High School Upcoming events (Please click):
October 20th 2017‘Time for a Break’
Justin Alexander
Justina@isb.ac.th
Thank you to the fifty or so parents that joined us on Thursday at the first Principal Forum of the year where Susan Canobie, Andy Vaughan and myself addressed a number of questions that had been raised by parents in recent weeks. In the first HS Enews after the break, we will share our presentation and include responses to the questions that were raised.
In the meantime though it is time for a well earned break for students and teachers after an extremely busy and full first term of the school year. I wish you all a safe and restful break.
Regards,
Justin Alexander
GCW Update
Andy Vaughan
andyv@isb.ac.th
Payment and Permission slips were distributed this week via email and to students in their first GCW meeting on Tuesday. Please note that the payment date for GCW courses is Monday 7 November.
How do I make a payment?
In the email you received payment details were explained. All students were issued a pre-printed Bank of Ayudhya payment slip sent as an attachment on that email. Payments can be made at any branch of Bank of Ayudhya using this pre-printed payment slip. Payments can also be made via Paypal or at the school cashier.
Please do not do any online banking transfers as these are incredibly as these are very difficult to trace.
On Tuesday 7 November all students will need to return:
- Their signed permission forms
- A copy of their passport for all trips that travel overnight.
- There is no need to return the payment slips in the first meeting, please keep these as confirmation of payment.
- If you have any questions regarding either the Parent Permission Form or the Payments for GCW, please contact Andy Vaughan (andyv@isb.ac.th) or Khun Jurairat (jurairak@isb.ac.th)
Grade 12 IB Predicted Grades
Susan Canobie
susanca@isb.ac.th
Year 2 IB Predicted Grades have been uploaded onto PowerSchool in the a Report on the Quicklookup. IB Predicted Grades are an estimate of student performance in their IB subjects and may change as teachers gather more evidence. The next update for IB Predicted Grades is January 12. If you have any questions regarding these Predicted Grades, please communicate directly with the teacher.
Overall Grade-to-date
Susan Canobie
susanca@isb.ac.th
Teachers have updated PowerSchool on Friday October 20 with a Grade-to-date and HAL Grade for all students. This Grade-to-date is on the 7-1 scale and is based on the ‘body of evidence’ of student work completed so far, with teachers using the Grade Descriptors and their professional judgement. For your reference, the Grade Descriptors can be found inside the back cover of the Student Daily Planner.
High School Counseling eNews
Andrew Weiser
andreww@isb.ac.th
College Counselors
It’s hard to believe October break is here. What a busy first few months! And there is more to come…
ISB High School Parents & Students are invited to an evening with Mrs. Kelly Walter, Associate Vice President for Enrollment & Executive Director of Admissions at Boston University. This event will be held on Monday, October 30 at 6:30pm in MPB #1. Mrs. Walter’s visit is coordinated by the Office of Overseas Schools at the U.S. Department of State. The purpose of this event is to present on US Higher Education and the college admissions process at selective colleges and universities in the United States including the differences between research universities and liberal arts colleges, and the definition of “the liberal arts”.
College Counseling Parent Coffee – It was great to see so many parents at the coffee this past Monday as College Counselors provided an overview and introduction to the program supporting families. If you weren’t able to make it, please find a copy of the presentation HERE. We look forward to hosting next month’s coffee on Monday, November 13 at 8am when the topic will focus on Standardized Testing.
12th Grade Early Applications – It has been a very busy few weeks as a number of student finalize their early applications to Thai, UK, US and some Hong Kong universities. Counselors have been busy working with students to draft thoughtful and reflective essays and proofread their applications. These students should have already submitted via the testing agency any required SAT, ACT, or TOEFL/IELTS scores.
12th Grade Regular Applications – All senior college lists must be finalized by November 20 if an application deadline is now through January. This includes Canadian, UK, US, Thai, and some Hong Kong universities. Blue forms or transcript requests must be completed in full by November 20 and submitted to the counseling office by the student.
11th Grade PSAT – We’ve heard from CollegeBoard that 11th grade students should receive their PSAT results on December 13 via the email they provided on their registration.
11th Grade Personal Mission Statements – As we shared last week, College Counselors met with 11th graders and took them through an activity called “Blind College Taste Test” where students had to identify what they thought was the best university without knowing the name. This leads well into the next Seminar in November where we walk students through how to thoroughly research universities. But, if you haven’t already done so, ask your 11th grader about their personal mission statement! Student can access directions in Haiku where they must reflect on some questions, learn what mission statements are meant to convey, and then review some exemplars. The mission statement will be the first piece of the resume they will continue to build upon this semester and it is due by Friday, November 3.
