High School Upcoming events (Please click):
‘Mid Year or End of Year?’
Justin Alexander
justina@isb.ac.th
Dear Parents,
Congratulations are in order for your children on completing a fantastic first semester that was busy and challenging but at the same time a semester that was also fulfilling and rewarding. I have enjoyed the first semester with our students and our faculty and have marveled at their achievements and successes, whether that was academically, on the sporting fields, on the stage, in the auditorium or participating in any one the myriad of activities that they are involved in. It is certainly time for a break and a chance to be with family and friends to be recharged.
We celebrated the graduation of two Senior students yesterday at our Mid Year Graduation for two of our students who have met the ISB graduation requirements and who are now able to start the next stage of their education careers, one in Japan and the other to the US. We wish them both all the best for their bright futures.
I wish you all safe travels and a relaxing holiday season and look forward to seeing you all back in school in January.
Regards
Justin
Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire
Cindy Warner-Dobrowski
Director of Student Services:
cindyw@isb.ac.th
Dear Parent/Guardian,
At ISB we care deeply about the well-being of our students. To help us meet our mission to support them in leading healthy, active and balanced lives, we will pilot the administration of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire to all Middle and High School students in January.
Why is the questionnaire being administered?
The purpose of this questionnaire is to:
- Identify students who require immediate support
- Identify students who are struggling with social/emotional/behavioral issues in order to provide appropriate early intervention/prevention support
- Obtain an overview of the social/emotional/behavioral needs at our school to ensure that we are providing optimal support for our students
How and when will the questionnaire be administered?
The survey will be administered on Thursday, January 17 to High School students and Monday, January 28 to Middle School students. The online questionnaire will be administered during an Advisory class period and will take approximately 10 minutes to complete. Your child’s participation is voluntary. The survey items are available for you to review here.
How will the results be used?
- The data collected will be managed, analyzed, and reported by a team including the school counselors, school psychologists and the Director of Student Services in accordance with the ISB Confidentiality Policy.
- Individual student responses to the questionnaire are confidential. Any concerns raised through the survey administration process will be shared only with school personnel involved in supporting that student.
- The questionnaire administration process has been designed to identify specific students who need additional support. The survey will be conducted electronically and students’ names will be captured along with their responses. ISB counselors will meet with any student whose responses indicate a need for follow up and parents will be notified.
- School counselors, school psychologists and administrators will analyze overall trends to help improve student support at ISB.
- In completing this questionnaire your child will have an opportunity to privately reflect on his/her current social emotional health and wellness. Some parents may choose to use the questionnaire as an opportunity to create dialogue related to social emotional wellbeing topics with their child following completion of the survey.
- Key findings will be shared with teachers and parents.
Does my child have to complete the questionnaire?
No. As a parent or guardian, you can opt out of having your child complete this questionnaire. Students will be informed that they may choose to skip any questions that they do not feel comfortable answering.
Parents/Guardians who do not want their child to take the survey should let their child’s school counselor know by phone or in writing no later than January 14. ISB will assume parent/guardian consent to their child participating unless the school counselor has been notified. Parents do not have to do anything unless they do not want their child to participate.
Thank you so much for your support with this important project.
The ISB Counseling Team
Middle School Counselors:
Karen Kinsella (karenk@isb.ac.th)
Colleen Coady (colleenc@isb.ac.th)
High School Counselors:
Jackie Valenzuela (jackiev@isb.ac.th)
Kevin Callahan (kevinc@isb.ac.th)
Kevin Davy (kevind@isb.ac.th)
MS and HS School Psychologist:
Ryan Ruhl (ryanr@isb.ac.th)
Director of Student Services:
Cindy Warner-Dobrowski (cindyw@isb.ac.th)
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
Student Safety Update
Andy Vaughan
andyv@isb.ac.th
Dear Parents and Students,
As we prepare to enjoy this festive time of year and the celebrations that accompany it, we wanted to share a concern amongst high school counselors and administration regarding what we believe is a small number of students that are experimenting with substances. Along with other international schools in the region, we have seen evidence of the use of inhalants (i.e. nitrous oxide and foot spray) and prescription drugs such as Tramadol (a synthetic opioid) and Xanax (a benzodiazepine). Many of these drugs are highly addictive and easily accessible to our students at local pharmacies.
