tintuc@unishanoi.org UNIS Hanoi’s Weekly Community Newsletter
Volume 19, Edition 14, Friday 23 November
Next Week...
Next Week...
Monday, 26 November
Sunday,2 December
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Board Committee on Directors 17:30 - 19:00, B7
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Tuesday, 27 November ●
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School Community Organisation All Parents Meeting 08:30 - 09:30, Community Room Grade 10 DP Course Selection Parent Evening 18:00 - 19:30, B8
Thursday, 29 November ●
National Danish Performance Team visit UNIS Hanoi, Sport Centre. Performance 8:30, Parents Welcome
Friday, 30 November ●
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High School Musical 30 Nov - 01 Dec, B10 SCO Book Sale 30 Nov - 01 Dec Visiting Musicians - Empirical - Courtesy the British Council, B10 for UNIS & Visiting Students Only
Saturday,1 December ●
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SAT Tesing, Grades 11-12 Saturday Soccer and Community Education Programme Session 1 Ends
Peter Goverde Memorial Tennis Tournament 8:00 - 18:00, UNIS Hanoi Tennis Court
Coming Soon... Tuesday, 4 December ●
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Advancement Committee Meeting 08:15 - 09:30, B7 Strategic Management Plan Mid-Term Review Task Force 18:00 - 19:30, B7
Thursday, 6 December ●
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Breakfast with the Head of School, 08:15, B7 KG Trip to the Museum of Ethnology, 8:30 - 11:30 Grades 3-5 Party
Friday, 7 December ●
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Panata Swim Meet, Bangkok 7 - 9 Dec ES Snack Sale Morning Festive Fundraiser 18:00, B10
Saturday,8 December ●
MSHS Forensics Invitational (Speech & Debate) 8:00 - 18:00, UNIS Hanoi Tennis Court
IN THIS WEEK’S TIN TUC - The Highlights... Notes from the Head of School, and the Board of Directors (p.2-4) Notes from the Admissions Office for leaving families (p.2) Notes from the Principals (p.5-6)
Walk-a-thon Photo Special (p.13) Festive Fundraiser is just around the corner (p.14) Protect Your Brain! (p.15)
Special Guests on Campus next week. Read more... (p.7) Learning Day at the ECC (p.8) Young Children’s Behaviour Development. Read more... (p.4)
UNIS ’s First APAC in Hanoi. (p.16) HS MRISA Volleyball Team is ready! (p.17) MS Swim Meet Scores (p.17) Anyone for Tennis? (p.18)
Notes from the DP Coordinator (p.9) UNIS Hanoi Dance Exhibition Save the Dates (p.10) Superman is Coming Soon! (p.10) 25th Birthday Alumni Project (p.12)
Book Sale. Ready to shop! (p.19) SCO Boutique. New Arrival! (p.20) Job Opportunity (p.21) Energize this Weekend (p.22)
UNIS Hanoi Mission Statement 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.
Notes from the Head of School I would like to present to you the school calendar for the 2013-1014 school year. You can find it here. You will find many similarities to this year’s calendar when it comes to the beginning and end of the school year, and for the Autumn break, December Holidays, and Spring Break. Where we have had to make an adjustment is for the Tet Break. Because Tet falls on a Friday, and because we now must take five full holidays for Tet as announced by the government earlier this year, the Tet school holiday spreads over two different weeks. You will see that we have moved some professional development days from earlier in the school year to February so families will have a partial week followed by a full week for the Tet holiday. We know that the calendar affects the personal plans of community members and therefore priorities can be quite varied. We are governed by the following in making a calendar: What is best for student learning Board Policy which states that the calendar should have 175-180 student contact days We believe our calendar fulfills both of these factors. Also, we review our benchmark international schools to insure we are in line with best practice. You may view our comparison table here. We believe we are comparable with our benchmark international schools overall. The calendar is now on the portal should you need to refer to it later. Respectfully, Dr. Barder, Head of School
Welcome to UNIS Hanoi Alexander Tzanetoulakos PreK-RT
Notes from the Admissions Office
IS YOUR FAMILY LEAVING SOON? Please confirm your withdrawal by sending notification to the Admissions office of your child’s last day of attendance. Please email admissions@unishanoi.org for assistance or contact Admissions staff on 37581551 extension 8217.
