High School Upcoming events (Please click):
A Message from the Principal
Philip Bradley
philipb@isb.ac.th
We hope you all find a few extra moments to relax and have some family time over this long weekend. Our students are certainly in need of an opportunity to rest ahead of the final few weeks of the semester.
School will reopen on Tuesday 6th of December – which is an Early Dismissal Day.
Semester December Exams (Gr. 9 & 10 only)
Susan Canobie
susanca@isb.ac.th
Please find detailed information on December Exams and the Schedule HERE. Note Exams are for Grades 9 and 10 only, with Grades 11 and 12 having regular classes. These Exams are formative, in that they indicate one point of achievement on a learning continuum. Feedback on these tasks are incredibly useful and the information given to students and teachers informs further learning. They do, however, form a significant part of Semester grades.
Students can leave school early (before 2:20pm) after an exam by completing an early-departure-examinations. This form will be posted on the Parent and Student Portals or hard copies can be obtained from the HS Office. Students will need to have a parent-signed, completed form for each instance they wish to leave campus.
Please also note that students in Grade 11 & 12 have a normal Day 6 on Wednesday 14th December. This is different to what is posted on the school calendar.
Report Card Holds
Andy Vaughan; Susan Canobie
andyv@isb.ac.th, susanca@isb.ac.th
Please note that parents will be unable to access report cards through Powerschool if a report card hold has been placed on a student account. Report card holds occur if books are outstanding at the Library,fees are overdue or textbooks not returned. If a report card hold has occurs in the next two weeks parents will be notified via an automated email from Powerschool.
To avoid report card holds please encourage your child(ren) to return all library books, and any textbooks used solely in semester 1. To remove a report after semester finishes you will need to visit the HS Office from 19-23 December with the outstanding item.
Second Semester Course Choices
Susan Canobie
susanca@isb.ac.th
Second semester is not too far away. Students who are considering changing their course choices for second semester should see their counselor in the next week. This is particularly relevant with choices of Science courses in Grades 9 & 10. Please note teachers have spoken to students about these choices in recent Science classes. If students have any questions, please contact their counselor.
Counseling News
Andrew Weiser
andreww@isb.ac.th
Grade 9
This week Freshmen were shared some general strategies in regards to preparing for the final exams. We also had a freshman seminar session that discussed ways that students can enhance personal wellness during times that might be stressful. Below are some links that can be helpful to students and adults. With some there is a play element that might seem quite elementary, but can actually be healthy to all.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QNDPF4hWenKWa4-whosRxN6uLQ9okMkqzyKBqudrkXg/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Bw5TT-M36pJMWTETi8mRHQ6PTynAPPEt2TlpFEpuhUA/edit?usp=sharing
In the next couple of weeks the school will be looking at semester courses and any adjustments we have to make.
You might want to be aware of the following:
- If you are planning to move to a different school in Grade 10 you might want to consider asking that school you might move to (If you know it) what their science requirements are. In the past we have had some students take Chemistry 2 instead of Biology 1 or Physics 1 second semester. This is because sometimes students need a full year of Chemistry to transfer. This is often the case when transferring to the U.S.A
- The master schedule is tight and there is not a lot of flexibility for movement to accommodate changed electives.
- From time to time to balance courses etc we sometimes have to switch core courses. If this happens we always make the best effort to keep you with your current teacher for that course.
- Think about your Freshman Seminar / Free Period this semester – how has that helped you balance your time and commitments. Over half students elect for the free period. If you find that you have a full schedule and you would like me to take an elective out for a free period – please let me know ASAP.
- If you chose Biology and now want Physics – or visa versa – let me know ASAP.
Grade 10
Now is the time that students should be beginning to review the materials that teachers have given them or communicated to them that will be on the final. By starting now, they can do a little bit each day, rather than try to “cram” in the last days leading up to the exams. (It’s also very helpful this year that 10th graders only have semester exams in math, English, and science.) Cramming doesn’t help so much anyway. See this link to a study from UCLA:
https://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/cramming-for-a-test-don-t-do-it-237733
So it’s just like common sense suggests: you can retain more by taking smaller chunks at a time, than by trying to stuff it in all at once and hope that you can regurgitate it before you forget!
If any 10th graders want to change electives for the second semester, they should see their counselor as soon as possible. Most elective classes are full, so there is limited movement possible, so hopefully students are happy with their second semester schedule!
Grade 11
Counselors met last week with 11th graders in their 2nd Junior Seminar to visualize and identify what an ideal college that best fits their needs and wants looks like. Juniors learned how to properly research universities and the resources available to help them get started.
Student Homework – Students need to research two universities and write a self -recommendation. Guidelines were handed out and reviewed in the seminar and can also be accessed on Haiku.
Parent Homework – You also have an assignment called “Parent Perspectives.” This is your chance to share very helpful information about your student with the counselor as begin to move forward with the college process. You can complete this on the paper given to your students, or on a Word document (students can download from Haiku), or through your own parent Naviance account.
The student and parent assignments are due by Monday, January 16… but of course earlier is always better!
Mark your calendars! Junior College Night is scheduled for Wednesday, January 18 at 6:30pm in the MPB. Both 11th grade students and parents are encouraged to attend when we officially kick off the college search and application process.
Last month, 11th graders took the PSAT. CollegeBoard has designed a new system for PSAT score delivery to students this year. According to CollegeBoard, results should arrive electronically to students around December 12. To understand more about what the reports mean, access the following video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzCSIilL3WQ
Grade 12
Please remind your student to schedule an appointment with their counselor to submit their applications sooner, rather than later. All applications to universities with December and January deadlines need to be submitted by Thursday, December 15. We suggest that students applying to Canada submit their applications prior to the December break as well. In addition, students need to have their standardized test scores (SAT, ACT, TOEFL, IELTS) sent to universities before the application deadline.
If your student has applied Early Decision and/or Early Action, they will soon receive a decision. The following link contains a great article about keeping the university admission process in perspective.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/patrick-oconnor/what-your-college-applica_b_6309996.html
HS Band Holiday Concert
Anthony Giles
anthonyg@isb.ac.th
Please mark your calendars for the HS Band Holiday Concert scheduled for 6:30pm Thursday, December 8 in the CC Theatre. The Concert will feature all three HS bands including the Wind Ensemble, Intermediate Band and Jazz Band. In addition to standard holiday songs, the concert will pay tribute to His Majesty the King of Thailand, Bhumibol Aduladej, with music either in his honor or written by the King himself. Special guests will be 8 vocalists from the HS Choir performing with the bands. The jazz band will bring the ‘Soul’ into the holiday season with music from such artists as Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin. There is no charge to attend the concert and all are welcome.
eNewsletter Guidelines
Shelley Bragg
shelleyb@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 (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.