“

Dragon Tales The Vientiane International School Monthly Magazine August - October 2012 | Issue 10

Settling into a new country is like getting used to a new pair of shoes. At first they pinch a little, but you like the way they look, so you carry on. . Ms Nikki talks about Culture Shock when moving to a new country, page 23

Director‟s Notes

page 1

Primary News

page 2

Secondary News

page 8

Sports News

page 20

Peace One Day

page 26

Youth Educating Youth page 15

Connecting through Sports page 20

”

Green Fingers and Friendship Primary students instigate a community garden

project

Making Connections in Art

Grade 3 examine body systems through sculpture

Real Hero, Real Story, Real Expectations

A Grade 10 student’s response to heroic characterisation

Stepping Up Parents and Friends take on another year of fun

and fundraising

Áskorun hrífur nemendur og un-

dirbýr þá fyrir lífið framundan.

ความทาทาย แรงบนดาลใจ และการเตรยมพรอมส าหรบผใฝรทใครคน ควาในวถแหงชวต

Paghahamon, Pagpupukaw, at Paghahan-

da sa mga Mag-aaral para sa Buhay

Mencabar, Menginspirasi dan Me-

nyediakan Pembelajaran Sepanjang

Hayat

uitdagend, inspirerend, en voorberei-

dend tot een levenlang leren

चनौती को सामना गनन उतपरररत गद (ररणा ददद ) जीवन जजउन कऱाससकन सिकषाथॉऱाइ तयार पानI

Utmanande, inspirerande och

förbereder lärande för livet

的使命是为学者们 提供一个具有挑战性，激励性及终身学习的

优异环境

VIS MISSION STATEMENT

Can’t see your language? Please send in your translations to

rachaelp@vislao.com

Utfordrende, inspirerende og en

forberedelse til resten av livet

ທາທາຊ, ນບນານໃຈ ແລະ ກະກຽມ ນກຮຽນເຂາສ ຉວຌວຈງ

Stawianie wyzwań, inspirowanie i przygotowywanie uczniow do życia

Herausforderung, Inspriration und

Vorbereitung fuer ein lebenslanges

Lernen

Director’s Notes Dear VIS Community,

Dragon Tales is a collection of the action within the school over the past quarter. It brings together

about fifty days‟ worth of learning and experiences to share. You will find that there has been plenty

of action in this first quarter.

For those new to the school, you will note that we have a dragon theme within our

communications, with the Dragon Tales, Dragon‟s Flame and Dragon's Roar. Our Dragons (sporting

teams) feature within this publication as well. You can expect plenty of dragon action through the

year as physical action is an important part of our school.

The Arts are an essential part of life in our school and I am very pleased that we began the year

opening our new facility which greatly expanded the visual and performing arts spaces. There is

wonderful art created in the school each week, and we are fortunate that our campus has some

engaging and interesting public art and performance.

Service to the community is a part of the VIS ethos. We are fortunate that so many of our students

show their commitment to service through their involvement in action groups that reach out to the

Lao community. This feature of our school provides great benefits to our host country and our own

children. I trust that you will enjoy flipping through the digital pages that follow. We have made a conscious

decision to move to an electronic format so that your family can share the life of your child with

family and friends spread across the world. We know that living in Lao PDR and attending VIS holds

many wonderful moments and hope that you enjoy sharing these widely.

Please enjoy this issue of Dragon Tales.

Best wishes,

Page 1

Primary News

Page 2

Primary Reflection By Mr Jon Davidson,

PRIMARY PRINCIPAL

When our mission statement explicitly lays

out that at Vientiane International School we aim to

“prepare learners for life” we should

acknowledge that everyone in our community is a

learner. Most obviously it includes our students, but

as teachers we also have an obligation to keep on

learning and engaging with our chosen profession.

In September all our teaching staff, including

teacher assistants, took part in a two day training

event run by an educational consultant. Tania

Lattanzio ran sessions with the whole school and also

with targeted groups; looking at how creating an

inquiring classroom will engage students and

challenge them to construct new understandings and

push their learning to the next level.

In recent weeks we have sent our staff to

workshops run by the International Baccalaureate. At

these workshops they have gained deeper

understandings of the Primary Years Programme‟s

written curriculum and looked at approaches to the

teaching of science in our school. Over the

subsequent weeks these staff members ran their own

training sessions with the rest of our staff and shared

these new insights and perspectives.

To run these events, the International

Baccalaureate depends on a dedicated band of

teachers devoting their time and energy in order to

construct and deliver highly specialized workshops.

We should be very proud that the school has a

number of these trainers working on staff. In

October we encouraged Alison Francis to run two of

these sessions, one in Shanghai and one in Beijing.

Judging by the positive feedback we have received

from participants, Alison not only inspired teachers

from numerous schools, she also did much to

enhance the reputation of VIS in the region.