Notes from the Board of Directors Help us better define UNIS Hanoi’s Values and Beliefs The Board of Directors would like to invite you to participate and provide feedback as it seeks to better define the School’s Values and Beliefs. In recent years, you, as part of our community, have helped the Board of Directors shape the Mission and Vision of the School. We would be grateful for your support in taking this further to better define what UNIS Hanoi’s values and beliefs are. Values and beliefs provide the basis of our identity: ‘who we are’, ‘what we do’ and ‘how we do it’. They also act as a reference point to guide policy and decision making. We all have our own values and beliefs. As parents, faculty, staff or student members of the UNIS Hanoi community we are influenced by many factors. These include our families, cultural heritage, the countries we have lived in, things we have been taught at school and the religion we might follow. These things shape us as we move through childhood and into adult life. They help us make sense of the world around us and provide a frame through which other people see us. And they stay with us for life. Organisations and schools also have their own values and beliefs that develop over time. Sometimes these are written down, but often these are simply collectively “understood”. UNIS Hanoi has developed a strong sense of identity through shared experiences over more than two decades. The time is now right for us to provide feedback to help UNIS better articulate its core values and beliefs, in order that everyone in our diverse learning community shares a common understanding about the School that we have all chosen. The Board believes that everyone who is part of the School community should have the chance to be involved and engaged, because the final values and beliefs statement will belong to all of us. In the coming weeks, parents will receive an invitation to join community-based focus groups where you will have an opportunity to help prioritise the School’s values, based on the existing Vision and Mission statements and what is important to you and your child. These meetings will be independently facilitated. Faculty, administration, staff and students will also have opportunities to contribute to the values and beliefs statements at school. We will hold 8 parent focus groups beginning next week through to end of January. Vietnamese and Korean parents will be invited to attend their own meetings and translation will be provided. In order to establish similarly sized groups for the rest of the parent body, we will be inviting parents based on nationality and regional groupings. This is purely for ease of organisation-all groups will follow the same process. You will receive a personal invitation from the Board of Directors. If you cannot attend on your scheduled date, don’t worry, you can join other sessions. Dates for focus groups November and December, 2012 are as follows: Focus group 1: Thursday 29th November 19:00-21:00 at the home of UNIS Hanoi parents Joh Ponson and Dale Smith Focus group 2 for Vietnamese parents: Wednesday 12th December 19:00-21:00 at school in the Black Box in Centre for the Arts Other focus groups will take place in January before Tet and specific dates announced in the Tin Tuc. Sometime in late February 2013, a final town hall meeting will be held to give the wider UNIS Hanoi Community an opportunity to feedback on an initial draft of the values and beliefs statements that will be compiled based on input from parents, students and faculty members who participated in the focus groups. Thank you very much to all the families who have offered to host a focus group at their home. We appreciate your willingness to assist in this work. We all look forward to your feedback and inputs to this important process and thank you for your time. Craig Burgess, Chair of the Values and Beliefs Statement Task Force
Notes from the Board of Directors Audit report for school year 2011-12 The Board is pleased to advise that the School’s auditor, KPMG, has reviewed and audited the School’s financial statements for the school year ended 31st July 2012. The KPMG audit report states that the financial statements give a true and fair view of the School’s financial position and performance, and are in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards. The audit report can be viewed here. Parents who wish to know more about the financial statements are invited to contact Len Archer, Director of Finance dof@unishanoi.org
Board Community meeting Questions and Answers
Please click here to access the Questions and Answers from the Board Community meeting held 8th November.
Update on Governance Review
In 2009 the Board approved changes to the UNIS Hanoi Constitution on Board member recruitment and Board member operations with effect from school year 2009-2010. The intent of the constitutional changes was to provide stability, with reduced turn over, and to model best governance practice. Earlier this year, the Board appointed Educational Consultants International to evaluate the effects of the constitutional changes and to identify if further changes are necessary to ensure continuing best governance practice and the Board’s sustainability. Evaluation participants included UNIS parents, teachers, Board members, and senior administrative staff. Thanks to all of you who participated in the survey and follow-up interviews. The main findings were: The data indicates that the lengthening of Board member terms from two to three years and the increased number of appointed positions may have resulted in longer tenure for Board members but due to limited data available this may not yet reflect a trend. Majority of Board members and teachers find that the constitutional changes with less parent elected positions have provided more stability and a more efficient Board. The majority of parents would prefer to stick to the composition as it is now, or go back to the model before 2009, with more Board members elected by parents. The discontinuation of all ex-officio (non-voting) memberships for school administrators except that of the Head of School seemed to have been an issue of concern in 2009. The data suggests it to be a very minor issue now, if any at all. Many parents who took the survey are not sure what the Board does, who the Board is, or if the Board ever listens to parents. Some parents feel disfranchised and without a voice. The Board reviewed the report at the 17th October Board meeting. Having first noted that the 2009-10 constitutional changes appear to be providing more stability and a more efficient Board, the Board decided to: Keep