Celebrating

youth
culture
and
leadership
SHOWING AND
SOWING KINDNESS
by Dr Roderick Crouch
Executive Principal

The best portion of a good mans life is his little,

nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of
love. - William Wordsworth

I
t has been an excellent start to the school year, and it has been
delightful to see the way the new student leaders have stepped
up to their different tasks. Recently we have announced house
captains and student representatives across the school. One of their
tasks is to help lead the programs where we as a school support
others in need.

When I think about helping others, I am reminded of the above quote,

which is one of my favourites.

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Acts of kindness should be an inherent aspect of
our nature such that we perform them naturally
for there is much joy to be derived from both
giving and receiving them. Kindness can take
many forms, it may be a question or phone call to
someone in need, a smile not a frown or a word
of encouragement rather than criticism, allowing
someone else to go first in a queue or simply
stopping long enough to assist someone who is
struggling. There are many ways we can show
kindness to each other but such acts take two
things time and attitude. At times we can feel
As the sun makes ice melt, kindness causes
misunderstanding, mistrust, and hostility to evaporate.
Albert Schweitzer
As a school, we need to help students educate both
their head and their heart. While we will always have relationships.
an emphasis on academic results though the robust
curriculum we have at AIS, we are also conscious
that to prepare students fully for life beyond school,
they need to be thinking about how they act and
interact in the world. This is a task that school and
home do together.
Some of the ways we can encourage such an
attitude is through the time we spent with our
children and the attitude we model. The following
questions from www.parentssuccess.com ( a
resource I often use) can help guide us as parents.
1. Are we more often the encourager or the critic? It
is tempting to react to the mistakes of others and
forget to recognise the other persons successes.
AIS MONTHLY NEWSLETTER - ISSUE SEP 2017
that the horrors that do occur in our world make
kindness meaningless, yet kindness within ourselves
blunts the sting of cruelty in others. Already this
year we have witnessed many wonderful acts of
kindness within the school community particularly
the way senior students looked after their younger
counterparts at the start of the school year. To see
the way the IB students embrace their CAS activities
and to her about the various projects on assembly
are further examples of the way the students show
kindness to the wider community. Long may this
continue at school and home.
Choosing the role of encourager builds closer
2. Are we available to listen or more often in a hurry
and distracted? Theres more to conversation than
just what is said. It sends many messages including
how much one person values the other.
3. Are we more often a model of cooperation
or competition? Fathers especially have usually
experienced a competitive world and want to
provide their children with a strong spirit for
success, but encouraging cooperation helps avoid
selfishness.
4. Do we make time available for our children or do
we have other priorities? The priorities of love are
best assessed not by words but sharing your time
-3-
 AIS
the
Pathway to
university
by Mr Mark Vella
Deputy Executive Principal

I
n the first Newsletter of the year we reported that the
2016-2017 graduating class achieved the best IB
Diploma results in the history of the school. With these
results AIS students gained admission and scholarships
to some of the top universities around the world including:
Sydney, Melbourne, Monash, and Queensland in Australia;
Waseda, Sophia and Keio in Japan;
Seoul National and Yonsei in Korea;
Duke and Georgetown in the United States;
and the University of Hong Kong.

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The IB Diploma is a gold-standard university
entrance qualification. It is highly valued by
Admissions Officers at universities around the
world who understand that an applicant with an
IB Diploma has a strong foundation of subject
knowledge, as well as highly developed research,
critical thinking and essay-writing skills, and is a
well-rounded person and an international citizen.
No other secondary qualification - be it International
A-Levels, the Victoria Certificate of Education, or a
US High School Diploma can attest to the abilities,
strengths and aptitudes of a university applicant
as well as the IB Diploma does. As IB parent and
Assistant Dean of Admission at Stanford University,
Debra Von Bargen, explains
when we see an IB students application we
light up; were excited!
This is because they know that IB applicants are
strongly prepared, capable and ready to take on the to universities becomes an important focus.
challenges of the curriculum.
It is not until Year 10 that AIS students need to
seriously consider their future university education,
because from Years 7 -10, all students follow a
common, compulsory, broad-based curriculum.
However, from Year 11 on students study a
number of optional subjects. At this stage they
need to consider, at least in general terms, what
type of degree they intend to study to ensure
that they choose the right subjects to qualify for
university admission. For instance, any student
considering Engineering would be advised to study
Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry. To assist
students with their subject selection and academic
planning, the school uses Homeroom pastoral
lessons to provide targeted career advice. The good
news is that many degrees do not have specific
AIS MONTHLY NEWSLETTER - ISSUE SEP 2017
subject requirements. In addition, because the IB
Diploma has six compulsory subject groups all
Diploma graduate have a broad-based university
entrance qualification.
The other thing students need to consider as they
enter the senior secondary school is building a
strong academic and extra-curricular CV in their
final three years at school. To maximise possible
university opportunities students should aim to
score the highest possible grades that they are
capable of in IGCSE and IB. They should also
participate in a range of sporting, cultural, and
service activities. Again, AIS students have a head-
start in this regard because CAS Creativity, Action,
Service is a compulsory element of the IB Diploma
programme.
As students enter their final two years in high
school the business of researching and applying
Seminars on the university admission process and
application timelines are given to Year 11, 12 and
13 students. In addition, AIS works in conjunction
with ATS, a university counselling and consultancy,
to provide individualised support and guidance to
students. And to expose students to a wide range
of information and opportunities, each year the
school hosts visits from university recruitment and
admission staff from a range of countries, including
Australia, the US, Canada, Korea and Japan.
With an internationally recognised and valued IB
qualification and a multi-faceted system to support
the university application process, AIS students have
a tried and true pathway to tertiary study, leading to
a brighter future
Footnote: you can see a youtube video of Assistant Dean of
Admission at Stanford University, Debra Von Bargen
-5-
Primary
update by Rachel Perkins
Primary and Kindergarten Principal

