Dragon Tales Sports Day pages 12-13 and 41
Celebrating Languages at VIS pages 18-21
Math Studies in the DP pages 26-29
MRISA Cultural Exchange pages 34-35
Issue 16: January - March 2014
Thank you to everyone who contributed to this edition of Dragon Tales. If you would like to submit an article for the next issue please make sure you do so by Friday 30th May. If you are a student or a member of the teaching sta please submit your article to Mr Jon (Primary) or Ms Kim (Secondary). Other members of the community should submit their articles to Ms Rachael.
from the Director Dear VIS Community, I am very pleased to welcome you to the newest edition of Dragon Tales. Each issue of Dragon Tales gives an insight into the activities and events undertaken by the staff, families and students of the school. We again have had a busy and exciting three months of action at Vientiane International School.
with your family no matter where they are in the world. Please do pass on the link so that our widely spread community can stay in touch with what has been happening at VIS. We have much to celebrate and much to remember from the past quarter. I invite you to enjoy the many faces and activities of VIS in the pages of Dragon Tales. Best regards,
The following pages will provide you with memories of events that you may have been part of, and will showcase the many terrific activities that you may have missed. Dragon Tales is published as a digital magazine so that you can share the issue
Greg Smith
[ THIS ]
TO US
MATTERS
Grade 5
PYP Exhibition
2014 April 23 Vientiane International School
Grade 5 Exhibition 8-9
Field Trips 10-11
Action in the Community 33
Theatre 36-37
Primary Reflections Jon Davidson Primary Principal At the beginning of April VIS was very fortunate to host a special guest at the school. There are a few world renowned educational experts that have the respect of teachers from every educational background, Kath Murdoch has achieved that status.
as a mindset for improving teaching and learning” . This turned out to be hugely
Kath started as a classroom teacher in Melbourne, but has since established herself as an expert in the way students construct their understanding through inquiry. She has written several books which take pride of place in our professional reading library and has held training events around the world. If you are interested in looking at her work in more detail, you can visit her website at:
During the preceding two days we also had the chance to have Kath work alongside many of our students. This gave our staff the unique experience of teaching “shoulder-to-shoulder” with an expert; showing us how to gain insights into existing understanding, question the students and set up a learning environment where skills and knowledge are built up through integrating all curricular areas.
http://kathmurdoch.com.au
For many of us this was the most powerful professional development we have received and I would like to thank the whole team that made this possible. All in all this was four days of hard work, which has helped us develop as a school and has also enhanced the reputation of the VIS throughout Southeast Asia.
Korea joined the staff here to look at “Inquiry
successful, receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback from the participants.
In partnership with EARCOS (East Asia Regional Council of Schools) VIS held a two day workshop at which teachers from around the places such as Thailand, Cambodia and
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This matters to us The PYP Exhibition Graham Baines Grade 5 Teacher We are in the middle of this year's PYP Exhibition, with the over-arching Central Idea of "This matters to us". Students have collaborated in groups to create their own unit frameworks, and have been busy inquiring into their respective issues. We have an Exhibition website which is packed with information, as well as links to all of the group websites, and a blog if you want to keep up to date with our process and lively discussions. Here is the link to the website: http://vis2014pypx.weebly.com/
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Grade 5 students have been practicing existing skills and strategies as well as developing as collaborators and individuals. Each group has been having regular meetings with their 'Mentor' (PYP classroom teachers), who have been a strong guiding force in keeping the students focused and on track. We would like to extend thanks to the parents who have been supporting and encouraging students. Our PYP Coordinator, Mrs Williams, has been checking-in with the students on a regular basis and has fueled our inspiration. As for us, the Grade 5 Team, we are so happy and proud to be facilitators of this process as it unfolds and are very excited to work with the students on a tight schedule, with a real buzz of enthusiasm in the air on a daily basis.
What an amazing experience for all involved!
