tintuc@unishanoi.org UNIS Hanoi’s Weekly Community Newsletter
NEXT WEEK... MONDAY, 28 OCTOBER (Quarter 2 Starts)
HS Spirit Week 28 October - 1 November ASA Session 2 Registration Opens at 7:00, ISIS Family *(DATE CHANGE, earlier than in the calendar ) Grade 10 Art Trip 12:45-15:25 HS Season 2 Sports Begin - Swimming & Basketball 15:40-17:30, Sports Centre (B4)
TUESDAY, 29 OCTOBER
MS Swim Meet 09:45-15:30 MS Basketball Games
WEDNESDAY, 30 OCTOBER
ASA Session 2 Registration Closes at 23:59 Grade 3 Away Football Match 8:45-13:30, Concordia
THURSDAY, 31 OCTOBER
MUN Security Council Simulation 16:00-20:00 Grades 4-5 Away Football Match 15:15-17:00, HIS
FRIDAY, 1 NOVEMBER
Annual CAISA/CIS Self Study Survey Opens HS MRISA Boys and Girls Volleyball vs. HIS 16:00-17:30, Sports Centre
Volume 20, Edition 10, Friday 25 October SATURDAY, 2 NOVEMBER
SAT Testing Grades 11&12 MS MRISA Boys Basketball vs. HIS 12:00-13:30, B4
COMING SOON... MONDAY, 4 NOVEMBER
MSHS 3 Way Parent Conferences 4-5 November NO ASAs & Sports for MSHS Students
TUESDAY, 5 NOVEMBER
Richard Gill - Musician in Residence 5-8 November
WEDNESDAY, 6 NOVEMBER
Finance Committee Meeting 7:00-8:30, Conference Room ES Annual Walk-a-thon 12:30-14:30, Back field Parent Session with Richard Gill, 18:00 (To be Confirmed)
THURSDAY, 7 NOVEMBER
MRISA Senior Volleyball, 7-10 November, Cambodia MRISA Junior Basketball , 7-10 November, Cambodia HS GIN Conference, 7-10 November, Beijing
FRIDAY, 8 NOVEMBER
ASA and UMA Session 1 End Breakfast with the Head of School, 8:15-9:15, Community Room (B7)
IN THIS WEEK’S TIN TUC - The Highlights... Notes from the Head of School and the Board of Directors (p.2-3) For leaving families (p.3) Notes from the Principals (p.4)
Richard Gill is coming to UNIS! (p.8) ECC Learning Journey. Date Change (p.8)
APAC Volleyball is at UNIS Hanoi. Join us to support our team! (p.5) ASA Registration. Date Change (p.5)
ES Blue Dragon Walk-a-thon (p.9) KOTO Bike Ride (p.10) SCO Funding Available! (p.11)
UNIS Hanoi Swim Meet (p.6) Keep our Children Safe in the Water (p.7)
UNIS Book Fair. Book Collection Starts soon! (p.12) SCO Boutique News (p.12) Canteen Menu
Our school is accredited by two external accrediting agencies:
weekend. Last Saturday I noted the following activities happening:
1. The Council of International Schools (CIS) based in Amsterdam
APAC Volleyball Practice in preparation for the
2. The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) based in San Francisco
MS Basketball Tournament
tournament this week Tennis Tournament to help our APAC Tennis Team
prepare for the tournament this week
UNIS Hanoi is also authorized to offer the three programmes of the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) based in Geneva.
Swim Meet
All of three of these organizations, CIS/WASC/IBO, have a thorough process of school review and audit on a regularly scheduled basis. We are up for review and will be visited by all three organizations at the same time in December 2014. In anticipation of that visit, we have already begun a self-study process. At my next Breakfast with the Head of School on Friday 08 November, I will outline briefly what this process entails so parents have a better understanding of it.
All day (Saturday and Sunday) training on our campus
As part of that process, we will once again this year seek input from parents, faculty and students regarding our school and its programmes through the Annual CAISA/ CIS Self Study Survey. You will receive more specific details about your participation in this survey next week, but I wanted to emphasize how important it is that as many parents as possible complete this survey. Each year our parent participation rate is well under 50% and it would be great if we could have more parents involved this year.
