tintuc@unishanoi.org UNIS Hanoi’s Weekly Community Newsletter
Volume 21, Edition 25, Friday 06 March
NEXT WEEK…
MONDAY, 9 MARCH ASA and UMA Session 3 Starts JV Boys' Soccer vs WIS @ WIS, 15:30-17:30
WEDNESDAY, 11 MARCH MRISA Arts Festival @ SSIS, 11 - 15 Mar IB Diploma Programme Mock Exams, 11 - 20 Mar JV Girls' Soccer vs SAS @ SAS, 16:00-17:30 THURSDAY, 12 MARCH MS GIN Conference, Singapore 12 - 13 Mar Board Information Session, 17:30-19:00, Conference Room FRIDAY, 13 MARCH Quarter 4 Tuition Deadline Discovery Field Trip, 9:00-12:00 SATURDAY, 14 MARCH HS 7-a-Side Soccer Tournament, Sports Fields SAT Testing (HS) Varsity Boys' Soccer vs Hanoi Pro Club @ UNIS, 14:3015:30, Sports Fields
COMING SOON MONDAY, 16 MARCH IB Diploma Programme Mock Exams, 16 - 20 Mar Grade 4 Slice of ICE Exhibition, 16-19 Mar
Advancement Committee Meeting, 12:00-14:00, Conference Room JV Boys' Soccer vs CISH @ UNIS, 16:00-17:30, Sports Field JV Girls' Soccer vs SIS @ UNIS, 16:00-17:30, Sports Field
TUESDAY, 17 MARCH SMP 2015-2020 Workshop with SMP Consultant, 9:0012:00, Community Room Board Meeting with SMP 2015-2020 Consultant, 17:3019:30, Community Room WEDNESDAY, 18 MARCH UNISBoD: SMP 2015-2020 Workshop, 9:00-12:00, Community Room JV Girls' Soccer vs HIS @ UNIS, 16:00-17:30, Sports Field THURSDAY, 19 MARCH Grade 4 Slice of ICE Parent Peformance, 18:00-19:30, Theatre & Foyer, Centre for the Arts FRIDAY, 20 MARCH Withdrawal Notification Deadline for Refund World Happiness Day SATURDAY, 21 MARCH North South Cup - Soccer @ SSIS, 21-22 Mar UNIS Hanoi Spring Fair, 11:00-15:00
IN THIS WEEK’S TIN TUC - The Highlights... Notes from the Board of Directors (p.2) Notes from the Admissions Office (p.2) Standardised Tests (p.3)
Grade 10 Personal Project Exhibition photo special (p.8-9) Summer Programme (p.10) MRISA Junior Football (p.11) Aquathlon 2015 (p.12)
ES Sports Morning photo special (p.4-5) Fair enough? (p.6) Ready for a movie night? (p.6) University visits in March (p.7)
Spring Fair. Coming very soon! Tickets available next week. (p.1317) Tips for a sound sleep (p.18) Tree planting initiative (p.19)
invited to attend an information session about board service on Thursday 12th March at 5:30pm, Conference Room in the Admin Building. There are many opportunities at UNIS Hanoi for parents to share their talent, time and expertise with the community, demonstrating to our students the value of a life-long commitment to community service. One way is to serve as a member of the Board of Directors. There will be one parent-elected position open for the coming 2015-2016 School Year. The board will now conduct an election for the position of parent elected member, with results to be announced in the Tin Tuc on 17th April and formally announced at the 12th May Annual General Meeting. Parents can find more information about the work of the board, the role of a board member and the election process here . Anyone considering this opportunity or who would like to know more about getting involved with the board’s work is
Serving on the board is a richly rewarding way to contribute in your children’s school. The Board of Directors encourages all parents to consider putting themselves forward for election. The deadline for receipt of candidate application forms is 16th March at 12 noon. If you have any questions, please contact the Board Assistant, Jennifer Sawyer, at boardassistant@unishanoi.org. Best regards, Nguyen Van Hieu, Board Chair
Welcome to UNIS Hanoi
And We wish all the best to
Applications are currently available to eligible applicants who register using our new online admissions process: Admissions Enquiry Form.