As I look back at the first quarter of the year

it is wonderful to see the progress made by our

students. Those who were barely recognizing

individual letters are now beginning to read. We have

budding artists, musicians and athletes that are being

stretched and pushed by their teachers. Whether you

are 3 or 30, the dedication and enthusiasm that is

demonstrated by the staff at VIS is contagious and

goes a long way towards inspiring, challenging and

creating learners for life.

Primary News

Page 3

Student

Reflections

Here is what some

of the students

think about the

community garden

I really enjoyed it because we had

to be thinkers and

communicators, and we also made

friends. I was surprised because

my buddies were enthusiastic to

communicate with us. – Bob

Bon Marisayer, M

s Noy,

Ms Thip, M

r Tui

I was surprised about how fast the seeds grew – it was faster than what I was expecting. I now feel it is easier to communicate with my group because I feel like we all understand each other even though we speak different lan-guages. - Sara

Mr an

d M

rs Lally

Ms. O

lwen M

illgate

Meagan

Bald

win

Tone Brandsate

r,

Tami Aoki ,

Thuy Luong

At fi

rst,

I was

ner

vous

tha

t I w

ouldn’

t

mak

e a

good

firs

t im

pres

sion, b

ut n

ow

that

I’ve

got

to k

now m

y gr

oup

I’ve

star

ted

feeling

mor

e co

mfo

rtab

le a

nd

conf

iden

t, an

d no

w think

of o

ur S

ister

Scho

ol b

uddies

as friend

s. - Ju

lia

Forming Friendships Through Green Fingers

The Community Garden team would like to thank all of the

parents and staff who have supported the project at Ban

Saphanthong Tai School. The generosity shown and resources

provided have contributed greatly to the project‟s success on

many levels. Donations of soil, pots, seeds and tools have been

much appreciated.

Thank you! Kopjai Lai Lai!

IBPYP Creativity

Page 4

In their “Who we are” unit of inquiry

Grade 3 have been looking at body

systems and the way in which they

connect. In visual arts they took this

concept of connection and looked at

the work of Alberto Giacometti.

Giacometti was a Swiss sculptor who

created figures with elongated limbs

as if they had been stretched out.

After looking at wooden mannequins

the students made wire figures in

different poses and covered them

with aluminum foil. Next they spray

painted them and organized

themselves into groups. Each group

connected their figures together in

varied and imaginative ways.

They looked at sculptures by Alberto Giacometti

Grade 3A/C striking a pose

Aluminum foil on top of a wire frame Mannequins

Page 5

Connecting their figures

together…

Grade 3J exhibiting their work

Sculpture

C O N N E C T I O N

IBPYP Field Trips

Page 6

Grade 5 have been deeply involved in their unit of

inquiry “How we express ourselves” delving into the

central idea that “Creating and responding to art

develops understanding of ourselves and the world

around us.”

One of the first activities they engaged with was a

visit to the Fine Arts School here in Vientiane. Our

students had the chance to interact with real-world

artists who were learning how to master a wide

range of media from ceramics to print making. Not

only did this trip provide our children with

inspiration and insights into their central idea, it

also made many realize that although only eleven

years old they too were artists.

After the trip the classes were given the chance to

reflect on what they had experienced and write

about it in the process journals.

The work being carried out in the classroom has

been enriched and extended in Grade 5‟s visual

arts lessons where students have been creating

their own works of art and responding to that of

others.

Should works of art have titles?

No, because people could look at it and say “wow this could be called a… !“

and the artist could have an idea but other people might not agree to what

the artists think. I also think that people could remember the picture more if

they had their own idea.

How might a work of art change the lives of the people who

look at it?

Every picture tells a story or shows a feeling. The artist’s message is important

to the world around them.; how hard people work and how hard people try.

Every artist has a message even if they don't mean to show people’s opinions.

Kelly Allen, GRADE 5 STUDENT

Page 7

As part of our current Unit of Inquiry How the world

works, Grade 4 students participated in a recent field

trip to the Mekong River. Students observed

characteristics of the river and surrounds, and

considered flood mitigation measures including the

levee bank. We also identified evidence of erosion,

presence of silt and different types of rocks, and

considered associated natural processes. Students also

considered different land uses around the Mekong

River. Despite the heat, students showed great

enthusiasm, were actively engaged, and asked

interesting questions during the field trip.

Click on the icon (left) to

watch the Grade 4 Field Trip

in an animoto slideshow.

Secondary News

Page 8

Secondary Reflection By Miss Kim Green,

SECONDARY PRINCIPAL

Reflection inspires learning. As we have begun the year in the secondary school we have used our reflections on student acheivement as a tool to inspire us in our planning for the 2012-13 school year. The following information shares our reflections of and shares with you projected plans and actions targeted for the 2012-13 school year.