11th Grade College Night – Mark your calendars! All 11th grade parents and students are strongly encouraged to attend on Wednesday, January 18 from 6:30 – 8:00pm. This is when we will officially kick off the college search and application process for 11th grade families.
US Financial Aid/Scholarships – Want to learn more about aid and scholarships in the US? Mr. Dane Rowley from California Lutheran on Tuesday, October 31. During lunch (10:00-10:30) he will meet with students who are interested in California Lutheran and from 10:45 – 11:30 he will present on financial aid and scholarships in the US.
UK and Australian Universities @ ISB – Just a special note to let parents know we are excited to host a number of UK and Australian universities the week of November 6. Please be sure to see the exact dates and times at the university visit link below.
University Visits– for a full list of who is coming, please subscribe to the Google Calendar at this link.
School Counselors
This year our high school has aligned itself with a 1 – 7 assessment scale. Many students and families are still familiarizing themselves with the scale and what exactly a given number on powerschool represents. Below is a link to IB grade descriptors which may hopefully help in gaining further understanding:
http://www.ibo.org/globalassets/publications/recognition/dp-grade-descriptors-en.pdf
Learning Benefits of Grade Alignment:
- Discussion between students, teachers and parents focuses on desired learning outcomes and uses a common language – in grades 9 through 12.
- Use of the IB scale improves grading consistency within and across subjects in all grade levels.
- Student habits and attitudes to learning (HAL) will continue to be reported separately from attainment levels, allowing students to better target specific areas for growth.
- IB grades offer universities and colleges an internationally understood and “inflation free currency” which greatly assists in the process of assessing a student’s suitability for a particular school or course.
- In the international teacher community teachers are used to and familiar with the IB scale which greatly facilitates transitioning to a new school and benefits ISB students.
- The IB diploma is the default path to graduation for the majority of our students (≃70%), almost all other students take IB courses. 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 and grades relate directly to published IB learning criteria that have direct, subject specific meaning.
- Student improvement goals are set in terms of detailed learning targets rather than increased percentage scores.
- Grading in the IB Diploma program no longer needs to be converted or “curved”, thus ensuring that students get direct appropriate feedback in the “language” of the program and focused on learning.
A well-deserved break is knocking, where we hope students are able to relax and have some funJ
Intercultural Day is coming!
Becky Hansberry
beckyh@isb.ac.th
Students are encouraged to represent a culture either as a club, a group of friends, or individually for our Intercultural Assembly on November 14th and our First Annual Intercultural Lunch Fest on November 17th. The Intercultural Lunch Fest is a great fundraising opportunity for student groups to sell food, host a craft, or organize a game to celebrate and promote a culture. Please sign up by November 1st!
Link to assembly sign up, 14th November (performances only!):https://goo.gl/forms/yU8JzoQzzJ0WKi5j2
Link to lunchtime sign up, 17th November (performance or fundraising activities): https://goo.gl/forms/g7See6PbseNCCzLP2)
IB/HS FALL DANCE CONCERT – ‘ODE TO CHANGE: Love in six parts’ (3rd Nov) :
Anthony Giles
anthonyg@isb.ac.th
Experience a dance-journey of love >> LUST, EUPHORIA, FEAR/DISGUST, TRUTH, FINALE! Friday, 3rd November in CCT @ 3:30 & 5:30. Come and join the ISB Dance Dept for an unforgettable dance-theater event. Free entrance; open seating.
VISUAL ARTWORK SOUGHT FOR IASAS CULTURAL CONVENTION:
Anthony Giles
anthonyg@isb.ac.th
Open to all HS students starting now! Artwork must have been created this year (from January 2017 onwards). Maximum of 3 entries per student, with each entry accompanied by an application form. Application forms are available from Mr. Madden or Mr. Tahan. Please submit your entries (can be works in progress) to Mr. Tahan in HS Photography room (4-106) beforeFriday the 15th of December.
VISUAL ARTISTS SOUGHT FOR IASAS CULTURAL CONVENTION:
Anthony Giles
anthonyg@isb.ac.th
Travelling delegates: Do you want to be an Art delegate? 5 Art students will be selected to travel to ISM in March for IASAS Cultural Convention. Application forms available from Mr. Madden or Mr.Tahan. Aspiring delegates must also submit artwork! Deadline for application to be a delegate: Friday 3rd November. All applications to be given to Mr. Tahan in HS Art room (4-106). IASAS rules apply regarding eligibility (grades and HAL) for travelling delegates – check p.65 of the student handbook. (Tahan, Madden)
IASAS FILM 2018 COMPETITION
Anthony Giles
anthonyg@isb.ac.th
Take a moment to view the IASAS film submissions instructions and prompt here. Deadline for registration is the 8th of November 2017.
This is our third annualIASAS Film competition. Please take the time to read the instructions and sign-up. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask Mr.Assimakpoulos.
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.