This trend is not limited to ISB and we are aware this exists in schools around the globe and definitely within other international schools in Bangkok. According to a recent article in the New York Times (29 November), “Synthetic drugs tend to be more deadly than prescription pills and heroin for two main reasons. They are usually more potent, meaning small errors in judgment can lead to an overdose. The blends of synthetic drugs also tend to change frequently making it easy to underestimate the strength of the drug….”
Students, if you are concerned about a friend’s substance use please encourage them to seek help from a trusted adult. Most important, if you are in a situation together and your friend is in a compromised state due to the overuse of drugs and/or alcohol, please seek immediate help. Sometimes the fear of getting in trouble stops teens from reaching out to adults. Don’t let this stop you from doing the right thing. Your friend’s life might depend on it. Parents, if you have any concern for a student, please contact a counselor or administrator directly.
Parents, we know that protective factors can help kids make healthy choices throughout life. Your voice carries a great deal of weight in your child’s life. Honest and non-judgmental conversations about the risks associated with drug use are important. Included here is a helpful article on how to speak with your kids about the dangers of opioids.
7 Tips for Talking to Your Kids About the Lethal Dangers of Opioids:
Here is a helpful reference related to the use of opioids:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iSevs9bUvOK2ysZzQupBK0PP2ZOPak7b/view?usp=sharing
In addition, we have included a reference related to the use of inhalants: https://store.samhsa.gov/system/files/pep18-04.pdf
It’s not easy finding the balance in promoting autonomy and independence while also setting boundaries and rules. Knowing what is going on with your child as it relates to matters of safety is a non-negotiable. We encourage you to have ongoing conversations and to set up some safe practices that support your child. One such practice is the no questions asked promise from parents to come pick up your child after they send a text code, this provides your child with an out in difficult situations. While the holiday season is a time for family and socializing, knowing your children’s whereabouts, being sure that they are safe, and maintaining open communication with them (and their friends’ parents) will be the most certain way that you and your family can be sure that the holiday season is a healthy and safe one.
As always, please feel free to reach out to your counselors and administration at school if you have any questions or concerns about the health and safety of your child.
PowerSchool Access and Report Cards
Susan Canobie
susanca@isb.ac.th
PowerSchool access will return for parents and students later next week. Families with outstanding fees, missing materials, or unresolved payment issues will not be given access until the issue(s) is/are resolved.
As ISB continues to be ‘greener’ and timely we issue report cards through the PowerSchool Quick Lookup page. On the Quicklook Up page use the link at the top right to access a PDF report card for your son/daughter. The report can be saved and filed electronically and or printed.
If there is a ‘report card hold’ in place, please resolve the issue with the appropriate department and then take the paperwork to the HS Office where the necessary changes can be made in Powerschool.
Possible Schedule Changes
Susan Canobie
susanca@isb.ac.th
In general students retain the same schedule for second semester. In some cases, due to changes in course choice, addition of semester courses, or other factors, a student’s schedule may be slightly different next semester. In these cases, we do the best we can to keep the same teachers for each student, but this is not always possible. Students need to view their Semester 2 schedule on PowerSchool to be ready for the first day of school. If students wish to change their schedule they should see their counselor.
High School Counselor
Kevin Callahan
kevinc@isb.ac.th
Parents expect their childrens’ school to give them the academic skills to succeed in university and life, but what about the skills to manage the social demands that they face in feeling good about themselves and making smart decisions about friends and relationships? ISB strives to impart the additional skills our students need to survive “life beyond ISB” from PreK to Grade 12 – setting boundaries and fully understanding consent. We feel that learning these skills is every bit as important to a healthy, fulfilling future. So how do we promote learning about safety, consent and boundaries at ISB? Come find out! We’ll have two sessions (same content, repeated) on Wednesday, January 23rd, in the MPB 1, 8:00-9:00 AM or 6:00-7:00 PM.
We wish all students and parents a restful and enjoyable holiday season with family and friends, whether your travels take you far or if you spend them right here in beautiful Thailand. Students, find a great book to read, and unplug for a for a few hours! All the best from the High School counselors!
College Counseling
Stephan Golas
stephang@isb.ac.th
For G11 Students and Parents: Our second G11 College Night will be on Wednesday, January 16th at 6:30pm in the Theater. We expect to see all students and parents that evening as we discuss moving the university search process forward!
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.
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.