Growth in the IB Middle Years

Programme

The Personal Project is the culminating assessment

task for the IBMYP students. The grade 10 students

in 2011-12 were the third group of VIS students to

complete the project. Teachers work in the role of

supervisors for students completing the Personal

Project to provide our learners with support through

the process. The personal projects in 2011-12 were

moderated externally by the International

Baccalaureate. The following graph clearly indicates

the shift in the distribution of personal project

achievement levels.

Perecentage of Student Acheivement (1 – 7) for

the Personal Project 2010 - 2012

Growth in the IB Diploma Programme

In 2011-12 the third group of IB Diploma candidates graduated from VIS. Through the establishment of strong

student support structures, the implementation of internal assessment criteria and the close tracking of ongoing

student achievement we are beginning to see trends in the IB Diploma programme where VIS results are

compared favourably with global results.

Percentage of Diplomas Awarded 2010-2012 Total IB Diploma points per candidate 2010-2012

Page 9

The secondary school‟s goal for 2012-13 is to continue

fostering a culture of excellence in student

achievement. To achieve this we will be specifically

focusing on

1. Increasing the effectiveness and scope of

communication of student achievement (internally and

externally)

2. Planning for and implementing age appropriate ATL

skills.

3. Using a variety of inquiry based teaching and

learning strategies to engage learners.

4. Using a variety of strategies effectively to assess for

learning.

In addition to these four areas the secondary team has

begun the five year IB Diploma Programme Evaluation

which is due for completion in April 2013 and is

involved in an IB MYP Arts Pilot.

We look forward to working with you to achieve our

goal this year.

Creativity in the IBMYP

Page 10

A Juxtaposition of Forms by Ms Shaw,

VISUAL ART TEACHER

Grade 8 students started their first unit exploring how

juxtaposing forms and altering environments through

3D form could transform perceptions.

Sophie Ryder

„sitting 2007‟

artscouncil.org.uk

They then explored how all objects already held

connotations and associated meaning and whether

people‟s thinking could be altered with a new

arrangements of objects.

Students also created purposeful questions for further

and deeper inquiry and mailed these questions to

sculpture artists who they believed juxtaposed 3D

form with the environment. Sophie Ryder was one

such artist who got back in touch with Ellen.

Identify:

Transformation

Hopes and Fears

The unit ended with the learners creating their

own visual metaphors to convey their personal

hopes and fears. These were displayed in the

school gallery in the VIS library and it inspired

other learners to come and explore artwork.

For the Grade 8 students it taught them that other

people can construct their own meanings onto

artwork depending on their frame of references

and age.

Page 10

“The cotton threads are a metaphor for

a slow comfortable life. They represent

this concept because cotton is very soft,

and when thrown or dropped, it falls very

slowly.”

Mitsuki Nori Grade 8

Page 11

Language A English

Page 12

Alisha‟s newspaper opinion piece was completed as a part of the unit, Everyone Has Weaknesses.

Her writing is a response to the question, How does the presentation of heroic characters influence our lives?

Language B English

Page 13

Why do people share experiences with each other? By Mr. Tan Huynh

EAL TEACHER

During the "Journeys" unit, the 7th, 8th, and 9th graders tried to answer the unit's significant questions,

which are "What experiences are worth sharing?" and" Why do people share experiences with each other?". To

do this, the Language B English students have partnered with a local Lao travel agency. Each week, the students

go to different places in Vientiane and the surrounding area to write a travel blog to inform readers of local

attractions from the perspective of a middle school student.

Students learned to take photographs that are striking and communicative while practicing their writing

and research skills. During the process, they learned through experience that Vientiane has lots to offer in terms

of culture, entertainment, and character that a person can sometimes not see or may take for granted. Please

visit the site to see Simon‟s, Nunu‟s, and Rachel's work http://slowboat.teamworkz.asia/category/laos/

Service

Page 14

The first Community and Service Assembly for the 2012 / 2013

school year was a showcase of service activities that are running here at VIS.

They include service activities from the Diploma Programme Community

Action and Service programme and Community & Service activities from the

MYP.

On the video below you can hear about diverse experiences,

challenges and highlights from VIS

By engaging in service opportunities students are working towards

achieving the IBO mission statement and the VIS mission statement by being

inspired and inspiring and challenging themselves and others. Service

activities at VIS are opportunities to act to make a difference and I hope that

you are inspired by the activities that are already going on around us.

The secret about service activities, that only those who engage in

these activities know, is the reciprocity: the knowledge that service

activities enrich the lives of those who receive as well as those who are

giving.

Community and Service Assembly by Claire Butler-Walker

HUMANITIES TEACHER

Click on the picture above to watch the

video …

VIS students talk about their community and

service

Some examples of

service

activities:

Volunteering at a local orphanage. Organizing a clothing drive for communities affected by floods. Collecting daily necessities for patients at Mahosot Hospital. Travelling with a team of dentists as translators. Running a reading group during lunchtimes for primary students. Raising funds to buy an artificial leg for a patient at COPE, Laos. Assisting in sorting out book orders at VIS. Writing a guidebook for the VIS community. Translating at Parent-Teacher interviews. Raising awareness about HIV/AIDS in the community.

