The AIS Messenger Issue no.14

August 2014 | The AIS Messenger 1

Australian International School | Issue no.14 www.aisvietnam.com

Xi Campus (Kindergarten) 190 Nguyen Van Huong StreetThao Dien Ward | District 2 | HCMCt: +84 8 3519 2727 | f: +84 8 3744 6961

Thao Dien Campus (Kindergarten & Primary School)APSC Compound 36 Thao Dien Road | District 2 | HCMCt: +84 8 3744 6960 | f: +84 8 3744 6961

Thu Thiem Campus (Kindergarten, Primary, Middle & Senior School) 264 Mai Chi Tho (East-West Highway) An Phu Ward | District 2 | HCMCt: +84 8 3742 4040 | f: +84 8 3740 7361

The AIS

Message from Executive Principal

essenger

This time of the year always brings many changes at all international schools. Last term we said

goodbye to staff who decided to expand their experiences and move elsewhere in the world. This was very exciting for them but also for us as we welcome Mr Terry Storer, who has joined as Deputy Executive Principal and will assist me in the management of the school. He will also specifically oversee all aspects of the Middle and Senior schools. He comes to us with a huge amount of experience and knowledge.

We also welcome Mr Jarlath Madine as the new Principal of Primary and Kindergarten. He also comes with many years of school management from around the world. Both will contribute significantly to the school and are already working with the students and getting to know parents and staff.

With students in mind I want to share with you the excellent examination results we have received from the examination boards this month. Our IB results were exceptional with the average score being two points above the world average. Two students achieved 40 points. This is a remarkable achievement given that only 7% of worldwide candidates achieve this. Special congratulations to Tuan Khai DAO and Y Minh LE for their outstanding score, with top marks in a wide range of subjects including Maths, Physics, Chemistry, French and Economics.

Y Minh LE is preparing to study Law at Queen Mary, University of London, UK and Tuan Khai DAO will be studying Economics at the University of Warwick, also in the UK.

Our IGCSE results have also been wonderful. The exciting thing for us is not only the success of our Year 11 students, but the fantastic efforts of our Gifted and Talented group of 29 Year 10 students who took exams in English, Maths and Science a year early. The majority of the group scored A*’s and A’s in all their subjects. Notable performances with an eye to the future were from: Phoebe YAP, Bao Ngoc DO, Alishia HEALEY, Hoang Khai LAI, Jae Elise PAYONG, Minh Tam PHAN, Anh Khoa and Peter TRAN. From Year 11 excellent A* and A’s were awarded to JUNG Hayoon, Nguyen Trang HOANG, Xuan Ye NG, Jamielle MCKINNON and Thuy Linh NGUYEN.

The future is bright!

These wonderful results do not just happen. The commitment of the school and the teachers supported by a great administration team is paramount in any success. We have an exceptional group of teachers who are dedicated to the journey the students are on. As with the changes in Senior Management we have recruited outstanding teachers this year to replace those who left us with these excellent examination results. All our teachers are degree holders with additional qualifications in teaching. They all have a minimum of five years’ experience and most

have come from an international background. We are truly excited about the contributions they will make in the coming year.

There have been some significant facility improvements over the summer. We have erected new sun sails over the TD swimming pool. This will make life more comfortable for the students and staff. We have built and set up a great Health and Fitness Suite with a good range of machinery and a massive range of free weights at the Thu Thiem campus. The new Sports Arena is now open in Thao Dien. We will be running a range of soccer programmes there for the school and the community.

The ECA programmes are due to start on September 1st. There is a huge range of activities available to the children.

Moon Festival is our first all school celebration next month, September 5th 2014, so look out for your invitation to join us in an evening of lions, lanterns, food and great entertainment!

We have a very exciting year ahead of us in which I hope you will become actively engaged.

Clive Keevil Executive Principal

The AIS Messenger | August 20142

communicated and understood, indicator but alone they are not an accurate determinant of the effectiveness of an institution in the long term. Our aim as educators is more holistic and far reaching; to help students develop into successful, fulfilled and happy people who will take a meaningful and active place in society, to become inquiring and knowledgeable learners with the confidence to achieve their potential.

