High School Upcoming events (Please click):
Change to HS Grading System
Philip Bradley
philipb@isb.ac.th
Dear Parents,
We have been reviewing the way in which we assess, grade and report student work in the High School.
Over a period of several years teachers, administrators and counselors have been extensively researching these topics and as part of the process we have consulted with experts in the field, research findings, universities, and other international schools.
Many of you will have attended PTA meetings on the topic and there have also been a number of focus groups. The Board of Trustees has also been kept appraised of this work with three informational meetings.
On March 14th the Board of Trustees approved changes to the HS Grading System that will come into effect in August 2017. Specifically these changes are:
- Transition from a 13 point (A+ – F) percentage derived letter scale to an IB 1-7 scale that uses learner outcomes and performance descriptors from the IB
- Transition from a 4.3 GPA scale to a 7.0 GPA scale
- Transition from a weighted to an unweighted GPA scale
Additional information about the background, rationale, benefits and university recognition can be found in this tri-fold pamphlet which can be printed or read online.
Please note that for the class of 2018 (next year’s seniors) ISB transcripts will be presented with the traditional A-F letter grades so there is consistency of grades for the junior and senior years.
Please refer to the chart below for how transcripts will be presented for each Grade level in 2017/18 and beyond.
| Class of 2018
This year’s juniors – next year’s seniors |
Class of 2019
This year’s sophomores – next year’s juniors |
Class of 2020
This year’s freshmen – next year’s sophomores |
Class of 2021
This year’s Grade 8 – next year’s freshmen |
|
| Grade 9 | A-F System | A-F System | A-F System | 1-7 System |
| Grade 10 | A-F System | A-F System | 1-7 System | 1-7 System |
| Grade 11 | A-F System | 1-7 System | 1-7 System | 1-7 System |
| Grade 12 | A-F System | 1-7 System | 1-7 System | 1-7 System |
Universities we have been in contact with have assured us that a mixed transcript presents no difficulties. University admissions personnel regularly read transcripts and report cards from all over the world. Currently at least 40% of ISB graduates already leave ISB with a “mixed” transcript (i.e. more than one grading system or school) as students join ISB from other schools.
GPA Calculations (to appear on ISB HS Transcripts)
| Class of 2018 | 4.3 scale based on all 4 years of HS |
| Class of 2019 | 4.3 scale based on Grade 9 and Grade 10
7.0 scale based on Grade 11 & Grade 12 |
| Class of 2020 | 4.3 scale based on Grade 9
7.0 scale based on Grade 10, Grade 11 & Grade 12 |
| Class of 2021 (and beyond) | 7.0 scale based on all 4 years of HS |
The rationale for these changes is as follows:
- The number of HS students taking the IB Diploma Program has doubled in recent years to above 70% of juniors and seniors.
- Additionally, all HS students take IB courses.
- Confusion arises when students and teachers are using two grading systems – A through F for ISB grades and 1 through 7 for IB grades.
- Students deserve to know how they are performing with respect to the IB program and IB courses.
- Currently the complexity of converting grades from IB assessments into a 13 point letter scale (each with different percentage boundaries) is very confusing and difficult to standardize. Hence the use of “curves” and adjustments. Simplification is essential so that students comprehend their level of performance and what needs to be done to ensure they reach their academic potential.
- The consistency of communication that switching to the IB scale will bring to our learners is significant and provides students with the most meaningful feedback.
- Teacher comments, grades and student improvement goals relate directly to published IB learning criteria that have direct subject specific meaning.
- Use of the IB scale improves grading consistency within and across subjects in all grade levels.
- IB grades offer universities and colleges an internationally understood and “inflation free” scale which greatly assists in the process of assessing a student’s suitability for a particular school or course.
- All courses are equal and course choice will not impact GPA. This aligns with ISB’s vision to be an inclusive school and allows our students to pursue their passions for learning without penalty. Students will not avoid a passion (eg choir, band, photography) in the future because of a perceived need to maximize GPA.
If you have any follow up questions, please contact the HS administration or a HS counselor. We will also hold an informational meeting for interested parents of students in grades 8-11 in April.
Sincerely,
Philip Bradley
HS Principal
Salt and Ice Challenge
Andy Vaughan
andyv@isb.ac.th
Every now and then “challenges” are shared online that go viral. Sometimes these are for positive causes, but occasionally, they involve risky behavior that adolescents might latch onto. It has come to our attention that some ISB students have been trying the “Salt and Ice Challenge”.
This is a social media challenge where people video themselves to see how long they can tolerate the pain of putting salt and ice on their skin. They then upload the video. The challenge was first circulated on the internet about 5 years ago and it has recently resurfaced.