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Field Trips Catherine O’Brien Primary Teacher At the end of the last school year the students conducted a survey about field trips. What they discovered was that the majority of students, across the school, enjoy these experiences. Field trips offer opportunities to students that they may not have known existed, and expose them to learning experiences that can not be duplicated inside the classroom. This is especially a great way for the students to engage with the culture of Laos and begin to develop community relationships. A carefully planned and i n t e g r a t e d fi e l d t r i p o ff e r s tremendous learning potential for all students. The teachers planning the field trips must take into consideration the following: Why take this field trip: How does it support the curriculum ? Preparation: This is crucial to the success of the experience for everyone. Students given pre-trip instruction learn and retain more from a field trip than those who receive no preparation. Practical organisation: booking transport, contacting venues, obtaining permission, notifying parents, bus lists, first-aid kits, preparing thank-yous, cameras. etc. Follow-up: student reflections and activities: communicating what has been learnt and writing
thank-you letters. Connections to the host country, and understandings of its culture, are enriched through first hand experiences. The school has been welcomed to many local places and often a talk or tour has been provided for us. We are fortunate that we can go out and explore or arrange a visit so easily. Teachers know that learning from the community, during the inquiry process, moves the students from their current level of understanding to a deeper level. Students are often surprised by their discoveries. A snapshot, from EYC , Grade 1 and Grade 2, over the last few months demonstrates the range of learning opportunities available to VIS students, in the local community. These included visits to a local farm house, a local temple, to Talat Sao, visits to four sites along the Mekong River, a visit to a Salt Factory, to the wet market and the fish farms. Some of the responses from those involved: From EYC: Positive responses from students who expressed the desire to go again. The experiences connected to concepts and related concepts.
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Students understood why they were going on the field trip. Use of the photographs taken to continue discussions. Positive feedback from parents. All of the teaching team valued the experience. From Grade 1: The students enjoy going on the field trips. They enjoy going to places they have been to before to show what they know about it. They show their thinking when they go to a place they have been before, but view it through the lens of the unit, rather than just as they see it in their life. From Grade 2 : The students connected their activities in art and the classroom to what they observed at the Mekong River. Four trips to the Mekong River helped students to engage with each stage of the inquiry cycle. Follow up reports, photographs and drawings reflected student engagement. Next time your child is going on a field trip ask them questions before they go, prepare them to use a camera and help them to value the experience. There will be many places visited by students over the coming months.
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Primary Sports Day
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Secondary Reflections Kim Green Secondary Principal Reflection
is an act of looking back in order to
process experiences. Metacognition is a type of reflection: it is a way of thinking about one’s thinking in order to grow. These terms are often used interchangeably, but it is most helpful to distinguish metacognition as a particular form of reflection. Often we think about reflection as one specific genre that never changes; a letter or a note to a teacher about what was done effectively and what could be improved. But this doesn’t have to be the case. At its best, reflection is not a static form. It can work in many dynamic ways: talking, blogging/v-logging, writing letters, formal essays, etc. The most important way for reflection to be effective and meaningful is for us to engage in reflection on an ongoing basis, through the process of learning rather than at the end. Over the last two months this has been the focus for our team as we have explored strategies to help support our students think about their thinking in order to grow. There have been many
Honor Roll
is awarded for
Academics and Diligence each semester. Academic Honor Roll recognises students who have received four 6's (or three 6’s in Grade 11-12), no other grade below a 3. In addition the majority of their approaches to learning must be meeting expectations or above.
opportunities over the last few months to see how our students engage in reflection through events such as the Personal Project Exhibition, the DP Arts Exhibition and the Careers Assembly. These events have been great examples of our students demonstrating excellence in their achievement. There have also been many events such as MUN trips and the recent MRISA Soccer Tournament hosted at VIS which demonstrate not only the cognitive skills and abilities of our learners but also the more intangible attributes and characteristics of the Learner Profile. I n a d d i t i o n t o e x a m i n i n g r e fl e c t i o n a n d meta-cognition a number of other learning opportunities have occurred for our team. Teresa Foard attended a Diploma Coordinators Network Meeting. Adam Knight (Science), Ryan Evans (Design Technology) Lucas Clarkson (Humanities), Duncan Handley (Language A) and Dirk Koolmees (Mathematics) all attended workshops in preparation for the changes coming to the MYP curriculum. Jonathan Smedes, Teresa Foard, Julia Lachet and I attended the IB Asia Pacific Regional Conference.
Honor Roll for diligence recognises students who have demonstrated excellent and very good approaches to learning across all subject areas. This is indicated by the majority of the approaches to learning criteria being in the top level of the grade level expectation bands. 14
Congratulations to the following students on their academic achievements over semester one and congratulations to our learners who have been recognized for being consistently diligent in their learning.
