“

Dragon Tales The Vientiane International School Monthly Magazine April - June 2013 | Issue 13

When it launched for the first time, it felt like any-thing was possible for me. I genuinely hope that one day, I will be able to go work for NASA and achieve my goal of becoming the first human to land on Mars. Wesley Wan talks about his Science Project, page 13

Director’s Notes

page 1

Primary News

page 2

Secondary News

page 10

Sports News

page 26

Performing Arts

pages 20-21

Are We Green or Not? page 22

Grade 5 Exhibition pages 6-7

”

What is a Character? Early Years investigate, p. 4-5

Rockin’ With Style!

Primary students express themselves p .9

How Many Trees Does My Car Emit?

Adeeba inquires in CO2 Emissions p.12

Mekong Dolphins Score High Jim reports on the Swim Team’s successes at the

Meet, p. 26

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 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

ທທທທທທ, ທທທທທທທທທທທ ທທທ ທທທທທ ທທທທທທທທທທທທທທທທທທທທທທທທທ

Stawianie wyzwań, inspirowanie i przygotowywanie uczniow do życia

Herausforderung, Inspriration und

Vorbereitung fuer ein lebenslanges

Lernen

Director’s Notes Dear VIS Community,

It is always a pleasure to introduce you to our digital magazine, Dragon Tales. The pleasure

is even higher when we have so many interesting and varied stories included.

Our Dragon Tales format is designed to showcase the many different ways that learning is underway

in VIS. From the studies of Language, Mathematics and Science through to the performances that

are part of our Arts and Physical Education programmes, you get to see a snapshot of all of these in

Dragon Tales. As our families are often spread across the globe, the digital format allows you to

share the VIS experience with your loved ones far away.

This edition brings to a close the year that was 2012/13. This has been a very busy year which

started with us opening our new secondary wing and will close with the construction of our new

swimming pool and fitness centre well underway. It began with our highest ever enrolment of over

430 and concluded with our largest graduating class. And through the year we have had many

highlights in special events, and also in the regular classroom programme.

I would like to pay tribute to the many people who have contributed to the school's successful year,

but to name them all would take more space than I am allowed, so I will content myself with saying

that I am very fortunate to be surrounded by an excellent staff, supportive families and engaged

students. Special groups such as the Student Council, P&F and Board of Trustees make VIS a great

place to work and learn.

I would like to say Khop Chai and Sok Dii to those staff and families who will be leaving the

community at the end of this year. Your contribution will be missed, but we know that you will take

a small piece of VIS with you and leave fond memories, and a better school, for having been here.

Please enjoy the following pages of Dragon Tales and enjoy a snapshot of the fourth quarter of

2012/13.

Best wishes,

Page 1

Primary News

Page 2

Primary Reflection by Jon Davidson,

PRIMARY PRINCIPAL

Another academic year draws to a close and I

look at how much our students have grown over the

past eleven months. The way children develop and

learn is a never ending source of wonder that I am

sure is shared by every teacher and every parent.

It is a much vaunted “fact” that children will

learn more during their first 7 years than they will in

the next 50. As I was looking again at my daughter’s

portfolio from last year I could scarcely believe the

ways in which she has grown, not just physically, but

moving from recognizing letters, her name and

perhaps some words to reading books. It is hard to

appreciate that in a few short years she will be

working in a group, putting on a PYP Exhibition and

preparing to leave the Primary Years Programme.

Recently I was at the question and answer

session set up for our Grade 5 as they look towards

their transition into Grade 6. For us they are the

oldest students in our Primary School, full of

self-assurance and confidence. All of a sudden they

did not look quite so big. They sat there with the

teachers that will be looking after them next year,

learning about ManageBac and homework and

lockers.

The way in which students grow and learn

was also brought home to me at the graduation

ceremony for the grade 12 students. It is hard to

appreciate that our primary aged students will be

standing there in a few short years. They will

probably be taller than us and be planning out which

university they will be attending and which courses

they will be studying.

Those same students who have grown so

much throughout the past year are now looking

forward to a long vacation. Parents often ask us what

work they can give their children in the holidays and I

would answer that, rather than worksheets or essays,

simply fire their interest in what is happening around

them.

Art galleries and museums to visit; rich

cultures to explore and histories in which to immerse

ourselves. If it is raining outside then why not join

your child in a book and lose yourselves in other

worlds? Before you know it we will be back at

school for another hectic round of math and science,

reading, writing running, painting and making music.

The next six weeks gives us all a chance to

grow and learn with our children. Enjoy it and

remember that before long you will be sitting in a

graduation ceremony crying your eyes out.

Have a wonderful holiday and see you all again in

August.

IBPYP In Action

Page 3

For children the need to walk, talk and communicate is

instinctive. Of course they are encouraged, and taught, along the

way. By the time they come to school, and join the Grade 2 class,

they are already immersed in learning through language and applying

the skills of communication. As learners they bring with them a range

of experiences and knowledge.

Every day, as teachers, we see the qualities of effective

learners as defined by the IB learner profile. There are many

moments when the actions taken by the students are inspiring.

Especially as they encounter an English language classroom for the

first time. How do the students communicate in this environment?

Given a choice they will begin from what they know. For

some it is visual, for some it is non-verbal, sometimes it is through

music, or drawing. For those who choose to write in their Mother

Tongue they feel secure in what they know. As they acquire the

language of the classroom (in this case English) it seems that suddenly

a transition happens and you see a student is writing, in English, in

their journals.

