by Dennis Harter, MS Principal
dennish@isb.ac.th
If your child will be starting the 2020-21 school year away from ISB, connecting online to the learning program, please inform the MS office – msoffice@isb.ac.th. Teachers need to know who is studying remotely so that they may provide the best support and instruction.
We are excited to be opening the ISB campus and starting the 2020-21 school year with students back in classrooms with their teacher and classmates. While we are fortunate to be in Thailand – a country and population that has handled the global pandemic admirably – we understand our own role in maintaining safety precautions to prevent any transmissions. With the right precautions in place, students will resume in-classroom learning on campus at ISB, beginning the week of August 10th.
Of course, we also recognize that many students will not be able to start the year on campus and in classrooms physically. Whether due to travel restrictions, quarantine requirements, or home health concerns, these students will start the year by accessing the “learning remotely”. It is our goal to provide students with online access to the classroom learning as much as possible (and where it makes sense), so that students may listen to the teacher, engage with the class activities, and, if connecting live with the class, participating in class discussion.
Brief Summary of Remote Learning in the Middle School
For most classes, teachers will activate a live broadcast of their class as it is happening, using the web platform Zoom. If off-campus students are connected to the live session, they will be able to hear the teacher’s instruction, see any slides or resources being projected by the teacher to the class, and even participate in small discussions, with other students in the class (either in the classroom or also connected remotely).
All broadcasts will be automatically recorded and stored online. Links to lessons will be uploaded to the class’s PowerSchool Learning online site, so that students who miss the class may watch the lesson on their own schedule. This allows students in far off time zones to still see the classes.
There are some classes that this format will not work as well for. P.E., for example, will provide students with a program that will keep them physically active and support wellness. (It would not be productive for an off-campus student to watch others having fun in P.E.)
How will I know the schedule and the appropriate Zoom links?
Schedules will be emailed to students and PowerSchool will be opened soon so that students can view their timetable and assigned teachers. Students will receive schedules and zoom links before school starts on August 11th.
Teachers will be reaching out to students who are connecting remotely with instructions and specifics about links and where to access materials and submit work.
When does Remote Learning start?
Middle school classes begin on Tuesday, August 11th with several advisory sessions and a “Welcome Day” for students on campus. Students connecting remotely will be included in some advisory sessions and grade level meetings will be Zoom broadcast. This will help them feel connected to what’s happening with their peers.
Following that, Wednesday, August 12th is a holiday, so middle school classes begin on Thursday, August 13th with a Day 2.
What time are classes and advisory?
The middle school typical day will be using the schedule rotation below. Please note the DAY number determines the order of periods for that day. All times are Bangkok Time GMT+7.
Who do I contact if I have technology problems or difficulty connecting?
For class-specific questions, please contact the teacher directly. For technology questions or problems with Zoom or other online platforms (PowerSchool, Google Classroom, etc.), you may contact the MS Technology Coach, Mr. Michael Boll (michaelb@isb.ac.th).
How will my child login to the school accounts (PowerSchool, Zoom, etc.)?
Returning ISB students should know their login information.
For new students, during the week of August 3-7, the ISB technology department emailed to parents the login information for their child. Please look for this email, if you haven’t seen it already, and share it with your child.
Who do I contact if I have questions about the class schedule?
For questions about course schedule, please contact the school counselor.
- Grade 6: Mr. Kevin Nelson (kevinn@isb.ac.th)
- Grade 7: Mr. Nelson or Ms. Coady
if you don’t know who our child’s the counselor is, email sariyam@isb.ac.th - Grade 8: Ms. Colleen Coady (colleenc@isb.ac.th)
Who do I inform that my child will be participating in Remote Learning?
Please write to your child’s counselor (see above), or the middle school office (msoffice@isb.ac.th), if your child is participating in remote learning to start the 2020-21 school year.
We hope that this information is helpful. You will soon be hearing from teachers with more specific instructions about each class. This is a new process for students and teachers alike, as it is quite different from the fully online, Virtual School, that ISB ran successfully last school year.
There will be technical glitches and mistakes made as we get underway. This is natural with any new initiative and learning process. We are committed to improving as we go, collecting feedback from parents and students, and ensuring learning growth for our learners.
Please contact me if you have any questions.