tintuc@unishanoi.org UNIS Hanoi’s Weekly Community Newsletter
NEXT WEEK… MONDAY, 9 FEBRUARY K2 Exhibition, 9-12 Feb TUESDAY, 10 FEBRUARY 1SF & 1TA Field Trip, 8:15-10:45 K2 Parent Performance, 9:00-9:30, Theatre 1VdC & 1JH Field Trip, 9:50-12:00 MS Boys' Soccer vs WIS @ WIS, 15:30-18:30 MS Girls' "B" Team Soccer vs BIS @ UNIS, 16:00-17:30, UNIS Fields MYP Information Night for Parents new to the MYP, 19:00-20:00, Black Box FRIDAY, 13 FEBRUARY ASA and UMA Session 2 Ends New Parents Workshop with ES Counselors, 8:30-10:00, Library Projection Room New Parents workshop with MSHS Counselors, 8:3010:00, Group Study Room - Library ECC, Grades1-2 Tet Assembly, 13:10-13:50, Theatre Grades 3-5 Tet Assembly, 14:10-14:50, Theatre SATURDAY, 14 FEBRUARY UNIS Hanoi Tet Break, 14-24 Feb School & Offices close
Volume 22, Edition 20, Friday 6 February
COMING SOON WEDNESDAY, 25 FEBRUARY APAC Spring Performing Arts Festival - BAND @ CISS, 25 Feb - 1 Mar APAC Spring Performing Arts Festival - THEATRE @ WAB, 25 Feb - 1 Mar THURSDAY, 26 FEBRUARY MRISA Middle School Soccer @ ISE, 26 Feb - 1 Mar 2MT & 2TL Field Trip, 8:30-10:15 Grade 4 Heritage Field Trip, 9:00-11:30 PYP Exhibition, Parent Information Session, 18:0018:45, Black Box G5 to G6 Parents Information Night, 19:00-19:45, Black Box FRIDAY, 27 FEBRUARY MSHS Counselors - Guest Speaker Event for Parents, 8:30-10:30, Community Room SATURDAY, 28 FEBRUARY Community Education Spring Programme Begins Aquathlon, 12:00-15:00
IN THIS WEEK’S TIN TUC - The Highlights... Notes from the Head of School (p.2) Notes from the Admissions Office (p.2) The Scholarship Fund update (p.3) Middle School Honour rolls and awards (p.4-5)
APAC Basketball at UNIS Hanoi. Photo specials. (p.8-10) APAC Swimming (p.11) Service Learning Tet Challenge (p.12)
Tet - the Vietnamese New Year (p.6) 100 days of school celebration (p.6) Grade 10 Personal Project. Save the date! (p.7-8)
New UNIS Hanoi apparel. Check it out! (p.13) National Dental Health Month (p.13) Spring Fair: Make it unique, make it yours (p.14)
A big thank you to the four parents who came to the Hors d’oeuvre with the Head of School last Tuesday night. We had a good discussion about technology and a variety of other issues. The notes from this meeting will be published next week. While it was disappointing to have only four parents attend, we remain committed to finding the best way to attract parents to come to hear about recent developments at school, and have the opportunity to ask questions, express concerns, or offer suggestions about any
aspect of our programme. We know everyone is busy and we also know that most of you care very much about what is going on at school. We just need to come up with a mutually convenient way to come together. We have one more community meeting with the Head of School and it will be a Breakfast on Thursday, 07 May beginning at 08:00 in the Community Room. In the meantime, if you have other suggestions on how to have more parents attend these sessions, please send them along to me at hos@unishanoi.org With next week being the last week before the Tet holiday, this is a great time to thank our wonderful Vietnamese staff for all that they do for our students. Please make the effort to thank them when you see them on campus and encourage your children to do the same. This is the most important time of the year for the Vietnamese and honoring them with a warm and genuine expression of appreciation is just the right thing to do. They are most deserving of our recognition. Respectfully, Dr. Chip Barder, hos@unishanoi.org
100 Days of School Celebration
Please register your child directly with the admissions office. Applications will be available to eligible applicants at the end of February, following the Tet holiday. For assistance contact admissions@unishanoi.org or 37581551 extension 8220 / 8217 / 8732.
There are just seven day until the Tet Holiday starts, and we hope to celebrate reaching our goal with our entire community for the New Year! Together we can create a new scholarship place for next year with a little help from the power of our community!
Our Goal this year is to raise $75,000 USD to provide ONE ADDITIONAL scholarship place for 2015-2016.