“I tramp a perpetual journey… Not I, nor anyone else can travel that road for you. You must travel it by yourself. It is not far. It is within reach.” Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass
Grade 12 Students
Sian Rusinow, Grade 6
The Personal Project truly does represent a journey in so many ways. There is an initial anticipation and eagerness to get started, followed by a number of stopping off points, each one with its own unique challenge, and finally ending, nearly one year later, in proud reflection of what has been achieved. For many of our students, the road travelled to the Personal Project Exhibition this year must have often felt long and demanding. There were late nights to meet strict deadlines, twists and turns in their research, and stops and starts when designing and creating their products. In the end, however, their individual inquiries led them to new and sometimes unexpected locations, though never far from home, and always within reach. Congratulations to our MYP 5 students for their hard work and dedication, and thank you to all those supervisors, friends, parents and relatives who helped them along the way.
Lucas Clarkson Personal Project Coordinator
IBMYP Personal Project Exhibition Gallery
An IBMYP Update Jonathan Smedes MYP Coordinator
The first few months of semester 2 are some of
VIS also hosted the annual ‘Indochina MYP
the busiest in the lives of MYP students and
Coordinators Network’ meeting which saw visitors
teachers.
from 6 other MYP schools in the region come to
As students consolidated their
learning throughout the programme by
VIS in late January to discuss all matters MYP
engaging in various activities and tasks within
related.
their normal subjects, the Grade 10 students
about the practices in other MYP schools and for
were working hard to finalize their Personal
other experienced coordinators to see what we are
Projects, which culminated in the Exhibition on
doing at VIS.
25th February.
This was a great opportunity to learn
I would like to personally take
this opportunity to formally congratulate all
Lastly, MYP students have been involved in a
grade 10 students and Mr Lucas Clarkson, the
number of activities and events, including: MRISA
Personal Project Coordinator, on the success of
Sporting Tournaments, MRISA Cultural Exchange,
the projects this year. Well done all!
Model United Nations, VIS Athletics Day, Careers Tasting, Work Experience and a number of school
Behind the scenes teachers were also working
excursions. Whilst all of these activities technically
hard to compile samples of work to submit for
take place outside of the traditional school learning
the ‘monitoring of assessment’, an annual
environment, they are vital in providing our MYP
submission that looks at MYP assessment
students with a holistic experience and
practices at VIS.
complement what students do in class on a day-
This process results in a
formal report from an IB moderator on the
to-day basis in the MYP.
strengths and areas of growth within our assessment practices. This can been seen as quality assurance that assessment practices at VIS are indeed of a high quality.
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Language Mother Tongue Celebrations Julia Lachet Languages Coordinator Lao is one of the mother tongue languages taught at VIS. On the 20th February 2014, the Lao students at VIS joined with students from other mother tongue classes to celebrate a special ‘mother tongue languages’ day by running a range of activities including a traditional Lao dance lesson and local games. There was also an exhibition of work produced by students in class in order to share their learning experiences with peers, parents, and visitors. This is a great opportunity for students to share and learn about different cultures, which is one way to promote international mindedness.
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This school year, VIS mother tongue Programme celebrates its 4th year. The school provides fourteen mother tongue languages from Prep to Grade 12. Chinese, Danish, Dutch, German, Filipino, French, Japanese, Korean, Lao, Malaysian, Norwegian, Spanish, Thai and Vietnamese. The VIS Mother Tongue Programme began in 2010 with three languages and a handful of students. Today one hundred seventy two students are enrolled in our mother tongue programme.
through dance, music, songs, poetry, etc. Once again, it was great to see the engagement from the school community. VIS would like to thank the mother tongue teachers, parents and colleagues for their support. We are looking forward to celebrating our mother tongue languages again next year.
This year, our focus has been on the consolidation of the mother tongue taught curriculum, assessed curriculum, resources, and on the celebration of students‘ achievement and cultures. The mother tongue celebration, last February, celebrated the remarkable work and collaboration happening in the Mother Tongue classes. The whole school was invited to participate to this event with a view to learn and inquire about the different cultures of our international community. Workshops, food tasting and a show, all captured the highlight of each mother tongue language. Talented students from primary and secondary, together with mother tongue teachers and parents, performed on stage to present various aspects of each culture
Korean Mother Tongue Book Please click here to read... This Korean mother tongue book is a collection of writings that have emerged from the Korean mother tongue classes at VIS. The students mostly worked on their creative writing skills. This is a great example of the fantastic work that our teachers and students produce every day in their mother tongue classes.
