tintuc@unishanoi.org UNIS Hanoi’s Weekly Community Newsletter
Volume 21, Edition 31, Friday 17 April
NEXT WEEK…
COMING SOON
MONDAY, 20 APRIL Primary Years Programme Grade 5 Exhibition, 20-24 April Grade 1 Field Trip (1JH&1VdC), 8:30-12:00
MONDAY, 4 MAY Real Madrid Football Clinic, 4-8 May IB Diploma Exams, 4-26 May
TUESDAY, 21 APRIL Grade 1 Field Trip (1SF&1TA), 8:30-12:00 MSHS 3-Way Parent Conferences (No school for Grades 6-10, No ASAs/HS Sports, MS Sports as normal but no transportation provided), 10:00-18:00 Board of Directors Meeting, 18:00-20:00 WEDNESDAY, 22 APRIL ES Earth Day Grade 4 Market Day, 8:45-11:00 THURSDAY, 23 APRIL Executive Committee Meeting, 8:15-9:45, Conference Room MS Boys’ and Girls’ Volleyball vs HIS @ UNIS, 16:0017:30 Grade 5 PYP Exhibition Community Sharing, 18:0020:00, Centre for the Arts FRIDAY, 24 APRIL Grade 2-3 Swim Meet , 12:30-15:20 SATURDAY, 25 APRIL - MAY 3 Spring Break
TUESDAY, 5 MAY MAP testing Grades 6-8, 5-8 May Board Orientation Session, 7:00-8:30, Conference Room Campus Development Task Force, 17:30-19:00, Conference Room Grade 5 Unit of Inquiry Parent Information Session, 19:00-20:00, Library WEDNESDAY, 6 MAY Finance Committee Meeting, 7:00-8:30, Conference Room Advancement Committee Meeting, 12:00-14:00, Conference Room SMP 2015-2020 Task Force, 17:30-19:00, Conference Room THURSDAY, 7 MAY Community Breakfast with the Head of School, 8:009:30, Black Box Executive Committee Meeting, 12:00-13:30, Conference Room Grade 8 - 9 Parent Transition Night, 19:00- 20:00, Library FRIDAY, 8 MAY ISHCMC Invitational Swim Meet, 8-10 May SATURDAY, 9 MAY ES Global Codeathon, 14:00-17:00 Alumni Reunion in Seoul, 18:00-20:00, Coex Mall, 513 Yeongdong-daero, Gangnam-gu
IN THIS WEEK’S TIN TUC - The Highlights... Notes from the Head of School and the Middle/High School Pricipal (p.2 -3) University visits next week (p.3)
Global Codeathon. Join NOW! (p.7) Grade 4 market day (p.8) Spring Swim Gala photo special (p.9) MRISA Soccer Tournament (p.10)
K1 performance photo special (p.4) Grade 3 & 10 Drama class exchange (p.5) Book in a bag project (p.6) Grades 2-3 Swim Meet (p.6)
Summer Programme. Register NOW! (p.10) Hot tips for hot summer (p.12) SCO News (p.13-14) Job Opportunities (p.14)
Like any school, we are sometimes deeply affected by life’s events over which we have no control. Such has been the case this week. Most of you know that Mr. Thai, an IT officer here at UNIS Hanoi for the last 5+ years, passed away last weekend at the age of 33. He leaves behind his parents, his wife, and his three children, one of whom was just born last year. Our IT staff has developed over the years into a knowledgeable, high quality, responsive, helpful, userfriendly team. Mr. Thai was not only very much a part of that team, but was a key person in helping that team to become what it is today. But what was even more remarkable about him was that even though he was struck with polio at an early age and was left with a physical disability, one never had a feeling that he felt sorry for himself or was sad about his condition. He was always very approachable, warm, and willing to help when a technology problem was driving you mad. He even looked outside himself and was a champion for other physically handicapped people. As a regional Chairman of the People with Disabilities Group, and as the Honorary President of Hanoi Students with Disabilities Club, he was determined to not dwell on his disability but rather focus on making a difference to help others. He also trained and was a Para-Olympic athlete winning medals in the ASEAN Para-Olympic competitions over the years.
