tintuc@unishanoi.org UNIS Hanoi’s Weekly Community Newsletter
Volume 21, Edition 2, Friday 22 August
NEXT WEEK…
COMING SOON
MONDAY, 25 AUGUST
MONDAY, 25 AUGUST
Grade 1 Class Social Event with SCO, 15:30 - 16:30 APAC Choir Auditions, 15:30 - 17:00, Centre for the Arts APAC Orchestra Auditions, 15:30 - 17:00, Centre for the Arts
TUESDAY, 26 AUGUST
Grade 2 Class Social Event with SCO, 15:30 - 16:30 Your Child's English Development- EAL Parent Information Session, 19:00 - 20:00
ASA and UMA Session 1 Starts ES Parent Teacher Conferences, 10:00 - 18:00 (No Classes/ASAs/Aquatics Academy for ES students)
TUESDAY, 2 SEPTEMBER
Vietnam Independence Day - No School, Campus & Offices Closed WEDNESDAY, 3 SEPTEMBER
WEDNESDAY, 27 AUGUST
Finance Committee Meeting, 07:00 - 08:30 Grade 3 Class Social Event with SCO, 14:30 - 15:30
ES Parent Teacher Conferences, 15:00 - 18:00 (No ASAs/Aquatics Academy for ES Students) MYP Interactive Workshop for New Parents, 19:00 - 20:00, Black Box, Centre for the Arts
THURSDAY, 28 AUGUST
THURSDAY, 4 SEPTEMBER
Grade 4 Class Social Event with SCO, 15:30 - 16:30 MSHS Back to School Info Night, 18:00 - 21:00
FRIDAY, 29 AUGUST
High School Day Grade 5 Class Social Event with SCO, 15:30 - 16:30
SATURDAY, 30 AUGUST
APAC Tennis Matches - Group 1, 09:00 - 11:30 APAC Tennis Matches - Group 2, 12:00 - 14:30
School Community Organisation Team Building Retreat Year Planner ECC Child Development Information Session with the Counselors, 08:30 - 09:30 ECC Library Orientation Session, 09:30 - 10:00, Library
FRIDAY, 5 SEPTEMBER
New Parent Workshop with the ES Counselors, 08:30 - 10:00 New Parent Workshop with the MSHS Counselors, 08:30 - 10:00 ES Moon Festival Assembly, 14:15 - 15:15
SATURDAY, 6 SEPTEMBER
Saturday Soccer Session 1 Starts
IN THIS WEEK’S TIN TUC - The Highlights... Notes from the Head of School (p.2) Notes from the ES Principal (p.3) Notes from the MSHS Principal (p.4)
PYP Parents’ Workshop (p.7) Upcoming University Visits (p.8) Phoenix Athletics Under Way (p.9)
Notes from the Admissions Office (p.5) After School Activities Signs-Up (p.5) Tech Tidbits (p.6)
Notes from the School Health Centre (p.11) Notes from the SCO (p.12) News from the SCO Boutique (p.13)
As I attended our Back To School Nights this past week in the ES, I was reminded that there is a strong need for parents to be able to contact each other, and there is also a need for parents to know who to contact for various questions they might have. The Parent Directory is currently on ISIS Family and has been available online since its launch last year. However, it is not as easily accessible as we would like. So we have made the decision to upgrade to a new version that will be more user friendly. Because this decision is tied to some other changes we anticipate that the new version of the Parent Directory will not be out until after October break. In the meantime, the current Parent Directory remains available on the ISIS Family. As for “who to contact�, we have it listed on every section
of the website, and it was also replicated in the Special Edition of the Tin Tuc for new families on Orientation Day. The link is: http://www.unishanoi.org/contact In addition, the Faculty & Staff Directory is also available on the website with full contact information. I hope that this information helps as we settle in to the new school year. Respectfully, Dr. Chip Barder, hos@unishanoi.org
Daniel Rijpma, Grade 8 Seung Won Park, Grade 11
New Parents Welcome Coffee
Dear ES Families It was good to see such a high turnout of parents for our Back to School Nights this week. As always, we place a really strong emphasis on working in partnership with you and the information sessions and home room conversations are just the start. My introductory presentation from the evenings is attached here for your information and review. The one to one Parent Teacher Conversations will be on September 1st and 3rd. The sign ups begin on Monday 25th August – please look out for the separate letter which will provide more details. Whilst my presentations this week focused on the theme of assessment as it is one of our main ES goals this year, this article will refer back to an initiative introduced last year, namely the Personal, Social and Emotional Learning (PSEL) programme which is followed in all home rooms. At UNIS Hanoi we aim to educate the whole child. We are not only interested in academic progress but also in the development of the emotional intelligence of our students. We are keenly aware of the many benefits of a strong PSE programme in schools and research has shown that such programmes help strengthen a person’s ability to understand, manage and express the social and emotional aspects of life. We also know that our emotions drive attention, learning and memory and impact, both directly and indirectly, on motivational, behavioural and performance outcomes. For this reason, we not only teach PSEL through our integrated PYP Units of Inquiry but we also dedicate specific time to it each week.
