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Dragon Tales The Vientiane International School Monthly Magazine January/February 2012 | Issue 8

No matter how bad things are, we need leaders who are confident and keep others’ spirits up. A Grade 7 Student reflects on the

Student Council Retreat. page 15

Director’s Notes

page 1

Primary News

page 2

Secondary News

page 6

Sports News

page 13

Primary Sports Day

page 13

Smiles All Round page 17

Grade 10 SALSA Trip page 7

”

Seeing Life Through A Lens Grade 4 explore the world under a stereoscope

Field Trips Grade 4 students make connections

PYP and MYP Exhibitions Grade 5 and Grade 10 consolidate their learning

How We Know What We Know

Todd Richer explains Theory Of Knowledge

MUN: Model United Nations Three student delegates report

Áskorun hrífur nemendur og un-

dirbýr þá fyrir lífið framundan.

ความทาทาย แรงบนดาลใจ และการเตรยมพรอมส าหรบผใฝรทใครคน ควาในวถแหงชวต

Paghahamon, Pagpupukaw, at Pagha-

handa sa mga Mag-aaral para sa Buhay

Mencabar, Menginspirasi dan Men-

yediakan Pembelajaran Sepanjang

Hayat

uitdagend, inspirerend, en voorberei-

dend tot een levenlang leren

चनौती को सामना गनन उतपररित गरद (रिणा दरदरद ) जीवन जजउन कलाससकन सिकषारथीलाइ तयाि 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

ທາທາຍ, ດນບນດານໃຈ ແລະ ກະກຽມ ນກຮຽນເຂາສ ຊວດຕວຈງ

Stawianie wyzwań, inspirowanie i przygotowywanie uczniow do życia

Herausforderung, Inspriration und

Vorbereitung fuer ein lebenslanges

Lernen

Director’s Notes

Dear VIS Community,

This issue of Dragon Tales coincides with the beginning of our exciting

development in facilities as we add new classroom spaces to the secondary wing.

Building new learning and teaching spaces for the school is exciting and reflects the

continued growth of VIS. We are approaching 390 students at present and

continue to welcome new families. We have planned for a maximum enrolment of

550 students, so we are not yet at capacity, but the rate of growth continues to

show that VIS is expanding and supporting the expansion of Vientiane. These are

exciting times to live in Vientiane and be a part of this vibrant community.

During this year we have welcomed 150 new students into our school.

These new members of the VIS learning community who started in August have

quickly established themselves as important parts of our classes and have been able

to help others join as new families arrive through the year. It is particularly inspiring

to see students who are relatively new to the school taking active roles in the

various sporting and cultural events, in providing service to the community and in

assisting our own students. VIS is a school where students can be given the space

and opportunity to shine, and it is a pleasure seeing students who take these

opportunities with both hands and achieve special things.

In this issue of Dragon Tales, you will be able to read of some of these

special individuals, and also some of the actions taken by classes and groups. As

always, you will find that Dragon Tales is interactive, providing a range of ways to

see deeper than the text. I invite you to explore Dragon Tales and thank you for

your support of our school.

Best wishes,

Page 1

Primary News

Page 2

By Mr Jon Davidson,

PRIMARY PRINCIPAL

In the life of any school there are always

milestones that define its growth. We at Vientiane

International School are celebrating our twentieth

anniversary which is significant in itself. When I look at

the photographs taken way back in 1992 the rate and

the scale of the school’s growth is quite remarkable.

This is testament to the hard work of the entire

school community; from the staff, to the board to the

parents and everyone who has contributed to making

VIS what it is today. For the Primary School another

milestone was reached in 2009 when we were

authorized to run the Primary Years Programme of

the International Baccalaureate.

This year sees another step forward in the

school’s development. After three years of running the

programme the International Baccalaureate requires

us to go through an evaluation process, so, since

August we have been busy preparing a “self-study”.

This is a mammoth task involving looking at every

aspect of the Primary School. Under seven sections

we need to examine everything from the way we

teach, assess and plan through to our underlying

philosophy. Next month we will send reams of

documentation off to the central office in Singapore

and then await a visit from representatives from the

IB.

