News for Parents

To celebrate the last day of the first term, IGS shone with vibrant decorations under the blue sky. The Tet celebration took place on February 7, 2024, bringing together students from different classes in the forum, with the highlight undoubtedly being the students’ contributions, from a play performed by Class 2, to traditional songs leading up to the lion dance by Class 9.
The Year of the Dragon was joyously welcomed before the first half of the school year came to an end for all students at 12:00 noon.

For days, the children in the U6 area have eagerly stood by the windows, watching the older school children rehearse the dragon dance. Quickly, the thought occurred to us: we can do that too! So, the newcomers to school watched closely and, in preschool, explored what makes a good dragon dance and everything that goes into it. Having fun during the daily rehearsals was, of course, part of the process! 
For the grand finale, the older children gave a performance of their dragon dance to the younger children from houses D and G, receiving enthusiastic applause.

SAVE THE DATE
The IGS will open its doors on March 9, 2024, from 9:00 AM to 11:00 PM for all interested guests and parents. Our team from the Kindergarten, Preschool, and Primary School looks forward to welcoming you to our campus. In addition to activities for the little ones, our educators and teachers will be available for you.

As soon as the Christmas decorations are wrapped up and safely stowed away, the preparations for the Tet festival begin. The Year of the Dragon is particularly eagerly awaited by everyone, because the dragon promises prosperity, wisdom and luck for the new year.
For this reason, the children from the U6 area made lanterns, dragons and of course Li Xi bags this week, in which a small amount of money, the “Lucky Money”, is traditionally given away. The rooms were carefully decorated and of course the first Tet songs can be heard here and there.
Next week the time will have come: the big Tet celebration is on the program and the children are already eagerly waiting for the lion dance, which, like every year, is the culmination of the first half of the school year and will be performed by secondary school students.

The new year had barely begun when the parents and educators from the U6 area met for the first “Coffee with us” of 2024.
This time the question was how parents can support the children in mastering the exciting everyday life in kindergarten and the school entry program. For example, it was about the background to the topic of punctuality when dropping off and picking up, bringing along important items such as uniforms, water bottles, etc., but also about the fact that the children’s everyday life can be strenuous and debilitating for them, because the  kindergarten and school entry programs are also work.
The children learn, try things out, experience successes, but of course setbacks that they have to deal with. It is therefore important to support children so that they can take part in and benefit from all activities.
The parents themselves also had great suggestions for future projects, such as a board game exchange where board and board games can be borrowed for use at home.
The next Coffee with us will not take place again until May 20, 2024. In the meantime, we would like to draw your attention to our Open Day, which will take place on Saturday, March 9th, 2024. Exciting and fun activities await your children and you can talk to your children’s teachers. Of course, drinks and small snacks are also provided.

Have you ever wondered about Vietnamese fairy tales? Are they the same stories as the western stories? Are they interesting to read? Are they only for children?
Vietnamese fairy tales are considered as fiction and are usually anonymous, although some stories may be explanations for certain things and phenomena in life. The stories are transmitted orally in folklore by Vietnamese people and tell imaginary stories revolving around a number of heroes, events, gods, animals, fairies, Buddhas and demons. Each story is a lesson in morality, behaviour, fairness, etc. However, they often carry elements of myth and fantasy.

During the library lessons in the past weeks, our secondary students completed the project “Vietnamese Fairy Tales” to gain a deeper understanding of Vietnamese culture and customs through classic and popular fairy tales and they also designed some unique posters of their favourite books.

Team-building in Class 5

When I asked the class what they thought the term “teambuilding” meant, the pupils could answer straight away. After all, it’s about working as a team and strengthening trust among each other and to develop a “sense of unity”. Through trust exercises in groups of two or three, the pupils try to get involved with each other through various trust games. The prerequisite for this is to be allowed to move within a certain framework in terms of rules.
First and foremost, it’s about having fun and gathering both positive and supposedly negative experiences as a group, which can be reflected on together in a constant dialogue. What could perhaps have been done differently to achieve the goal? The students must be taught that each individual is an important part of the overall group.

The International German School wishes you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2024.

As we approach the most magical time of the year, our school community gathered for an enchanting Nikolaus Concert that transported us into a winter wonderland of musical delight. The air was filled with the sweet strains of classic carols, and our hearts were warmed by the outstanding performances of our very own musical talents.
The concert featured timeless pieces such as the hauntingly beautiful Coventry Carol, the soul-soothing Zither Carol, the serene Stille Nacht, the delicate Es ist ein Ros entsprungen, and the awe-inspiring O Holy Night. Each note, carefully crafted and passionately played, echoed through the atrium of Villa H, creating an atmosphere of pure joy and holiday spirit.
Our talented musicians, Julian Nguyen and Viet Nguyen, took centre stage with their exceptional violin performances, captivating the audience with every bow stroke. 
The decorations, meticulously arranged by our dedicated volunteers, transformed the auditorium into a festive retreat. Twinkling lights, festive wreaths,created a cosy and welcoming ambiance. Who could forget the special guest in attendance? St. Nikolaus himself graced us with his presence, quietly taking a seat among the audience. It was heartwarming to see him enjoying the music, a reminder of the joy and togetherness that the holiday season brings.
During the intermission, our community came together to enjoy delicious snacks and drinks, sharing laughter and creating memories that will last a lifetime. Everyone was dressed in their festive best, adding an extra touch of elegance to this joyous occasion.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all who contributed to making this event a resounding success. A special word goes out to the choir members for their hard work and dedication, and our musicians who worked so hard to make their performances memorable.
May the spirit of the season continue to inspire us all and bring warmth to our hearts.