Page 15

Students Reflections On Youth Educating Youth

Youth Educating Youth Saturday School by Nob Saysompheng

GRADE 10 STUDENT

On Saturday 20th of October, the students

from Ban Saphanthong Tai Primary School came to

our school and were taught different things from

different groups of students that participate in

YEYS group. For me, I taught them IT, which is

basically showing them how to use MS paint and

then later on the lesson, the students had a chance

to draw what they wanted and we printed it off

for them to take home. There are two other

members in my group; Tony and Nga. We created

a lesson plan with a significant concept and

objectives. I really had to think about how

important the planning is in order for the students

to reach the level of education intended by the

plan.

On Saturday we taught the students and I

taught three grades, grades 4,3, and 2. I found out

that the characteristics of each grades are different

because of the age difference. The first grade that

I had to teach was grade 4. This grade was really

easy to teach because all of them listened carefully

and most of the students knew what they were

going to do. I felt really glad of what I had taught

the students and there was one girl, who I think

already knew how to use MS paint or her

imagination was really good because her drawing

was one of the best of the class. Grade 3 was

pretty easy to teach but some of them did not

look at us for the instructions but all of them did

their work. For grade 2, it was really tough

because they were all sweaty after the lunch and it

was really hard to teach them but we made a

clapping beat for the students to follow. This is

what my teacher in grade 2 did to get our

attention. Overall these grades did what they

were supposed to do and I was very pleased of

how they contributed and communicated with us.

I am looking forward to teaching the students

again next time. Next time we will teach by

ourselves without the BSST teacher in the room

and I want to see how hard could it be if when

there is no teacher (the student‟s teacher) with

the student. I think that it will be really challenging.

Learning at VIS is envisaged as a life-long

experience. The IB learner profile outlines the

attributes and aspirations of internationally-minded

students engaged in the IB programmes. by Todd Richer

DIPLOMA PROGRAMME COORDINATOR

We are now well into the academic year and students are working hard in their diploma courses. Our

grade 12 students have been entered in the IBIS database, this means they are registered for IB final

assessments culminating in May. The Class of 2013 is now focused on their Extended Essays. This is an

important component of the IB and VIS diplomas and provides an important introduction to university

approaches to learning. All students have received feedback on drafts. Finished essays must be uploaded onto

ManageBac by November 21. All teacher/supervisors at VIS work hard to guide students through the process.

It would be a great motivator if students could discuss the challenges of working on essays with their families.

The Class of 2014 is now settled into the programme. Students have decided on their six courses. It is

now time for students to continue to initiate conversations with their teachers and to commit to subjects at

higher level. All students are required to take three subjects at higher level and three at standard level in

order to provide students the opportunity to experience depth and breadth of study during their experience

in the diploma.

May 2012 VIS IBDP Final Results

The May 2012 VIS IBDP final results show that VIS students are taking advantage of stimulating learning

engagements. You will see that VIS students compare favorably to IBDP students throughout the world. See

table below:

Congratulations to the class of 2012 with a special mention to Emily Lathanavong who is the first VIS student

to achieve a bi-lingual Lao/English IB diploma.

IBDP News

Page 16

Year % IB

Diplomas

Awarded

at VIS

%IB

Diplomas

Awarded

Globally

% IB

Bilingual

Diplomas

Awarded at

VIS

% IB

Bilingual

Diplomas

Awarded

Globally

Total IBDP

points VIS

candidate average

Total

IBDP

points

Global Average

Mean

Grade

VIS

Mean

Grade

Global

May

2012

71.42 78.16 29 Not yet

available

30 29.83 4.87 4.67

Page 17

Geography in the DP Science in the DP Students engaged with the concept of accessibility while

inquiring into physical water scarcity and economic water

scarcity as part of their Geography unit 'Environmental

Quality and Sustainability'. Students calculated the

distance in time it would take them to carry 10 litres of

water 6 km. Learners also attempted to ration their 10

litre water supply for a days worth of activities. Physical

water scarcity affects many communities in the world and

Geography students developed their caring and

knowledgeable learner profile attributes in this activity.

Grade12 Biology students explored several topics in

Human Physiology. The practical experiences in

these units involved dissection of pig hearts and the

small intestine of a cow. They were assessed on

manipulative skills for the heart dissection and

showed fantastic commitment to being safe and

meticulous in order to maximize their learning.

The cow intestine was measured and was almost 30

metres long! This is only from a young cow and an

adult should have an intestine over 50 metres long.

Inquiry in DP

Page 18

Click on the

icon to see the

student’s Power

Point

Presentation

Theory Of

Knowledge

During the Grade 12 SALSA in a group consisting

of Arnold, Blake, Clara and Rica, we leaned a number of

things after going through the process for our ToK

investigation.