Communication Is the Key by Catherine O’Brien

GRADE 2 TEACHER

Here is an example of one student who went through this process. When

Johann came into Grade 2, at the beginning of the school year, he chose to

write in German. So he could share his writing with us we had Mr. Harris

and his secondary students busily translating everything he wrote.

We discovered that Johann, as a writer, in German had a lot to

communicate. This is what he was writing early on in the school year.

Johanns Informationsbericht

Herr David Williams hat das Didgeridoo gespielt und er hat ganz

viele Tiere nachgemacht: ein Kaenguru, einen wilden australischen

Hund, eine australische Schlange und einen Vogel. Manche durften

sogar das Didgeridoo auf der Buehne ausprobieren, aber die haben

gar keinen Ton rausgebracht. Und alle haben gelacht und die, die

auf der Buehne waren, waren Konstantin und Richi, beide aus

derselben Klasse. Konstantin hat am wenigsten rausgebracht und

David Williams konnte so lange die Luft anhalten, weil er eine halbe

Stunde das Didgeridoo gespielt hat. Fertig.

Johann’s information report

Mister David Williams played the didgeridoo and he imitated many

animals: a kangaroo, a wild Australian dog, an Australian snake and

a bird. Some of us were even allowed to try out the didgeridoo

themselves on the stage, but they couldn’t produce any sounds.

And everybody laughed and those who were on the stage were

Konstantin and Richie, both from the same class. Konstantin

produced the fewest sounds and David Williams could hold his

breath very long because he played the didgeridoo for half an hour.

The End.

Translated Harris Kara

My Holiday

I found out about elephants that not all

elephants can walk fast.

I also found out you can’t just drive

from Vientiane to Luang Prabung

because you need 11 hours.

I found out that Luang Prabung is not

like Vientiane.

OVER MY TOES

Over my toes

Goes

The soft sand

Drips, the wind

Blow and the sound

Comes wos wos !

Aman Singh

Two Poems: written by students in different

phases of their English learning.

THE GOLDEN SUN

The Golden sun

The blaze makes it shine

Like beautiful GLITTER

It makes us play

All day

When it falls

To dusk

It lets out

The silver moon

Sidney Lampayan

This next piece is an example of Johann’s

English writing; he wrote this

independently:

It is known that people learn best when

they can make connections to what

they already know or have experienced,

before applying their new knowledge in

a different setting or context.

The Supportive Classroom by Elaine

Reimann

Inquiry in the Early Years

Page 4

Character Inquiry

by Elaine Reimann,

EARLY YEARS TEACHER

The inquiry was triggered by a student question:

‘What is a character? by You You.

We read several familiar stories highlighting the

characters and their characteristics. We then

listened to the story Drac and the Gremlin, by

Allan Baillie without viewing the images.

Students were guided through the process

of planning, using their plan as a guide for creating and

adjusting, narrating a description, and presenting their work.

This process enabled exposure to and understanding of the

key concepts of perspective and connection; as well as the

related concepts of creativity, imagination. The process also

helped developed thinking and communication skills while

learning how to describe the characters and think about the

things it could do.

At this point connections were made to personal

experiences; e.g. One student made her character a Bully,

connecting to the story Mean Jean by Alexis O’Neill, two

students connected to Spiderman, and another was

reminded of a train ride in the UK when he was given a

balloon by a clown, so his character could do that too :) !

PLANNING

This exploration

covered outcomes

directly related to

the disciplines:

Language,

Math,

Visual Arts

Page 5

This process addresses

PYP Continuum learning outcomes:

Differentiate between illustrations and

written text.

Everyone can express themselves in writing.

Stories can tell about the imagined world.

Express an opinion about art.

We can express ourselves through art.

Our experiences and imagination can inspire us to create.

Understand that 2D and 3D shapes have characteristics that can be described and compared.

Understand that common language can be used to describe position and direction, for example, above, below,

next to, behind, in front of, up, down.

Upon completion of the work the

students were interviewed on how

they think they were being a

communicator and a thinker during the

process. One student answered “I was

a communicator talking my story, I’m

talking to you now!"

Attitudes: enthusiasm,

commitment,

appreciation

We observed each

others work and

had conversations

about what we

liked as we

learned about

perspective.

PERSPECTIVE

Learner Profile: communicators,

thinkers

CREATING

Reflection

Page 6

What you about the Exhibition?

The whole thing was inspiring - the process, the final

product and the big day. The group, the collabora-

tion, the information research. The final product

seemed so bare but when we set it up it was so

AWESOME! So full of information, so full of hard

work which makes me so proud! Yujin

The absolute most inspiring thing about Exhibition

was my group and the people who helped us. My

group was so amazing and it was inspiring to see

them work so hard and it inspired me to work hard-

er. The people who helped us were inspiring because

they were so confident when they presented to my

group. I’d describe them as magical. Angelina

The most inspiring part for me was working on the

eight piece artwork. We worked and practiced the

techniques. It was very challenging too. Tomy

Sometimes when we had guest speakers and we

talked to them, I found that very inspiring. Also, the

process of the Exhibition and all the work that went

into it was inspiring. Konstantin

CHALLENGED

CHALLENGED

CHALLENGED What is the PYP Exhibition?

