MS eNews – Friday, March 22, 2013
Updated MS Calendar of upcoming events:
Monday, March 25
- First Day MS Quarter 4 (students will receive new schedule in Synergy class this day)
Tuesday, March 26
- PTA Staff Appreciation Lunch
Thursday – Friday, March 28-29
- MS Student-Parent-Teacher Conferences (No classes these two days)
March 29-31
- BISAC Swimming Championships at ISB
Monday, April 1
- MS Track and Field Tryouts begin after school
Monday, April 8
- Chakri Day & Professional Day – no school for students and Classified Staff
Tuesday, April 9
- Thai Food Festival
- Board of Trustees Meeting at 6:00pm
Friday, April 12
- MS Alternate Dress Day
- MS Songkran Assembly at 7:20am in the Chevron Theatre
Saturday, April 13 – Sunday, April 21
- ISB closed for Songkran/Spring Holidays
MS Activities and Athletics Weekly Update
Check out some of the highlights that have happened, or will happen soon. For the most up-to-date information, click on the following link: https://inside.isb.ac.th/inthemix/https://inside.isb.ac.th/inthemix/
No School This Coming Thursday and Friday
Reminder, due to our scheduled MS Student/Parent/Teacher Conferences this coming Thursday and Friday, March 28/29, there are no classes scheduled. Regular scheduled classes resume on Monday, April 1 following a D Day Schedule.
New Middle School Schedule for 2013-2014 – Parent Meetings
By Tom Burgess, MS Principal
thomasb@isb.ac.th
More Electives! More Choices! More Individualized Learning Opportunities! To learn more and ask questions about the new MS schedule we are developing for next year, you are invited to attend a MS Parent Meeting on Wednesday, March 27 either in the morning from 11:00 am – 12:00 pm, or in the evening from 7:00-8:00 pm. Both meetings will take place in MPB1.
Our current schedule is problematic for a number of reasons, and surveys of students, parents and teachers earlier this year indicated a strong desire to have more elective opportunities, which are limited under our current schedule. The main benefit of the new schedule we are working on is that it provides more CHOICE for students and parents to meet their INDIVIDUAL NEEDS and INTERESTS. For example, if a struggling student needs more Math or a high achieving student wants more Math, they will have new opportunities to support them. Or if another student is passionate about Music, they can have even more time than they do now by taking a Music enrichment class (such as an Ensemble, Composition, or Music Technology class).
There will be additional opportunities in all areas within the new schedule, with possibilities including Creative Writing, Model United Nations, 3D Design, Math Counts, U.S. History, etc. In the arts, students in grades 7-8 will now be able to take Music AND Art or other electives, and not be limited to just one elective.
Our schedule will be based upon the principles of flexible scheduling, which allow for varied time lengths for class periods that are appropriate for Middle School learning needs. If you are interested, you can read more about flexible and block scheduling concepts from these resources provided by the Association for Middle Level Education (USA):
Designing an Effective Middle Level Schedule
Creating Flexible Structures for Learning
Block Classes Change Instructional Practice—Carpe Diem!
The opportunity for longer class periods (rather than our current ‘one size fits all’ industrial-era model of 55 minute periods) can be very beneficial if instructed well. Science classes, for example, will have opportunities for longer periods to conduct their labs. PE and Art will have longer periods, which will allow for longer instructional time given the necessity for changing clothes and set-up/clean-up. There is evidence that longer periods are beneficial to learning in Mathematics as well, particularly in inquiry-based math programs (such as our Connected Math Program). You can see research on this correlation at these sources:
Impact of a Ninety Minute Math Block Schedule on Math Achievement of Middle School Students
The Effect of Block Scheduling on Middle School Students’ Mathematics Achievement
We look forward to seeing you next Wednesday and sharing with you how our new schedule will be able to better meet more of your child(ren)’s learning needs.
Clarification on Upcoming MS Parent-Student-Teacher Conferences March 28-29 and How to Schedule Your Appointment
Dear MS Parents,
As you know, our Middle School Parent-Student-Teacher Conferences will be taking place during the school day, in place of classes, on Thursday and Friday, next week. Information about the actual conferences and what to expect were posted in the MS eNews on March 1st and again last week. You can access that information by clicking on the following link: MS Conferences Information
To clarify, on the online scheduler, you will only be able to schedule a 90-minute block of time under the name of your child’s Humanities teacher – no other teacher names will appear. When you attend the conferences next week, please be here at the start of your scheduled 90-minute block of time. Please note, you do not have any individual appointments set up with any of your child’s teachers, including Humanities! You do have the 90-minute block of time reserved to see all your child’s teachers during that time on a walk-in basis. Expectation is each individual conference with a teacher should last no more than 5 – 10 minutes. Please click on the following link for a list to see room numbers and which teachers won’t be available for all or part of the conferences: Teacher conference rooms March 2013
For those of you who have not scheduled a block of time for conferences yet and would like to, please read the following on how to do so:
Please follow the directions below to access Pick-a-Time online to schedule your time. You can access the site at your convenience anytime until 12:00pm on Wednesday, March 27 to schedule your conferences or make any necessary changes once scheduled.