We developed our delegation skills in assigning

jobs to each member of the group such as researcher,

compiler of information, interviewers. This assisted our

group in working effectively with one another.

We were also made known of our weaknesses

with regards to time management. For example, our

planning skills when it came to the places we intended to

visit, we struggled and lost a fair amount of time ending up

at dead-ends. However, we learned to adapt and learn

from our mistakes by researching into places to visit and

verifying where they were located.

In regards to our KI, we succeeded to a large

extent in developing a focused and clear objective. This

helped us to understand our strengths in ToK.

We also realized our limitations and that, overall,

we were not given enough time to conduct a proper

investigation and can be taken into consideration for next

time.

Oda Karlsen

GRADE 12 STUDENT

We all pointed out one thing that was common in all

groups, this was related to the reliability of our sources/

information. We all made the common mistake of

forgetting to record where or from whom the

information came from, making our research unreliable,

and very limited.

Now that we have completed the presentations, it has

become clear that when developing the KI we need to

go through the full process of research and change, after

reflecting on the information gained.

Eusteen Barte

GRADE 12 STUDENT

We had a good mix of personalities in our group, and

this made it easy to delegate tasks based on the

different skills of the people in the group. We

collaborated very well with each other, and that was

very good. Because of the language barriers with

Aditi, Cassian and I not speaking Lao we divided into

two groups so that Praew and Aditi went to interview

local people while Cassian and I interviewed tourists.

It was a great trip, and we learned a lot about Lao

culture, and also about how to put together a TOK

presentation.

Oda Karlsen

GRADE 12 STUDENT

Leadership

Page 19

MRISA Leadership Summit

By Rupina Baek

GRADE 10 STUDENT

This has been my first time joining in the

Leadership Summit, and I cannot deny that this new

experience was intimidating just by it‟s name.

However, I decided to challenge myself and take

action to an unfamiliar dimension of the MRISA event.

Until then, I never expected the summit to be what I

have experienced.

The Leadership Summit this year was set

under the theme of “Youth Educating Youth” in VIS.

Nine students from our school participated, and it

was overwhelming just to see students from other

schools gather in a room. Although at the time I could

not decide whether I had made a right choice to join

in the Leadership Summit, I was excited by the

thought that the students are unified under the

objective of being a leader.

Unlike many other MRISA events, the

Leadership Summit encourages collaboration between

different schools, rather than competition. The first

day began with the ice breaker, which was a game

that involved knowing each other, and breaking the

barrier between different schools. Then, Mr. Greg

Smith officially began the summit by introducing the

idea and qualities of leaders. We discussed some

examples of leaders and achievements they have

accomplished. After brainstorming on their similarities

and differences, I realized that some of the great

leaders are not always respected, just like Adolf Hitler

in the World War II.

We were divided into five different groups.

The group I was allocated was a combination of

different schools, nationalities, age groups, and

interests. Although it was difficult to approach them

at first, we began to start sharing our ideas and

arguments by being risk-takers and open-minded. We

stayed with each other for two days, and on the first

day, we visited the Youth Radio Station in UNICEF.

However, it was necessary to plan ahead of the visit,

in order to understand how it helps the youth in

Laos. As a group, we brainstormed the definition of

NGO and questions we will ask in UNICEF.

In the Youth Radio Station, we saw a Power-

Point presentation of how it functions and supports

the youth in Laos. I learned that through participating

in the radio program, children in local communities

are benefited on their future career and school work.

Other groups explored other NGOs such as COPE

and Save the Children. Back together, we shared our

understanding of the NGO, and discussed about the

importance of their role in the society of Laos.

On the second day, we taught the primary

students from our sister school in Ban Sapanthong

Thai. The biggest challenge we faced as the leaders

was that communication through speaking was

impossible. Experimenting with different techniques,

we discovered that interaction and understanding

each other does not require spoken words.

The last evening of the Leadership Summit

was elaborated with a Trivia Night. Again, in

combination of different schools, we supported each

other and built on friendship. It was amazing to

discover that the students now understand each

other‟s opinions, and most important of all, everyone

is able to express their thoughts without hesitation or

concern.

The experience of participating in the

Leadership Summit was valuable. If I were given

another chance to join, I would not hesitate to say

„yes‟. Because the benefits I have gained was bigger

than the expectation, and the challenge I have

accepted have proven me of its value.

Bangkok MUN (Model United Nations) by Claire Butler-Walker

TEACHER

October 13th was the date

of the 20th Bangkok Model United

Nations held at Bangkok Patana

School, Thailand. VIS took a team of

six students to the event and our

participation made the event an

international event. The BKK MUN

provided our team with the

opportunity to try out our skills

with seasoned „MUNers‟ and first

timers; the debates were stimulating

and the delegates improved their

MUN skills. Our team looked great

in their suits and five delegates

sponsored a resolution that was

passed by their committee.

