Welcome to 2020-2021 School Year
Justin Alexander
justina@isb.ac.th
Dear Parents (and Students),
Welcome to the 2020-21 school year at ISB. We are so pleased and very excited to be able to start school in person on Monday August 10th and to see our returning students and of course welcome new students to ISB as well.
It has been and continues to be a challenging and uncertain time for everyone in the world at the moment, but in many ways we are blessed and fortunate to be in Thailand at this time. With no local transmission cases and with strict regulations in place for people entering Thailand, we are well placed to be able to start school in a safe and welcoming way. You will have seen previous communications regarding safety protocols, school reopening plans etc, so I will not revisit them here. If you do wish to look at them again, please visit our website HERE to see updated plans.
Starting School
You will see more details from Mr. Vaughan later in the E News about the procedures for Monday August 10th and the Day ‘0’ schedule. Ms McMillan will also share information about our excellent DP results from last year and how and when students can access their schedules.
Welcome
We extend a warm welcome to our new ISB students who are joining us this academic year. There are nearly 80 new students joining the HS this year and we anticipate about 40 of these students will physically be here on Monday with the remainder starting school virtually. Please join us in welcoming our new students and parents to ISB.
New ISB Teachers
As you will appreciate we have been working extremely hard to get all of our new teachers into Thailand and ready to start school on Monday. Of course given the challenges of gaining entry to Thailand, some of our new faculty will have a delayed start to the school year. We are fortunate to have a dedicated and committed faculty here on site already, who will be taking on extra classes and working with our new teachers on zoom to conduct lessons and support the learning of students. We have a number of experienced substitute teachers who will also be helping us until all of our new teachers arrive.
Once schedules are finalised and shared, students will know which (if any) of their teachers will be in this situation and how their classes will be conducted. For the most part, students will move to their assigned classrooms where another teacher will greet them and either teach the lesson or facilitate with the ‘regular’ teacher a zoom lesson. In all cases students will be able to connect with their teacher and be supported in their learning. More details will be shared on Monday with students during our day ‘0’ schedule.
Students attending ISB Virtually
Currently, we anticipate that we will have approximately 40 of our new ISB students and perhaps 20-30 other ISB students that are not able to physically join us on campus on Monday. All ISB students will have received a survey recently from Mr. Vaughan that requires students to inform us whether they are able to attend ISB in person or will be starting the school year virtually. Please do let us know if you will be attending ISB virtually.
Virtual Learning Plan:
All ISB teachers who have students in their class that have informed us that they are not able to join us on campus this week will provide virtual learning for these students. The virtual learning will not look the same as our virtual school learning experience in March – June, but will enable students to be connected, stay up to date and to continue with their learning until they can join their classmates in person.
Teachers will use zoom to livestream/record their taught lesson and instruction during their normally scheduled class times. Teachers will communicate through Powerlearning and or google classroom instructions and share resources with students at home or in the classroom. If students attending ISB virtually are in the BKK time zone (or one close by) then they would be expected to zoom into their classes and join in ‘realtime’. Students currently in Europe, North or South America and in a different time zone will have the choice to join the classes in real time or to watch the zoom lesson the next day. The zoom lessons will be recorded and shared with students at the end of each day. Teachers will be in direct communication with their students and provide additional information about how their lessons will take place and how work will be submitted etc.
Once again, we are very much looking forward to seeing your students on Monday morning – either via zoom or in person.
Have a great weekend.
Justin Alexander
High School Principal
Start of School Reminders
Andy Vaughan
andyv@isb.ac.th
I can’t explain how excited we are to have students back on campus after so much of our last semester was spent engaging in online learning! Today we have had our new student orientation and it was magical to see students back in the hallways and rooms once again, the school felt alive again!
With a return to school in this current climate, there are many changes in how we conduct a number of practices around the school given the safety measures in place for covid-19. These are clearly laid out on our website (isb.ac.th) and have been communicated in recent enews messages. Students will receive an email later today and will also have a class level meeting including a specific safety briefing on Monday to ensure these new expectations are clear.
The remainder of this message details our normal expectations that remain in place for students with regards to uniform, transportation and attendance.
