Upcoming Events Earth Hour 2014 Do you know what happens to all those plastic bags and wrappers you throw away every day? Stay tuned for Earth Hour! During the week of March 17th the GIN Environment group will lead an initiative to cut down on waste by sponsoring events such as environmental presentations, saving hour, and house competition. It will be a week of considering how our resource use affects the environment, and GIN will lead an assembly on March 21st.
π
Pi Day is Coming
3.1415925 3589793238
4626433832795
028841971693993710 582097494459230781640
628620899862803482534211067
982148086513282306647093844609 5505822317253594081284811174502841 02701938521105559644622948954930381964
428810975665933446128475648233786783165271201 909145648566923460348610454326648213393607260249141273
724587006606315588174881520920962829254091715364367892590360
01133053054882046652138414695194151160943305727036575959195309218611 73819326117931051185480744623799627495673518857527248912279381830119491298336
733624406566430860213949463952247371907021798609437027705392171762931767523846748184676694 051320005681271452635608277857713427577896091736371787214684409012249534301465495853710507922796892589235420
19956112129021960864034418159813629774771309960518707211349999998372978049951059731732816096318595024459455346902 4302642522308253344685035261931188171010003137838752886587533208381420617177669147303598253490428755468731159562863882 353787593751957781857780532171226806613001927876611195909216420198938095257201065485863278865936153381827968230301952035301 852968995773622599413891249721775283479131515574857242454150695950829533116861727855889075098381754637464939319255060400927701671 139009848824012858361603563707660104710181942955596198946767837449448255379774726847104047534646208046684259069491293313677028989152102 1620569660240580381501935112533824300355876402474964732639141992726042699227967823547816360093417216412199245863150302861829745557067498385059
4588586926995690927210797509302955321165344987202755960236480665499119881834797753566369807426542527862551818417574672890977772793800081647060016145249 19217321721477235014144197356854816136115735255213347574184946843852332390739414333454776241686251898356948556209921922218427255025425688767179049460165346680
9886272327917860857843838279679766814541009538837863609506800642251252051173929848960841284886269456042419652850222106611863067442786220391949450471237137869609563643719
172874677646575739624138908658326459958133904780275900994657640789512694683983525957098258226205224894077267194782684826014769909026401363944374553050682034962524517493996514314298
0919065925093722169646151570985838741059788595977297549893016175392846813826868386894277415599185592524595395943104997252468084598727364469584865383673622262609912460805124388439045124413654976
27807977156914359977001296160894416948685558484063534220722258284886481584560285060168427394522674676788952521385225499546667278239864565961163548862305774564980355936345681743241125150760694794510965960940252 2887971089314566913686722874894056010150330861792868092087476091782493858900971490967598526136554978189312978482168299894872265880485756401427047755513237964145152374623436454285844479526586782105114135473573952311342716610213 596953623144295248493718711014576540359027993440374200731057853906219838744780847848968332144571386875194350643021845319104848100537061468067491927819119793995206141966342875444064374512371819217999839101591956181467514269123974894090718649423196
1567945208095146550225231603881930142093762137855956638937787083039069792077346722182562599661501421503068038447734549202605414665925201497442850732518666002132434088190710486331734649651453905796268561005508106658796998163574736384052571459102897064140110971206280439039
75951567715770042033786993600723055876317635942187312514712053292819182618612586732157919841484882916447060957527069572209175671167229109816909152801735067127485832228718352093539657251210835791513698820914442100675103346711031412671113699086585163983150197016515116851714376576183515565088490998985998 238734552833163550764791853589322618548963213293308985706420467525907091548141654985946163718027098199430992448895757128289059232332609729971208443357326548938239119325974636673058360414281388303203824903758985243744170291327656180937734440307074692112019130203303801976211011004492932151608424448596376698389522868478312355265821314495768 5726243344189303968642624341077322697802807318915441101044682325271620105265227211166039666557309254711055785376346682065310989652691862056476931257058635662018558100729360659876486117910453348850346113657686753249441668039626579787718556084552965412665408530614344431858676975145661406800700237877659134401712749470420562230538994561314071127000407854733269939081454664645880797270826...
