tintuc@unishanoi.org UNIS Hanoi’s Weekly Community Newsletter Volume 20, Edition 13, Friday 15 November
NEXT WEEK...
COMING SOON...
MONDAY, 18 NOVEMBER
MONDAY, 25 NOVEMBER
ASA & UMA Session 2 Begin THIMUN 18-23 Nov, Singapore Digital Footprints Parent Info, 8:30-10:00, Library
TUESDAY, 19 NOVEMBER
MS Sports Season 2 Starts - Soccer 15:40-17:30 Board of Directors Meeting (Open) 17:30-19:30, Community Room (B7)
WEDNESDAY, 20 NOVEMBER
Teacher Appreciation Day IB Diploma G10 Parent & Student Info 18:00, Library
THURSDAY, 21 NOVEMBER
ECC Learning Journey 8:10-10:00 HS Swim Meet 13:00-16:00 Parent Session with Gail Sobat 18:00-19:00, Library
TUESDAY, 26 NOVEMBER
Phoenix Challenge HS Basketball Tournament 22-23 Nov
SATURDAY, 23 NOVEMBER
NO Saturday Soccer and NO ComEd
SUNDAY, 24 NOVEMBER
HIWC Bazaar
K2 Field Trip 9:15-12:00 SCO All Parent Meeting, 8:30-9:30, Community Room Grade 4 Performance for Parents 18:00-19:30, Theatre
WEDNESDAY, 27 NOVEMBER
SMP 2015-2020 Planning Taskforce Meeting, 7:00-8:30, Conference Room
FRIDAY, 29 NOVEMBER
FRIDAY, 22 NOVEMBER
ES Book Week 25-29 Nov Grade 4 Exhibition Week for Parents Board of Directors Generative Meeting, 17:30-19:30, B7
SCO Book Fair 29-30 Nov Grease - HS Musical 29-30 Nov, 19:00-21:00, Theatre MSHS Transition Workshop with Parents 8:30-10:00, Library Grades 3-5 Winter Party 16:00-17:30, Black Box
SATURDAY, 30 NOVEMBER
Saturday Soccer and Community Education Session End
SUNDAY, 1 DECEMBER
Peter Goverde Memorial Tennis Tournament
IN THIS WEEK’S TIN TUC - The Highlights... Notes from the Head of School and the Board of Directors (p.2) Is your Family leaving Hanoi soon? (p.3)
Freedom from Chemical Dependency - Visitor in December (p.7) Are you ready for GREASE? Get your tickets NOW! (p.8) Anyone for Tennis? (p.9)
Grade 10 Parent & Student Diploma Programme Info (p.4) Digital Footprints Info Session (p.5) ECC Learning Journey (p.5)
UMA Updates (p.10) Sausage Sizzle is back (p.10) UNIS Team at KotoBike Ride (p.10) An Average Canteen Meal? (p.11)
A Week for ES Book Lovers (p.5) UNIS Book Sale. Who is in the lead? (p.6) Gail Sobat at UNIS Hanoi (p.7)
Protect Your Brain (p.12) SCO Funding Application Final Week! (p.13) HIWC Bazaar. Get your tickets (p.14 ) Canteen Menu
You can find the notes from my latest “Breakfast with the Head of School” by clicking here. As a way to attract more parents to these sessions, I have decided to offer the next session as “Evening Hors D’Oeuvres with the Head of School” on Thursday evening, March 6 beginning at 19:00 in the Community Room. The Breakfast with the HoS scheduled for Friday morning, 21 February will be cancelled. I hope you will be able to make it. There will be more details after the new year as the date gets closer. Again, I urge you to take the time to fill out the Annual School Survey that has been advertised for several weeks now in the Tin Tuc and with direct mailings from my office.
We have included the information again in the distribution email for this edition of the Tin Tuc for your ease of reference. There are certain responsibilities parents have as part of the UNIS Hanoi community and completing surveys like this one are an essential component of fulfilling these responsibilities. Your opinions are very important to us, as we plan for the future of the school you have chosen for your child(ren). Please help us to make improvements by completing this survey. Respectfully, Dr. Barder, hos@unishanoi.org
Thank you to all of the parents and community members who attended the Board Community meeting on Tuesday night. We had a turnout of more than 40 people, which is a good indication of the interest and commitment in making UNIS Hanoi a great school for our children and future generations. If you like to see the PowerPoint presentation from the evening, please click here. As in previous years, the Board and Administration will prepare more detailed responses to questions raised during the session, to share with everyone, and publish them on November 29. While Tuesday’s meeting was intended to present the draft budget for 2013-14 as well share more information about the Board and its annual activities to the Community, the majority of parent questions were about our just published 2012-13 Annual Report. The Annual Report is intended to highlight for our community the School’s progress through its Annual Action Plans in achieving the goals of the five-year Strategic Management Plan (SMP). This year, in tandem with the Annual Report (which you should have all received this week – sent home with the youngest child of each family) we also published the Mid Term Review of the SMP, which is available online or print copies are available from the Advancement Office.
