tintuc@unishanoi.org UNIS Hanoi’s Weekly Community Newsletter
Volume 20, Edition 19, Friday 17 January
NEXT WEEK...
COMING SOON...
MONDAY, 20 JANUARY
MONDAY, 27 JANUARY
Tet Bag Collection, 20-24 Jan Semester 2 and Quarter 3 Start MSHS Art Exhibition, Centre for the Arts, 20-29 Jan HS Season 3 Sports Begin - Soccer 15:45-17:30, UNIS
WEDNESDAY, 22 JANUARY
MS Boys Soccer 16:00-17:00, UNIS Sports Fields Grade 1 PAC, 18:00-19:30, Centre for the Arts
FRIDAY, 24 JANUARY
ECC & Grade 1 Tet Assembly 13:10-13:50, Theatre Parents welcome Grades 2-5 Tet Assembly 14:10-15:20, Theatre Parents welcome HS Basketball Boys & Girls, 16:00-17:15, Sports Centre
SATURDAY, 25 JANUARY
Saturday Soccer Session 2 Begins SAT Testing (HS) Tet Bag Delivery
MSHS Art Exhibition, Centre for the Arts, 27-29 Jan Grade 8 Millenium Development Goals, 28-29 Jan
THURSDAY, 30 JANUARY
Grade 1 Art Show, Centre for the Arts, 22-24 Jan HS Basketball Boys & Girls 15:45-16:45, Sports Centre Board Meeting (Open) 17:30-19:30, Community Room
THURSDAY, 23 JANUARY
TUESDAY, 28 JANUARY
Tet Holidays (Lunar New Year) School, Campus and Offices Closed 30 Jan-5 Feb School and Campus Closed/Offices Opened 6-7 Feb
MONDAY, 10 FEBRUARY
UMA Session 3 Registration 10-13 Feb
TUESDAY, 11 FEBRUARY
ISIS Family Training Session for Parents 17:30-18:30, Black Box
WEDNESDAY, 12 FEBRUARY
MYP/PYP Parent Workshop 18:00-19:30
THURSDAY, 13 FEBRUARY
MS GIN Conference, JIS, Jakarta, 13-16 Feb MRISA Senior Basketball, SSIS, HCMC, 13-16 Feb MS Boys Soccer at UNIS & BVIS 16:00-18:00
FRIDAY, 14 FEBRUARY
ASA Session 3 Registration, 14-16 Feb New Parent Workshop 8:30-10:00
SATURDAY, 15 FEBRUARY
ComEd Spring Session Begins
IN THIS WEEK’S TIN TUC - The Highlights... Notes from the Head of School and ES Deputy Principal (p.2) Tet is around the corner (p.3) Important Notice - Canteen Lunch Vouchers (p.4)
School Health Centre News (p.6) Online Tools for a Healthy Lifestyle (p.7) UMA Updates (p.8) Bag of Love - Tet gifts (p.8)
IB Diploma News (p.4) MSHS Art Exhbition Opens (p.5) Teen Read Week in MSHS (p.5)
Boutique News (p.9) Spring Fair is Calling (p.9) Job Opportunitíe (p.10-11)
From the Head of School I would like to extend a warm welcome to the 24 new students who have just entered our school community for the 2nd semester. It is never easy to be new so please let us know if there is anything we can do to help the transition go smoothly. As we move closer to the Tết holidays, we are proud to have as one of our Elementary School Service Projects the annual Tết bag project. Each homeroom prepares personal gifts for individual families in need in the local Hanoi community and delivers them personally next week. And finally, thank you to all of the Elementary School parents who came in for parent conferences this week. The parent-school partnership is extremely important as we all strive to support student learning. Respectfully, Dr. Barder, hos@unishanoi.org
We wish all the best to
who are left UNIS Hanoi this week
From the ES Deputy Principal Parent and School Partnerships have been the common factor to many events that have occurred this week in the Elementary School. Wednesday and Thursday were busy days as teachers and parents met for their individual conferences after school to discuss student growth and progress. The mid-year reports that were uploaded on ISIS and available to you in December were used to guide the discussion as were the goals that were set at the beginning of the year. We had almost every parent attend which is fantastic. Thank you to all the teachers who worked long hours enjoying discussing your child’s progress with you and thank you to all the supportive comments about the learning that occurs every day here at UNIS Hanoi. This week has also been busy meeting all the new students who will join our community of learners on Monday. They have each had individual interviews and tours of the school and today met altogether for our new family orientation. All the existing students are eagerly awaiting their new classmates arrival. Classes have also been busily donating gifts for our Tet Gifts Appeal- ‘Tet Bags of Love.’ Each year at this time of year we ask for donations of warm clothing, food and gifts that we organize and deliver to disadvantaged families who live along the Red River in makeshift housing. This year we have organized the donations slightly differently so that each class has adopted a specific family. A group of students who meet weekly as an After School Activity are our organizers this year and began by visiting these families, interviewing them and finding out what people really need. They found out the names and ages of all the different family members and returned back to school, created family name tags and organized lists of much needed items. Details of these items and the family your child’s class is donating to can be found on the class blogs. Next Saturday – 25th – the ASA and some Student Council members will help deliver the gifts to the families. Thank you all for your support of this service learning initiative as it really does help our students to see that they can make a difference. Tet celebrations will continue next week in school with visits to flower markets, temples and the colourful Tet assembly on Friday. Please read the separate article for more information about Tet and the assembly and encourage your child to wear their Ao Dai for this occasion. Jan Humpleby, Elementary School Deputy Principal esdprincipal@unishanoi.org
Tết, the Vietnamese Lunar New Year, is the country’s biggest festival. This year Tết falls on January 31 and is the year of the Horse. Tết is a time when heaven and earth are traditionally in harmony. Tết is a time of joy, family gatherings and a feeling of general well-being. Prior to Tết, people clean up their houses in order to get ready for the new year. One week before Tết, every Vietnamese family has a special ceremony to send the Kitchen Gods to the Heaven to report on what happened in the family during the last year. Almost every Vietnamese family buys flowers, “Cây đào” (the peach blossoms) and “Cây quất “(the kumquat trees) to decorate their house as the trees symbolise happiness, prosperity and good luck. Vietnamese people are also very busy making “Bánh chưng” (a square rice cake filled with sticky rice, green bean and pork), and other traditional food for Tết. During Tết, people dress up to visit relatives, friends, colleagues, neighbours, employees etc. to wish them “Chúc Mừng Năm Mới”. Children are given lucky money in red envelopes by adults. Tết is enjoyed to its fullest with food, drinks and friends. After Tết, life begins to return to its normal pace. People get back to their daily work and begin to prepare for another for another Tết. Each Tết is seen as the beginning of a new and better time in a person’s life and everybody looks forward to it with great excitement. At UNIS Hanoi, celebrating Tết has been a traditional event. This week, all the students who attend Vietnamese classes have been very busy making “Bánh chưng”. Everyone will take one home to share with the family. Some classes will be going on fieldtrips to explore how Vietnamese people prepare and celebrate Tết.
On Friday, January 24, Grade 1 and 3 students who attend Vietnamese class will be hosting our Tết assembly in the theatre. We will have two performances: From 1:10 pm to 1.50 pm: Tết Assembly for all
Discovery, K1 and K2 and Grade1 students. Parents welcome. From 2.10 to 2.50 pm: Tết Assembly for Grade 2-5
students. Parents welcome. The assembly is a combination of UNIS Hanoi students’ performance and a short performance by Vietnamese puppeteers. Students are encouraged to wear “Áo dài” on that day. Parents are welcome to join us on this occasion.
CHÚC MỪNG NĂM MỚI! Tran Kim Dung, Elementary Vietnamese Teacher tkdung@unishanoi.org
IMPORTANT NOTICE - CANTEEN LUNCH VOUCHERS
A new design for lunch vouchers with additional security checks will be introduced after the Tet Vacation. All lunch vouchers currently in circulation will be redeemable until March 1, after which date only the new lunch vouchers will be accepted by the canteen.
legitimate and you will not be refused service.