you of what we have said to the students at an age appropriate level. Just yesterday, we have set up a table in the library with Mr. Thai's beautiful picture from UN Day, some candles, flowers, a book to write a message and a basket to leave a private personal message. Paper and envelopes will be available. We will probably leave this up until Spring Break. We plan to provide either assembly time or smaller group time to help students think about Mr. Thai and determine what we can learn from him as a UNIS Hanoi staff member and as a person. We also plan to have a Celebration of Life event at 16:30 on Wednesday afternoon that will last for about an hour. Location to be finalized. This will be an opportunity for us to celebrate all the wonderful things about Mr. Thai and give our faculty, staff, and parents one more time to come together as a group to celebrate his life. Finally, several have asked about making a donation to the family, particularly to insure that the three children are taken care of. We are working on the details of how that will work and will communicate that procedure to you when it is set up should you be interested in contributing. Our hearts are heavy. But I am confident that, as in the past when we have faced such tragedy, our community will pulled together to support each other and carry on in the spirit in which Mr. Thai would want us to do. Respectfully, Dr. Barder hos@unishanoi.org
As for how we are handling things here at school, you already received my message earlier this week informing
"Chẳng ai biết mình sống được bao lâu trong cuộc đời này, cứ tận hưởng cuộc sống, làm tất cả những gì mình thích với tinh thần lạc quan để sau này không còn gì phải hối tiếc."
“We don't know how much time we have in this life, so live your life in positive spirit to its fullest and fulfill your dreams so you have no regrets.” - Bạch Quang Thái
Dear MSHS Families, Clearly the Arts are alive and well in the MSHS! During the past ten days the Centre for the Arts has been transformed into a gallery of intriguing art work showing off the considerable talent and creativity of our grade 12 artists. Please join me in congratulating our IBDP Visual Art students and their teacher Michelle Wise for a wonderful Art Exhibition! UNIS Hanoi takes great pride in offering a broad spectrum of courses designed to challenge and stimulate our students. For example, in the IB Diploma Programme there are six distinct subject groups: Language & Literature, Language Acquisition, Individuals & Societies, Science, Mathematics and Arts. The IB places equal value on all subject groups and strongly encourages students to enroll in courses in each area. As such, UNIS Hanoi strongly supports Arts education by offering four courses in the subject group: Film, Theatre, Music and Visual Arts. A report by Americans for the Arts states that, “Young people who participate regularly in the Arts are four times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement, to participate in higher level Math and Science or to win awards for essay writing or poetry than children who do not.” To summarize, do not forget the Arts! They are a vital component in a high quality educational programme.
Monday, April 20 13:20 – 14:00 Common Room B5 G29 Thursday, April 23 13:20 – 14:00 Common Room B5 G29 Friday, April 23 13:20 – 14:00 Common Room B5 G29
I would also like to thank all the students and parents who participated in the first day of 3-Way Conferences. From all reports parents enjoyed the process and were able to gather in depth and concrete information directly from teachers and their children. The second day of conferences is set for April 21. It was my good fortune to have had the opportunity to meet with many parents during the first day of 3-Way Conferences. It was inspiring to learn about the hopes and dreams parents hold for their children. While academics are certainly a major focus for parents it was interesting to learn that the top priority is their child’s happiness. Parents want to know if their child is happy, has friends, is respectful, and most of all, if they are developing into caring young adults. Happy Spring! Pete Kennedy, mshsprincipal@unishanoi.org
MCPHS - Massachusetts College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences Mr. Rene Cabrera, Senior Director of Admissions Seoul National University Ms. Hyeyoung You, Admissions Officer Bowdoin College Mr. Ryan Ricciardi, Assistant Dean of Admissions
Our K1 students were transformed into bears, dragonflies, frogs, butterflies and caterpillars on Wednesday. This 'Performing Arts Celebration' (PAC) included a theatre performance and a gallery walk of K1 artwork. The children sang, danced and played instruments to retell their version of the 'Three Bears' in the theatre. They
Grade 2 Slice of ICE. Photos by Tim Barnsley Photos by Tuan Anh
finished the celebration off by sharing their artwork with their parents, which included the backdrop for the performance. The K1 students made their parents and teachers very proud. The K1 children would like to thank all teachers, teaching assistants, operations staff, theatre staff and parents for helping make their PAC so special.