On May 9th, 10th and 11th we are welcoming

a two person team into the school. Gerry Campbell

and Kathy Derrick will be scrutinizing our paperwork,

visiting classrooms and talking to representatives of

our community. A very important section of this

community is naturally our parent body and so Alison

and I will be asking for volunteers who would be

willing to talk to the team and share their experiences

of Vientiane International School.

As the time approaches we would be very

grateful if you would consider putting your name

forward. The whole process will take about an hour

and by way of incentive we can promise you a cup of

coffee and a biscuit or two – and our heartfelt thanks.

Please drop Alison a line on alisonf@ourvis.com if you

would like to volunteer.

Kip up close!

In Primary Art, Students try taking a photo when practicing using the stereoscopes. By Mary Smith, ART TEACHER

Hibiscus macro view

The natural world inspires and challenges our artistic

development.

Our 4th grade students are exploring and observing our VIS

campus during their art lessons. Excitement seems like a calm word to

describe how they reacted when using the stereoscopes borrowed from

the secondary science department!

They discovered that the world is a fascinating place when

observed in macro. The students drew with pencil and pen all the

fascinating objects they observed under the stereoscopes. Even everyday

objects like flowers, sand and ants take on an other worldly dimension

when you look up close!

IBPYP In Action

Page 3

My students love going on

field trips. In our last unit on How

we Organize Ourselves we inquired

into ‘economic activities and their

impact on humankind and the

environment’. These are some big

ideas for a group of Grade 4

students. Our field trips really

helped the students to get a deeper

understanding of the topic.

Our first field trip was a

visit to the Sapanthong fresh

market. Students split up into

different groups, each group having

its own focus point. One group

focused on the lay-out of the

market. They mapped out the

different stalls and found out there

were designated areas for different

products. There were groups that

interviewed stall holders and

customers, another group kept

track of the popularity of different

stalls and a different group

investigated if the prices for similar

products were the same in different

stalls. Connections across different

subject matters were naturally

made.

A second trip took us to

the Dragon Café. Students got a

tour of the kitchen and asked Ms.

Mye many questions connected to

the concepts and lines of inquiry we

had been exploring in class.

Students were interested in where

the products on sale came from and

if the workers had fair working

conditions.

The last field trip that was

connected to our unit, took us to a

fair trade shop. The two Grade 4

classes prepared questions in mixed

groups in the classroom and then

each class went to a different shop

to get a tour and ask their

questions. 4L went to the

Mulberries and Camacrafts shop,

4A visited Saoban.

Our contact at the

Mulberries and Camacrafts shop

was an inspirational and vibrant

young woman who educated us

about the principles of fair trade in

a c c e s s i b l e l a n g u a g e . S h e

enthusiastically explained how the

organization works and patiently

answered all of our questions. The

students walked away more

knowledgeable and inspired to take

action by raising awareness at their

homes about fair trade.

Field trips are powerful

learning tools. They make learning

more fun; students more engaged

and connect the learning that

happens in school with the

community we live in. We are lucky

to have many people in our

community who are willing to share

their expertize with our students

and help our teachers to challenge,

inspire and prepare learners for life.

Field trips By Linda de Beer,

GRADE 4 TEACHER

IBPYP Exhibition

Page 4

Some important dates to add to your calendar: April 23rd – Grade 5 Exhibition unit ends

May 4th – Exhibition set up/preparation

May 7th – Presentation of the VIS Exhibition to our school community

More information about the PYP Exhibition will follow in the Grade 5 weekly newsletters and our next edition

of Dragon Tales.

Alison Francis

IBPYP Coordinator

IBPYP Exhibition

The school has systems in place

to ensure that all students can

demonstrate consolidation of

their learning through the

completion of the Primary Years

Programme exhibition…

(IB Programme standards and

practices, January 2011)

Form – What is the PYP

Exhibition?

In the final year of the PYP (Primary Years

Programme), our students in Grade 5 will

participating in the culminating project of the

programme called the Exhibition.

Causation – Why do we do

the Exhibition?