Only purchase tickets from the canteen and do not to accept tickets from any other source.
Security checks on the existing tickets will be reinforced.
Existing vouchers may be exchanged for food at the canteen or for new vouchers from the canteen ticket sales desk when they become available after the Tet vacation.
We apologize for any inconvenience and we will send reminders nearer the deadline to ensure that all families have sufficient time to exchange or redeem their vouchers. For any questions please contact advancement@unishanoi.org
Any tickets bought from the canteen or given as change by the canteen are
Sincerely,
After attending numerous sessions with the Heads of Departments, Teachers, Counselors and the DP Coordinator, the Grade 10 students have completed their signups for Diploma courses 2014-2016. In addition to these sessions, we also welcomed parents to an introductory evening and individual counselling session with Ms Arnold, Ms Crouch and myself. It has been a pleasure to meet with all of you and we acknowledge what an exciting journey your children are about to embark on. Please be advised that the signups have now closed. If you have any concerns please do not hesitate to contact the Ms Arnold, Ms Crouch or myself for further information.
Students in Grade 11 have embarked on their first session for the Extended Essay. The Extended Essay/Senior Project (EE/SP) asks students to investigate a topic of special interest and to craft a 4,000 word essay. The EE asks students to conduct independent research through an in-depth study of a question relating to one of the DP subjects they are studying. The essay requirement acquaints
The Advancement Office
IBDP students with the kind of independent research and writing skills expected by universities. If students are not taking the full Diploma, UNIS Hanoi still requires them to complete a 4000 Senior Project (SP). Grade 11’s must have their supervisor and topic by January 24th.
All Grade 12’s have submitted their Extended Essays and Senior Projects. These are currently being packaged up and ready to be sent the IBO. I would like to send my congratulations to all Grade 12 students for their hard work and dedication. In my discussions with Grade 12 students about their experiences with the EE, the most common words were perseverance, frustration dedication, stress, time management and sense of accomplishment. To all the supervisors for the countless hours and dedication to this process – thank you also! Emma Collins, Diploma Coordinator and Language and Literature dpcoordinator@unishanoi.org
Semester 1 MSHS Art Exhibition MS Art Expo Please come and see the outstanding work produced by UNIS Hanoi students in the first semester The MSHS art exhibition has examples of work from Grades 6-10 who took visual art in the first quarter. There is Grade 6 relief print and paintings inspired by life in Vietnam, Grade 7 clay and ink drawings inspired by mythology, Grade 8 stop motion animation and film created during Reel youth workshops, Grade 9 Mash ups of master pieces and clay figures, Grade 10 portraits and conceptual art. There are also a number of Developmental workbooks displayed so can read about the process students underwent to create their work.
On during January 2014 At UNIS Hanoi Centre for the Arts Upper and Lower Foyer Space All welcome
During the week before the holidays, the Middle & High School celebrated Reading and Literature. Classes across all subjects focused lessons on academic reading skills and encouraged students to pick up a pleasure read for the holiday. What’s the buzz? Over 500 books checked out to MSHS students! The library was a hive of busy, buzzing activity….. Along with all the classroom activities, Teen Read Week celebrated ‘The Hour of Code’ on Dec 10. Our relationships with technology are at the mercy of reading and writing….. and coding is the composing language. For great activities in coding, check out Khan academy’s coding activities
Get Reading
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
Divergent series by Veronica Roth
Mortal Instruments &
Legend Novels
Infernal Devices Series
by Marie Lu
(Allegiant arriving soon!!)
By Cassandra Clare
Dear incoming parents and students, The United Nations School of Hanoi Nurse Team warmly welcomes you. As your School Nurses we will work in partnership with parents, students and teachers to ensure the wellbeing and academic success of your children. Our role is to facilitate positive student responses to normal development; promote health and safety and intervene with actual and potential health concerns. We actively collaborate with others to build student and family capacity for adaptation, self-management, self-advocacy and learning.