The team was:

Brian Kwon, Delegate of People‟s

Republic of China

Chris Fortin, Delegate of The

Kingdom of Tunisia

Billy Chamnongphanij, Delegate

of The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Daniel Yu, Delegate of The Federal

Republic of Niger

Anthony Goffin, Delegate of The

Swiss Confederation

Joey Keophonexay, Delegate of

Republic of Guatemala

Sports News

Page 20

VIENTIANE SCHOOLS SPORTS ASSOCIATION LEAGUES These leagues have had a successful start with the

competition being exciting and the atmosphere at some of

the games colourful and full of energy. From the VIS

perspective results have been mixed and that has been

indicative of the approach all of the schools have taken and

shows everybody involved wants this venture to be a

success. The strongest performer has been junior girls‟

basketball who at the time of writing have not been

defeated.

Games will continue this week and then take a

break over boat racing before resuming leading into the

finals. Attached is the latest schedule, please note there are

some alterations from those published earlier. Also please

note the finals days for all three competitions.

MRISA Selection for the first MRISA teams has been very competitive and in all cases more students were

trying out for teams than there were available places. This meant some people unfortunately missed selection,

however they are to be congratulated for persevering and also for the mature way they accepted the news

when they were informed they were not selected. On the positive side this is a reflection of the strength we

now have in a variety of activities.

Following are the names of those who were successful:

We wish them safe travels and good luck and look forward to hearing about their successes upon their return.

Junior Basketball South Saigon International School

Girls: Lisa Grages, Noni Flint, Nya Gnaegi, Antonia

Lang, Hanna Muziol, Yu Bin Nam, Hannah Boyes,

Antonia Fischer, Daria Laroy and Catherina Scanlon-

Tana

Boys: Josiah Marsh, Dario Castellano Fornelli, Chanon

Buddharaksa, Victor Kuronen, Thomas Baek, David

Eum, Samuel Yu, Sigve Veum Dalen, Praneer Shrestha

and Zachary Wilson

Coaches: Miss Anja (girls) assisted by Oda Karlsen

and Rica Taylor, Mr Lucas (boys)

Senior Volleyball Northbridge International School Cambodia

Girls: Alexandra Selbe, Rebekah Marsh, Rica

Taylor, Oda Karlsen, Ju Hui Lee, Anna Miehlau,

Nina Dereviziis, Silayan Bertomeu, Jessica

Bouckeart and Jordan Conley

Boys: Mikkel Karlsen, Max Terry, Kaleb Reiman,

Eusteen-Em Barte, Emmanuel Jr Barte, Chris Fortin,

Anthony Goffin, Danny Park, Julien Baillache and

Brian Kwon

Coaches: Miss Nikki (girls), Mr Nick and Mr Yoris

(boys)

Page 21

SWIM SQUAD

The selection process for the swim squad has been

completed and those selected were:

Ritco Oh, Jessica Fahrney, Nana Chamberlain, Avril

Jammes, Annabella Reece, Fabian Hofmann, Benji

Naarden, Matthew Fennema, Iestyn Rusinow , Georgia

Boyes, Suriya Sisopha, Lianne Fahrney, Moritz

Hofmann, Jisang Ryoo, John O‟Brien, Richie Oh, Ava

Boyle, Hannah Boyes, Isabella Chapman, Maria

Fennema, Vivie Chamberlain , Monica Fennema, Leila

Vergana, Tiahna Boyle, Reilly Boyle, Huong Do Le,

Daniel Yu, Soya Kanemaru

The squad is now busily preparing for upcoming swim

meets the first of these being our own invitational

meet in early December.

SWIM COMMITTEE

In a related issue a swim committee has been formed

to help guide the future direction of the swim team.

The first meeting will be held shortly where executive

positions will be allocated and planning for future

events can begin. The members of the swim

committee are:

Orathai Hofmann, Moe Moe Fennema, Olwen Millgate,

Jim Chamberlain, Mye Fahrney

Angie Putt and Philip Graham (school representative)

Philip Graham

Activities Director

Swimming

Student Council News

Page 22

The 5th annual VIS Charity Gala was held on

Saturday 20th of October at the Mercure Hotel. It was

a glamorous evening decorated with a lovely

combination of black, white and red. We celebrated

the evening with approximately 140 guests who

seemed pleased with the splendid entertainment

provided.

A live auction was held, with Jonas Grimm

from Grade 12 from VIS as the auctioneer. Paintings,

pictures, Lao silk, catered dinner for 4 and exclusive

toiletries were some of the items that were auctioned

off.

The jazz band, P Bop was the main

entertainment of the evening. The librarian at VIS, Mr.

Philip Williams is the saxophonist in the band, and they

had agreed to have a live performance which the

audience were dancing to all evening and thoroughly

enjoying.

