Friday, September 6th
Justin Alexander
justina@isb.ac.th
Dear Parents,
Thank you to the nearly 60 or so parents who joined our HS PTA Reps Elinna Bahrin and Ginny Condra on Thursday at the first HS PTA meeting of the year. Agenda items included introductions of our new College Counselors, Athletics and Arts updates, the newly introduced High School uniform policy and some planned changes for Global Citizenship week for the school year 2020/21. We also shared some details about important upcoming HS events that are listed below. You can access the slideshow of the presentation by clicking on HS PTA meeting presentation Sep 5 2019
We look forward to seeing many of you on Saturday at the Massed Band festival and everyone at the HS Open House on Wednesday at 6pm.
- Sat Sep 7th Massed Band Festival 2pm (Chevron)
- Wed Sep 11th Open House 6pm – 8.30pm (Chevron)
- Wed Sep 18th ISB College Fair 1.30pm
- Fri Sep 27th Grade Update
- Oct 4th Student Parent Teacher conferences Oct 4th
- Oct 17th Assessment Workshop Oct 17th
- Oct 31st Principals’ Forum Oct 31st (note new date)
Regards
Justin Alexander
High School Principal
HS Open House
Justin Alexander
justina@isb.ac.th
We look forward to seeing you all at the annual HS Open house on Wednesday 11th September. Parents will have the opportunity to learn more about the courses that their children are taking this year and to meet the teachers that make the learning happen! Learning at ISB is a partnership with all concerned – students, parents and teachers and as such we want to invite you into school to see how the learning will take place.
Please arrive prior to 6.00pm and make your way to the front of the Chevron Theater where you will be able to collect an individualized schedule for each of your children. The schedule will guide you through the evening with details on class periods, teachers and locations. We will then commence our evening at 6:00 pm with introductions and some helpful information for parents in the Chevron Theater. From 6.20pm – 8.30pm parents will then follow their child’s HS schedule to meet their teachers and to learn about the exciting courses on offer. Please be reminded that the Open House is not a parent-teacher conference, so if you have specific questions about your child’s progress etc, please contact the teacher to make arrangements to meet/talk at another time.
Regards
Justin Alexander
High School Principal
Powerschool Parent Link
Justin Alexander
justina@isb.ac.th
You can access the Powerschool Parent portal by clicking here or using this address
https://powerschool.isb.ac.th/public/home.html
GCW Registration Coming Soon!
Andy Vaughan
andyv@isb.ac.th
Today we will be releasing the Global Citizenship Week (GCW) Course booklet for courses offered in February 2020. Registration for Global Citizenship Week courses begins Monday, 16 Sept at 7:00pm for Seniors and for Juniors this opens on Monday 19 Sept at 7:00pm.
It is very important that prior to your child registering, you have conversations with them that clearly limit the cost of trips you are willing to pay. If students move courses after they are placed, they will be moved to in-Thailand, lower cost courses.
Please find here the link to the GCW Booklet for 2019-20
For any questions, please email Mr. Vaughan directly at: andyv@isb.ac.th
HAL Grades
Justyna McMillan
justynam@isb.ac.th
Please note that faculty have added HAL Grades for their subject on PowerSchool on Friday September 6. At ISB, students are assessed in two distinct areas: i) in relation to stated learning standards using an 7-1 grade descriptor and ii) in relation to their approach to learning using a 7-1 number grade. We call this second area the Habits and Attitudes to Learning or HAL grade.
The HAL grade gives students and parents an indication of dispositions of students as they develop the characteristics of growth and learning. Please keep in mind that in most classes, there will be only one or two completed assessments at this time of year. Also note, the HAL grade is not part of the academic achievement grade. You will find a copy of the HAL grade rubric and criteria here.
If you have any questions regarding this assessment, I encourage you to contact the teacher directly. The first overall academic achievement grade will be posted on September 27.
News from HS Counselors
Kevin Davy
kevinc@isb.ac.th
The school counselors have been meeting with new students over the past couple of weeks. We have been reminded that they are still in the midst of transitioning. This can be both an exciting and unsettling time for them as they are missing friends and all things familiar. Not to be forgotten, it can also be a time of transition for the “stayers” – the students who have returned to ISB, but have had to say goodbye to good friends recently. Please keep this in mind and check in with your child. We will continue to monitor and support them through this important transition.
We’re meeting also with our 9th graders and we’re generally pleased to see that they’re transitioning nicely to high school. We’re trying to promote that students can manage their time most efficiently by getting into a regular routine of a balance of study, relaxation, technology, and sleep. The benefits of good time management (and the challenges of improving those skills!) should become apparent as the teachers begin assessing students’ progress in their classes. How well-organized is your student?
Schedule changes at this point can only be made for the following reasons and by the following dates:
- If a teacher recommends a level change due to misplacement (i.e. Math HL to Math SL, Extended Math to Core Math, Spanish III to Spanish II), a change can be made with counselor, parent and administrative approval. The original class will not appear on your transcript. Deadline is Friday, September 13.
- Between the fifth and tenth week of a course, if a student needs to move down a level, the dropped course will be listed on the transcript with a WP (Withdraw Pass) or WF (Withdraw Fail). WP or WF grades are not included in the calculation of GPA nor are credits granted. The grade calculated in the new course will start fresh and only include work completed for the new course. Deadline is Friday, October 18.