- has the following Nurses working in the Clinic: Kelly Havlin – from Australia Lan Anh Vu Nguyen – from Vietnam Trang Phan Thi – from Vietnam
Please ensure that the forms you have been given as part of you admissions package are completed and returned as soon as possible so we have all relevant information for your children in our health database.
If your child is on regular medications or is required to take medications at some time, please inform the School Health Centre and we can administer as required. Please ensure that a Doctor’s letter is sent along with the medication that includes name of medication, dose and how long the medication is required. We also require consent for administration by the School Nurse to be completed.
If you have any specific health information or concerns regarding your child, please visit us in the School Health Centre anytime to have a chat.
Every week the SHC will place an article in the Tin Tuc regarding health matters. The information will be relevant to you and your family while living in Hanoi so please take the time to read it and should you have any concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Please remember that UNIS Hanoi is a nut Free Zone. In order to protect those children with nut allergy it is very important for parents to remind your children no peanut butter sandwiches or any products containing nuts are to be brought into the school grounds or onto the school bus.
Head Lice can happen to anyone and is not a problem unique to Vietnam or UNIS Hanoi but a nuisance when it happens. Parents are the most important factor in detecting and controlling the spread of head lice. We appreciate your regular checks of your children for head lice. Information brochures and combs are available from the SHC.
The School Health Centre is located in the Elementary School Area in Building 9 - G44 and is open Monday to Friday from 8am until 6pm. Telephone: + 84 4 3758 – 1551 ext. 8911 Email:
nurse@unishanoi.org
Health information is also available in the Nurse Section on the portal.
With the majority of people now having some sort of smart phone in their pocket or tablet in their handbag technology and social media can be used to help us maintain a healthy lifestyle. Here are some ways being connected online can help you and your family live a healthier lifestyle. A lot of families will soon be looking to move home or to a new posting. Belonging to different communities online can help with the stress that comes with a life of constant transition. In particular, being part of Facebook can allow you to remain in contact with your close group of friends who can be of great support as you deal with the challenges of settling into a new home. There are also expat groups on Facebook that you can join to help find out more about the community you are part of. Twitter is also a great way to find out what is happening in real time wherever you are living. Before moving to Hanoi, I started to follow a variety of people and groups who share my same interests to discover what exciting things I had to look forward to before moving here. I also use Twitter to follow groups such as Family Medical Practice, SOS, the WHO, the Center for Disease Control to keep informed about various health issues in Hanoi and Asia. Pinterest is a fantastic resource to get ideas for healthy school lunches, snacks or dinners. Simply entering a search of ‘school lunches’ brings up 144 different boards offering over a 1000 different menu or recipe ideas. Likewise, if you are looking to make some changes to your diet, say becoming a vegetarian or eating gluten free the boards by users in the Pinterest community can be a wonderful resource to help you get started.
Runkeeper, Endomondo, Cyclemeter, Map My Fitness are some of the more popular applications that you can download to your phone to keep track of how far you have run, walked, cycled or exercised and calories expended during your workout. Keeping track of each family member’s health history is at times a challenge especially when it comes to updating vaccinations. The Pocket First Aid & CPR app allows you to create a medical profile for each family member and saves all of their necessary medical information. This app also provides step by step instructions and videos of common first aid scenarios. If you have any questions or suggestions of other online tools that can help in leading a healthier lifestyle please do not hesitate to contact the Health, Nutrition and Wellness Advisory Taskforce. You can follow Cameron on twitter @camcooks or check out his recipes using local ingredients in Hanoi at www.aglobalkitchen.com. Cameron Stauch, Taskforce member and UNIS Parent
Dear Parents,
Session 3 UMA lessons.
A Happy Musical New Year to you all. As an inspiration to all of you take a few minutes to watch this wonderful young musician.
