tintuc@unishanoi.org UNIS Hanoi’s Weekly Community Newsletter
NEXT WEEK... MONDAY, 7 APRIL Quarter 4 Starts TUESDAY, 8 APRIL School Photo Day (new students only), Community Rm MS Athletics Day Advancement Committee Meet, 8:15-9:30, Conference Room Grade 4 Field Trip, 8:30-11:30 Grade 3 Field Trip, 12:00-15:00 MS Volleyball Game vs. Concordia, 16:00-17:15, UNIS WEDNESDAY, 9 APRIL Hung King Day - National Holiday, School & Campus close APAC Girls Soccer, Shanghai, China, 9-13 April APAC Boys Soccer, Hong Kong, 9-13 April THURSDAY, 10 APRIL IB DP Art Exam, 10-11 April Grade 4 Field Trip, 8:30-10:30 Grade 3 Field Trip, 9:30-11:30 Deep Blue visit, 13:00-15:45 FRIDAY, 11 APRIL Discovery Field Trip, 9:30-12:30
Volume 20, Edition 28, Friday 4 April
COMING SOON... TUESDAY, 15 APRIL MSHS 3-Way Conferences 10:00-18:00 No school for Grade 6-11 Students WEDNESDAY, 16 APRIL Speed Geeking for Parents - Parent Info session 8:30-9:30 Library Projection Room THURSDAY, 17 APRIL Snuggle up and read 8:10-9:00 Middle School Boys Volleyball vs. BVIS, 15:30-18:00 BVIS FRIDAY, 18 APRIL Grade 2-3 Swim Meet HS Talent Show, 19:00-20:30 SATURDAY, 19 APRIL UNIS Invitational MS Volleyball Tournament, Sports Centre Kaleidoscope of Culture Carnival, National History Museum, 19:00-23:30
IN THIS WEEK’S TIN TUC - The Highlights... Notes from the Head of School (p.2) Notes from Admissions Office (p.2) Notes from Middle/High School Principal (p.3)
What happened in K1 and K2? (p.89) MS Athletics Day (p.10) Phoenix Cup HS Soccer (p.11-12)
Let’s get this Kaleidoscope party started (p.4-5) Coding Superheroes. Join NOW (p.6) Grade 4 Market Day. Save the date! (p.7)
Notes from the Tech Director (p.12) Summer Programme. Registrer NOW! (p.13) Children’s oral health (p.14)
At UNIS Hanoi we are constantly seeking to best prepare our students for the future by staying in touch with hiring trends in the work forces around the world. From these trends we analyze what we might be able to do with our students from a young age to prepare them for the future. An article in the International New York Times recently that caught our attention was by Thomas Friedman who wrote about an interview he had with the head of HR at Google – one of the world’s most successful companies. While I have had numerous takeaways from this piece, I had one over-riding thought. Doing well in school is still important in preparing for university and beyond. However, a university degree, even from an elite institution, is not a guarantee of one’s ability to do a job well. To quote the article: “The world only cares about – and pays off on – what you can do with what you know (and it doesn’t care how you learned it.” This suggests to us the importance of making sure students not only know the right answer but they know how to ask the right question. This is also means not just doing well
on exams, tests and receiving excellent grades but being successful at collaboration, being adaptable, and taking action when it is needed. We therefore continue to strive to provide “real world”, project-based, hands-on learning experiences which we hope will build these “soft” skills as well. And we focus on the development of these skills from the first day students enter our school no matter what the age. The link for the piece, which appeared in the 22 February 2014 edition, is http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/23/ opinion/sunday/friedman-how-to-get-a-job-atgoogle.html?emc=eta1 I welcome your thoughts once you have read the article. Stop in or send me a message. Respectfully, Dr. Barder, Head of School, hos@unishanoi.org
We wish all the best to who left UNIS Hanoi this week
Placements for returning students must be secured as follows:
Return of the Tuition and Fees Agreement for each family DUE 1 APRIL 2014
Deposit payments for each returning student DUE 1 APRIL 2014
Payment of remaining tuition and fees for each student DUE 1 AUGUST 2014
Please notify admissions@unishanoi.org of your intended date of departure and we shall guide your family through the withdrawal process. For assistance, please email admissions@unishanoi.org or contact the Admissions office on 37581551 extension 8217 / 8220.