T
he school is now fully
into the new term and I
have been very impressed several coffee mornings and I
with the positive spirit and energy
which is obvious as you move
around the school. The staff and
children have settled in very well
and the quality of teaching and
learning I have observed is very
good. I was very pleased to see
that the new Student Council and
House Captains have been voted
in and I am looking forward to
seeing how they lead the student
body this year in a variety of
activities and service projects.
This week we welcomed parents
to both campuses to attend
enjoyed sharing my vision for the
academic year and curriculum
updates and also gaining
feedback from this active group of Thank you for all your continued
parents.
The children will be very busy in
school this week completing their
assessments in reading, writing
and mathematics. The teachers will
then analyze the childrens results
and plan how to best effectively
teach each child so that they can
fulfill their potential and make
expected progress this year.
support. If you have any feedback
on this update or any further
suggestions please feel free to
contact me on
rachel.perkins@aisvietnam.com

Our ASA programme also started

recently and the variety of
activities is quite amazing, it is
great to see the children enjoying
a wide range on offer after school
and challenging themselves with
new experiences.

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YEAR 12
Induction to the Diploma Programme
W
hat a great couple of
days! A fortnight ago,
our fantastic Year 12
students (all 65 of them) spent two
days off timetable as an induction
to their IB Diploma Programme
(DP). The purpose was two-fold:
to learn about the ethos of the IB
and what makes the DP so very
special; and to bond as a cohort
- because these IB students
will need to support each other
throughout the twenty-two month
programme that they have now
begun.
At the start of Diploma Day (Friday
25th August), the students were
split into groups and the first task
they were given was to build a
totem that not only represented
their group, but also the ten
attributes of the IB Learner Profile.
They were provided with some
arts and crafts materials and a
lot of junk. You will see from the
AIS MONTHLY NEWSLETTER - ISSUE SEP 2017
by Mr Andrew Cartlidge
Head of Senior School &
IBDP Coordinator
photos what fun we had, and also what a fantastic job they did. The
rest of the day included sessions on CAS, study skills, the EE, useful
apps, DP assessment and totem presentations and prizes.
Saturday was CAS Day and we all learnt what makes a good CAS
experience and how to reflect on our experiences. The students then
worked in groups to create films to explain this, the fantastic results of
which can be seen on YouTube.
Feedback from the students included these comments:
Thank you for giving me that amazing day
It was fun! Best day of the IB life!
It was fantastic
It was amazing
Clearly most students enjoyed the day but we are all different and
while one wrote I feel more comfortable and less stressed, another
wrote I am more nervous about doing the IB diploma! A final student
comment Everything is perfect.
Thank you to all involved, especially Andrew Masterton, Stephen Spice
and Laura Cepek. But most of all to the fantastic cohort of Year 12. I
have high hopes for you all, well done on a fantastic start to the year
-7-
YEAR 13
Extended Essay
C
ongratulations to our Year 13 students
who this week have completed a huge part
of their Diploma Programme their draft
Extended Essay (EE).
The EE is:
Compulsory for all Diploma Programme students
A piece of independent research/investigation on
a topic chosen by the student in cooperation with I look forward to celebrating their EE achievements
a supervisor in the school
Presented as a formal piece of scholarship
containing no more than 4,000 words
The result of approximately 40 hours of work by
the student
Externally assessed and, in combination with the
grade for theory of knowledge, contributes up to
three points to the total score for the IB diploma
AIS MONTHLY NEWSLETTER - ISSUE SEP 2017
by Mr Andrew Cartlidge
Head of Senior School & IBDP Coordinator
The skills learnt in the process of research and
writing such an academic paper are directly
applicable to university and are valued highly by
university admissions officers.
Students now have less than a fortnight to refine
their essays after feedback from their supervisors
and to upload their final version by midnight on
Thursday 21 September.
and sharing their work with the rest of the school in
November (watch this space!)
The EE is an independent, self-directed
piece of research, finishing with a 4,000-
word paper. The nearest equivalent is a
university-style dissertation.
-8-
AIS CELEBRATES YOUTH CULTURE WITH

epic mural
COLLABORATION by Nguyen Thu Nga
Digital Communication & Web Coordinator