“In the final year of the PYP, students engage in a

final project, the PYP Exhibition. The exhibition is a

trans-disciplinary inquiry conducted in the spirit of

personal and shared responsibility. This exhibition is

a significant event for both the school and the

students, synthesizing the essential elements of the

PYP and sharing them with the whole school

community.”

(Making the PYP Happen: An curriculum framework for

international primary education, 2009)

INSPIREDINSPIREDINSPIRED

What you about the Exhibition?

Making a plan and connecting with it. Lara

The challenging part of the Exhibition was organising to

meet guest speakers because my group had to find the

contact number, email them and think about where to

meet. It was hard to find a good time to meet. Ritchie

Collaboration challenged me. The collaboration was

hard because we had to decide on things as a group.

Sometimes we got tired and frustrated and just wanted

it our way, so that caused the group to have issues.

Sometimes it was hard to keep each other on task.

Konstantin

The most challenging thing for my group was that we

had a lot of information but we didn’t know which bits

to use and we had trouble pulling the information to-

gether. We also had trouble following our plan and

dong things on time. Rora

It was challenging to share the jobs out fairly because

sometimes we needed to do things that nobody wanted

to do and other times we all wanted to do a one-

person job, so we had some problems. Another hard

thing was organising data because we got a lot of infor-

mation but had trouble sorting it out and deciding what

to present.

Yujin

For me, Exhibition prepared me for good

teamwork. We can’t always do things by

ourselves so this was a good experience to

practice teamwork. I met people who always

cared for me and helped me. Natsumi

Page 7

Reflecting on the PYP Exhibition by Katherine Williams,

GRADE 5 TEACHER

Our VIS Mission

“At Vientiane International School our mission is to

challenge, inspire and prepare learners for life. We

provide a safe, respectful, collaborative and

sustainable learning environment, a high quality

holistic education, empower learners to be

internationally-minded global citizens and enrich

learning experiences through interaction with the

Lao community and our international communities.”

A wonderful example of our VIS Mission was evident

in this year’s PYP Exhibition. Grade 5 students

reflected on their Exhibition experience and

thoughtfully considered how it challenged, inspired

and prepared them for life. Reflection helps us learn

and grow. It connects us to ourselves and each

other. It helps us make meaning from our learning

and experiences. It informs us for the future.

Read what our students said when reflecting on

their PYP Exhibition…

How do you think your experiences during

the Exhibition have you for life?

Exhibition prepared me by making me try harder at

things. Trying hard pushed me. It prepared me by making

me more confident and confidence helped me.

Angelina

The Exhibition helped me with teamwork and taught me

the difference between collaborating and cooperating.

Koen

It helped me prepare for working in a group properly -

helping each other, supporting the group, sharing the

work around. Tomy

It prepared me to work with people I don’t usually work

with. Also, creating and learning about something by

ourselves and sharing jobs. JT

I learned a lot of new skills and a lot about myself as a

learner and group worker. I think these skills will help

me in my future. Konstantin

Exhibition prepared me for the Personal Project in the

MYP. It is going to be hard to do it by ourselves but I’m

sure I’m prepared for it because I had a very good expe-

rience during the Exhibition. Ketsana

Exhibition is something valuable to remember because it

is a milestone and very hard work. It has prepared us for

the Personal Project in Grade 10. It has also taught me

to work collaborating with people I don’t know very

well. Bob

PREPAREDPREPAREDPREPARED

Exhibition prepared me to work well with other

people and it gave me a lot of confidence because

before I was shy and now I can talk to people and

explain things. Victoria

LEARNING FOR LIFE the case of

the field trip. by Catherine O’Brien and Grade 2 Students

Students constantly ask teachers, “When is the next

field trip?” How often we see a group of students

heading towards the school vans, clutching clip-

boards, cameras, water bottles and hats. Teachers in

a flurry with check lists, first aid kits, mobile phones,

etc., and there is always excitement. Where does

the enthusiasm and excitement come from? Is it

generated by thoughts of escaping the classroom?

What prior knowledge, past experiences, do the

children bring to the most recent field trip, which

connects them to this way of learning?

Students from VIS attend field trips from the very

first years in Early Years through to the Secondary

Grades.

The students in Grade 2 prepared a general survey

to inquire into field trips.

The students thought that on another time they

could improve the survey. They would like to ask

students what it is they dislike or like about field trips.

They would like to ask the teachers more questions.

The planning and preparation for a field is

addressed on two levels. First there are all the practical

and administration considerations to be met. Then as

teachers we ask the following questions: What is the

purpose of the trip? What learning outcomes

will be met? Does it meet the needs of the

students in an inquiry process? At what stage is

the inquiry cycle supported by the field trip?

Linking to the host country, and culture of Laos,

is enriched through first hand experiences. The school

has been welcomed to many local places and often a

talk or tour has been provided for us. We are fortunate

that in a small city we can go out and explore or

arrange a visit to a museum, the radio or television

station, the newspaper office, small factories, dance and

music school, textile workshops, mapping office, the art

school and temples. Further out is the zoo, a salt farm,

rice farms, villages and of course many places along the

Mekong River.

Most teachers see that learning from the

community, during the inquiry process, moves the

students from their current level of understanding to a

deeper level.

The post trip reflections and activities usually

reveal a lot more than we planned for. The student

responses remind us that it is the engagement with life

that is the reason for their enthusiasm.

Inquiry into Field Trips in Primary

Students who

have been on

more than one

field trip

Students who

like going on

field trips

Students who

do not like

going on field

trips

Teachers who

agree field trips

help students

with inquiries

Reflection: we did

not get to ask

everyone but we

think most students

like field trips. Most

teachers agree that

field trips help

students with their

inquiries.