Two faculty were away for training in PYP for the
In the meantime, please plan to attend the Breakfast with the Head of School beginning with Coffee at 08:00 in the Community Room on 08 November. The session will commence at 08:15. On a different note, I wanted to highlight the tremendous support for students we get from parents and faculty on the
We wish all the best to
who left UNIS Hanoi this week
Saturday Soccer All of the other Com Ed Saturday Activities
for two of our faculty to become Trainers in the ESL in the Mainstream programme which helps regular classroom teachers to be more skilled in working with students whose first language is not English Three faculty were away for training to enhance our
PYP Exhibition Two faculty were away for training in teaching Theory
of Knowledge Physical Education programme And I am probably missing a few things. What is amazing to me is that this was all on the same day – last Saturday, 19 October. We are fortunate to have parents willing to give of their time to be a part of these activities. We also appreciate the willingness of faculty and staff to give up their weekend to support student activities and to participate in professional development to enhance learning experiences for students. It continues to be a privilege, an honor and a pleasure to be a part of the UNIS Hanoi School Community. Respectfully, Dr. Barder, hos@unishanoi.org
All parents, faculty and staff are warmly invited to meet with the Board of Directors
Any other questions/comments. If possible, please submit questions in advance to boardofdirectors@unishanoi.org. We look forward to meeting with you. Sarah Garner, UNIS Hanoi Board Chair
There will be some presentations and a chance to ask questions after each presentation and at the end of the meeting. Refreshments will be provided.
1. Welcome and introduction of Board members: Sarah Garner, Board Chair 2. Role of the Board of Directors: Sarah Garner, Board Chair 3. Board Action Plan for the School year and Board Generative Work: Chairs of Standing Committees (3) and Task Forces (2) and Board Chair 4. Financial update and introduction of draft Budget for 2014-15: Nguyen Van Hieu, Board Treasurer
“Our learning community will be an inspirational role model for a better world .” _ Vision “Our mission is to encourage students to be independent, lifelong learners who strive for excellence and become responsible stewards of our global society and natural environment, achieved within a supportive community that values diversity and through a programme reflecting the ideals and principles of the United Nations.” _ Mission
If your family intends to leave UNIS Hanoi at the end of the first semester, please notify the Admissions office via email of your child’s last day of attendance. School will close for the Winter Break on Friday 13 December. The last day of the first semester is Friday 17 January. Upon confirmation of your departure, we shall guide your family through the withdrawal process. If you require any further assistance, please email admissions@unishanoi.org or contact Admissions staff on 37581551 extension 8217 / 8220.
Dear ES Parents, Within the Elementary School we continue to have conversations about how we can improve the home school partnership. We hope that parents are enjoying the recent change in emphasis in the Grade Level and class blogs with the Grade Level blog concentrating on events and administrative affairs and the class blogs focusing on learning – looking back at what the children have been learning during the past week and looking forward to what will be introduced the following week. We hope that this is providing parents with more information so that they can talk to their children at home about what they have learned and understood in school. Another way we try to share with parents is through the workshops we offer. At the Back to School Nights in August, I announced our parent offerings for the coming year and last night Beth Murray, our Mathematics Subject Leader, ran a Maths Workshop for around 40 parents which explored how Maths has changed since we were all ES students. She also explained how we are continually ensuring that we stay up to date with the latest research about how the brain works in order to provide the most effective learning contexts for the students at UNIS Hanoi.
Dear MSHS Families, Greetings from the MSHS, which is currently a beehive of activity! We are pleased to be hosting the Boys and Girls 2013 APAC Volleyball Tournament. This year’s tournament has teams from China, Hong Kong, Korea, Japan and Vietnam competing in the three day event. If you have a spare moment please do come out and support our UNIS Hanoi teams. November 4-5 marks Student/Parent/Teacher 3-Way Conferences. Registration information for conferences was sent out last week. If you did not receive an email detailing signup procedures please contact the MSHS Office (hssec@unishanoi.org) and we will be happy to assist.