The combination of salt and ice causes cold thermal burns that can lead to second to third degree burns due to the anaesthetic effect of the ice and potential nerve damage from the burn. This could lead to permanent scarring and the need for medical interventions to heal the burn. Typically participants apply the ice to their hands and forearms, but can apply it anywhere on their bodies.
If any students present to the Health Clinic with suspicious wounds, the nurses will contact their counsellor to discuss this with the student and their parents.
We ask all parents to discuss the potential dangers of participating in the Salt and Ice Challenge as well as any other “challenge” they may see on the internet.
Here are some links about the Salt and Ice Challenge, for more information:
https://qpolitical.com/dangerous-new-social-media-challenge-every-parent-needs-aware/
https://www.simplemost.com/salt-ice-challenge-send-child-er/
HS Uniforms
Andy Vaughan
andyv@isb.ac.th
Recently there has been an increase of students wearing out of uniform clothing. Constant reminders to students of our uniform policy as this is not good use of teacher or administrator time, hence we are asking for parents to assist in ensuring your child is in the correct uniform.
The HS ISB school uniform requirements from the Student Handbook can be found at this link.
As a reminder for students, here are some key points:
- Shirts must be either the blue or white ISB polo shirt. Team/Class/Club shirts are not allowed if they are short sleeved. Where a team shirt is long sleeved, it is an ISB approved team shirt.
- Sweatshirts/Hoodies must be ISB Booster or Team tops. They must be of the correct colour. Other IASAS (TAS, SAS etc…), Club or College tops are not ISB Dress Code.
- Pants must be either the beige or black school pants. They should not be PE shorts or other sports shorts.
Many thanks for your support on this matter.
Grade 12 Exam Schedules both Mock exams and for May 2017 – Important information
Susan Canobie
susanca@isb.ac.th
Grade 12 students will be undertaking Mock exams from Friday 17th March to Friday 24th March, with the Arts students having a working session on Tuesday March 14th from 1:30pm. The Mock exam schedule is available on PowerSchool. Please note, morning exams begin at 7:30am and afternoon exams begin at 12:00pm, with the exception for Friday March 14, where the exam will begin at 1:00pm. Full IB Diploma students are excused from all classes during this time. All other students are excused from classes in the morning if they have an exam in the afternoon session. Note – no May 2017 IB classes will be scheduled during this week. Other regular High School Courses and May 2018 Courses continue to run
If a Course/HS student has a Mock exam in the afternoon session, they are excused from morning classes that day. If a Course student has a Mock exam in the morning, they may have the previous afternoon excused, they then attend classes after the exam.
Students in regular High School classes need to communicate with the teachers of these classes regarding their schedule and absenteeism due to the above.
Grade 12 students will all finish formal classes on Monday 24th April and start study leave the following day. The official IB exams for ISB start on Friday 28th April and go through to Friday 19th May. There are IB exams on Thai holidays during this period.
Individual IB and ISB exam schedules can now be found on PowerSchool. They are located on the top right corner of the quick lookup page. Please check them carefully and record the dates in your family calendar. All exams are in MPB with AM (mornings) starting at 7:30am and PM (afternoon) starting at 12noon.
2016/17 COURSE REGISTRATIONS – OPEN NOW
Susan Canobie
susanca@isb.ac.th
Students in grades 8 -11 are currently signing up for next year courses via Powerschool. ALL students in these grade levels need to complete this by Tuesday 3pm.
Even if students may be leaving ISB at the end of the current school year, they still need to select their courses.
IB Basics
Susan Canobie
susanca@isb.ac.th
Please find the IB Basics for Parents Presentation from Monday evening here. If there are any questions about the IB Diploma, you encouraged to contact myself or any of the IB teachers in the High School.
High School Counseling Newsletter
Ryan Haynes
ryanh@isb.ac.th
Grade12
Mock Exams began today and will continue through next week. We wish seniors all of the best during this very busy time.
This information is only for non-U.S. passport holders planning to attend University in the U.S. (U.S. Student VISA Info meeting). This meeting was originally planned for April 19. It will now be held on FRIDAY, MARCH 24 at 2:30 in Room 203. A U.S. Embassy representative will present information on acquiring an F-1 Student Visa.
Grade 11
It’s been great meeting with parents and students for Junior Conferences. Students have been leading these and thoughtful conversations and plans are taking place for our students as they look to life after graduation. If your student hasn’t scheduled one, they should see Khun Jan in the HS Counseling Office as soon as possible. The goal is to have these finished in the next 2 weeks.