The exhibition represents a significant event

in the life of a PYP school and student,

synthesizing the essential elements of the PYP

(knowledge, skills, concepts, attitudes,

action). Students are given the opportunity

to share their learning/understanding with

our whole VIS community. It is an

opportunity for students to exhibit the

attributes of the learner profile that have

been developing throughout their

engagement with the PYP. The Exhibition

also marks the time when students can

celebrate the transition from the PYP

(Primary Years Programme) to the MYP

( M i d d l e Y e a r s P r o g r a m m e ) .

(Making the PYP happen, IB 2009)

Function – How does it

work?

The Exhibition is a collaborative inquiry

involving all the students in Grade 5. Students

will be working in groups to explore a real-life

issue that will be framed under one of the

Transdisciplinary Themes –

Who we are,

Where we are in place and time,

How we express ourselves,

How the world works,

How we organize ourselves

or

Sharing the planet.

Exhibition Info Session

Page 5

We got information and were prepared about the upcoming events. (Wolfgang & Narisa Schirrmacher)

Questions?

How much students should decide on a specific topic before the groups are formed vs how much of that is supposed to

happen within the groups (Michael Epprecht)

How are they going to build the teams? (Karla Lamicq)

Regular emails about where students are up to and what is needed from home would be great. (Mel van Anen)

How much time do students spend working on the Exhibition? (Tsuneo Heito)

I’d like to have documents of this session to understand more completely. (Masayo Namura)

Is there any feedback about progress / challenges to the parents during the beginning and end of the exhibition? (Jurg

Hug)

I don’t have any more questions (Hyun-seok Chun)

Who decides which group they will be in? (Bryndis and Stuart Chapman)

What is the specific topic? It was very general. (Silke Stoeber)

Are the grade 5 pupils conversant with all the terminology used?

The PYP seems to be biased towards social ideas. Would subjects of a more scientific theme be a more balanced ap-

proach? (Ken Morfitt)

Whether the preparation continues after school, how long will it take for the preparation?

(Park, JongYul)

Will we (parents) get feedback throughout the process? (i.e. if our children need more help / advice) (David & Natalie

Boyes)

How it will set up? How is circle going (Tuning in......)? Groups or peers? (Grace Lee (Joy Eum))

PYP Exhibition Parents

Information Session

FEEDBACK

The information session was useful

because...

of the emphasis on research activities

and promotion of the students’ abilities

to find information when they need it.

(Jim Chamberlain)

It gave us a better idea about

what it is all about and what is

expected from the students

and how parents can assist

(Michael Epprecht)

We could get an overview of

the different trans-disciplinary

themes and how the students

can connect them; we could

discuss this with our children,

other parents, the teachers;

we could share some of our

ideas. (Stefan Lock)

We have a clear idea what the

exhibition is about and we also

know the role of the students

and parents (Karla Lamicq)

I can understand that I do not

have to search information for

my daughter but just to stay

ready to guide her to source

information once she chooses

her theme for the exhibition.

(Minh Nguyen)

It helped parents know what

their children are doing at

school. (Teo Cam)

Very informative. Now

have a good idea of what

the exhibition is about and

how much work is needed

to complete.

(Mel van Anen)

I received some

of the focus of

the PYP

Exhibition

information.

(Tsuneo Heito) It gave a good

overview, what

the aim of the

exhibition is.

(Jurg Hug)

the students, the teachers and

the parents shared the idea of

the Exhibition.

(Masayo Namura)

of understanding process and

meaning on PYP Exhibition

(Hyun-seok Chun)

It gave an overview of the

process and what is expected

of students and parents

(Bryndis & Stuart Chapman)

The concept was clear, the

leading roles of students were

explained well, the small teams

are responsible for the results

as a team. (Silke Stoeber)

It gave clarity to

the aims and

objectives of the

PYP.

(Ken Morfitt)

It let us know the characteristics

and procedures of the event.

(Park, JongYul)

It helps give us information

on how to prepare the

children. (Mercer Muziol)

It gave parents an

understanding of what the

exhibition will involve and how

parents are to be involved.

