As we get more photos, this slideshow will keep automatically updating!  So many great experiences!

I would like to take a moment to recognize this year’s “Odyssey Club” annual poetry contest winners. For the structured poetry category, in second place was Ticha Sethapakdi with her poem “Who Am I…?”, and in first place was Jam Kraprayoon with “Redemption”. For the unstructured category, coming in second place with his poem “A Hermit Crab’s Conformity” was Adam Yang, and taking first place with his poem, “I Long For Self Destruction” was Sam Simpson-Roswell.

Congratulations to these fine poets and to the number of HS students that submitted poems for our contest.

He went on to credit all the work of ISB’s faculty and community by saying,

… together we breed this environment of literacy and the courage to express inner thoughts and emotions through writing. The saying, “it takes a village to raise a child” seems to apply here, for it is a testament to everyone involved with our students that we received over 40 submissions for the contest this year. This speaks about the quality of our students and their artistic and intellectual courage. You all play a role in this.

Congratulations to the authors of all the over 40 submissions and particularly to the award winners.  Their poems are included below.

Redemption
by Jam Kraprayoon

I am
a culmination
of fifty two deaths
and thousands more scarred
born two years after a legacy marred
women and children, tortured, beaten, left in the sun
men soaked in gasoline and shot dead by guns
a long shadow cast, from Black May I cannot run
sins of fathers must be redeemed by sons
I feel
my homeland in stagnation
a hierarchy of greed and dark ambition
abused by degenerate cops and shameless politicians
choked by rampant bribery, corruption, and drugs
a land of smiles, left crying by thugs
partisan protests and to the south an onslaught
a revolution in words, but never in thought
We can be,
a realization
the first drop of rain, heralding a torrent of change
washing way, the block of May
for when the lust for power diminishes, Peace shall reign
and rise above social chaos and needless conflict
love will remain when there’s no hate left to inflict
alone, I doubt there will be sweet salvation
but to those touched by the kindle of
inspiration together, hand in
hand we will save this nation

Who am I…?
by TIicha Sethapakdi
What is an eye?
A portal to the soul?
Or a door to be opened
To a story left untold?

What is a face?
Some skin over bone?
Or a mask with a smile
Covering sorrows unshown?

What makes a hero?
Taking pain without tears?
Or protecting your loved ones,
Subduing all fears?

My eyes have seen sorrow,
Injustice, and pain.
And the occasional sunshine
That’s after the rain.

My face hides vile secrets
I’d rather not tell,
So I embrace all the good things
That make life less like Hell.

I am no hero.
I’m only a girl
Who’s searching for answers
To this life, this mad world.

I Long for Self Destruction
by Sam Simpson-Roswell

I live in a world,
Where even angels smoke cigarettes,
And drunkard devils dance in daylight amongst the faithful.
And I stand smiling, laughing, faithless, crying.
Alone.

In a world where wrong friends are right,
And we become devilled angels for another night.
Lights fade to black
And, Inconvenienced, I crawl back.
But just to a house, never to a home.

In a world,
Where I’m forever trying to find you on the lips of someone else
And where it’s hard to be the better man when I still lie to myself.
And despite my right wrong friends here, now and then,
They have always failed to put me back together again.

In a world where when the gods wish to punish us,
They answer our prayers.
Yet with prayers unanswered I am brought to my knees,
Faithlessly crying from memories I’ve been keeping.
Praying to no longer be where my love once lay sleeping.

A Hermit Crab’s Conformity
by Adam Yang

You can taste danger in proximity,
Hear the bubbly taunts of your enemy,
But you’re safe
Behind your rocky gates.
The walls that won’t allow,
Both dangers in and freedoms out,
Are shielding your vulnerability and hiding it within.
These are the benefits of your kin.
You’re restricted but you’re comfortable.
Protected from the formidable,
As you raise your defense and hide in the security
Of your camouflaged home, dripping obscurity.
You’re happy.

Poke your head out, and chance a peak.
Step out from your restricting clique.
You’re vulnerable,
With all your guts and vital organs exposed,
Like a gangster’s secret love of animals.
You’re terrified and desperate,
For you are the frailest of Neptune’s minions.
Overwhelmed by the looming shadows
Of giants in comparison.
Go on back into your protective cage.
Not everyone can be individuals.
You’re cursed to run from shell to shell
For a lifetime.

The students have welcomed connections made with other school photo and art students asking for comments on their posts and we invite you to do the same.  Check out the student blog links listed on the right hand side of the main class blog.

Feel free to leave a comment and give the students feedback.

And most of all, enjoy the powerful creative work of the ISB HS Photo students.

Or join us at the Ustream site to participate in a live chat with other ISB family and friends.

One facet of the week was to open the Film Competition which asked students to make a film highlighting some aspect of cyber-safety.  The submissions were great and have been posted here to share.

Congratulations to all film makers.  Hopefully the message will continue to get out in all forms to protect ourselves and how we are perceived online.

Winner:  Lisa Vongching

Honorable Mention:  Bhargavi Viswanath

The 2nd Annual Global Issues Network (GIN) Conference is being held right here at ISB this weekend.  Beginning on Friday and ending on Sunday, the conference brings over 300 participants to ISB from all around Asia to talk about solutions to global issues.

Sponsored by EARCOS, the GIN Conference allows students to offer workshops describing the globally minded service that they are addressing at their own schools.  Additionally, students here from keynote speakers on issues ranging from poverty to clean water and from animal protection to food distribution.  One particular highlight will be an alumni panel at which past-ISB students will share some of the positive change they are making in the world with the projects and organizations with which they work.

