News for Parents

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)

In the last two weeks, through a series of experiments, we have learned how to determine energy changes that occur during chemical reactions. Our experiments included a variety of chemical processes that required the use of different methods and equipment.
In one of the experiments, we measured the released energy during the combustion reaction using a self-made calorimeter, which allowed us to compare the efficiency of different fuels. Other experiments involved the measurement of temperature changes, which were then plotted on  a graph in order to calculate the energy changes during these reactions.
During our chemistry lessons we have learned a lot about experimental methods and how to effectively recycle the resultant waste. Luckily, the experiments went smoothly and we gathered enough data that will allow us to learn how to analyse data and how to evaluate the results. We had a valuable experience.

The IGS team wishes you a Happy Easter and relaxing holidays!

As part of the International Baccalaureate community, it is the task of the International German School Ho Chi Minh City and its teachers to continue their education regarding the latest pedagogical concepts and new standards in the examination process. Our science teachers and our IB coordinator had the opportunity to do this last weekend in Singapore. In three IB workshops, new pedagogical guidelines and examination formats in the natural sciences as well as strategies for implementation were discussed with the help of which the school communities could get even more involved in the pedagogical work. A large number of ideas and concepts were brought home to Ho Chi Minh City, which can now be integrated into lessons and school life. We are already looking forward to the next opportunity for further training!

One of the diverse range of work groups offered by the IGS gives the students the opportunity to expand their skills in the field of environmental protection every week. In the context of this environmental working group, a two-part workshop of the Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation took place on the last two Mondays. The NGO supports disadvantaged children in Vietnam and aims to improve their living conditions in the long term.
In conversation with the foundation’s experts, we learned how the climate catastrophe and the associated environmental pollution are particularly affecting people living in poverty and what support options we have. In the coming weeks, the students of the environmental working group will implement this knowledge creatively and pass it on to their classmates as multipliers.
The environmental working group would like to thank the experts of the Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation for their commitment and for conducting this exciting workshop.

The days are getting longer, Lent has begun and with it the preparations for Easter. In the kindergartens and after-school care centres in Germany, Easter is prepared for in many ways: by looking at and discussing picture books on the subject of Easter and with lots of creative handicraft ideas. The hunt for the Easter Bunny has also begun in the U6 area.
During this week, the researchers and explorers prepared and made all sorts of things for Easter – coloured eggs, pom-pom chicks and baking were on the program. With a lot of enthusiasm, fun and creativity, rabbits, Easter eggs, chicks, flowers and roosters were created this week. The Resourceful Researchers went on an Easter scavenger hunt across the entire campus together with Harry Hase.

This week the oral examinations of the German Language Diploma I (DSD I) of the Conference of Ministers of Education took place. As part of the DSD I, it is determined to what extent the students have already developed language skills at level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). As part of the oral exams, the examiners could look forward to exciting lectures on various topics. Among other things, there was a technical lecture on the importance of artificial intelligence, the presentation of sociological questions on the importance of reading and a delicious presentation on the history of the Black Forest cake.
A total of 23 IGS students took the oral exam and they all passed. We are very proud of this year’s examinees!

Last week, we had the preschool visit us in our science class. The preschoolers got to see what 1st grade classes are like. We just had the topic of teeth in science and wanted to finish this topic by making our own baby dentures. The pupils were allowed to work together to knead a model of human gums out of salt dough and were told to make sure they incorporated all the teeth (made of various-shaped nuts) they needed. They made sure they included incisors, canines and molars and all in the correct order. Afterwards, all the dentures were examined and it was carefully checked whether all the teeth were present. The class 1 students acted as mentors and role models for the preschoolers, who were able to gain a little insight into the subject of science.
Now that the dentures have hardened, all the children can take their dentures home with them.

Working closely together with the parents is an important part of our pedagogical work at the IGS to ensure the best possible transparency and communication.
For this reason, the parent representatives of the U6 area met on Monday and had the opportunity to contribute their ideas and suggestions for the next topics of the upcoming “Coffee with us” meetings. 
The focus of the suggestions was clearly on the criteria for school readiness, the promotion of the German language at home as well as regular and topic-related excursions.
We thank you very much for your input and look forward to welcoming you again soon at our “Coffee with Us” with information and answers to your topics and questions.

Well, poetry week 2023 is done and dusted. This year we had many entries from all age groups throughout the school which were posted all over the school. In some cases, students jumped onto the bandwagon during the week, and their poems were added to the collection as welcome additions.
A big thanks goes to all the teachers who made space in their calendars and schedules for encouraging students to write the poetry.This would not have been possible without their cooperation.

“A school internship – a school assistant – How do I best organize the time of the students?”
To answer this question, the teachers at the IGS were offered a workshop this week. Andreas Hänssig, contact person for International Teacher Education at our long-standing cooperation partner, the Goethe University in Frankfurt, was able to explain the importance of co-teaching and forms of implementation in a very practice-oriented manner.
We would like to thank Mr. Keller and Ms. Schaffer for organizing the workshop and for their commitment to our school’s internship concept. Special thanks go to Mr. Hänssig for the time he has spent conducting the workshop.