Every day we all have the opportunity to make the lives of each individual we interact with either better or worse. The role of both educators and parents is to ensure we make decisions, role model actions and instil values that help children to make good choices. The importance of the link between teachers, students and parents; between school, home and the community is something I value and believe in.

Albert Einstein once said, ‘The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education”. My goal is that no student who comes to AIS subscribes to this notion. I believe that all students have tremendous potential and talent; our job is to unlock and nurture that potential in whatever

My first few weeks in Vietnam have passed very quickly but as I start to get my bearings, I would like to extend my thanks to all those friendly faces who have made the move both smooth and productive.

A little background about me for those of you I am yet to meet. I was born and raised in the U.K. and initially worked in London. My career in education spans over 25 years; the last 20 years have been in international schools around the world.

Message from the Deputy executive Principal

sphere it might be, to support them in areas where they do not naturally excel and always respect them as individuals. To quote Aristotle, “Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all”. Holistic education does not diminish the expectation of high standards. Indeed it supports and extends this tenet as students are asked to grow in all areas.

I believe I have one of the best jobs in the world. Every day I have the opportunity to effect change and impact the lives of others. I look forward to a year when we will get to know each other better and work collectively and collaboratively to ensure all AIS students achieve their potential.

By Terry storer

When I began my career I had never intended to teach overseas, indeed I was unaware of the rich opportunities that teaching internationally held. A series of chance meetings and conversations led me to apply for a post in Venezuela and four months later I arrived in South America. My first taste of international education was in an American school with over 50 nationalities on its roll. I found this new approach to education both fascinating and inspiring and this led to another international school, this time in Tanzania. While in Tanzania I was given the opportunity to open and run a new international school. Once the school was established and successful my wife and I were again able to further our careers with a move to the Middle East and an extended period in Muscat, Oman, before arriving here in Vietnam just a few weeks ago.

In many ways schools develop an intangible ‘product’, one that is hard to quantify, particularly in the short term. It would be a simple process if we could attach a numerical value to all that schools do. This would allow us to both give a snap shot rating and gauge progress over time. Exam grades are one important, and easily

August 2014 | The AIS Messenger 3

I was born a very long time ago in Ireland and had an extremely happy

childhood growing up with my older brother and twin sister. My parents were both determined that their children would all benefit from a ‘good’ education.

I went to the local primary school which had a total enrolment of around sixty students and three teachers. At the age of eleven I moved on to secondary education where I was taught by the De La Salle Brothers until the age of eighteen. Following my A Levels I went to Queens University Belfast where I was awarded my degree and teacher qualification.

I always had a desire and a love of all things foreign. At the age of sixteen I made my first solo trip overseas where I spent a few weeks in the south of France. By the time I had left school I had visited many European countries using trains as my mode of transport. During the summers at university I went to Boston where I played Gaelic Football in the North American Gaelic Football League and worked on building sites, restaurants and bars. After graduation I spent just over a year living in the U.S. and eventually worked as a carpenter in Miami.

I came back to Ireland to start teaching but sadly there were more teachers than positions and most available work was as a cover teacher. To secure a full time position I moved to London where my first class had forty five students in Years Five and Six. From that moment I have loved and enjoyed every single second of my career in education.

1988 – 1991 – London (Year 5 & 6; Year 4)

1991 – 1995 – Bangkok (Year 6)

1995 – 1999 – Brighton (Deputy Principal & Year 3)

1999 – 2002 – Kent (Principal)

2002 – 2004 – Kent & National (Advisory Principal)

2004 – 2006 – Kent (Principal)

2006 – 2012 – Qatar & Dubai (Principal)

2012 – 2014 – Kent (Executive Principal working with several schools)

I have been blessed with four children, two boys and two girls. All of my children have had and continue to have a great education which will hopefully help them to take their place as adults in the twenty first century.

My grandmother was born in 1886. In 1886 she didn’t know what sort of world her children and grandchildren would be living in. We don’t know what sort of jobs our children will be doing in the twenty first century. So how do we prepare for the unknown?

It goes without saying that learning to read, write and count is extremely important in primary schools. Success in these basics can then be carried forward into secondary school and eventually college or university. However we need to also focus on the bigger picture.

Children should have a broad and balanced curriculum which includes lots of physical education, sports, art, music, drama and design technology. Children should be able to use many different ‘electronic devices’ to help with learning.