252 students 210 35 21

1 : it depends

where

THIS IS WHATTHEY DISCOVERED

Field Trips

Page 8

Expression

Page 9

Let’s Rock with styles

Let’s rock, with dance,

Singing with joy,

Instrumental sounds,

All grades perform

Each one

Oh the wonderful

concert

We dance and sing

Fun, fun, fun

For you, everyone.

by Sidney and Eva,

GRADE 2 PHOTOGRAPHS by Adrian Gnaegi

PARENT

CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE PHOTOS OF THE CONCERT

Secondary News

Page 10

Secondary Reflection by Kim Green,

SECONDARY PRINCIPAL

In 1960 Bruner an educational philosopher

stated that,

“To instruct someone …. Is not a matter of getting him/

her to commit results to mind. Rather, it is to teach

him / her to participate in the process that makes possi-

ble the establishment of knowledge. We teach a subject

not to produce little living libraries on that subject, but

rather to get a you as learners to think mathematically

for yourself, to consider matters as an historian does, to

take part in the process of knowledge –getting. There-

fore, knowing is a process not a product’

This issue of Dragon Tales highlights for you that

learning is a process. This process of learning has

involved experiences within the walls of the classroom,

experiences that have connected to the local community

resources, experiences that have used information

technology as tools for information gathering and

communication and experiences that have been

embedded with service. Being part of the Awards

Ceremony and having the opportunity to congratulate

many learners who have demonstrated high levels of

achievement academically, in the arts, athletics, service

and citizenship over the course of the year was a true

honor and I continue to be incredibly proud of our

learners at VIS.

We are exceptionally fortunate at VIS to have

excellent teachers who are highly qualified, facilitate

excellent learning opportunities and care deeply about all

of our students. I thank our teachers for their

dedication and enthusiasm in co-constructing, with our

students and parents, excellent opportunities for all

members of our community authentically engage in the

process of learning.

The learning outcomes that are highlighted in

this issue of Dragon Tales are evidence of the increasing

culture of excellence in achievement that exists within

our student body. Enjoy sharing in our learning and

celebrating our students achievements.

IBMYP In Action

Page 11

by Jonathan Smedes

MYP COORDINATOR

A successful Personal

Project process and

exhibition using the new

black box theatre. The

standard of project this year

was very high.

Continuing the implementa-

tion of Managebac, our online

portal to communicate and

manage MYP curriculum. This

includes a setting up of parent

accounts.

The strengthening of the

co-curricular programme through

deeper connections with the MYP

curriculum. It is always amazing

to see the number of activities on

offer for our students.

The SALSA trips in Laos.

This year continued the

strong focus on the

connection between

the SALSA trips and

MYP units of work.

The end of the school year is

always a good time to reflect and

celebrate the achievements of our

s tudents . S ince ga in ing fu l l

authorization from the IB in March

2011, our curriculum has continued to

grow and develop at VIS and we now

run a strong MYP programme that is

gaining increased recognition in the

region. It is evident to me that students

are increasingly more comfortable with

the requirements of the programme

and a re g a i n i n g a s t ronger

understanding of concept based

curriculum. There is much to be

celebrated and some of the MYP

curriculum related highlights of

this school year include: A congratulations to our Arts

faculty who piloted the new MYP

Arts guide this year. We will be

one step ahead when the new

MYP curriculum changes occur in

2014/15 school year.

Continuing the celebration of

Lao language day and Mother

Tongue day. These days were

coordinated between PYP and

MYP mother tongue teachers

and students.

Some of the excellent

Community and Service

initiatives the students are

making, especially with our

sister school.

Continuing IBMYP monitoring

of assessment at VIS. This

allows schools to send samples

of assessed student work to

moderators and seek feedback

on these assessments.

The list could go on as there is much more to be celebrated. Of

course these initiatives need the support of all stake holders so it would

be remiss of me not to mention that all of these highlights would not be

possible without the collaboration and support between parents,

teachers and students. A big thank you to all!

Mathematics

Page 12

Real Life Examples in

Mathematics

by Adeeba Bajwa

GRADE 8 STUDENT

The grade 8 Math Standard class were given an inquiry into the

relationship between the carbon capture of trees and the

emission of CO2 by cars. The only information they received

was the amount of carbon an average square centimeter of leaf

can absorb. All other calculations, estimations, and linkages

with global warming were made by the students. Adeeba has

written an abstract for the Dragon Tales about her findings

and conclusions.

When fossil fuels are burned, the carbon

within them is released as carbon dioxide into the

atmosphere. In this modern society fossil fuels are

utilized to produce energy in order to: run vehicles,

to heat and power our homes and for electricity

purposes.

The use of fossil fuels has increased

massively during the industrial revolution about 200

years ago, and since then the concentration of

CO2 in the Earth’s atmosphere has increased by 30%.

The increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is

trapping the heat and tipping the important balance

of the greenhouse effect.

Global warming means that the Earth’s

surface, including the air and the oceans, is gradually

heating up. That doesn’t mean that the weather just

gets warmer. Climate has different effects in different

parts of the world and the increasing temperature is

causing changes to weather patterns across the

planet. In some cases these changes are responsible

for ‘extreme weather events’ that can be

catastrophic.