Grade 3 Drama students have been exploring the performance style of Greek Chorus. We discovered that Grade 10 Drama students have also been learning about Greek Theatre. A small group of students were lucky enough to be able visit the Grade 10s and present their performances, sharing knowledge with each other. It was a great experience and a wonderful moment of peer learning. A big thank you to all the students and Ms Caster for sharing in our learning.
Photos by Tuan Anh
Questions? Please email Ms. Conroy at eslibrarian@unishanoi.org Students share their favourite book using a bag. Any paper bag (which can stand up) may be used. Students decorate the outside of the bag to represent the book and should include artifacts inside the bag to help tell the story. Book choice can be a work of fiction or nonfiction, a UNIS Hanoi library book or home book and may be in English or a home language. Please bring to Ms. Conroy in the Library AFTER SPRING BREAK with STUDENT’S NAME and CLASS written on the bag. Should a book from home be used, please write the owner’s name inside the book. Book in a Bags shall be returned before the end of the year. THIS IS AN OPTIONAL HOME PROJECT
The Grades 2 and 3 swimming unit will conclude with traditional Swim Meet on Friday, April 24th. The meet will run from 12:30 to 15:20 and will include individual races 25 meter Fins Race, Kickboard Race, Freestyle, Backstroke, Breaststroke and Butterfly. More advanced swimmers will have a chance to participate in the 100 meter Individual Medley event. Teams of students will also participate in fun House relays. All friends and family members are warmly invited to attend the meet and support our Grades 2 and 3 swimmers!
Photos by Tim Barnsley
Any concerns or questions please feel free to contact: Heidi Kay hkay@unishanoi.org 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 Wednesday, April 22 they will attempt to sell their products or services to an excited band of consumers, namely the students of Grade 1,2, 3 and 5. Grade 4 students are asking that on that day your child will bring in a maximum of the Grade 4 Market Day.
60,000 VND to spend at
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
Grade 4 Market Day 2014
Last Saturday, the UNIS Hanoi Swim Team had the first race of our Spring Season. Our swimmers swam really really well! There were so many best times that I lost count before the first set of events finished! I have been especially impressed with how well they have listened during this spring session. Not only has their speed improved but their technique has advanced tremendously since the beginning of the year. When athletes practice perfection, measurable improvement will always follow. It is clear our swimmers have been listening and are doing things right in practice. Four new records set! In the 9+10 Boys, Duc Trinh set a new record for the 200 breaststroke and Long (Bill) Nguyen set a new record for the 200 free. Roope Makela
Photos by Natascha Sentfleben
broke his own record in the 13+14 boys 200 free and Joya Tabe set a new record in the 15+over 200 breaststroke. Congratulations new record holders! We have a few more meets coming up this spring. 44 swimmers are going to the ISHCMC Meet on May 9 and 10. On Saturday, May 16, BIS is hosting a meet and we plan to send swimmers to that meet as well. The highlight of our Spring Season, the annual Hanoi Swim Gala, where we invite only teams from Hanoi takes place on May 30. Please be sure that date is on your calendar. The meet will last all day with an awards celebration at the end. Andy Myers, Aquatics Academy Head Coach aacoach@unishanoi.org
There are no secrets of success. It is the result of preparation, hard work and learning from failure – Colin Powell. Every amount of work which was put into the games was express through our preparations as team, hard work and devotion to each practice day and most importantly, attempting to learn from certain weaknesses and failures. This season of the MRISA Senior Soccer has been an effortless amount of hard work and enjoyment. As a team, we were not strong in the first 2 weeks of practice but after the 6 weeks of practicing and total engagement, the team with no limitations, rapidly became as strong as any team could get or even better. Friendly games with other schools from Hanoi here and there was also one of the strategies coach used to strengthen the team and also create a connection with each other because the more we played games, the more we