A Wonderful Start to 2019!
by Dennis Harter, MS Principal
dennish@isb.ac.th
Welcome to the new year! We have had a terrific first week of school, back after the holidays. We are proud to welcome our new families into the ISB community. Already we have seen our returning students welcome the new students into the middle school.
We hope that our students and families had restful breaks and are ready for the new semester. Our students and teachers have shown terrific enthusiasm to be back, seeing their friends and getting back into classes and learning.
2019 is going to be the year of the Panther!
Writer’s Fest Kicks Off – Middle School-wide
This week all middle school English classes kicked off Writers’ Fest – a schoolwide challenge and celebration of students’ independent writing projects. Writers’ Fest started with each block combining grades 6, 7, & 8 students for an inspirational look at writing “from the inside out.”
Inspired by all of ISB’s MS English teachers, along with a video clip from Catia Chien, and mentor texts from a wealth of genres, students investigated and selected a category in which to focus their own expression of self through writing.
Talk to your middle school child about what they might have selected and what their ideas might be for this exciting “chance” to share some of themselves. In every section, students were energized by the choice and creativity that awaits them!
Home Laptop Agreement
The beginning of the year is a good time to reflect on how we can improve our lives and change habits. If screen time and the use of technology are issues you would like to revisit, please use the linked ISB home agreements. The questions in the form help establish guidelines for the use of the ISB laptop at home. The same questions can also be used to have conversations with your child about the use of mobile phones as well.
MS Parent PTA Meeting: Please join us!
The first Middle School PTA meeting of the semester will be held Thursday, January 17 at 9.30AM in MPB3 (located at the top of the zig-zag). All middle school parents are welcome as we meet new middle school families and discuss ISB’s spring events including the IFF, the principal forum, student socials and grade 8 graduation. Please come to learn, share and to spend time with other parents of middle school students.
Hope to see you there!
Middle School Coordinators
Kelly Kabat and Ferda Seyhan
ArtSS: Art Studio Saturday coming up on 26 January! Sign up now!
Art Studio Saturdays are designed to enrich the ISB community through the intellectual and creative thoughts and actions of its participants.
The format of Art Studio Saturday is structured so that participants are involved in one of four focus workshops in which they will learn specific skills, have the opportunity for individual exploration, and participate in creative challenges. As the day progresses, participants will be invited to visit other workshops and to engage in collaborative works.
All participants, regardless of workshop, will explore image making with a focus on mark making, texture, and contrast in a variety of media, including; paint, print, ink, clay, charcoal, oil pastel. Participants will be working towards a collaborative piece as well as individual works. These explorations will be both 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional.
Saturday, 26 January 2019
10:00-2:00
Art Quad
Art Studio Saturday is free and includes a light lunch.
It is open to students (grade 4 and up), parents, staff and teachers at ISB.
Spaces are limited and will be based on a diversity of ages and experiences.
Please register here by Thursday, 17 January.
Confirmation emails will be sent on Monday, 21 January.
This studio session is hosted by the ISB Visual Art Department with support from the ISB PTA & Boosters.
For more information please email: kylieh@isb.ac.th, johannan@isb.ac.th, tristam@isb.ac.th, basilt@isb.ac.th, or pauld@isb.ac.th.
Raising Multilinguals Parent Workshop: Unlocking the World with a Family Language Plan
On Thursday, January 24, 2019, from 7:45 to 9:15 a.m. in MPB 1, ISB EAL and Native Language faculty will offer a workshop for parents from all divisions (ES, MS, HS) about maintaining students’ native languages while they also study in English at ISB. This will be similar to the Raising Multilinguals workshop offered last year, and is especially useful for new families.
At this workshop faculty will:
- Present reasons to maintain native language, based on research
- Describe native language classes and resources available at ISB
- Discuss the importance of making a family language plan
Faculty will also lead small group discussions of how to nurture particular languages, how to support native language development at home, and how to make a language plan work.
Please join us! Parents of students in PreK through Grade 12 are welcome. For further information, please email: nativelanguage@isb.ac.th
GYMNASTICS REGISTRATION IS STILL OPEN FOR SEMESTER 2
It is never too late to start gymnastics. The ISB Panther Gymnastics is still accepting registrations for all MS boys and girls for semester 2 – 2018-2019. Any ISB MS student interested in learning gymnastics skills for fitness, recreational or competition reasons are welcome to join. Gymnastics is a great foundation for all sports, develop strength, flexibility, agility and coordination. It is a year round sport at ISB and offer a great combination with other sport and activities. Three programmes for our MS Students; Tumbling Classes, Artistics Gymnastics and Rhythmic Gymnastics
Artistics Gymnastics for MS students all level:
Tuesday & Thursday: 16h40-18h40
Wednesday: 15h40-17h40 or 17h40-19h40
Friday: 16h40-18h40
Saturday: 09h00-11h00
Please consult the schedule per age and level, the fees and the registration link here.
Tumbling gymnastics: Learn to fall learn to fly:
We still offer special training for students that love parkour, jumping everywhere, enjoy dance street, etc… Every MS student can learn to fall…and fly in a secure environment. Limited space available:
Wednesday: 15h40-17h40
Friday: 16h40-17h40
Please consult the schedule per age and level, the fees and the registration link here.
Rhythmic Gymnastics:
Every Sunday from 09h00 to 11h00, we are offering Rhytmic Gymnastics. Students learn routines choreographed to music, involving gymnastics (tumbling) and dance, combined with the handling of small equipment including a ball, rope, ribbon, hoop, and clubs. The choreography includes a balanced choice of jumps, leaps, pivots, balances and flexibility movements. For more details, please contact us directly at cao.gymnastics@isb.ac.th
If you have any questions about these 3 programmes, please contact us at cao.gymnastics@isb.ac.th
Reminder Announcement: Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire
(This is a reminder of a post shared in December.)
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 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)