Dear MSHS Families,
The MSHS is very pleased to be hosting five students and two chaperones from our sister school UNIS New York. As part of our first ever school to school exchange programme students from UNIS NY are spending a week in Vietnam. UNIS NY students are being hosted in “homestays” with UNIS Hanoi families. While in Vietnam they will visit classes, build bonds with UNIS Hanoi students and take in the sights and sounds of Hanoi and Vietnam. So far the “NYers” have visited campus, presented a video at a HS Morning Meeting, taken part in an “Amazing Race” through the Old Quarter, enjoyed the overnight train to Sapa where they trekked through the terraced rice paddies, visited Ha Long Bay and ate their way through Hanoi on a Food Street Walking Tour. It goes without saying that it has been a busy trip so far! The group of good spirited enthusiastic multinational UNIS NY students are enjoying their time in Vietnam and are eager to host a UNIS Hanoi group consisting of eleven students and two chaperones later this Spring in New York City. More information and pictures will be forthcoming in next week’s Tin Tuc.
The third quarter has just ended which means 3-Way Parent Conferences are set to begin. Conference sign-ups started today, April 4 at 07:00 and remain open until noon on April 14. Conferences will take place April 15 & 21. On Wednesday I sent an email to all parents providing information which outlined procedures for signing up along with ISIS Family password/usernames. If you did not receive an email from me please contact the MSHS Office and we will be happy to support you. I look forward to meeting with many of you and hope that your conferences provide valuable information regarding your child’s progress and how you can reinforce teacher recommendations at home.
I would like to thank all parents who attended Thursday’s MSHS Parent Forum. It is important that Dr. Cyrus and I hear questions and concerns directly from parents. While I may agree or disagree with parent comments/opinions I can promise that your concerns will be listened to, reflected upon, and if warranted, acted upon. If you should have any questions or concerns my door is always open and I encourage you to actively engage with the School as we seek to develop positive solutions.
I am happy to report that our MSHS Trip Week was a great success! Students and teachers traveled far and wide exploring the wonders of Vietnam. Much time and resource is spent organizing Trip Week (Thank you teachers!) but the benefits to our school community are immeasurable. Students had the opportunity to climb mountains, hike through jungles, volunteer in schools, observe endangered primates and spend time bonding with classmates. Happy Spring! Pete Kennedy, mshsprincipal@unishanoi.org
The upcoming Kaleidoscope of Culture Carnival is FOR YOU and everyone in the UNIS Hanoi community! It’s the last big fiesta of the year! Tell your friends, grab your partner, get dressed up and be prepared to DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY! (This is a parent/teacher/staff ONLY event)
Get your TICKETS at ADVANCEMENT OFFICE (Administration Building room 102 upstairs) before they run out! We will have LIVE MUSIC all night long featuring the up and coming funk/soul/jazz band “So Good Fusion” and of course the party wouldn’t be complete without our UMA Guys Band playing the body moving songs we LOVE to SING and just DANCE DANCE DANCE to!
At the enchanting National History Museum we chose a dance floor over dining hall. This is not your traditional event, with the change of venue comes and change of atmosphere and energy (but of course there will be seating available for tired feet)
We will be providing you with a carefully selected menu of sophisticated and intricate finger foods with ingredients representing every continent in the world! (with exception of Antarctica)
with the 2 hour free flow of wine, beer and soft drinks…eat, drink and be MERRY!
You could put on the Chula dress you’ve been itching to wear, or take out the Kilt from Burn’s Night, Hanbok, Kimono, Dirndl, Lederhosen, Sari , or this could be an opportunity to get an Ao Dai, you get the point, really anything cultural goes! Something bright and funky or elegant and casual (we don’t want wardrobe to limit you from having a good time). Dress up if you want to dress up or come casual if you prefer.
