Principal of BIS Hanoi
This is the final newsletter of Term 1
and what a remarkable term it has
been. We have experienced significant
success in so many fields as has been
regularly highlighted in our weekly
newsletter. However, there is no
question that quality learning
continues to be the heart that drives
our school to continually improve. This was reinforced
to me this week as I journeyed around our learning
areas. In Foundation 3, the students were baking
cookies and then designing Christmas packages to
place them in and take them home as gifts. There were,
indeed, some great designs and some delicious aromas
in the classroom! In Year 2, I observed a class enjoying
a group reading session which is such an important
area for young children. In Secondary, I observed Year
10 and Year 12 Business Studies classes absorbed in
developing strategies for work and businesses in the
future. I talked to several students who had just had
tests in various subjects about how they thought they
had performed. Their mixed responses were a familiar
and normal aspect of school life! All this at the end of a
busy sixteen week term! Now wonder that BIS Hanoi
just keeps on getting better.
With regard to great achievement, and as is normal on
the last day of each term, I am honoured to present one
student from each Year Group with a Principal’s Award
during the Whole School Assembly. I am delighted to
inform you that the Principal’s Awards recipients for
this term are:
Kawagishi Chiyo F2B
Đinh Trung Dũng F3B
Woo Tae Jeong Y1B
Le Xuan Mai Y2B
Tran Binh Minh Y3B
Chung Tuyet Anh Y4B
Hoang Quoc Nam Anh Y5B
Nguyen Quang Minh Y6I
Tran Phuong Anh Y7H
Su Vi Anh Y8B
Nguyen Phuong Chi Y9I
Ton Nu Linh Nhi Y10B
Ha Quoc Huy Y11S
Cao Lam Anh Y12B
Each one of these children has truly demonstrated what
it means to be a committed BIS Hanoi student by
displaying a hunger for learning and constantly
practising the values and statements of our Aide
Memoire.
I do hope that you all have a wonderful holiday and I
look forward to welcoming the students back to school
on Wednesday, 7th January 2015!
F1/2 VISIT TO ERAHOUSE

3. Issue 16 | 3
PRINCIPAL’S AWARD - TERM I 2014/2015
Kawagishi Chiyo
F2B
Đinh Trung Dung
F3B
Woo Tae Jeong
Year 1B
Le Xuan Mai
Year 2B
Tran Binh Minh
Year 3B
Chung Tuyet Anh
Year 4B
Nguyen Phuong Chi
Year 9I
Ton Nu Linh Nhi
Year 10B
Ha Quoc Huy
Year 11S
Cao Lam Anh
Year 12B
Hoang Quoc Nam Anh
Year 5B
Nguyen Quang Minh
Year 6I
Tran Phuong Anh
Year 7H
Su Vi Anh
Year 8B

4. The first term of the year is now over. It
has been a long term but with a
number of highlights and successes
that you will have seen documented in
the newsletter over the last 16 weeks.
Next term will be just as busy and
exciting. Our Careers Library will open
early next term to allow Year 12 further information for
their forthcoming university applications and Year 11 to
get further information following their Morrisby testing
on future options. Although students in these year
groups have already been working hard on university
research (including a very successful discussion on
Wednesday with teachers about their experiences at
university), we are looking forward to having a base for
this important aspect of our programme.
Year 11 and 12 have their mock examinations in the
second week back. These exams, sat in exactly the
same circumstances as their real exams in May, allow
students invaluable examination practise as well as
feedback on the effectiveness of their revision plans.
From Mr Christopher Short - Head of Secondary
Outside the classroom sporting fixtures continue and
the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award qualifying
expeditions take place as well as the last Secondary
year group trip to Mai Chau.
We now have 3 sets of Student Leaders in position.
House Captains successfully ran their first event today
with our Term 1 House Sports. With the support of Ms
Airdrie and the PE Department they ran an excellent
event that saw all member of the house compete.
Congratulations to Dalat for their victory.
Student Ambassadors are also now working closely
with their department and the Student Council
continues to make a great contributions to the school
community, the latest – a Christmas card for each
teacher, very well received.
I wish all students a well-earned two week break
although spare a thought for Year 11 and 12 studying
hard for their mock examinations.
SECONDARY HOUSE SPORTS
Issue 16 | 4

5. As this long and busy term draws to a
close I find myself reflecting on some of
the events and highlights that have
marked it as both memorable and
special. A wonderful Moon Festival
and Book Week, Anti-bullying week,
visits by Adam Bushnell, Ben Heason
and Tran Dang Khoa, the recent Winter
Concert and Early Years Centre Show, class visits out of
school which enhance the curriculum, the list goes on
and on.
Although all these events are marvelous in themselves,
to me, of greater importance is the development that I
have seen in our children. A growing up and maturing
across the board, children learning to take more
responsibility for themselves and trying to follow the
school values as set out in our Aide Memoire. Children
acting with kindness and care to their peers and
learning how to settle differences. Children showing
respect to adults and one another, and trying to act with
integrity.
Academically as well children are making great strides.
Issue 16 | 5
From Mrs Karen Hanratty - Head of Primary
I have observed lessons which have shown me children
visibly learning, from our F1 children naming and
sorting colours to our Year 6 children becoming
fledgling engineers exploring ways to make strong joints
for their model houses. Learning and progress in all
areas of the curriculum can be witnessed in our
classrooms on a daily basis. Children are becoming
better mathematicians, more fluent readers and
confident writers, scientists with enquiring minds, more
skilled at sports, music and ICT. Our recent assessments
show that children have achieved much this term and
have new knowledge, skills and understanding which
they did not possess in August. They, and we all, have
much to be proud of.
I wish you all an enjoyable and restful holiday, and a
very Happy New Year.