Tuition and Fees Agreements have been issued to all current families and should be returned to admissions@unishanoi.org. Placement for returning students must be secured with deposit payments by 3 April 2015. Please confirm the departure of your family from the school by submitting an Admissions Withdrawal Form. For assistance contact admissions@unishanoi.org or 37581551 extension 8217 / 8220 / 8732.
MUN Conference at UNIS Hanoi. Photos by Tim Barnsley.
Each year, we administer two standardised tests: International Students’ Assessment (ISA) Measures of Academic Progress (MAP)
These are complementary and each has its own advantages. It is very important to remember that this type of test is independent of the school’s curriculum and its main purpose is to triangulate our own assessment data and the observations we make as students learn. The other purpose is to enable us to make comparisons with other schools to ensure we are maintaining a good quality programme of teaching and learning. In addition to ISA, we offer the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) tests in the autumn and again in the spring. The main differences between ISA and MAP are as follows:
Once a year Paper and pencil test
Twice a year: early and late Online test
Mathematics, reading and two writing tasks (narrative and expository)
Mathematics and reading
Varied responses including open -ended writing that asks students to explain, show reasoning and generate ideas
Multiple choice
In October 2014, over 30 000 students in 114 schools worldwide took the ISA test. When combined with figures from the February test session, this means that over 300 schools now use ISA every year. The test takes into account the cultural diversity of students who will take it, and schools are compared with those that have a similar English language learner profile. Students from Grade 3 to Grade 9 sit these annual tests at UNIS Hanoi. Results from this year’s ISA tests are now ready to be accessed on ISIS family. UNIS Hanoi has been using ISA for eight years. It is based on the reading and mathematical literacy frameworks of the OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). The skills, knowledge and concepts that are included are drawn from major curricula worldwide and informed by research into learning and cognitive development. Janet Field, Director of Learning dol@unishanoi.org
Our Discovery - Grade 5 students just completed their 2015 Sports Day last week Tuesday. For three hours, our students worked hard, cooperated and cheered each other on as they competed in relays, sports skills and games. The day was a culmination of our PE units throughout our program and it gave our students a fun way to show their understandings and skills attained through their PE units over the course of their year and PE career at UNIS. We were treated to a wonderful cool morning in Hanoi and the atmosphere of the day was fun, cooperative and entertaining. Our students showed amazing effort and support throughout the day and the enjoyment was palpable. Some highlights from the day were Tug of War, Moon Hopper races, Jollyball, Adventure Challenge, Super Ring Ball, Temple of Doom and Mac Attack.
ES Sports Morning. Photos by Tim Barnsley.
The ES PE staff would like to thank all parents that came out to support their kids as well as a huge thanks to all ES staff who happily played the role of PE teachers for the day to help ensure the students were in the right places and each station was running smoothly. After all teams completed their 12 stations of games, skills and relays, the effort was still there as our students moved to the beat during our House Dance Competition as students waiting for the final results. At the end of it all, we would like to congratulate the Buffalo House for winning the competition with 5312 points. Second place went to the Lion House with 5151 points. Third place went to the Tiger House with 4987 points and fourth to the Eagle House with 4901 points. ES PE Team
ES Sports Morning. Photos by Tim Barnsley.
On Wednesday 4th March 2015 the Grade 3 students went to visit a few local businesses to find out if they are fair trade organisations. In particular they wanted to find out if these businesses helped their workers improve their lives, where the products and materials came from, were work conditions good and if all groups of the community were employed and or supported. The students were divided into 5 groups and went to investigate 2 businesses each. These were Better Day, Oriberry, Donkey Bakery, Mekong Quilts, Better World and Quilts and Art. The students will look at the information they gathered, compare it to the 8 principles of fair trade, and use it to further help their understanding of how consumer choices affect people’s lives. They will the see if they can directly and indirectly make a difference by being aware and sharing their knowledge. Grade 3 Teachers and Students
Dear Parents or Guardians, The Grade 1 and 2 Student Council are organising a Movie Night on Friday 13th March. This will be after school at 15:45 in the UNIS Hanoi Theatre. We will watch the film Penguins of Madagascar. All Grade 1 and 2 students are invited to come and enjoy the film. We will make and serve popcorn before the movie but students should bring their bottles so they can drink water too. After the movie all the students will get an ice cream when they leave, to eat on the way home. There will NOT be any school provided transport so you will need to pick your child up from the theatre foyer at 17:30. If your child wants to attend then they must bring the permission slip handed out today and 50,000VND to the ES Office by Thursday 12th March. We will use this money to buy the popcorn, ice cream and movie. We hope you can come. The Grade 1 & 2 Student Council Representatives
Please remember to bring your safety equipment and skates. The school is NOT providing these, and without them you cannot skate. Emails have been sent to parents and students.
