General information F-r

Homework

All children from F3 to Year 6 will participate in a homework programme. Homework is regarded as an essential part of school life and is aimed at revising and extending concepts covered in the classroom. Daily reading, and other activities are set throughout the week by the relevant year groups. Homework also helps to establish a disciplined self-study work ethic at home. 

The time allocation for homework increases as the children progress through the school and their levels of expected independence increase too.

Many homework tasks will be set via Seesaw for most year groups, or Google Classroom for upper primary students. More information about this can be obtained from your child’s class teacher.

If your child experiences difficulty with homework tasks, please see the classroom teacher or write a note in the School Diary.

How you can help with homework

Teachers and parents need to work together to ensure that children meet the objectives of the set homework. Parents can do this by:

• Motivating and supporting their child

• Establishing a proper study area where it is quiet and there are no distractions.

• Providing the resources they require e.g. pencils, erasers, paper.

• Establishing a set time each day for homework to be completed for younger children and, for older children, helping them to set their own times and to keep to this timetable.

• Helping the child develop basic organisational skills such as recognising priorities and working to deadlines.

• Completing entries in the School Diary to inform the teacher of any unusual circumstances or problems encountered by the child.

Houses

It is traditional in many English schools and British International Schools to operate a house system and here at BIS HCMC we are no different.

This is a friendly competition between children and involves children from all the year groups working together to accumulate points for their house.

On the Junior Campus, weekly and half-termly prizes are given for leading house point recipients through a weekly draw in the Friday assemblies. In addition, a House Cup is presented at the end of each term to the house with the most points.

All children are assigned to one of four houses. The four houses are named Hanoi (red), Saigon (blue), Hue (yellow) and Dalat (green). (Siblings are not necessarily allocated the same houses).

House points are awarded for any aspect of school life e.g. good behaviour, effort, initiative, good work. The accumulated number of points are totalled each week and form part of a weekly assembly.

Learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

When children join or continue within the EYFS at the start of the school year, there are many new experiences, new environments, routines, adults and other children for them to get to know. At BIS HCMC we believe that these early days are vital in helping children to develop positive attitudes towards learning.  In line with good UK practice, the first few weeks for all children are staggered where children are invited to sessions in smaller groups for shorter periods that increase as they become more familiar and prepared for the full school day.

Rest times

There are opportunities for those children in F1 and F2 who need to rest to do so for a short time in the afternoon, but we do urge you to establish early bed time routines with your child. 

Learning at the Early Years and infant (eyic) and junior Campuses (jc). 

At BIS HCMC we are global citizens learning together. The school places an emphasis on the individual’s responsibility to the school and wider community in our host country, Vietnam.

For information about the curriculum areas and topics taught in each year, every term, refer to the links on the relevant year group pages of this website.

Lunch

BIS provides a set lunch for all pupils, F1 to Year 6, as part of the fee structure. There is a daily choice of a hot meals as well as a freshly made sandwich option from our Deli Bar. A vegetarian option is available daily. The menus run on a four week cycle. Children are shown the daily choices each morning during registration time when they choose their meal for that day. Our Primary campuses are nut free and no nuts or nut oils are used in the preparation of canteen food.

Parents may still decide to send a packed lunch to school, but should note that there will be no refund from the school fees. Food sent from home should be a cold packed lunch only; school is not permitted to reheat food that has been brought in from outside.  The packed lunch placed in the fridges or baskets provided in the Canteen when families arrive at school first thing in the morning. Lunch boxes should not contain any glass bottles or jars and they should be clearly named, and as we are a nut-free school please ensure that this is adhered to. Please ensure your child will be able to eat their lunch with the minimum amount of help.

As we continue to help promote healthy lifestyles both at home and at school, parents should try to provide a nutritious packed lunch. We discourage unhealthy food. Sweets, chewing gum, chocolate and fizzy drinks are not permitted. Deliveries of hot food to school are not permitted.