ISB Counselors recommend that non-Native English speakers plan to take the TOEFL or IELTS over the summer. Also, any student applying to the US should have sat at least one ACT or SAT prior to the summer holiday. As a reminder, ISB is a closed/unlisted testing center for both SAT and ACT. Students should see their counselor for more information on a testing plan appropriate for your student’s needs and for registration information.
Grade 10
Have your son or daughter see their counselor if they have questions about registration for next year’s classes. All the counselors are available to answer questions about course selection. Some of the choices of courses are quite confusing, so don’t be shy; come and ask!
Grade 9
All Grade 9 students met with school counselors to be informed of course options for Grade 10. The link below is the little presentation we put together. Within it includes planning sheets, which students received as hard copies of on the day. We walked around answering questions as they were working on their sheet. We have encouraged them to access the online program of studies, especially, when considering electives & prerequisites. Students sign up for courses through PowerSchool, registration opens March 15 -21. The courses are not first come, first served.
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1PEZLII-UdFRckzEsLI0Vr_dNBuPo_LqDsXQ4l_Z6E6Q/edit?usp=sharing
In addition, Grade 9 students were sent a video tutorial on how to register for curse through PowerSchool. The video is linked below:
University Visits
https://sites.google.com/a/isb.ac.th/isb-hs-university-advising/university-visit-calendar
SEASON 3 – SPIRIT NIGHT!
Derrick Quinet
derrickq@isb.ac.th
SCHEDULE
We are celebrating Season 3 with the BIGGEST Spirit Night of them all, this Friday, March 17th at ISB! Don’t miss the incredible action, delicious vendors, and pure excitement that will accompany this massive event.
BISAC Senior Track & Field Championships – 4:00pm-9:30pm
ISB Invitational Fastpitch Jamboree – 4:00pm-8:30pm
ISB Invitational Baseball Jamboree – 4:00pm-8:30pm
Varsity & JV Badminton – 4pm – 7pm
U13/U15 Volleyball – 4:00pm-5:30pm
U13 Softball – 4:00pm-5:00pm
The full schedule for Spirit Night is here.
The full weekend of March 17-18 Schedule here, including the BISAC Junior Track & Field Championships and the rest of the fast pitch and baseball schedule.
Go Panthers!
Derrick Quinet
Athletics Director
ISB Jazz Night 2017
Anthony Giles
anthonyg@isb.ac.th
No charge to attend and all are welcome!
WHO: ISB HS Jazz Band and Jazz Vocalists
WHAT: ISB Jazz Night featuring big band swing, latin, and bebop
WHERE: MPB 1,2,3
WHEN: Wednesday, March 29th, 2017 6:30 pm
Attention Parents of Seniors: Photos Needed
Laura Sadowski
lsadowski65@yahoo.com.
It’s time to start collecting photos for display on the bulletin boards during the weeks leading up to graduation. Students, teachers and parents can admire and take pride in looking at their journey. About 10 days before graduation, there will be several bulletin boards with different themes posted around the Rajendra Hall area. Among other themes, one will be dedicated to baby photos of the seniors and one will be dedicated to action shots or group shots of the seniors in memorable activities.
- “Senior Memories”: Photographs from 0-senior year, solo or group shots are welcome irrespective of the fact if your child has been with ISB all these years or not. Please send as many photos as you like. We hope to include as many graduates as possible in these candid shots.
- One Baby photo
- Size 3 x 5 or 4 x 6 preferred
- Photographs to be in print. No digital photographs welcome
- Do write the name of the student behind the baby photograph
- Drop the photographs in the 2 plastic bins, placed in the HS office – one for “Senior Baby photos” and the other for “Senior Memories Photo ”
- The photographs will not be returned, but you may remove any photos from the boards after graduation. Photos may be lost or damaged.
- The deadline for dropping the photos in the HS office is May 15th.
Questions? Contact Laura Sadowski at lsadowski65@yahoo.com.
Laura
+66-89-924-5306 M
+66-2-960-3518 H
ISB Summer School 2017- Registration Now Open!
Maurilio Baron-Toaldo
maurilib@isb.ac.th
Dear HS Parents,
Our ISB Summer School Office is now open and accepting registrations for Summer School 2017 at ISB! You can go to the ISB website, or click here, to access all information about dates, programs, and fees.
Our Summer School Office is located through the door on the right side of the ISB Bookstore where Khun Fon will be there to greet and assist you!
For any questions, please email sumdir17@isb.ac.th
Best Regards,
Mr. Maurilio Baron-Toaldo
Summer School Director
International School Bangkok
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.