UNIS Hanoi’s Weekly Community Newsletter Volume 22, Edition 20, Friday 6 February

tintuc@unishanoi.org

Notes from the Head of School (p.2)

Notes from the Admissions Office (p.2)

The Scholarship Fund update (p.3)

Middle School Honour rolls and

awards (p.4-5)

Tet - the Vietnamese New Year (p.6)

100 days of school celebration (p.6)

Grade 10 Personal Project. Save the

date! (p.7-8)

APAC Basketball at UNIS Hanoi.

Photo specials. (p.8-10)

APAC Swimming (p.11)

Service Learning Tet Challenge

(p.12)

New UNIS Hanoi apparel. Check it

out! (p.13)

National Dental Health Month

(p.13)

Spring Fair: Make it unique, make

it yours (p.14)

NEXT WEEK… MONDAY, 9 FEBRUARY K2 Exhibition, 9-12 Feb

TUESDAY, 10 FEBRUARY 1SF & 1TA Field Trip, 8:15-10:45 K2 Parent Performance, 9:00-9:30, Theatre 1VdC & 1JH Field Trip, 9:50-12:00 MS Boys' Soccer vs WIS @ WIS, 15:30-18:30 MS Girls' "B" Team Soccer vs BIS @ UNIS, 16:00-17:30,

UNIS Fields MYP Information Night for Parents new to the MYP,

19:00-20:00, Black Box

FRIDAY, 13 FEBRUARY ASA and UMA Session 2 Ends

New Parents Workshop with ES Counselors, 8:30-10:00, Library Projection Room

New Parents workshop with MSHS Counselors, 8:30-10:00, Group Study Room - Library

ECC, Grades1-2 Tet Assembly, 13:10-13:50, Theatre Grades 3-5 Tet Assembly, 14:10-14:50, Theatre

SATURDAY, 14 FEBRUARY UNIS Hanoi Tet Break, 14-24 Feb School & Offices close

COMING SOON WEDNESDAY, 25 FEBRUARY APAC Spring Performing Arts Festival - BAND @

CISS, 25 Feb - 1 Mar APAC Spring Performing Arts Festival - THEATRE @

WAB, 25 Feb - 1 Mar

THURSDAY, 26 FEBRUARY MRISA Middle School Soccer @ ISE, 26 Feb - 1 Mar 2MT & 2TL Field Trip, 8:30-10:15 Grade 4 Heritage Field Trip, 9:00-11:30 PYP Exhibition, Parent Information Session, 18:00-

18:45, Black Box G5 to G6 Parents Information Night, 19:00-19:45, Black

Box

FRIDAY, 27 FEBRUARY MSHS Counselors - Guest Speaker Event for Parents,

8:30-10:30, Community Room

SATURDAY, 28 FEBRUARY Community Education Spring Programme Begins Aquathlon, 12:00-15:00

IN THIS WEEK’S TIN TUC - The Highlights...

A big thank you to the four parents who

came to the Hors d’oeuvre with the Head

of School last Tuesday night. We had a

good discussion about technology and a

variety of other issues. The notes from this

meeting will be published next week.

While it was disappointing to have only

four parents attend, we remain committed to finding the

best way to attract parents to come to hear about recent

developments at school, and have the opportunity to ask

questions, express concerns, or offer suggestions about any

aspect of our programme. We know everyone is busy and

we also know that most of you care very much about what

is going on at school. We just need to come up with a

mutually convenient way to come together.

We have one more community meeting with the Head of

School and it will be a Breakfast on Thursday, 07 May

beginning at 08:00 in the Community Room. In the

meantime, if you have other suggestions on how to have

more parents attend these sessions, please send them along

to me at hos@unishanoi.org

With next week being the last week before the Tet holiday,

this is a great time to thank our wonderful Vietnamese staff

for all that they do for our students. Please make the effort

to thank them when you see them on campus and

encourage your children to do the same. This is the most

important time of the year for the Vietnamese and

honoring them with a warm and genuine expression of

appreciation is just the right thing to do. They are most

deserving of our recognition.