What I always find so interesting at sessions such as this and the regular PYP workshops, is not just how much has changed since I was an Elementary student, but I also learn more and more about the different learning experiences of our parents who, as we know, are from a very wide variety of backgrounds and education systems. It is not surprising that our different experiences lead to different expectations and therefore it is important as a school that we share with parents HOW as well as WHAT the children will be learning during their time at UNIS Hanoi. Being an IB PYP school means that we believe in particular approaches to learning that may not match what parents and children have experienced elsewhere. Our approaches are research based and draw on best practice world-wide and our teachers are confident about the effectiveness of our methodologies. Therefore I urge parents who are new to the PYP to attend any future workshops or events where our intention is to explain more fully how we believe children learn best and why we do things the way we do at UNIS Hanoi. If you have questions, our specialists and our homeroom teachers are happy to explain further the ‘what’ and the ‘how’ of learning in the Elementary School. Kind regards, Carole Denny, esprincipal@unishanoi.org
Mid semester progress reports will be available online by 17:00 on November 1. Access codes and information was sent to all parents. If you have any difficulty accessing your child’s report please contact the MSHS Office. Please take a moment to look over your child’s report before conferences. The information contained in the report will help you develop talking points with your child and their teachers. Please note that students are expected to attend conferences with their parents. As such the MSHS will be closed for classes during conferences. One of the goals of the 3-Way Conference is to have students take ownership of their learning and have a dialog with teachers and parents about their progress. I look forward to seeing many of you on campus on November 4/5. Warm regards, Pete Kennedy, mshsprincipal@unishanoi.org
October 26 United Nations International School of Hanoi Day 3: Saturday (All matches are best of 5) 35
Court 1
SF1
37
Court 1
SF2 5th/6t
39
Court 1
h
ISB
vs.
W31
8:30
36
Court 2
SF1
ISB
vs.
W32
SAS PX vs.
W33
10:30
38
Court 2
SF2
CA
vs.
W34
L33
12:30
40
Court 2
5th/6th
L32
vs.
L34
L35 vs. L37 GIRLS CHAMPIONSHIP
14:30 16:30
42
Court 2
3rd/4th
L36
vs.
L38
BOYS CHAMPIONSHIP
18:00
L31
vs.
3rd/4t 41 43
Court 1 Court 1
44
Court 1
h
Banquet and Awards Coaches Meeting & Banquet (Cafeteria)
19:30
Awards Ceremony (Centre of the Arts Theatre)
20:15
Buses Depart for Homestays
21:15
Check the APAC Volleyball Website for the full Saturday Schedule
After-School Activities (ASAs) are for students in Discovery through Grade 12. All UNIS Hanoi parents and students in Grades 5-12 should be checking their emails for information regarding the second ASA session of the school year. Information will be sent out next week. Everything that you will need to know about registration and the activities that are available will be explained in that communication. Please do not hesitate to contact the Co-Curricular Activities Office (Cocurricular@unishanoi.org) if you any questions.
PLEASE NOTE – the registration dates for Session 2 ASAs have been changed!! Registration for Session 2 will start on Monday, October 28 at 07:00 and will close on Wednesday, October 30 at 23:59 (midnight). All registration will take place on the ISIS Family online system.
Dirk Kraetzer, Director of Activities da@unishanoi.org
The first UNIS Swim Meet of the year was held last Saturday afternoon and it was a great success! Congratulations to all swimmers for the outstanding results seen on the day but most of all to the coaches – Catherine Cenere, Cora Stainton, Pham Duc Hiep, Nguyen Van Pho, Brian Healy and Andy Myers, for preparing students for this event! Congratulations to Swim Team record breakers – Uyen Trinh (100m Breaststroke), Jackson Wood (50m and 100m Backstroke), Andy Cole (200m Breaststroke) and Duc Do (200m Freestyle). The biggest thanks of the day go to those of you parents, Aquatics staff and HS Service Group students who offered your time to help us with the running of the meet. We say it every time – without you these events can’t happen. Results, photos and other reports are on Aquatics page. UNIS Portal > Activities > Aquatics The Middle School Swim Meet is scheduled on Tuesday, October 29th from 9:45-12:30. Parents, families and friends are kindly invited to attend the event and cheer up for MS students and House teams! For information about MS Swim Meet please visit the PE House Events page (click here to view the page).
