Message from the Head of School
by Andrew DAVIES
andrewd@isb.ac.th
MS Principal Announcement
Last week, Tom Burgess (our MS Principal) announced to the faculty that he would not be returning to ISB next year. After twenty years working in international schools, Tom and his wife Marilyn will be moving with their family back to the United States. The Burgess family will be returning to California where Tom and Marilyn lived and worked in schools before moving abroad and where their sons are interested in attending university. Being closer to family and elderly parents on the west coast of the U.S. is also a priority for the Burgess family at this time in their lives.
As MS Principal, Tom brought with him a wealth of administrative experience and an innovative approach to improving student learning. Among his key achievements were the completion of our standards-based assessment initiative, the introduction of a new schedule that provides more learning opportunities for students, and classroom renovations that support the MS philosophy. Tom is highly valued by his colleagues on the ISB Leadership Team for his intelligent contributions to a range of issues, his collaborative approach, and his great commitment to the school. We wish Tom and his family all the best in this endeavor and are very grateful for their many contributions to ISB and our students
I will be in touch again in due course with details of our principal search.
Concussion Awareness Information
by the ISB Nurse’s Office
nurse@isb.ac.th
We want to take this time to prepare ISB staff and parents to recognize and respond to possible concussions. In addition, we are rolling out plans to promote awareness among student athletes to understand the serious nature of concussions and to report symptoms to a parent or coach.
What is a concussion?
A concussion is a mild form of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) that can occur on the playground, in PE, athletics, or any other activity. The cause of a concussion may be a direct or indirect blow to the head, face, neck or body that can change the way the brain normally works. It can also result from a fall or blow that results in the head and brain moving quickly back and forth.
Why is it important to promote concussion awareness and reporting?
According to the National Association of School Nurses, “recognition of a concussion and immediate assessment is critical in preventing further injury and for post-concussion management. Any force or blow to the head and/or symptoms of a concussion in a student or athlete should be immediately evaluated by either the school nurse or designated, trained school personnel.”
What are the signs and symptoms of a concussion?
| Symptoms Reported by Athlete | Signs Observed by Coaches/Parents/Guardians |
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What is ISB doing to address concussion safety?
The Nurses’ Clinic is partnering with ISB Athletics and the Safety Committee to create and adopt a concussion policy and protocol. Our intent is to follow international guidelines from athletic medicine experts. The United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the International Olympic Committee, Sports Medicine Australia and many other organizations came together as part of the Fourth International Conference on Concussion in Sport. The Concussion Policy Consensus Statement recommends that schools and athletic organizations adopt a three-part concussion policy. This involves:
- Educate athletes, parents, and coaches to improve awareness and understanding of the possible adverse consequences of concussion
- Remove any player or student from play who is suspected of concussion
- Seek evaluation by a healthcare professional and sit out at least 24 hours, and in cases of loss of consciousness, a minimum of two weeks’ rest period should be administered.
What can parents do to promote concussion safety?
The CDC has developed the Heads Up campaign for concussion prevention and management, which includes online training, printed materials, videos and pocket guides for coaches, school staff, parents and teens. We recommend you review the Resources section below, discuss and share the information with your child and watch the Heads Up training video (approximately 45 minutes). All PE teachers and athletic coaches will be required to complete this training module.
ISB is committed to your child’s overall development, both educationally and health related. Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact your healthcare provider or the ISB Nurse’s Office (nurse@isb.ac.th).
Resources:
Concussion: A Must Read for Young Athletes
Concussion Fact Sheet for Parents
Bangkok International Choral Festival – October 4th
by Marianne Derow
mariannd@isb.ac.th
Please join us in the Chevron Theatre on Saturday, October 4 at 2:00pm for the Bangkok International Choral Festival. ISB choral students will be joined by visitors from other international schools, creating a mass choir under the internationally renowned baton of our own beloved, Dinah Helgeson. Doors open at 1:40pm, so come early to get your seat as this event is a “sell-out” See you there!!
Booster Meeting – October 6th
by: The Booster Club
isbbooster@isb.ac.th
Thank you for making our first Booster meeting in September such a fantastic success! Let’s keep the momentum going. Please join us again on October 6, @ 11:00 a.m. in the MPB1 (top of the zigzag) for our next meeting. Look forward to seeing you there!
Join us for ‘Lunch with Michelle’ Thursday, October 16th: Parent Lunch and Introduction/Discussion to the HS/MS Cafeteria
by Patti Madigan
madigankolstad@yahoo.com
Join us for ‘Lunch with Michelle’ Thursday, October 16th:
Parent Lunch and Introduction/Discussion to the HS/MS Cafeteria
To all new and returning parents of MS/HS students: Did you know that ISB food service is run by Epicure Catering, a company that provides food services to several international schools in the Bangkok area? Are you interested to learn more? Have you ever wanted to sample what our children who buy lunch at ISB eat every day? This is your chance to learn all about the food service and the cafeteria at ISB.
Come join Michelle Ihrig, Epicure Manager at ISB, for “Lunch with Michelle” on Thursday, October 16 at 11 am. There will be a short tour of the cafeteria followed by lunch and casual discussion. Space is limited and fills up quickly, so please RSVP to Patti Madigan at madigankolstad@yahoo.com by Monday, October 13.
Note: Should you have any individual item that needs specific, personal attention, please contact Michelle directly at: cafeteria@isb.ac.th
ISB Downtown Parent Connection – Thursday 30th October
by Downtown Welcome Wai coordinator Charmain Brea
(welcomewai@isb.ac.th )
Would you like to meet other downtown parents of ISB? This month there will be a Downtown Welcome Wai parent gathering on Thursday 30th October from 10:30am – 12:30pm @ Riverside Lounge, Shangri-La Hotel Bangkok (address: 89 Soi Wat Suan Plu, New Road, Bangrak, 10500). Mid Morning Snacks will be on offer at 300Baht ++ (includes tea, coffee, assorted sandwiches and pastries). The website address is https://www.shangri-la.com/bangkok/shangrila/
Every ISB parent is welcome wherever you live however this is an RSVP event only. Please RSVP by Tuesday 28th October to welcomewai@isb.ac.th If you have any questions please contact Downtown Welcome Wai Coordinator: Charmain Brea (mobile number) or email welcomewai@isb.ac.th
We are looking forward to seeing you all!
BBSA – Baseball and softball registration is now open for the 2014-15 season
by Kevin Sypolt
kevinjan@optonline.net
ksypolt@gmail.com
+66-84-388-7715
Bangkok Baseball Softball Association (BBSA) has organized baseball/softball play for the past 54 years in Bangkok. There are leagues for boys and girls ages 5 yrs – 18 yrs. Please note registration is open from now until October 31st. We must register players now so we have time to hold player assessments, form teams and order player uniforms before play begins. Current fees per player are THB 3,000. Registration fees will increase to THB 3,500 on November 1st so be sure to register before November 1st.
You can make your payment at the Community Activity Office (CAO) or pay by Thai bank wire transfer. Cash, credit cards and Thai baht checks are accepted for payment at the CAO office. The CAO Office is open Monday – Friday, 7:00AM to 11:00AM and 12:00PM to 3:00PM.
Player assessment will be held on Sunday November 2nd or Sunday November 9th at the ISB fields. All players are strongly encouraged to attend their assessment sessions to allow the coaches to create fair and balanced teams. Parents will be contacted about the specific times for their player’s assessment session.
Practices will begin in mid November with Opening Day for baseball/softball on Saturday, Nov 22nd. All games are played on Friday evenings and Saturdays at ISB. Games will continue every weekend until the league championships the weekend of February 27th/28th. There will be no games during the winter break at ISB but we will continue play on Saturday, January 10th 2014.
All teams will practice once per week during the season as a weekly practice is important to skills development and to learn the fundamentals of teamwork, etc. Most practices will take place at the ISB fields on weekday evenings (Monday – Thursday). We have arranged a downtown Bangkok location on Thursdays for an optional weekly practice at NIST. Parents will have to pay THB 500 for the season for this practice because NIST charges for field usage. But all players should register to play even if they cannot commit to attending all weekly practice sessions.
On the registration form you will also have an opportunity to volunteer to be a coach, assistant coach or team parent. Please consider helpng out with your child’s team in some way. The kids really love having their parents helping out with their team and you will have a great time. No previous baseball experience is necessary.
BBSA has purchased a limited number of fielding gloves and batting gloves for players who need them. These will be sold on our assessment days on Sunday, Nov 2nd and 9th.
Please go to https://inside.isb.ac.th/
eNewsletter Guidelines
by Tony Arnold
anthonya@isb.ac.th
ISB eNewsletters provide a valuable avenue for communication within the ISB parent community. Please see our eNewsletter guidelines below.
Submitting an announcement for publication
ISB accepts announcements from ISB families and ISB staff 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
• An image or photo (optional)
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 (ES) announcements of interest to ES families.
maurilib@isb.ac.th is for Middle School (MS) 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.