the Board’s composition as it is for now and review it again in 2014-15, when more data will be available. Look at how the Board’s profile in the parent community can be improved, further to activities already underway. Please click here to find out more information about the Board and its members If you would like more information about the governance review, please contact the Board Assistant boardassistant@unishanoi.org Finally, earlier this month, on behalf of the Board, I made a presentation to fellow Board members and Administrators at the East Asia Regional Council of Schools (EARCOS) conference entitled: “One Board’s journey from Operational to Strategic”. The presentation was well received and several schools have contacted me subsequently for more information. The constitutional changes that are referred to above are one of the stepping stones in that journey. The Board will continue to strive for best practice and continuous improvement as the journey continues. Respectfully, Sarah Garner, Board Chair
Notes from the Elementary School Principal Dear Parents, ES Art Show We began this week with all the children from Grades 3 to 5 gathered in the foyer of the Centre for the Arts for our Monday Morning Briefing in order to officially declare open the first ES Art Show of the year. The display has been showcasing work from students in Kindergarten, Grade 2 and Grade 5 this time. It has wonderful to see the ES classes visiting the show al this week commenting on the works of art and aspiring to that of the Grade 5 students in particular. Thanks to Ms Patricia Dinglestad and Ms KD Ramsey for all their hard work in preparation for the show and congratulations to all the artists! ECC Learning Journey Tuesday morning brought beautiful weather and a huge turn-out of parents for the ECC Learning Journey. The children excitedly escorted their parents (and grandparents) around all the different activities to give them a flavour of a typical day in their lives at UNIS. It provided a great opportunity for children to use language to articulate their understanding of the current Unit of Inquiry and it was wonderful to hear children moving easily between English and a variety of home languages to explain different aspects of their learning. There was a real sense of excitement, enjoyment and pride - very well done to all the children and thank you to all staff involved in this event. Teacher Appreciation Day Tuesday was also Teacher Appreciation Day and the teachers were all presented with a corsage and some cookies by the members of the Student Council, courtesy of the SCO. On Wednesday the G1-5 Assembly followed the theme of “Appreciation� and at the end all teachers were invited up on to the stage. Some looked slightly apprehensive until they realised that they were simply there to receive their gift of appreciation from the children by way of a special song that you could watch here! I look forward to seeing many of you at the HIWC Bazaar on Sunday. Kind regards, Carole Denny, Elementary School Principal esprincipal@unishanoi.org
Notes from the Middle/High School Principal Dear MSHS Families, I would like to congratulate our UNIS Hanoi 2011-2012 MYP graduates. Having completed five years of rigorous academic work in grades 6 – 10 students were awarded MYP Certificates by Dr. Barder at a graduation ceremony Wednesday night. We are proud to report that UNIS Hanoi students scored well above world averages and had extremely positive MYP results. Special congratulations go out to My Tran (61) and Shefali Satpathy for receiving the highest total score among a talented UNIS contingent. UNIS Hanoi Congratulates the 2011-2012 MYP Graduates Abigail Vallely, Aincre Evans, Aloysius Kieft, Anna Le Hai, Anna Lee-Hewing, Aris Zabidi, Barbara Vu Thien, Cameron McCarty, Chi Mai, Cian Hamer, Ciara Reybet-Degat, Da Yeon Lee , Dong Heon Lee, Eel Hee Yoon, Elena Zabidi, Elizabeth Armstrong, Emma Simson van Dijkhuizen, Eun Bee Ko, Hai Anh Nguyen, Hanna Tagomori, Hauke Schmidt, Hiep Nguyen, Hiong Lin Tam, Hyun Su Hwang, Jackson Wood, Jae Hyun Park, Jamie Trees, Jemima Beardwood, Jessica van den Brink, Ji Hoon Kang, Ji Hoon Lee, Jin Jae Kim, Josiah Bloemberg, Jun Pyo Jo, Kangi Sugimori, Kofi Buahin, Kyung Hyea Hyun, Loc Dinh, Lucas Prytz, Mana Muchaku, Martin de Ruty, Maximilian Tang, Megan Newell, Meng Yuan Wu, Michelle Lundquist, Minh Ho, My Tran, Nam Nguyen, Natalia Jaffee, Nicole Norton, Phong Hoa, Phuong Le, Quynh Anh Do, Scott Mills, Seung Hyun, Sohn Shailvi Kumar, Shefali Satpathy, Sohom Chakma, Thai Son Dang, Tiara Le Calvez, Tien Nguyen, Tommy Nurmi, Trung Pham, Tuan Anh Nguyen. Earlier this week I had the opportunity to meet with several MSHS grade level parents. During our meeting parents had the opportunity to ask questions on a variety of topics. Several parents focused on technology issues which is a recurring theme during many of my parent interactions. My understanding is that parents realize laptop technology presents learning opportunities that only a few years ago would have been impossible but many struggle with how to monitor their child’s digital world. In the coming weeks the MSHS will produce guidelines for parents to help them understand both the importance of our 1 to 1 tablet program and provide resources to better prepare them for active engagement in their child’s digital world. To that end, if parent education sessions are desired by the UNIS community I will be happy to arrange them. My advice for parents regarding technology at UNIS is to become involved and learn all you can. Used wisely technology opens the world to your children. Engage your child in conversations and have them introduce you to their digital world. Please do not hide from the inevitable. Technology is here to stay and I cannot think of a more exciting time to be an educator. Please follow the link below which can provides information that can be used to start a conversation with your child about the appropriate use of technology. Conversation starters: Family Media Links In the end we cannot fear the future but rather we must teach our children to embrace it wisely. Advances in technology have always caused a certain amount of stress. Perhaps we can learn something from the following video? Tech advances can be painful Warm regards, Pete Kennedy, MSHS Principal mshsprincipal@unishanoi.org
Notes from Advancement Office One of the roles of the Advancement Programme is to seek out and maximise opportunities to enrich the learning experience of our students, and we are delighted that in this coming week our students will enjoy two world class visits this week from international artists at the highest level.
