Visiting Max

This has been a hard year for us because we have been separated from our beloved Max while he attends the University of Waterloo. We were all thrilled to be reunited this summer in Waterloo for 11 fun-filled days while Max was doing his summer coursework.

We did some hiking, sightseeing, shopping, eating! We were very happy to spend Canada Day with him! It was just like old times, but much too short!

Canada and Family

Our summer vacation in Canada usually begins with a family gathering. This year we celebrated Father's Day together. We enjoyed a casual afternoon BBQ, including story-telling, cribbage, photos, and delicious food!

Tim in China

This year Tim took on a new academic experience. He trained to become a site visitor for the American Accreditation body called Western Association of Schools and Colleges. It's important for international schools to be evaluated and accredited so that students can attend universities in North America. Tim visited the Nansha College Preparatory Academy (NCPA) in China as a member of an Accreditation Team. The other team members are administrators working in China, Taiwan and Thailand.

NCPA is a boarding school for 500 students located an hour north of Hong Kong.  It is located in an undeveloped area that is about to become another big city.  Roads, subway, and lots of residential towers are being built now. At this point, however, the streets are deserted, waiting for an influx of 8 million people.

Tim enjoyed his week in China and learned a lot.  He hopes to visit other schools in the years to come.

Graduation weekend

This weekend we celebrated Graduation with the Class of 2017. This SSIS graduating class will be attending universities in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, South Korea, USA, Canada, Netherlands, and UK. The ceremony was lovely and gave us insight into what we can expect next year when it is Simon's turn!

We actually made a weekend of it and stayed downtown on Friday and Saturday nights. We won a voucher for two nights accommodation at a recent fund-raising event and thought this would be the perfect opportunity to use it. It was a much needed get away for us as we all look to the next two weeks of busy activities to finish the school year. We had time to explore and shop and eat!

After the graduation ceremony we went for dinner with some of our favourite people. These Grade 11 students will all be walking across the stage next year. What a fun weekend!

SSIS Prom 2017

The SSIS Prom was a family affair for us this year! The Asian Prom traditions are different than our experience in Canada, Kenya, or Qatar. This was an evening of great fun!

The event was held at The Reverie Hotel in downtown Ho Chi Minh City. It was the perfect venue for dinner, dancing, games, photos, and more.

We started by meeting up with friends for some photos. The parents became the paparazzi as students arrived in their gowns and suits. Everyone looked beautiful and most of the dresses were tailored in the weeks leading up to this evening.

Simon with Makenna and Sierra

After the Grade 12 students paraded into the ball room, they provided musical entertainment during the dinner. The meal was Chinese and served in traditional family-style: one waiter assigned to each table to divide the platter and share among the table members -- for all eight courses. Salad with duck and caviar tossed in vinegar, Seafood soup with Japanese seaweed, Seafood spring rolls, Sauteed spare ribs with Wuxi sauce, Steamed fish Hong Kong style, Roasted duck, Sauteed vegetables and wolfberry, fried rice with shrimp and BBQ pork, and chilled blueberry pudding. It was delicious!!



Dinner was followed by dancing and a photo booth. A great evening with great friends!

Varsity Girls soccer team with their team manager not far behind

Simon and Ying Ying were chosen as Prom Prince and Princess for the Junior class.

Saigon's 2017 Motorcycle Show

Tim, Simon and friends attended Saigon's 2017 Motorcycle Show held at the Convention Center in Phu My Hung near our home.  They looked at Harley Davidson, Honda, Yamaha and Vespa motorbikes.

"All other duties as assigned..."

Whenever Tim signs a new contract with an international school, the last line of his administrative responsibilities usually reads "And all other duties as assigned." Over the years this has meant welcoming new teachers at the airport, chaperoning students on field trips, attending funerals,
But this week was a first. Tim was called on to deal with this snake on the second floor of the school. Being deathly afraid of snakes, he maintained enough composure to snap a picture, lift it into a bucket, and walk it to the edge of the river. Tim was still shaking when he got home......