Celebrating Women
ISHCMC American Academy will celebrate Pi Day this month with a short assembly this year, hosted by Mrs. SwanInternational Women’s Day (March 8th) son’s calculus class. During the assembly, students will learn a little bit about an is a global day celebrating the econom- amazing number and have the opporic, political and social tunity to compete in a couple irrational achievements of games for house points. Why irrational women past, present games? Because Pi is an irrational numand future. How will ber! you celebrate women’s achievements Interesting fact: Did you know Pi Day is this month? the same date as Einstein’s birthday?
1
Sports News High School Boys Basketball Victory
High School Girls Basketball Team
On January 21st, our high school boys and girls basketball teams had games against American Internationl School at ISHCMC’s outdoor court. Unfortunately, our girls’ team lost their first game. But we got revenge by winning 34 to 20 against their boys basketball team. Nguyen Ngoc Tuan (12B) and Nguyen Do Hoang Khoi (12B) scored the most points through 2-match game. “It was the best game we’ve played in the past 2 years!” remarked Coach Allen.Miles. Congrats boys, you did a great job!
ISHCMC American Academy now has a high school girls’ basketball team. Their coach is Math teacher Mr. Andrew Gibson. The fifteen-member team practices every Tuesday and Thursday after school. They’ve been trying hard to keep up with other schools since the team was started. Recently, the team had their very first game, a “warmup,” against American Internatonal School. We will start to see them having games with other schools more often. Let’s have a great season girls!
4
Student spotlight Middle School
High School
Students of the Month
Students of the Month
What Teavhers are Saying
Doan Uyen Nhu (6A)
Le Pham Ngoc Hieu (Oggy 6A)
What Teavhers are Saying
It is just a joy to teach her and her smile just brightens my day every single day. She is a hardworking student, tries to use her English daily, and is always improving. Nhu is a delightful student to teach in general.
Bui Le Van Khanh (10B)
What Teavhers are Saying Oggy is a personable young man who likes to come to the library to practice his English and his skills of being a librarian. He offers his help on a regular basis to scan the books being checked in or out, and he also likes to help catalogue new books by sticking the bar codes on. He is a prolific reader and regularly seeks new books. The librarian has had to buy many new books just to keep up with his reading!
Phan Huy Quoc (James 11A)
Khanh is not just concerned with her own success in class. She makes a terrific amount of effort helping her classmates understand key concepts. She is patient, diligent, and very hard-working.
What Teavhers are Saying
James has come to over a dozen after-school extra help sessions, gave one of the best presentations on his painting to the class, earned 98% in art, has a good sense of humor, and is always willing to help the teacher in any was. He does this all with a positive attitude!
Teacher of the Month Mr. Swanson teaches Social Studies and Video Production. Here is why he is being honored as this month’s Teacher of the Month.
Mr. Swanson is a new teacher who has already displayed a positive example of leadership in the school. He is always approachable in terms of being asked to do something. He therefore displays great commitment to the school culture. Just this past month, he participated in the Tet fashion show, competed in the cooking competition, and offered his help to the Tet Celebration Committee. Mr. Swanson is generous with his time to his students and encourages students to do their best. He is also very generous with his time with the staff and no problem is left unsolved if Mr. Swanson can help it. He is a great role model for teachers and students alike. Mr. Swanson is a funny and friendly teacher. He cares for all of his students. He knows how to engage his students and this makes them love to come to his classes. Everyone is always prepared to study his subject. He’s also an advisor to Student Council and lets members organize a lot of events and activities for our school. He is a great teacher!