Uniforms and Dress Code
We will be continuing this school year with a focus on uniform and dress code with our students. Our dress code policy can be found in the online student handbook under ‘Uniform and Dress Code’.
For a quick summary please note the following:
- School pants can be purchased from the bookstore, but we do allow non-bookstore pants, so long as they are in the same design limitations. Pants must be appropriate length (defined as 1/3 of the hip to knee). Tighter pants are allowed however, spandex and ‘branded’ sports pants are not allowed.
- Hoodies and sweaters must be purchased from the Booster Hut. All other team hoodies are not to be worn on Monday to Thursday.
- Every Friday students will have a specific focused alternative dress day in which they will be able to wear ISB Team-wear, class shirts, ISB club wear or themed dress as per the planned schedule for that week. Our Student Council will be sharing these dress days with students directly.
- Footwear should be comfortable, practical and safe. Open toe shoes are not allowed such as slippers and flip flop sandals.
The High School faculty and administration will monitor students’ attire to ensure that it aligns to our expectations. Please help us in ensuring that your student(s) only wear dress code conforming clothing to school.
Bicycle and Motor Scooter Helmets
For personal safety considerations, appropriate bike helmets must be worn (and properly strapped) by both students and adults entering campus. Administrators and security guards will periodically monitor the front gate and offer reminders and encouragement. Thank you for helping to support and model a safe environment at ISB!
Driving to school
Only students with a valid Thai driver’s license may drive/park a car on campus. Students who are 15 years or older may drive/park a motor scooter on campus provided:
- Student has a Thai driver’s license for his/her age group
- Student obtains a parking permit sticker from the HS Office
- The motorbike is 110cc or under if the student is under 18 years of age
- Always wears an appropriate/strapped motorcycle helmet (and only carries passengers with helmets) on and off campus
Golf carts must also be operated safely and be affixed with a parking pass from the security office. Only students with an approved drivers license will be permitted to park a golf cart on campus and such students must obtain an approval from the High School Office. Drivers licenses from other countries are applicable certification for students driving golf carts to school.
Excusing Absences
Any absence for HS students should be excused by parents via a phone call or email to the HS Attendance secretary, Khun Gade 02 963 5883 (ext. 3305) or email: sasivimb@isb.ac.th. It is appreciated if this phone call can be received before 8.00am so that we can alert teachers early.
It is important that we receive this parental contact, because without it, your child is marked as absent (X) on PowerSchool. Unexcused absences may result in additional consequences. You can see whether your child has been marked absent (X) on any day using PowerSchool. If we receive confirmation from parents that the absence is excused, then we adjust the code to reflect that (AbE). Please help us to ensure we best understand reasons for your child missing school.
Please also note if a student misses a class during the day, they may not participate in co-curricular activities on that day without prior approval from the Dean of Students.
For students who are currently overseas or in quarantine and will be accessing learning virtually, we have sent a survey which we have asked them to return by this weekend to detail their location and time-zone. Please check with your child that they have completed this so we can best support their learning. Please note that these students will have a code of NPVS (Not Present, Virtual School), this does not count towards their accumulated absences.
For extended absences, parents should email counsellors and also copy in Andy Vaughan (andyv@isb.ac.th) and Khun Gade (sasivimb@isb.ac.th) for approval.
First Day Schedule for HS
Andy Vaughan
andyv@isb.ac.th
We will run a special schedule on Monday, which aims to allow students to receive the necessary information to be successful in the first weeks of school.
The First Day schedule as can be found at this link.
PowerSchool Schedules for HS Students
Andy Vaughan
andyv@isb.ac.th
PowerSchool Schedules will be available for students to access on Friday night for students through their PowerSchool student Log-in (https://powerschool.isb.ac.th/public/)
For any students that are unable to access PowerSchool, please contact either Chris Bell (christob@isb.ac.th) or Mr. Vaughan (andyv@isb.ac.th).
Please note that changes may occur to student’s schedules as we may need to balance classes due to a much higher late enrolment than we normally experience. Students are not able to change classes on their first day back, but are permitted to change classes (if possible) in the first 8 day rotation, with the final day of schedule changes August 21.