The first theme in PSEL has the intention of setting up a classroom environment where all children can thrive. Each home room group creates agreements about life in the classroom that they believe will make their learning space as good as it can be. These are posted up in home rooms so everyone can refer to them throughout the year. The second theme is about promoting self- esteem and appreciating others. At the start of the week, one member of each class is randomly selected to be the PSE Learner of the Week. They become the focus for the rest of the week as their peers look out for aspects of their behaviour and learning that can form the basis of a compliment that they will share with the chosen child at the end of the week. To help the children look beyond superficial compliments, we use the IB Learner Profile as a framework for the feedback they give to one another. The IB Learner Profile represents 10 attributes valued by IB World Schools. We believe these attributes, and others like them, can help individuals and groups become responsible members of local, national and global communities. All IB programmes aim to develop internationally minded people who, recognizing their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet, help to create a better and more peaceful world. These ideals underpin what we do here at UNIS Hanoi. Please follow the link provided as you may wish to talk to your child about these words and ideas and you may even start to use them at home to give feedback and to further embed understanding. Wishing you a restful weekend after the first full week of school! Carole Denny esprincipal@unishanoi.org
Dear MS/HS Families, I would like to thank all MSHS students and teachers for such a positive start to the school year. I am happy to report it has been an extremely smooth opening! Classes are in full swing and our learning community is now settling in and establishing daily routines. Two important pieces of information:
Back to School Parents Night: Thursday, Aug 28, 18:00 – 20:40. For details please refer to the invitation sent to all MSHS parents via email. MSHS Trip Week: Sept 22 – 26. Specific grade level information will be forthcoming but when asked please supply appropriate documents and contact details in a timely fashion. Sept. 22 will be upon us quickly!
To help parents learn more about UNIS Hanoi and our many programmes please refer to the following links to the MS and HS Handbooks. If you require additional information or need clarification please feel free to contact the appropriate UNIS Hanoi staff member listed on pg. 7 of the MS Handbook or pg. 8 of the HS Handbook.
neatly and respect the diversity of the community. Clothes should not be torn, dirty or unkempt. No cleavage or underwear can be exposed. The following represent standards of dress: Shorts should fit properly with a reasonable inseam.
Underwear cannot be visible nor can any part of the stomach or buttocks. Shirts that expose the stomach or are low cut exposing
cleavage are not to be worn T-shirts slogans should be respectful. No drug, alcohol,
tobacco or rude slogans are permitted. Footwear must be worn. No bare feet on campus. Students who are unsure about the appropriateness of
dress should refer to division handbooks, teachers or the MSHS Principal. Students who dress inappropriately will be asked to
change immediately. Dress codes in Middle and High Schools are historic friction points and too much time and energy is spent discussing this issue. Common sense and cultural awareness will guide our standard of dress. Students will be given examples of what is appropriate and what is not. Students not willing to attend to common sense dress code standards will be asked to change clothing and parents will be notified. The final decision on appropriate dress will be up to the Principal and Deputy Principal.