Kind regards, Eleonora Jaranova, Aquatics Coordinator ejaranova@unishanoi.org
The Middle School Swim Meet is on Tuesday, October 29 from 09:45–12:30. As this is part of the Curricular Activities that your children will be participating in, please offer them your support by ensuring their participation and coming along to cheer them on. Some important reminders at this time are detailed below: Please be aware that parents need to email directly to Ms Ella ejaranova@unishanoi.org if you have a concern about your child’s participation for health reasons. Students cannot present to the School Health Centre for a note. We are fortunate to have such experienced swimming teachers and wonderful facilities at UNIS Hanoi so we should seize the opportunity to encourage our children to learn to swim for their own safety. Parents, you can assist the Aquatics Teachers at UNIS Hanoi in helping to prevent the possibility of a water related injury by making sure your child attends all their UNIS Aquatic Programme swimming classes. The water is always at a safe temperature and is altered according to the weather. They will learn how to swim and survive in water thus remarkably increasing their chances of surviving a water related accident.
– Their safety is paramount. An unfortunate statistic shows drowning to be a leading cause of unintentional death worldwide, and the highest rates are among children. It is the leading cause of death in Vietnam. - Swimming improves motor skills, and coordination of arms and legs as well as strength and flexibility. Swimming, keeps heart and lungs healthy and increases stamina. Teaching children about fitness is a lesson learned for the rest of their lives. Swimming is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle and a great form of exercise that is low impact and great for teaching the discipline required to maintain a healthy level of fitness
- Children are never too young or too old to learn to swim in a controlled environment with professional swimming teachers who can guarantee your child is being educated in the best possible method available. – Teaching your child to swim is a positive life changing experience they will always remember. It is a skill that one learns and is rarely forgotten. Evidence to support information and answers to any questions, is available through UNIS School Health Centre Kelly Havlin, School Nurse khavlin@unishanoi.org
Conjunctivitis Uncontrolled seizure Diarrhea/and or vomiting (at least 24 hrs following the last diarrhea) Fever – Depends on the child’s age, other symptoms and how high the fever is. If your child is comfortable, eats and sleeps normally and shows no other signs of illness , they can swim. Ear Infections – Diagnosed ear infection by Dr (children should not swim for 7 – 10 days or until antibiotic course is completed)
Cold Symptoms – if your child appears comfortable, eats and sleeps normally and shows no other sign of illness, they can swim. Cold sore virus – Cold sore virus cannot pass from one person to another in a swimming pool. Menstrual Cycle – Should not prevent your child from swimming for the entire cycle. Swimming boosts mood, stops cramps and makes you feel better all over. Wear a pair of shorts over your swim suit if it makes you feel more secure.
Swimming helps children learn how to act in a social environment. Our swimming classes are taught in groups thus showing the importance of working together and learning in a group.
Cuts and grazes – as long as not bleeding or signs of infection. May cover with a dressing and change after swimming. (Waterproof dressings not available in Hanoi. Consider buying in your home country)
- Swimming is a great skill that can help instill a sense of confidence. Learning and developing new skills in the pool makes children of all ages feel good about themselves. Swimming provides challenges.
Head Lice – Not spread by water in a swimming pool. Vision Impairment – Importance of Swimming does not go away if you have vision impairment.
We are delighted to welcome the wellknown Australian music educator and conductor, Richard Gill, to the school for a four-day residency from 5 – 8 November. http://www.artsmanagement.com.au/files/rgi_13_web.pdf As well as receiving accolades over the years for his conducting, Richard Gill’s work as a music educator with young people has been recognized worldwide. He has been awarded the Order of Australia.