For parents who are interested to know more about the results published in the Reports and the programmes, which the school offers, I would like to draw your attention the parent evenings during the school year which focus on the IB curriculums frameworks as well as the ISA, MAP and SAT testing results, technology use and university placement. Please mark your calendars and take advantage of these opportunities to find out more about the education your child is experiencing at UNIS Hanoi. Best regards, Sarah Garner, Board Chair
Please notify the Admissions office of your intended withdrawal date. School will close for the winter break on Friday 13th December. The last day of the first semester is Friday 17th 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.
If you will be leaving UNIS and Hanoi soon, please come and join us!
Friday, November 29, 8:30-10:00am in The Library Projection Room Come join us and learn about:
The Stages of Transition
Tips to Help Children Through Transition
Suggestions for Adapting to Your New Location
The UNIS Hanoi Counseling Department D-12
Please note that this is not an opportunity to discuss individual course selections. The timeline for individual student consultations and questions is below. The International Baccalaureate's (IB) Diploma Programme is a challenging twoyear pre-university course, which leads to a qualification that is widely recognised by the world's leading universities. Preparation for the DP programme and course selection is about to commence for our current Grade 10 students. On Wednesday 20 November we would like to invite parents and students in Grade 10 to attend an Introduction to the Diploma Programme at UNIS. The presentation will commence in the Library at 6.00pm. The purpose of this presentation is to provide a basic overview of the Diploma Programme; to provide further insight into the subjects that are being offered; and to outline the requirements for passing the Diploma in Grade 12. Seran Choi and Ms Hoa will be at the presentation to provide translation into Korean and Vietnamese.
Grade 10 students will commence their IB Diploma orientation and course selection process on 19 November. The table below shows the information sessions for grade 10 students for each of the subject groups 1-6. In addition to these sessions, students will also be engaged in the Grade
Information
November 20 Introduction to the Diploma Programme in the UNIS Library, at 6.00pm, for parents and students November 20-December 14 Individual parent and student sessions with DP Coordinator and HS Counselors (please email to make bookings) Grade 10 Advisory and X Block sessions for introduction to Group’s 1-6 (students only) Grade 10 Advisory sessions on Naviance (students only) Teacher Recommendations to students for Group 1, Group 2 and Group 5 (emailed to students) January 7-11 Formal sign up’s for Grade 10 students
10 advisory programme that is designed to assist students throughout this process. Students will also be meeting with subject teachers and discussing teacher recommendations for the courses as well as possible options for their study during the next two years at UNIS Hanoi.
Facilitator Responsible
Date
Introduction to the IB Diploma Programme Group 1: Lang and Lit/Lit Group 2: Language Acquisition
DP Coordinator Ms Emma Collins HS Counselors Ms Candy Crouch and Ms Tanya Arnold
Tuesday 19 November X Block – 12.35-1.15
Head of Department Language A
Ms Chris Mills
Head of Department Language B
Ms Maite Montero
Monday 18 November Advisory
Parent and Students Information Night
DP Coordinator Ms Emma Collins
Group 3: Individuals and Societies Group 6: The Arts Group 5: Mathematics & Computer Science Group 4: Experimental Science
Wednesday 20 November
Head of Department
Ms Kelsey Giroux
Head of Department
Mr Brendan McGibbon
Head of Department Mr Ben Moyale Head of Department Ms Rebecca Bechard
Friday 22 November X Block 12.35-1.15
Tuesday 26 November X Block 12.35-1.15
18 November, 8:30-10:00 am, Library Projector Room Many parents have heard the term “digital footprint”, usually in a negative or fearful connotation. The purpose of this session is to discuss how UNIS Hanoi is promoting and helping students to think about their own digital footprints. We will also look at how parents can help their child to manage a positive online identity. Topics in this session include: Social media use - when is it appropriate to use? Public vs. personal vs. private information Sharing options/visibility Screen names and avatars Kindly confirm your attendance by sending an email to mmatias@unishanoi.org
Dear Families We are very excited to let you know about our ES Book Week from November 25-29 that support the focus on Love of Literature across the ES following our visiting Author, Writer and Story Teller -Gail Sobat.