Through a mathematics investigation I

discovered that a family car emits an average of

3,540 kilograms of CO2 yearly based on 15.000 km/

year. Through some calculations I found that a tree

with approximately 450 leaves could capture 163,593

liters of carbon yearly. The calculation leads us to an

estimate that 11 trees similar to the size of a VIS

tree would be needed to capture the CO2 that is

discharged by a car yearly.

Considering that different cars are driven

different miles this estimate is quite inaccurate

however it gives us an idea of how cars that we drive

participate to the extra CO2 emissions in the

atmosphere, which therefore leads to global

warming.

This also leads to an analysis that if

approximately 9.28 trillion kg of CO2 is emitted

every year on the planet by humans (co2now.org),

29 billion trees would be needed to capture the CO2

emitted, which means an extra 87,000 square km of

forest per year.

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is the

key to solving the issue of global climate change. A

major way these gases get into the atmosphere is

through burning fossil fuel, oil, and natural gas for

energy. Using fuels derived from plants can help us

drive into a green future. Everyone uses energy, and

everyone can be part of the solution!

How many trees does

my car emit?

Bibliography:

"Global Warming Facts." Global Warming Facts. World Press, n.d. Web. 12 May 2013. <http://www.globalwarmingfacts.net/>.

National Geographic . "Global Warming Fast Facts." Daily Nature and Science News and Headlines | National Geographic News . National

Geographic , 14 June 2007. Web. 12 May 2013. <http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/12/1206_041206_global_warming.html>.

"Global Carbon Emissions." CO2 Now. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 May 2013. <http://co2now.org/Current-CO2/CO2-Now/global-carbon-

emissions.html>.

Page 10 Science

Page 13

Personal Science

Research Project Exhibition by Carol Seymour

SECONDARY TEACHER May 14th, 2013 marked the third

annual Personal Science Research Project

(PSRP) Exhibition. Students from grades

seven through nine were assigned the task of

researching a topic of personal interest from

a scientific perspective. Not only does this

allow students to see the universality of

scientific research, but it is also allows

students to develop self-management, I

nformation technology and thinking skills

which are essential for the IB and in

particular the Personal Project in grade ten.

Here are some reflections from

students on the PSRP process and

exhibition.

“The day was great, though it seemed long and standing

next to my poster was a challenge. I was proud of my

work and I loved doing the experiment with the prep and

grade 1 students. The originality of the ideas and displays

were very mpressive this year.”

Anthony, grade 9 This year, for my PSRP, I made a Water Bottle

Rocket. I made it because, when I was an even smaller

boy, I was always very interested in things that could

fly. I used to design my own paper airplanes and watch

birds all the time. In the fifth grade, I saw a video on

Youtube about the Moon Landing and ever since then,

I was inspired to one day, build my own rocket and go

to the moon. I was finally able to make one in the

ninth grade when I knew that making one for the

PSRP would be the perfect motivation to finally build

it. When it launched for the first time, it felt like

anything was possible for me. I genuinely hope that

one day, I will be able to go work for NASA and

achieve my goal of becoming the first human to land

on Mars and to be the new Neil Armstrong of my

generation.

Wesley, grade 9

I really enjoyed the PSRP as it allowed me

to be creative and learn about something

that I am interested in. I loved seeing what

other people have learnt and achieved as it

gave me so many ideas of what I could do

next year. The PSRP is such a fun event, I

am kind of sad that we have to

stop in grade 10.

Bethan, grade 7

For the grade 7’s it was more challenging because it was our first PSRP. Our class had a lot of big ideas which got

narrowed down so we had the main idea. We had a very wide range of experiments from perfumes to music to

shoes to chemical reactions and psychology experiments. People chose to do experiments on what they liked or

just something completely new. This was a hard but a very exciting experience. We had to go through all the

challenges where we had a lot of mistakes but in the end we solved them and it was a proud moment to share it

with the VIS community. We showed our works in wide range also some with videos, PowerPoint’s, posters and

even demonstrating live experiments. It was a memorable and a very good educating and fun experience!

Praneer, grade 7

Xalisa, grade 8

English A

Page 14

GRADE 6 POETRY

These poems, from Hanna Muziol, Maria Fennema and

Linh Nguyen, come from a unit examining how

‘awareness increases understanding and acceptance of

others’. Students wrote a collection of poems,

encompassing a range of styles, that gave readers an

insight into their culture.

READ THE POEMS

READ THIS TALE

GRADE 7 & 8 SUSPENSE

WRITING

Bethan wrote this chilling, finely crafted tale as

part of the Grade 7-8 unit examining how

‘Audiences Can be Manipulated’.

Prepare for horror.

GRADE 9 PERSUASIVE WRITING

In the Grade 9 unit examining how ‘technology changes

expression’ students identified a problem or challenge

caused by the emergence of new media.

Jacob Williams addressed the issue of computer hacking

in his letter to a government official.

READ THE LETTER

GRADE 9 REMEDIATION

TASK

In the Grade 9 Unit exploring the concept that

‘technology changes expression’, students retold an

existing story through an online medium. Wesley Wan’s

The Almighty Board uses a series of witty and inventive

Facebook posts to tell the story of a famous chess

match from the perspective of the pieces.

Please read from bottom to top to follow the story

chronologically.

READ THE STORY

Page 15

GRADE 10 DESCRIPTIVE WRITING

Alisha Mudbhary conjures a disturbingly realistic sense

of vampirism in her descriptive writing response

exploring the way time, place and feeling are created

by writers.