To get to the Conference Scheduler, please click on the following link and then follow the directions below (you may want to print out the directions first so you have them handy to follow). The link is:
https://www.pickatime.com/client?ven=11603340
How to Register – You need to do this even if you were here last year
- Click on the link provided above.
- Click “Login/Create Account”
- Fill in the required fields and register.
- For each middle school child you have, you will have to add them in
- a. Enter child’s student ID number
- b. Enter child’s birth date (use format mm/dd/yr eg. 02/26/10 – you need to include the / in between the month, day, and year)
How to Sign In (after having registered first time)
Enter your email and password. The system will know about any appointments you have made previously.
How to schedule for your block of time
- Select the box next to your child’s Humanities teacher name. You will then see the schedule of available times for that teacher.
- Each colored square represents an available meeting time. Click on a square to schedule that time
- Then click on “Create Appointment”.
▪ You can click on the “Printable Schedule” link located on the top right corner and print the resulting web page to get a hard copy of your schedule.
▪ Please contact Khun Arisa at arisap@isb.ac.th or, Mr. Baron-Toaldo at maurilib@isb.ac.th, in the MS Office with any technical difficulties.
We are looking forward to seeing you at our MS Parent-Student-Teacher Conferences where we hope many meaningful conversations take place of not only where your child is at presently in his or her learning, but of where their learning could go next!
For Parents of 8th Graders re: 2013/14 Course Registration Closes Monday 25th March
Br. Mr. Rogers philr@isb.ac.th
Grade 8 – 11 students are required to register for their 2013/14 courses through PowerSchool. The on-line window will close on Monday 25th March at 9pm, students who have not completed their registration prior to school on Monday will be asked to complete it at school during the day. Remember students can adjust or change their choices online until 9pm on Monday. Should they wish to adjust their choices after this time, students are to please see their counselor. Directions of how to complete the registration on PowerSchool can be found on the parent portal under High School then Program of Studies. Students have received guidance from their counselors over the last few weeks but if there are any last minute questions please contact their counselor or myself.
Genocide Awareness Exhibit in Main Library
By Ms. Barclay alegriab@isb.ac.th
The library is hosting a Genocide Awareness Exhibit starting Monday, March 25th through to Thursday, April 11th. Please join us in making bones on Tuesday, March 26th at lunch (11:25 – 12:05) and Wednesday the 27th after-school (2:05 – 3:15) in the main library. Each bone made raises $1 to help displaced people and refugees of genocide. All bones will be sent to Washington D.C. to take part in an international exhibit to raise awareness about genocides happening around the world.
Additionally, we’ll be showing three movies about genocide after school on Tuesdays starting next week. The movies are The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Rabbit-Proof Fence, and Hotel Rwanda. We hope you can join us for one or all of these films.
eNewsletter Guidelines
By Tony Arnold anthonya@isb.ac.th
ISB eNewsletters provide a valuable avenue for communication within the ISB parent community. For your convenience we have provided you with our eNewsletter guidelines below.
- Submitting an announcement for publication ISB accepts announcements from ISB families for potential publication in our eNewsletters. The announcements are generally intended to highlight events that occur at ISB and/or highlight information about ISB.
- What to include in the announcement • A title for your announcement • An email contact for further information
- Where to submit your announcement
- 4publish@isb.ac.th is for announcements of interest to the entire ISB community
- tinaratr@isb.ac.th is for Elementary School announcements of interest to ES families
- maurilib@isb.ac.th is for Middle School announcements of interest to MS families
- vijitl@isb.ac.th is for High School (HS) announcements of interest to HS families
Your announcement will be submitted to the appropriate Principal and/or to our Marketing Director for review. ISB reserves the right to determine which announcements will and will not be published, and to edit announcements that are approved for publication.
- Frequency of eNewsletter mailings
- The ISB eNewsletter that is for the entire community is sent out on Thursdays. Announcements for potential publication in this newsletter must be received by noon on Thursdays.
- The ES, MS, and HS eNewsletters are sent out on Fridays. Announcements for potential publication in these newsletters must be received by noon on Fridays.