Dress Code: (MS Handbook pg. 12 /HS Handbook pg. 16)
Thank you in advance for your support!
The UNIS Hanoi faculty would appreciate it if parents can support the MSHS by ensuring that your child is dressed appropriately for school. UNIS Hanoi has a fairly liberal dress code. Students are encouraged to express themselves through fashion but we do have limits. We are fortunate to have a very diverse community. However, what may be acceptable for your family may be disconcerting to another. Please keep in mind that UNIS Hanoi is a school. What is acceptable attire for the beach or a Friday night gathering with friends may not be acceptable at school.
Pete Kennedy, mshsprincipal@unishanoi.org
UNIS Hanoi is fortunate to have students and adults on campus representing many different religions and cultures. All members of our learning community must be respectful of cultural and religious customs and comfort levels when it comes to dress code. We encourage students to wear comfortable clothing and footwear. They should also dress
Warm regards,
IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR ALL FAMILIES REMINDER TO UPDATE YOUR CONTACT DETAILS Please ensure the school has received updated telephone and address information for each parent or guardian. Have you checked your contact details lately? Emergency contact information for each family is also required in the event that parents may not be reached in an urgent situation. Have you confirmed that your nominated emergency contacts are still living in Hanoi? Family details can be viewed on your ISIS Family page and amendments may be requested through the online change request utility. For assistance, please email admissions@unishanoi.org or telephone 3758 1551 extensions 8217 / 8220 for assistance. Alternatively, visit the Admissions office B7 Room 110.
Once again After School Activity sign-ups were problematic for a large portion of our community and I apologize for the frustration that so many of you faced this morning. The Tech Support Office was as frustrated as many of you when the system failed to provide easy access for you to enroll your children in ASAs and easy access for students to enroll in ASAs. I watched mothers and students in the library dealing with a non-responsive system and I felt terrible. This is not the type of experience we wish to provide UNIS Hanoi students and parents. We have worked very hard to improve the quality of the experience for sign-ups over the years. Clearly we will not stop with our efforts.
The signup issues this morning resulted from overloaded systems. The Tech Support Office will increase resources for servers supporting ISIS After School Activity sign-ups in order to eliminate overloaded systems. We will run internal stress tests once the resources have been increased in order to better prepare for the next signup in the fall. We will also work with the Activities Office to improve communication. We will ensure that any system changes that have happened since the last sign-up are highlighted in future. I apologize once again for the frustrations you faced this morning during ASA sign-ups. Tech Support Office does have plans in place to eliminate those frustrations in the future. Please contact me if you have additional questions or concerns. Ed Gilbreath, techdirector@unishanoi.org Tech Director
Students in grades 6 through 12 will be bringing their Tablets home daily. Please take time to ask your student how they are using the Tablet in school? An eye opening question for me is to ask “If you didn’t have the Tablet would you as successful as you are with the Tablet?” I find students to be refreshing blunt in response to that and other similar questions. While you are discussing what they have learned using the Tablet you can take time to check for missing keys, a cracked screen, and to check the cords on the charger for breaks in the insulation. All UNIS Hanoi staff will talk regularly with our students about Tablet safety and security. You can help us ensure that our students have a good experience with the Tablets provided by having regular discussions with your student regarding the Tablet program. As a first step I would ask that you take some time to inspect the power supply for your student’s Tablet. I have noticed that several students wrap the cords tightly around the power supply as illustrated by the picture on the left. Wrapping the cords in this manner creates stress on the ends of the cords and the insulation often begins to crack. Obviously the cracked insulation creates a