Message from the Principal
Justin Alexander
justina@isb.ac.th
Dear Parents,
Currently our IASAS MUN team and IASAS Cultural Convention delegates are proudly representing ISB in Kuala Lumpur (MUN) and in Singapore (Film and Visual Arts). We look forward to hearing about their experiences upon their return, but in the meantime, you can see their work and some photos by visiting these websites.
Art & Film @ SAS – Password: ArtFilm
MUN @ ISKL
Last week, we hosted the HS Principals’ forum where we addressed questions raised about teacher evaluation, substitute teachers, sports uniforms, school calendar, Library opening hours, recycling test questions, time taken for feedback to be given, SAT preparations, October workload for Seniors plus a few more! There were a few questions raised about the Grade 9 Math program and the progression of Math courses through to the new IB Math courses so we will be running a Parent presentation/workshop on ISB High School Mathematics on Monday, December 9th at 9.30am. More details are below.
Mr. Vaughan presented results from the recent student survey on tutoring which you can see HERE . Mr. Vaughan also mentioned the recent FCD (Freedom from Chemical Dependency) visit for students and their presentation to parents in October which you can see again by clicking HERE. Of course, our doors are always open if you have a question about school or ideas to make things better, so please do come and see us at any time.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Justin Alexander
High School Principal
Medication while on HS trips
Andy Vaughan
andyv@isb.ac.th
Please note that for Health and Safety reasons any High School Students needing medication on HS Trips must hand in medication to the clinic prior to the trips (at two school days prior to the departure day).
Students are not able to self administer while on trips except while in homestay situations. In these cases chaperone’s will still need to carry medication for students until they arrive at the destination.
Andy Vaughan
High School Dean of Students
+66 87 514 9550
Mathematics Workshop
Justyna McMillan
justynam@isb.ac.th
On Monday, December 9th, we will be running a Math Specific Workshop and Q&A for HS parents. This workshop provides an opportunity to address some of the questions that have been raised at the Principal’s Forum, including queries regarding 9th Grade Maths, pathways & alignment with IB, non-IB options for mathematics including AP Calculus. The workshop will be held from 9:30-11:00 AM, location to be determined.
News from HS Counselors
Kevin Callahan
kevinc@isb.ac.th
As we near the end of the first semester (now six weeks away) the stress on students is at a high level. They get it from school obligations, from friends (it’s a collaborative environment at ISB but students can’t help but compare grades, performance, etc. with each other), parents (expectations from home are often higher than what is realistic), and from themselves, having internalized parental and societal expectations of what “success” means. More and more, we are seeing that these definitions of success don’t coincide with happiness and fulfillment, and it makes students sad and gives them a sense that they are letting their parents and others down, even when they are doing the best that they can.
It’s harder than ever to be a young person in this day and age of electronic media. Please work with your student to keep their stress at a reasonable level. Here is a good article that can help you reflect on how to help your student keep things in proper perspective, and to understand your role in keeping your child healthy and their self-esteem intact. It applies to young people of all ages, but for high schoolers, look closely at numbers 1,3,5,6, and 7.
https://psychcentral.com/lib/7-tips-for-helping-your-child-manage-stress/
In the end, we all want the same things for our children – that they are happy, productive and successful. If your student is experiencing an amount of stress that you feel is affecting their well-being, please don’t hesitate to contact their counselor for a chat about how we can help.
News from College Counselor
Andrew Weiser
andreww@isb.ac.th
College Coffee Thank You
A big thanks to those in attendance on Tuesday. The topic was “Rankings- not all there cracked up to be.” Please see the Power Point and if you have any question, see a College Counselor.
Seniors
Congratulations to those who submitted Early Action and Early Decision applications before 1 November!
The next big deadlines will be the EA/ED 15 November applications, the 30 November UC and Cal State applications, the 1 December UCAS applications and the December Thai University (round 1) applications. Please be sure your senior plans in advance and works with their College Counselor to get a plan in place to have these applications submitted before the deadline.
Just a reminder, that all transcript request forms (Blue Forms) for universities with deadlines before 15 February must be submitted by 18 November. That’s just two weeks away!! For ISB to insure that the supporting documents (transcript, school report, recommendations, counselor forms, etc.) for applications are sent on time, this deadline is important! –students must have this form in on time (or early)!
Don’t forget, for those applying to the UK through UCAS, the completed UCAS application must be submitted to the College Counselor (online through UCAS) before 1 December. It is then reviewed and predicted grades and recommendations added so it can be sent before the winter holiday.
Upcoming University Visits:
No Visits Scheduled for the week of Nov. 11
For a complete list of University visits please use this link (Link to Calendar)
Invention Saturday
Jacob Ortwein
jacobo@isb.ac.th
Come and join the Invention Centre for our upcoming “Invention Saturday.” Get busy and making with tools, machines, various materials and robotics to problem solve through the various challenges.
When? Saturday 9th November
What time? 9am – 12pm
Where? The Invention Center (behind Chevron Theatre)
Who? Everyone! Bring your parents, siblings and friends (no prior experience needed). Elementary school students are required to have an adult with them and sign up via this link: https://forms.gle/ssKCWTUpPU5xPNS88
Art Studio Saturday – Saturday, 1 February, 2020
Anthony Giles
anthonyg@isb.ac.th
Take time to be creative!
Save the date for Saturday, 1 February, 2020.
It’s our second and final ArtSS offering this school year.
Registration information coming soon!
NEW DATE: Open Mic at The Panther Commons Stage
Anthony Giles
anthonyg@isb.ac.th
HS Lunch Friday, December 8 Calling all students and staff for Arts Council’s second Open Mic session of the year, HS Lunch, December 6, 2019. Join us on the NEW Panther Commons Stage between field “D” and The Grind by signing up HERE (deadline Friday, November 29) to share a short tune, dance, or lay down some slam poetry! Performances should be five minutes or less and equipment provided will be limited to microphones only. Backing tracks are welcome. If you intend to use live instruments, plan on acoustic and hand held percussion. Hope to see you there!!!
Great Gatsby Gala Tickets @ NNR Bazaar
Bettina Bremsteller
pta-galacoordinator@isb.ac.th
Another opportunity is here to purchase your Great Gatsby Gala tickets. Find ISB’s booth at the NNR Bazaar this Saturday, 9-November (9am-3pm) and complete your shopping list. Ticket price is 4,500B. Buy a table (10 seats) and get 15% off! Grab your friends and get set to “Party Like Gatsby!” Cash only please.
Kind regards,
Bettina Bremsteller
Gala Coordinator 2019-2020
Mobile No.: 098-993-8179
REPEAT:
Raising Multilinguals
Avery Udagawa
How can parents nurture native language besides speaking it with their children and enrolling them in classes? Find out by joining us for the parent workshop Raising Multilinguals How? on Thursday, November 14, 2019, from 7:45-9:15 a.m. in the Literary Lounge.
In this workshop—a followup to Raising Multilinguals—we will explore how families can promote literacy (reading and writing) and rich conversation, in support of the family language plan.
Parents of students in PreK through Grade 12 are welcome! The workshop will be held in the Literary Lounge, which is just inside the MS/HS Library. If you have questions, please write: nativelanguage@isb.ac.th
BLUE STOCKINGS – by Jessica Swale
Gareth Huxtable
garethh@isb.ac.th
Performed by HS Theatre Students and Directed by Mr. Huxtable
The year is 1896, and Girton College Cambridge has been the first university to admit female students. The Girton girls study ferociously and match their male peers grade for grade. Yet, when the men graduate, the women leave with nothing but the stigma of being a ‘Blue-Stocking’ – an unnatural, educated woman.