6. Issue 15 | 6Issue 16 | 6
Science has had a busy term firstly
with the arrival of 4 new members of
staff, Mr Duckett, Ms Phillips, Mr
Westropp and Mr Dunwell , and also
with more science laboratories
opening to accommodate the
increase in student numbers being
taught. Year 6 and KS3 students have
continued to be taught the exploring
science course with a strong practical element and were
even lucky enough in Years 7 and 8 to see a frog
dissection (see pictures). At KS4, students are either
studying double or triple sciences and this week sees
the Year 11s finishing off the syllabus and getting ready
for their mock examinations in January!
The new CIE A level courses have commenced with
Biology, Chemistry and Physics all being represented
and students having shown a mature approach to the
increased demands of A level. In Chemistry, we were
lucky enough to make use of the Geography
Department’s new data loggers and sensors for a recent
practical (see picture); and in Biology as well as
covering a significant amount of new theory, there have
been a number of opportunities for students to show off
their creativity whilst applying their biology knowledge.
This was particularly evident when students were
required to research, design, conduct and evaluate an
experimental investigation about factors that affect the
rate of enzyme catalyzed reactions. There were also
some excellent ideas and impressive final products
when the students produced their own stop motion
animations to show the events of the mitotic cell cycle.
It's been a very successful educational journey so far.
Science extra-curricular activities have continued to
flourish this term. Science Club and Science Film Club
have been running on a twice weekly basis with the
students in science club participating in such exciting
activities such as designing, building and evaluating
compressed air rockets with the winning rockets
managing a distance of around 70m! Students also built
parachutes and landing capsules for a trip to Mars. In
film club we have watched Dr Who and David
Attenborough programmes
We have also had again the Year 6 trip to the aquarium
at Time City Mall in October as part of the classification
topic, The BIS v BVIS interschool science competition
last month (won by BIS this year) and finally the Year 10
house science competition in December which was won
by Hanoi.
SECONDARY SCIENCE
Sian Orchard
Science Subject Leader

7. Issue 16 | 7

8. Issue 16 | 8
YEAR 4 VISITS VIETCLIMB

9. Issue 16 | 9
It was fantastic that secondary
students got to experience ‘Challenge
Day 1’, run by the Vietnamese and
EAL Departments on October 17. Not
only did students joyfully engage
themselves in a variety of sports, but
they also enriched their knowledge
through “Explore-The-World” quizzes
and traditional Vietnamese story-telling. The last
activity was very special, since it was the students who
made the effort to learn and retell the fairy tales and
legends in dramatised language. This has strengthened
their love for their Vietnamese cultural heritage and will
help them preserve traditional values in an
International environment.
In order to provide support our department, to create
more leadership roles for the students and to promote
independence in pursuing academic interests, we
recently appointed subject ambassadors. The
Vietnamese department is proud to inform you that
Nguyen Ngoc Hai Yen (Year 10) and Bui Mai Anh (Year
11) are selected to be Vietnamese Subject Ambassadors.
We are very excited in Vietnamese Department as the
proposed move to the IB system will enable students to
choose Vietnamese as a subject they study as their first
language. This is bound to increase the importance of
Vietnamese language teaching and we are adapting our
curriculum lower down the school to make sure
Vietnamese students are ready for the challenge of IB.
We welcome new challenges and will assist students to
uphold the refined values of Vietnamese traditions to
the best of their capabilities. We are proud of our
students’ creativity in learning and their enthusiasm in
cultural activities initiated by the school.
SECONDARY VIETNAMESE
Ms Hai Nguyen
Vietnamese Teacher
NGUYEN NGOC HAI YEN BUI MAI ANH

10. Issue 16 | 10
WHOLE SCHOOL ASSEMBLY
END OF TERM I

12. Issue 16 | 12
Good communication is important to us and we would like to ensure that you have the correct contact
information in order for you to call the school:
School Number: 04 3946 0435
Extention number:
Receptionist: 0
(For all general enquiries)
Principal’s Office: 208
principaloffice@bishanoi.com
(If you wish to contact the School Principal)
Business Manager’s Office: 109
thaonguyen@bishanoi.com
Primary Office: 220
primaryoffice@bishanoi.com
(For all enquiries regarding the Primary Section)
Secondary Office: 215
secondaryoffice@bishanoi.com
(For all enquiries regarding the Secondary Section)
Admission Department: 222/122/555/777/888
bishanoi@bishanoi.com
dessydelevaux@bishanoi.com (Admission Manager)
jinnyjung@bishanoi.com (Korean Liaison Officer)
hatruong@bishanoi.com
trambui@bishanoi.com
Marketing Department: 189
huyennguyenngoc@bishanoi.com
(For all enquiries regarding Marketing)
Finance Department: 202
(For all enquiries regarding school fees)
Medical Room: 117/303
linhdieu@bishanoi.com (Main school)
liennguyen@bishanoi.com (Early Years Building)
(For all enquiries regarding Medical Issues)
Uniform Shop: 221
tamle@bishanoi.com
duyennguyenthi@bishanoi.com
nhungpham@bishanoi.com
(For all enquiries regarding School Uniform)
School Buses: 218
nganguyenthithuy@bishanoi.com
(For all requiries regarding School Buses)