There will be more details next week but some of the exciting things happening to engender a love of literature include: Start the day with a Story: story telling each morning in the ECC Gym and Library Multilingual story telling at lunchtimes in the library Pyjama Day and Curl up and Read-- Tuesday 26 Nov Poem in Pocket Day- Wednesday 27 Nov Character Dress Up Day – Thursday 28 Nov Displays of Banned Books, Which came first the Book or the Movie and Mystery readers in the library and Centre for the Arts Challenges – How many books can you read in a week and No TV for a week Ending with the SCO Book Fair (please see the next page)
Collection has started for the annual UNIS Hanoi SCO Book sale and competition is already heating up for the book vouchers to spend at the sale (one voucher for each child in the winning ECC, ES and MS class that collects the most books). So send your pre-loved books into school now! Kids’ books, adults’ books, fact or fiction, English or other language – take them to your child’s homeroom (grades D-8) or, for HS students, boxes are outside the canteen, library, HS Common Room, or the MSHS Office.
NOTE: On the inside cover of books, please write in pencil, in English, the LANGUAGE the book is written in (if not English).
In the lead we have...
The Book Sale is run entirely by volunteers and we need your help to make it a success! Please follow this link [click here] and sign up to help sort (27 Nov) and/or sell books (29 and/or 30 Nov) – it’s not an arduous job and it’s fun to see the kids so excited about their purchases!
Questions? Contact Peppi Wilson/Lori Fairbairn at: Scobooksale@gmail.com
The Book Sale is an annual SCO event. Its primary aim is to help us all enjoy some ‘new’ books; It’s exciting to be able to get new books to touch, feel and, of course, read, in our native (or other!) language, at an affordable price (all books will be sold at 10,000 or 20,000VND) It’s empowering for children to be able to choose and buy their own books (and affordable for parents to give them this freedom!)
ECC: K2CA, 51 books K1RT & DSS close behind ES: 5MS, 248! 2JC & 5DL, over 100 each MS: TBA
The book sale also raises money for a good cause. This year, for the first time, 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. Thank you to Saigon Van for kindly lending the collection boxes for the UNIS Hanoi SCO Book Sale.
This week and next we are joined by noted Canadian writer and educator, Gail Sobat. Whilst in school, Gail is focusing on readers’ theatre with the DP English classes and on narrative writing with MYP and PYP classes from Grade 2 up. She will also spend some story time with the youngest students. While here, Gail is also spending time coaching students with writing – especially personal statements for college applications and academic writing for senior students. Yesterday she held a creative writing session for students after school and she is also meeting with all the teachers who teach writing for coaching and professional development. Gail’s areas of expertise include music and drama, so her sessions so far have been playful and lively. This week, Gail has been working with MS and HS students; her schedule with ES students starts next Tuesday. She is enjoying her visit to UNIS Hanoi: “The students are remarkably talented and clearly they already know a great deal under the guidance of great teachers. It’s been really fun to word play with all of them.”
As part of our student support and health education programmes, we have invited Prevention Specialists from FCD Educational Services to visit our school. FCD (Freedom from Chemical Dependency) is a non-profit organization that provides alcohol, tobacco, and other drug education to schools and colleges world-wide. FCD Prevention Specialists are not coming here to tell your family what to do. They recognize that every student makes his or her own decisions about alcohol, tobacco, and/or other drug use. FCD Prevention Specialists will present the most up-todate information available on the physiological and psychological effects of various drugs, and provide a forum for discussing social, cultural, and personal issues that relate to the choices people make. One thing that makes FCD unique is that all of the Prevention Specialists have achieved long-term recovery from alcohol or other drug addictions. Most FCD Prevention Specialists began their own drinking and drug use during middle school and high school. They have experienced the pressures, personal issues and social situations teens face with regard to alcohol and other drug use. They also have first-hand knowledge of the destructive aspects of drug use, and how occasional use, in their case, led to addiction.
You can find out about Gail’s publications on her website: we have her books for teenagers available and ON SALE in the library! Gail has taught at every level from elementary to university and one of her ongoing projects is as creator and coordinator of YouthWrite, summer camps “for kids who love to write”: http://www.youthwrite.com/ Go directly to this link to read Gail’s bio. If you would like to meet Gail, please come along to our open night in the library on THURSDAY 21 November, 18:00 – 19:00.
