High School Upcoming events (Please click):
‘Smartphone or Dumbphone and Testing times’’
Justin Alexander
justina@isb.ac.th
Dear Parents,
Thank you to the small but interested group of parents who joined us on Monday morning at the HS PTA meeting where a number of issues were discussed and information shared. Parents present joined in a conversation about the impact technology (and in particular smartphones) has on our children’s lives at school and at home. We shared a recent online blog article entitled “Middle School Misfortunes Then and Now, One Teacher’s Take.” at the meeting. This viral post has caused much discussion and reflection in schools and by parents about the impact smartphones has had on our young children’s lives in ways we may not have imagined. There are no magic solutions to this problem, but we felt that it is important to share this article with parents and include you in the conversation. The full slideshow of the PTA meeting is available here.
Good luck to our Grade 9 and 10 students as they continue with their exams next week before spending the last two days of the semester reviewing their results with their teachers prior to a well-earned break. Our Grade 11 and 12 students continue with their lessons and work during this period (no exams for them at this time) before also enjoying a breather from their studies.
Follow the news and pictures as they happen in the High School by following us on Instagram at this link https://www.instagram.com/isbhighschool/
Enjoy the last week of school
Regards
Justin Alexander
High School Principal
Report Card Holds
Andy Vaughan; Susan Canobie
andyv@isb.ac.th, susanca@isb.ac.th
Please note that parents will be unable to access report cards through Powerschool if a report card hold has been placed on a student account. Report card holds occur if books are outstanding at the Library, fees are overdue or textbooks not returned. If a report card hold has occurred, parents will be notified via an automated email from Powerschool.
To avoid report card holds please encourage your child(ren) to return all library books, and any textbooks used solely in semester 1. To remove a report after semester finishes you will need to visit the HS Office from 17-21 December with the outstanding item.
Andy Vaughan
High School Dean of Students
PowerSchool Switched Off
Justin Alexander
justina@isb.ac.th
Dear Parents,
Please note that the email notification and mobile access to Powerschool has been switched off as teachers finalise their written comments and final grades for Semester 1. These will be switched back on Friday December 14th.
Semester December Exams (Repeat)
Susan Canobie
susanca@isb.ac.th
Please find the link to the Dec. Exam Schedule here. Exams are for Grade 9 & 10 Science and Math and for any student who takes a non-IB world language class. Note, Grade 9 and 10 students, and will NOT be in classes from Thursday Dec. 6- 12. Dec. 12 is an Assessment & Grading day, noting there are no Grade 9 & 10 classes. In addition, world language classes will not continue during this exam period. All other Grade 11 and 12 classes will continue as usual. Individual student exam schedules have been placed in PowerSchool on the QuickLookup.
Students wishing to leave campus during exam days will need to complete the Early Departure Permission Form and have it signed and submitted to the High School Office.
Please also review this information letter outlining the final weeks of school in December.
High School Counselor
Kevin Callahan
kevinc@isb.ac.th
In the next week the school will be looking at semester courses and any adjustments we have to make. You might want to be aware of the following:
If you are planning to move to a different school in Grade 10 you should ask any school you might move to (if you know it) what their science requirements are. In the past we have had some 9th graders take the same science course at the next level. This is because sometimes students need a full year of Chemistry or Biology to transfer. This is often the case when transferring to the U.S.A. The master
schedule is tight and while there is not a lot of flexibility for movement to accommodate changed electives, we will certainly do our best to accommodate your student’s needs.
9th graders – think about your Freshman Seminar / Free Period this semester – how has that helped you balance your time and commitments? Over half students elect for the free period. If you find that you have a full schedule and you would like your counselor to take an elective out for a free period – let them know as soon as possible.
If any students want to change electives for the second semester, they should see their counselor as soon as possible. Most elective classes are full, so there is limited movement possible, so hopefully students are happy with their second semester schedule!
It is a stressful time for students of all grades right now. How does your student relieve their stress? If you need some ideas about how to de-stress, here’s a helpful list of ways for young people and adults to calm down. Find a couple that work for your student – and you!
News from College Counselor
Stephan Golas
stephang@isb.ac.th
For G12 students and ALL high school parents: the College Counseling Office will be hosting an Alumni Panel on Monday, January 7th (our first day back from the holiday break). G12 students will attend the panel during their Advisory period; all high school parents are then welcome to attend starting at 11:00am. The panel is your opportunity to ask questions about university life and transitions from high school to university. The panel is made up of ISB Alumni who are currently attending university all over the world – the majority are ISB graduates from 2017 and 2018.
For G10 Students and Parents: ISB will over G10 students, free of charge, the opportunity to take the PSAT10 on April 23rd. The PSAT is an excellent practice tool for students preparing to take the SAT in Grade 11. Although the PSAT is great practice for the SAT, we understand that not all students need to take the SAT for university entrance. Therefore, the PSAT will be optional and G10 students will need to OPT IN to take it. The opt in form will be available from the College Counseling Office starting on Wednesday, January 9th, and will be due back to Mr. Weiser NO LATER THAN FEBRUARY 1st. This is a firm deadline because we need to order the correct number of tests for student who opt in. Please note: ISB suggests that G11 students take the SAT for the first time NO EARLIER than December. For more information about the SAT and standardized test planning, please see your college counselor or go to the College Board website at https://www.collegeboard.org.
ARTISTS UNDER THE STARS 2019
Anthony Giles
anthonyg@isb.ac.th
ARTISTS UNDER THE STARS 2019: 6:00pm-8:00pm, December 13th marks the time and date for the annual HS Arts Council Artists Under the Stars event. Get ready for a cozy evening of awesome performances and a holiday themed snacks! All are welcome. Please sign up HERE if you need transportation downtown after the event
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.