Respectfully,

Dr. Chip Barder, hos@unishanoi.org

Please register your child directly with the admissions office.

Applications will be available to eligible applicants at the end of February,

following the Tet holiday.

For assistance contact admissions@unishanoi.org or 37581551 extension

8220 / 8217 / 8732.

100 Days of School Celebration

There are just seven day until the Tet Holiday starts,

and we hope to celebrate reaching our goal with our

entire community for the New Year!

Together we can create a new scholarship place for

next year with a little help from the power of our

community!

Our Goal this year is to raise $75,000 USD to provide

ONE ADDITIONAL scholarship place for 2015-2016.

Thanks to more than 200 gifts and pledges from Faculty,

Staff, Parents and Alumni we are nearly there!

Join the campaign by making a gift, and take a place of

pride in an incredible community project that will

transform the futures of so many!

This week our first scholar reminds you how your gift

can transform futures. Nam joined UNIS Hanoi as

our first scholar in 2012-2013 . This summer he will

graduate and attend Williams College, one of the most

prestigious Universities in the USA, on a full

scholarship. This is how he sees his own journey at

UNIS Hanoi:

“My life has changed since the moment I first stepped through the gate

of UNIS Hanoi.

In retrospect, I can see a Nam hiding himself in the shell of a reserved

bookworm who struggles to maintain the conversation in any topic

different from Mathematics for more than 5 minutes. But, at the

moment I stood in front of the High School student body and made

my Senate speech, that shell was broken into pieces.

From a shy and somewhat distant boy, I developed myself to become

an amicable friend, a dynamic learner, a courageous risk-taker and

an influential leader.”

Nam - Grade 12

Meet all our Scholars online and watch our film (click on the image below) to find out what they value and the way they see their future, thanks to the UNIS Hanoi Scholarship Programme.

Xem phim bản tiếng Việt

한국어로 된 영상을 봐 주십시오.

GRADE 6

Kyumin Kim

Thu An Vo

Yota Suzuki

GRADE 7

Lara Wertheim

Ting Chih Cheng

GRADE 8

Gia Han Le

Jina Park

Max Knight

Phuong Le

Uyen Trinh

Yeon Su Park

GRADE 6

Anya Gerdes

Bao Chau Nguyen

Chuc An Tran

Frances Phan

Grace Cenere

Huy Pham

Jeong Min Ha

Jeremy Smith

Jiyeon Yoon

Linh Trang Do

Madina Burkhanova

Min Jeong (Stella) Choi

Na Youn Park

Natalie Forster

Philipp Kunze

Phuong Thao (Paulina) Do

Sarah Lambert

So Eun An

Sophia Durbin

Vicente Felipe Valdes Pineda

GRADE 7

Chi Phan

Elisa Dini

Hyo Rim (Franceska) Yoo

Isabella Todini

Kaї Humpleby

Khushboo Parimoo

Manato Tsuda

Molly McDonald

My Anh Truong

Seokhee (John) Yoon

Sung Eun Kim

Ye Won Kim

Yu Jin Cho

GRADE 8

Beatrice Dominique Campilan

Dang Nguyen Mac

Daniel Rijpma

Ela Kalra

Eliza Tu Thi Stelmach

Gaeun Lee

Giang Le

Jae Yoon Jung

Jieun Lee

Khushi Kapoor

Kiridan Munro

Krisha Valle

Minh Quan Do

Nadya Suprobo

Predtheev Ravi

Rohan Gowda

Roope Makela

Shane SungHee Chung

Sofya Koroleva

GRADE 6

Caring and kindness Klara Musilova Long Tran Citzenship and commitment to UN principles Caitlin Francis Mai Ly Hagan Commitment to studies Jiyeon Yoon Phillip Kunze Courage and risk taking Otto Jensen Creative Excellence Tuan Trinh Kiki Guillaume Outstanding leadership Grace Cenere Sabina Lum Positivity Vicente Pineda Valdes