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Mother Tongue Celebrations Gallery
Reflections
Grade 7 SALSA Hannah, Diana, Maria, Jessica, Marco, Alex M, Domotor, Anders Grade 7 Students Day 1
On the first day of SALSA, when we arrived at Na Po village we made huts for the students and local people to have a rest. We learnt that there are students who come from their villages far away in the mountains to go to school, and they stay in those huts. That evening we saw traditional dances/performances from the local people and we also performed in front of the people.
Day 2
The next day we went to an elementary school and taught students. We had prepared little activities for the students to do. Then we went to the Sop Jack High School and started construction - tying wire on a pillar of the building.
Day 3
On the third day we went trekking to the mountain. We went rafting with our friends and had fun. We went to Sop Jak High School and started construction.
Day 4
We did boat racing with our friends. We went to Soup Jack high school to continue on construction. We made our own dinner (lao food).
Day 5
We said bye to the villagers and came back to Vientiane
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Some of our challenges: Sarah My challenges were using the squat toilets and rafting and building a dormitory for the students in the village. Anna My challenge during SALSA trip was to live like normal Lao villager’s life. Tamara My challenges were to use the showers and the toilets. Jade My challenges was staying in the small home-stay and the bathrooms. Joy My challenge was to shower with cold water and sleeping in cold weather, also I was challenged in the rafting boat part. Annie My challenge in SALSA was building the dormitory for the high school students. Vivie My challenge was making Lao food. Mai Thi My challenge in SALSA was to build a dormitory for the high school students. Am My challenge during SALSA was to carry dirt.
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What is the Extended Essay? Teresa Foard DP Coordinator At the heart of the Diploma Program (DP) is the extended essay, a piece of independent, selfdirected research on a topic of choice from one of the IB subject areas. No other university entrance qualification requires students to complete an academically challenging piece of work of this nature. The extended essay requires students to formulate their own precise research question to be addressed in the research process. The extended essay develops the Approaches to Learning Skills (ATLS) of communication, research, self-management and thinking which are transferrable to the dierent learning areas across the DP. In turn, the various subject areas provide the concepts and knowledge required for success in the extended essay. This concurrency of learning is really the core of the DP philosophy. Here is a sample of some of the research questions or topics from our Grade 12 extended essays this year. 24
Visual Arts How have the emotions of depression and anger been expressed through the paintings of Vincent Van Gogh?
English Language and Literature An analysis of the differences in the readers’ understanding in “Lolita” by Vladimir Nabokov. An analysis of the female stereotypes presented in Maybelline cosmetic advertisements from the 20th and 21st century.
World Studies: Biology and Geography To what extent do disparities between laws and practices of induced abortion impact Lao society?
English B To what extent is Singapore Standard English more appropriate as a language of education, communication and identity than Singlish?
History To what extent was Buddhism used as a resource for spreading Communist ideology in Laos during the revolutionary period 1960 – 1980? 25
Math Studies in the Diploma Programme Behind the Circulation Desk Lauren Williams Grade 11 Student The Vientiane Inter national School library is a popular place for students to spend time at lunch, snack and after school. The librarian says they get hundreds of children passing in and out the doors everyday but are children borrowing books and using the resources or spending their time on the bean bags? The VIS librarian has given a student in grade eleven the chance to see what goes on behind the circulation desk each month. We are about to find out how much students are borrowing and using books from the library. The data provided is from the first semester of the school year 20132014. This past semester has brought the library shipments of hundreds of new books that the students, teachers and parents have requested. The library has grown in the past semester so we ask the question.
Are the books being borrowed?
This student (above) has been able to create a graph showing the average amount of books each grade have borrowed this school semester from August, at the start of the school year, to December, the end of semester one. From this graph we can clearly see that grade four are borrowing the most books and grade eleven the least. Why is this the result? There are numerous reasons for this. Each month the library goes through changes. They order new books and weed old ones and when the new books arrive students go to the library to be the first to borrow their favorites. There is an obvious decrease in books borrowed from primary to secondary, five to six, 237.84 to 63. This could be because primary classes spend lesson time in the library for listening to stories and borrowing their own books while the secondary classes don’t have class time especially for borrowing books. Secondary usually borrow books that are longer and harder to read than the primary so they probably don’t borrow so many books at a time. Primary borrow story books or books that are shorter and easier to read so they are likely to borrow more books at a time. This could be a reason that secondary borrow less than primary.
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This is a table of the complete data from all the grades each month. We have to consider holidays and time that the students are not at school. In December most students return their library books before they leave on winter break. Some students leave the school after semester one so they have to return all their books. This could be why in December there are the least amount of circulations. The rest of the months there is a relatively equal number of books borrowed ranging from 1,600 to 1,800.