The National Danish Performance Team – Thursday November 29
This incredible team of athletes mix gymnastics and dance in spell binding showmanship to inspire young people to healthier and more active lifestyles. As part of their world tour the team are visiting Vietnam and will be giving two public shows in Hanoi’s stadiums. But we are privileged that they will be visiting UNIS Hanoi for a unique morning of performance and workshops tied directly to our Physical Education curriculum. The day will start with a 45 minute show for all students from Discovery through to Grade 12. We welcome parents to also attend – viewing will be possible from the upper balcony of the Sports Centre. The show will start at 8.30am. The show will be followed by a series of workshops led by these world class athletes for students across Elementary and Middle School directly tied to the learning outcomes of their current curriculum units with participation possible for more than 320 students in Grades 2, 4, 6 and 8. For a preview of what they are currently performing as part of their world tour: http://verdenshold.dgi.dk/shows/ video.aspx
Empirical Jazz Band – Friday November 30 Thanks to a partnership with the British Council our students will have the opportunity to work with some of Britain’s most exciting young jazz musicians. The three-piece Jazz band – Empirical – are coming to Vietnam at the invitation of the British Council to perform in the annual European Union Music Festival which sees some of Europe’s top musicians coming together for a nationwide series of events. Thanks to the British Council, UNIS Hanoi students will have the chance to experience Empirical first hand in a jazz performance and outreach workshop on campus this coming week. Once again in the goal of directly enriching the curriculum, all MSHS students participating in a creative block lesson will have the opportunity to attend the workshop which we are also opening to other schools in Hanoi to allow for students across our host nation to also benefit from the experience. For more information about Empirical please visit their website: http://www.empiricalmusic.com/ Apologies for any disappointment but this session is for students only. Emma Silva, Director of Advancement doa@unishanoi.org
UNIS Hanoi parent survey - DEADLINE! Thank you to all of you who have completed the survey… If you haven’t, please take 10 minutes this weekend. You received a final reminder today from the Head of School’s office. Please refer to it for details. The survey closes Nov 25. Your opinions are important to us. You help shape the school’s future! For any questions please contact Director of Advancement, Emma Silva: doa@unishanoi.org
Notes from the PYP Coordinator Early Childhood Learning Journeys If you visited the Early Childhood Centre (ECC) this Tuesday you would have witnessed something a little out of the ordinary. The classrooms and playgrounds were bustling with parents. Having mums and dads present in the ECC in itself isn’t very special; parents are often involved. Parents offer mother tongue support, read with students, feature as ‘experts’ for students to interview or perhaps help out at inquiry stations in the classroom. But on this particular day the parents almost outnumbered the children! This parent-packed phenomena was due to Tuesday morning being the ECC ‘Learning Journey’ day. The Learning Journey is a day when parents are invited to visit the Early Years Centre to experience for themselves how their children learn. The students were responsible for showing and explaining how they learn to their mums and dads. Each student was given a check-list full of learning stations they had to take their parents to throughout the course of the morning. These learning stations included the homeroom, music room, physical education areas and so on; representing the whole range of the curriculum. At each learning station there was a learning task. Each task represented a typical investigation an ECC child would undertake here at UNIS Hanoi. Those of you who attended may have noticed something that the tasks had in common. Each task did more than just practice a particular skill or just follow a simple instruction. There were many open-ended prompts guiding the students to investigate and to play with possibilities. There were even questions on the break-time bicycles to engage the children in thought: ‘What happens when we ride our bikes over soft and hard surfaces?’ There were problems to solve such as a physical education adventure challenge asking ‘How can you use these objects to get you safely across the lava pool?’ Other tasks required creative thinking such as sand-painting on a light tray, investigating with paint how colours can be changed and prompts asking students to selecting sounds to tell a picture story and to explain their thinking. These tasks, like most day-to-day tasks at UNIS Hanoi encourage children to think critically, to make decisions, to wonder, to make predictions and to play with possibilities. Learning at UNIS Hanoi means thinking. Having so many mums and dads present was a little unusual on Tuesday, however this approach to teaching and learning is not unusual, it is an everyday occurrence here at UNIS Hanoi. The process of investigating and reflecting on our understanding (often with an adult or a friend) is a very important part of learning. During such discussions our students are encouraged to think not only about what they learned, but also about how they learned. This processs of: questioning, finding out, sorting out information and reflecting is at the heart of inquiry learning. By going through this process we are not only helping children to learn, we are helping them to learn how to learn. Thank you to all our UNIS Hanoi families for taking the time to come along to this event and similar events at UNIS Hanoi. It really is exciting to be working with such a positive, supportive school community! Christopher Frost, PYP Coordinator pypcoordinator@unishanoi.org
ECC Parent-Teacher Discussion Invitation ECC parents, please join us on Thursday 29th November at 2 p.m. for our next ECC parent-teacher discussion focusing on young children’s behaviour. We will explore emotional and behavioural development in the Early Years and insights and strategies recommended by researchers and hopefully you too! Please RSVP hsayerssanchez@unishanoi.org to confirm your attendance. The session will be held in the in the PYP meeting room (ECC B11 G27).
Library News Elementary Parents! Please consider being a Mystery Reader for your Child’s class. THERE IS PARTICULAR NEED FOR KJK, KCO/ 1BB, 1JH/ 2LN, 2BMCL, 2DL/ 3LB, 3BF Choose any age appropriate book you would like to share (or, I can choose one for you). A story with a personal connection is ideal. Readers shall read for NO MORE THAN 15 minutes to classes in the Library. Sign up using this LINK. Look for your child’s Homeroom and type in your name and your child’s name. Send clues and questions to eslibrarian@unishanoi.org to allow students to guess who you are. And remember! SHHHHH!!!! It’s a mystery! Do not tell your child so they shall be surprised. Thank you, Ms. Conroy, Elementary School Librarian
Notes from the High School DP Coordinator Preparation for the Diploma Programme and course selection begins on Wednesday November 21. Throughout the next week and a half grade 10 students will be learning about the grade 11 DP course offerings. Students will be meeting with subject teachers and will discussing teacher recommendations for the courses as well as possible options for their study during the next two years at UNIS Hanoi. The Diploma Programme Presentation for Grade 10 Students and Parents is scheduled for Tuesday November 27. All Grade 10 students and parents are asked to attend the Diploma Program presentation in the library. At this time, we will discuss the overview of the Diploma Programme, further insight into the subjects that are being offered, and information on the requirements for passing the Diploma in Grade 12. This is a very important event and every effort should be made to attend. Seran Choi and Ms Phuong will be at the presentation to provide translation into Korean and Vietnamese. Please know that the Grade 10 IB Diploma orientation and course selection process will begin with the students on November 21 and by November 27 the students should have a clear view of what their best options may be. We look forward to seeing all grade 10 students and parents on November 27 at 6pm in the Library. Steve Powers, DP Coordinator
dpcoordinator@unishanoi.org
UNIS Hanoi Dance Exhibition The UNIS Hanoi Dance Programme is now in its second year, and has been growing in leaps and bounds. On Thursday December 6 at 5:30pm, we will performance pieces representing Polynesian Fire Dance, Street Dance, New Zealand Haka, and Martial Arts, as well as students from the High School Dance Team. Please note that ALL students enrolled in Dance in grades 6-8 will be performing. The performance will take place in the Theatre of the UNIS Hanoi Center for the Arts. Admission is free!! Photo (right): The Buffaloes were the winners of the House Haka Competition this September – Come see their demonstration of power on Thursday 6 Deember!