This week our first scholar reminds you how your gift can transform futures. Nam joined UNIS Hanoi as our first scholar in 2012-2013 . This summer he will graduate and attend Williams College, one of the most prestigious Universities in the USA, on a full scholarship. This is how he sees his own journey at UNIS Hanoi:
Thanks to more than 200 gifts and pledges from Faculty, Staff, Parents and Alumni we are nearly there!
“My life has changed since the moment I first stepped through the gate of UNIS Hanoi.
Join the campaign by making a gift, and take a place of pride in an incredible community project that will transform the futures of so many!
In retrospect, I can see a Nam hiding himself in the shell of a reserved bookworm who struggles to maintain the conversation in any topic different from Mathematics for more than 5 minutes. But, at the moment I stood in front of the High School student body and made my Senate speech, that shell was broken into pieces. From a shy and somewhat distant boy, I developed myself to become an amicable friend, a dynamic learner, a courageous risk-taker and an influential leader.” Nam - Grade 12
Meet all our Scholars online and watch our film (click on the image below) to find out what they value and the way they see their future, thanks to the UNIS Hanoi Scholarship Programme. Xem phim bản tiếng Việt 한국어로 된 영상을 봐 주십시오.
CON
GRA
TUL
ATI
GRADE 6 Kyumin Kim Thu An Vo Yota Suzuki GRADE 7 Lara Wertheim Ting Chih Cheng GRADE 8 Gia Han Le Jina Park Max Knight Phuong Le Uyen Trinh Yeon Su Park
GRADE 6 Anya Gerdes Bao Chau Nguyen Chuc An Tran Frances Phan Grace Cenere Huy Pham Jeong Min Ha Jeremy Smith Jiyeon Yoon Linh Trang Do Madina Burkhanova Min Jeong (Stella) Choi Na Youn Park Natalie Forster Philipp Kunze Phuong Thao (Paulina) Do Sarah Lambert So Eun An Sophia Durbin Vicente Felipe Valdes Pineda
GRADE 7 Chi Phan Elisa Dini Hyo Rim (Franceska) Yoo Isabella Todini KaŃ— Humpleby Khushboo Parimoo Manato Tsuda Molly McDonald My Anh Truong Seokhee (John) Yoon Sung Eun Kim Ye Won Kim Yu Jin Cho
GRADE 7 Commitment to Studies Isa Smedberg Parnika Mathur
GRADE 8 Caring and Kindness Katherine Taylor Rafael Macabulos
Citzenship and commitment to UN principles Caitlin Francis Mai Ly Hagan
Citizenship and Commitment to the UN Principles Elisa Dini Chinh Mai
Creative Excellence Thanh Le
Commitment to studies Jiyeon Yoon Phillip Kunze
Positivity Henrik Lange
Courage and risk taking Otto Jensen Creative Excellence Tuan Trinh Kiki Guillaume Outstanding leadership Grace Cenere Sabina Lum Positivity Vicente Pineda Valdes
S
GRADE 8 Beatrice Dominique Campilan Dang Nguyen Mac Daniel Rijpma Ela Kalra Eliza Tu Thi Stelmach Gaeun Lee Giang Le Jae Yoon Jung Jieun Lee Khushi Kapoor Kiridan Munro Krisha Valle Minh Quan Do Nadya Suprobo Predtheev Ravi Rohan Gowda Roope Makela Shane SungHee Chung Sofya Koroleva
GRADE 6 Caring and kindness Klara Musilova Long Tran
Leadership Ziya Griffin
ON
Commitment to Studies Predtheev Ravi Citizenship and Commitment to the UN Principles Khushi Kapoor
Creative Excellence Chi Phan
Outstanding Leadership Ela Kalra Kiridan Munro
Courage and Risk-Taking Matias Belete
Courage and Risk-Taking Ngoc Anh (Rosa) Nguyen
Caring and Kindness Shin Young Kim
Positivity Max Knight
Tet is a short way of saying Tết Nguyên Đán which is the most important festival for Vietnamese people in a year. Tet marks the beginning of a new year on the Lunar Calendar and the beginning of spring (this usually happens sometime between Jan 21 and Feb 19 on the regular calendar). This year, Tet falls on Thursday the 19th of February, 2015. . When the first street vendor starts to go around the street selling the plastic flowers, people start to repaint their houses and buy new furniture, it is the begin of so many different things Vietnamese people prepare for Tet. Families save money, clear the debt, buy new clothes, clean the house, or even try to finish the last thing on a new house in order to move in just before Tet. On the 23rd of December (Lunar Calendar- one week before Tet) is