We also have to consider the amount of students per grade because this can affect the amount of books they borrow. The primary have more students in each grade than the secondary which would possibly give them a higher average of books borrowed. ! We can see from the data that the primary are using books and resources more than the secondary. We can see that grade eleven and twelve are the grades that borrow the least books and grade four borrows the most. Grades eleven and twelve have a higher work load than the younger grades which could possibly allow them less time to read. ! This data provided isn’t totally accurate because there have been students that have left and arrived to the school so the library need to
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check with the admin enrollment records for accuracy. ! Hopefully these numbers have given students and teachers a better understanding of how much the library is used and maybe get them to come into the library more often. The library has many resources and interesting books to offer the VIS community and they are always preparing for the arrival of new books. We know the library is a well-loved place in the school. It’s not all about the amount of books you borrow it’s about the enjoyment of literature.
More than enough Apples on VIS campus? Alice Everard Grade 11 Student made to impress and attract children younger than 8.
As if it isn’t obvious. The rise in the number of Apple products, typically amongst high school students, has increased drastically within the last few years. With rumors already spreading about the release of new iPhone 6, the company always seems to be ahead of the competition. At times, it can seem impossible to keep up with the companies ever so popular, innovative, high tech gadgets, but lucky enough, us kids are here to relay news of the upcoming products to parents in our hopes to keep up with trends, stay cool and show-off our flashy new device. With IPhone, Macs and iPads being just a few of the most popular products used on campus, Apple has definitely had its influence amongst teenagers and teachers alike, but what is it that makes apple just that tiny bit different from everything else? What exactly is it that makes Apple so special? Perhaps it’s the extremely addictive apps (not mentioning any names) - or perhaps it’s that information is able to be shared, searched and used- all at our fingertips. Apple products do not require you to be a genius; they are simple, easy and although slightly expensive, make a very reliable companion during awkward situations. Apple products will surely be on the rise as they are compatible, functional, durable (in some cases) and their revolutionary sleek designs surely are 28
A recent survey was conducted on a handful of students in each secondary grade. Secondary is comprised of grades 6-12. Secondary contains about 250 students, of which 20% were questioned.The following table is able to determine which grade had the total number of apple products between the handfuls of student surveyed. Grade 10, being the model class, had a whopping total of 18 products. There is a decline in frequency towards grades 11 and 12 with a plateau forming. However, as the grade years increase, the total number of products begins to steadily rise, forming the peak at Grade 10. Apple products will continue to develop and evolve. The company will create products especially designed for human performance. They will be newer, better, slimmer, faster- the list is endless. The point being stated here is that, Apple has dipped itself into the student market. Besides, we don’t see chunky desktop computers anymore- replacing these, we are met with shiny, slim macs and ipads. Fast, reliable and trendy are common desires, and Apple provides customers with just that.
How long does your child sleep? Rosy Lattavong Grade 11 Student A small math investigation took place within the VIS community. 5 students from each grade, from grade 3 to grade 12 were surveyed on how long they sleep a night, not including Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. How long does your child sleep? From the survey, students from lower grades are more likely to sleep more than the older students. Based on the graph that is shown top right, the maximum average amount of sleep that students get is 10 hours. The minimum average amount of sleep that students get is 4.8 hours. It is found out that as the grade level gets higher, the sleeping hours gradually decreases. From the grade 12 diploma students who were surveyed, the average amount of sleep that they get can easily be distinguished from other grades. It makes you wonder how many assignments are being given to the diploma students. According to the online article “Most High School Students Are Sleep Deprived” by Sylviane Duval, “nine hours a night is optimal for adolescents, eight hours is borderline and anything under eight hours is not enough.” It was found out that students from grade 3
through to grade 9 sleep 8 hours or more. Starting from grade 10 through to grade 12, the average amount of sleep that students get are less than 8 hours. Sylviane Duval goes on to say that high school students’ social activities, homework and family obligations increase and they sleep less to fit them in. The results from the survey clearly shows that as students grow older and attend a higher grade level in school, their social activities, homework and family obligations increase. Students from grade 10 to grade 12 are not getting enough sleep each day. It is true that students’ social activities, homework, and family obligations increases, but students still need the right amount of sleep. All students should have the right amount of sleep because according to the Organization of New Health Guide, lack of sleep leads to confusion, having trouble speaking and understanding, and it leads to difficulties in solving problems, thinking logically and reasoning. These skills are essential for school. Without these skills, it would be difficult for students to learn and receive new information. Throughout the small investigation, it was found out that in average, students from grade 3 through to grade 9 get the right amount of sleep. Students from grade 10 through to grade 12 are not getting enough sleep each day. It is now time to make sure that your child gets the right amount of sleep, so that they can come to school filled with energy and excitement to learn.
