tintuc@unishanoi.org UNIS Hanoi’s Weekly Community Newsletter
Volume 20, Edition 11, Friday 1 November
NEXT WEEK...
COMING SOON...
MONDAY, 4 NOVEMBER
MONDAY, 11 NOVEMBER
MSHS 3 Way Parent Conferences 4-5 November NO ASAs & Sports for MSHS Students SCO Book Sale Collection Starts
TUESDAY, 5 NOVEMBER
Finance Committee Meeting 7:00-8:30, B7 ES Annual Walk-a-thon 12:30-14:30, Back field Parent Session with Richard Gill, 18:00, Centre for the Arts
THURSDAY, 7 NOVEMBER
MRISA Senior Volleyball, 7-10 November, Cambodia MRISA Junior Basketball , 7-10 November, Cambodia HS GIN Conference, 7-10 November, Beijing University Info Session 13:15-14:00, Library & B5
FRIDAY, 8 NOVEMBER
Faculty/Staff Professional Development Day NO School for Students
TUESDAY, 12 NOVEMBER
Richard Gill - Musician in Residence 5-8 November
WEDNESDAY, 6 NOVEMBER
Gail Sidonie Sobat - Writer in Residence Programme 12 22 Nov Board of Directors Community Meeting 19:00-20:30, Black Box (B10)
WEDNESDAY, 13 NOVEMBER
Autumn APAC Performing Arts Festivals 13 - 17 Nov Choir (Hong Kong) and Orchestra (Korea)
THURSDAY, 14 NOVEMBER
UNIS Invitational Swim Meet 14 - 17 Nov
FRIDAY, 15 NOVEMBER
Grades 3-5 Athletics Morning 8:30-11:00
SATURDAY, 16 NOVEMBER
Alumni Reunion in London 18:00-20:00
ASA and UMA Session 1 End Breakfast with the Head of School, 8:15-9:15, Community Room (B7) University Info Session 13:15-14:00, Library
IN THIS WEEK’S TIN TUC - The Highlights... Notes from the Head of School (p.2) Richard Gill and more Coming Attractions to Hanoi (p.3) Notes for Leaving Families (p.4)
ES Blue Dragon Walk-a-thon (p.9) Saussage Sizzle is back (p.10)
ECC Learning Journey (p.4) MYP Assessment - How to read your child’s report (p.4)
Mo Brothers and Sista’s (p.11) Healthy Option Available (p.11) UNIS Book Fair. What and Why? (p.12)
APAC Volleyball at UNIS Hanoi. A Big “Hit” (p.5-6) MS Swim Meet Results (p.7) University Info Sessions (p.8)
SCO Boutique News (p.12) SCO Funding Available! (p.13) HIWC Bazaar (p.14) Canteen Menu
Our school is accredited by two external accrediting agencies: 1. The Council of International Schools (CIS) based in Amsterdam 2. The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) based in San Francisco UNIS Hanoi is also authorized to offer the three programmes of the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) based in Geneva. 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. 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 should receive by now more specific details about your participation in this survey, 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. 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. Respectfully, Dr. Barder, hos@unishanoi.org
We wish all the best to who left UNIS Hanoi this week. And Welcome to UNIS Hanoi
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.
working with all of the Elementary School music classes, and will also have some advisory time with the 10th Grade 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, Centre for the Arts. 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
More coming attractions to Hanoi over the next month…. This weekend our MYP language teachers, plus several of the Grade 5 language teachers as well, will attend an inschool IB workshop for MYP language acquisition (language B). This workshop will introduce all teachers to the new subject guide for languages and increase their familiarity with one of the objectives that is new (visual interpretation) as well as giving strategies for teaching and assessing the six phases of language proficiency that have been introduced. Hosting a weekend IB workshop is a great option for us compared to the time and cost involved in sending all these teachers away to workshops in other countries and we are grateful to the teachers for giving up their weekend to participate as a group. The IB workshop leader will be Paul Apostolou, the MYP coordinator from Tamagawa Academy in Tokyo, Japan. Paul was one of the team involved in designing and piloting the new MYP language B guide.
The faculty will have orientation sessions to prepare us for the schoolwide self-study that we will be carrying out over the next 10 months. These will be run by a visiting consultant, Mr Ray Davis, the Associate Director of School Support and Evaluation Services for the Council of
International Schools. CIS and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) are the accrediting agencies that will be conducting the school’s 5-year review, together with the IB. On the same day, we will also run workshops on the IB standards and practices against which our curriculum programmes will be evaluated. These periodic self-evaluations, coming as they do with external feedback from experts, help us to maintain our quality and deepen our understanding of what it means to be an excellent international school.