Be prepared to be surprised! The mystery awaits you at the Kaleidoscope of Culture Carnival…Celebrate the LAST UNIS Hanoi Community EXTRAVAGANZA of the year with us!
http://globalcodeathon.unishanoi.org
“Blink and you‘ll miss it” Within the Transdisciplinary Theme of “How the World Works” Grade 4 students have been inquiring into the principles of demand and supply. They have been investigating just how much market forces can affect the value of goods or services. They have discovered that determining the price of a product is a complicated matter. To make this a realistic experience as possible the Grade 4 students have become entrepreneurs. They have thoughtfully constructed a business plan and have been loaned money from a financial benefactor. On Tuesday, April 22 they will attempt to sell their products or services to an excited band of con-sumers, namely the students of Grade 2, 3 and 5. Grade 4 students are asking that on that day your child will bring in a maximum of 60,000 Vnd to spend at the Grade 4 Market Day. To help control the transactions (and to make it as safe as possible for the students) the children will exchange their money for vouchers, which they will then use to purchase their items. The prices range from 10,000 Vnd to 30,000 Vnd. Students may still decide to bring a snack to school that day, but if they intend to buy from the fantastic selection of nibbles on offer they might not need one. The Grade 4 team of teachers and students would like to thank you in advance for your kind support in this. It is one of the highlights of the year for all involved. The Grade Four Teachers
Any concerns or questions please feel free to contact: Heidi Kay , hkay@unishanoi.org
We are very lucky to have ‘DEEP BLUE’ visiting Hanoi and UNIS next week. They will be in around school workshopping mainly with MSHS Music students on Thursday April 10 from 13:00 – 15.45. Sally Oxenberry, Music Teacher soxenberry@unishanoi.org
On Tuesday 19 and Thursday 20 March, K1 students discovered tastes from around the world as teachers in the ECC shared food and facts from their home countries. Children travelled vicariously to Australia, Italy, Japan, South Africa, United Kingdom, United States of America and Vietnam.
The K1 teachers would like to give a special THANK YOU to Ms. Ilse (EAL), Mr. Chris (PYP Coordinator) and our wonderful Vietnamese teaching assistants! Rebecca Thomas, K1 Teacher
Dear UNIS community, Ask us to teach you about the Three R’s: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle! We have become knowledgeable about composting and paper recycling. (Thanks to Mr David and Ms Amy!) We care a lot about our environment and think carefully about what we can do with our waste. We love turning trash into treasure, and now need some more clean junk to recycle!
Please save empty cereal boxes, cardboard cylinders, aluminum cans, plastic shopping bags and clean and washed containers. Bring these things to the ECC and put them in the bins outside the teacher’s room. Thank you for helping us to help the earth! From the Students of K2
Last weekend the UNIS Hanoi APAC boys and girls soccer teams hosted the 3rd Annual PHOENIX CUP Soccer Tournament. The tournament involved 4 boys and 4 girls teams and was contested over 2 full days of soccer action, with each team playing 4 games in total. Round robin matches were followed by finals to determine 3rd/4th place and 1st/2nd. On the boy’s side of the tournament, joining the host UNIS Hanoi teams were some very strong local youth professional teams. Although all three visiting teams were slightly younger (U13, U14 and U15) than our high school team, it was clear to see the impact of training 6 days a week on a year-round basis. Displaying some excellent individual skills, combined with outstanding team work and organization, it was a treat to watch the game of soccer be played at such a high level. Although victories were hard to come by for the UNIS Hanoi Boys, the opposition certainly provided them with some very good preparation in lead-up to the APAC Soccer Tournament which will be played in Hong Kong on April 9-13. The UNIS Hanoi APAC Boys finished in 3rd place with a record of 1 win and 3 losses, with the following match results: UNIS vs. U13 Professional Boys – Lost 1-3 UNIS vs. U14 Professional Boys – Lost 0-1 UNIS vs. U15 Professional Boys – Lost 2-7 UNIS vs. U13 Professional Boys – Won 4-1
(Consolation Final) – Tommy Nurmi, Renato Resteli, Scott Mills, Tobias Henaes, Matteu Motyl, Hieu Nguyen, Kasper Henaes, Vedant Behera, Samuel Choi, Je Kyun Yu, Ricky Kimura, Son Nguyen, Raphael Jeon, Lucas Prytz, Amara Anderson, Vikke Malinen, Simon McCarty. Coaches – Erik Cunelius and Andy Dutton.