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IBDP In Action Teresa Foard DP Coordinator “The IB aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect� The IB Mission Statement January to March is an academically demanding period for our Grade 12 students. All internal assessments are due at this time and these tasks account for between 20 % and 50 % of the final grade. The Theory of Knowledge (TOK) essays and oral presentations were also completed in March. These presentations involved students articulating their own ideas in a 15 minute oral presentation that linked a real life situation to a TOK questions and knowledge issue. Students are now working towards finalizing reflections on the actions they have taken locally and globally for Creativity, Action and Service (CAS) throughout the DP programme. Our Grade 11 students are now underway with the Extended Essay. Students should be reading on their chosen subject and will be required to submit and present two annotated bibliographies before the summer break. We have introduced the idea of the three minute thesis this year, a task that requires students to summarize their piece of independent research in three minutes before their peers. Please encourage your child to access our online data bases and to visit our librarian Mr Williams for support to do this. Before Pi Mai the IB DP Art Exhibition took place. This was an opportunity for our students to show case the work that has been completed over a two year period. During the Pi Mai break, it is important that our Grade 12s are supported to develop a study timetable to prepare them for the final May exams. We are extremely proud of our grade 12s and the individual journeys they have taken towards completion of the challenging and holistic IB DP programme.
Important Upcoming Term 3 Dates for IBDP2 students
GRADE 11 SALSA SPOTLIGHT
IBDP Exams May 5th - May 23rd If you have questions about any element of the DP please contact me. Ms Teresa Foard, IB Diploma Programme Coordinator
Click here to watch....
teresaf@ourvis.com 30
Grade 11 Lao Mother Tongue
Co-Curricular Programme On Tuesday the 14th of January we held our Co-Curricular secondary expo. The purpose of this is to let students see what activities are available in our programme. This semester there were some exciting new options on offer varying from wearable art, to making movies for Lao schools, to making robots. Once again this event was characterized by many excited students signing up for activities which serve to enhance the learning experience at VIS.
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Over two million kip raised for COPE! Claire Butler-Walker Secondary Teacher Last December, after an inquiry into issues of would rather give a leg than a pair of socks this global injustice, two grade nine students took Christmas season.’ action to help raise money for the COPE centre. After learning that there are approximately 80 The students wish to express their thanks to Mr. million unexploded cluster bombs in Laos, which Brett Derickson for his support in traveling to affect around 25% of villages Lisa Grages and COPE, and to the VIS community for supporting Anakin Chantharath were inspired to act. They their efforts. Lisa and Anakin also encourage you organized a booth at the Parents and Friends to consider COPE when giving gifts or Christmas party to sell COPE goodies. The purchasing souvenirs, as they have a great range goodies included Christmas decorations, a gift of of products and gifts and it all helps people a toy for a disabled child, toys that were amputees impacted by UXOs in Laos. You can find out with crutches, a new leg and medical training for more at Omnesque inciderintThe nec at,pair, minimwith commodo vim te,helpers, in paulo consectetuer est. AliCOPE workers. several quyam moderatius nec. Hinc impedit est ea. Vix quas bonorumhttp://www.copelaos.org/donate.php. neglegentur at, an were able to sell an many of the products and raised awareness about cum, COPE bycopiosae providing pamphlets torecteque et eum, asveniam definitiones est at forensibus. Docendi visitors. Lisa and Anakinid were able to inciderint raise over sueverit inciderint ullamcorper eos. Omnesque nec at, minim commodo two million kip to donate to COPE, and said vim te, Omnesque inciderint nec at, minim commodo vim ‘I’m te, pleased that people wanted to help COPE out, I 33
Cultural/Arts News MRISA Cultural Exchange 2014 Rachael Phiasanaxay
In February, the MRISA Cultural Arts group headed to the International School of the Eastern Seaboard in Pattaya for three days to participate in Visual and Performing Arts workshops. I was lucky enough to be a part of that group and as this was my first experience of a MRISA trip I was excited about the prospect of visiting another international school, meeting new people and running my own creative workshop. Each day was broken up into specialist and creative workshops and students were able to choose one specialist workshop and several creative workshops over the three days. Students were encouraged to try out new things as well as something that they were already passionate about. My creative workshop was drama based and explored the concept of being a ‘Third Culture Kid’ and where and what we consider ‘home’ to be. Using tableaux and movement as a strategy for exploring these themes the groups who took part in this workshop created a piece of physical theatre which was performed on the final day to a song called ‘Home’ by Ellie Goulding. It was amazing watching the 8 groups who had taken part in my workshop perform en masse. Other workshops on offer ranged from ‘Stomp’ style junk orchestra, string and percussion ensemble to hybrid cooking and Microbo on the school wall. Students from each school had to run two workshops and our VIS team ran a workshop on making Laos handicrafts and teaching a Lao dance called ‘Ting Noi Noi’.