A writing residency from the Canadian author Gail Sidonie Sobat (http://www.gailsidoniesobat.com/). Gail will work with students from Grade 3 - 12, provide professional development and coaching for teachers and be a visiting author in the library. Parents will have an opportunity to meet Gail while she is here – more in the next Tin Tuc!
Amazing Science from Philip Rose, a presenter who enthuses and intrigues students with hands-on, active demonstrations and experiments. Philip Rose’s website, http://www.scitech.co.uk/, describes some of his presentations and shows children making ice cream, investigating the effects of liquid nitrogen and so on. At the moment he is working with our staff to plan presentations that support our curriculum.
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.
The mid-semester reports have a new look. You will get them on Friday, November 1. At the parent-teacher conferences you can then get more information from your child’s teachers on his/her progress.
But what does this report actually mean? Where does the grade come from? Why are there numbers for the criteria now? Why does it say N/A on some criteria? To discuss these questions, I will offer general sessions about MYP assessment during the TWO MSHS conference days, November 4-5. Presentation about new report design, addressing the questions above Time for questions
Library Central Area 9:15am-9:45am
Library Central Area 3:00pm-3:20pm 3:25pm-3:55pm
Last weekend close to 150 high school volleyball players from six APAC schools took the courts in the UNIS Hanoi Sports Center over three days to compete for the 2013 Asia Division APAC Volleyball Championships. Spectators and players alike were witness to some of the best volleyball that UNIS Hanoi has ever been fortunate enough to host. The home Phoenix from UNIS Hanoi were joined by the following fellow APAC member schools: Canadian Academy Falcons (Kobe, Japan) Hong Kong International School Dragons (China) International School of Beijing Dragons (China) Shanghai American School – Puxi Eagles (China) Taejon Christian International School Dragons (Korea) Meanwhile, the six schools in the Pacific Division of APAC were battling things out at Western Academy of Beijing, to determine the other divisional champions. In the girls’ tournament, one team clearly dominated the proceedings. The girls from the International School of Beijing (ISB) went undefeated over the three days, dropping only one set in the entire tournament. They were matched up against the Falcons from Canadian Academy (CA) in the championship final, where they claimed the APAC title in a relatively comfortable 3-0 sets victory. The boys’ final featured two of APAC’s heavyweights. It was Beijing (ISB) versus Shanghai (SAS-PX). ISB came into the deciding match with an undefeated record, having only dropped one set along the way. It was SAS-PX who had put the only blemish on the ISB record when the teams met each other during round robin play. SAS-PX’s only loss on their way to the final was against ISB. There wasn’t much between the two teams and the final turned out to be a classic. In the best three out of five set
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th
SASPX ISB HKIS TCIS CA UNIS Hanoi
Sportsmanship Award - CA
6-1 6-1 3-5 2-6 2-5 3-4
championship, SAS-PX looked in control early on and took a two set lead. That’s when ISB turned things around, coming back to win the third and fourth set, forcing the match into a fifth and deciding set. Needing 15 points to win the APAC Championship, ISB found themselves with a 12-7 lead and it looked as though their remarkable comeback from two sets down was complete. The Eagles from Shanghai had other ideas. SAS-PX came back and won the final set 15-12 in front of a full capacity Sports Center. What a great way to end the tournament. The two teams from UNIS Hanoi continued to show improvement in their challenge to compete against some of the bigger and more well-established APAC schools. The boys won more matches than any previous boys’ volleyball team, but still ended up in sixth place, after losing some disappointing playoff matches. The Phoenix girls, played with great spirit, but found their opponents difficult to overcome. The Team Sportsmanship Award was presented to the UNIS Hanoi girls, an honor which is voted on by their fellow competitors and coaches. These were the final standings and tournament win-loss records of all teams:
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th
ISB CA HKIS SASPX TCIS UNIS Hanoi
Sportsmanship Award - UNIS Hanoi
7-0 5-2 3-5 4-4 3-4 0-7
Congratulations to Hauke Schmidt and Jemima Brennen for being named to the tournament All-APAC teams! WELL DONE!