Student Talk
5
Meet the Teacher: Nguyen Tich Thien interviewed this month’s Teacher of the Month: Mr. Derek Swanson. If you had to describe yourself with only three adjectives, what would they be? enthusiastic, self-confident, and witty What places have you lived besides Vietnam? I have lived in the United States prior to living in Vietnam. I lived in the beautiful state of Colorado. What languages can you speak? I can speak English, some Spanish, and very little Vietnamese. Can you tell us about one memorable moment that you’ve experienced in Vietnam? On the year twelve trip, we went to a market in Lang Co. At the market, there were several students that helped me to seek out Chom Chom and bong bong (the fruits). Once the 12th grade students helped me purchase the fruit, I was showing the local market goers how to open a chom chom with their hands, rather than with teeth or fingernails. It was great to see the reaction of the locals to my actions. Describe one of your favorite dishes, either from Vietnam or another country. My favorite dish is my purple coffee cup that was made in Colorado. The coffee cup has the Colorado Rockies baseball team logo on it and is great for all types of beverages; however, the answer the question properly, my favorite food item, which reminds me of home, is from scratch macaroni and cheese. A splash of hot sauce over al dente noodles, covered in bread crumbs and freshly grated Cheddar cheese makes for a great meal.
6
If you could own a summer house anywhere in the world, where would it be? Describe the place. When I own a summer house, I would like it to be in the mountains. There are plenty of people in the world that would love to settle down in the beach, but there is a special beauty of living in the cool, fresh air. What is the riskiest or most dangerous thing you’ve ever done? In high school, I took a trip to Eastern Europe, and I was in Hungary (the country, not the empty stomach feeling) when I came across the second most dangerous thing that I ever encountered, but you have asked for the first. The most dangerous situation I have been in is when I was hiking in the mountains of Colorado, and I saw a mountain lion with her babies walking parallel to me, across from a gully on another ridge. My heart was throbbing the rest of the way back to the base camp. We could tell that the lioness had seen us and was trying to avoid confrontation, but you only hope that was you recognize when you are in the moment. What did you want to do for a career when you were a child? Did you have any other jobs before becoming a teacher? When I was a child, like most children, I had lots of ideas of what I wanted to be when I grew up. One trend that I would say goes through all of the different career choices is that they all focus on helping others, fall into my interests, or are otherwise exhilarating. I believe that these three criteria are really important when choosing a career for anyone. I had all sorts of jobs before becoming a teacher, but they were just that: jobs. I have had one career (being a teacher), but I have also been a baseball umpire, a lawn maintenance worker, a burrito restaurant worker, a hockey shop manager, an Italian ice salesman and lots others. Describe yourself as a teenager. When I was a teenager, I attended a school that had about 2400 students and I was in a couple of different groups. I was an athlete (I played ice hockey) where I made the All-State Academic First Team (a hockey player that does well in school) and I was voted by my peers as
Derek Swanson Mr. Swanson at age 19 in Iverness, Scotland
“Most Academically Involved” in my senior year. It was interesting to be in the middle between several different groups, in that there was the academic group that I hung with (I finished high school with a 3.83 GPA), and I hung around the athletes (I shared a locker with one of the American football players). I listened to a variety of music, as I hung out with people that were into punk and ska music, but also with people that liked more rock and pop music (it meant that I got to go to a bunch of different concerts). What do you like to do on the weekends? On the weekends, I like to go out and explore the world around me. There is a finite amount of time on this world, and I think that most of the time, you need to make the moments that you will remember happen. Do you have a favorite movie or TV show? My favorite movie is The Shawshank Redemption. I think that the movie tells a really good story. My favorite show of all time would be Seinfeld, which was on in the 1990s and is a self-described show about nothing.
Why did you choose to teach Social Studies and IT? I think that the most important study for the bulk of people to truly embrace is Social Studies. Having a keen understanding of the world, society, and culture around you is an essential aspect of thriving throughout life. Video production is a means by which you can communicate with a bulk of people, and I believe that you must have a grasp on what components of video will effectively move your message by understanding the perspective of your audience. Every class incorporates social science to a degree, and I think that it is innate in humans to have interest in those around them, which can be fostered through social studies classes. How can students be successful in your classes? There are plenty of specific things that could be suggested for success in school, but I think that a few broader suggestions may go further. Most importantly, I think that in school, as well in life, it is important to show up, and to show up ready to go. If you are present and ready, you may have a leg up on those around you. Approaching each day with a sense of “relentless positivity” is a great thing. Wanting to do what you need to do to make those around you want to do what needs to be done will quickly push you into a leadership role within any organization that you engage. I think keeping in mind a profound sense of “why” for each topic that you approach will inevitably lead the student to a broader understanding of each unit of study. Knowing how each smaller piece fits into a broader picture really drives home the importance of learning every day, and can be a self-motivator for fully conquering a subject.