Finally, students will develop school action plans to continue their work as they look to the future and making a difference.

The theme of this year’s conference - as selected by our own GIN club - is “WE CAN.  WE WILL.”  This speaks to the empowerment of young people and the committment to positive change that they share.  The conference will be inspiring for so many as it highlights not only the problems that face our world, but also the young people who are committed to solving them.

Come have a look at the conference website and become a part of this focused network.

As I said to the students in the Monday morning assembly,

“for people who don’t know you as community-minded, friendly, focused students, your Faceboook profile IS who you are. So what would I think of you, if that’s the only information I had?”

This point particularly hit home in the context of how employers and universities are known to be checking online profiles and behavior before making hiring and acceptance decisions.  In my research preparing for the week, I came across results from a US News and World Report study that indicates that 33% of US universities are somewhat likely to revoke an admission if they become aware of inappropriate postings on the web.

In both the Monday assembly and in our smaller Thursday Comm Group sessions, students learned about the permanence of their online content.  Recently Facebook changed their Terms of Service so that user information belonged to Facebook, even after a user deleted their account.  After a great deal of uproar over this, Facebook reverted back to their previous agreement  But they will certainly look to return to their changes in the near future.

Discussions with students brought to light the need for them to better control who they are online.  Students considered the ethical implications of their own privacy as well as the impact that their online choices have on their choices for their futures and those of their friends.

It was a wonderful learning opportunity for most students and a necessary part of their education in the 21st Century.

All in all, a successful cyber-safety week.

But it doesn’t end there.

As part of the week’s focus on online safety, we are also conducting the 1st Annunal Cyber-Safety Film Competition.

Here are the contest guidelines:

• Films should be between 30 seconds and 2 minutes long
• They can focus on any facet of cyber-safety, including but not limited to, cyber-bullying, identity protection, who you are online, bullying via cell phones, or general cyber-safety.
• Entries should be submitted as either .mov, .wmv, .avi, or .mp4 files.
• Entries should be submitted to Mr. Harter in Ed Tech before 3 April.  No late submissions will be accepted.

For some examples of videos like this, check out YouTube.  Below are a few examples and embedded is the one shown at assembly - once it’s posted it’s out of your control.

• Talent Show
• Cyber-bullying - Kitchen
• Everyone knows your name
• Cyber Bullying - anyone can be a victim
  

Michael Thompson, Ph.D. is a consultant, author and psychologist specializing in children and families. He is the clinical consultant to The Belmont Hill School and has worked in more than five hundred schools across the United States, as well as in international schools in Central America, Europe and Asia.

He and his co-author, Dan Kindlon, wrote the New York Times best-selling book, Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys (Ballantine Books, 1999). He is the author of Speaking of Boys: Answers to the Most-Asked Questions About Raising Sons Ballantine, 2000), and co-author (with Catherine O’Neill Grace and Larry Cohen, Ph.D.) of Best Friends/Worst Enemies: Understanding the Social Worlds of Children (Ballantine, 2001) and Mom, They’re Teasing Me: Helping Your Child Solve Social Problems (Ballantine, 2002.) About Best Friends, Worst Enemies the Publishers Weekly review declared, “Not since Dr. Spock and Penelope Leach has there been such a sensitive and practical guide to raising healthy children.”

The Pressured Child: Helping Your Child Achieve Success in School and in Life (with Teresa Barker, Ballantine, 2004) was written to help parents understand the complex journey of children through school, from Kindergarten through senior year. His latest book, It’s a Boy!, is a comprehensive guide for the parents of boys.

A dedicated speaker and traveler, Michael Thompson has appeared on The Today Show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, ABC 20/20, CBS 60 Minutes, The Early Show and Good Morning America. He has been quoted in the New York Times, The Washington Post, Newsweek, Time and U.S. News and World Report and has been a guest on NPR’s “Morning Edition” with Susan Stamberg, “Talk of the Nation” with Ray Suarez and the Diane Rhem Show. He has written, narrated and hosts a two-hour PBS documentary entitled “Raising Cain” to be broadcast in January of 2006. Dr. Thompson is married to Dr. Theresa McNally, a psychotherapist specializing in adoption, and is the father of Joanna, 23, and Will, 18.

Dr. Thompson’s ISB Schedule

March 16th:

• 1:00pm - 2:15pm Parent Book Group with Michael Thompson
  • Location: Curriculum Office
  • Feb. 19: 12:00pm - 2:00pm Discussion Sessions
  • March 5: 12:00pm - 2:00pm Discussion Sessions
  • Reserve a spot via the ISB Curriculum Office. Contact porntipt[at]isb.ac.th for “Best Friends, Worst Enemies: Understanding the Social Lives of Children”
• 6:30pm - 8:00pm Raising Responsible Children
  • Community Presentation Chevron Theater

March 17th

• 7:00am - 8:30am The Pressured Child
  • Parent Breakfast
  • Web 2.0 Room in MS/HS Library
• 8:45am - 9:45am Going beyond fear in Parent Teacher Relationships
  • Web 2.0 Room in MS/HS Library

March 18th

• 7:00am - 8:30am The importance of Fathers in Childrens Lives
  • Father Breakfast
  • Web 2.0 Room in MS/HS Library

Many questions arise regarding English courses, the IB program, and what courses should be taken. Here is a presentation which was shown to students already explaining the English course offerings for grades 11 and 12.

We have included the student and parent slideshow presentations here.  Please scroll down and click through the presentation which pertains to you.  After each slideshow is a link if you wish to download the original PowerPoint presentation.