The Long Weekend
By Philip Bradley
Six weeks into the semester and the long weekend is a welcome break to students, many of whom have been describing their plans to sleep in for an hour or two more. ISB has made this an activity free weekend, the only one on our calendar, for our grounds and support staff this is a unique and extra special event. Many families are taking advantage of this and travelling or breaking normal routines so I wish you all a restful and safe time. Teachers spent Thursday in professional development workshops, we had five sessions that have allowed us to explore new ideas, listen to the experiences of colleagues, share best practices and reflect upon how we can best advance learning for students. On these days I always enjoy being the learner and the talents of my colleagues always impress me.
GCW Course Fair Week
By Dennis Harter
On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday of this week, High School teachers will be manning tables during lunch time, providing information about the Global Citizenship Week courses they sponsor. This is a time for students to walk around at lunch and check out the courses, ask questions, and begin to think about the courses that they are interested in for February’s GCW.
On each day a different 13 courses will be showcased. See below for the schedule for each day.
Parents are welcome to join us on the day and walk around to check out the courses. You can also read about the courses, including cost and possible community service hours awarded, by downloading our GCW Course Handbook.
Please remind your child(ren) that they should be aware of 5 or more courses that they would like to join. Courses do fill up during registration and students must sign up for courses in order of preference. They are assigned to their highest preference available at the time of sign up.
Here is the schedule of courses for the different days:
Monday, September 24th 10:20 to 11:10 AM
- Bali: Service and Culture
- Bangkok Adventure
- Elephant Park Volunteers
- Exploring Rural Thailand by Bicycle and Kayak
- Habitat for Humanity
- Lisu Lodge and Village: Hill Tribe Adventure
- Marine Biology – Diving in the Similans
- Maekok River Village Community Service
- Painters with a Conscience
- Tanzania: Service, Culture and Safari
- Teacher Internship
- Wat Koo Kindergarten
- YWCA Day Care
Wednesday, September 26th, 10:00 to 10:50 AM (note the different lunch time)
- Bhutan
- Cambodia: Photography and Service at Ankor Wat
- Casting Partnerships in Art
- Japan: In Pursuit of Peace
- Klong Toey Kindergarten
- Mae Hong Song
- New Zealand Maori Adventure
- Panya Project
- Phang Nga Bay – Sustainable Eco-tourism?
- Sichuan China: Panda, Environment and Ecology
- Street Boys
- Tsunami Relief – Khao Lak
- Vietnam: Mekong Delta Community Service
Friday, September 28th, 10:20 to 11:10 AM
- Australia: Boomerangs to Breakers
- Career Internships
- India – The Land of the Dalai Lama: Service and Trek
- Isaan – Muay Thai Service Immersion
- Laos Eco-experienceLife on the Mekong
- Life on the Mekong
- Medical Internships
- Moroccan Delights
- Nepal: Trekking Service
- North Sumatra Adventure
- Operation Smile
- Reefs to Rainforests
- Setsatian School for the Deaf
An Open Parent Discussion about Teenage alcohol and substance use
Like most schools, issues of teenage consumption of alcohol and substance abuse affect our community. Our young people are at a crucial time in their brain development – second only to the brain growth that happens just after birth. Not surprisingly, introduction of chemicals designed to influence the brain, are counterproductive to this development. ISB continues to be a concerned community member regarding the choices of our students and their social behaviors. One of the many ways we address these issues is through open dialogue with parents about the concerns.
On Wednesday, September 26th, from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm in the MPB, we will host and open parent discussion regarding these issues. We will be joined by representatives from the Freedom from Chemical Dependency group who are experts in current issues of substance abuse. They will be working with our own ISB students during that week. Please plan on attending this evening discussion.
Exciting opportunities to support our students
By Phil Rogers
During the school year there are a number of times when the HS students are involved in examinations. To run these examinations we have a team of parents and/or community members who assist in the proctoring (supervision) of these students. There is a stipend paid for these duties and training will be provided. If you are interested in finding out more about this opportunity please contact me.. This is an important role within our community.
ISA Testing – Tuesday 2nd October & Wednesday 3rd October
By Phil Rogers
All Grade 10 will be undertaking the ISA testing in Reading, Writing and Mathematics on these two mornings. Students will receive further information next week.
High School Parent Technology Trainings
By Chris Bell
This is the 2nd in a series of trainings for HS Parents of ISB students. In this training attendees will learn about the Mac computer your 9th or 10th grade student received this year as part of the start of year. Specific topics that will be covered include: Mac Navigation, Troubleshooting and Parental Controls. We will discuss how you can help your child manage their computer time as well as ensure they are as insulated from the ‘bad’ elements of the internet as possible.
- Date: Sept. 27th
- Location: Room 119
- Time: 7:30 – 8:30am
For more information contact Christopher Bell – High School Technology Coordinator/Coach – christob@isb.ac.th
Massed Band Festival
This event culminates in a restorative and uplifting concert September 29th in the CCT (Cultural Centre Theatre) at 2 pm. Everyone welcome