FCD believes in educating the whole school community, not just students. FCD educators will be visiting our school for five days and working with students in Grades 5 through 12. There will be educational sessions for teachers and parents as well. The parent information session will take place on Thursday, December 5 from 6:00 to 8:00 in the Community Room in Building 7. If you have any questions or concerns you would like the FCD Specialists to know about prior to their presentation, please send them to your level counselor: escounselorcole@unishanoi.org (Tom Cole - ES) escounselorfleming@unishanoi.org (Andrea Fleming - ES) mscounselor@unishanoi.org (Jason Caruana - MS) hscounselorcrouch@unishanoi.org (Candy Crouch - HS) hscounselorarnold@unishanoi.org (Tanya Arnold - HS) and they will be passed on to the FCD team. For more information on FCD in advance of their visit, please go to their website at: www.fcd.org. We look forward to seeing you at the FCD Parent Workshop. The D-12 Counseling Department
UNIS STUDENT LED MUSICAL 2013
DATE: 29th AND 30th NOVEMBER VENUE: UNIS THEATRE TIME: 7 P.M. TICKET PRICE: 100 000 VND Tickets will be sold during HS lunch and after school Tuesdays and Thursdays in front of the canteen
BUY YOUR TICKETS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO GET THE BEST POSSIBLE SEATS!
Calling on all UNIS Hanoi tennis players!!
Sunday, December 1, 2013 This isn’t the US Open. It’s not Wimbledon. It’s better than that!! And if you’re a tennis player, you don’t want to miss out!! The UNIS Hanoi Tennis Courts will be full of tennis enthusiasts on Sunday, December 1 as players from the UNIS Hanoi community gather to remember a former staff member, Mr. Peter Goverde. Four years ago the inaugural tournament was held, as UNIS Hanoi recognized and remembered Peter, a truly special PE teacher who passed away in the late summer of 2009. Peter brought the passion of tennis to the students of UNIS Hanoi and loved to play the game of tennis with everyone and anyone! He is missed by those who had the pleasure of knowing him and this event is held in his memory. The 2013 Peter Goverde Memorial Tennis Tournament will be divided into 2 portions: Morning Session (08:00–12:00) for students Afternoon Session (13:00–17:00) for adults
All play will be doubles (with mixed doubles being the aim). UNIS Hanoi community members are encouraged to come out to enjoy a fun day of tennis. There will be refreshments and food available for purchase from 09:00 to 15:00. If there are heavy rains on Sunday morning, the tournament will be re-scheduled.
The plan is for all play to be in a mixed-doubles format. Students will play in 3 separate divisions: Elementary School (Grades 4-5) Middle School (Grades 6-8) High School (Grades 9-12) Adults will also play with a variety of different players throughout the afternoon in mixed doubles. Registration for the tournament is on the UNIS Hanoi Portal under Community – Tennis Tournament Registration. You can register by going to – http:// portal.unishanoi.org/Activities%20Office/SitePages/ PETER%20GOVERDE%20Memorial%20Tennis% 20Tournament.aspx A limited number of places will be available in each of the divisions. Registration will be on a first come, first served basis. A waiting list will be established and if openings do become available and we will contact those who are next in line. Closing date for registration is end of the day on Monday, November 18. This tournament is organized specifically for the UNIS Hanoi community, so registration will be limited to UNIS Hanoi students, parents and faculty/staff. We look forward to your participation and an enjoyable day of tennis! That’s what Peter would have wanted! Regards, UNIS Hanoi Activities
Dear Families, Today, 15 November is Ms. Cham’s last day at UNIS Hanoi as she has decided to move on to pursue other career opportunities. Please join us in saying thank you for all the hard work and dedication she has shown in her role as the UMA Officer over the past five years. Together with Ms. Liz, our UMA programme has grown considerably and now offers lessons to over 250 students 6 days a week. Adverts have been placed and we are now actively seeking someone to take over coordinating this wonderful programme until then please welcome Ms. Ha who will be our interim UMA Officer. She is looking forward to meeting all our new students who will begin lessons on Monday 18 November. Jan Humpleby, Elementary School Deputy Principal esdprincipal@unishanoi.org
UNIS Hanoi once again sponsored the annual KOTO Bike Ride. The money raised from the many sponsors, more than US$10,000, will go towards covering the annual cost of the training centre and four welfare houses. Mary Pool and Sibylle Harth formed an impromptu UNIS Hanoi cycling team. Highlights of the day included crossing the Long Bien bridge, trains, exploring the many loops you can take around the dyke road, cows, lorries and dust clouds, and finally the arrival at the Vincom Village park ready for wonderful KOTO food! Mary Pool, mpool@unishanoi.org
