ES Parent Engage September 3: Live on Campus!!
Please join us for our first ES Parent Engage of the 2020-2021 school year on September 3th from 7:45 am – 9:15 am in the Chevron. We are thrilled that we will be able to offer this Parent Engage in person on campus by registration! We have a wonderful collaboration planned for this engage:
- The PTA will introduce themselves and their role, as well as setting the stage for the year to come.
- You will learn more about our new Principal, Dr. Michael Allen, and our beliefs around partnership schools.
- You will learn more about what learning looks like during this time – we will walk you through a day in the life of ISB students, and how they are handling masks, distancing and hand washing.
- Our ES Counseling team will offer tips to support students at home.
- We will collect your feedback on what topics you would like to see in our future Parent Engage sessions!
Access to campus continues to be limited and closely monitored. In order to attend this Parent Engage, you will need to sign up so that we can have you registered for an appointment on campus. Please fill in this form, and you will receive an email confirmation of your appointment the day before the event. Show this appointment confirmation to the guards when you enter the turnstiles by the business office. Please note that immediately following the session, parents will be required to exit campus through a designated exit as campus continues to have limited access until 1:30pm.
REMINDER: Pick-up Procedures for Students Participating in After-School Activities
Parents and helpers with ID cards are permitted on campus after 1:30pm to escort students to their after-school activities. Please enter through the turnstiles at the Business Office and then make your way down to the Elementary School.
- Parents/helpers of KG students who are going to an activity will meet children in the designated area outside the PreK classrooms.
- Grade 1 students will be walked by teachers and IAs to the ES Cafeteria to meet parents/helpers inside.
- If parents/helpers want to meet G2-5 students and accompany them to an activity, please make a plan in the morning with your child to meet them inside the ES Cafeteria.
Please refrain from entering quads and hallways.
All other dismissal procedures will continue for students who are not participating in after-school activities.
WEEKLY PARENT ACTION REQUIRED: Student Tracking of Student After School and Weekend Locations
All schools in Thailand have been issued a new contact tracing requirement from the Thailand Ministry of Education which requires all students to have a log of their whereabouts out of school each day and on weekends. ES parents will be required to complete an electronic Student Location Tracking Form for the week for each child every Friday beginning September 4th. Parents are required to fill this out with very basic information in order to be in full compliance with this government health and safety mandate.
ID Access for Family Helpers Available
ISB is now ready to start processing ID access cards for family helpers. With the new turnstiles, all domestic help will need to get a new ISB ID card to gain access to the academic areas of the school. Please login to powerschool and complete the online application. Need support? Contact Mark Hevland, markh@isb.ac.th, Director of Risk Management, 0993910932
Virtual Open House Thank You!
On behalf of the ES Faculty, thank-you for joining us for our Virtual Open House last night. We hope you enjoyed meeting teachers, seeing learning spaces, and peering through a childlike lens to show what the day-to-day learning is like for your child(ren). We appreciate your involvement and are thrilled to be in a learning partnership with you! All sessions were recorded; please let your child’s teacher(s) know if you need access to the recording.
Early Dismissal – Tuesday September 1
All ISB students will be dismissed at 1:10pm on Tuesday, September 1, 2020. On Early Dismissal Days, school buses will leave ISB at 1:25 p.m. Early Dismissal Days allow faculty members and administrators to collaborate and further their professional development.
ES ‘Out of Uniform’ Days – September 3 & 4
These two days are ‘Out of Uniform’ days in the Elementary School. On PE days, students need to wear their PE uniforms. On their non PE day, students may choose to not wear their ISB uniform.
Appropriate dress guidelines for our ‘Out of Uniform’ days are:
- Pants/slacks/shorts—good condition
- Shirts/blouses—sleeves & midriff required, appropriate logos only
- Skirts/dresses/jumpers—sleeves required, modest length
- Shoes—sneakers, street shoes or leather sandals with back strap
- Hats must be worn all the time when playing outside during recess or during PE classes.
Panther (ES) Explore
We are excited to introduce the NEW online registration system for the ES Explore program. This will be an exciting challenge for both parents and the program. We are aware there might be some technical issues, we ask for your patience during this start up period.
The following are some important dates for you to note in your calendar:
Friday 3pm, August 28th – ES Explore registration opens
Wednesday 12pm, September 2nd – ES Explore registration closes
Thursday, September 3rd – ES Explore confirmation and payment opens
Monday 9am September 7th – Payment closes
Monday, September 14th – ES Explore Begins
For Registration online, please click HERE or follow the instructions below:
Please log in to your child’s powerschool, click Activities/Athletics (on the left Bar) and then you’ll be able to see your child’s options for Panther (ES) Explore.