Success in life is not only about how many exams we can pass; it is also about how ready our young people are to become adults and take on the many challenges they will face in the future. Regardless of what jobs our young people will be engaged in they will need, for example to be creative, able to solve problems; tolerant and caring. Schools need to develop these personal learning and thinking skills alongside academic skills.

Alongside subject skills, knowledge and understanding we should see independent enquiry, creative thinking, reflective learning, team working, self-management and effective participation. All of these skills should be applied where possible as opposed to being in the realm of text books and theory.

Children also need to have opportunities to pursue activities that they enjoy. Schools should be able to provide an enriched curriculum that includes opportunities to take part in a range of sporting activities, dancing and acting as well as opportunities to visit places.

I have included a link to a talk from Sir Ken Robinson who is an author, speaker and expert on education, creativity and innovation. It is very interesting and thought provoking:

http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_changing_education_paradigms

A Maori friend of mine from my days in Bangkok told me about a Maori saying which goes as follows:

He aha te mea nui?

He tangata.

He tangata.

He tangata.

What is the most important thing? It is people, it is people, it is people.

Whatever we do, people will be at the centre of everything and if we keep this in mind we can all look forward to a ‘bright future’.

Message from the Principal of Primary and Kindergarten By Jarlath Madine

The AIS Messenger | August 20144

See Disney Live! in HCMCBy steve Lanning

Disney Live is coming to Vietnam for the very first time, bringing you Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and the Disney Princesses. Exclusive Disney

Live Vietnam Package for AIS families is now available through Quintessentially (Q) Lifestyle. The Q Disney Platinum package includes:

• 1xBackstagePasstotheDisneyLiveShow*

• 1xDisneyVIPgoodybag

• MeetandGreetwiththeDisneyStars

• PriorityQueueattheTheatrefortheLiveShow

• AccesstotheDisneyVIPLounge,poweredbyQ,atthe Theatre for drinks and snacks and a Disney Photo Booth area for Disney VIP Guests

Each Q Disney Platinum Ticket is priced at 3,195,000 VnD. We also offer an Exclusive Lunch with Mickey and Goofy and Exclusive Breakfast with Mickey and Goofy. Limited seats available. For more information, contact the Quintessentially Lifestyle Vietnam office at +84 8 35 125 185 or email us at [email protected]

* Show dates are from 24-28 September 2014

New Sports Arena in

Thao Dien

Monday 7 July, 2014: Australian International School (AIS) is proud to announce that a new Sports Arena will be unveiled and in full operation in September 2014 . The 731m2 site boasts an AstroTurf soccer pitch The Sports Arena is conveniently situated on Thao Dien Road in the heart of Thao Dien, District 2, near An Phu Supermarket and the An Phu Superior Compound.

The new complex will be used by AIS students as part of their general sports programme and also be a training

facility for the AIS soccer team. A range of after-school soccer, netball training programmes as well as other traditional ballgames will be offered to the wider community, of all ages and the arena will also be available for hire. The new Sports Arena promises to be an exciting new feature for the students of AIS and residents of Thao Dien.

For more information about the Sports Arena, please email [email protected]

For Evening and Weekend bookings: please call: (08) 3744 6960 (Ext 126)

or email: [email protected]

For Evening and Weekend bookings: please call: (08) 3744 6960 (Ext 126)

or email: [email protected]

SportS arena SportS arena

August 2014 | The AIS Messenger 5

This month, we dedicate this column to share with you the story of an AIS parent who is a journalist and Chief Editor of “Word", Nick Ross. Founded with his wife, Bao, in late 2007, “Word” is Vietnam’s most popular English-language magazine, with a print circulation of over 30,000 plus a popular online version (www.wordvietnam.com ). Today, however, it is Nick who is being interviewed, in the first of what we hope will become a regular column featuring AIS parents.

Born and bred in London, and educated in Bristol (Philosophy and Politics), there was little to suggest that Nick would end of up living in Vietnam and publishing a magazine here. As a young lad, he worked in a laundry, delivered pizzas and waited tables in restaurants. His first foreign foray was to Norway, where he picked fruit on a mountainside overlooking a fjord: “it was a great view, but mind-numbingly boring.” So Nick returned to London, and it was only after several more wet English winters that Nick ventured forth in search of more fun in the sun, first to California, then Mexico then, eventually, to Vietnam, where he found himself teaching English to PetroVietnam staff in Vung Tau.