had physical and emotional bonding with another. There have been moments were some situation get difficult and moments where we’ve incorporated some amount of fun and enjoyment. The laughs and little giggles with one another and enjoying each other’s company, even with our Coach. (Mr. Phi Nguyen – Sometimes really gets serious causing us to focus but at the same time ensured that we had our hearts in whatever we did on the practice fields and game fields. Giving our all was what he wanted from us, losing or winning didn’t matter unless we expressed our enjoyment and amusement in every game we played before the tournament). The 2 days of the tournament had been a remarkable experience for every single player and also as a team. Coming in 7th place was not what we really wanted to
achieve but due to weather conditions, like the scotching sun, burning your feet as you run up and down the field. These 2 days did not really go well for us team because of the frustration of losing to every game and exhaustion from the sun. Every single girl gave her best but winning the last game was just a way to end the tournament, not losing and not coming last. Though we would have loved to come in the 2nd or 3rd place just like the local tournament we had hosted. A total of 6 goals of every game was better than nothing and being the only team that was able to score at least a goal against SSIS even though we lost, was one of the goals that boosted our confidence and energy to winning the other games that had been planned. To conclude the lovely event we encountered, making new friends and meeting old friends was what made the tournament an exciting adventure as MRISA is known to be bonding and getting to know other students from different schools in Asia. Also a big thank you to the coach for his effortless time and engagement with the team because not all coaches have that special bond with their team. Also thank you to all the girls who participated in team and hard work and time devoted to the team. To our goalkeeper (Minh Anh – Grade 9), you have been amazing even though this was your first time goalkeeping and participating in soccer, you’re one of the girls who really deserved MVP. Being the captain of the team, I hope to have this team for next year’s tournament. By Afia Adu-Gyamfi (Grade 10)
Summer is just around the corner. It’s time to start preparing ourselves for health concerns while we enjoy the hot season ahead. Our bodies create a tremendous amount of heat. Normally, it is cooled through sweating and by heat radiating through the skin. But in very hot weather, high humidity, and other conditions, this natural cooling system may begin to fail, letting heat in the body build to dangerous levels. This can lead to heat illness, such as heat rash, cramps, heat exhaustion, or heatstroke.
Heat rash, also known as prickly heat, is a skin irritation caused by excessive sweating during hot, humid weather. It can occur at any age but is most common in young children. Rash looks like a red cluster of pimples or small blisters. It is more likely to occur on the neck and upper chest, in the groin, under the breasts and in elbow creases.
Heat cramps usually affect people who sweat a lot during strenuous activity. This sweating depletes the body's salt and moisture. The low salt level in the muscles may be the cause of heat cramps. Heat cramps may also be a symptom of heat exhaustion.
Heat exhaustion can develop after several days of exposure to high temperatures and inadequate or unbalanced replacement of fluids. It is the body's response to an excessive loss of the water and salt contained in sweat. Symptoms can include increased thirst, weakness, fainting, muscle cramps, nausea and/or vomiting, irritability, headache, increased sweating, cool, clammy skin and elevation of body temperature, but less than 40°C. If left untreated, heat exhaustion can develop into heat stroke, which can be fatal.
Heat stroke occurs when the body is unable to regulate its temperature. The body's temperature rises rapidly, the sweating mechanism fails, and the body is unable to cool down. Body temperature may rise to 41°C or higher within 10 to 15 minutes. Heat stroke can cause death or permanent disability if emergency treatment is not provided. Warning signs of heat stroke vary but may
include an extremely high body temperature (above 40°C), red, hot, and dry skin (no sweating), rapid, strong pulse, throbbing headache, dizziness, nausea, confusion and unconsciousness.
