by Dennis Harter
dennish@isb.ac.th
Starting Tuesday, you will be able to sign up for MS parent-teacher conferences.
On October 4th and 5th, next week, we will hosting our semester 1 Parent-Teacher (and Student) Conferences, engaging in conversation with you about your child’s learning. On these days, school will not be in session for students. We strongly encourage that your child join you for the conferences to hear the feedback themselves and to provide insight into how they are doing (they do not have to dress in uniform).
Once again, we will use the “arena” format for conferences. This means that almost all MS teachers will be in one venue. Parents attend a single session, during which they can see all of their child’s teachers. A few “shared” teachers with the HS, may be in the high school venue on the Friday.
Conferences will take place in the “new” sports complex gymnasium, near the 50 m pool, with tables, chairs, and refreshments set up for this purpose.
In order to find a balance between access to teachers and wait time, we require parents sign up for sessions of ~2 hours. We limit the number of parents from a grade level per session, to help ensure that teachers have time to see everyone in the block and that parents aren’t waiting in lines too long.
Both days have three blocks each with short breaks built in for teachers to re-energize after all that talking! The short breaks also allow our teacher-parents to briefly attend their own child’s conferences in other divisions.
Sessions for MS Parent-Student-Teacher Conferences:
Thursday, October 4th
- Session 1: 7:10 to 9:10
- Session 2: 9:20 to 11:15
- Session 3: 12:30 to 14:30
Friday, October 5th
- Session 1: 7:10 to 9:10
- Session 2: 9:20 to 11:15
- Session 3: 12:30 to 14:00
Please follow this link to access the “Pick a Time” site, which handles the conference bookings. The Pick a Time site opens September 25th, at 8:00 AM, BKK time.
Instructions for using the “Pick a Time” booking system can be found here.
If you are new to the system, you will have to create an account. If you used it last year, you can enter your username and password from before. (If you’ve forgotten your password, click “Forgot Password.”)
Please sign up for one ~2 hour block per child. If you have more than one child in the MS and would like to see both sets of teachers in the same block, please book twice in the same block, so that block doesn’t get too crowded and it will accurately hold spots and time for each child separately.
It is important to arrive at the start of the session. If you arrive later in the block, you may not be able to see all the teachers you want to see. We have built in some limited time at the ends of sessions to handle continuing conversations, however, teacher breaks need to be honored as well. We have directed our teachers – and ask you – to spend no more than 5 minutes per conference as a courtesy to those waiting.
If more time or privacy is needed, we recommend scheduling a separate appointment.
Grades have been updated in PowerSchool, which should give you a picture of how your child is faring in her or his classes. With focused conversations on your child’s learning at the conferences, a few minutes with each teacher will provide an accurate picture of how your child is progressing.
Due to their work in the HS, the following teachers are not available Thursday, but will be available on Friday in the HS venue, Rajendra Hall:
- Jia Ping Zhao
- Moises Ochoa
- Mi-Ok Choi
- Kahoru Nakamachi
- Jaleea Price
- Augusta Harison-Denby
- Basil Tahan
- Darryl Clement
- Loreto Alonso
- Jonathan Eales
The following teachers will be in the MS venue on Thursday and the HS venue on Friday, as they teach in both schools:
- Lisa Foran
- Wendy Herbert