By Monday morning, March 21, the entire school campus will be flooded with an abundance of poetry, ranging from love poems to French poems, to poems about dragons and identity. This year, there are already numerous poems ready to be displayed around the school this Saturday.
Poetry is a powerful form of art that uses language to evoke emotions, convey ideas, and capture the essence of the human experience. It can be a valuable tool for personal development and self-discovery, helping us explore different perspectives and connect with others. Through poetry, we can tap into our deepest feelings and experiences, from joy and love to sorrow and loss. Poetry also inspires creativity and imagination in both writers and readers, promoting empathy and a sense of community.
Poetry can play a vital role in shaping our sense of identity by reflecting our personal experiences and cultural background. Next week, the entire IGS community will have the opportunity to experience the transformative power of poetry in all its forms.

After weeks of planning, an Open Day for the U6 area finally took place on Saturday, March 11th, 2023. At 9 a.m. the campus opened its doors to interested parents: and they weren’t long in coming. The many rooms with displays met with great interest. Rounded off by a great supporting program consisting of Zumba, treasure hunt, sculpting and creative activities, the parents were able to get a holistic impression of everyday events at the IGS. Thanks go to the help of the SV and the parents of our kindergarten and preschool children.

In order to show that the IGS school community belongs together, regardless of age, some pupils of the SV and Class 9 attended this year’s “Open Day” of the U6 area to sell delicious waffles.
The sale was also part of a charity campaign that was planned and organized independently by the students. All sales of waffles go to Vietnamese orphanages in order to be able to make at least a small contribution to equipping them. Charity work is an integral part of our SV.
At this point, a very special thanks goes to Yesunzul, Michelle, Viet, Hami, Alice and Jo, who made the sale possible with their active support!

Class 9 had the opportunity to visit Galerie Quynh in Da Kao this week. In our art classes we have been discussing aspects of ‘Magical Realism’ through character creation and world building. The gallery’s current exhibition ‘All Aboard’ celebrates 25 years of work from the artist Nguyễn Mạnh Hùng; it was the perfect opportunity for the students to explore this subject further. We were welcomed by the gallery staff as they gave the students a personalised tour of the exhibition and discussed the artist’s creative processes and influences. The students were very engaged in debating the meanings behind the work and took time to explore and sketch studies of their favourite pieces from the show.
We would like to say a huge thank you to the gallery team for welcoming us and being so accommodating. If you would like to see the exhibition it is on display until the 1st of April at Galerie Quynh, 118 Nguyễn Văn Thủ, Đa Kao, District 1.

“The world opens up to the child through movement. Step by step it takes possession of her. With the help of bodily and sensory experiences, it forms concepts: in acting it gets to know and understand causes and interrelationships”
 Renate Zimmer

In this context, the daring and fearless explorers held their first sports lesson together on Monday in cooperation with the third graders from the elementary school.
The explorers were warmly welcomed by the students and their teacher Mr. Tietz. As soon as the water bottles were put down, it started!
Together with one of the students, the explorers were allowed to stand in a hoop and the children became little birds who had to exchange their nests by speaking or nodding at their counterparts with flight movements.
Afterwards, Mr. Tietz wanted to know from the explorers which foods are healthy and which are unhealthy. Healthy foods were assigned a white cone and unhealthy ones a red one. The U6 area is very happy to be able to integrate into the sports lessons with the Primary students.

Since the beginning of the second semester we have been offering a gardening club and a problem-solving club every week.
In the Gardening Club (every Wednesday, 4.20-5.20pm) the students have been doing a variety of activities: together we have been sowing seeds, re-potting seedlings, and building a snail-shaped plant bed from bricks and cement. Our goal is to build a lush vegetable garden with lots of vegetable varieties. Thanks to Ms. Polzin, Ms. Jurischka, Mr. Kmiecik and Van (Class 8) for helping in the first few weeks. We would love to welcome new students, especially those from higher grades, to join the gardening fun anytime.
In the Problem-Solving club (every Tuesday, 4.20-5.20pm) we have been looking at interesting tricky problems from maths and science olympiads such as the IJSO. The students are puzzling over age-appropriate questions while learning new problem solving strategies and natural science concepts.
In der Problemlöse-AG, die jeden Dienstag von 16.20-17.20 Uhr stattfindet, haben wir uns mit interessanten und kniffligen Problemen aus Mathe- und naturwissenschaftlichen Olympiaden, wie der IJSO, beschäftigt. Die Schüler*innen knobeln an altersgerecht ausgewählten Aufgaben, wobei sie neue Problemlösestrategien und eine Vielzahl an naturwissenschaftlichen Konzepten erlernen.

International Mother Language Day, on 21 February every year, is a day to celebrate and protect all the languages of the world. A language is much more than just a way of communicating: language, and particularly our mother tongue, is an important part of our culture.
In order to promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity and to promote multilingualism, our primary and secondary students had an opportunity to work through the “International Mother Language Day Project” in their library hours where they could write the stories, record some idioms or sentences in their own mother tongue language by voice, then create QR-Codes. Finally, they got together to design some unique posters which were related to their work content.
“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.” –  Nelson Mandela