A
striking graffiti art project, which
is the collaboration of AIS senior
art students and artists from Thao
Dien gallery, Mix & Paint, now adorns the
wall of the Thu Thiem campus courtyard.
The mural was completed in 10 days and
is the work of eight students and two
professional artists.

Mr Nigel Hall, the Head of Art & Design

at AIS proposed the idea as part of AIS
broad plan to be known as the school of
choice for the visual and performing arts.
With Executive principal, Dr Crouch, his
goal is to ensure we have the best facilities
and opportunities for students, thereby
increasing engagement and ultimately
student achievement. Developing creativity
is vital for students in the highly competitive
marketplace in which they live.

The mural is something thats meant to

get you thinking says Mr Hall.

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 A small group of young artists are being given an
introduction to some of the basic skills required in working
on walls as canvases by practicing on large pieces of
cardboard. The materials and tools (spray cans and extra-
Its been an opportunity
large surface areas) being used for the mural are not things
for students to put a little
we can use in everyday art room activities, so this is truly a
bit of their creativity into
unique experience for these students.
something that can be seen
in the public, he said. Its
Some of the design work being executed has come from
been a great opportunity
submission designs by some of the masterclass group
to try something new and
and the professional artists have incorporated these design
experiment. Its a great idea
elements into the finished mural. As the mural progressed,
to make school facilities
two students, Annie and June worked on the wall directly
more beautiful.
alongside the Mix & Paint team.

Now that the work is completed there will be an After School

Activity for these students to develop a design for their own
exclusive artwork to be completed inside the art room itself

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 Eggus rant: Drawn by Annie Tran, Year 12

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 THE 2017/18
NEWLY ELECTED
HOUSE CAPTAINS
HIT THE GROUND RUNNING
by Mr Luke Patterson
House Competition Coordinator

I am delighted to formally introduce to the AIS community the Senior & Junior house
Captains for this academic year:

marina gorin (yr 12) & marina gorin (yr 12) &
harrison craig (yr 12) harrison craig (yr 12)
khanh linh nguyen (yr 9) & khanh linh nguyen (yr 9) &
tien phat phan (yr 9) tien phat phan (yr 9)

yuna jeong (yr 12) & jenny huynh (yr 12) &
tran thanh huy (yr 12) johnathan hackenberg (yr 11)
eun mi / hanna park (yr 9) & rinon kawakubo (yr 9) &
timo delau (yr 9) bk phi (yr 9)

The School Captains have hit the ground running
and are already in full swing organising the first
major house competition of the year; The House
Dance, which will take place on Friday 6 October
(last day of term).
This years House Competition will provide all
students with the opportunity to not only be involved
in some super fun and exciting events, but also give
them a platform to showcase their talents whether it
be sporting, academic, or creative, in the pursuit of
the coveted House Shield

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 Welcome To The New

season by Jetro Asis

Aquatics Coordinator

D
ear AIS swimmers and
families, I would like to
take this opportunity
to congratulate everyone for last
years season! AWESOME is the
first and only word that comes
to mind! We have accomplished
so much last year and everyone
should be extremely proud of what Our results from last year prove
we have done together. I also
would like to WELCOME everyone talent, drive and potential. The
to another 9 months of swimming,
in the 2017-2018 swim season!
A lot of dedication and hard work
went into those accomplishments
and I would like to commend not
only our swimmers but also our
AIS Coaching Staff for a job well
done! This year, together with
Mr. John and I, we have 2 new
additions to our experienced and
professional aquatics team: Mr.
Huan and Ms. Thuy! I am very
excited that with their help we will
have an even greater swim year!
that we have a great team full of
most important lesson to be
learned here is AIS CAN, HAS
and WILL continue to be the best
swim squad it can be at all times.
Let us use our success prove that
we can be the best club in Ho Chi
Minh City - We have now proven
we CAN do this!
I am extremely proud to be a part
of the AIS Swim Squad coaching
staff and looking forward to our
2017-2018 season. Were on a
roll, and continuing to accomplish
great things!
Interested in trying out? We are
continually holding tryouts for new
and interested swimmers. For
further information or to schedule
a tryout, kindly send us an e-mail:
jet.asis@aisvietnam.com
/ john.sampan@aisvietnam.com.
Thanks and see you in the pool

AIS MONTHLY NEWSLETTER - ISSUE SEP 2017 - 13 -

 by Chi Duong
Sports Centre Manager

K
idzone is well underway and it has been an excellent
start to the year. All programmes, especially
swimming classes from Waterbabies to Advanced
Swimming are now full, thanks to the wonderful reputation
of our outstanding swimming coaching team. Thank you
so much to all the families who continue to support our
programmes.