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On the first day the teachers were all challenged by having to devise and run a creative odyssey. This involved all students having to work in mixed teams to gain points in each Art discipline by taking part in activities in rotation. This odyssey ended in a final performance by each group on the Friday evening, where they had to use all art forms to present the opening passage of Kafka’s ‘Metamorphosis’. It was truly inspiring to watch the VIS team collaborating with their new friends and creating such unique presentations! I believe I can speak for all staff and students who went on this MRISA when I say that it was a great experience to be a part of.
It was not only enjoyable but really captured the spirit of an ‘exchange’ for me!
Please click here to watch the MRISA CX Highlights 35
Performing Arts ‘Mobile Phone Show’ Rachael Phiasanaxay VIS Community Theatre Group This April saw the first production from the recently created VIS community theatre group.
enVISion The group which meets on a Monday evening from 6-7.15pm started in response to a growing demand from parents, staff and students for more creative outlets. Initially the sessions were workshop based
and then came the desire to share our work... I chose the play ‘Mobile Phone Show’ by Jim Cartwright as it was originally written in collaboration with students as part of the National Theatre Connections project and has been performed by many youth theatres in the UK. The themes which cover the many ways in which mobile phones have altered our lives and our attitudes are relevant to most cultures and I was sure that both performer and audience would be able to relate to most if not all of the characters and scenes portrayed. As a 45 minute play the production was a perfect introduction to an ensemble style of theatre that most of the cast had not experienced before. The use of a minimalist set, lighting and costume added to the sense that everything on stage was being created by the actors; from the internal
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Could there really be a network provider on ‘The Other Side’?
struggle of a girl who suddenly realizes that having a ‘phone’ will not get her friends, to the surreal portayal and soundscape of a shopping mall. In one scene a girl bursts in through the black box doors devasted, her life in tatters because she has lost her phone. It was interesting how many of the younger members of the audience found this scene the most disturbing. As she realises what she has actually lost and the information on the phone that could be devastating in the wrong hands, the chorus behind her explode in a physical representation of the girl’s world falling apart. Half way through the play the fourth wall was shattered by the director’s phone ringing. “I HAD to take the call! It was IMPORTANT!” How often does that happen you may ask yourself, but actually it does happen all too often and is often just accepted as OK! In August enVISion will start rehearsals for its next play to be performed in November. If you are interested in being part of this group whether it be in performing, directing or a technical role please contact me at rachaelp@ourvis.com.
Missed opportunities to connect physically!
"I went to see the performance with no preconceived ideas about what the show would be about. I was completely surprised - and I completely loved it! It was funny, entertaining, fast moving and so well performed by all the enthusiastic cast members. I can't wait to see what the group will perform next". Sharon Kane
“We have what they don’t... unity in a second, community in a trice.”
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Sports News The junior footballers practiced nearly six hours each week and showed dedication by training each Saturday in January and February. The squad consisted of 18 members and was mostly represented by grade 6 and grade 7 students. The Dragons were excellent in the local league and improved each week in quality and style of play. The MRISA boys traveled to Hanoi and impressed their coach who had high expectations for discipline and performance. Kazuya Shimomura made the MRISA all-tournament team and Kevin Hug received the Coach's Award for always working hard and doing his best. The future is bright for Dragon football!