music class, the concert band, UMA instrumental teachers and the Arts curriculum development team. You can watch Richard Gill’s TED talk on the value of music education. If you would like to meet him and hear more, there will an open parent session during the week. This is scheduled for Wednesday 6 November at 18:00 (to be confirmed). Janet Field, Director of Learning dol@unishanoi.org
Richard Gill is a passionate advocate of arts education and the importance of nurturing children’s creativity through music and the arts. While at the school, Richard Gill will be working with all of the Elementary School music classes, and will also have some advisory time with the 10th Grade
ECC parents are invited to join us on THURSDAY, 21 NOVEMBER 8:10-10:00 for our annual Learning Journey. This is a wonderful opportunity for parents of students in Discovery, K1 and K2 to come into school and share in their child’s learning. The students will guide their family member for the morning and take them on an interactive tour around typical activities they are involved in during their learning at UNIS Hanoi. More information will be coming home with the ECC students soon!
*Please mark this date in your calendar as it is very important each child has someone attend. Also, note the DATE HAS CHANGED from Tuesday, 19 November to Thursday, 21 November. Michelle Armstrong, K1 Team Leader marmstrong@unishanoi.org
The Community Education Programme (ComEd) is planning for the Spring Session (January – May 2014). If you would like to offer a course or suggest a course idea for ComEd, please contact Ha Thien Ha at comed@unishanoi.org by 7 November 2013.
The Blue Dragon Walk-a-thon ASA Team is working hard behind the scenes each week to prepare for the upcoming ES Walk-a-thon, which will be held on Wednesday November 6 at 12:30 pm. More info to come next week at the ES assemblies and pledge forms will be going home at the end of the week. Please help support this worthy cause!
Each year, our community raises funds, through the SCO, in course of implementing activities, the main activity being the organization and administration of the Spring Fair. Some of those funds are available each year to carry out project ideas from members of the community. The funding process is designed to be fair, transparent, and community-based (Please note, these funds are separate from those raised at the 25th Birthday Ball Fundraiser).
throw cushions for the Library big drum and gong for the Centre for the Arts badge making machine cameras for the ECC bedding/supplies for an Orphanage production funding for the Operation Smile Charity concert and many more!
Applications for funding may NOW BE SUBMITTED for consideration until Thursday, November 21, 2013 at 17.00pm.
Any member of the UNIS Hanoi community; including teaching staff, administration, faculty, students of all ages, student groups and parents. The kinds of projects that may be funded are: extra equipment/furniture outside the UNIS Hanoi Administration budget, fees, wages or expenses for a teaching specialist entertainer/workshop provider Publications and/or production costs. Examples of projects that have been funded in the past are compost bins for the school garden outdoor seating, decorations for the Library
For specific instructions about the application process, please read the Project Funding Application Information. All applications must be submitted using the Application Form and the Budget Form available under SCO Project Funding on the UNIS Hanoi website. Questions about the process or the forms should be directed to the SCO Treasurer, Petra Eichler at sco@unishanoi.org Pippa Wood, Renea Freeman, Petra Eichler SCO Funding Committee
Wondering what to do with your pre-loved books? The Annual UNIS Hanoi book fair is only weeks away and we want your books! We will be collecting books from 4 November in all ECC, ES and MS homerooms, as well as at central points for HS.
All profits from the sale will be donated to the Charity Room to Read (see: http://www.roomtoread.org/ ). Wouldn’t it be great if your donated books could be enjoyed by a new UNIS Hanoi family, with the sale proceeds used to help buy books for children in Vietnam who do not have access to a library! Kids’ books, adults’ books, fact or fiction, English, Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese, German, Swedish, French – we’re interested in books on any subject, in any language spoken within the UNIS Hanoi community. If it’s a book that someone else in the UNIS community might enjoy, donate it (so no out-dated travel guides, or similarly undesirable books, please!). Peppi Wilson and Lori Fairbairn, Book Sale Coordinators. (Contact us at: scobooksale@gmail.com)
Exercise towel, white color (50cm x 100cm)
UNIS Mugs will be available next week.
NEW BOUTIQUE SCHEDULE MONDAY
8:00 - 9:00
TUESDAY
8:00 - 9:00
WEDNESDAY
8:00 - 9:00
THURSDAY
8:00 - 9:00
FRIDAY
8:00 - 9:00
Visit the Boutique Online for our item price range.