unis hanoi tin tuc newsletter 31 vol 21 tt 17 apr
DESCRIPTION
News and events at UNIS Hanoi week 31, 2014-2015TRANSCRIPT
UNIS Hanoi’s Weekly Community Newsletter Volume 21, Edition 31, Friday 17 April
Notes from the Head of School and
the Middle/High School Pricipal (p.2
-3)
University visits next week (p.3)
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)
Global Codeathon. Join NOW! (p.7)
Grade 4 market day (p.8)
Spring Swim Gala photo special (p.9)
MRISA Soccer Tournament (p.10)
Summer Programme. Register
NOW! (p.10)
Hot tips for hot summer (p.12)
SCO News (p.13-14)
Job Opportunities (p.14)
NEXT WEEK… MONDAY, 20 APRIL Primary Years Programme Grade 5 Exhibition, 20-24
April Grade 1 Field Trip (1JH&1VdC), 8:30-12:00
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, 16:00-17:30
Grade 5 PYP Exhibition Community Sharing, 18:00- 20:00, Centre for the Arts
FRIDAY, 24 APRIL Grade 2-3 Swim Meet , 12:30-15:20
SATURDAY, 25 APRIL - MAY 3 Spring Break
COMING SOON MONDAY, 4 MAY Real Madrid Football Clinic, 4-8 May IB Diploma Exams, 4-26 May
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, 8:00-9:30, 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...
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, user-
friendly 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.
As for how we are handling things here at school, you
already received my message earlier this week informing
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 [email protected]
"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.
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, [email protected]
Monday, April 20
13:20 – 14:00
Common Room B5 G29
MCPHS - Massachusetts College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences
Mr. Rene Cabrera, Senior Director of Admissions
Thursday, April 23
13:20 – 14:00
Common Room B5 G29
Seoul National University
Ms. Hyeyoung You, Admissions Officer
Friday, April 23
13:20 – 14:00
Common Room B5 G29
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 re-
tell their version of the 'Three Bears' in the theatre. They
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 2 Slice of ICE. Photos by Tim Barnsley
Photos by Tuan Anh
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
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
Questions? Please email Ms. Conroy at
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
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 mat-
ter. 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 60,000 VND to spend at
the Grade 4 Market Day.
To help control the transactions (and to make it as safe as
possible for the students) the children will exchange their
money for vouchers, which they will then use to purchase
their items. The prices range from 10,000 VND to 30,000
VND. Students may still decide to bring a snack to school
that day, but if they intend to buy from the fantastic
selection of nibbles on offer they might not need one.
The Grade 4 team of teachers and students would like to
thank you in advance for your kind support in this. It is one
of the highlights of the year for all involved.
The Grade Four Teachers
Any concerns or questions please feel free to contact:
Heidi Kay [email protected]
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
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
Photos by Natascha Sentfleben
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.
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
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.
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!
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