May 4, 2020 is a Public Holiday (Coronation Day) – No Virtual School for students
Please be informed that Monday, May 4, 2020 is a public holiday for the Coronation of H.M. King Maha Vajiralongkorn. No virtual school for students.
ES Parent Engage
Thank you to those of you who joined us on our Zoom Parent Engage on Thursday. The topic of “How to support your child in Virtual School” is the subject on all of our minds. Please find here a recording of that helpful session.
ES Parent Videos
We have been working on a project to support you while we are all learning off campus. We hope the information and ideas in these videos will guide you as you make choices when supporting your children and your families during the day. Please see the video below for more information about our ES Parent Video Project. We are inspired and in awe of the virtual collaboration that happened, as we joined together to make these videos a reality. As always, thank you for your time, efforts and partnership in supporting our youngest learners. Please watch a video introduction to that project here.
ES Art News
ES Studio Online
The ES Art Studio Online is a website for students and parents to access resources and information about the ES Art programme. It includes videos and links to fun art ideas, information about the programme, and articles on useful topics, such as how to talk about art with your child. Students can also view a gallery celebrating their wonderful artwork! To access the website, please click here.
Next Wednesday’s Art Lessons
Next Wednesday 6th May, our ES students’ Art lessons will be on portraiture, and students will be given the opportunity to create a portrait of an ISB 2020 graduating student. When completed, these portraits will be laminated and displayed at the front of ISB for all to see, and most importantly, for our graduates and their families to enjoy. Before our graduates leave Bangkok, they are welcome to remove their portrait(s) from the fence and keep it as a gift from the young artist who drew/painted them, and from ISB. We believe this is a wonderful, creative way to connect our young learners at ISB with our most senior students. This communication has been sent to families via Seesaw about how ES students can collect the image of a senior to use for this project.
Planning for Next School Year
The ISB leadership team has been planning for various scenarios for August. Because much is unknown, we want to ensure that our planning is well thought-out and very intentional within different contexts. We have several ideas about how to support students in their transition to the next grade level. If we are opening with Virtual School in August or some sort of hybrid environment, rest assured that we will have ways to support the online transition; making sure that students maintain connections with teachers and students to ease into any new class placement situation. We will not know which of the scenarios plays out until well into summer, but working on them now is one of our current priorities.
Lean on ISB
Take a moment to enjoy this musical collaboration involving members of our ISB community!
Let’s “POUNCE” Into Our ISB Community Reading Program
- Watch this Video Link to learn about the challenge!
- Panthers Pounce is an ISB School-wide May reading challenge where everyone– students, staff, and families can join the fun!
- You participate by logging your time and reading any book.
- Your reading could include eBooks, audioBooks, or read-to-me books on Epic. Your reading can even include storytime with Mr. Whitman.
- We will launch our Panthers Pounce May reading challenge on May 1st.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
- Set a reading goal each day – How much will you read?
- Create a plan – when, where and what will you read?
- Every minute of reading adds to your grade/division total. Who will win?
- Enjoy reading!
STAY UPDATED
1. Check out our ISB Library Reading Page for book recommendations.
2. LOG YOUR WEEKLY READING TIME every Monday in May (and June 1) using the links on this page!
From the very young to the very old, anyone can pounce on a good book!
ISB Virtual Summer School 2020
Registration is now open!
Due to the uncertainties around the world with the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, we have revised our previously planned Summer School Program to a two-week session of Virtual Summer School, free of charge. There are a limited number of seats available so placements will be assigned based on the order registrations are received and each individual class will only be scheduled if there is sufficient enrollment.
Please note, the ISB Virtual Summer School Program is open to all students enrolled at ISB for the 2019-20 school year. New students joining ISB in August will be able to participate only if there are seats available.
Purpose of the ISB Virtual Summer School Program:
To provide students with supplemental academic learning and/or enrichment opportunities, and to provide some opportunities to explore areas of interest through a variety of virtual “camps”.
Dates and Times for ISB Virtual Summer School 2020:
- Opens – Monday, June 22
- Closes – Friday, July 3
- Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 12:00 pm Bangkok time
Students can sign up for either the academic program or enrichment camps, but not both. Please read carefully the more specific information provided about each program and special interest camp tentatively being offered and for the registration procedures, by clicking on the respective links below, or via the Summer School webpage on the ISB website.
For any questions you may have, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Mr. Maurilio Baron-Toaldo
ISB Summer School Director
sumdir@isb.ac.th
(Repeat) Virtual Character Dress-up Days & Grade Level Assemblies
The First Ever Virtual School Character Dress-up Days and Grade Level Zoom Assemblies with guest author Tad Hills (PreK-3)
What? Your child is invited to the first ISB Virtual Book Character Dress-up days and Grade Level Assemblies on Zoom
How will this work? Classroom teachers will share the link to the Zoom grade level assembly – students just need to join at that time, dressed up as any book character. AND YES, superheroes are okay! As a special treat, students in PreK-Grade 3 will have a virtual visit from visiting author Tad Hills, author of the famous Rocket books.
It will be great fun!
Schedule for Zoom Grade Level Assemblies (Mark Your Calendars!)
| Thursday, May 7 | Friday, May 8 |
| PreK/KG – 8:30 AM
G1 – 9:30 AM |
G2 – 8:30 AM
G3 – 9:30 AM G4/5 – 11 AM |
(Repeat) LIVE FROM BOSTON!