Members of UNIS Hanoi Dance Team
There are many people who contributed to the success of this event. On behalf of the Activities Office, I would like to thank the following:
Score Tech – for making the tournament t-shirts
UNIS Host Families – your gracious hospitality is
greatly appreciated! Giang, Ha and Huong from the UNIS Activities
Office UNIS Hanoi PE Department The UNIS Hanoi Nursing Staff and SOS Hospital Game Directors (Adrian, Cam, Duc and Hiep) – you
were the glue that held things together. Coaches (Claire, Susan, Ben and Simon) MS Ambassadors – our professional flag bearers
UNIS Hanoi Transportation Coordinator J & J Food Services - for keeping us all well fed. The UNIS Hanoi Operations team The Sheraton Hanoi Hotel - for providing
accommodations for our visiting coaches UNIS Hanoi Students and Blue Dragon – our ball
boys/girls over the three days MRISA Middle School Soccer will be at UNIS Hanoi in February, so we’ll be calling on the UNIS community to do it all again! GO PHOENIX!! Dirk Kraetzer, Director of Activities da@unishanoi.org
Congratulations to all participants and new grade level record holders – Min Jun Kim G6, Uyen Trinh G7 and Sorcha Hamer G8. Meet results, records and other information from the meet could be found on PE House Events page. Eleonora Jaranova, Aquatics Coordinator ejaranova@unishanoi.org
1st Place
2nd Place
3rd Place
4th Place
TIGERS LIONS BUFFALOES EAGLES 1729 points 1727 points 1721 points 1614 points
Grade 3 Soccer Grade 3 enjoyed attending the Hanoi School Sports Elementary Soccer Day on Wednesday 30 October 2013, during which they played against several other international schools from Hanoi at Concordia International School football fields. With our students divided up into their house teams, everyone played in several games with rotating substitutes. The day was not only a celebration of a sport but also a day to enjoy sportsmanship – after each game everyone shook hands or did a high-five to acknowledge participation in and enjoyment of the game – and a chance to get to know other students in the Hanoi international school community.
Thursday, November 7 @ 13:15 - 14:00 Library Group Study Room Undergraduate programmes: Accounting Advertising and Marketing Communications Animation Arts Audio Production Audio Production: International Audio Production Biological Sciences Biology Business Administration Business Intelligence Technology Computer Science Concert Design Costume Construction Costume Design Cultural Anthropology Dance Economics Film Production German Studies Global Journalism History Information Management International Studies Languages Management Musical Theatre Nursing Philosophy Psychology Public Relations Sociology Women and Gender Studies
Thursday, November 7 @ 13:15 - 14:00 Common Room B5 G29 Undergraduate programmes: Agribusiness Agricultural Science Applied Science Architectural Design Arts International Hotel and Tourism Management Behavioural Studies Biomedical Science Biotechnology Business Management Commerce Communication Creative Art Education Dental Science Environmental Management Engineering Exercise and Nutrition Sciences Health Sciences Human Services Information Technology International Studies Journalism
Friday, November 8 @ 13:15-14:00 Library Group Study Room Undergraduate programmes: Business Communications and media Design, creative art, architecture Education Environment and sustainability Engineering Humanities and cultures Information technology Law and policy Medicine, health, pharmacy Science
The Blue Dragon Walk-a-thon is coming up this Wednesday at 12:30 pm. We hope to see many ES parents at the Walk-a-thon cheering their children on! A big thank you to all the parents who have volunteered to help. Please make a pledge to support this worthy cause! Donation forms are due back on Wednesday November 6, the day of the walk-a-thon. For more info on the Blue Dragon Charity please go to: http://www.bluedragon.org/
Your UNIS Hanoi Sausage Sizzle is now serving our WORLD FAMOUS products behind the B-4 Sports Centre Fresh brewed coffee, tea, water, soda, popcorn and sausages will be available Saturday from 9:00 to 11:30
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.
Mo Brothers and Sista’s Movember is responsible for the sprouting of millions of moustaches around the world. With their “Mo’s” men raise vital funds and awareness for prostate and testicular cancer and mental health illness. As an independent global charity, Movember’s vision is to have an everlasting impact on the face of men’s health.
On average, men die at a significantly younger age than women –however there is no biological reason for this. The reasons for the poor state of men’s health around the world are numerous and complex.
Movember men’s health programs combat prostate and testicular cancer and mental health challenges. These programs are focused on awareness and education, living with and beyond cancer, staying mentally healthy, and research to achieve our vision of an everlasting impact on the face of men’s health.
