Course Registration for 2018-2019
by Cindy Plantecoste, MS Dean of Academics
cindyp@isb.ac.th
Our class registration process for 2018-2019 school year is getting started for students who are currently in grades 6 and 7. To access our Program of Studies for 2018-2019, please go to: isb.ac.th; click on Learning at ISB, click on Middle School, click on Program of Studies. As a first step, we would ask that you read over the program of studies with your child to see what s/he is excited about learning next year, and to identify electives that your child might want to request.
On Monday or Tuesday of next week, we will meet with current grade 6 and grade 7 students to explain the registration process, distribute paper course registration forms, emphasize course requirements, as well as where your child has choice in his/her schedule, and will answer any questions that students have. We will also review the timeline for online and paper registration. Registration will open on Wednesday, February 21, and will close at the end of the school day on Monday, February 26th. Students are also required to submit their paper registration forms to their advisory teacher by Monday February 26th.
Your child will need to choose his/her electives: performing arts, visual arts, or design technology and engineering classes, and will also be asked if s/he would like to continue with the current world/native language, or to begin a new one. Students who receive learning support or EAL support would generally be exempt from taking a world/native language class. All of our Thai Nationals must study Thai language.
Once you have completed the paper registration form with your child, please register online through PowerSchool (if you can’t login to this, please contact Khun Arisa ext: 4407). Along the left side, click on ‘Class Registration.’ Registration will be open between February 21 – February 26 and is NOT first come, first serve. Be sure to take the time to consider options with your child, so that s/he is confident about their selections. We build our schedule around student requests. We’ve attached our course registration worksheets to register for grade 7 and for grade 8 to assist you in your planning (you can also find these at the end of the Program of Studies).
Should you have any questions about this process, you are welcome to contact Ms. Kinsella, Ms. Coady, or any of us in the MS Office. We are happy to help make this process a smooth one for your child.
We hope your child is getting excited about planning for next year in Middle School!
** Registration information for 5th to 6th grade will be sent directly to grade 5 parents.
**Registration information for 8th to 9th grade will be included in MS eNews by the HS.
Explore the Bangkok Jungle by Bike
Sometimes as parents, we struggle to find things to do with our middle schoolers! Well, one of those opportunities is coming up!
On Saturday, March 10th, ISB teachers plan a student bike ride with the SPICEROADS company to explore the Bangkok Jungle. This is a great opportunity for parents to sign up with their children and join the group for a fun day of cycling in a jungle right her in Bangkok.
We will travel by bus from ISB to the Suan Plearn Market in downtown Bangkok where we will meet our guides from SPICEROADS, an established biking tour company. From the market, we bike approximately 1.5km to the river where we will take a longtail boat across to the other side. Total biking is approximately 20km. Following is a description from Spiceroads of the biking trip:
Just across the Chao Phraya River, a short hop from busy Sukhumvit, is an extraordinary place known to the locals as Bang Kra Jao. This amazing wilderness in Bangkok can only be reached by boat as no bridges span this part of the river, and incredibly it has been left untouched by developers.
Crossing the river is like taking a journey back in time. You will find a peaceful place with lush vegetation, a maze of waterways, small villages, temples and real tropical jungle. If it wasn’t for Bangkok’s skyline, you would never believe you were so close to the city. And, there is no traffic!
We ride through the local communities passing villages, schools and temples and a delightful floating market. On our journey we’ll introduce you to the various flowers and fruits growing along the path and stop for refreshments on the river before we visit a fascinating temple, built in the Ayutthaya period, that is more than 250 years old and has a unique roof made of teak wood.
Who Gets to Go?
First 20 students to turn in both a signed permission form and payment. Signups and payment are due by 2:30pm on Tuesday, February 20th.
For copy of the permission form, click here. Please print out and complete the form and return it to the MS Office.
AMIS MS Honor Choir Housing April 4-8, 2018
Dear ISB Parents and Students,
As you may or may not be aware, ISB will be hosting the 2018
AMIS MS Boys’ and Girls’ Honor Choirs April 4-8, 2018.
With over 200 students from 17 schools around the region participating in the conference this year I am writing to ask for your help housing visiting student delegates. Think of it as an opportunity to connect with students at other schools who may host students from ISB in the future. Or, think of it as an opportunity to give back if your family has already benefited from similar arrangements at other schools.
AMIS conferences and tournaments depend upon the good will and generosity of people like you to host visiting students from other schools. This reciprocal agreement shared throughout the region adds immense value to our programs, and provides a unique opportunity to develop new friendships, share in culture, and strengthen our connections across international communities. Honestly, it’s one of the things that makes AMIS events so special.
So, show off your new guest room. Share your favorite dessert. Get to know students from other schools. In short, be a part of this rich AMIS hosting tradition by registering HERE on or before Wednesday, February 28, 2018.
Please Note: All ISB music students are strongly encouraged to submit the housing form linked above especially those who have participated in AMIS this year or in years past.
Things to consider…
- Host families are responsible for providing a safe environment for visiting students in compliance with the ISB Hosting Policy (see attached).
- Student guests must be hosted in pairs, or more, with no exceptions.
- Accommodation can be fairly basic and rooms shared.
- At least one parent/guardian must be present at home for the duration of the convention. Evening supervision is required.
- Visiting participants will arrive Wednesday, April 4th, 2018.
- All visiting teams will depart on or before Sunday, April 8th, 2018.
- Host families are expected to provide healthy breakfasts and dinners for visiting students.
- All participants and host students must follow the IASAS Rules and Guidelines (see attached) set forth by the league and host school.
- Parents will receive a curfew call from visiting coaches at 9pm every evening to check in with their students.
ISB Celebrates International Mother Language Day
On Wednesday, Feb. 21, and throughout the week of Feb. 18-24, ISB is celebrating International Mother Language Day. The purpose of IMLD is to promote linguistic diversity and multilingualism. Teachers throughout the school have looked at ways to explore and affirm our students’ native languages. Here is a poster with together in the languages represented on ISB’s student body—about 40! Test yourself: how many can you identify? Happy International Mother Language Day!
NBBL Community basketball registration is now open
Just a quick reminder if you have not yet registered your child.
NBBL community basketball registration is now open. We have leagues for boys and girls ages PK through Grade 12. But registration will close on Friday, February 23rd so please register now. Once teams are formed, it highly unlikely new players will be permitted to register.
The fee is THB 6,000 for all players (the fee will increase by THB 500 for late registrations). Players do NOT need to be ISB students but all games and practices take place at ISB. This fee will cover costs for a player jersey, Top Flight Academy coaches, referee and scorekeeper fees, ISB fees and photography expenses. Our fee is higher this season as we will use Top Flight Academy to provide coaches for each team. If a parent chooses to coach, their child’s fee will be reduced to THB 3,600.
League assessments will take place on Sunday, February 25th at ISB gyms. See attached for the assessment schedule.
Team practices will begin the week starting March 6th. We will NOT have large clinic practices this year. All teams will practice as a team once per week, most likely on Tuesdays but some practices might take place on Thursdays.
League play will take place on Saturdays and begin on March 17th. Games will continue every Saturday (except for Songkran break) and conclude the weekend of May 18th/19th with league championships.
Payment for the NBBL season can be made at the ISB Community Activity Office (CAO) which is located next to the bookstore at ISB. The CAO is open from 7:00 to 11:00AM and 12:00 to 3:00PM Monday – Friday.
Please go to the NBBL website here for the link to our registration system and for other important information.
If you have any questions, please contact Kevin Sypolt at ksypolt@gmail.com
Please see NBBL Assessment schedule here.