Prevention is the best way to manage heat-related illness. Some tips to prevent heat stress include: Keep up your fluids – you need to drink more during
hot weather, regardless of how active you are. Do not wait until you are thirsty to drink. Drink plenty of water or other cool, non-alcoholic fluids. Avoid alcohol or drinks that contain lots of sugar. Don’t have extremely cold liquids, as they may cause stomach cramps. Limit physical activity – too much physical activity on a
hot day can lead to heat stress. If you can, restrict activity to cooler times of the day. Protect yourself outside – if you must be outdoors,
remember to protect yourself from the sun –‘slip, slop, slap’ by covering exposed skin with lightweight clothes, using sunscreen and wearing a hat, ‘seek’ shade and ‘slide’ on sunglasses. Don’t leave children or pets in cars – even on cool days,
cars can heat up to dangerous temperatures very quickly. Children or pets that are left unattended in parked cars for even a few minutes are at risk of serious heat-related illnesses and possibly death. Never leave children or pets in a parked car, even if the windows are left open a fraction. Take it easy – rest often and, whenever possible, stay
indoors or in the shade. Teach kids to come indoors, rest, and hydrate immediately whenever they feel overheated Stay cool – and keep air circulating around you. Use air
conditioning if possible. (If you don’t have air conditioning, consider visiting an air-conditioned shopping centre or public library.) Take a cool shower, bath or sponge bath. Keep up your energy levels – eat regular, light meals.
For more on heat illnesses and first aid, visit http:// www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/index.asp School Health Centre
Today we had our last snack sale of the year, we want to especially thank K1KM, K1AP, G1SF, G5MN, G5JH, G5DL, G5TC for all your delicious, creative and diverse contributions! We had banh day, won tons, rice crispy bunny treats, rainbow layer cake, crepes, tofu black sesame chips, orange poppy seed muffins and so much more! At the snack sale today we were able to raise 9,630,000VND which leads to an annual total of 39,151,000 VND raised to fund community based projects supported by the School Community Organisation. For more information about projects funded in the past, click here.
We would also like to take a moment to thank ALL the parents who have donated snacks this year, without your contributions the snack sale would not be possible! Also a very special thanks to the Snack Sale Coordinators: Masumi Tsuda, Akiko Nakano and Bo Young Hwang for arranging the reminder posters, setup and vigilantly checking that all snacks are labeled, your organizational skills make the snack sales run like clockwork! Last, but certainly not least, thank you to the numerous parents who have stepped in to help sell the snacks to the children! In order to show our appreciation for your time in helping run the Snack Sale, please do join us on May 20th for our Volunteer Appreciation Night! Please register here.
Wednesday, May 20 Time: 18.00 - 20.00 Location: Don's Bistro Rooftop (16 Quảng An Road, Tây Hồ) What would our school community be like without the love and support of our generous volunteers? We VALUE everyone who has given their time and talents to help the UNIS Hanoi community over the year. Your spirit of volunteerism makes our school community thrive and flourish.
There will be delicious food and drinks (wine, beer, cocktails, juice) for all to enjoy on behalf of the School Community Organisation and the Advancement Office as a final THANK YOU for all your help. Please register HERE before May 17th. Please keep in mind that this is an adult function and we kindly ask that you arrange childcare beforehand. Should you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact the Community Liaison Officer, Nathalie Grun at clo@unishanoi.org
To THANK our volunteers this year, we would like to invite everyone who has supported UNIS Hanoi with your time and talent to a VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION NIGHT!
1. ECC Physical Education Teaching Assistant - School year 2015-2016 2. ES Multi-lingual Additional Languages Teaching Assistant - School year 2015-2016 3. MS/HS Technology Coordinator Assistant - starting April/May 2015 To view more information about these openings at UNIS Hanoi, and to apply online, please visit our website at www.unishanoi.org/jobs