These hallways are too empty!
by Dennis Harter, MS Principal
dennish@isb.ac.th
Welcome to the 2019-20 school year! We are excited that the first day of school is almost upon us and are looking forward to seeing our halls and classrooms filled once again with smiling students. It’s been too empty without them!
This week teachers have been collaborating to plan the learning for the new year. They’ve returned from the break re-energized and ready for school. Our counselors have been welcoming new families to ISB and our staff have been getting the campus ready for business.
As teachers prepare their classrooms for this year’s classes, it is noticeable how different a school feels without the students in it. We are ready to get back to what we love doing – helping students learn and grow.
We hope families have had a restful holiday and our middle school students are ready for the new year in middle school!
First Week of Middle School
The ISB 2019-20 school year begins on Tuesday, August 13th with our first day of school.
For this Welcome Day, middle school students should arrive at the main quad behind the MS Office between 7:00 and 7:15 AM. Boards will be posted in the quad indicating students’ Advisory teacher and classroom, which is where students will start the day.
Teachers will be in the hallways helping direct students.
We do not have regular classes on the first day of school, so students don’t need to worry about school supplies and such. Instead, students will participate in grade level meetings, assemblies, and community building all designed to transition into the year smoothly. Students will receive their schedules and ID cards as well as get access to their new lockers.
On Wednesday, August 14th, classes will officially begin with a Day 1 schedule. We won’t make schedule changes on the first day, so that we can focus on ensuring the welcome day is a good one for all.
The new ISB Middle School and High School Cafeteria Opens…!
By: Marc de Vries, Deputy Head of School and CFO
Complimentary Lunches for students for the first week!
As we celebrate the opening of the new cafeteria and to help with the launching of new systems, we are pleased to offer middle school and high school students free snacks and lunches from Tuesday the 13th through to Friday the 16th. Students will have to show their student ID to collect their lunch.
Beverages and a limited selection of bakery items at The Grind will still be on sale as normal for students.
In the coming weeks, Epicure will also be revamping and expanding their offerings and we trust that the new cafeteria experience will be enjoyed by all.
We look forward to seeing everyone on Tuesday. Welcome Back!
Environmental Day trips for the student and whole family
As we start school some fun opportunities have become available on the weekends to engage in environmental work here ini Thailand. Our eco-leaders have put together two day trips for the coming weekends. To sign up on either trip please read details below first then click this link.
Student and Family Eco Trips in August
How about starting this school year by sharing an awesome experience with your child that gets you both out of the city and giving back to nature?
We have two 1-day trips coming up in August. If interested, please sign up as soon as possible, as these trips are only days away.
1. Saturday, August 17 – Helping Elephants with Beehive Fences. Kanchanaburi
2. Saturday, August 24 – Save Our Seas. Sattahip & Bang Saray.
1. Helping Elephants in Kanchanaburi.
Saturday, August 17th
Bring the Elephant Home foundation (BTEH) has organized this day and invited us to participate. However, please note because this trip is so near the start of school that student(s) can ONLY JOIN IF A PARENT/GUARDIAN is joining them. You can bring other family members as well, but must have at least 1 adult.
You are invited to learn about this sustainable, holistic human-elephant coexistence strategy, see the honey collection process and taste the finished product, and most importantly, get your hands dirty with our local partners by helping with the construction of the beehive fence. We’ll be digging holes for fence posts, preparing beehive boxes, planting flowers and trees to serve as natural food sources for the bees and more! You will NOT be handling bees. That will be done by the experts once the fence is ready.
- Depart ISB parking lot at 7:00 am. Meet at panther.
- Depart Kanchanaburi around 3pm, hopefully returning at ISB by 6pm.
- Cost: 1500 baht per person. This includes meals, activity expenses, transportation, and a donation to the beehive fence’s construction.
More information on the area can be found in the Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/638965236618110/
2. Save Our Seas – Sattahip
Saturday, August 24th
For this trip we will go south to the Sattahip and Bang Saray area. It is a 1 day trip that involves releasing young bamboo sharks and other sea creatures into the ocean to help the ecosystem, planting trees, a community organized beach clean up, swimming at the beach, and possibly visiting the turtle breeding center.
