MS eNews – Friday, September 5, 2014
Updated MS Calendar of upcoming events for the next four weeks:
Monday, September 8
- MAP Testing Window Opens
Thursday, September 11
- MS Open House at 6:30 – 9:00pm
September 12 – 14
- MS Symphonic Band Khao Lak Exchange
September 15 – 17
- MS Yearbook Photos
Thursday, September 18
- Professional Day (No school for students)
Friday, September 19
- ISB Holiday (No school for all)
September 19 – 21
- ISB Activity Free Weekend
Thursday, September 25
- MS PTA Parent Meeting at 11:00am, location to be announced
Friday, September 26
- MAP Testing Window Closes
Thursday-Friday, October 2-3
- MS Parent Teacher Conferences (During School Day)
MS Open House, Thursday September 11
We hope to see you all at our MS Open House this coming Thursday evening! Please plan on arriving by 6:15pm to allow some time for you to pick up a copy of your child(ren)’s schedule for the evening being handed out in front of the Chevron Theatre. We will begin with a general all MS parent meeting in the Chevron 6:30 – 6:55pm and then you will have an opportunity to hear and see your child(ren)’s teachers and classrooms 7:00 – 9:00pm. Hope to see you all there!
To: All Middle School Parents
From: Middle School Counseling Team
(Mr. Turner, Mrs. Nordmeyer, Mrs. Greenwood)
Welcome to Active Parenting of Teens
Dates: Wednesdays: November 5, 12, 19, and 26
Time: 9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Place: MPB-1 (biggest room at the end of the MPB hall)
Parenting is one of life’s greatest rewards and challenges. Particularly, parenting teenagers! The Active Parenting of Teens program (https://www.activeparenting.com/Teens_main) is a four-part workshop that builds on each previous session, so it is recommended to attend all four sessions. The counselors will be facilitating the Active Parenting workshops to offer guidance and support to turn the challenges of raising a teenager into opportunities for growth. One of the central goals of the workshop is to build tools to help parents ensure their teens develop the skills and character they need to thrive as they gain independence. During the four sessions parents will learn:
- methods of respectful discipline
- skills for clear, honest communication
- concrete strategies to prevent risky behavior
- how to be an encouraging parent
In order to maximize the program’s delivery and effectiveness, we ask for attendance at all four sessions and we will be limiting participation to the first 40 parents who respond. We hope to offer the program again during the second semester.
To register for the workshop, please click on this link and complete the form. If the link does not work, please find the URL below. The form will close once we reach full enrollment.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1_U78pVzfFoiM6E9pgyOcvlnJdSRJfWDgOMgt9FsVJMI/viewform?usp=send_form
Green Panther Whale Watching Eco Trip
Green Panthers stand up for a lot of causes. We are often trying to make something more eco friendly or fighting for the rights of some mistreated animal, such as our recent dolphin campaign, the ongoing anti shark fin campaign, and elephant ambassadors. However, we also try to support what we consider ‘good’ business. We are always looking for new adventures in sustainable, ethical, and responsible tourism.
August 31, we went to Petchburi to do a whale tour. We found 7 whales, including 2 pairs of mother and calf, with mother teaching calf how to feed. It was an incredible sight to see them in such a nice setting and watching the bond between mother and calf.
Check out this 14 second whale video caught by a student. Do you think she was excited?
Students also put the tour through the sustainable compass test. We look at it through the lenses of Nature, Economy, Society, and Wellbeing. If it fails and we don’t think this is sustainable we would not return, unless they could improve to meet our criteria. We have done this in the past and helped improve sustainable practices with some companies. However, the whale watching tour passed with flying colors and was considered very sustainable in its current state, but we did warn them to proceed with caution and keep the focus on sustainability and the wellbeing of the whales; not profit.
How was it sustainable, responsible and ethical?
- They took great care not to disturb the whales, with strict guidelines about not getting to close or crowding the whales. In fact, we were the only boat there.
- The captain drove slowly and never ‘chased’ a whale.
- With every decision the whales seemed to be the first priority.
- Even the lunches were packed in reusable tupparware and not disposable styrofoam.
If you would like to support sustainable tourism in Thailand here is more information. The tour information can be found here https://chomwhales.org/
Map – https://chomwhales.org/our-trip/travel-route/
The trip costs 2000 baht, which includes return transportation from Bangkok and a lunch.
Look out for more sustainable eco trips from the Green Panthers. They will be announced in the daily bulletin.
If your child would like to join the Green Panthers they can sign up here.
Thank you,
Kerry Dyke
Poster and Banner Guidelines
Getting the word out to a community about an activity or event can be a challenging, yet creatively inspiring task! As we are all becoming more environmentally aware, the use of social media and digital eNews to advertise an event becomes important as ways to get the word out! Click here for ISB’s Guidelines regarding advertising through printed media. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Marianne Derow, Arts and Activities Director, mariannd@isb.ac.th, to clarify. Happy Advertising!
What: Parkour Activity
When: Start Tuesday 23rd Sept. 3:20-4:20pm (ends 25th November)
Where: ES gym
Cost: 3500 baht payable at CAO
For Middle school students, however, places are limited to 12. First 12 to register, pay, and bring in the signed permission slip.
Please go to this link to register. Please go to this link to print the permission form.
Parkour is an art of movement, a discipline that enables the practitioner to travel freely through and over any terrain they may encounter. Parkour focuses on developing the fundamental attributes required for movement, including balance, strength, dynamism, endurance, precision, spatial awareness and creative vision.
Beyond this simple explanation, however, Parkour is a discipline of self-improvement on all levels, an art that reveals to the practitioner his or her own physical and mental limits and simultaneously offers a method to surpass them.
Parkour training benefits include: Increase in motor skills, coordination and fitness and functional strength. Increase in agility, balance and in safety through improved physical control from a young age. Increase in social skills, teamwork and leadership abilities. Playful and communal interaction with peers and improved physical and mental confidence through challenge and managed risk. Great fun for all!
Cafeteria News…Did You Know…?
We are proud to say that back in 2012 we successfully banned the sales of plastic water bottles on campus. You will therefore be wondering why plastic water bottles are on sale at the Grind end of this month….? Each year the Cafeteria carries an emergency stock of water bottles, last year being the incident of the protesting in which case we were preparing ourselves that students may need to stay on campus and even spend the night. Luckily our stock was not needed, which is why they will now be sold, allowing us to order a new stockpile thereby avoiding the long exposure of the water to the plastic. Here’s to going green yet keeping prepared.
Fun Fact: We used to sell approximately 300 bottles a day, x 180 school days = approximately 54,000 bottles in a year, which we now save from being thrown to the trash piles. Enjoy!