GRADE 7

Commitment to Studies Isa Smedberg Parnika Mathur Citizenship and Commitment to the UN Principles Elisa Dini Chinh Mai Positivity Henrik Lange Leadership Ziya Griffin Creative Excellence Chi Phan Courage and Risk-Taking Matias Belete Caring and Kindness Shin Young Kim

GRADE 8

Caring and Kindness Katherine Taylor Rafael Macabulos Creative Excellence Thanh Le Commitment to Studies Predtheev Ravi Citizenship and Commitment to the UN Principles Khushi Kapoor Outstanding Leadership Ela Kalra Kiridan Munro Courage and Risk-Taking Ngoc Anh (Rosa) Nguyen Positivity Max Knight

CONGRATULATIONS

Tet is a short way of saying Tết Nguyên Đán which is the

most important festival for Vietnamese people in a year.

Tet marks the beginning of a new year on the Lunar

Calendar and the beginning of spring (this usually happens

sometime between Jan 21 and Feb 19 on the regular

calendar). This year, Tet falls on Thursday the 19th of

February, 2015. .

When the first street vendor starts to go around the street

selling the plastic flowers, people start to repaint their

houses and buy new furniture, it is the begin of so many

different things Vietnamese people prepare for Tet.

Families save money, clear the debt, buy new clothes, clean

the house, or even try to finish the last thing on a new

house in order to move in just before Tet.

On the 23rd of December (Lunar Calendar- one week

before Tet) is Tết Ông Táo -the Kitchen God Ceremony.

(This year, the ceremony will take place on Wednesday the

11th of February 2015). This God is believed to return to

Heaven to make his report to the Jade Emperor about the

family’s activities throughout the year. Each family prepares

a farewell and thank you meal to the God before he sets

out a week journey to Heaven to do his job. The paper

carps and clothing (hats, robes and boots) will be burned as

part of the family’s preparation for the God. It is also a

tradition to worship three live carps and then release them

in the ponds, lakes or rivers. These carps are the Kitchen

God’s vehicle to Heaven.

After the Kitchen God has left, families start to make

Bánh Chưng (Sticky Rice Cake or Tet Cake), cook

different kinds of food, set up a Tet tree in front of the

house, hàng Câu Đối (Chinese parallels) or Đông Hồ

picture prints, buy Cây Quất (Kumquat Tree), Hoa Đào

(A Peach blossom branch) or even Hoa Mai (the yellow

Tet flower originally grown in the South of Vietnam).

These flowers and tree symbolize happiness, prosperity and

good luck.

On the 30th of December, the last day of the old year,

people try to finish the last thing and then go home for the

most important meal called Cơm Tất Niên (Tet Eve’s

meal). At midnight, every house is filled up with the smell

of the incense stick burning on the family altar, bells ring

and drums beat in pagodas and temples. The most

important time begins – Giao Thừa (Giao means to give

and Thừa means to receive). It marks the magical transition

time from one year to another.

Mùng Một Tết, the first day of the New Year is for family

only. People visit parents’ houses and close relatives to give

best wishes to each other. Children are given Lì Xì (little

lucky money in the small red envelops).It is also believed

that everything happens on the first day has an effect for

the rest of the year so people try to do good things and

avoid to sweep the house, to break things, or to have

arguments....The next two days of Tet are for visiting and

enjoying the Tet food with family, friends, colleagues,

neighbors and teachers.

Tet lasts three days or longer. Normal rhythm of life slowly

comes back. People go back to work; shops are open again

on fortune dates. However, the festive time is going on

somewhere each day with different village festivals till the

end of the first month.

Next Friday, Elementary School students are

celebrating Tet from 1:10-2:50 pm in the theatre. All

parents are welcome.

Chúc Mừng Năm Mới!

Tran Thi Xuan, Vietnamese Teacher

Grade 1 celebrated their 100th Day of school on Tuesday.