Monday, March 9 1:20 PM In front of the Canteen
Arizona State California State University, San Marcos Felician College Kansas State University Keuka College University of Michigan, Flint Newbury College University of Portland Randolph-Macon College Saint Francis University Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Southern Illinois University, Carbondale University of Utah University of Hull
Thursday, March 12 1:20 PM Common Room B5 G29
University of Hull
Wednesday, March 18 12:40 PM Common Room B5 G29
Marquette University The University of Queensland
Friday, March 20 12:40 PM Common Room B5 G29
University of British Columbia
Wednesday, March 25 12:40 PM Common Room B5 G29
School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London
Friday, March 27 1:20 PM Common Room B5 G29
Cardiff University University of Chester
Grade 10 students proudly presented their personal projects to the school community on 3-4 March 2015. Congratulations to all on their achievement! This year we had a wide variety of projects, including child labour, robotics, astronomy, dance choreography and much more. Many thanks to all who came to contributed to the students' success! The MYP Personal Project is an opportunity for students to inquire independently into an area of passion while reflecting on their approaches to learning. They follow the inquiry process: Investigating - Planning - Taking action - Reflecting
Grade 10 Personal Project. Photos by Tim Barnsley.
Grade 10 Personal Project. Photos by Tim Barnsley.
-Picasso This year’s APAC Theatre used the quote from Picasso as a starting point for creation. Ten UNIS students were cast in an ensemble in November and worked together on an original devised performance piece entitled “Life.” The festival was held at Western Academy Beijing February 26-28. The weekend events included: all participating school performing their devised pieces, workshops on the “Living Newspaper,” ensembles with visiting artists, an excursion into Beijing where everyone rode in a rickshaw, visited a hutong, ate at a Chinese buffet and saw a Chinese acrobat show. The weekend culminated in a final performance with all 60 APAC Theatre students performing their original work of a “Living Newspaper.” The weekend was fast and furious and enjoyed by all who attended!
Anh Phuong Nguyen, Saskia Brennen, Tobias Henaes, Lan Anh Foster, Nhi Lu, William Wood, Kate Caster, Kimberley Knaggs, Salina Jamil, Morgan-Belle Bradshaw, Koko Christiaanse & Theresa Ulett
Over the last weekend the MS Boys participated in the MRISA JR. Football Tournament hosted by ISE, Pattaya. 8 international schools were at the tournament, 4 from Vietnam, 2 from Cambodia and one from Laos and Thailand. The UNIS Hanoi boys starting their tournament off beating HIS 7-1 with the first hat trick of the tournament coming from Papee. In the next 2 games the team lost 3-2 to VIS, with a last minute winner and 2-1 to SSIS. On the second day of the tournament the squad started off by beating ISHCMC 3-1 and then gaining the Plate by beating the home team, ISE 4-0. Overall the boys have worked really hard in the warm weather and had fun meeting students from other schools.