IB Results May 2020
Justyna McMillan
justynam@isb.ac.th
It was an unusual year for IB students around the world this year. Following the cancelation of IB exams in May due to Covid19 and the decision by the IB to award grades using student coursework, predicted grades and historical data, we were all anxiously awaiting IB results. I am pleased to say that our students did exceptionally well as a cohort. We had a 98% Diploma pass rate with an average Diploma score of 35.6 and 21% of our students achieved 40 points or more. Congratulations to all our IB students who clearly demonstrated their tenacity during this period. Congratulations and a big Thank You to all our teachers and counselors who played a big part in teaching, guiding and supporting students to achieve their potential.
First Global Online Academy cohort
Justyna McMillan
justynam@isb.ac.th
We are excited to welcome our first Global Online Academy (GOA) cohort of students. This is the first year of our partnership with GOA. By adding this portfolio of online courses we are able to offer some wonderful new elective options for ISB HS students. Our students have opted to study a variety of courses including Medical Problem Solving, Architecture, Gender Studies, Global Health, Problem Solving with Engineering and Design, just to name a few. If you are interested in learning more about this opportunity and the courses on offer please look at https://globalonlineacademy.org/
Schedule Changes
Justyna McMillan
justynam@isb.ac.th
Although all of our courses are fabulous and we hope they align with student interests, we understand that sometimes students may wish to change their chosen courses. Students may change schedules only during the first 8 school days of each semester. Students must seek the advice/approval of counselors and teachers before altering their course schedule. Please note no schedule changes are allowed on day 0, however please see the counselor if you have a period missing.
Students and parents must understand that limited movement may be permitted in their schedule. Students are expected to remain in all requested courses unless the placement is clearly inappropriate or not possible. In this event, counselors will work with students and families to provide counseling on other choices.
Students who feel a change is needed should discuss the issue with their counselor. If it is agreed that a change is appropriate, a “Schedule Change Request” form will be completed by the student and given to the counselor with all required signatures. If approved by high school administration, the counselor will make the change in the student’s schedule.
News from the College Office
Sonya Ohlsson
sonyao@isb.ac.th
Greetings and salutations from the College Office!
A lot has happened since we were all last together, but the process of applying to college is essentially the same and we are ready to help you through it all. We are thrilled to have some time built into the schedules of juniors and seniors so we know we will be able to get a lot done and that seniors will be ready to go when submission deadlines reach us.
We are also pleased to welcome a new college counselor to the team, Swati Shrestha. She, like a few other new ISB faculty and students alike, is having a little trouble getting into Thailand, but we feel that there is a good chance she will be able to fly next week.
In the meantime, we will all be reaching out to our seniors to start scheduling a family meeting to check in about each student’s process and plans, knowing that some things may have changed.
Juniors, we know you are also eager to start, but right at this moment, the only thing you need to do is focus on your studies. We will be chatting with you soon about what this first semester will have for you regarding the college process, but you are not missing out on anything right now. So keep your eyes on your studies–this is what will determine the possible options for you in the future!
College Visits go Virtual
Because we won’t be having visitors on campus for a while, some universities will be making virtual visits to ISB. Keep an eye out for more information about that! And feel free to go straight to a university’s website to see if they have some virtual information sessions and campus tours.
SAT News: While many universities in the US have become test-optional or test-blind, other schools around the world have not. The deadline for the September 26 SAT (no subject tests this date) is August 26.
College Counseling Site
For up-to-date info on visits, virtual offerings from universities, SATs and more, please check out our Google site: https://sites.google.com/isb.ac.th/isb-college-counseling/virtual-college-visits-info-sessions
Upcoming events for your calendar (more details to follow):
August 26, 6:30-8:00pm, Gr. 12 College Night
September 7, 6:00-8:00pm, ISB Virtual World University Fair
September 17, 6:30-8pm, Gr. 11 College Night
Club Fairs
Peter Assimakopoulos
petera@isb.ac.th
Welcome back! We are so excited to see you on campus. The Club Fairs will be over three days (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) starting Monday, August 17th in the MPB during Panther Block. The clubs that meet on Mondays will be the only ones presenting at the fair on Monday, August 17th. Clubs that meet on Wednesdays will be at the fair on Wednesday, August 19th, and Friday clubs will be at the fair Friday, August 21st. Please see the Club Schedule here to learn which clubs meet on which days. For more information on the clubs, please visit the CAS and Activities website. Important change: students will circulate to rooms where clubs normally hold their meetings this year. Check this space for more information later this week.