• Men not openly discussing their health and how they’re feeling
Movember challenges men to grow a moustache for the 30days of November, thereby changing their appearance and the face of men’s health. On the 1st of November, with a clean-shaven face, men start their Mo growing journey. Then for the entire month, these selfless and generous men known as Mo Bros, effectively become walking, talking billboards for 30 days. Through their growing efforts they raise awareness for the often ignored issues of men’s health, by prompting conversations wherever they go. UNIS and in fact Hanoi, is looking for Mo brothers for Movember and ask that you register your interest to http:// ex.movember.com/ and to find out what is happening in Hanoi, you can log on to www.Facebook.com/fusion-oi
• Stigmas surrounding mental health
Healthy Option Available NOW AVAILABLE IN THE CANTEEN
BROWN BREAD SANDWICHES Go on; take the ‘healthy’ option Health, Nutrition and Wellness Advisory Taskforce
From Movember’s perspective the reasons for the poor state of men’s health include: • Lack of awareness and understanding of the health issues men face like prostate cancer and testicular cancer.
• Reluctance to take action when men don’t feel physical or mentally well • Men engaging in risky activities that threaten their health
Movember aims to change the face of men’s health and reverse this way of thinking by putting a fun twist on this serious issue. Using the moustache as a catalyst, we want to bring about change. Every man should maintain a healthy lifestyle, a good diet and take action early when they experience a health issue. We want to encourage and give men the opportunity and confidence to learn and talk about their health more openly and take action.
School Health Centre
UNIS BOOK SALE – send in your preloved books to support a good cause! We are now collecting for the 2013 UNIS SCO Book Sale, which will take place on Friday 29 and Saturday 30 November. Here’s some Question & Answers (Q&As) to tell you all about it: We’d like BOOKS: any age group any language PLEASE just ensure they are sellable! (No scribbled
It’s exciting to be able to find pre-loved books in our native (or other!) language at an affordable price (all books will be sold at between 5,000 and 40,000VND). It’s empowering for children to be able to choose and buy their own books (and affordable for parents to give them this freedom) The sale also raises money for a good cause!
“It was a great day of excitement in the classroom as my students discussed what books they wanted to buy. Would there be books on pirates or animals or princesses? Fortunately everyone came back happy with the book of their dreams.” Ms Michelle, ECC “The book sale was great! We could buy so many ‘new’ books.” Alissa, Grade 4
–in workbooks; no magazines, no out-of-date travel guides, no DVDs, CDs or toys, please!)
NOTE: On the inside cover of books, please write in pencil, in English, the LANGUAGE the book is written in (if not English) (This is to assist us sort the books appropriately) Collection baskets will be in your child’s homeroom
classroom (grades D-8). Collection locations for HS students with be advertised shortly. There will be prizes for the ECC, ES and MS class that
collects the most books. Because books are wonderful and we all enjoy getting
new books to touch, feel and, of course, read!
Exercise towel, white color (50cm x 100cm)
UNIS Mugs will be available next week.
For the first time, this year, ALL profits from the sale will be donated to the Charity Room to Read (see: http:// www.roomtoread.org/ ). Your donated books will therefore give twice: they will be enjoyed by a new family; AND money raised from their sale will be used to help buy books for children in Vietnam who do not have access to a library. Further details about the sale will be circulated nearer sale day. In the interim, please contact Peppi & Lori with questions/ offers of help (if you’re not already signed up!): Scobooksale@gmail.com
NEW BOUTIQUE SCHEDULE MONDAY
8:00 - 9:00
TUESDAY
8:00 - 9:00
WEDNESDAY
8:00 - 9:00
THURSDAY
15:00 - 16:00
FRIDAY
8:00 - 9:00
Visit the Boutique Online for our item price range.
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
Tickets are already being sold at the following venues:
Dear UNIS Hanoi Community, We are only weeks away from HIWC’s Charity Bazaar which will be held on Sunday, November 24 on UNIS Campus from 10:00 am till 3:30 pm.
Jafa (G2-G3 Ciputra)
Jaspas (49 Hai Ba Trung)
Kitchen (30 To Gnoc Van)
Oasis (24 Xuan Dieu)
Pure Heaven (55 Xuan Dieu)
Presale Adults Tickets 120.000 VND/150.000 VND at the gate. Children Tickets (aged 3 – 12) 50.000VND (under 3 free) Get your tickets soon!!! It’s a fun day for everyone!!!