by Dennis Harter
A few weeks ago, we hosted a Principal’s Forum. In a previous eNews, I shared the discussion points and answers from our meeting. In this post, I will share answers to the submitted questions that were not covered on the day. Typically, the reason for this is that the questions had more direct answers that didn’t require much discussion and allowed for written responses.
Need for more Parent Sessions
Some questions centered around hoping for further communication between ISB and parents about our academic program, teacher expectations, or what parents can do at home to support their children. The best response for this is: “we agree!”
As part of our first year here, Cindy, Tico and I have been learning about the school, moving from one item to the next, and working hard to make learning and care the best it can be at ISB. This has focused our attention and quite honestly, I hadn’t avoided more parent sessions as much as not remembered to have them! It is absolutely a key piece to what we believe would make this the place we want it to be … we just didn’t get around to them this year.
To remedy this for next year, we have calendared informal parent coffees through the year in addition to the schedule PTA meetings and Principal’s forums. We plan on having teachers from different departments present on our academic program during these times as well as discuss among parents and administration what is happening at home and ways we can support kids to be successful.
We are also sensitive to ensuring that we provide access to the information from these sessions to working parents or parents who miss our sessions during the day. We commit to recording audio and/or video of these sessions so that they may be shared on the eNews for that week.
AMIS for all
A question was asked about why more students don’t participate in the AMIS honor music festivals. There may be some confusion here on how students are selected to participate.
The Association for Music in International Schools (AMIS) hosts festivals in the music disciplines each year. Students are invited to participate in the festival by audition only. ISB does not decide which students go to the festival – the panel of judges from AMIS does. Students from international schools throughout the region submit audition recordings, which are judged, and then invites are sent out. Schools do not have any sort of “quota” of invites.
Late to class
When students are late to class, we call this a “tardy.” We received questions about when students are assigned “tardies” and ways we can support students getting to class on time.
The most important thing to note in our response to students being late to class is that we approach this as a conversation starter with students about why they are late and what might need to be in place for students to make it on time.
Students only have two transitions a day between classes that are 5 minutes long. All other classes are separated by a longer break or lunch. Even then, most classes are in the main MS area and easily accessible within 5 minutes, even with a locker stop. Of course, the PE building and the Cultural Center are further away. When students are coming from these locations, we understand that the time can take longer. PE classes provide students time to shower and change within their allotted class time, allowing students the regular transition time for moving between classes.
All that said, we respond to tardies with conversations with students. For every understandable reason for lateness, we also see students who casually saunter in with smoothies in their hands after a 5 minute transition. In those cases, we talk about respect for learning time and behaving responsibly. We only exercise disciplinary consequences, when repeated instances continue to occur and students ignore opportunities to change their own practices.
Our goal is to manage these within our learning communities of Advisories, Houses and grade levels. A community that is respectful and accountable to each other will be one with few tardies and more mutual care.