(David & Natalie Boyes)

I know more about units and

central idea. How is it

connected to idea. (Grace Lee

(Joy Eum))

We got information and were

prepared about the upcoming

events. (Wolfgang & Narisa

Schirrmacher)

Secondary News

Page 6

by Ms Kim Green, SECONDARY PRINCIPAL

SECONDARY STUDENT

COUNCIL TRIAL ‘MOVIE

NIGHTS’

The School life/Spirit committee from the VIS

Secondary Student Council have recently put together

a primary and Secondary Movie Night. The first one

was held on February 3rd. The primary watched Alvin

and the Chipmunks 2. There were a numerous

amounts of students who showed up along with their

parents. The primary Movie Night started at 4 in the

afternoon and ended at 6 pm. The next movie was for

the secondary from grades 6-12. The movie that was

shown was Johnny English 2. The kids came and were

very enthusiastic about this movie. There was laughter

all around and excitement as they watched. The last

movie that was shown was The Change Up for

students in grades 9-12. The students had a blast at the

first movie night and it was one of the better student

organized events.

For the second Movie Night, the primary

students watched Puss in Boots. There was also a

numerous amount of primary students that came to the

move night which was held on the second of March.

The secondary students watched the movies Tin Tin

and Death at a Funeral.

The purpose for these Primary and Secondary

movie nights are to encourage students to join in as a

VIS community and spend time together, thus

increasing the school life at VIS. As a student council,

we also wanted to improve the activities that engaged

both the primary and the secondary students.

The next Movie Night will be on the 30th March.

“...if you believe in something, you must

not just think or talk or write, but must

act.” Peterson (2003)

Students and teachers at VIS

continue to demonstrate their

commitment to the essential

elements of the IB programmes

through service and action. These

elements enable students to develop

their personal and interpersonal

skills through experience. For all of

our learners service and action

should be both “challenging and

enjoyable, a personal journey of self-

discovery” (IB, 2008). In both the

IBMYP and IBDP learners are

expected to set goals and reflect on

how their experiences have

informed or shaped them as

knowers.

The restructure of the after

school activities into the new

co-curricular activities programme

this semester has opened up

opportunities for our learners to

participate, self-initiate and lead

service and action activities at VIS.

Our learners are able to take action

alongside experts in particular areas

such as rugby and choir, engage

creatively in activities such as

pottery and drawing to develop new

skills. They also are engaging in

service groups such as the Reduce,

Reuse, Recycle – Green Team and

S t u d e n t C o u n c i l w o r k

collaboratively to develop and

implement action plans. Thank you

to Sarah Hess for her dedication to

opening doors of opportunity to our

learners.

Highl ights of student

participation and action over the last

two months have been the MRISA

Senior Basketball, MRISA Junior

Soccer, MRISA Model United

Nations, Valentines Dance and

Movie Nights. A special mention

also needs to be made of all the

Grade 10 learners who presented

their IBMYP Personal Projects on

the 29th February. This challenging

project is based on the student’s

personal interest and requires our

students to work through an inquiry

process to produce a product. The

projects were inspiring and the

process our learners worked

through has empowered them with

life-long learning skills. Thank you

to all of the teachers who provided

support and guidance as supervisors

for the personal projects and to

Carol Seymour for her excellent

leadership as Personal Project

Coordinator. Congratulations to all

of our Grade 10 learners on the

completion of their Personal

Project.

Enjoy reading more about

our learners and the particular

events mentioned above in this

edition of Dragon Tales.

IBMYP In Action

Page 7

GRADE 10 SALSA TRIP Ban Pako: Historical Site

Ban Pako is a world famous archaeological site where

there are lots of ancient pottery and artifacts. Ban Pako’s

pottery techniques are very similar to those found in

Ban Chieng. Ban Pako is located at the bank of the Nam

Ngum River which is 40km from Vientiane. Many pots

were found in the broken conditions. Ministry of

Information and Cultural have worked with Stockholm

University to use carbon dating to identify the age of

each artifact. Carbon dating is the most common

method of estimating an objects age. Not just clay pots,

but iron objects were also found here too. The soils in

the Lao Pako are rich in iron so when habitants used fire

there were some really hard lumps of iron left over. It is

believed that more pottery and artifacts will be revealed

if there are more excavations in Lao Pako.

By Ju Hui Lee GRADE 10 STUDENT

Today is the third day of the S.A.L.S.A trip. The

main task of the trip is to contribute to building a local

primary school in Ban Pako.