Tết Ông Táo -the Kitchen God Ceremony. (This year, the ceremony will take place on Wednesday the 11th of February 2015). This God is believed to return to Heaven to make his report to the Jade Emperor about the family’s activities throughout the year. Each family prepares a farewell and thank you meal to the God before he sets out a week journey to Heaven to do his job. The paper carps and clothing (hats, robes and boots) will be burned as part of the family’s preparation for the God. It is also a tradition to worship three live carps and then release them in the ponds, lakes or rivers. These carps are the Kitchen God’s vehicle to Heaven. After the Kitchen God has left, families start to make Bánh Chưng (Sticky Rice Cake or Tet Cake), cook different kinds of food, set up a Tet tree in front of the house, hàng Câu Đối (Chinese parallels) or Đông Hồ picture prints, buy Cây Quất (Kumquat Tree), Hoa Đào (A Peach blossom branch) or even Hoa Mai (the yellow Tet flower originally grown in the South of Vietnam). These flowers and tree symbolize happiness, prosperity and good luck. On the 30th of December, the last day of the old year, people try to finish the last thing and then go home for the most important meal called Cơm Tất Niên (Tet Eve’s meal). At midnight, every house is filled up with the smell of the incense stick burning on the family altar, bells ring and drums beat in pagodas and temples. The most important time begins – Giao Thừa (Giao means to give and Thừa means to receive). It marks the magical transition time from one year to another.
Mùng Một Tết, the first day of the New Year is for family only. People visit parents’ houses and close relatives to give best wishes to each other. Children are given Lì Xì (little lucky money in the small red envelops).It is also believed that everything happens on the first day has an effect for the rest of the year so people try to do good things and avoid to sweep the house, to break things, or to have arguments....The next two days of Tet are for visiting and enjoying the Tet food with family, friends, colleagues, neighbors and teachers. Tet lasts three days or longer. Normal rhythm of life slowly comes back. People go back to work; shops are open again on fortune dates. However, the festive time is going on somewhere each day with different village festivals till the end of the first month. Next Friday, Elementary School students are celebrating Tet from 1:10-2:50 pm in the theatre. All parents are welcome.
Chúc Mừng Năm Mới! Tran Thi Xuan, Vietnamese Teacher
Grade 1 celebrated their 100th Day of school on Tuesday. The children got to enjoy a variety of fun activities around "100": rolling and adding dice numbers using base ten blocks until a total of 100 was reached, trying to string 100 beads within the time allowed, seeing how many jumps
they could do in 100 seconds, building with 100 cubes, recreating the story of 100 ants, answering a crossword puzzle using a 100 chart. They also had a photo taken in the shape of 100 and had a shared snack. Thank you parents for sending them in!
If you were anywhere near the UNIS Hanoi Sports Centre from January 29-31 you would have had to fell the energy and electric atmosphere emitted from the athletes, coaches, and sports fans involved in the 2015 APAC Basketball Tournament. Six boys and six girls teams treated our community to a high level of basketball and a wonderful overall experience of interscholastic sport. Thanks to the entire UNIS Hanoi community for all the support to make this happen. The UNIS Phoenix represented our school and community very well. The medal winners on the girl’s side were: Western Academy Beijing with bronze, Hong Kong International School took silver and the champions were Concordia International School Shanghai. In the boys division, Brent International School Manila won bronze, Western Academy Beijing were runner-ups and the championship went to Hong Kong International School. We look forward to what these APAC events bring to our community in the future. Go Phoenix!