The children got to enjoy a variety of fun activities around

"100": rolling and adding dice numbers using base ten

blocks until a total of 100 was reached, trying to string 100

beads within the time allowed, seeing how many jumps

they could do in 100 seconds, building with 100 cubes,

recreating the story of 100 ants, answering a crossword

puzzle using a 100 chart. They also had a photo taken in

the shape of 100 and had a shared snack. Thank you

parents for sending them in!

If you were anywhere near

the UNIS Hanoi Sports

Centre from January 29-31

you would have had to fell

the energy and electric

atmosphere emitted from

the athletes, coaches, and

sports fans involved in the

2015 APAC Basketball

Tournament. Six boys and

six girls teams treated our

community to a high level of basketball and a wonderful

overall experience of interscholastic sport.

Thanks to the entire UNIS Hanoi community for all the

support to make this happen. The UNIS Phoenix

represented our school and community very well. The

medal winners on the girl’s side were: Western Academy

Beijing with bronze, Hong Kong International School took

silver and the champions were Concordia International

School Shanghai.

In the boys division, Brent International School Manila

won bronze, Western Academy Beijing were runner-ups

and the championship went to Hong Kong International

School.

We look forward to what these APAC events bring to our

community in the future.

Go Phoenix!

everyone who came out and watched the games and

showed support for the home teams, it was both humbling

and gratifying to see the sheer number of people who were

in attendance and cheering us on. I would like to thank Mr.

Al-liesa for being able to juggle both his AD position and

his coaching responsibilities – it is definitely helpful to have

an actual post player teaching the big guys on our team

how to work under the basket and get physical. And

speaking of big guys, we will thoroughly miss Matteu and

Lennan next year but hope you continue to play ball

wherever you go, and above all else I would like to thank

Coach Cumings. I have only had the pleasure of playing on

your team for two years, plus some of the additional help

you gave me in middle school and freshmen year, but I

have learned so much about the game and how to handle

my responsibilities both as a player and a captain. You were

definitely one of the driving forces behind the basketball

programme at UNIS Hanoi, and is too bad we will be

losing a coach as passionate about the sport as yourself. We

wish you all the best at HKIS!

Congratulations to all the APAC ballers, continue to work

hard to prepare for next season. Good luck to the MRISA

teams travelling this week! GO PHOENIX!

Captain, Jed Edwards

This past weekend, the UNIS Hanoi Varsity basketball

team gave their all at the 2015 APAC Pacific Division

basketball tournament. UNIS Hanoi had the honor of

hosting the event, and it was exceptionally impressive to

see the amount of effort that the UNIS Hanoi community

put into supporting and preparing for the event (including

a Wall of Fame with the pictures of all the players and

coaches from the school!). We played teams from five

other schools from around the region, including Canadian

Academy from Kobe, Concordia International School from

Shanghai, Western Academy of Beijing, Brent School of

Manila, and of course the champions from the Hong Kong

International School. There were some incredible games

and many impressive athletes competing, and when I was

not on the court myself I made sure to catch as much

action as I could from the other teams, which I think is

probably the coolest part of the APAC tournaments.

The boys team definitely had a challenging tournament; we

had a particularly strong team with a lot of potential, and

we were very hopeful about this season and aimed to earn a

different, more appropriate final ranking. While we were

able to hold our own against several of the teams, including

WAB and Concordia, and even HKIS for about one

quarter, in the end we were not able to pull off any wins.

Regardless of this, I was extremely proud of every player

on the team, and I thought that everyone at some point

during the tournament found their game, rather than one

or two consistent standout players. Three days of intense

basketball games against guys who are much bigger and

stronger than many of us is no easy feat, and I was both

impressed and thankful that everyone held out for the

whole tournament (a few minor injuries but no one was

willing to give up!). I think that above all else it served as a

learning experience for all the players, and hope it serves as

inspiration for the others to continue working on their

game and hitting the weight room during the off-season.

Given that we are

keeping almost all of

our players next year,

I am very hopeful

that our synergy will

continue to develop

and produce an even

better turnout for

next year’s

tournament.