safety hazards. Please ask your students to wrap the cords as illustrated in the example on the right. Less stress is placed on the ends of the cords; consequently, the insulation is less likely to crack. Cracked insulation occasionally happens on the brick end of the power supply. I am less concerned that this may represent a safety hazard because this is the low voltage end of the power supply. However, please check carefully and if you note any cracked insulation send your child to the Tech Support Office for IMMEDIATE replacement of the power supply. Of greater concern for me is the high voltage end of the power supply – the power cord. I have witnessed a few instances of cracked insulation near the ends of the power
cord. In most ases the cracks have been near the brick end of the power cord as indicated in the picture on the left. Once again, if you detect ANY cracked insulation on the power cord please send your student to the Tech Support Office for IMMEDIATE replacement of the power cord. Replacement of either the power supply or the power cord will be immediate and at no charge. If you are traveling and your student has an issue with the Tablet please contact the Tech Support Office (TSO) via email techsupport@unishanoi.org or via phone +84 4 3758 1551 (Ext 8601) during regular office hours. If you contact via email you can expect a response within two business days. TSO will advise you regarding the types of service to seek from an outside vendor. Please call or email me if you have any questions: Phone: 84 4 3758 1551 ext. 8600 Email: techdirector@unishanoi.org Ed Gilbreath
Welcome New UNIS Hanoi Elementary School Families! Please help us maintain our fantastic Library collection by providing your child with an appropriate book bag. Student are required to have a water resistant Library book bag to carry their Library books to and from school. One from home or a previous school is acceptable. If you do not already have a Book Bag, one may be purchased at the SCO Boutique located in the foyer of the Sports Centre for 150,000 VND.
Is coming September 4th‌.. come discover the myriad of UNIS Library resources available to you and your family as UNIS community members. See you there!
A warm and special welcome to our new MSHS Librarian, Ms. Deborah Wells- Clinton. Ms. Conroy ES Librarian
PLEASE REGISTER YOUR PARTICIPATION HERE When: Friday, August 29, 2014 @ 13:15-14:00 Where: Common Room, B5 G29 Colgate University (http://www.colgate.edu/) Colgate University is a private institution that was founded in 1819. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 2,871, its setting is rural, and the campus size is 553 acres. It utilizes a semesterbased academic calendar. Colgate University's ranking in the 2014 edition of Best Colleges is National Liberal Arts Colleges, 20. Its tuition and fees are $46,380 (2013-14). University of Puget Sound (http://www.pugetsound.edu/) University of Puget Sound is a private institution that was founded in 1888. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 2,578, its setting is urban, and the campus size is 97 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. University of Puget Sound's ranking in the 2014 edition of Best Colleges is National Liberal Arts Colleges, 76. Its tuition and fees are $41,868 (2013-14).
When: Monday, September 1, 2014 @ 13:15-14:00 Where: Common Room, B5 G29 University of Notre Dame (https://www.nd.edu/) University of Notre Dame is a private institution that was founded in 1842. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 8,475, its setting is urban, and the campus size is 1,250 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. University of Notre Dame's ranking in the 2014 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 18. Its tuition and fees are $44,605 (2013-14).
When: Wednesday, September 3, 2014 @ 13:15-14:00 Where: Common Room, B5 G29 Boston University (http://www.bu.edu/) Boston University is a private institution that was founded in 1839. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 18,306, its setting is urban, and the campus size is 133 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Boston University's ranking in the 2014 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 41. Its tuition and fees are $44,910 (2013-14).
UNIS Hanoi Middle School got off to a great start with a 3 day orientation. Students and teachers got to know one another better, developed cooperation, creative thinking and tech skills, performed for each other, and generally had a lot of fun!