- Parents and family are welcome to join, but student(s) can also go alone with our teacher chaperone(s).
- Depart ISB parking lot at 7am. Meet at panther.
- Depart Sattahip around 4pm, hopefully returning at ISB by 6pm.
- Cost: 1500 baht per person.
How to sign up to receive the Good Morning MS Student Announcements this school year…
Dear MS Parents,
If you would like to begin receiving the MS student announcements each day via email, please complete and submit the enclosed subscription form.
Please note – If you were on the list last year, you will need to re-subscribe using the above link as we build the parent database from scratch start of each school year.
U13-U15 Sports season 1
By Mark Jaspers
The season for U13 & U15 sports starts on Monday 19 August.
There is no prior registration needed for tryouts, athletes can register with their coaches on the first day of tryouts.
Athletes who want to try out for multiple sports should communicate with both coaches to coordinate their attendance but should try and attend at least 2 tryout sessions.
More information will be sent out through the student bulletin in the first week of school.
PRACTICE TIMES
Tryouts start on Monday 19 August
U13 Tennis (A & B team): Monday, Wednesday & Thursday: 2:40-3:40
U13-U15 Cross Country: Monday, Wednesday & Thursday: 2:40-3:40 (No formal tryout, every athlete makes the team)
U13-U15 Basketball: Monday 3:40-5:00
Wednesday 2:40-3:40
Thursday 3:40-5:00
U13 Basketball B teams: Monday & Thursday 3:40-5:00
U13 Boys Rugby & Girls Touch: Monday & Thursday: 2:40-3:40
U15 Boys Rugby & Girls Touch: Monday 3:40-5:00
Wednesday 2:40-3:40
Thursday 3:40-5:00
Tryout venues day 1
BASKETBALL
U15 Girls (New Sports Complex)
U13-U15 Boys (HS Auxi Gym)
U13 Girls (ES AC Gym)
TENNIS
Court 1-7
U13-U15 RUGBY
Reinsch Field (Field C)
U13-U15 TOUCH
Field D
ISB provides late buses at 3:50 and 5:10 after practices for athletes who live downtown Bangkok.
More information about our team and athletic policies can be found on the ISB Athletics Team pages.
ISB PANTHER GYMNASTICS PROGRAM
by Torill Haga Olufsen
contact: cao.gymnastics@isb.ac.th
Open House
Please visit us on Saturday August 17th from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm at the Sport Complex Gymnastics Gym. Meet our coaches, ask all questions you have about gymnastics and see our professional FIG installations & equipments. Experience some of our passionate gymnasts demonstrating what ISB students can learn with our program. It is an informal gathering to answer all your questions and to introduce you to our Club.
Gymnastics
Semester 1 runs from Monday, August 19th to Thursday December 19th 2019. Any ISB MS student interested in learning gymnastics skills for fitness, recreational or competition reasons is welcome to join.
Recommended classes:
Gym – Tuesday – 4:40 am – 6:40 pm (2 hours)
Gym – Thursday – 4:40 am – 6:40 pm (2 hours)
Gym – Saturday – 9:00 am – 11:00 am (2 hours)
Gym- Friday – 4:40 pm to 6:40 pm (2 hours)
Tumbling Gymnastics training
We are offering a special Tumbling Gymnastics training for MS students with or without any experience in gymnastics. Your child like parkour, is jumping constantly, writing on snapchat and doing handstand at the same time, or dream to do a double flip on the dive board, well let’s sign her/him for the LEARN TO FALL, LEARN TO FLY PROGRAM; a secure and inspiring environment to explore and learn great skills: Wednesday: 3:40 pm – 5:40 pm and/or Friday: 4:40 pm – 5:40 pm.
Every MS student can enjoy gymnastics even if they never did it.
Please consult the schedules, prices and the registration link here.
Best regards,
Torill Haga Olufsen