At the construction site, we started digging

holes for toilets. Three different groups were working in

rotation. There was a shovel group, hoe group and

cleaning out group. I had never used a hoe before so it

was new experience. As time went by, we got used to

using those tools and the hole started getting deeper in

just a short time period. Also, we mixed cement for the

pillars of the school. To make the pillars we mixed

cement, sand, rocks and water together. We made a

shallow hole in the middle of cement and poured in the

water. It looked like a small volcano. I still don’t quite get

why people just mix water little by little while mixing

cement instead of making it into a volcano shape and

wait a few minutes for the cement to get wet. After

mixing cement, we had to carry it all the way to where

the pillars were. A bucket of mixed cement is really

heavy. I preferred digging the hole than carrying the

cement mix.

DAY THREE

IBMYP Exhibition

Page 8

By Carol Seymour, GRADE 10 ADVISOR

On February 29th, 2012 the Grade 10 students

recognized the culmination of seven months of hard

work with the IB MYP Personal Project Exhibition. The

Personal Project (PP) is a student-directed inquiry into

a personalized topic of interest. It is produced over

seven months during year five of the IBMYP and offers

students the opportunity to show their understandings

of the Middle Years Programme in a unique manner -

through an achievable, personal goal which they identify

and work towards. The exhibition evening represents a

celebration of the students’ different projects and an

opportunity for the VIS community as a whole to come

together.

This year there have been a plethora of goals

ranging: organizing a fund raising basketball tournament

to support our sister school, Ban Sapathongthai;

building a model house; writing and recording a song;

and creating an on-line cartoon, to name just a few.

The variety in the topics of interest and the final

products reflects the diversity within this dynamic and

interesting Grade 10 cohort.

The Personal Project has four main stages

which are assessed using seven criteria: use of the

process journal; defining the goal; selection of

sources; applying information; achieving the

goal; reflection on learning; and reporting the

project. The final assessment is based on the product

produced by the student and the written (1500-3500

words) or oral (10 minute) presentation. Students also

present their work to the public in the form of an

exhibition.

Here are some of the

comments from the Grade 10

students and visitors to the

MYP Personal Project

Exhibition.

“I am impressed with the

knowledge and skills displayed

by the Grade 10 students.

Well done”

Grade 9 parent

“My favorites were the model

house and the advertisement.

They were very creative and

colorful.”

Grade 6, Elijah

“The students were able to clearly

articulate their inspiration and

make connections to the AoI and

the specifications for their goals.

They were very knowledgeable

and were very proud of their

outcomes. I was very impressed.”

Jon Smedes, MYP Coordinator

“I am very happy with the quality of my

product, but not so much with the quantity.

I had wanted to make 10 drawings but they

took much longer than I had thought. If I

was to do this project again, I would

certainly work on my time management.”

Johanna, Grade 10

“We liked the

robot the most

because it moves

and she worked

on it a lot.”

Grade 2C

Creativity

Page 9

Poetry contributions from students in the Grade

9/10 English A classes taught by Geoff Piggot and

Mark Gordon:

The poems were written as part of the course work in Unit

2, Literature Defines Culture. In one component of this unit

students explored how poetry creates images of culture.

To demonstrate how poems can be used to express one’s

cultural identity, every student wrote and explained poems

which make connections to his or her own particular

cultural background. Here are three of the many poems

submitted.

Joey Keophonexay (Grade 9) Laos Story of the Jewel I stay here in link with five countries The reason why I have no sea I stay here with scars from the past I’ve been bombed, colonized, and lacking of liberty I stay here with my disadvantages For a part of my people stay needy But that does not make me stop From being a beautiful country I stay here with my mother Mekong Flowing along my side I stay here, cultural, loyal And my people live with pride I stay here with my own flower and symbols My Champa, my temples, and my flag I stay here as the country Laos The Jewel of the Mekong

Johanna Von Behaim (Grade 10)

Germany

Home is Everywhere

Home, so far away

hours of travel through the air

in big planes, gone in a misty flair

and yet it is so close in every day

in every thought in every word

always present, in a same singing bird

Over seas or over land

if to the South or to the East

the memories have not ceased

Packed into a suitcase,

hauled from here to there

now home is everywhere

Effie Low (Grade 10)

Papua New Guinea

My Dying Language Once my language was a part of me Nalik spoken all around me To Papua New Guinea modern influence came And my poor image was never the same. Generation to generation it came to be I never had the chance to really see How important my language is To my cultural heritage which may cease. Preserving my language is a enormous step Which I have to take step-by-step However my Wantoks have gone one-by-one And in the end there will be none. So all that is left to say Is my language was not meant to stay.