I would like to give a

special thanks to

defensive toughness of Ewa Lachman, the lightning

quickness of point guard Ly Ann Foster, and the inside

game of newcomer Kianna Freeman.

Just as important, other newcomers, such as Celina

Tsukamoto, Surabhi Sundaram, Min Ji Kim, and Halan

Olive, added intensity, defensive team-play, and some

pretty baskets at crucial moments.

By blending their abilities and supporting each other on

and off the court, the UNIS Hanoi Girls’ Varsity added up

to more than the sum of its individual parts. Which is why,

even in the face of tough APAC competition, they were

able to compete hard and ultimately give the rowdy home

crowd an opportunity to rush the court at the Sports

Centre.

Wing-player Thi Nguyen summed up the team’s recipe for

success when she praised her teammates and their season,

saying, “We stuck together like Mac n’ Cheese.”

Bobby Hart

To be blunt, this year’s Girls’ Varsity basketball team did

not have tremendous height, speed, experience, or strength

- the sorts of attributes that are usually necessary for on-

court success.

And yet, the team succeeded in historic fashion, enjoying a

memorable season en route to a tournament-closing victory

at the UNIS Hanoi -hosted APAC tournament, narrowly

defeating the Canadian Academy.

Although only four of the eleven team members had played

basketball the year before, the group was able to lean

heavily on the knowledge of experienced players such as

Nina McLean and Nhi Trinh.

And although programme-wide the team may not have

been the strongest, the fastest, or the tallest, they benefited

from the powerful drives of freshmen Saskia Brennan, the

UNIS Hanoi swimmers did best times in 47 individual

events! This is a tribute to their regular attendance and

strong work ethic this year. While we did not win a

sportsmanship award, many of our homestay families told

the coaches how much they enjoyed having our swimmers

stay with them!

Next year we travel to Brent for APAC with just 5 teams

and the following year UNIS Hanoi is scheduled to play

host. With strong 9th and 10th Grade classes and very strong

7th and 8th Grade classes coming in, we look forward to a

great showing next year and in the first APAC Swimming

Championship to be hosted by UNIS Hanoi in 2017.

We bid a bittersweet farewell to our Seniors, Captains Mia

Nguyen, Vicky Cortes Freeman and Soya Kanemaru as well

as Kasper Henaes.

Last weekend the UNIS Hanoi Phoenix Varsity Swim

Team traveled to Shanghai to compete in a Super APAC at

Shanghai American School Puxi. We took 21 swimmers

this year. Both the boys and girls teams placed 9th. Our

hard working swimmers set 6 new UNIS Hanoi records.

In individual events Sofie Brondum-Reeh set the 200 Meter

Freestyle record while Duc Do set new records in both the

50 and 100 Meter Butterfly.

In the Girls 400 Meter Freestyle Relay, Vicky Cortes

Freeman, Yoon Ju Gee, Gladys Lee and Emily Chung

broke the old record by almost a minute.

The Boys 400 Meter Freestyle Relay also set a new record

with Soya Kanemaru, Kasper Henaes, Max Fontaine and

Tae Su Kim racing. The Boys 200 Meter Freestyle Relay

composed of Andy Cole, Nils Jaranovs, Joya Tabe and Duc

Do also set a new record. Congratulations to our new

UNIS Hanoi record holders!

We started to sell NEW UNIS Hanoi hoodies, sweatpants

and tracksuits! All of the new stock is acceptable PE wear

in the winter. Based on your requests

from the previous order, we have

larger sizes available so parents,

teachers, staff and 'generally tall

people' can get UNIS Hanoi wear too!

Limited winter stock available...so get

them while they last!

Recorders can now be purchased at

school through the SCO Boutique at

150,000VND each.

Be sure to write your name and class

on your recorder and cover.