The Charity Gala turned out to be a very

successful event, and the Secondary Student Council

made an exceptional profit that will all go towards our

sister school, Ban Saphantong Tai. The Secondary

Student Council would like to thank all the people

who attended the Charity Gala and also those who

sponsored us and also a thank you to Mr. Bobby Allen,

Mrs. Olwen Millgate, Ms. Catherine O'Brien, Mrs. Kim

Green, Mr. Adam Knight and Ms. Olivia Petraglia who

made donations for the Charity Gala. Without all of

you, we would not have had this outstanding evening.

This event has been one the most memorable

events for the Student Council as we know now that

we are capable of developing our sister school further

and helping the younger generation in their education.

It was truly a “Youth Educating Youth” event.

Charity Gala

By Oda Karlsen, GRADE 12 STUDENT, STUDENT COUNCIL

Counselor’s News

Page 23

“Settling into a new country is like getting

used to a new pair of shoes. At first they

pinch a little, but you like the way they

look, so you carry on. The longer you have

them, the more comfortable they become.

Until one day without realizing it you

reach a glorious plateau. Wearing those

shoes is like wearing no shoes at all. The

more scuffed they get, the more you love

them and the more you can't imagine life

without them.” Tahir Shah

After weeks and months of blindly struggling

through a thousand different emotional states every

hour, acceptance finally arrives like a warm bath at the

end of a hard day. Acceptance does not necessarily entail

total understanding – it‟s nearly impossible to ever claim

complete understanding of another culture – but instead

involves the realization that you do not have to “get” it

all. You find what makes you happy and content in your

new surroundings. Even though you cannot avoid culture

shock entirely, there are things you can do to make it

easier on yourself.

The first step, of course is to recognize that what

you are going through is culture shock. If you can come

to terms with wild mood swings and sad times, and

recognize they are part of the inevitable process, it is a

lot easier to convince yourself (and children) that the bad

feelings will pass. And they will.

Secondly, it is crucial to learn the language as you

go. Culture shock, at its simplest, is an inability to

integrate, and the biggest barrier to that is generally

language. The more able you are to laugh, cry and seek

solace with the locals (and fellow expats), the easier it is

to deal with ups and downs.

Though it can be one of the toughest parts of

relocating, culture shock is just as integral to the

experience as food, people and scenery. By recognizing

it for what it is and doing your best to cope, you can

easily prevent culture shock from ruining an otherwise

fantastic journey.

Culture Shock

Settling in to your new surroundings by Nikki Hutchison,

SCHOOL COUNSELOR

The challenge of successfully ushering

children through their teen years has always been

among parents‟/guardians hardest -won

achievements. But in today‟s society where

children seem to become adults overnight, and

where they often make decisions about drugs,

sexuality, and violence before they understand the

consequences, a parent‟s job is more important

than ever.

So how can you ensure that your teens

develop the skills and character they need to not

only survive but to thrive as they gain

independence? You can create harmony and

stability in your family while raising your teens to

be responsible, courageous and prepared for

independent life.

Active Parenting of Teens, a video and

discussion program by parenting expert Dr.

Michael Popkin, will show you how. In six sessions

packed with activities, discussion, real-world

examples, and feedback, you‟ll learn a proven

approach to parenting, plus indispensable

techniques and insights for overcoming obstacles

that will bring happiness and harmony into your

home.

Active Parenting of Teens

by Nikki Hutchison,

SCHOOL COUNSELOR

ACTIVE PARENTING OF TEENS

- Limited Spaces Available -

When: February: 6, 13, 20, 27

March: 6, 13

6:00-9:00 pm

Where: Secondary Conference Room

Cost: $30 which covers the cost of six sessions

and an interactive parent workbook

Contact: Nikki Hutchison (nikkih@ourvis.com) to

register

Community News

Page 24

Stepping Up: Parents and Friends

Name: Jana Du Plessis

We are from South Africa. After our studies my husband

started working in the forestry industry with contracting

companies while I started working with organisations

focusing on animal welfare as well as a bit of veterinary

work. During 2007 we moved to Zambia and we were

there for two years. Since 2009 we were working in

Tanzania until we moved to Vientiane in January 2012

where my husband accepted a position as technical support

for Oji LPFL.

We have 3 children named Regard, Mieja and Zianie. Two

are in VIS (prep and EY3) and the youngest is at Tukata

Kindergarten. We will be in Vientiane for the next 3 years.

My name is Michelle Brooks and I have two

children who attend VIS. We are from Australia but

have been lucky enough to live in and experience

many different parts of the world. We have been in

Vientiane since March this year and are really enjoying

living in Laos. I am looking forward to assisting the

VIS P&F this year in the role of Secretary.