MUN

Page 10

CHELSEA BAROI: GRADE 9 STUDENT

“MRISA Model United Nations

was the most frustrating, difficult, yet

most remarkable experience I have been

through this school year. This has been

my second MUN conference I have

participated in, however it was more

successful than my first MUN, which was

a year ago. At first, I was unsure about

joining MUN due to the experience I had

on my first MUN. At my first MUN, I was the youngest in the meeting and due to my lack of confidence; I did

not stand up in front of seniors who were more experienced, so as a result my resolution did not pass. I was

afraid this year’s MUN would not be any different to the pervious MUN and I will just be let down again.

However, I did not give up and took another risk to stand up for my resolution.

Writing a significant resolution was complicated due to the amount of research I had to do. I knew I

would have to have extra research and ideas about the questions I will be asked. I knew there would be many

delegates who would speak against my resolution, especially the Delegate of United States of America since I was

the Delegate of Republic of Cuba. Therefore, I wrote extra speeches to back my resolution and show evidence

for why the resolution should be passes.

Since I knew what was expected, I was prepared, which helped me to gain confidence. I was not terrified

of standing up against seniors. I have developed many debating skills from MUN and I felt as if I was in a real

professional meeting organized for delegates from all over the world to find solutions for world issues. I found

out that I was nervous during my first questions and speech, though over a few more tries, asking questions and

doing speeches, it became more natural and is I had done this for years. There were times I was irritated by

other delegates because they attempted to do everything they could to defeat my resolution, though this

encouraged me to speak up for Cuba’s point of view.

I found it interesting how discussing our resolutions and issues with every delegate helped me to gain

knowledge about the current world issues and histories. I learned heaps about other countries and problems

countries face against other countries. Unfortunately my resolution did not pass due to an amendment another

delegate had made; nevertheless, this does not mean it was not a success because fighting for my resolution was

rewarding. It was successful because I have collaborated with everyone without hesitation. I believe MUN has

prepared me for the future because I have an understanding of how a conference is set out and the type of

language to use. I learned what is required of me to achieve a goal and never to quit even at the hardest times”

Eight VIS students traveled to

Hanoi on February 15 for the

MRISA Model United Nations

conference. Accompanied by Mr.

Campbell and Ms. Butler the

students spent three full days

c o l l a b o r a t i n g , d i s c u s s i n g ,

preparing and debating resolutions

on major world issues as if they

were delegates to the United

Nations. Here are some of their

thoughts on the process.

Brian debating in plenary session

Model United Nations

Page 11

ARNOLD ADJI GRADE 11 STUDENT

“MRISA MUN in Hanoi was my second MUN conference,

and this time I faced fewer people, which means less competition.

However, it encouraged me to improve my debating skills and go

for friendly or even critical speeches. I represented the delegation of

Cuba in GA 1 (General Assembly 1) with issue of prevention illicit

trade of nuclear materials. To be honest, this was new for me, but

to have what I call achievements, overcoming these feelings to go

forward were my ways to get new experiences. ‘Keep pushing,

there is always something new ahead.’”

Jazmyn presenting her resolution

Billy in Security Council

WESLEY WAN GRADE 8 STUDENT

“MUN was great. It has helped me to develop my

speech and social skills and has also helped me to build my

confidence. At first, I was told MUN was going to be really

fun. Of course I didn’t believe that considering all I knew

about it was that there would be a very formal meeting

where everyone had to speak in the third person, and for

that meeting, I would have to prepare an opening speech

and a resolution. Everyone was talking about clauses and

“the power of Veto” when I was still struggling with writing

the documents. I had fun with the other delegates from

MUN. It was cool meeting other people and funny to see a

delegate represent a country whose perspectives he/she

did not agree with. If you are interested in MUN, then join

it immediately because I promise you, you won’t regret it”

Chelsea supporting the resolution

IBDP TOK

Page 12

TOK:

Theory of

Knowledge By Todd Richer

IBDP COORDINATOR

TOK is a structured way of thinking that encourages

learners to consider “how we know what we know?” Theory

of Knowledge is part of the core of the IB Diploma

Programme (IBDP).