Alisha Mudbhary conjures a disturbingly realistic sense

of vampirism in her descriptive writing response

exploring the way time, place and feeling are created

by writer.

IB DIPLOMA WRITTEN TASKS

The Diploma Programme English: Language and

Literature course allows students to write in a variety

of genres. Here we have a selection of student work

addressing the use of language in mass communica-

tion, the cultural context of language and a response

to colonialism inspired by Chinua Achebe’s African

classic Things Fall Apart. Praew Wiriyaudomphon

wrote a funny blog entry, Oda Karlsen an opinion

piece for a major newspaper, Clara Lachet a feature

for a fashion magazine and Aditi Shrestha a literary

short story.

GRADE 10 PICTURE BOOKS

Grade 10 students undertook an investigation into how to research, plan and create a

text for a specific audience in the unit ‘stories connect people’. After spending some

time with Prep and Grade One classes and exploring some of the theory behind great

children’s literature, they wrote and illustrated their own original picture books. The

results were impressive. Enjoy!

READ THE

RESPONSE

An Angel Fell into the hands

of the French President by

Clara Lachet

How Gay is

That?

by

Oda Karlsen

Laxmi

by

Aditi

Shreshta

How to become

a 9gagger

by

Praew

Wiriyaudomphon

Page 16

Grade 8 Focus Days by Tanh Huynh

SECONDARY TEACHER

For the 8th grade Focus Days, students inquired on

how agriculture impacts different areas of life. We

read articles, watched video clips, and went to

AgroAsie to learn about the impact of agriculture on

the lives of Laos farmers. From our inquiry, the

students divided into groups to create awareness

campaigns that explain the impact of

agriculture. Students used stop-motion photography

to create their videos. The director of AgroAsie will

choose a few of the student videos to be added to

their website to raise awareness.

FAIR TRADE ADVERTISEMENT

HEALTH CARE YUBS AND CATS

LIFE CYCLE FILM

MORINGA SEED VIDEO

LIFE OF FARMER HAMZI

CLICK ON THE PICTURES TO

WATCH THE STUDENT VIDEOS

IBDP In ACTION

Page 17

Class of 2014

Our grade 11 students have been very

busy. They are well into the 12 month

process of their extended essays and will

continue their research and drafting over the

break as well as continuing projects with a

focus on creativity, action or service. In May,

they worked collaboratively on a first attempt at a

Theory of Knowledege (TOK) essay which is a

challenging task as it requires students to inquire into

questions about knowledge that are cross-disciplinary and

conceptual in nature. These students were able to complete

essays that expressed conclusions reached through sustained

consideration of knowledge questions. Final assessment in

TOK is comprised of a presentation and an essay. Each

student writes an essay on any one of six titles prescribed by

the IB for each examination session. I know that they will be

successful in the IB Diploma as they have demonstrated they

are developing as reflective learners and critical thinkers..

Class of 2013

Our grade 12 students began their final IBDP

exams on May 2 and these exams finished on

May 22. There are a number of different

possible exam combinations and a student could

write 3 exams in a single day and 15 exams in

May. The students reported that they were well

prepared for the exams and that the experience

was challenging and positive. I am very proud of

how well this cohort conducted themselves

during exams and collaborated throughout the

process. I have been privileged to work with

this group very closely since they were in

grade 10 and it was a pleasure to watch

them graduate from VIS on May 24 and

move on to the next phase in their lives.

The months April until June are not only the hottest months in Vientiane they are also the busiest months in the

Diploma Programme at VIS.

Diploma Update by Todd Richer

DP COORDINATOR

Class of 2015

Our grade 10 students are finishing course selection as they transition from the Middle Years Programme

(MYP) into the IB Diploma. In late March, VIS hosted

an IB Diploma Programme Information Evening as part of our induction into the Diploma that began last

November. Short presentations were given by our

Counselor, Ms. Nikki Hutchison, Ms. Julia Lachet our

Curriculum Coordinator for Languages and me. This was followed by an opportunity for families to speak to

our Curriculum Coordinators for Learning Areas and

course representatives. The purpose of the evening was for families to gain a deeper understanding of the

IB Diploma Programme and seek advice on designing

appropriate programmes for students in grade 10 that

will allow them pathways to further education. I wish the class of 2015 the best as they begin the Diploma in

August and I know they will find the programme

challenging and very rewarding.

Farewell Our family will be moving to Luanda,

Angola in August and Alison and I will

be working at Luanda International

School. It has been personally and

professionally rewarding being part of

the VIS community and coordinating

the Diploma Programme during a time

of dynamic improvement. I know that

next year’s Diploma Coordinator, Ms.

Teresa Foard, and the VIS Secondary

Curriculum Coordinators will

continue to move the VIS Diploma

Programme forward.

IBDP Exhibition

Page 18

“Creativity is the greatest gift

of human intelligence.”

Sir Ken Robinson, Out of Our Minds: Learning to be

Creative

It was a fantastic achievement when the Diploma

visual art class mounted their culminating

exhibition within their own community at’ i:gallery’

in March. The students have explored individual

concepts as independent learners as is required by

the DP Visual Arts course and each presented

unique interpretations of their investigation to an

audience of students, teachers, parents and

community members.

The work reflected very personal interpretations

of aspects of their personalities, their movement

between cultures and geography and the

complexity of relationships and resulted in

bodies of work they can truly be proud of.