Junior Boys Football Team
Junior Girls Football Team The Girls Junior Football team played the game in a good spirit. We had some close results in the Vientiane City League and many players visibly improved throughout the season. MRISA was a great experience for all involved. The highlight being a 2 - 0 victory against Hanoi International School where the 'total football' performance of our team resembled the great Dutch teams of the 1970s. The team won the Sportsmanship award at MRISA which aptly demonstrates the character of our girls and Sian Rusinow was named in the tournament team.Â
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Mekong River International Schools Association
Senior Girls Basketball Team
Saigon-South International School (SSIS) warmly hosted the Senior Basketball MRISA of 2014. VIS can be proud of their representatives, who fought hard and showed sportsmanship. The Girls team came in sixth place after losing in the Plate Finals, by one point, to ISE. While this sounds rather unfortunate, the players felt they worked hard and achieved personal as well as team-goals. I am now a senior student who has been part of almost every sports MRISA event since seventh grade. This was my last MRISA away and because of this, I would like to share an experience which made it all the more memorable. I’m sure many of you will understand the feeling of complete exhaustion, up to the point where one cannot help but laugh and feel like they are on the verge of hysteria. That is what one whole day of playing basketball felt like. At about 1 a.m. after the first day of playing, a few teammates and I sat down, talking about the games, the people and new strategies we could use for our inbound plays, as the ones we were using were not working. We made inbound plays called The Cartwheel, The Shotgun, Grenade and all sorts of strange tactics that sprung out of our tired, laughing minds. Anyway, the thought of it was bonkers, so we dismissed the possibility of doing them and went to sleep. The next day, we told our coach about these plays and once more, laughed at the crazy ideas. In the last game, against ISE, we were playing in the Plate Finals. The girls started losing hope as ISE was 6 points ahead and even I could almost smell the defeat. The inbound play was not working. “Do it!” I could hear Mr. Nick shouting from the line. Ms. Seymour approved, “Go ahead”– That is all we had to hear and we were in our formation for doing Grenade. The play consisted of three players huddling in tightly and surrounding one player in the middle. Once the in-bounder smacked the ball, the three players huddling would “explode” (stretching their arms out but staying connected and crouching down) - this was intended to keep the opposing players from getting to the girl in the middle, who would hopefully get the pass from the in-bounder, shoot and score. So we were in our formation. The girls huddling were whispering “this is crazy, it’s not going to work” and before we could think twice, the in-bounder slapped the ball, we exploded, the girl in the middle got the pass and SWOOSH!! It went in! We almost cried! Nevertheless, the game was not over yet. We caught up to ISE and were in fact winning by two points. The buzzer was about to sound as we ran back the court to defend. It was the last three seconds. My teammate and I beaming because we already felt victorious. Then a petite girl, seeing they were out of time, took her shot and just as the buzzer sounded, the crowd went wild. The girl shot a threepointer, which meant we lost. This MRISA and this last game in particular, made me realize the importance of perseverance and the pay-off of hard work. Joining these events has taught me that one has to step out of ones comfort zone in order to improve in something they are passionate about, that studying situations and play is just as important as playing and that a team who is dedicated, is unbeatable. 39
Senior Boys Basketball Team In the school year of 2013-2014, the VIS senior boys basketball team saw improvements this season. From being 5th place in both the city and MRISA league last season, the team improved to being 3rd in the city and 4th in MRISA. In order to achieve this improvement, the team started practicing as early as August and had a weekly gym training as the team worked out in the school gym every Friday. Also, to build team chemistry, the team went to eat dinner together on a weekend which brought everyone closer; including Mr. Nick. In the city league, the team 3 win 2 loss season which got us into the fight for 3rd place. For 3rd place, we went against Hoffet for the second time in which we won in a close game of 44-42. In the MRISA tournament, 2 out of 3 wins on the first day beating HIS and NISC, we were placed into the top 4 out of 8 teams. On the second day, we lost both our games narrowly to ISPP and ISCHMC; putting us in 4th place in the tournament. This season has seen an improvement which VIS has not seen for some time. It was the proof that hard work and commitment can make a difference and it will motivate the whole team to achieve higher in the following years.
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Secondary Sports Day On Thursday February 6th the annual secondary sports day was held. As usual participation and enthusiasm was high and in excellent conditions all secondary students and staff worked hard to make the event successful. Congratulations to all involved and special mention to the champion boys and girls at each grade level Grade 6/7 Boys: Kazuya Shimomura Girls: Maria Fennema Grade 8/9 Boys: Zachary Wilson, David Eum Girls: Leila Vergara Grade 10/12 Boys: Mikkel Karlsen Girls: Silayan Bertomeu, Jessica Krosschell After all the dust had settled final points were tallied and the house results were; 1st Nagas 633 2nd Catfish 627 3rd Gibbons 462 4th Geckos 427