Theory of knowledge emphasizes critical thinking

skills and learning through macro-concepts. Learning through

concepts encourages understanding beyond immediate

context. The use of macro-concepts in TOK encourages a

systematic approach that can encompass many ways of

thinking, as well as diverse experiences.

On February 7 and 8 Daniel Toyne facilitated an IB

Diploma Programme Theory of Knowledge (TOK)

Workshop at VIS. The purpose of this training was to

provide an opportunity for our community of learners to

become more TOK literate in order to make natural

connections between TOK and the subjects in the IBDP.

While I was participating in this training I reflected on

the strong connections between Theory of Knowledge in the

IB Diploma Programme and the Personal Project in the IB

Middle Years Programme (IBMYP). Both emphasize a

personal process and reflection. As VIS students transition

from the IBMYP into the IBDP they make connections

between the personal nature of the personal project and

themselves as knowers (the center of TOK).

Students understand how TOK concepts link the

subjects in the IBDP in much the way they understand the

function of the Areas of Interaction (AOI) in the IBMYP. In

Theory of Knowledge students must complete two

assessment tasks to fulfill IB Diploma Programme

requirements. Students write a TOK essay and give a TOK

presentation.

Both the IBMYP Personal Project and IBDP Theory of

Knowledge Presentation are excellent examples of

international-mindedness within our programmes because

both the project and the presentation allow students an

opportunity to build on their own interests and experiences

and be inspired by their own inquiry. The essence of

international-mindedness is an understanding of the self in

order to effectively connect with others.

Congratulations to the grade 10 students for

completing personal projects. The learning while going

through the process is invaluable as you look forward to

participation in the IB Diploma Programme next school year.

Congratulations to the grade 12 students for completing

TOK essays and presentations in February. Your engagement

with TOK will prepare you well for your future as a critical

thinker.

How We Know

What We Know?

Macro-

Concepts

Sports News

Page 13

Primary Sports Day

By Anja Debo PE TEACHER

Congratulations to all students, teachers and

teaching assistants for a successful Sports Day! The

students were involved in a range of athletic events

suitable for their age level. House points were earned

by the students and added up to find the winner of

this year’s house completions. The Nagas were

victorious this year followed by the Gibbons, Catfish

and Geckos.

Throughout this event everybody showed a

high level of commitment, enthusiasm and team

spirits with the catfish being rewarded for the best house spirit this year. This event was a good

opportunity to see the Learner Profile and attitudes

in action.

A special thanks goes to the Grade 5 girls

Anna, Vivie, Maria and Leonie, who created a new

cheer for the catfish as well as spending their time

designing the four house banners, which we displayed

on sports day.

CONGRATULATIONS

NAGAS!

Sports News

Page 14

Student Council News

Page 15

Student Council Retreat By Maggie McAden GRADE 7 STUDENT

This year unlike any other student council retreat, we

drastically improved and strengthened our relationships and

leadership qualities as well as our teamwork. The peaceful and

green environment in the River View Resort inspired us to

share our creative minds.

The day began with engaging activities from different

committees. The fundraising committee had an ice breaking

game where we shared a special even from a year that we

were assigned to talk about in our lives. Activities from other

committees involved trust activities, team building relay race

and collaborative games. Mr. Gordon led us in a leadership

activity in which we explored what we believed is the most

necessary quality expected of a leader.