Jace Payackapan in Concert 7:00pm Friday, May 1 Singer-Songwriter and Producer, Jace Payackapan (ISB Class of ’16), has been working on her musical art since she was little. A recent Contemporary Writing and Production Graduate of Berklee College of Music Jace now spends her time in Boston area studios recording and producing original music and vocalizing on other writers’ projects. Locally she has been awarded Trinity College London’s (Guildhall) distinction for all grades in both piano and vocals. Additionally, she received Thailand’s National 1st place for Trinity Pop & Rock Vocals in 2015, 2016, and 2017. https://www.youtube.com/JacePayackapan
(Repeat) Check out the new PANTHER ROARS
(/ˈpanTHər/ /rôrz/ noun 1. Full, deep, prolonged utterances of positive expression by ISB community members in response to the world pandemic. Check out the newest Community Connections projects HERE including Open Mic, Who Do You Know?, and The Thank You Project. We are looking for teacher and student responses of gratitude for workers on the frontline fight against COVID-19, stories about people you know that have been directly impacted by the pandemic, or songs, dances and slam poetry to share within our own community and beyond. Please ask your classes to participate today!
(Repeat) Parent Resources for Supporting Students
One of the consultants from whom we have had the pleasure of learning as an ES Community is Matt Glover. Matt has visited ISB many times to help support our elementary faculty in high quality literacy instruction, as well as worked with parents on how to read with young children and “making books.” Matt has been a teacher, principal, author, and consultant for over 30 years. He recently published a collection of parent videos that you might find helpful. Check them out here.
(Repeat) ES Counselors: article from ‘Cultures of Dignity’ to address conflict at home
As we delve deeper into virtual learning and parents are thrust into the role of teacher for longer than they may have expected, strong emotions may build. Conflict may arise as stress levels build, as kids (and adults) become more stir crazy from being shut inside, and as we all try to make sense of what is happening worldwide.
We need to keep healthy, safe, and connected to each other. But the everyday moments of living together can be seriously challenging. Even in the best of times, the ability to regulate yourself and have a high level of social and relationship skills has always been the most important skills a person needs to function and thrive. Now, it is critical to you and everyone you’re living with.
Let’s keep in mind:
- Conflict is always inevitable. In this situation it’s even more likely.
- Conflicts are usually about two things: the actual thing people disagree about and how we are talking to each other about the problem.
- It’s up to us to try our best to be easy on people, hard on ideas.
- No matter what happens, we still have to interact with each other. We aren’t going anywhere, so it’s in everyone’s best interest to get to a better place. That means really listening; being prepared to be changed by what you hear. Beware the temptation to wait for someone to stop talking so we can tell them why they’re wrong and we’re right.
- Everyone is going to have to change at least one thing about what they’re doing to make the problem better and get us closer to where we want to be.
Before talking to the person you’re frustrated with go to a quiet place and write your responses to the following questions:
- What are the three things you want to accomplish in this meeting?
- Are your three goals realistic?
- What is one thing you want to hold yourself accountable during this meeting?
During the conversation, it is important to aks “curious” questions instead of a “why would you ever think X question” is. Try using these sentence stems:
Can you tell me more about…
Help me understand why…
What’s success look like here?
Maybe it didn’t go perfectly. That’s OK. It’s unrealistic to expect that one meeting will solve the conflict. So have a short check the next day. And don’t worry, you’ll have more opportunities to practice.
Whether you’re cooped up at home or not, you can use this strategy anytime you’re in conflict with other people.
If you want to learn even more and access a step-by-step guide of how to have a family meeting while in lockdown, click on this article from the NY Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/09/well/family/coronavirus-quarantine-conflict-family-meeting.html
(Repeat) ES World Languages
World Language learning happens everyday in ES Virtual School. On Wednesday, students receive direct instruction via Zoom with follow-up learning activities for that same day. In addition, teachers post practice learning activities for other days of the school week.
This week, our World Languages team launched Zoom with some grades, and next week this will be expanded to include all students. Below is a schedule that will support our World Languages teachers in connecting with all grade levels on Wednesdays. Teachers will be reaching out to students and families to confirm times for next Wednesday and provide the Zoom meeting links.
| World Languages Zoom Schedule | |
| 8:30 – 9:00 | Grade 5 Thai
Grade 5 Mandarin Group 1 Grade 5 Spanish Group 1 |
| 9:30 – 10:00 | Grade 4 |
| 10:30 – 11:00 | Grade 3 |
| 11:30 – 12:00 | Grade 2 |
| 1:00 – 1:30 | Grade 1 |
| 2:00 – 2:30 | KG Thai
Grade 5 Mandarin Group 2 Grade 5 Spanish Group 2 |
As a reminder, all World Languages learning can be accessed in your child’s Seesaw account. Students will need to be signed in using their Home Learning Code so they can access both their Homeroom and World Language Seesaw classes. Alternatively, students in Grade 3-5 can also sign in using their ISB Gmail account. If you need any technical support with Seesaw, please write to help@isb.ac.th and we will do our best to help.
(Repeat) ES HUB News
Please click on the link to go to the Youtube channel.
(Repeat) If You Know you are Leaving ISB
Families who are leaving ISB at the end of the school year are asked to inform the school as soon as possible using the official Notice of Withdrawal Form. This helps us prepare school records for your child and with planning for next year. Completed forms can be dropped off at the ES Office.
eNews 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.
naiyanar@isb.ac.th is for Elementary School (ES) announcements of interest to ES families.
phremjiz@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 Director of Marketing and Communications 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.