The students where support by an enthusiastic

group who attended on the opening night and

I’m sure this group could see how the VIS is

nurturing creativity and were not

disappointed in the ways these students

communicated their understanding of their

world.

DP Geography

Page 19

Performing Arts

Page 20

The Performing Arts Department has

had several highlights in recent weeks.

Firstly we welcomed a packed audience

to the Black Box on a lazy Sunday

afternoon in May to experience a

concert, dreamily entitled ‘Someplace’.

A cast of 75 performers from all sec-

tions of the VIS community treated the

large audience to a variety of vocal and

instrumental music, each piece chosen

to evoke the images and sensations of

“some place’. As the program stated…

“ from cascading fountains to the walls

of Jericho, from Park Avenue to tribal

Africa, from laments that caution us to

value our Earth to songs that speak of a

yearning for homeland, we come

together to use the universal language

of music to celebrate our sense of

place’. The event was the next in a

series of Sunday afternoon concerts

which we plan to continue next year.

On Tuesday 21st, Mr Hotrich’s

after school Drama Club

presented a quirky and

colourful production of “

Through the Looking Glass”

based on the stories by Lewis

Carroll. A cast of madcap and

zanily costumed characters

(some of them quite scary!)

took us on a journey with

Alice through the strange

experiences she has ‘on the

other side’. The performance

had the entire secondary

school, together with the

Grade 5s, rolling in the aisles.

Who will forget the entrance

and exit of the White Knight?

Concerts

Drama Club

Photographs supplied

by

Adrian Gnaegi

Page 21

On Saturday May 18th, a small piece of

VIS history was made when the first

ever IB Diploma theatre students took

to the stage to bring to life a series of

short pieces in an evening of

performance entitled “ A Fistful of

Shorts”. The students had been

exploring the various practices of

contemporary actor training using

Stanislavski’s System and applied their

understandings to great effect and to a

small but highly appreciative audience.

As this edition goes to press, two more

performances are in rehearsal, one

featuring 8J, and one that involves the

entire Grade 9 student cohort. It is

anticipated that the Grade 9 piece will

be given a public performance on June

6th in the Black Box. Stay tuned for

more details!!

DP Theatre Arts

Photos:

Top: Darren ‘Effie’ Low as Dennis

Gandelmann

Middle: Kevin Nam and Silayan

Bertomeu in Ferris Wheel

Bottom: Ben Wright and Merrilee Mills

- Fistful of Shorts

Creativity,

Page 22

We are the VIS Green Team. Our mission is to bring awareness in

our community about environmental issues and to act upon it.

Last week, we picked up a large amount of litter within our school

vicinities. We plea for help from the entire school community to

stop land pollution at VIS. Are we Green or not?

From Shawn and Bob, Green team members

Let’s help reduce the amount of litter in VIS.

“ARE WE

GREEN OR

NOT?”

A team from Sunlabob came to do a pre-audit on VIS energy

consumption. The purpose of this pre-audit is for the Sunlabob

team to give us effective strategies to reduce VIS energy and

water consumption. The Green Team will then come up with a

action plan to reduce VIS energy and water consumption. The

Green Team is asking the entire school community to be

engaged in our combat for a better environment

and better future for the next

generation.

Community and Service

Page 23

Before and After by Carol Seymour and Garret Hotrich

SECONDARY TEACHERS

In November of 2011 the VIS grade 10 students

took on the project of rebuilding a primary school in

Ban Hat Vieng Kham, a small agricultural community on

the banks of the Nam Ngum River, about 45 kilometers

outside Vientiane. Students spent a week digging

foundation post holes, digging a septic hole, mixing and

pouring cement, cutting and nailing boards, and

generally starting the foundation work for the new

school.

They also spent time with the young Lao

students of the old two room wooden school house,

playing games, teaching English, and just having fun. VIS

students met, shared food with, and had a baci with the

villagers. They also played volleyball and football with

students of the nearby high school. The new school-

house is now complete, doubled in size, and is clean,

safe, and provides a comfortable learning environment

for the children in Hat Vieng Kham. VIS students are

justifiably proud of their hard work, commitment, and

caring in helping young Lao learners.

Page 24

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

by Garret Hotrich

SECONDARY TEACHER

As part of our final Focus days in

secondary students collected the paper from

around the school that had been put aside for the

students and Don Koi Children’s Development

Center. This is a relationship that we have had

for the last 18 years. The paper is distributed to

all at the center and they use it to draw, to write

news , to make books and other craft such as

bags that are sold at the Handicraft shops in VTE

capital. For the last 15 years they have not

needed to buy any paper.

The final two Youth Educating Youth Saturday School sessions

involved both the students and parents from Ban Saphanthong

Primary School. The BSST students’ parents were invited to

come to VIS and participate in lessons with their children at

the end of April. Then on the 8 June, 70 BSST students and

parents along with our VIS Student Teachers headed to the

Ban Keurn Zoo for a day of animal watching and learning. This

was a great way to experience first-hand the English lessons

that had been learned in the classrooms at VIS.

Youth Educating Youth

by Kim Green

Page 25

Celebrating Achievements

Academic Honor Rolls and Diligence honor Rolls

Honor Roll, Top Academic Student and Special Awards

Special Awards

These awards recognize students achievement across a variety of areas of school life from Athletics to the

Arts and Service.

Congratulations to our learners who have been recognized for being consistently diligent with their learning and

for demonstrating excellence through their achievements across all areas of school life.