We are all looking forward to the 2014-15 athletic year in which we are slotted to host the MRISA Senior Volleyball and APAC High School Basketball in addition to several local and regional tournaments/ meets throughout the year. Our High School volleyball and tennis teams, as well as our Middle School swimming and basketball teams are currently in season and working hard to achieve their goals. Please be on the lookout for ways to be part of our athletic program and support what we hope will be a strong and longstanding tradition of excellence. As we continue to develop our program to the high standards we expect at UNIS Hanoi, please keep the following guidelines in mind. What is the role of a parent of a UNIS Hanoi School athlete?
Get involved by attending competitions, serving as a host family, volunteering to help at tournaments/meets, etc.
Support the players (include all members of the team).
Support the coach and respect the coach’s authority to make decisions regarding playing time, team selection, discipline, etc.
Set a good example for our athletes regarding positive support for our athletes, their opponents and game officials.
If attending practice, attend as an observer; and respect a coach’s decision to hold a closed practice.
Contact the coach with player or parent concerns (communication is the key). Enjoy the wonderful opportunities your child has available through interscholastic athletics. What is the role of the coach?
Communicate philosophy.
Contribute to compliance of the school’s mission statement through athletics.
Positively promote emotional, physical, and psychological development.
Teach the technical applications of the specific sport to the best of their abilities.
Take care of relevant management tasks.
Promote development of self-discipline.
Teach good sportsmanship.
Be a positive influence on the players with regard to ethics, work habits, and interpersonal relationships. What is the role of the player?
Participate to the best of their abilities.
Respect and cooperate with all coaches.
Attend all practices and be on time.
Be a good citizen.
Maintain the levels and course load required by UNIS.
Create, maintain, and promote good sportsmanship toward opponents and game officials.
Set a good example in school, practice sessions, and games by demonstrating sportsmanship and good citizenship.
Recognize that, as an athlete, you are in a position of leadership. Represent your program, school, and community with pride. Enjoy interscholastic athletics. HAVE A GREAT ATHLETIC YEAR. GO PHOENIX! Tarique AL-Iesa, da@unishanoi.org
At UNIS Hanoi we have students with allergies. Some are minor and some including nuts and tree nuts are life threatening. There are several practices that we encourage our parents, staff and students to think about to help prevent allergic reactions. 1. We ask students and staff to wash their hands upon arrival to the classroom and again before and after lunch.
Common symptoms of allergic reaction? Different for each person. Symptoms include: hives, itching flushed skin, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, confusion, sweating, dizziness, fainting, swelling of the lips, shortness of breath, loss of consciousness. Anaphylaxis…. Severe life – threatening allergic reaction that may happen within minutes or a few hours after coming into contact with the allergen. How are allergies managed? Be prepared at all times.
2. We do not encourage any class projects or home projects brought into school containing peanuts or tree nuts or shells.
Avoid coming into contact with the known allergen.
3. We hope that parents, who will send a lunch from home for your child, will choose not to send foods containing peanut butter or nuts. This is your choice!
Education and understanding of what allergy awareness
4. We ask students not to share food at school. 5. We ask students not to eat on the bus. 6. There will be special days and occasions that students are asked to bring snacks or items for a bake sale. Please do not send food knowingly that contains nuts. What is an allergy? Your immune system normally protects you from germs and disease. It helps you to fight off bacteria, viruses and other tiny organisms that can make you sick. If you have an allergy, your immune system mistakenly treats something in a particular food (most often, the protein) as if it’s dangerous to you. Your body reacts to the food by having an allergic reaction. What is an allergen? An allergen is anything that causes an allergic reaction. What are the common allergens? The most common food allergens are milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts (such as cashew), fish crustacean/shellfish (such as crab, lobster, shrimp, scallops, oysters, and clams), wheat and soy. These are the, “8 MAJOR” allergens. Allergies to latex and insect bites /stings are also common.