This past weekend, the UNIS Hanoi Varsity basketball team gave their all at the 2015 APAC Pacific Division basketball tournament. UNIS Hanoi had the honor of hosting the event, and it was exceptionally impressive to see the amount of effort that the UNIS Hanoi community put into supporting and preparing for the event (including a Wall of Fame with the pictures of all the players and coaches from the school!). We played teams from five other schools from around the region, including Canadian Academy from Kobe, Concordia International School from Shanghai, Western Academy of Beijing, Brent School of Manila, and of course the champions from the Hong Kong International School. There were some incredible games and many impressive athletes competing, and when I was not on the court myself I made sure to catch as much action as I could from the other teams, which I think is probably the coolest part of the APAC tournaments. The boys team definitely had a challenging tournament; we had a particularly strong team with a lot of potential, and we were very hopeful about this season and aimed to earn a different, more appropriate final ranking. While we were able to hold our own against several of the teams, including WAB and Concordia, and even HKIS for about one quarter, in the end we were not able to pull off any wins. Regardless of this, I was extremely proud of every player on the team, and I thought that everyone at some point during the tournament found their game, rather than one or two consistent standout players. Three days of intense basketball games against guys who are much bigger and stronger than many of us is no easy feat, and I was both impressed and thankful that everyone held out for the whole tournament (a few minor injuries but no one was willing to give up!). I think that above all else it served as a learning experience for all the players, and hope it serves as inspiration for the others to continue working on their game and hitting the weight room during the off-season. Given that we are keeping almost all of our players next year, I am very hopeful that our synergy will continue to develop and produce an even better turnout for next year’s tournament. I would like to give a special thanks to
everyone who came out and watched the games and showed support for the home teams, it was both humbling and gratifying to see the sheer number of people who were in attendance and cheering us on. I would like to thank Mr. Al-liesa for being able to juggle both his AD position and his coaching responsibilities – it is definitely helpful to have an actual post player teaching the big guys on our team how to work under the basket and get physical. And speaking of big guys, we will thoroughly miss Matteu and Lennan next year but hope you continue to play ball wherever you go, and above all else I would like to thank Coach Cumings. I have only had the pleasure of playing on your team for two years, plus some of the additional help you gave me in middle school and freshmen year, but I have learned so much about the game and how to handle my responsibilities both as a player and a captain. You were definitely one of the driving forces behind the basketball programme at UNIS Hanoi, and is too bad we will be losing a coach as passionate about the sport as yourself. We wish you all the best at HKIS! Congratulations to all the APAC ballers, continue to work hard to prepare for next season. Good luck to the MRISA teams travelling this week! GO PHOENIX! Captain, Jed Edwards
To be blunt, this year’s Girls’ Varsity basketball team did not have tremendous height, speed, experience, or strength - the sorts of attributes that are usually necessary for oncourt success. And yet, the team succeeded in historic fashion, enjoying a memorable season en route to a tournament-closing victory at the UNIS Hanoi -hosted APAC tournament, narrowly defeating the Canadian Academy.
Although only four of the eleven team members had played basketball the year before, the group was able to lean heavily on the knowledge of experienced players such as Nina McLean and Nhi Trinh. And although programme-wide the team may not have been the strongest, the fastest, or the tallest, they benefited from the powerful drives of freshmen Saskia Brennan, the
defensive toughness of Ewa Lachman, the lightning quickness of point guard Ly Ann Foster, and the inside game of newcomer Kianna Freeman. Just as important, other newcomers, such as Celina Tsukamoto, Surabhi Sundaram, Min Ji Kim, and Halan Olive, added intensity, defensive team-play, and some pretty baskets at crucial moments. By blending their abilities and supporting each other on and off the court, the UNIS Hanoi Girls’ Varsity added up to more than the sum of its individual parts. Which is why, even in the face of tough APAC competition, they were able to compete hard and ultimately give the rowdy home crowd an opportunity to rush the court at the Sports Centre. Wing-player Thi Nguyen summed up the team’s recipe for success when she praised her teammates and their season, saying, “We stuck together like Mac n’ Cheese.” Bobby Hart
Last weekend the UNIS Hanoi Phoenix Varsity Swim Team traveled to Shanghai to compete in a Super APAC at Shanghai American School Puxi. We took 21 swimmers this year. Both the boys and girls teams placed 9th. Our hard working swimmers set 6 new UNIS Hanoi records. In individual events Sofie Brondum-Reeh set the 200 Meter Freestyle record while Duc Do set new records in both the 50 and 100 Meter Butterfly. In the Girls 400 Meter Freestyle Relay, Vicky Cortes Freeman, Yoon Ju Gee, Gladys Lee and Emily Chung broke the old record by almost a minute. The Boys 400 Meter Freestyle Relay also set a new record with Soya Kanemaru, Kasper Henaes, Max Fontaine and Tae Su Kim racing. The Boys 200 Meter Freestyle Relay composed of Andy Cole, Nils Jaranovs, Joya Tabe and Duc Do also set a new record. Congratulations to our new UNIS Hanoi record holders!
UNIS Hanoi swimmers did best times in 47 individual events! This is a tribute to their regular attendance and strong work ethic this year. While we did not win a sportsmanship award, many of our homestay families told the coaches how much they enjoyed having our swimmers stay with them! Next year we travel to Brent for APAC with just 5 teams and the following year UNIS Hanoi is scheduled to play host. With strong 9th and 10th Grade classes and very strong 7th and 8th Grade classes coming in, we look forward to a great showing next year and in the first APAC Swimming Championship to be hosted by UNIS Hanoi in 2017. We bid a bittersweet farewell to our Seniors, Captains Mia Nguyen, Vicky Cortes Freeman and Soya Kanemaru as well as Kasper Henaes.