During the Christmas market, our IGS community had the opportunity to welcome some of the girls from the Suoi Sao orphanage. For the first time, the girls visited the city and our school. It is a great honour for us to enjoy their wonderful traditional dancing performance. The girls were very happy to perform in front of the audience. As a Christmas present, the students from classes 10 to 12 raised money for the orphanage. 
Before the TET holiday, the students will visit them at the Orphanage again. 
On behalf of the IGS team, we sincerely wish you a Merry Christmas filled with joy and love.

Reading Day
Reading day is not just for the little ones!
On December 13th, The IGS students had a special task in their Advent calendar – reading aloud to others.
Based on International Reading Day, a reading day also takes place at the IGS every year, which appeals to both older and younger people. There are different constellations: for example, the secondary school reads to the primary school, the primary school to the preschool, but the teachers also read to our students outside of normal lessons.
Beautiful moments arise especially when the little ones suddenly turn the tables: the picture book is quickly snatched away, the story is told by a child and the young person listens to the imaginative story.
Reading day places equal value on all of our school’s languages and stories and poems were read out today in German, English, Vietnamese and French. A big thank you goes out to all readers!

As an alternative to the scientifically focused IJSO day, students in classes 5 – 9 who were interested in sports had the option of participating in a sports day. Like the big sports day at the end of the last school year, this took place on the grounds of the SSA Sports Center. The approximately 35 participating students were allowed to independently divide themselves into four groups and then competed against each other in various sports.
It was particularly nice to see that our students can cooperate very well across classes. The school looks forward to continued participation in sporting events in the future.

At the conclusion of the current year 2023, Class 3 spent a shared movie night at school. The Christmas film ‘Klaus’ was watched in a cosy atmosphere in the classroom. Thanks to contributions from home, there was a diverse selection of snacks and finger foods during the movie.
In addition, the children could enjoy home-made popcorn eaten from their own from self-crafted bags.
It was a lovely class-internal conclusion before the upcoming Christmas holidays!”

We celebrate Christmas with bunnies, foxes and bears
In the last week before the Christmas holidays, the children, parents and educators met again for their group Christmas parties to end 2024 together.
The parents provided a large buffet with all sorts of Christmas delicacies and were rewarded by their children with a Christmas play, Christmas carols or small homemade gifts.
This year, the parents of the kindergarten rehearsed a little play themselves and surprised the children with the story “There is a knock at Wanja’s in the night”. The children’s eyes were wide and they were much more happy to experience the well-known story of the rabbit, fox and bear, how they find shelter with Vanya during a terrible snowstorm.
Now everyone is looking forward to a Merry Christmas with their families and a wonderful start to 2024.
We, the educators of the U6 area, would like to thank all parents for their trust and good cooperation in 2023 and wish you a peaceful pre-Christmas period, a peaceful Christmas and a happy new year.

As we approach the most magical time of the year, our school community gathered for an enchanting Nikolaus Concert that transported us into a winter wonderland of musical delight. The air was filled with the sweet strains of classic carols, and our hearts were warmed by the outstanding performances of our very own musical talents.
The concert featured timeless pieces such as the hauntingly beautiful Coventry Carol, the soul-soothing Zither Carol, the serene Stille Nacht, the delicate Es ist ein Ros entsprungen, and the awe-inspiring O Holy Night. Each note, carefully crafted and passionately played, echoed through the atrium of Villa H, creating an atmosphere of pure joy and holiday spirit.
Our talented musicians, Julian Nguyen and Viet Nguyen, took centre stage with their exceptional violin performances, captivating the audience with every bow stroke. 
The decorations, meticulously arranged by our dedicated volunteers, transformed the auditorium into a festive retreat. Twinkling lights, festive wreaths,created a cosy and welcoming ambiance. Who could forget the special guest in attendance? St. Nikolaus himself graced us with his presence, quietly taking a seat among the audience. It was heartwarming to see him enjoying the music, a reminder of the joy and togetherness that the holiday season brings.
During the intermission, our community came together to enjoy delicious snacks and drinks, sharing laughter and creating memories that will last a lifetime. Everyone was dressed in their festive best, adding an extra touch of elegance to this joyous occasion.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all who contributed to making this event a resounding success. A special word goes out to the choir members for their hard work and dedication, and our musicians who worked so hard to make their performances memorable.
May the spirit of the season continue to inspire us all and bring warmth to our hearts.

Advent Surprises
On the first of December, the live Advent calendar of the IGS opened its first door – the school choir sang the first Christmas songs for the IGS family. Meanwhile, it has become an IGS tradition in December that the door of our live Advent calendar is opened daily – behind it, there are small surprises for children and adults. 
What surprises will there be this year? I’ll only reveal this much – they will be musical, sporty, scientific, and delicious!
The IGS wishes everyone a contemplative Advent season!

Dear Wonderful Families
My global journey to spread joy and share sweet treats has left me feeling a bit worn out, so I’ll keep this note brief. It’s been an absolute joy to meet countless kind-hearted children this year. I’m genuinely impressed by the goodness I’ve witnessed—a testament, perhaps, to parents doing an exceptional job in guiding their little ones.
Whether it’s the water, the food, or the magic of love, something special is happening. To all the amazing children and their families, I wish you days filled with laughter, peace, and all the wondrous things this festive season brings.
May your Christmas sparkle with joy and be blessed with magical moments.
Warmest wishes
Nikolaus