Cashless Payment in the Cafeteria
Piyanuch Kasuwan
piyanuck@isb.ac.th
This measure is necessary in order to speed up the queues at the cashier’s desks and help us maintain physical distancing in the cafeteria.Please note that MS/HS cafeteria, as well as The Grind and Upper Grind will operate on a cashless basis only and payment can be made by Campus Card. Campus cards can be topped-up online (through PowerSchool, at the top-up machine by the ATM’s and at the Bookstore).
NEW LOOK, NEW NAME & NEW PEEPS
Anthony Giles
anthonyg@isb.ac.th
Yes, after years of people referring to our headquarters and the programs organized there as the CAO Office, or CAO Activities – short for Community Activities Office Office, or the Community Activities Office Activities – we are changing our name to Panther Activities, and the office to the Panther Den. We would also like to take this opportunity to introduce our newest Panther Activities Coordinators, Zack Wade for baseball & softball, Nandi Blanchard for basketball, Krittiya (Boom) Jalik-Fitzgerald for golf, Jordi Bartes for soccer, and Nannapat (Mint) Nantasuk for tennis. Finally, a big shout out to the fab four, Khun M, Khun Fon, Khun Venus, and Khun Kwang for their work last spring with Panther Activities, and Arts and Activities refunds, as well as this summer’s Panther Activities camps. Thanks for all that you do for our community. You guys rock!
NEW ONLINE REGISTRATION
Postponed until Monday, August 10 at 12:00 noon, we are also rolling out our new online registration system (CHQ) for both ISB’s Season 1 Athletics Teams, as well as all of the Panther Activities programs you have grown to love, like Panther Arts, Panther Baseball & Softball (BBSA), Panther Basketball, Panther Dance (ASD), Panther Gymnastics, Panther Music (IMP), Panther Native Language Academy, Panther Rugby, Panther Soccer (PFA), Panther Swim, Panther Tennis, Panther Boy & Girl Scouts, and new this year, complete with a Golf Center in January, Panther Golf! Details including sign up deadlines and instructions on how to use CHQ will be sent out before the registration window opens on Thursday at noon.
NEW VENUE FOR THE PANTHER ACTIVITIES FAIR
Want to know more about what’s on offer at ISB? Join us at the annual Panther Activities Fair scheduled in Rajendra Hall from 9:00am until 12:00 noon on Saturday, August 15 where you can meet the program reps, ask questions about the different activities, and register. Make a morning of it by swinging by the annual ISB Booster Pancake Breakfast. From all of us on the Panther Activities team to all of our prospective and returning participants, we look forward to seeing you on campus soon doing all of the things you love to do!
Anthony (Tony) Giles & Lucas Rivera pantheractivities@isb.ac.th
Providing active, creative, diverse and collaborative opportunities for all students.
Panther Dance (ASD) – Dance Styles Expression of Interest Now Open
Helen
isbasd@isb.ac.th
Dear Dancers and Families,
I hope everyone is ready for a new School year filled with Dance. We are excited to introduce our new, highly recommended instructors – Mr. Game will be taking over Ms. Pear’s Street/Hip Hop Classes.
Kru Art will be teaching Tap,
We hope to be able to offer Adult Ballet when Campus reopens. If you are interested please email me directly for further details.
STEP 1 – Complete Google Form (see link below) for On-line Dance Style Expression of Interest as soon as possible but before 12th August 12.00pm.
https://forms.gle/9NsyQ99HzcgHYQSL6
No Payment is Due at this time.
STEP 2 – Attend a Placement Assessment Sessions –
Thursday 13th OR Friday 14th August – in the CC Theatre (2nd Floor or the Cultural Center)
2.35pm Gr 4 / 5 (A Teacher will meet Dancers at the Hard Top to walk them over to CC Theatre)
4.00pm MS
6.00pm HS
Pk and Kg, Grade 1 – 3 Dancers do not need an Assessment.