Children in F1 classes have their lunch in their classrooms. All other children eat their lunch in the school canteens.

To view the lunch menus for each campus please visit our website via the link below:

OUTstanding learners - bis style

Here at BIS HCMC, we are fully aware that to be an outstanding learner, you do not need to be incredibly academic or high achieving, but instead you need to have a holistic view of learning in the 21st Century. To understand how that looks, we refer to our Aide Memoire attributes to help guide us. In conjunction with our wonderful students, staff and teachers, we designed a set of outstanding learning statements which sum up our learners  at BIS HCMC. These statements can be seen in our colourful banners linked below, in many classrooms and locations across both campuses and are accessible to all students in the Primary School, from Fundinotots through to Year 6. The first banner is used in the EYIC, and the latter at our Junior Campus. Hopefully you too embody what it takes to be an Outstanding Learner.

Playtimes

There are designated areas to play different types of games at both the EYIC and JC and staff are always on duty during break times, as well as before school (from 7:45am at EYIC and 7.30am at JC) to supervise children in the playground and canteen areas. 

Playground apparatus

Children are encouraged to play safely on the climbing apparatus and with the other equipment. Children should keep their shoes on in the playground area and wear the correct footwear at all times. There are also areas where children can be quiet, if they wish.

Policies and procedures

If you would like more information about school policies, the following documents are available from the head of campus’ PA in either campus office:

• Admission

• Child Collection

• Communication with parents

• Complaints

• Drug policies

• EAL & Homework Policies

• Learning Technology 

• Positive Behaviour 

• Reporting Policy

• Assessment

Questions, Concerns or Complaints

The first point of contact for any parent who needs more information is your child’s class teacher. If they cannot resolve the problem for you then please contact the Year Group Leader or another senior member of staff who will endeavour to solve any issues that you have. If further resolution is still required, a copy of the school’s Complaints Policy can be obtained from the school office.

Reading

Reading books

Every child of Primary school age has a reading book. This book is matched to ability and is part of a recognised reading scheme, until the child reaches the stage of “free reading” at fluency level.

Children are expected to bring their reading book home every evening as reading at home is an integral part of their homework. 

Library books

Every child in the school can borrow library books. The books will be checked out and the borrower is responsible for their return in good condition. A replacement charge will be levied on lost or damaged books.

There are weekly library sessions and all children are requested to change their books during these sessions or during break times and after school.

Children may, of course, keep the books for a longer period if they so wish by checking them out again on/or before the due date.

Reading Record in the School Diary 

Each child has a section in their Diary to record reading at home. Please write a comment or encourage your child to write a comment about their reading each time they read with an adult or on their own at home. 

Reading - How you can help

F3, Year 1, Year 2 

• Keep reading sessions short and regular.

• Build your child’s confidence by offering lots of praise and encouragement. Rather than pointing out that an answer is wrong, you could say, “You are almost right. Let’s try again together!”

• Encourage your child to see how reading can be useful (finding out information, following instructions) and enjoyable (reading a story).

• Ask your child questions about the text to be sure that s/he has understood what they have read.

• Act as a model for your child. Let your child see you reading for a variety of purposes, including enjoyment. Read your child a bedtime story.

 Years 3, 4, 5, 6

At this stage children are developing further reading skills and parent involvement can help them develop these. 

• Continue reading at night with your child. This is a vital way of developing in them a love of reading.

• Keep reading sessions short and regular.

• Encourage him/her to read quietly before going to sleep.

• Make sure your child knows the purpose for his/her reading e.g. finding information, pleasure, skimming for essential elements etc.

• Encourage your child to ask for help, but give this help by asking questions rather than telling them the answer.

• Ask your child to show you what s/he has read or to give a brief summary of a text.

• Point out mistakes briefly and praise what s/he has got right.

• Let your child see you read for different purposes.

• Encourage your child to keep a reading diary listing the books s/he has read and perhaps making a comment.