News for Parents

PRE-SCHOOLERS DISCOVER DRY ICE!
The preschool children at the International German School HCMC embarked on an exciting adventure. They had the opportunity to visit the laboratory and be enchanted by the fascinating properties of dry ice.
The preschool group was warmly welcomed by Mr. Kehm, who shared his knowledge and passion with the young explorers. Arriving at the lab, they were greeted by a stunning demonstration involving dry ice – solid carbon dioxide that exists at extremely low temperatures.
Mr. Kehm explained to the preschoolers in simple terms how dry ice is made and what properties it has. He showed them how, when they touch warm surfaces, it immediately begins to steam and creates impressive wafts of fog. The little explorers’ eyes widened as they watched this seemingly magical process.
The children also had the opportunity to experiment with dry ice. Under Mr. Kehm’s watchful eye, they were able to place it in clear, warm water and observe how it turned into gas in a matter of seconds, and in a washing-up liquid solution, which led to the formation of volcano-like bubbles. The little explorers were amazed by the rapid changes and the effect that the dry ice had on their surroundings.
The visit to the laboratory was an unforgettable experience for the IGS preschool group. The young explorers’ enthusiasm and curiosity were piqued and they were encouraged to continue their own research journey.

Class 9 builds and explores electric drives in physics lessons
In Class 9 physics lessons, everything revolved around electric drives and the fascinating construction of electric motors. The students had the opportunity to put theoretical knowledge into practice and build their own working electric motors.
Under the expert guidance of their physics teacher, students began learning the basics of electrical circuits and how electric motors work. The students learned how electricity and magnetism work together to create rotational motion.
After the students had understood the theoretical concepts, it was time to build their own electric motors. They were given a variety of materials, including copper wire, magnets, batteries, and sheets of wood. With great enthusiasm and commitment, they got to work and began to assemble their engines step by step.
Once the electric motors were ready, the moment of truth came. The students connected their motors to the batteries and watched with excitement as the coils began to turn. A beaming smile spread across their faces as they saw the success of their own constructions.
Building electric motors in Physics Class 9 at the International German School HCMC was not only a fun and engaging experience, but also a way for the students to improve their practical skills and deepen their understanding of the principles of physics.
Such projects encourage independent learning, teamwork and critical thinking in the students.

The “IGS Selection” is picking up speed!
Only ten minutes left on the clock! A game at a very high footballing level is entering its final phase. The team around captain Minh and striker Luong had already combined dangerously in front of the opposing goal several times. Suddenly a nasty foul in the penalty area – penalty for the “IGS Selection”! Paul of all people, the youngest player in the team, is motivated by his teammates to play and converts confidently. 
Unfortunately it is only one of the three needed to equalise and ends the game with the final score. Nevertheless, the IGS football team, which has been growing strongly in recent months and consists of students from grades 7-11, showed a disciplined performance and gave the opponent a difficult afternoon in the friendly game on June 1st.
The opponents were a selection of players from  the European International School – a team with a long tradition and therefore much more experience. This is one of the reasons why the result can definitely be booked as a success for the “IGS Selection” and motivates the players for future challenges. But the incredibly high level of fan support also shows that such sporting events, especially football, are met with great enthusiasm and should therefore be supported as best as possible. 
A number of teachers, students and friends accompanied the team and did everything they could to support it, especially loudly. More of this, please – that’s how football is fun!

How can it be that food goes into the body but faeces come out?
The third-grade students got to the bottom of this question in a series of experiments. As little explorers, they studied the path of their own chyme (a chewed slice of bread) through the body. The functions of the individual digestive organs could be experienced both haptically and visually: pantyhose served as the oesophagus through which the chyme was pushed.Vinegar essence served as the stomach acid and the large intestine was embodied by a muslin cloth through which the chyme was pressed in order to add the liquid to the chyme bolus. The little researchers find out that digestion is an exciting and not so disgusting thing as initially thought.
What was probably most interesting for most children was that there is a digestive organ in their bodies that is almost as long as their own classroom. Which digestive organ is that?
Solution (read backwards): enitsetniegral
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This visit was particularly special as we were able to fundraise more than ever before, this would not have been possible without the incredibly generous donations from the IGS Parents Council Fund, teachers and students. Your kindness means a great deal to this community and will have an enormous impact upon their quality of life. Thanks to the efforts of our class 9 girls and SV charity team members we were able to organise our first ever IGS milk tea stand in school and raise over 6 million vnd in donations for the orphanage. The milk tea was a big hit with the students and they were able to create a healthier alternative to the traditional ingredients. We would also like to say a big thank you to Zeroism Cafe in Thao Dien for their very generous donation of handmade vegan boba for the teas.

Our class 3 students were excited to welcome our special guest to the art room this week. We were lucky to get the opportunity to work with professional artist, photographer and curator Lien Pham from WeDoGood, a specialist risograph printing studio based here in Saigon. 
Risograph printing is a technique best described as ‘digital screen printing’. The process is similar to screen printing, but with the convenience of an office copier. It’s known for its vivid colours (that other printers can’t produce) and its specific textures.
The students had plenty of questions about how the printing process worked and what they could make using this technique. Lien brought a wide range of examples of beautiful artworks WeDoGood have produced, from books to art posters to inspire the children.
She then invited them to collaborate with her to create a special design for our upcoming anniversary celebrations. The students were asked to draw some of their favourite memories from their time at IGS. These drawings were then scanned and will be turned into beautiful colourful postcards for them to share at our Vernissage event on Saturday 24th June. We can’t wait to share what we have made with you!
If you are interested in learning more about risograph printing or would like to commission your own print designs you can follow their work online. Lien and the team host regular public workshops for anyone interested in working in this medium and they have a wide range of art from local artists available. 
https://www.facebook.com/weedoogood 
@wedogood.riso 

Want to get a taste of university life? Nothing easier than that! On Thursday, May 25th, classes 8-11 had the opportunity to visit the Vietnamese-German University. What exactly was done? Read on here and you will get Adrian’s experience report from Class 11.
go to Experience report  (by Adrian Dolejschka, class 11) 

On May 23, the IGS carried out a fire drill in cooperation with the fire department of Thu Duc city. The exercise began with an evacuation of the entire school, which was accomplished within 4 minutes. After the students returned from the assembly points, the fire brigade put on an exciting demonstration with fire, lots of smoke and water.