MSHS Musical
All profits will support the UNIS Hanoi Community Service Activity - Thuy An Village
Grade 10 Visual Arts The Grade 10 visual Art students undertook a Field trip to the Hanoi Old Quarter as an introduction to Unit 2: Portrait of a Place . Students were encouraged to capture a sense of the Hanoi Old Quarter through drawings, photographs and written documentation as a preliminary activity leading eventually to a contemporary approach to depicting a painted Hanoi landscape. Rober Natoli, HS Art Teacher
rnatoli@unishanoi.org
Tech Director Tidbits I would like to take this opportunity to re-introduce the Tech Advisory Council (TAC) to you, a member of the UNIS Hanoi Community. The TAC was initiated to create a forum representative of the three UNIS Hanoi constituencies – parents, staff and students. Members of the TAC will share perspectives regarding technology use at UNIS Hanoi and serve as a conduit for communications to and from their constituencies. The UNIS Hanoi Community is well represented by the following members: Chris Fontaine – Parents Clint Hamada – Parents and Staff Dat Lam - Students Ed Gilbreath – Staff Heiu Nguyen – Parents Joyce Miller – Parents and Staff Liz Burgess – Parents Lucy Norton – Parents and Staff Marcus Gangell – Students Michelle Matias – Staff Chris Fontaine has offered to create a mailing list to share TAC meeting information with interested community members. Please email Chris at cwfont@yahoo.com if you wish to be included on the mailing list. Last year the TAC took an active role in several areas including: Thoughtful discussions regarding filter implementation and categories of sites to be blocked for different age groups. Issues with ISIS Family that included an open sharing of frustrations and suggestions to improve the product. One to One Tablet Program – how do we measure the impact technology has on student learning? ManicTime – what is it and how does it work? Effective Communications with Parents regarding UNIS technologies. The TAC has continued efforts in several areas already this year including: ISIS issues and additional suggestions for improvement. Innovative Learning Project plans and application forms. ManicTime as a possible source for data regarding the One to One Tablet Program. Effective communications and training options for our constituencies. Future TinTuc articles will include information about the TAC. If you wish to receive current information and give feedback please contact Chris Fontaine. Finally, I would like to again suggest that you take some time to ask your son or daughter to show you how they are using technology and their Tablet at UNIS Hanoi. I must admit I continue to learn from your children. They are inquisitive, articulate and fun to be around. Ed Gilbreath, Tech Director techdirector@unishanoi.org
Getting In Touch Project My name is Bryony Rickard and I am a Grade 10 student at UNIS Hanoi. As a Grade 10 student in the MYP program, I have to complete a Personal Project. As UNIS Hanoi is celebrating it's 25th year this year I thought it would be a good opportunity to re-visit it's history through it's Alumni. My project is aimed at getting the perspectives and experiences of our alumni so that our current community can learn more about UNIS Hanoi’s past and how it has changed over the 25 years. I will be releasing the 25 alumni stories over the next 13 school weeks starting now with the year 2012. Bryony Rickard, Grade 10 Student brickard@unishanoi.org
Nationality: Vietnamese Where are you living now? America - Boston What are you doing (job/studying)? Studying at Northeastern What year(s) were you at UNIS and what Grades level(s) were you in at that time? I've been at UNIS for 9 years starting from grade 4 until the end of grade 12 (2003-2012) What do you remember most from your time at UNIS? Since I've been at UNIS for 9 years, I can remember a lot of things about the school. The most important thing I remember from UNIS is the teachers because without them my experience at UNIS wouldn't be the same. I will also remember my friends and all of our memories at UNIS. What was the best advice a UNIS teacher gave you? STOP PROCRASTINATING AND GET ON WITH YOUR WORK. Do your best even if you're not good or that you don't like the subject because, at the end of the day, you've managed to achieve one thing which is being able to give your all and working hard. Play till you puke - Mr. Powers What were you favourite subjects at school and why? Business & Management and PE :) Business & Management because it is an interesting subject to me since I can relate a lot of real life situations to the
subject itself. PE because everyone loves moving around, being active :) Who was your favourite teacher and why? Mr. Nielsen because he made my first year of Business & Management so memorable and fun! He made a boring subject into something very interesting and worth coming to class for. How did you get to school every morning? My Car Who were your best friends and are you still in touch with them? Nicoline Poulsen, Hanna Schulze, Tia Craig, Tamara Suprobo Putri, Lana Hoang, Andrea Grundke, and Helene Kutcha. I'm still in touch with all of them. How did you and your friends like to spend your free time? Going out. Meeting up for breakfast, lunch, brunch, dinner, coffee.... Going out.. :) Shopping.