Although from Australia, Garry Riechert has lived and

worked most of the last 22 years living in a number of

countries, including Thailand, Pakistan, Afghanistan,

Greece and Germany. Garry, his wife Sharon and children

Caitlin and Cody moved to Laos in July of this year. Caitlin

and Cody are in Grade 2 and EY4 at VIS. Garry is looking

forward to supporting the work of all the P&F volunteers

in the coming months.

On Thursday 6 September 2012, the Parents and Friends of VIS met to elect new members to the

committee of volunteers who play a major role in organising many of the events that happen throughout the

school year. Grace Gnaegi stepped down from the role of P&F Chair and Meret Weyermann from he role of

P&F Secretary. We thank them for all their hard work throughout their time on the committee.

The following parents now make up the committee:

Cha

ir

Secr

etar

y E

vents C

oordinator

Page 25

My name is Kerry Mahoney;

I grew up in Boston and spent the twelve

years I told people I was in my twenties

living in San Francisco. I met my Australian

husband in Ireland and shortly after that

we moved to a small town in the outback

of Western Australia where I learned a lot

about poisonous snakes and spiders, mainly

how to avoid them. We moved here in

January from West Papua, Indonesia,

where we lived on a mountain in a very

remote mining town for five and a half

years. I have three girls that you can usually hear before you see, two of them are at VIS and

the youngest is at Alpha Montessori School. Being in a city again is great and I am really

enjoying Vientiane and all it has to offer, except for the driving which frightens me on an

almost daily basis. I helped out with the Fun Fair and a few other P&F events last year and,

being fairly new, found that it was a wonderful way to met people and get to know the school.

I am looking forward to all that we can accomplish in the next eight months, the fun we will

have and the chance it will afford me to get to know everyone better.

Hi! I‟m Michelle Bouckaert.

I have two girls at VIS, Jess in Year 12

and Jayde in Year 7. The girls and I

arrived in Vientiane from Busselton

Western Australia in June 2011 to join

my husband in permanent residency. I

held the position of Treasurer last year

for the P & F and have agreed to take

on the role again! Often you will also

see me around the school in assisting

the Administration Department with

various tasks and I am also the

Scholastic Book Club Co-ordinator for

VIS.

For fun I enjoy travelling to many countries around Laos as I possibly can whilst I am so close to the

rest of the world, as living in Australia we are a long way from anywhere!! Of course I also enjoy the

many Spa Treatments available in Vientiane and lunching with friends!

Being involved in the school through the P & F is a wonderful way to meet new people, get involved

in projects that directly benefit all of our children, have fun with the kids at functions such as

Halloween and the Fun Fair etc, and also knowing that you are directly assisting to better the lives of

local children in Laos by also raising funds for our Sister School in which we sponsor by way of a

fundraiser known as the Giving Tree which runs during December for Christmas. It is also a great

boost for your own children at VIS to see that you are being involved with the school and are

enjoying the time you have in Laos together!

I look forward to meeting more parents throughout the year!

Com

mun

icat

ions

C

oord

inat

or

Treasurer

Community News

Page 26

VIS celebrates Peace One Day

Laura’s Reflection

on Peace One day

Library News

Page 27

Board News This year the Board of Trustees began the year

by celebrating the completion of a major part of the

Strategic Plan, when the new secondary wing was

opened to the students. The Strategic Plan set out the

direction of the school from 2009 - 2015, with the

development of facilities suitable for a school of 550

s t u d e n t s o n e o f t h e m a i n g o a l s .

The Board of Trustees is made up of 8 elected

parents who have four main responsibilities.

1. Hire and supervise the Director.

2. Set Strategic Direction

3. Ensure financial matters are managed

responsibly

4. Develop policy

The Trustees are all volunteers who give their

time to ensure our school continues to reflect the

needs of the parents and students who attend.

Trustees are elected at the AGM, generally for a two

year term.

This year two Trustees were elected. Lucy

O'Connor was re-elected to serve one year and

Jessica Oyugi joined the Trustees for the first time

with a two year term. Jessica replaced Marissa Braun

who has moved to Bangkok. David Boyes will leave

Vientiane in December and the Board has approved

Grace Gnaegi to 'shadow' David on the Board until he

leaves when she will be appointed to take his place as

the next highest vote recipient in the election.

This year, the Board will focus again on meeting the

goals of the Strategic Plan with facility development a

major area of work.

Photographs: (Top left– The whole Board, with Marissa

Braun , Left- Grace and Below, Jessica.)

Page 28

Thank you

to e

veryone

who cont

ributed

to this

edition

of Drago

n Tales.

If you

would li

ke to su

bmit

an arti

cle for

the next

issue plea

se make

sure you

do so b

y Wednes

day 5 De

cember.

If

you are

a student

or a memb

er of

the

teaching

staff p

lease su

bmit you

r articl

e to

Mr Jon (

Primary)

or Ms K

im (Seco

ndary).

Other memb

ers of

staff or

members

of the

communit

y should

submit

their arti

cles to

Ms Racha

el.