- No level changes afterOctober 18.
If you have any questions, please speak with your student’s counselor.
News from College Counselor
Andrew Weiser
andreww@isb.ac.th
First College Coffee Success
Thank you to the 50 parents in attendance at the first College Coffee. This coffee was in introduction to the college counseling team and an outline of grade 9 through 12 programming. The next College Coffee topic will be Standardized Testing on October 1.
Junior College Night
The Gr.11 College Night was a great success with over 130 parents and students attending. It was an introduction of the counselors and an overview of the college counseling program for the Juniors and their parents so they could get a sense of what would be happening over the next year and a half. At the end of the evening, each counselor got a chance to chat with their group of students and parents and we will take the fact that there was a good deal of laughter as a sign that things went very well!
Call for Parent Volunteers
Any parent who would like to volunteer to support the College Counseling Office is welcome to attend a brief organizational meeting on Monday, 9 September at 9:30 until 10:15 in the HS Conference Room. The two main jobs for Parent Volunteers is creating and maintaining the College Spotlight Bulletin Board and supporting the ISB University Fair events. Any questions, please contact Debbie McDowell (debbiem@isb.ac.th)
ISB World University Fair
ISB and the High School College Counseling department will be hosting the 2019 ISB World University Fair on 18 September from 1:30 to 3:45 pm in the Rajendra Hall and the ES Gym.
Parents are invited to attend with your high school aged children. Approximately 200 colleges and universities from 23 countries will be represented. Please use this Link for the preliminary list of universities confirmed to be at the fair. (Please note that the list may change slightly on the day of the event.)
Just a note, we will be hosting the ISB Thai University Fair on the week of 4 November and you are also invited to join us on that day and to bring your high school aged children as well. More details will be coming as we near that date.
Upcoming events for Students
9 September – Junior Seminar #1 Panther Block
Juniors will have their first Gr. 11 College Seminar with their counselors. The meeting will continue with the theme and exploration of Self-reflection and how important it is in the process of figuring out options for life after ISB. If you have any questions (like, “Who is my college counselor?”), please contact the HS Counseling Office.
Upcoming University Visits:
Les Roches Global Hospitality Education and Glion Institute of Higher Education
Monday, September 9⋅ 10:55
University of British Columbia
Monday, September 9⋅ 10:55
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Tuesday, September 10⋅ 10:55
Trinity University
Wednesday, September 11⋅ 10:55
For a complete list of University visits please use this link (Link to Calendar)
The Movie: Love & Bananas
Kevin Davy
kevind@isb.ac.th
ISB is thrilled to host a very special screening of the highly acclaimed documentary Love and Bananas. This documentary focuses on the work of conservationist Sandeun “Lek” Chailert and the rescue of Asian elephants from cruel captivity. In addition to the movie we are honored that Kuhn Lek will join us for this event. The screening is open to the community and free of charge (donations are optional on the evening or at Elephant Nature Park website (https://www.elephantnaturepark.org/). The movie is unrated, and the director has intentionally kept the graphic content low to enable reach of the next generation of animal advocates. However, at ISB we regularly refer to Common Sense Media which recommends the age of 13+ for viewing this. Here is an outline from Common Sense Media:
Parents need to know that Love & Bananas: An Elephant Story is a 2018 documentary about the work conservationist Lek Chailert is doing to rescue Asian elephants from cruel captivity. There are some intense scenes in which young elephants are shown being taken from their mothers, then placed in a “crush box” where they are beaten with sticks and chains for 24 hours straight until they are “broken” for training — to be ridden by tourists or taught to perform in circuses. There are scenes of elephants who have lost legs from stepping on land mines, whose legs are bloodied from abuse, and whose bodies are scarred from abuse at the hands of humans. An elephant who lost an eye from getting hit with a slingshot is shown. These scenes and discussion of the cruelty and exploitation that Asian elephants suffer might be too intense for younger viewers and sensitive animal lovers of any age. Overall, this informative documentary showcases the positive work that conservationist Lek Chailert has achieved by rescuing elephants from cruel captivity and keeping them safe and happier in nature preserves where they’re free to move around and frolic with other elephants.
Date: September 18
Time:6:30 PM (Movie: 1 hour 15 mins)
Location: Cultural Center Theater
LA TIMES: “Impossible to come away from unchanged”
NY TIMES : “Emotionally Charged”
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/26/movies/love-and-bananas-review-asian-elephants.html
GRADUATION COMMITTEE MORNING COFFEE
Elinna Bahrin, PTA HS Coordinator 2019/2020
hscoordn@isb.ac.th
Calling all HS junior and senior parents, who are interested in being part of the 2019/2020 Graduation Committee. We will be hosting a morning coffee to be held in the MPB3 at 9.30 am on 10th Sept 2019. Come and meet us as we give a short briefing and presentation on what the graduation committee is all about. We hope to have an initial set up for the various sub-committees that makes up for the whole Graduation Committee. Let’s do our best for our graduating seniors this year!
Thanks so much.
Ace of Base: Robotics Competition
Anthony Giles
anthonyg@isb.ac.th
ISB’s robotics club first competition of the year. Teams are quick to build a base for their robot and compete for the number one position. The goal is to lear strategy for this year’s new VEX robotics competition ‘Tower Takeover.’
Team will battle it on in the Invention Center floor @3:00pm on Monday September 9.