Do you have any special or unique talents? I have such a vast array of talents, it may be shorter to list the things that I am not good at. One item on that list would be that my singing ability is nowhere near that of Rebecca Black. (Think “It’s Friday, Friday...) If you could have any superpower, what would it be? If I could have any superpower it would be to make people see life through another’s perspective. I believe that this superpower would benefit the world the greatest, in that it might lead to a greater amount of peace and tranquility throughout the world. Despite the immense influence this superpower would weld, I do not believe that it could sway my opinions about the Toronto Maple Leafs or Justin Bieber.
7
e r u eat
F d o Fo
Nguyen Hai Nguyen
Among the variety of food in Saigon that have been loved through generations, both in Vietnam and other countries, it would be a major mistake not to mention a dish that has held the heart of many international food lovers: bot chien. Made with traditional Vietnamese ingredients, bot chien itself has an irresistible and distinct flavor of Southern Saigon. Though it can be enjoyed all around Saigon, you can easily make this dish at home with the following recipe.
8 13
Ingredients & Supplies 1 small bowl of rice flour 1 small bowl of tapioca starch 2 small bowls of cold water 1 teaspoon oil ½ teaspoon salt 6-8 eggs 5-6 stalks of green onion (chopped) 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce (dark soy bean sauce) About 1 cup of oil for frying Steamer Pork
Bot Chien: A Saigonlicious Dish
Directions: In a saucepan mix the two powders, then add 1teaspoon of oil , salt pork , water and stir until the mixture dissolve. Then, heat the saucepan on the stove with medium heat , stir well until the mixture becomes consistent and can’t be stirred anymore (it’s about 15 to 20 minutes , depending on the heat) then remove the saucepan from the stove.
add a tablespoon of oil and then add the little square pieces along with 2 spoons of dark soy sauce and stir it up. Then, fry the eggs in that pan and add in the chopped green onions. Keep stirring for 5 minutes. Then put the food onto the plate along with chili sauce and enjoy.
In just one bite, you can feel all different textures and flavors: fried eggs, rice flour and Use a round plate and spread a little bit of oil dark soy sauce, blending into one, delicious all over the surface. Put the mixture onto the and healthy dish, with the density of fried plate, making a round form, about 2 cm thick. rice flours, the tenderness of eggs and the Then, put the plate into the steamer for 4 min- freshness of the green onions. This dish can utes. Take the plate out of the steamer and let it also be eaten with peeled green papayas and cool. carrots dipped in vinegar to enhance the unique taste even more.You can eat it for Take the round piece and cut it into little breakfast, lunch, or even dinner. squares. Heat the saucepan with medium heat,
9
Academic readiness Ms. Mirrell Desjardins, Counselor WHAT IS YOUR ACADEMIC READINESS?