Dancers Grade 4 to Grade12 should come to one of their Grades scheduled sessions prepared for a Dance class (appropriate shoes / clothes / hair). Dancers will be asked to copy dance steps with a group of dancers of a similar age.We have implemented numerous social distancing procedures to make Assessments as safe as possible, we ask for your patience as we deal with the new guidelines.
We recommend Dancers with last names A – Q come to assessments Thursday and R – Z come Friday – WHERE POSSIBLE.
STEP 3 – Payment / Registration –
Monday afternoon 17th August to 12.00pm Wednesday 19th August through the new Online Registration System.
Students should be aware that attending a Placement Session does not guarantee that ASD will be able to accommodate all requests. Dancers returning to the same style that they participated in February 2020 will be given priority.
Classes start on Monday 24th August.
Looking forward to a new year with Panther Dance (ASD).
Regards
Helen
ISB Athletics introducing Chris Mott
Mark Jaspers
markj@isb.ac.th
Dear Parents, Students and Panther Community,
It is my pleasure to welcome you all to the 2020/2021 school year! We are excited to have you all back on campus.
The ISB Athletics Office is ready to begin with Season One Athletics and we are all here to support and assist our students returning to the fields, courts and pools. While you will notice some changes, our programs will remain the same.
This is my first year in the ISB community and I am looking forward to meeting and working with you all. I am originally from Australia and have most recently moved from Lima, Peru and The American School of Lima, where I had been for the past five years. I am joined by my family, Eve (entering grade 4), Hudson (entering grade 1) and my wife, Georgina.
Season One School Sports Teams will begin in August on the dates listed below. Please also note the changes in sign-up procedures for all programs. Detailed information on this process is also linked below.
Parents will have to login to PowerSchool to register their children in CHQ for all ISB Athletics teams (you can find detailed information below).
This new requirement is consistent across all ISB Athletics and Panther Activities, and will assist us all in ensuring our student community is safe. Thank you all in advance for your support in this change in procedure.
More information about our program and teams can be found on the Athletics website: https://inside.isb.ac.th/isbathletics
Should you need any further assistance or have a question, please do not hesitate to reach out to one of us and we will be happy to assist as needed.
Athletics Director – Chris Mott: chrism@isb.ac.th
Associate Athletics Director – Mark Jaspers: markj@isb.ac.th
Season One Start Dates:
Thursday 13 August (3:30)
Varsity Tryouts: Soccer, Volleyball and Cross Country
Tuesday 18 August (3:55)
JV Tryouts: Soccer, Volleyball and Cross Country
Wednesday 19 August (2:55)
U13 Cross Country, Basketball Tryouts
U15 Cross Country, Basketball, Tennis and Rugby/Touch Tryouts
Monday 24 August (2:45)
U11 Cross Country and Basketball begins
NEW ONLINE REGISTRATION FOR ISB ATHLETICS & PANTHER ACTIVITIES OPENS AUGUST 6
Welcome to CHQ, ISB’s new registration platform for ISB Athletics and Panther Activities.
Season One sign up opens at 12:00pm on Monday, August 10. Parents must register their children to participate.
How to use CHQ
Step by step instructions for navigating CHQ can be found HERE. Once logged in to PowerSchool, press the CHQ button on the left side of your screen to find an account for each of your children. In each of their accounts, you will only be able to see the activities for that child’s age group and grade level. Where available, you may click the blue “i” to the right of each activity title for a description of that activity.
Panther Activities Fair
Want to know more about what’s on offer at ISB? Join us at the annual Panther Activities Fair scheduled in Rajendra Hall from 9:00am until 12:00 noon on Saturday, August 15, where you can meet the program reps, ask questions about the different activities, and register.
Make a morning of it by swinging by the annual ISB Booster Pancake Breakfast. We look forward to seeing your kids on campus soon, doing all of the things they love to do!
Please note that the Panther Activities Fair as well as the activities on offer will take into account the safety measures and physical distancing guidelines as set forth in ISB’s reopening plan.
Questions?
For ISB Athletics, contact Chris Mott at chrism@isb.ac.th, or Mark Jaspers at markj@isb.ac.th.
For Panther Activities, contact Anthony Giles or Lucas Rivera at pantheractivities@isb.ac.th.