The UNIS APAC girls played against three local university teams in the girl’s tournament. UNIS opened the tournament with a rather one-sided victory over FPT University, which provided them with a confidenceboosting first game. Day 1 brought a second victory for UNIS Hanoi, as they played very well against a strong team from National Economics University (NEU). In their final round robin match, UNIS fought back against Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST) to earn a tie and a place in the championship match in the afternoon. In the Championship Final, NEU was again the opponent for UNIS Hanoi, and for a second time they proved to be a very competitive team. Despite long periods of sustained pressure in the first half, UNIS Hanoi could only manage to score one goal. In the second half, the momentum started to swing in the favour of NEU, eventually resulting in a tying goal and sending the game into penalty kicks to determine who the 2014 winner would be. In very dramatic fashion, the winner was not decided until 11 players had taken a penalty. Wild celebrations and dancing ensued when NEU successfully scored the winning penalty kick. It was an exciting way to win, but a painful way to lose. Regardless of the disappointment involved with the loss, the UNIS Hanoi girls should be pleased with their overall play during the two days. Here are their match scores: UNIS vs. FPT University – Won 13-0 UNIS vs. NEU – Won 3-0 UNIS vs. HUST – Tie 2-2 UNIS vs. NEU – Lost 1-2 after penalty kicks
(Championship Final) The APAC Girls will be traveling to China for their APAC Tournament, which will be hosted by Shanghai American School Pudong. Good luck ladies!!
– Veronica Lai, Marielle Wik, Kim Mallon, Yoon Zoo Gee, Gillian Vallely, Ly Ann Foster, Fabiana Alcala Pertegaz, Chihyun Ryu, Kenna Valles, Chi Nguyen, Jemima Brennen, Lulu Phan, Halan Olive, Min Ji Kim, Nhi Trinh. Coaches – Susan Kraetzer and Sofia Hellstrom.
GO PHOENIX!! Dirk Kraetzer, Director of Activities, da@unishanoi.org
A total of 18 UNIS Hanoi email accounts were compromised after 7:00 pm on Sunday evening. An individual or group of individuals was able to discover the passwords for those accounts and use the accounts to send SPAM. The SPAM appears to have been a short message ranging without any payload. More than 300,000 messages were entered in the mail queue for those 18 users. The email system is designed to hold a maximum of 30,000 messages in the queue at any time. Tech Support staff discovered the issue at 7:30 am on Monday and began identifying compromised email accounts. The accounts were disabled in order to prevent them from sending thousands of additional email messages. Unfortunately the damage had been done and several domains were blocking email from UNIS Hanoi. The internal mail service was stopped at 11:00 am on Monday. Tech Support staff cleared the queue by 3:00 am on Tuesday morning and have continued monitoring the email server. At 5:00 am on Tuesday morning Tech Support staff began contacting domains that had blocked the UNIS Hanoi domain. Most domains will clear the block based on the efforts of Tech Support staff. A few domains have adopted a “wait and see” attitude before clearing the block. You can
help by informing your email domain that you would like unishanoi.org “whitelisted” by your email provider. All students and staff have been asked to change the passwords they use to a complex series of 8 or more characters including upper case, lower case, numbers and symbols. If you search for “Common Password List” you will find the top three passwords for 2013 were “123456,” “password” and “12345678.” Please talk with your children about the need for a strong, secure password that they can remember. If you have not changed your password within the last year you may want to consider changing it now. You can create a passphrase and use the passphrase to develop a complex password. For example your phrase might be I moved to Hanoi in March 2014!!. Your password would become ImtHiM14!!. The passwords that you use for your email accounts should not be used for other accounts. For example if you use your gmail account to register with a website do not use your gmail password as the password for the website. More importantly any passwords used for banking or credit cards should NOT be used for any other systems. Edward L Gilbreath Tech Director, techdirector@unishanoi.org
plan, prepare, and set yourself up for a successful Extended Essay. Work now and then enjoy the rest of your summer! Writing Skills Development and Extension –
These programmes include a balance of FUN and EDUCATIONAL Activities. ECC STUDENTS: ECC students will work with their own Coordinator and
assigned ECC Assistants The camp day will start and end at the same time as the
other age groups, but ECC students will have their own space Students will be working in groups throughout the camp
and participating in a variety of activities including arts and crafts, movement, free choice time, and sessions in the pool GRADE 1 – 7 STUDENTS: Students will be scheduled into age-group rotations Groups will be scheduled to rotate though two different