We started to sell NEW UNIS Hanoi hoodies, sweatpants and tracksuits! All of the new stock is acceptable PE wear in the winter. Based on your requests from the previous order, we have larger sizes available so parents, teachers, staff and 'generally tall people' can get UNIS Hanoi wear too! Limited winter stock available...so get them while they last!
We are looking for parent volunteers to help with the school store on Monday morning from 8.00 - 9.00. It's really fun, you get priority purchasing and have a say in what the school store produces! If you are interested, please contact Malin Niklasson, Shop coordinator at shop@unishanoi.org.
Recorders can now be purchased at school through the SCO Boutique at 150,000VND each. Be sure to write your name and class on your recorder and cover.
Pediatric dental disease, also referred to as childhood tooth decay, is the #1 chronic childhood illness. When left untreated, it can have devastating consequences that extend beyond the dental chair. Rampant decay can negatively impact a child's overall quality of life, inhibit their cognitive and social development and compromise their growth, function and self-esteem. 1 of 5 children aged 5 to 11 years has at least one
untreated decayed tooth. 1 of 7 adolescents aged 12 to 19 years has at least one
untreated decayed tooth. Left untreated, pediatric dental disease can lead to
malnourishment, bacterial infections, required emergency surgery and even death. Pain and infection caused by tooth decay can lead to
problems in eating, speaking and learning. Dental disease is linked to heart disease, stroke, diabetes,
pneumonia, poor pregnancy outcomes and dementia.
The good news is that tooth decay can be prevented. Here are some tips to ensure good oral health among children: Eat healthy well balanced meals. Limit snacking
between meals and consumption of sugary and acidic foods and drinks. Brush teeth at least twice a day with fluoride toothpaste,
especially after breakfast and before bedtime. Drinking water after eating also helps to clear teeth of food residues. Floss every day. An adult should help children under
the age of eight to floss. Older children should learn to floss on their own. Visit a dentist regularly for check-up and cleaning. Ask the dentist about sealant applications to protect the
chewing surfaces of children’s teeth. Protect teeth by wearing a mouth guard when playing
sports. Don’t forget to change toothbrush regularly, and after
an illness. Lifelong habits begin at home. Make dental health part of your daily routine and share these reminders with your whole family. Remember: A lasting smile starts with great oral health habits (and a little bit of fairy dust!) School Health Centre
The UNIS Spring Fair is the largest event organized by the School Community Organization. It’s about the UNIS community getting together with our kids and having fun while sharing our cultures. The THEME this year is …. THE FARM !
The Spring Fair is completely organized by the hard work of our committed volunteers. We are looking for ALL countries in the UNIS 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 Culture. Click HERE to be part of the FUN!
Fun at the GAME TENT! This is a NEW idea, we aim to have a tent with competition games like sack races, threelegged runs, etc. and we are looking for enthusiastic people to help with this! Contact Christina Baeck at FAIR_FunCorner@unishanoi.org Cultural Booths (previously Country Table): Get together with families from your country/world region and
organize a booth to celebrate the cultural diversity at UNIS Hanoi. It would be wonderful to have many community groups represented. Cultural Booth meeting: March 2 from 10.00 – 11.30am in the Community Room. Click here for the Guidelines. Please contact Natascha Senftleben at FAIR_Cultural@unishanoi.org Do you have a Family Business? If so, Spring Fair 2015 Small Business Booth is for you! Places are now available to UNIS Hanoi Community business owners. Whether you are parents, faculty, staff or students, you are welcome at this year's Spring Fair. So hurry and reserve your spot! For more information and to request a spot, email Clarissa Hu -Andersen at FAIR_SmallBusiness@unishanoi.org Spring Cleaning in order? Time to clear out your house and make space for new junk! Book a space quickly at our popular Flea Market by contacting Malin Niklasson at FAIR_FleaMarket@unishanoi.org. Click here for the Guidelines. Raffle gifts needed! This year will are going to have a raffle every hour! Would you like to donate a gift basket or raffle gift? Contact Renea Freeman at FAIR_sponsorship@unishanoi.org Any other questions, ideas, comments….just email Claudia Marinzi at SpringFair@unishanoi.org