Walk-a-thon Thank you to all students, parents and teachers for your SPEACTACULAR EFFORT at the Annual UNIS Hanoi Walk-athon last Thursday. We have raised a lot of money for Blue Dragon and are still receiving sponsorship money and donations. We hope to announce the grand total next week! Bronwyn Finnimore, Elementary Service Learning Coordinator bfinnimore@unishanoi.org
Festive Fundraiser
Operation Smile The UNIS Hanoi Operation Smile team would like to thank our UNIS Hanoi Community for their support! In two short weeks, Operation Smile has filled two full boxes of toys. However, there is still time to continue supporting. November 29 is the FINAL day. Two boxes decorated with flowers are placed in the Library’s hallway, opposite the toilets ready to receive your help. We will be accepting donations in the form of cuddly teddy bears and other plush toys. If your child has grown old for toys or has toys that he/she no longer uses around the house, please bring them in. It would be great if you could help cleaning the dust off their fur before donating. We dearly wish you take your time to bring the toys to school and we are very thankful for your support. If you have any questions, please email our Operation Smile team: Phuong lhnphuong@unishanoi.org or Ms. Lopez alopez@unihsanoi.org .
From the Nurses’ Office... Bike and Wheels Safety for Big and Little Kids at Play 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. As the training wheels come off your child’s bike, the risk for bike and wheel-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. A single rule – Protect that Brain: Wear a helmet! – reduces 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 other wheeled vehicles and toys. Safety Tips before riding or as a passenger: Make sure your, 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. Always fasten the strap. The strap should form a “V” below your ears. 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. REF: Kidsafe, Child Accident Prevention Foundation of Australia, Safe Kids USA Nurses’ Office, nurse@unishanoi.org
UNIS Hanoi Hosts Its First APAC In the 2011-12 school year UNIS Hanoi became the 12th member school in the Asia Pacific Activities Conference (APAC). During that initial year, UNIS Hanoi students travelled to various other APAC schools to participate in fine arts festivals and sports tournaments. Last week our school community hosted its first APAC event as 80 students and the choir directors from five other APAC schools came to Hanoi to participate in the APAC Choir Festival. Over three action-packed days UNIS Hanoi students worked together with students from Shanghai American School, Western Academy of Beijing, Seoul Foreign School, Taejon Christian International School and Hong Kong International School as they prepared for the festival’s Saturday evening concert. The 90-person choir had the privilege of working together with the festival’s guest conductor, Mr. Graham Sutcliffe MBE. As a conductor Graham has performed over 150 concerts at the HCMC and Hanoi Opera Houses where he has been responsible for a variety of programmes of symphonic, operatic and choral music. Graham is currently the Resident Conductor and Arts Advisor at the Vietnam National Opera and Ballet. It was a great honor to have Mr. Sutcliffe provide his leadership and guidance to the festival participants. The three-day festival culminated with an outstanding Saturday evening performance before a packed house in the UNIS Hanoi Theatre. The programme was divided into two sections. During the first part of the evening, each participating school performed two selections led by their own choir director. Following the individual school performances, all festival participants took to the stage to form a “Grand Choir” and wowed the audience with a memorable performance. Even now, days after the concert, you can find audience members whistling one of the tunes, or singing a few bars. We would like to thank all those families who hosted guest students during the festival. We are very appreciative of your willingness to support APAC and MRISA events such as this, which rely on homestay accommodations. You have been an integral part of making this event successful. Thank you for opening up your homes and making our visitors feel so welcome! We hope that new friendships were formed and that your family enjoyed the experience. UNIS Hanoi will host its next APAC event in April when we welcome the APAC Girls Soccer Tournament to our campus! We know the UNIS Hanoi Community will be equally supportive of this event. GO PHOENIX! Dirk Kraetzer, Director of Activities
da@unishanoi.org
High School MRISA Volleyball High School Girls Reach Plate Final of MRISA Volleyball Tournament The High School Girls Volleyball team went to the MRISA Championships in Cambodia filled with confidence after finally beating the APAC team at the beginning of the week and were determined to better than their 7th place of the previous year. The girls got off to an excellent start by beating the HIS team 2-0 having never beaten them all season. The 2nd game had us playing the eventual champions ISPP and although we lost 20 the game was competitive. The final game of the day had us playing ISE and this was another 2-0 loss but this time we felt we should have had a set at least but it was not to be. On to the second day and a big game against the home team NISC (Northbridge) and at one point we were in the lead by 8 points and looking good for the first set but we could not hold on and lost 2-0 to the eventual finalists. Into the Plate tournament we went and to get to the final we played against VIS and managed to beat them 2-0 to secure a place in the plate final against SSIS (Saigon). The final was very competitive but we lost both sets by a couple of points and the game could have gone either way it was that close. A final placing of 6th was an improvement on last year but we could have easily been anywhere from 3-8th that is how close the tournament was. Le Phuong was our tournament all-star rewarded for her consistency and the girls were complimented on their sportsmanship and behavior both on and off the court and I am confident that they will break into the top four next year if they continue to work hard and have fun. Alan Hough, High School Volleyball Coach ahough@unishanoi.org
Middle School Swim Meet - November 22, 2012 Congratulations to all participants and new Grade level record holders – Stephanie Kieft, Akira Hirama, Alan Luchtenburg, Elizabeth Phan, Samuel Alldritt, Zoe Johnston, Ngoc Trai Nguyen, Na Yeon Kim, Wei Long Wan, Duc Do and Ido Kaufman! Meet results, records and other information from the meet could be found on PE House Events page.