Every good school is in a constant process of development. Development is the guarantee for contemporary learning and therefore essential for the quality of any educational institution. That is why, at the beginning of this week, our esteemed process facilitator from the ZfA, Peter Wollenweber, visited the IGS to advise and support us in our school’s development process.
From Monday to Wednesday, Mr. Wollenweber had many interesting conversations with our dedicated colleagues and took the time to advise our active project and working groups, providing them with valuable insights for their ongoing work. His visit enabled us to engage in an intensive dialogue to reflect on current developments and also gain valuable insights into proven practices and innovative approaches.
At this point, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to Mr. Wollenweber for his valuable support. We are already looking forward to his next visit in September and to reaping the next fruits of our ongoing work in developing the school.

With the 2022/23 school year on the home stretch, a new and exciting chapter for school entrants is fast approaching… school enrollment!
A few weeks ago, the children were able to vote for their new class animal, which will accompany them in the four years of primary school. The choice fell on the whale with a large majority! In order to get the parents in the right mood for this new and big phase of their children’s lives and at the same time to provide them with all the information they need, we invited them to a parents’ evening.
With a glass of sparkling wine in hand, the parents were given the opportunity to get a taste of the Class 1 classroom, to get to know the rituals and processes of the elementary school and to become active themselves on our so-called letter path.
After partaking in some refreshment, the parents were able to let their creativity run free when designing the school cones. We are already looking forward to the eyes of the future whale children when they are presented with the school cone during the school enrollment party in summer!

The ability to swim is incredibly important for children so that they can stay safe in and around the ocean, beach and pool. It is important to start swimming lessons as early as possible so that the children become safe as soon as possible.
The U6 area has therefore firmly integrated swimming lessons for the preschool children into the timetable. Together with the sports teacher Mr. Tietz, the prospective first graders go to the swimming pool every Tuesday. But the kindergarten children don’t miss out either. A paddling pool is set up for the younger children every Friday so that Explorers can learn about water safety in a fun environment. The swim and splash lessons provide Explorers and Researchers with the skills to become strong, safe and confident swimmers in the water in a fun and encouraging environment.

Things got very mysterious in the U6 area this week. Entering the homes of Researchers and Explorers, you would see them busily painting jars and baking cookies. That can only be for Mother’s Day on May 14th. Faust once said: “A mother’s influence on the lives of her children is immeasurable.” For young children, their mother is their first friend, breadwinner, teacher and more. Mothers play an infinite number of roles in children’s lives, none of which should be taken for granted.
That’s what we’re celebrating on this beautiful Mother’s Day. The whole week focused on family. Starting with a large family circle, where many mums and dads visited the U6 area and introduced the families to us together with their children. There were many great stories and creative activities throughout the week, but the most important people remained the moms.
Dear moms, the children and teachers of the U6 area wish you a happy Mother’s Day!

Cooperation has many faces. It is reflected in solution-oriented cooperation, in joint thought processes, mutual support and joint process orientation.
The visit by a group of students from the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (USSH) should also be viewed against this background. Student teachers from the German faculty of the university visited the IGS under the direction of Ms. Phuong. During a lecture and a subsequent tour, the students got into conversation with teachers at the IGS and were able to exchange ideas and concepts.
We thank Ms. Phuong and the students for their visit and look forward to further cooperation between the two institutions.

To celebrate World Book Day on April 23rd, we, the people responsible for the school entry program, invited the children of Class 1, the preschool children and their parents to a reading evening on the IGS campus.
Books of all kinds in German, English and Vietnamese were read out loud around a crackling campfire and in cozy reading corners. Of course, classics like “The Gruffalo” or “Pippi Longstocking” were particularly popular here.
The children were not only allowed to have these read to them by their parents or the teachers, but also by middle school students. Van, Merel and Michael were not only a great enrichment for the evening with their open and cordial natures, but also with their reading skills. A big highlight was the presentation of the story “Elmar” as Kamishibai by Michael. In terms of popularity, this could only be surpassed by the delicious popcorn, which was literally on everyone’s lips.
Many thanks from the pre-school team to you three, Van, Merel and Michael, but also to the great help from Ms. Schaffer, Mr. Wiesen, Ms. Polzin and of course all the helpers!

Grade 8 have just finished an animation project where they developed their ability in using computational thinking. They were challenged to recreate a movie scene using the skills of problem solving through using algorithms, abstraction, pattern recognition and decomposition.
You can see the projects and how they work with the user’s mouse pointer here.

We had a visit from Germany this week from Ms. Silvana Bluhm and Mr. Dirk Thormann. Both names are not unfamiliar to the IGS: Ms. Bluhm is the Deputy Chair of our school sponsor, the Foundation for Education & Crafts, and Mr. Thormann was the principal of the IGS from 2015-2021.
Both were in Ho Chi Minh City for a week and attended numerous  meetings, both with IGS staff and with Vietnamese authorities.
They were both impressed by the convivial work atmosphere at the school.
“The IGS is a centrepiece of German life in the midst of Vietnamese culture, where we felt at home. It was a wonderful insight into the togetherness at the IGS!” (Silvana Bluhm)