areas in the morning and afternoon including time in the pool Sports will aimed at fun and participation with games
and activities Performance will be a combination of movement and
music activities “Hands On” Science will be experiment and
investigation based Create will be creating arts and crafts
develop academic writing skills to use in high school and beyond. This program is suitable for writers of all abilities looking for improve their skills. Sports and Fitness – practice individual and team skills
while developing personal fitness. The sport focus will in part depend on program participants, including skills sessions for volleyball, soccer, and basketball. Rock Band – Team up with like-minded students to
create a full blown band. Go through the process of playing a gig starting with ideas and concepts, and moving through stages such as personal practice, rehearsing as a group, covering songs, writing your own songs, production, recording and stage management. Any instrumentation is welcome however at least one year experience on your instrument is required. Stage, Light, and Tech people are also needed – after you sign up you’ll be contacted to identify you preferred role. STOMP - Inspired by the Broadway Production,
STOMP gives students an opportunity to take everyday scenes/scenarios and find ways to make music with tools that wouldn’t normally be associated with music. No musical skills or talent are required just a beginner's mindset, and an open and creative attitude. Clink here to get an idea of STOMP in action. Academic Reading Skills - get a head start on that
summer reading list while developing reading and comprehension skills
“Math Games and Investigations” will build skills
and knowledge while having fun Digital will be working with technology in fun and
creative ways
$600 USD for the two-week full day programmes $325 USD for HS half-day programmes or one-
week of the full day programme Programmes include lunch and snacks. Bus transportation is available with an extra fee of $50 USD.
GRADE 8 – 11 STUDENTS: Students select one morning session (8:30 – 11:30) and/or one afternoon session (12:00-3:00)
Enrollment will be restricted to current UNIS students until April 18 and some programs will have limited places so make plans to attend now.
Extended Essay Support (current Gr 11s only) – get a
To register for Summer Programme 2014 click here. If you are unable to access this link, please email summerprogram@unishanoi.org to receive the link directly.
great start on your Extended Essay working toward the completion of a rough draft during the program. Participants will have an opportunity to work in a small group with an experienced Extended Essay supervisor to
Come Join Us for a Great Start to Your Summer! Jason Caruana, Summer Programme Principal summerprogram@unishanoi.org
Tooth decay (dental caries) affects children in the United States more than any other chronic infectious disease. Children living in Hanoi are not immune to tooth decay and left untreated will cause pain and infections that may lead to problems; such as eating, speaking, playing and learning. The good news is that tooth decay and other oral diseases that can affect children are preventable. The combination of dental sealants and fluoride has the potential to nearly eliminate tooth decay in school age children. As drinking tap water is not safe in Vietnam and it is unclear if bottled water in Vietnam has Fluoride, it is best to consult with your dentist regarding the use of fluoride.
Here are some things you can do to ensure good oral health for your child: Encourage your children to eat regular nutritious
meals and avoid frequent between-meal snacking. Protect your child’s teeth with fluoride. Use fluoride toothpaste. If your child is less than
seven years old, put only a pea-sized amount on their toothbrush. If your drinking water is not fluoridated (contains
fluoride), talk to the dentist or physician about the best way to protect your child’s teeth.
Regular tooth brushing and flossing help protect your teeth from decay and gum disease. To remove dental plaque, teeth should be brushed at least twice a day (in the morning, after breakfast and just before bed). Use a soft bristled toothbrush with a small head and fluoride toothpaste. Tooth brushes (or brush heads on electric tooth brushes) should be replaced every 3 months and/or when bristles appear worn and shaggy.
If you are pregnant, get prenatal care and eat a
healthy diet. The diet should include folic acid to prevent birth defects of the brain and spinal cord and possibly cleft lip/palate.
Floss your teeth once a day, prior to brushing. When flossing, take care not to damage your gums. Flossing may be difficult at first, however, with practice, becomes easy. If you are unsure which type of dental floss to use, consult with your dental professional.
A contest to help children understand the importance of dental care. Lots of great prizes May 1 till May 15, Westcoast Dental www.westcoastinternational.com Great Video to help your little ones to learn the art of teeth brushing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxMrtKkYnE