Jackie Valenzuela
jackiev@isb.ac.th
Grade 12 – Welcome back! Hopefully the first week into the school routine has gone smoothly for your family. The counselors are looking forward to seeing you next Thursday, August 25 at 6:30pm for Senior Parent Night. We will meet in MPB1 to give an overview of the college application process at ISB and discuss the overall transition process.
We are looking forward to supporting your student not only through all things university, but also through the ups and downs of adolescent life. Over the next few weeks counselors will meet individually with Seniors as they plan for post-ISB.
With the addition of Advisory this year has come a wonderful array of sessions for your student that will focus on “Preparedness for Life After High School.” Our hope is that when students leave ISB at the end of their senior year they feel ready for their next big step.
Grade 11 – Welcome to 11th grade! We hope your Junior has had a good week and transition back into the routine of school. There are a number of changes at ISB this year that we think will provide an even better educational experience for students at ISB. As always, counselors are available to assist students and you, as parents, are our vital partners.
We hope that you can continue to help your student find balance, especially as many are beginning IB coursework. While students are growing more in their ability to organize and manage their lives, it’s important to remember that they still need your parental love, support, wisdom, and care.
This year may bring many questions, excitements, and anxieties in regards to college and university planning. Know that the ISB program is designed to help students thoughtfully through this process. Counselors will meet with their caseload of students in 4 Seminars throughout the year. Special sessions will also be held as they relate to specific topics like UCAS, essay writing, etc. We’re lucky, too, that many universities come to ISB just to see our students. Access the calendar here. Universities are requesting visits regularly and parents are always welcome to attend.
Please mark your calendars for Wednesday, January 18 when we’ll host Junior Parent Night to kick off the application process. More information will follow. February and March you will be invited in to meet individually with your student and the counselor to discuss the application process. These are called Junior Conferences. Finally, a wealth of information can be found on ISB’s University Advising site linked here. You can also access this through the PowerSchool parent portal.
Grade 10 – Welcome back and welcome to our newest Panthers! We hope that your student’s school year is off to a flying start. The 10th grade class looks great. We are all looking forward to a happy and productive year. Please encourage your student to drop by and say hello to their counselor; all the counselors want to get to know their 10th grade students early in the year. And if they have any trouble with their schedule or anything else and are not sure who to ask, they are welcome to come to the counseling area and get some help!
Grade 9 – And we are off!!!! It has been a great first week for our 9th graders. I have received very positive feedback from the students about the onset of their high school life. Hopefully you are hearing the same at home. Some students are requesting changes to their schedule for electives. They have the first 8 days of school to request this. We try and accommodate but unfortunately this is not always possible within the constraints of the master schedule and some full courses.
Although I have witnessed many good starts to the year, no doubt there are some students really struggling with the adjustment. We will look out for these students, but if you hear of or observe a concern at home please encourage your child to chat with me. Please feel free to contact me in the counseling office: Kevin Davy – kevind@isb.ac.th
Next Week’s College Visits
Lehigh University – Monday, August 22 at 10:50 (Room 203)