Your UNIS Hanoi Sausage Sizzle is now serving our WORLD FAMOUS products behind the B4 Sports Centre Fresh brewed coffee, tea, water, soda, popcorn and sausages will be available Saturday from 9:00 to 11:30
Many thanks to our senior students, Jonas Fiebrantz and Nam Nguyen for producing an article on the ‘Origins of Canteen Food’. The content provides the reader with valuable information on nutritional values and properties, digestion, daily intake percentages and much more:
You can also read the notes from our last meeting by clicking this link. Warm wishes and happy reading, Adrian Hubbard, D-12 Physical Education and Health Coordinator ahubbard@unishanoi.org
Bike and Wheels safety for big and little kids at play Always fasten the strap. The strap should form a “V”
below your ears. It is an interesting and somewhat concerning sight when coming and going from school at times. Transport on motorbikes and bicycles is common practice in Hanoi and when observing big and little kids without helmets, the alarm bells start to ring. UNIS School Health Centre is aware of around 15 motorbike/bike accidents since the beginning of the school year involving teachers, students and members of the community. Injuries ranged from mild to severe and in most cases helmets had not been worn. According to the World Health Organization, nearly 11,000 road deaths were recorded last year in Vietnam with them having one of the world's highest rates per 100,000. The majority of accidents involve motorbikes. As the training wheels come off your child’s bike, the risk for bike and wheeled-related injury may increase. To stay safe on two-, three- and four-wheeled toys and vehicles, little kids and big kids need to learn the rules of the road and practice safe behaviors including wearing a helmet.
You should only be able to fit two fingers from your
eyebrow to the brim of the helmet and two fingers under the chin strap. Don’t wear a damaged helmet Don’t buy a helmet that is too big for your child hoping
they will, “grow into it”. It will not protect your child now. Adults should set a good example for their children by
wearing a helmet. It doesn’t matter where you are in the world, wearing a helmet for big kids and little kids is the right thing to do. Parents it’s up to you to protect that brain – you and yours will only ever have one.
A single rule – Protect that Brain: Wear a helmet! – reduce the risk of head injury by as much as 85 percent. Learn how to keep you, your big kids and little kids safe when riding a bike or wheeled vehicle.
Make sure you and your child’s helmet is a safety
approved helmet. Consider purchasing one when next on home leave if unable to purchase locally. Make sure your child has the right size helmet and that
he wears it every time when riding, skating or scooting. Helmets should fit snugly, rest low and level on your
forehead, just above your eyebrows. When you open your mouth to yawn, you should feel pressure on top of your head.
REF: Kid safe, Child Accident Prevention Foundation of Australia. Access online Nov 2013 Safe Kids USA. Access online. Nov 2013 Gobal Status report on road safety 2013. World Health organization, WHO. Access online Nov 2013 School Health Centre
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).
compost bins for the school garden outdoor seating, decorations for the Library 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
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
You can feel it, people are talking about it and it's happening – yes, the 2013 HIWC Charity Bazaar is taking place at UNIS on Sunday 24 November. Come try authentic dishes from all around the world! Relax and enjoy entertainment from the UNIS Jazz Band as well as dance groups, fashion shows and Djs on our Main Stage. Get some early holiday shopping done in the commercial section while your kids play games in the Kid’s Corner. Of course, don’t forget all the proceeds raised support charity projects all around Hanoi!! Volunteers are still required and if you are interested in giving an hour or two of your time at the Bazaar please register now to Tania – email: bazaarvolunteers@hanoi-iwc.com The Bazaar is a totally voluntary event, the more people who help, the better the event will be!! We also strongly suggest you pre-purchase tickets!
Ticket available at the following locations: Jafa – G2-G3 Ciputra Jaspas – 49 Hai Ba Trung Kitchen – 30 To Ngoc Van Oasis – 24 Xuan Dieu Pure Heaven – 55 Xuan Dieu Adult (Pre-sale) 120.000VND / 150.000VND (at the gate) Child (3-12yrs) 50.000VND / Children under 3yrs enter free
Tickets are sold at UNIS Hanoi in front of the canteen this week! 11/16 SATURDAY
11/18 MONDAY
11/19 TUESDAY
11/20 WEDNESDAY
11/21 THURSDAY
11/22 FRIDAY
08.15 SATURDAY SOCCER
15.00-16.00
15.00-16.00
14.00-15.00
15.00-16.00
15.00-16.00