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It takes a village

The African proverb ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ highlights the role an entire community plays in supporting children to grow and thrive – and schools are a pivotal part of this process. Here at EIS Vietnam, it’s a responsibility we take extremely seriously. From emotional and social development to academics and extracurriculars, we provide the wrap around support students need to reach their full potential.

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It takes a village

Challenging academic programmes, passionate teachers, and holistic learning are all hallmarks of an EIS education. But that’s just the beginning. Our boutique educational village provides a rich environment for learning. And our three pillars of modern education - academic excellence, sports, and performing and creative arts – ensure students graduate as well-rounded global citizens.
We talk to two students about the impact that the EIS village has had on them and the inspirational teachers who have guided them on their educational journey.

 

Quynh Anh Nguyen, Year 12
A keen STEM student, Quynh Anh takes Biology HL, Chemistry HL, and Maths Analysis and Approaches HL. Biology is particularly close to her heart, and her biology teacher Ms. Anna Chandler has made a huge impression.

Energetic, dedicated and nurturing are three words I’d use to describe Ms. Anna. She always helps students to set their targets and runs extra one-on-one classes after school to help those who are struggling. That’s dedication! Not only does Ms. Anna motivate me to do my best, but she always notices and helps me if I’m struggling, without me having to ask. She always provides fresh content to nurture our interest, and when it comes to exams, she’s extremely supportive. She helps me improve my test-taking skills by providing example structures and practice questions – this is invaluable because sometimes knowing how to answer the questions is more important than the knowledge itself. Then after every exam we sit down together to reflect on my results and work out which areas I need to improve on to achieve my target grade. 
The biggest lesson Ms. Anna has taught me? The importance of staying on track and meeting deadlines.

As a competitive swimmer and keen cross country runner it’s fair to say Quynh Anh loves her sports, and the opportunities she’s been given at EIS have enabled her to excel both in the pool and on the track. EIS aquatic coach Mr. Alex Sorica has been especially inspirational. 

Mr. Alex has been working with me for a year now and I’ve won multiple medals and heat winner ribbons from different swim meets in Ho Chi Minh city. He’s had a big impact because he trains me three times a week and he’s also the person I sit down and set my goals with. He motivates me when I’m under pressure or don’t achieve my target times, and he helps me stay focused. But Mr. Alex is not just interested in winning competitions. He pays the same level of attention to every swimmer, not only the advanced ones and when I’m sick, injured or feeling unprepared for a race he prioritises my health over my performance. Every training session is challenging but fun and focuses on developing different skills so I never lose interest, and he also understands the balance between training and rest which helps me further grow and improve.
The biggest lesson Mr. Alex has taught me? Always challenge yourself but also take care of yourself.

 

It takes a village

 

Hoang Gia Bao Tran (Betty), Year 11
One of Betty’s great loves is music. She took it as a subject from Year 7 – 10 (playing the piano, violin, guitar and synthesizer), and this year is doing her Extended Essay on music. Betty’s Year 10 music teacher Mr. Kevin Pham has been instrumental in nurturing her musical capabilities and passion for the subject.

I think the reason why Mr. Kevin has had such a big impact on me is because he’s also a violinist and majored in classical music, both of which I’m extremely passionate about. He accompanied me in multiple classical performances at school, and that really encouraged me to perform this genre more regularly. I would say that one of my biggest highlights at EIS was performing a Mendelssohn piano-violin duet with him. Although we only had one week of practice, it went extremely well. Mr. Kevin is also one of the most supportive teachers that I've ever met. In Year 10, I did my Personal Project on composing music, and even though he wasn’t my supervisor, he helped me with a lot of things including fixing my scores, giving me feedback, and even playing three out of the five pieces for the final recording. At the end I got very high marks for this project - I don’t think it would have been as successful without him! Mr. Kevin is someone whom I admire a lot, and my goal is to become someone who inspires others as much as he does. 
One thing Mr. Kevin taught me? If you never try, you will never know. 

It takes a village