FINAL SCORES The 1st place The 2thplace The 3rd place The 4 th place
EAGLES TEAM TIGERS TEAM BUFFALOES TEAM LIONS TEAM
6013 points 5929 points 5547 points 5477 points
Who Wants to Play Some Tennis? The 4th Annual Peter Goverde Memorial Tennis Tournament December 2, 2012 The UNIS Hanoi Tennis Courts will hopefully be full of tennis enthusiasts on Sunday, December 2nd as we gather to remember a former UNIS Hanoi staff member, Mr. Peter Goverde. Three years ago was the inaugural tournament, where the UNIS Hanoi community 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 our students 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 Peter Goverde Memorial Tennis Tournament will be divided into 2 segments: Morning Session (08:00–12:00) for students Afternoon Session (13:00–18:00) for adults All play will be doubles (with mixed doubles being the aim). UNIS Hanoi community members are encouraged to come out to enjoy the action and show off their tennis skills. 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 to have 4 separate divisions for students: Grades 2-3 will play short court tennis (with sponge balls) in the Sports Center or on the Covered Courts. Grades 4-5 will play doubles with different partners each game. Middle School will play doubles with different partners each game. High School will play doubles with different partners each game. Adults will also play with a variety of different players throughout the afternoon in mixed doubles. Registration for the tournament is on the UNIS Portal under Community – Tennis Tournament Registration. You can register by going to the portal. 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. The
Registration period has been extended and will now end on Sunday, November 25th,
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 a fun day of tennis! That’s what Peter would have wanted! Regards, UNIS Hanoi Activities Cocurricular@unishanoi.org
School Community Organisation UNIS Hanoi BOOK FAIR: Last update before the sale! Only one week to go until the UNIS Hanoi SCO Book sale! Have you sent in YOUR books? With only days to go, competition is HOT for the pizza parties, with only a handful of books separating 1st, 2nd and 3rd places, particularly in the ECC. While the response has generally been amazing, there were still a few classes early this week who had yet to collect any books L. We won’t mention names…(yet?) LAST ACCEPTED DONATIONS, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER. 28
ECC: PreK-HS -71 ES: 4LL - 321 MS: 7LG - 368 books
Remember: On the inside cover of books, please write in pencil, in English, the LANGUAGE the book is written in (if not English). BOOK SALE DAYS - FRIDAY NOVEMBER 30, SATURDAY DECEMBER 1 Your child(ren) will visit the SCO Annual Used Book Sale on Friday November 30. ECC/ES will visit with their class; MS/HS at lunch. Please: 1. Send your child(ren) with small change to buy books – eg 10,000 and 20,000VND notes. (All books will be 10,000 or 20,000VND) 2. Come buy books yourself. Find us outside the front of the canteen: Buy adults’ books any time; Buy children’s books after 3.30pm Friday or any time Saturday 1 December (8.30am-12.45pm). Thanks to everyone who has sent in books and all who’ve signed up to sort and sell – we’re looking forward to a great sale! Questions? Contact Peppi/Lori at: Scobooksale@gmail.com
“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, PreK “The book sale was great! We could buy so many great books.” Alissa, Gr3
SCO All Parents Spring Fair Kickoff Meeting We have lots of shoes to fill!!! And lots of FUN to plan once you are wearing them!!! This coming Tuesday November 27, at 8:30am, in the Community Room, we will be having this year’s second All Parent Meeting with the School Community Organisation (SCO) . We will use this opportunity to begin working full mode towards organizing Spring Fair 2013, which will be held on Saturday, March 16. Therefore we would like to invite everyone wanting to take part in it, especially as part of the coordination team and/or organizing a country table. We need YOU on board!! We want to start working with time so that this very important and much anticipated UNIS Hanoi event, which is all about having fun and celebrating cultural exchange as a community, will be up to what our school’s 25th anniversary deserves!!!
Date: Thursday November 27 Time: 08:30 Place: Community Room (Admin Building upstairs) We look forward to seeing you next week! Paulina Pineda, Spring Fair 2013 Coordinator
SCO Boutique Announcement New arrivals!!! The Picture Frame with the UNIS Hanoi logo is now available. Some of the Grade 12 parents initiated this for their graduation picture framing.