On February 26th, two teams and 3 coaches set out to go to compete in the MRISA Jr. Football Tournament being hosted at ISE, Pattaya Thailand. Traveling was such a fun part of the trip that everyone was cheery, non-stressed and happy, completely contrasting to the following days. The next two days were game days, meaning the boys and girls of UNIS Middle School teams were suffering out in the scorching heat fighting for their goals. Like everything we do, we gave it our all and an extra 10%, just for good measure. The girls did so and only lost to the home team, ISE, by a single goal on the first day, meaning they qualified to the semifinals after winning their other two matches. The boys tried their hardest, and unfortunately and very unluckily lost 2 games by one point each, so the next day, they competed for the plate (5th place). On Saturday, it was even hotter, but showing that true blue and white phoenix spirit, both teams battled it out and won their games, girls going to finals and boys qualifying for plate. The plate finals for the boys was against the home team and although they were a little bit intimidated by that fact, they managed to win 4-0. The finals for the girls was not as hot, but a lot more intense. They were again up against ISE again, the home team, and having lost the first time, they were a unsettled but, with their determination heightened, the UNIS girls went into that game with their heads held high and managed to pull through with the first goal, and ending the first half tied 1-1. By the end of the match, the score read 2 -1, with UNIS ahead and winning. Our defense stayed tight and fought hard, and our attack pushed and pushed until the whistle blew and we officially became champions. MRISA Football has been an amazing experience for each and every one of us, not because of the wins (although those were pretty great), but because of the journey. All the memories we made with each other and with new friends will not be forgotten. Ela Kalra and Uyen Trinh, Grade 8 students
Last Saturday, the UNIS Hanoi 5th Aquathlon event took place with 110 students from Elementary, Middle and High School, and their parents, participating in this challenging and exciting event. There were guest teams from Japanese and French schools participating as well. Congratulations to all participants for completing their race with personal best times! Well done to the winners for each race category – Rasmus Makela (UNIS – G05), Sota Yokoi (Japanese School), Andy Cole (UNIS- G10), Duc Trinh (UNIS- G05), The Hobbits team – Natascha and Luis Felix Senftleben (UNIS- G01), Team Lange – Henrik (UNIS – G07) and Philip Lange (UNIS –G10), Fontaine Boys team – Max (UNIS- G10) and Chris Fontaine’s, Korean Dutch Power team – Joong Gun Lee and Peer Wertheim
(both UNIS G04). Some of the champions have completed race with new best time in their race category Rasmus Makela , Duc Trinh and Fontaine Boys team. Thank you to the parents who offered their help and time with running the event. A special ‘thank you’ goes to the 20+ HS and MS Service group students who helped on the day, Aquatics staff, Aquatics Academy coaches, Operations staff and nurse Lan Anh. The results of the Aquathlon can be found on Aquathlon 2015 website. Thank you to Tim Barnsley for taking photos during event. Photos can be viewed here Ella Healy, Aquatics Coordinator
UNIS Aquathlon 2015 Photos by Tim Barnsley.
This Spring Fair is FULL OF SURPRISES! From PONY RIDES to BUBBLEOLOGISTS to STILT WALKERS...You will WANT to be part of this action! We REALLY NEED EVERYONE in the UNIS Hanoi Community to GET INVOLVED in the Spring Fair by volunteering during one or two of the shifts!
Sign-up HERE to volunteer!
http://goo.gl/grCWDV
Do you love music? Volunteer for an hour in our Karaoke Corner!
Do you enjoy arts & crafts? Help our students for an hour in our Crafts area!
Are you an early morning riser? Come help out at the gates from 6:30am!
Spread the word and volunteer with a friend; many hands make light work!!!
TICKET SALES: Everyday after school (3.15—4.40pm) in front of the Canteen Everyone participating in the Spring Fair will need to purchase a ticket to enter.
Did the recent UNIS got Talent inspire you? Do you have a secret talent you want to share with the world? Now is your chance! Perform at the UNIS Spring Fair! We are also looking for performers and comperes/announcers! Sign up here to perform on the stage at Spring Fair Or for further details contact Pippa Wood sco_mshsvice@unishanoi.org
Amazing SKYWALKERS! Bubble Petting Zoo! You will be BLOWN AWAY!
MORE BUBBLES! DR. FROTH GOES BUBBLE CRAZY SHOW ! SUNDAY, MARCH 22—3pm (Centre for the Arts Theatre) The kids will love this international act and adults will be wowed! Hysterical, engrossing and inspirational! It’s a bubble bonanza of vivacious, wacky, yet sophisticated tricks. The adorea-bubble Dr Froth entertains ALL AGES with enticing visual spectacles involving MASSIVE doughnut bubbles, tightrope-walking bubbles, geometric-shaped bubbles and more!