"No matter how bad things are, we need leaders who are

confident and keeps others' spirits up"

Valentine’s Dance

By Oda Karlsen GRADE 11 STUDENT With the Valentine’s Day and a lot of ‘’love in

the air’’ at VIS in February the Secondary Student

Council decided to arrange a Valentine’s Dance. The

dance was held on Friday 24th of February, and a lot of

students from VIS as well as Hoffe and KIS came. The

canteen at VIS was decorated with fairy lights, balloons

and hearts in the colors of love, and at 7 pm when the

dance started the atmosphere in the canteen was set

for the dance of love. The girls arrived in dresses in all

kinds of colors and shapes, and the boys in nice pants,

shirts, ties and some in their suites. You could clearly

see that the boys who had the guts to ask a girl out for

the dance, were the boys who were the most nervous

and excited while waiting for their dates to arrive. As

the dance begun, the canteen started to fill up with a

lot of students who were excited about the evening.

The main event of the evening was all the

dancing, but there were also students that performed

well-known love songs to set the theme of the evening,

and a vote for the king and the queen of the dance.

The event was a success, and it seemed like all the

students who came enjoyed the performances, hanging

out with their friends, and most of all the dancing. With

events like these the Secondary Students have the

opportunity to be together and have fun, something

they clearly enjoyed!

Greg’s Blog

Page 16

There have been significant steps made in the building

project with approximately 12% of the project now completed.

The workforce has grown by around 50% to a total of 30

workers now as the concrete frame and slab of the ground

floor is put in place. This last week saw the frame laid out and

concreted and many tonnes of sand then added to the sections.

With the ground floor slowly coming into view, it is possible to

see how the building will look when it is completed.

Looking at the photograph for the ground floor you are

actually seeing (from nearest point) a Language classroom, with

two small group rooms opening from that room, Offices for

the Principal, Counselor and Secondary Curriculum

Coordinators, a reception

area that will incorporate

c o l l e g e c o u n s e l i n g

information, and the spaces

furthest away include a

conference room, store

and kiln room. The wall

closest to the current

building will actually have

the potential to become a

climbing wall as a part of the future Physical Education

programme as it has been reinforced for that purpose.

We have each step of the project under scrutiny

through our consultants from SK Consulting. In the photograph

(left) you can see our Project Manager, Mr Sirimoungkhone,

checking the quality of the steel reinforcing. Each step of the

project is checked for quality before it is approved. This week

saw the consultants head to the laboratory for another

concrete test to ensure that the strength met our standards.

The concrete passed with flying colours!

The plans for this new wing include new performing

arts spaces on the third floor. These spaces will include a space

for class-based music instruction, small group rehearsal rooms,

a black box theatre, and the capacity for dance. The plan below

shows the layout for the new spaces. You will note that the

black box theatre area is the largest space and is close to twice

the size of our current drama space. This will be a great new

space for groups to meet, as well as being a significant boost to

the performing arts curriculum.

Finally, you can see on the side view of the building that

the height of the new wing is above that of the existing building.

This is to provide additional room height in our new

performing arts spaces to enhance acoustics and allow for

better presentation with lighting effects. The new spaces will

be primarily teaching spaces, but will provide a range of new

options for the school's performances to showcase the

learning of our students.

Community News

Page 17

The School continued it’s focus of

service to the community through our sister

school relationship with the primary school

at Ban Saphanthong Tai this week. VIS

established the sister school relationship in

2011 which formalized a friendship between

the schools. This has resulted in a new

library being built, books and computers

being donated, and interaction between

students. This week the focus was on dental

health for the students of the school.

Moe Moe Fennema, the VIS nurse

recently completed a medical screening to all

students. As a result, VIS arranged a team of

volunteers to visit Ban Saphanthong Tai

school with a mobile dental clinic. All

students had their teeth checked and many

teeth were removed during the two day

clinic. Finally each child was provided with a

new toothbrush donated by the families of

VIS.

VIS and Ban Saphanthong Tai school

directors agreed that this was a wonderful

project that would provide good outcomes

for the children. " VIS is very proud to

have this sister school relationship." said

Greg Smith, the VIS director. "This

project is part of our commitment to

service to the Lao PDR that is a big

part of our school. We look forward

to continuing to be an important

part of our local community" He

said.

SMILES ALL ROUND

COMMUNITY REPORTER

Thank you

to e

veryone

who cont

ributed

to this

edition

of Drago

n Tales.

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ke to su

bmit

an arti

cle for

the next

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y Wednes

day 25 A

pril.

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teaching

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lease su

bmit you

r articl

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Mr Jon (

Primary)

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