PowerSchool Learning Parent Access up and running
Parent accounts for PowerSchool Learning have been activated and are ready for use. All returning middle school parents have accounts already and those new to the middle school (including grade 6 parents), should have received an activation email.
Please inform the middle school office if you are unable to access PowerSchool Learning.
MS Reporting Timeline for 2018-2019
By Cindy Plantecoste, MS Dean of Academics
In an effort to keep you informed about the progress of your child, we’ve established a communication and reporting timeline. On the dates listed below, you can access accurate information related to your child’s progress in PowerSchool or in person during conferences. You should always feel free to reach out to your child’s teacher and/or counselor if you have any questions or concerns related to your child’s progress.
The definitions below will help you understand our reporting terminology:
Attainment of Learning Goals:
Students are assessed upon their current level of attainment of our ISB academic learning goals, including the key knowledge, skills, and understandings identified by our ISB curricular standards and grade-level benchmarks using the descriptors listed below. Progress may be assessed between levels (example: Meeting/Excelling) when the student has attained one level for some goals and the other level for other goals in a particular learning area.
Habits and Attitudes for Learning (HAL):
Our ISB Middle School HAL are behaviors and dispositions that support students’ progress towards achieving our Mission. Students who approach their learning with these habits and attitudes develop a growth mindset and become independent, life‐long learners.
Reporting and Communication Timeline for Semester 1 (2018-19)
Please note that the first PowerSchool update will be next Friday, Sept. 7, when teachers will share their first HAL ratings. This would be a perfect time for you and your child to go into PowerSchool together, look at the feedback, and discuss the kinds of healthy routines, behaviors, and dispositions that will contribute to a successful learning experience throughout the year.
Thinking about applying to Boarding School?
by MS Counselors
If you are planning to apply for admission to boarding school for the 2018-2019 school year, please make an appointment to meet with your child’s counselor as early as possible, (and definitely before November 1). For us to best support your child’s application process, it is very important that parents meet with their child’s counselor, in person. Parents should not write directly to teachers for references, but rather coordinate references through your child’s counselor. This will enable us to ensure that references and other documentation is submitted to the receiving institution.
September and October are typically when students who are planning on applying to boarding school register for the SSAT, ISEE, or other necessary testing (e.g., TOEFL). This is also the time when applicants begin gathering teacher references.
Please note, in order to allow teachers time to provide a thorough, quality reference for your child, we ask that you allow a 4 week turn around time from the time the reference request is received until the reference is completed. Students who are applying to schools with January application deadlines must submit their reference requests by November 15.
We will be hosting a Parent Coffee information session about the boarding school process and how ISB can best support students through this. Please keep an eye out in the eNews for more information on this.
Thank you for working in partnership with your child’s counselor to ensure a smooth transition to boarding school.
Campus Access Guidelines for MS Students
In yesterday’s All School eNews, ISB’s Campus Access Guidelines were shared. In this post we wanted to highlight the key sections that pertain to MS students.
School hours are from 7:00 AM to 2:25 PM.
Outside of these hours, MS students should have their ID card with them to access campus.
Middle and High School students may use the following designated areas (if available) outside of regular school hours:
- MS/HS Library (until 4:30pm Monday-Thursday, 3:30pm Friday. Closed Weekends)
- Track, Field A & D, central tennis courts, and Cafeteria (until 6:00pm)
- Auxiliary Gym (until 7:45pm)
- Students may only use other areas of the school for school approved activities with adult supervision, eg. weight room, CC building practice rooms, etc.
If your child comes to campus during these times, please make sure it is clear to them about where they can be. We have a large campus and children are safer where adult supervision and nurses are assigned.
Possible cases of head lice
By Health Clinic
We have heard that there has been several cases of head lice in Middle School. At this time, no cases have presented to the clinic for confirmation.
For your own awareness and checks, here is some helpful information regarding head lice:
Head lice is a common parasitic infection which only occurs on human hair. It is spread by direct head to head contact and contact with items that have been close to someone who has the infestation (such as hats, combs and pillows). It is not related to having “dirty” hair. It commonly occurs in school age children. Please see this link on head lice http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/lice/head/index.html
We ask all parents to check their children for head lice weekly for the next 4 weeks and to treat if any lice are found (and please notify the school if you find any lice by email (nurse@isb.ac.th)). We ask you to check weekly due to the fact that your child may only have a few lice initially and these may be missed on the original check.
How to check for Head Lice:
This will take 3-5 minutes to check your child’s head, depending on hair length and thickness.
Untangle the dry hair using an ordinary brush and comb.
- Once the comb moves freely through the hair without dragging, switch to a detection comb (a fine tooth comb available at pharmacies).
- Starting from the base or the side of the scalp, comb the hair from the scalp down to the end of the hair. Comb each section of hair 3-4 times before moving to an adjacent section.
- Look for lice as the comb is drawn through the hair.
- If a possible louse is seen, trap it against the face of the comb using your thumb. This avoids the risk of the louse being repelled by static electricity as the comb is pulled out of the hair.
- Continue combing the hair section by section until the whole head of hair is combed through.
For further information please look at this link (Checking for Head Lice).
If Head Lice are detected please contact the Health Clinic (nurse@isb.ac.th) and information about head lice and treatment will be provided.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Top Flight Basketball Programs begin September 4th
Dear Parents and Students,
We hope that you had a very relaxing and enjoyable summer holiday.
After 6 amazing weeks of summer camp, and an amazing trip to Los Angeles, our new schedule has been finalized and we are pleased to announce the return of the Top Flight Basketball Academy Programs at ISB beginning September 4, 2018, in the New Sports Complex.
The first class on September 4 is free for all students!
Please click on the link provided to find out more information and to register for the different programs.
Repeat Announcement: MAP testing dates – Session 1, 2018-19
by Cindy Plantecoste, MS Dean of Academics
Between August 29 and September 19, MS students will take the NWEA Measurement of Academic Progress (MAP) test in Math and Reading, during their regularly scheduled Math and English classes.
The MAP test is a computer-based test in either Reading or Math, that assesses students on each question, adjusting subsequent questions to determine appropriate challenge and provide a snapshot of what the student can do at a specific point of time of the year. This information is useful to our teachers as they decide how to differentiate the learning experience for their students.
Students will be given a full class period to complete each MAP test. For students who aren’t able to finish their test in the allocated time, we will host after-school sessions for students to complete their test(s).
While the test is not timed, the NWEA shared that 60 minutes should be enough time for most students. Between a full 80-minute block and the afterschool extended time, a student would have 110 minutes to complete each the test, if needed. Results from past testing sessions show that there has not been an impact on student performance due to the time allocated for testing.
Repeat Announcement: School and Yearbook photos to be taken Sept 3-5
On September 3-5, middle school students will have their Yearbook photos taken on campus by KidsFotos. Students will be taken to photo studio during the school day.
In addition to the standard Yearbook photo, KidsFotos will take photos of a variety of poses. The proofs will be made available to you in 2-3 weeks, if you would like to order a school photo of your child for 2018-19.
For the photo, students must wear their ISB Green polo shirt uniform. There will be extra shirts in the room, for those that forget, along with mirrors for last minute primping and adjustments. We recommend that your child bring their own hair brush, if they want to use one, so that students are not sharing combs or brushes.