Tickets 150 000 VND Available after school from 3.15—4.40pm in front of the Canteen AND at The Kitchen (To Ngoc Van)
To order your Dr Froth tickets please fill in THIS FORM Thank you to our sponsors and the UNIS Hanoi SCO for facilitating his visit and also the Intercontinental Hanoi Westlake for providing some of the accommodation. For queries contact Pippa Wood at sco_mshsvice@unishanoi.org
The promotion of regular sleep is known as sleep hygiene. No matter what your child's age, establishing a bedtime routine encourages good sleep habits. Here are some simple steps for improving that shut-eye for your kids: Let them go to bed at the same time each night, and rise
at the same time each morning. Give your kids a heads-up 30 minutes and then 10
minutes beforehand. Include a winding-down period in the routine.
Are your children suffering from sleep deprivation? Have trouble waking up in the morning? And feeling so tired all the time?. The National Sleep Foundation’s 2014 Sleep in America Poll reports that less than half of American children get at least nine hours of sleep each night, and 56 percent of 15- to 17-year-olds regularly sleep fewer than seven hours each night.
Sleep in a quiet, dark, and relaxing environment, which
is neither too hot nor too cold. Make the bed comfortable and use it only for sleeping
and not for other activities, such as reading, watching TV, or listening to music. Remove all TVs, computers, and other "gadgets" from
the bedroom. Avoid large meals before bedtime
Homework, sports and after-school activities, computers, TVs, mobile devices and hectic family schedules all can contribute to kids not getting the sleep they need. Good sleep is essential for good health. It allows the body to heal. Lack of sleep can affect the immune system, mood and increase the chances of developing conditions such as heart disease and obesity. In school, sleep deprivation can lead to being less attentive, hyper or irritable, inconsistent performance, short-term memory loss and delayed response time. This can lead to anger problems, trouble in school (academically and with teachers and peers) and the use of stimulants like caffeine or energy drinks to feel more awake.
So how much sleep is enough? Sleep needs vary from person to person and change as people age. newborns - 16-18 hours preschool-aged children - 11-12 hours school-aged children - at least 10 hours teens - 9-10 hours adults - 7-8 hours
For more on sleeping, read on http://www.cdc.gov/ features/sleep/ School Health Centre
The HS Service Learning group, Community Garden and Tree Nursery donated over 100 trees to the Benh Vien Da Khoa tinh Hoa Binh (General Hospital of Hoa Binh) on January 31. Here’s what Grade 11 student, Woohyuck (Teddy) Choi, had to say about the day: “The service group Community Garden went to a hospital in the Hòa Bình district on the 31st of January in order to donate over a hundred trees to the hospital. Between two hours of car ride, the group underwent all the necessary process to plant trees, including digging holes, carrying saplings and firmly placing them in the ground. Although it was a cold and cloudy day, the group was able to successful plant multiple trees, which will be able to provide a magnificent sight and fresh air to the patients in the future.” Many hands were involved in making this trip a success. I’ll especially mention Mr Thuy from the Service Learning office and the Bac Ha IPM company that manages the UNIS Hanoi grounds who helped with labour and horticultural expertise. The idea of having a tree nursery on campus was put forward in 2011 by a small group including Heiko Woerner (a parent) Lutz Lehmann (a German forester working in Kon Tum Province) Chris Gill, (UNIS DT teacher) and David Buckner of the UNIS Community Garden. By the spring of 2012, ES and MS students successfully germinated about 200 tree seeds in the Community Garden. Many seeds were donated by Mr. Lehmann and others were collected by David Buckner from the streets of Hanoi.
In April, 2013, a small area was established near the tennis courts to house our nursery, and the following school year saw the inception of the HS Tree Nursery Service group, with a mandate, among other things, to manage the nursery and donate trees to schools and charitable organizations. During our first year, we donated about 30 trees to The Hanoi Academy, and the Phuc Thuy Centre, a small residential school for children and young adults with special needs in Long Bien. Please help us to build on this success, by mentioning our work to likely organisations with land that could use trees, and by letting David Buckner know of likely partners for future tree-planting initiatives. David Buckner