Pediatric

dental

disease, also

referred to as

childhood

tooth decay,

is the #1

chronic

childhood illness. When left untreated, it can have

devastating consequences that extend beyond the dental

chair. Rampant decay can negatively impact a child's

overall quality of life, inhibit their cognitive and social

development and compromise their growth, function and

self-esteem.

1 of 5 children aged 5 to 11 years has at least one

untreated decayed tooth.

1 of 7 adolescents aged 12 to 19 years has at least one

untreated decayed tooth.

Left untreated, pediatric dental disease can lead to

malnourishment, bacterial infections, required

emergency surgery and even death.

Pain and infection caused by tooth decay can lead to

problems in eating, speaking and learning.

Dental disease is linked to heart disease, stroke, diabetes,

pneumonia, poor pregnancy outcomes and dementia.

The good news is that tooth decay can be prevented. Here

are some tips to ensure good oral health among children:

Eat healthy well balanced meals. Limit snacking

between meals and consumption of sugary and acidic

foods and drinks.

Brush teeth at least twice a day with fluoride toothpaste,

especially after breakfast and before bedtime. Drinking

water after eating also helps to clear teeth of food

residues.

Floss every day. An adult should help children under

the age of eight to floss. Older children should learn to

floss on their own.

Visit a dentist regularly for check-up and cleaning.

Ask the dentist about sealant applications to protect the

chewing surfaces of children’s teeth.

Protect teeth by wearing a mouth guard when playing

sports.

Don’t forget to change toothbrush regularly, and after

an illness.

Lifelong habits begin at home. Make dental health part of

your daily routine and share these reminders with your

whole family.

Remember: A lasting smile starts with great oral health

habits (and a little bit of fairy dust!)

School Health Centre

We are looking for parent volunteers to help with the

school store on Monday morning from 8.00 - 9.00. It's

really fun, you get priority purchasing and have a say in

what the school store produces! If you are interested, please

contact Malin Niklasson, Shop coordinator at

shop@unishanoi.org.

The UNIS Spring Fair is the largest event organized by the

School Community Organization. It’s about the UNIS

community getting together with our kids and having fun

while sharing our cultures. The THEME this year is ….

THE FARM !

The Spring Fair is completely organized by the hard work

of our committed volunteers. We are looking for ALL

countries in the UNIS Community to be represented. The

key ingredients for a successful Spring Fair are a positive

attitude, willingness to get involved, some time and your

passion to make this day inspirational. You will feel proud

to be part of an event that bonds the community together

and creates our special blend of UNIS Culture.

Click HERE to be part of the FUN!

Fun at the GAME TENT! This is a NEW idea, we aim to

have a tent with competition games like sack races, three-

legged runs, etc. and we are looking for enthusiastic people

to help with this! Contact Christina Baeck at

FAIR_FunCorner@unishanoi.org

Cultural Booths (previously Country Table): Get

together with families from your country/world region and

organize a booth to celebrate the cultural diversity at UNIS

Hanoi. It would be wonderful to have many community

groups represented. Cultural Booth meeting: March 2

from 10.00 – 11.30am in the Community Room. Click

here for the Guidelines. Please contact Natascha

Senftleben at FAIR_Cultural@unishanoi.org

Do you have a Family Business? If so, Spring Fair 2015

Small Business Booth is for you! Places are now available to

UNIS Hanoi Community business owners. Whether you

are parents, faculty, staff or students, you are welcome at

this year's Spring Fair. So hurry and reserve your spot! For

more information and to request a spot, email Clarissa Hu

-Andersen at FAIR_SmallBusiness@unishanoi.org

Spring Cleaning in order? Time to clear out your house

and make space for new junk! Book a space quickly at our

popular Flea Market by contacting Malin Niklasson at

FAIR_FleaMarket@unishanoi.org. Click here for the

Guidelines.

Raffle gifts needed! This year will are going to have a

raffle every hour! Would you like to donate a gift basket or

raffle gift? Contact Renea Freeman at

FAIR_sponsorship@unishanoi.org

Any other questions, ideas, comments….just email Claudia

Marinzi at SpringFair@unishanoi.org