Other activities such as Basketball, Karate, Soccer, Tennis

and Skills Factory are all delivered by dynamic coaches.
Registration is almost full, and children are keen to sign up
after trying out an activity. Parents and students have all
commented on the well-organized and fun filled environment
of these sessions, which is a creative way for all to learn new
skills.

Would you like to join our exciting programmes? Please feel

free to visit AIS Sports Centre at Thao Dien campus to have a
free try out and we are sure that students would love to join in!

For further information, please visit this website:

www.aissportscentre.com or contact Ms Chi at
sportscentre@aisvietnam.com. We are looking forward to
seeing more students at AIS Sports Centre

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 AIS Production Team presents

FIND YOUR
INNER WARRIOR
AIS Thu Thiem Auditorium
17 Nov 6pm
18 Nov 4pm

T
his tale is about the story of a young maiden (Mulan)
who learns that her weakened and lame father is
to be called up into the army in order to fight the
invading Huns. Knowing that he would never survive the
rigours of war in his physical state, Mulan decides to disguise
herself as a warrior and join the battle in her fathers place.

To find out how the story unfolds, join us at the Thu Thiem
Campus Auditorium on November 17th and 18th for the AIS
School Production of Mulan.

For more information and to book tickets contact

Gabriel.price@aisvietnam.com

We hope to see you there!

AIS MONTHLY NEWSLETTER - ISSUE SEP 2017 - 15 -

 YEAR 9
AND
YEAR 11

IS COMING UP by Brandon Dewes

Head of PE

Y
ear 9 and Year 11 students are currently training in
Physical Education and Swimming lessons for a Duathlon
which will take place on Friday 29 September, 2017.

Students will select a swim distance of 125m or 250m and then

run 3km.

This is a great challenge for the students and we wish them well
with their training over the next few weeks

pyp parent 8.30 to

9.30 am
thao dien Campus
Cherry Blossom Building

WORKSHOP
Thursday, 21 September 2017 1:30 to thu thiem Campus
2.30 pm
RSVP: mida.abdul@aisvietnam.com
Multi-Purpose Hall, 3rd floor

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 Thao Dien Campus (Sports Centre)
Tuesday 3 October 2017
5pm-7pm
Traditional dress

Thu Thiem Campus

Wednesday 4 October 2017
5pm-7pm
Traditional dress

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STUDENT LABOUR DAY
AND HUNGER BANQUET
By Alan Bradfield

O
n Friday 8 September all AIS Year
6 students came together at Thao
Dien to collaborate, experience
and taste the realities of child labour and to
understand and experience the true realities
of the ,haves and have nots in this world,
as part of the Unit of Inquiry, Circumstances
That Impact Our Wellbeing.

Students were mixed up from all four

Year 6 classes, to form teams. For one
hour the students had to make bracelets,
carry water, dive for pearls, garden, clean
various places in the school and cut grass.
It brought home to them how lucky they
were to be in the top percentage of society.
Afterwards, students were allowed to
freshen up with swimming activities prior to
their hunger banquet.

The large group of students were divided

into 3 groups to experience and understand
the compilation of society in this world. They
drew tickets which had a story on each of
them and it allocated them their lunch for
the day. Most simply got a bowl of rice,
while others received rice and vegetables,
and the few pizza and fizzy drinks. It was
a real test of character as it brought home
to all children how lucky they are to be at
an exclusive private school and how the
underprivileged experienced daily life

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Group 3 O
n Friday 1 September, AIS hosted fifteen
teachers from six different HCMC schools
for this years Group 3 Job-a-Like. Job-a-

Job-a-Like
Likes are an opportunity for subject teachers from
different schools to share experiences, best practice

(JAL)
by Mr Andrew Cartlidge
Head of Senior School & IBDP Coordinator
and resources and to discuss areas of mutual
concern. Our humanities department did a great
job of leading Business Management, Economics,
Geography, History and Psychology groups and the
feedback received afterwards was excellent.

Thank you to the participants, our facilitators Mr

Garbus, Ms Zinetti and Mr Price, as well as Mr
Masterton and Ms Bang for making this the success
that it was

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YEAR 5
Brain Dissection by Lorinda Ferreira

O
n Friday 8 September, the year 5 group
went to Thu Thiems science lab to dissect
a pigs brain as part of their Who We Are
Unit. The line of inquiry included how the brain
works, so they decided to be scientists and discover
more about the brain. They learned more about the
cerebrum, cerebellum and the hypothalamus and all
the intriquite parts of the brain

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