Be allergy aware at UNIS Hanoi and in the broader
community. means. Find out what to do should a minor or severe,
anaphylaxis allergic reaction occurs. Access to prescribed medication. Know how to administer the medication and provide
education to all relevant people. Medication that may be needed? Mild Allergic reaction – Antihistamine medication may be administered. At UNIS Hanoi we have a supply of Claritine and parents have signed the admissions consent regarding administration of this should it be required. Severe Allergic reaction - Epinephrine also known as (Adrenaline) is the medicine of choice. It works quickly to reverse the symptoms of anaphylaxis, but is some cases; a second dose may be needed as the effects may be temporary. At UNIS Hanoi we have students own Epinephrine pens should they be required, however we also carry a stock of Epinephrine Pens in case a student has a severe reaction who is not aware of his allergen. We also provide an Allergy Emergency Plan for all students with know allergens that is easily followed by the School Health Centre should the need arise. Nurses and many teachers are aware of how to use the Epi Pen if need be.
Questions? nurse@unishanoi.org
Let's start the year off right by getting to know the other families in your child's class. Parents and students of Grades 1 - 5 are invited to stay after school next week on grade specific days (see below) to share in a healthy snack and drink and get to know the parents of your children's classmates. Aug 25
Aug 26
Aug 27
Aug 28
Aug 29
Grade 1
Grade 2
Grade 3
Grade 4
Grade 5
15.30 – 16.30
15.30 – 16.30
14.30 – 15.30
15.30 – 16.30
15.30 - 16.30
Whether you are new to UNIS Hanoi, interested in meeting new people, curious about your child’s friends and their families, or just interested in helping build a strong UNIS Hanoi community, then this event is for you! This event will be held in the ES courtyard. Each class in the grade level will have their own table with name tags and snacks so you can get to know the other parents in your class, while your children play in the playground. This is not a supervised event as children are expected to be there with their parents. The School Community Organization is sponsoring this event as a new initiative towards building a wonderful community. We hope to see you there! Joh Ponsen and Natascha Senftleben SCO ES Chairs
... TO BE AN ES CLASS PARENT It is not as terrifying as it might sound! We saw some stunned faces earlier this week during the Back to School Nights when parents saw the list of class parent responsibilities. Here's the good news: Being a class parent is a wonderful opportunity to get involved with your child's school and ANYONE can do it! Your main task is to be a liaison between the parents of your child's class and the school by forwarding some emails, helping to coordinate the UN Day Community Lunch (within your class) and making new families feel welcome. The SCO team and the Community Liaison Officer will always be there to answer your questions and concerns so you will never find yourself alone! Be on the lookout for our big sign-up posters next week in the Elementary School and Early Childhood Centre courtyards, where you can check who your class parents are (more than one person can volunteer), or volunteer to help! Still hesitating? Contact us - and we will resolve all your doubt! Joh Ponsen and Natascha Senftleben ES SCO Chairs
Thank you to all the AMAZING parent volunteers who have answered our call for help last week and are volunteering at the Boutique. I am happy to announce our store hours for the year thus far: Monday 8.00 – 9.00
Tuesday 8.00 – 9.00
Wednesday 8.00 – 9.00
Thursday CLOSED
Friday CLOSED
15.00 – 16.00
CLOSED
CLOSED
15.00 -16.00
CLOSED
We are still looking for people to help on occasional Saturday mornings, namely on September 6 (Saturday Soccer begins) and September 13 (Community Connections Fair). If you are interested, please do email shop@unishanoi.org SHORTS ARE IN! For those of you that have been asking for the new shorts, they have arrived! Stop by the Boutique to check them out. SOLD OUT: We ask that you are patient with us as we are out of stock in some sizes in both House and UNIS Hanoi shirts. We have already placed an order and shirts are currently being produced. We can expect new stock to arrive within 3 weeks’ time. An announcement will be made in the Tin Tuc as soon as they do arrive. The PE Department has been notified of this situation and we would like to reiterate that ANY UNIS Hanoi shirt can be worn to PE. For more information and up to date news visit: www.unishanoi.org/schoolstore or email the SCO Boutique Coordinator, Malin Niklasson, shop@unishanoi.org