The Long sleeves slim fit and Polo shirts are selling very fast. Hurry up before they are all sold out! Open hours: Monday and Thursday: 15:00 to 16:00 Tuesday and Wednesday: 08:00 to 09:00 We will open on Friday, Nov 30 14:00 - 16:00 Saturday Dec 1 10:00 - 12:00
Employment Opportunity Short-term High School Mathematics Teacher (December 3, 2012 – June 14, 2013) UNIS Hanoi has experienced steady year-on-year growth in our student population, which currently stands at over 1,000 students from more than 60 different countries. We are now accepting applications for a short-term High School Mathematics Teacher. Term of employment: December 3, 2012 to June 14 2013. Courses to be taught (Curriculum Documents will be made available): Math 9 Math 10 IB Math Standard Level 11 IB Math Standard Level 12 The successful applicant should have the following experience and qualities: Experience teaching High School Mathematics Internationally recognized teaching qualification Knowledge of the International Baccalaureate Program Excellent classroom management skills Strong computer skills Enjoy working with adolescents In return, UNIS offers an attractive work environment, and competitive remuneration. This is a local hire expat position, and no housing or relocation benefits will be provided. Interested applicants please send your expression of interest, along with an up-to-date CV and current referees to jobs@unishanoi.org as soon as possible. Only short-listed candidates will be invited for interview Ms Tran Thi Quyen, Human Resources Manager United Nations International School of Hanoi GPO Box 313, Hanoi, Vietnam ------------------------------------------------------UNIS Hanoi is a not-for-profit international school offering all three International Baccalaureate Programs from Discovery to Grade 12. UNIS Hanoi is also fully accredited by the Council of International Schools and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
From Our Birthday Sponsor For Our Community InterContinental Hanoi Westlake Christmas Eve Buffet - Café Du Lac Come as a family or with a group of friends and enjoy our Christmas Buffet Dinner with live cooking stations, fresh seafood on ice including succulent oysters and lobster, New Zealand beef plus tasty creations passed around by our talented Chefs and all your favorite festive desserts VND 2,257,500++ per Adult including a glass of sparkling wine on arrival, free flow of beer, wine, chilled juices and soft drink
Christmas Day Family Brunch – Café Du Lac Enjoy this special day with family and friends at Café Du Lac. Our Christmas Day Brunch will include all your favorites plus some extra special festive treats. Indulge in fresh seafood, Black Angus beef and a delectable range of desserts. With Live Music and a special visit from Santa with gifts for all the kids the day will be entertaining for all the family VND 1, 290,000++ including free flow of wine, beer and soft drink Make the day extra special with free flow of Moet Chandon Champagne from VND 2,365,000 ++ 50% for children 6 -12 Children under 6 Eat Free Don’t forget to ask about our special Family Christmas Eve Party in the Ballroom if you are looking to celebrate with a large group of family and friends For more information or to make a reservation, please call us at (04) 6 270 8888 or email culinary.hanoi@ihg.com
Energize This Weekend Dear Energize Members, As you may be aware, the HIWC Bazaar will be taking place on the UNIS Hanoi campus this Sunday. This is a huge event, with 7000 - 8000 people expected to be on campus. Much of the preparatory work for this big event will be ongoing all day Saturday. The swimming pool and fitness room will both remain open on Saturday, but you are asked to be very mindful of work that is happening and the equipment that will be on campus. We would ask that you and your children only come onto campus to use the Energize facilities. Once you have finished using the pool or fitness room, please make your way off campus. On Saturday, access to the campus will only be possible through the Main Entrance (Gate 5 will be closed). On Sunday the Energize facilities will be closed. These are the Energize hours for this weekend: Saturday Pool Hours 08:15-16:45 Fitness Room Hours 08:00-17:00 Sunday BOTH Pool & Fitness Room are CLOSED Thank you for your understanding and we hope to see you at the bazaar on Sunday. Have a good weekend! Regards, Dirk Kraetzer, Director of Activities da@unishanoi.org
Energize Schedule ENERGIZE HOURS (November 9 Onwards) MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
Swimming Pool
06.15 - 07.45
No Energize Swimming
06.15 - 07.45
06.15 - 07.45
06.15 - 07.45
08.15 - 16.45
08.15 - 12.00 13.00 - 16.45
Fitness Room
06.00 - 08.00 16.30 - 20.00
06.00 - 08.00 16.30 - 20.00
06.00 - 08.00 16.30 - 20.00
06.00 - 08.00 16.30 - 20.00
06.00 - 08.00 16.30 - 20.00
08.00 - 12.00 13.00 - 17.00
08.00 - 12.00 13.00 - 17.00
The Swimming Pool will continue to be closed in the evenings until further notice, due to the Rove Beetle infestation.
Canteen Menu for the week of November 26 - 30 If your child has any food allergy or dietary restrictions, please let us know. J.juniscanteen@gmail.com
Milk Product : Green Color Pork : Red Color Seafood : Blue Color
Parents...please remember to send a lunch ticket or money each day with your Grade 1 and above child so he/she can purchase lunch. FYI: The Canteen does serve a vegetarian option each day.
*** Main dish contains EGG
Western Set Menu 26*** Chicken A La King Grilled Potatoes Cobb Salad Brownie Fruit/Milk
27 Neapolitan Pork Steak Steamed Rice Greek Salad Raisin Cake Fruit/Milk
28 Chicken Parmesan Steamed Rice Green Salad w/Mango Dressing Carrot Cookie Fruit/Milk
29 Fried Fish w/Cream Dill Sauce Oven Roast Potatoes Lettuce & Tomato Salad Pound Cake Fruit/Milk
30 Cheese Pizza Butter Corn Green Salad w/ Balsamic Dressing Apple & Spinach Cookie Fruit/Milk
29 Pork Chop Suey Multi Grain Rice Lettuce & Tomato Salad Pound Cake Fruit/Milk
30 Chicken Curry Steamed Rice Stir Fried Chayote Tops Apple & Spinach Cookie Fruit/Milk
29 Fried Fish w/Cream Dill Sauce Oven Roast Potatoes Lettuce & Tomato Salad Pound Cake Fruit/Milk
30 Cheese Pizza Butter Corn Green Salad w/ Balsamic Dressing Apple & Spinach Cookie Fruit/Milk
Asian Set Menu 26*** Sweet Sour Pork (KR) Multi Grain Rice Broccoli Brownie Fruit/Milk
27*** Singapore Noodle w/ Shrimp Greek Salad Raisin Cake Fruit/Milk
28 VN Rice Noodle w/Beef Rice (only ES) Spring Roll Carrot Cookie Fruit/Milk
ECC Set Menu 26*** Chicken A La King Grilled Potatoes Cobb Salad Brownie Fruit/Milk
27 Neapolitan Pork Steak Steamed Rice Greek Salad Raisin Cake Fruit/Milk
28 Chicken Parmesan Steamed Rice Green Salad w/Mango Dressing Carrot Cookie Fruit/Milk
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