There, together with a friend, he developed the idea of setting up Saigon's first “what’s on”-type magazine. Initially launched in November 2005 as “Saigon Inside-Out”, it morphed the following year into “Asia Life”, and then in late 2007 into “Word”.

The magazine contains a wealth of information about “what’s on” in Vietnam (not only Saigon) - from charity events to where to eat or hear the best live music. But “Word” has also grown into a respected source of news and commentary on a broad range of subjects that are likely to be of interest to many residents of Vietnam. The July issue featured the plight

of endangered animal species in Vietnam; June looked at recreational boating in Saigon; April turned the spotlight on Da Nang; and May reported on the growth of the local music industry. “Whether they read it cover-to-cover or simply flick through the magazine, ‘Word’ has become an important part of the lives of many expats and Vietnamese alike”.

Unsurprisingly, the cross-cultural creativity of the magazine reflects Nick’s own passions. Married to Bao, with two daughters (Aimee, graduated 2013 and Caitlin, Year 6), Nick loves mixing things up. For Bao's recent birthday, he cooked an old English staple, shepherd’s pie with feta cheese salad, for the extended Vietnamese family.

For each issue of “Word”, in addition to editing, Nick usually writes 5,000 to 12,000 words. “I hate the 9 to 5 routine, but thrive on goals and deadlines”, explains Nick. He says there is no shortage of stories to write about in Vietnam, but it can sometimes be hard to find "the right angle”. The requirement for the whole magazine to be approved by the authorities before publication can also be challenging, but Nick clearly manages this well. A recent issue of “Word” reported on the appointment in June of Vietnamese "boat person", Hiếu Văn Lê, as the next Governor of South Australia (ie Queen’s representative of that state).

With so much happening in Vietnam and in the lives of Vietnamese abroad, there seems to be no shortage of material on which Nick and his colleagues at “Word” may write for many years to come.

If you have a story to share with over 4000 members in the AIS community, please contact [email protected] and an interview will be arranged.

Parent Portal

AIs is made up of a wonderful community of parents and students. some AIs parents are outstanding

and successful business entrepreneurs. To celebrate this fact, we are dedicating a column in our monthly newsletter to share their story and journey as a parent and successful business leader or professional.

House Captains

Congratulations to the 6 students who

were elected as House Captains for the 2014-2015 academic year.

The AIS House System has got off to a strong start with the election of Senior House Captains. Nominations were accepted from any student in Years 12 and 13 with each nominee expected to give a speech to explain why they would be a good House Captain and leader. Excellent speeches were given by many students who were keen to demonstrate their passion and enthusiasm. One student even used a hoola-hoop to show how important team work is. Students in Year 10 to 13 were able to vote for their captains. In the end, only one male and female student from each House can be elected.

Congratulations go to:

grIFFIn – sam green and Jade Waller

PegAsUs – sylvain Tra and Jamielle McKinnon

PHOenIX – rog Oh and Iris sang

sPHInX – Duong nguyen and Linh nguyen.

The AIS Messenger | August 20146

SOUL Music Academy rocked the Auditorium and assembly hall at AIS when they came to demo their Music

and Dance ECA programmes to hundreds of excited students.

At Soul Academy it is believed that Music is an integral part of an individual’s self-development as well as an important means of expressing one’s emotions. With strong investment in facilities and curriculum, SOUL Music Academy aims to bring a ‘new’ and more ‘international’ approach to music education.

Please see further information about SOUL Music and Dance:

http://www.aisvietnam.com/curriculum/extra-curricular-activities.html

Soul Academy Happy Moon Festival

Embracing the uniqueness of every culture.

Date: 5 September 2014

Time: 4.30pm - 7.15pm

Place: Thu Thiem Campus

(Foyer, Courtyard, Cafeteria areas,

grassed playground)

Dress Code: Traditional dress

(Ao Dai, other cultures’ traditional dress)

Invitation

Parents Friend Group (PFG) offering their fantastic continued support at last week

Primary Parents BBQ.