Session 2 will finish on February 21 and the session 3
Below you will find some important updates from our UNIS Music Academy:-
Several students have been invited by their music teachers to perform a piece of music in a celebratory UMA concert. This was due to take place on Friday January 17 but has been postponed to allow students more time to practice after the vacation. It will now be held on Thursday Feb 27 from 18:00-19:30 in the Theatre. This is the week in between session 2 and session 3 and therefore will not interrupt normal lessons. We will hold a second concert later in the year on May 14 when different UMA students will be able to share their progress. All our UMA community are invited to come and enjoy both concerts. More details will be sent nearer the time.
sign up process will begin on Feb 10. Parents who have registered and paid for the whole year
PRIOR to Jan 29 will have their lesson slots reserved. Students who have had lessons in session 2 and want to
continue with the same instrument, time slot and teacher in session 3 should email the umaofficer@unishanoi.org by January 17 confirming they want to continue with the lessons. Invoices for the session 3 will then need to be paid PRIOR to Jan 29 to reserve this spot. Once existing students who have paid invoices for the
future lessons have been allocated, additional places will be available for sign up in session 3 from 7:00am on Feb 10th We are currently interviewing additional UMA teachers
and hope to offer more possibilities for piano, trumpet, clarinet, saxophone and guitar.
For detailed information regarding the guidelines for the items you can donate please visit your class blog or contact Andrea Limón (alimon@unishanoi.org).
Track suits are here: Available in sizes 12 to XXL. Sold in sets or top/bottom separately. Re-stocked sweat hoodies are available in Black in various sizes. Visit the Boutique Online for our item price range.
The UNIS Spring Fair is first and foremost a celebration diversity and community and is the largest event organized by the School Community Organization. Going strong for over 18 years, this event has evolved from what was previously called the ‘PTA Bazaar’ to an ‘International Food Fair’ and now the renown ‘UNIS Spring Fair'. This event has grown into a school-wide festival of diversity that weaves the UNIS community together through the showcasing and celebration of culture through food, artisanship and attire.
The Spring Fair is completely organized by the hard work of our committed volunteers. We are looking for ALL countries in the UNIS Hanoi Community to be represented. The key ingredients for a successful Spring Fair are a positive attitude, willingness to get involved, some time and your passion to make this day inspirational. You will feel proud to be part of an event that bonds the community together and creates our special blend of UNIS Hanoi Culture.
Currently, we are looking for people to help in the following areas: Country Table Representatives: Get together with families from your country/world region and organize a booth to celebrate the cultural diversity at UNIS. This is the soul of the event and it would be wonderful to have all community groups represented. Please contact the Country Tables Coordinator - Michiko Kadono at michikokadono@gmail.com for more information on how to organize a Country Table. Garage Sale Stands: Time for a Spring Cleaning? Want to get rid of extra furniture? Have your children outgrown their toys? The extremely popular Garage Sale is the perfect opportunity for you sell your old belongings and find a new home for items you no longer need. To book a table please contact, Pippa Wood at pippa.phoenix@gmail.com Commercial Stalls: Do you have a Family-Owned Small Business? If so, would you be interested in having a Commercial Stall at the Spring Fair? Commercial stalls are available for hire to anyone in the UNIS Community (parents, faculty, staff or students). To reserve a space email Paulina Pineda at paulinapineda@hotmail.com Coordinators for Kids Fun Corner, Sponsorship and Silent Auction are also needed! If you would like to get involved with the Spring Fair Coordinating Team or have any more questions, please contact the Spring Fair Coordinator, Paulina Pineda at paulinapineda@hotmail.com WE NEED YOU ALL to make this another memorable event for our community!!!