Academic Honor Roll recognises students who have received four 6's (or three 6’s in Grade 11-12),

no other grade below a 3 along with and their approaches to learning are all within the grade level

expectation bands.

Honor Roll for diligence recognises students who have demonstrated excellent and

very good approaches to learning across all subject areas. This is indicated by the majority

of the approaches to learning criteria being in the top level of the grade level expectation bands.

Golden Dragon

These are awarded to students who have received Academic Honor roll for both semesters in a school year.

Top Academic Student

These awards recognize students who are the top academic students for their grade across the course of the

School year.

Academic and Dilligence Golden Dragons Top Academic Special Awards

Sports News

Page 26

Mekong Dolphins Score High at

Regional Swim Meet by Jim Chamberlain

PARENT and Mekong Dolphins Swim Club Chairman

On Saturday the 25th of May the Mekong Dolphins Club

represented VIS at the International School of Ho Chi Minh City

Invitational Swimming Meet. With nine schools competing,

including the perennial powerhouse British International School,

the Dolphins put on a spectacular performance against stiff

competition in all age groups to finish fifth overall, and fourth

for the men’s team. This is a remarkable achievement, the best

ever showing for VIS in four years of international competition.

There were countless personal best performances from the

whole club and it was great for the swimmers to receive

recognition for all of their hard work in the months leading up

to the meet.

Among the many medalists, Ritchie Oh, age 10, winner

of gold medals in the 100 meter Individual Medley, 100

Butterfly, 100 meter back, and 400 meter freestyle, received a

trophy for scoring the most points for swimmers in his 9-10 age

group. Other top scorers were Ritco Oh (age 8), with a silver in

the 50 meter breast stroke, and a bronze in the 25; Mathew

Fennema (age 9) with a gold in the 50 meter butterfly, silver for

the 200 freestyle; and Vivie Chamberlain (age 11) with silver

medals in the 100 and 400 freestyle, and bronzes in the 200 IM

and 100 Backstroke.

Other individual medal winners were Maria Fennema (2

bronze), Monica Fennema (1 bronze), and Fabian Hofmann (1

bronze). The Dolphins placed second in the Girls 8 & Under

Freestyle Relay (Ritco, Jessica F, Tara, Emelia); third in the Boys

9-10 Freestyle Relay (Ritchie, Matthew, Moritz, Ji Sang), and;

third in the Girls 11-12 Freestyle Relay (Maria, Vivie, Jessica M,

Leonie).

Watching the team swim this year was a tremendous

inspiration. They received 28 gold, silver and bronze medals

combined, a formidable display of technique and talent.

All of our swimmers have worked hard in the build-up

to this year’s competition. The results they have achieved are

due to their dedication and hard work, a solid platform for the

coming year when we look forward to having our own pool for

the first time.

Counsellor's News

Page 27

On May 21st the grade 5 students crossed

over into the secondary school to shadow the grade 6

cohort. They arrived to a plenary session with big

smiles, full backpacks and a few butterflies – not quite

knowing what to expect. Each grade 6 student took a

few of their younger classmates under their wing and

showed them the ropes of secondary school.

They enjoyed following the grade 6 students

from class to class and learned the difference between

PYP and MYP. Several of them even thought it was

pretty cool to have lunch with the secondary students.

After lunch, grades 5’s were in for a treat and

they watched a drama production, “The Looking

Glass” which was performed by the grade 8 students.

Later in the week, Ms. Nikki joined the grade

5’s and talked about what to expect in high school:

Advisory, what to put in their backpack, how to use

break time effectively, and the importance of

showering after P.E. The biggest buzz was around

how to use a combination lock. They are keen to get

that skill mastered before heading to secondary

school!

“I found out that in the MYP the students need to

go to different rooms to work and in PYP we

don’t need to go to many rooms. I enjoyed it!

There are different types of subjects for example:

Humanities, Language B, P.E, and English.” -Syaif

“I learned you have a bigger responsibility with

your work because there is a lot more work and

it's harder and it has to be a lot more detailed. I

learned you will have a lot more project and

exams. I also learned that you will be assessed on

your movements and performance in P.E.” -

Marcus

“Wow! Shadow day was great. I think I know

more not just because someone answered my

questions but also because I was experiencing it

myself. I know that they have projects in middle

school too though maybe not as big as the

Exhibition all the time.”

Grade 5 Shadow Day

by Nikki Hutchison

COUNSELLOR

Community News

THANK YOU AND FAREWELL TO OUR LEAVING STAFF

Page 28

Todd Richer

DP COORDINATOR

Alison Francis

PYP COORDINATOR Nikki HUtchison

COUNSELLOR

John Fortin

SCIENCE TEACHER

Anja Debo PE TEACHER

Geoff Piggott ENGLISH A TEACHER

Emily Goodrum GRADE 1 TEACHER Harris Kara

GERMAN MT TEACHER

Olafur Asgeirsson

IT MANAGER

Anousit Koulavong IT TECHNICIAN

Soulasith Nilavong

IT TECHNICIAN

Phet Souvannarath

CASHIER

Sikanda Phommavong FRENCH T.A.

Nat Douangdara

FRENCH T.A.

Ekk Sithiboune GARDENER

Khamsay Teungthanouansy GUARD

Pingkham Thongpanith

CLEANER

Cecile Lee EARLY YEARS T.A.

Thank you

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