GOAL ORIENTATION
Goal orientation is the degree to which a person focuses on tasks and the end results of those tasks. Do you want to excel It is an exciting time of the year. Half of the school because you want to master a skill for personal improvement? year is finished, and many students have been Or do you want an A because you want to compare yourself to actively pursuing plans for after graduation. Graduaothers and be ranked higher? It has been proven that those tion is just around the corner, and I know it is eagerly students who focus on mastering a skill or ability for the sake anticipated. During this critical stretch, it is importof learning and improvement of ones self are more academant to check-in with yourself and ensure that you are ically ready than those that are driven to show their abilities ready academically for college. Student academic to others. This is because those students that focus on masreadiness is usually gauged in fields like motivation, tery are more likely to seek out challenges and persevere in well-being, goal orientation, and academic skills. adverse conditions. Quit comparing yourself to others and Determining individual academic readiness can center on personal growth and learning. prepare you for college by allowing you to make the necessary changes to your attitude, behaviour and ACADEMIC SKILLS habits that will ensure success before you start your academic career. Academic skills help students become effective learners. These extend past familiar reading and writing abilities. For MOTIVATION example, how good are you at setting goals? Do you have excellent time management skills? Are you easily able to make To succeed academically, it is important to enhance decisions? These are just three skills that boost academic intrinsic motivation. Extrinsic factors, like power and performance. Before you embark on your university career, fear of failure, do not necessarily inspire students assessing your academic skills now can give you time to sharpto consistently and continually achieve academic en these abilities, setting you up for success. Take some time; success. Such dynamics can actually negatively affect look up SMART goal setting, time management strategies and behaviour or cause a fear of academics. By making effective methods of making decisions. With some experimena list of extrinsic and intrinsic factors that influence tation, you will refine your academic skills and find the most your determination to achieve high grades, then ratsuitable study methods. ing them according to which is more influential, can help you decide which type of elements affect you Therefore, as you are picking out your new university clothes, more. If you are inclined towards extrinsic factors, picking a place to live, and dreaming about that first year of then perhaps you are not as academically ready as tertiary education, remember that there are things you can do you thought you were, and it may be a good time to now to prepare. There will be no dress rehearsal, and everystart adjusting habits and behaviours. thing will go down on your permanent record. By ensuring you are academically ready, not only will you be successful acaWELL-BEING demically, you will get the most out of your college experience and they will be some of the best times of your lives. The physical, emotional, social and school well-being of a student is a necessary requisite for academic readiness. We all need certain criteria to be met before we can flourish personally and professionally. One of these is holistic well-being. If you do not feel well, or are chronically ill, this may affect your ability to handle the demands of tertiary education. Other signs that you may be suffering from an imbalance that affects your well-being are emotions such as depression or anxiety, inability to focus, social awkwardness or isolation and poor academic standing. Abraham Maslow theorized that until basic necessities in our lives were met, that we couldn’t sufficiently mature and fulfil our purpose .Physical and emotional well-being are basic human needs that are required before we can grow and become 11 successful.
10
Community Service Mr. Nathan Bryant On January 23rd, grade 11 and 12 students from the Global Citizenship class gathered materials and many other resources to make a delivery to many foster homes in the surrounding area of Ho Chi Minh City. Global Citizenship is a class focused on making students aware and involved in world issues. Each group in the class was assigned to pick out four orphanages to dedicate their investments. The first group, led by Nguyen Ngoc Tuan (Fabo), was responsible for performing various magic acts and musical numbers to provide entertainment for the children. Second group led by Nguyen Van Hoang Tung ( Wayne), took their time to prepare the dishes and vegetarian meals to nourish the children. Senior Le Cat Van Quan’s group supplied the orphans with English language textbooks, coloring books, and CD resources for visually impaired children. The last group, led by 11th-grader Ruby, gathered donations to fund 15 million VND of purchases such as food, oil, seasoning, milk, and other items for the orphanages. The class groups came up with this project with the goal of providing better living conditions for the orphaned children of Vietnam. Organizing the project also helped students to gain life experience. One goal was to show that our school does not just deliver knowledge through lectures and books, but the school program also gives students a chance to show their leadership abilities and to become successful in helping others. They also learned to value themselves and to consider other people who are currently living in more difficult conditions. As we live in a community that has given us so many opportunties, it’s our duty as citizens to repay this debt by helping others in need.
11
12
13
The Fun Stuff Who’s that Baby?
SAT Vocab Here is our SAT vocabulary word of the month.
complicity
(n.): association or participation in a wrongful act Ex: The students were suspended for complicity in the attempt to cheat on the SAT.
complicit
(adj): involved with others in an illegal activity or wrongdoing
Email your guesses to news@aavn.edu.vn for house points.
YOU TRY IT! Email a sentence with the word to news@aavn.edu.vn. First 3 correct uses will earn house points.
Riddles & Trivia 1. What is the quickest way to double your money? 2. What is full of holes, but can still hold a lot of water? 3. How do you organize a space party? 4. What three numbers have the same answer when added together and multiplied together? Be the first to answer any riddle to news@aavn.edu.vn for a house point.
15
Homerooms 10A & 10B