Position Requirements: UNIS Hanoi has experienced steady year-on-year growth in our student population, which currently stands at over 1,000 students from 66 different countries. We are now accepting applications for a Co-Curricular Activities Manager (CCAM). The position reports to the Director of Co-Curricular Activities (DCCA). Overview of the Co-Curricular Activities Office: As a strong complement to the curricular programme, the co-curricular programme of UNIS Hanoi includes all activities that take place outside of the school day. These activities include all After School Activities (ASAs), Performing Arts, Sports, the Community Education Programme, UNIS Music Academy (UMA) and the Aquatics Academy, the Saturday Soccer Programme, the Energize Fitness Programme and management and scheduling of recreational facilities of UNIS Hanoi. In addition, the co-curricular team works in collaboration with the UNIS Hanoi Service Learning programme and the curricular programmes of the Elementary, Middle and High schools. The Co-Curricular programme currently offers over 250 different programme offerings each year to students in Grades Discovery – 12. Offerings range from weekly after school activities/clubs to participation in sports or nonsports teams/groups that go on to participate in tournaments and festivals at large international school events at UNIS Hanoi or in travel to international school tournaments and festivals. Duties and Responsibilities The CCAM assists DCCA in all aspects of the UNIS Hanoi co-curricular programme listed above. The CCAM will act as primary contact and be directly responsible for the following areas: Saturday Activities (Saturday is part of the 5 day work
week, Sunday and another day in the week will be days off for the CCAM) UNIS Music Academy: design, implement and manage a
high quality extra-curricular music education programme in accordance with UNIS Hanoi objectives Summer Programmes After School Activities (ASAs)
Required Demonstrated leadership capabilities with a strong
background in leading and implementing cocurricular programmes Excellent organizational ability and initiatives Effective communication and interpersonal skills Experience in an international school setting Extensive experience in the development and
implementation of youth development programmes Experience as a teacher, activities sponsor, coach,
and/or performing arts director Preferred Previous experience in a leadership role in
Activities/Athletics Programmes An M.A./M.Ed./M.Sc. degree or equivalent
In return, UNIS Hanoi offers an attractive work environment, flexible working hours and leave arrangements, competitive remuneration, and professional development opportunities. Successful applicant would be expected to commence duties in August 2014. Interested applicants please send your expression of interest, along with an up-to-date CV and current referees to jobs@unishanoi.org. Only short-listed candidates will be invited for interview Ms Tran Thi Quyen, Human Resources Manager United Nations International School of Hanoi
UNIS Hanoi is a not-for-profit international school offering all three International Baccalaureate Programmes 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.
UNIS Hanoi has experienced steady year-on-year growth in our student population, which currently stands at over 1,000 students from 66 different countries. We are now accepting applications for a Advancement Assistant. The position is located in the Advancement Office and will report to the Community Liaison Officer. Responsibilities The Advancement Assistant supports the Advancement Director and team as required in delivering the goals of the Advancement Programme. Specifically tasks will include:
Communications and marketing support: Maintaining an accurate school calendar Maintaining and updating the organisation of the new
media database Manage the logistics and organisation for School Photo
Days Assist with maintaining the School website and social
media, including monitoring references to UNIS Hanoi for Press Cuttings file or for response/action from the School
Event support: Assist with all event preparation and clerical support
including UN Day celebrations, Community events and special visitors.
Data and fundraising support Assist in maintaining the Advancement database
including routine data entry and basic reporting Assisting the Scholarship Programme process
required by the team, including petty cash and expenses claims/travel arrangements Perform other duties as required by the Supervisor
Position requirements: University Degree Excellent English and Vietnamese Proficient with Technology (Microsoft Office, Adobe
Photoshop, In Design etc) and a keen interest/ experience in online publishing (ie. Dreamweaver, Wordpress, blog, photo galleries, social media etc) Excellent attention to detail both in data entry and in
presentation skills Organised and logical in approach to tasks Reliable with tasks and deadlines “Can-Do” attitude with clear and open communication
style Service orientated to team and wider community Quick learner with excellent listening skills and ready to
ask questions Keen to learn and apply new knowledge/skills
In return, UNIS offers an attractive work environment, competitive remuneration, and professional development opportunities.
Application closing date: 14 February 2014 Interested applicants please send your expression of interest, along with an up-to-date CV and current referees to jobs@unishanoi.org Ms Vu Ngoc Thanh, Human Resources Officer United Nations International School of Hanoi
Data processing for all Advancement surveys Gather and create data reports as required for internal
use by the department or to assist with external publications
Department support Assist with the storage and filing systems for the team
and department both online and on campus, including routine office filing, the merchandise inventory and managing event resources (decorations, plates etc) Assist with scheduling meetings, managing the
department calendar and keeping minutes for internal meetings Assist with necessary documentation and paperwork as
UNIS Hanoi is a not-for-profit international school offering all three International Baccalaureate Programmes 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.