Please make your selections by entering your preference (1 is your first choice, 2 in case you have a second choice).
During the registration period, you’ll be able to make unlimited changes by logging in to Activities on your child’s powerschool.
If you have forgotten your user name or password, there is a link on the page to retrieve it. Alternatively, parents can contact Khun Tom: cholthis@isb.ac.th
Livnat Ziskinder
Panther (ES) Explore Coordinator
esactivities@isb.ac.th
ES Cafeteria Menu
Please find the ES Cafeteria menu for next week linked here.
Booster Hut Sales
Next Friday, September 4th, the Booster Hut will be open for students in Grades 2-5 to make purchases. Systems will be in place to support with physical distancing, such as a capacity limit inside the store, stanchions, and ground markings. The purchasing process will therefore be slower than in the past, so we will be discouraging students who are planning on “window shopping” or accompanying their friends from visiting. As with all of our adapted systems and processes this year, we will review and make adjustments as needed.
ISB Athletics and Activities Launched this Week
Here is a quick snapshot of what is offered to ES students through the seasons here at ISB. The “ISB Season 1-2-3” are the scholastic athletic programs managed by Athletic Directors Chris Mott and Mark Jaspers. On the right side of the chart is “Panther Activities” which is Anthony Giles and Lucas P. Rivera. Please reach out to Chris and Mark or Anthony and Lucas with any questions you may have!
It’s Not Too Late To Participate!!!
Although many of the fall Panther Activities registrations closed on August 19th, there are still a number of programs that have space available. Note that the November BBSA League ‘early bird’ sign up rate has been extended through September 7 and that Panther (ES) Explore (PreK-G5) and Panther Volleyball (G5-G12) registrations open for the first time on Powerschool/CHQ tomorrow, Friday, August 28th. Check out what’s on offer by going to CHQ through PowerSchool, or contact any one of the Panther Activities Coordinators listed below for more information.
Thanks,
The Panther Activities Team
PantherActivities@isb.ac.th
PantherArts@isb.ac.th, PantherBaseballandSoftball@isb.ac.th, PantherBasketball@isb.ac.th, PantherCubScouts@isb.ac.th, PantherBoyScouts@isb.ac.th, PantherDance@isb.ac.th,
Panther (ES) Explore, PantherGirlScouts@isb.ac.th, PantherGolf@isb.ac.th, PantherGymnastics@isb.ac.th, PantherMusic@isb.ac.th,
PantherNativeLanguageAcademy@isb.ac.th, PantherRugby@isb.ac.th, PantherSoccer@isb.ac.th, PantherSwim@isb.ac.th, PantherTennis@isb.ac.th, PantherVolleyball@isb.ac.th
(Update) PTA – Welcome Back Coffee
Let’s enjoy a coffee together with our ISB community members!! It’s a great opportunity to meet new families who have recently arrived and to say hello returning friends!!
Date: Wednesday, September 2nd, 2020
Time: 1:30-2:30pm
Location: HS Cafeteria
(Repeat) Upcoming Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) Assessment
In the coming weeks, learners in grades 2-8 will be taking the MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) test. MAP testing is done on a computer and each test adapts to the student’s previous answers, so if they answer a question correctly, the test gets progressively more challenging. If a student answers a question incorrectly, the test adapts to become easier.
MAP is a standardized test and is only one part of ISB’s overall assessment plan. MAP testing is given twice a year, in the fall and in the spring. MAP provides a standardized measure of student growth in Reading and Mathematics based on our content standards. A true picture of a child’s academic progress must include a variety of opportunities to demonstrate learning such as ongoing formative assessments given regularly in class; evidence of understanding such as writing samples, projects, and presentations; and teacher designed assessments. Teachers collect a range of learning data to help them determine where students are in their learning and where they are ready to go next. MAP is a single piece of your child’s learning picture.
MAP measures your child’s achievement level compared to other students who have taken this test. However, the student sample is drawn from US public and private schools, not international schools. The test does not cover all academic skills, nor does it cover such areas as physical, artistic, or interpersonal skills.
As with any standardized assessment, students can become anxious about how they will perform. You can support your child by ensuring that s/he gets a good night’s sleep, has a healthy breakfast, and comes to school knowing that this is important, and they can do it!
If you have any questions, you can look at the NWEA website or contact me (debic@isb.ac.th).
Results will be shared with parents and an informational meeting scheduled after the testing is completed.
Your partner in learning,
Debi Caskey
Deputy Head of School for Learning
NOTE: For those students who are learning virtually, MAP testing will occur when they return to campus during the September or March/April testing windows.
(Repeat) Check and Update Your Details in Powerschool Parent Portal
Many people move houses over the summer, details change (phone numbers etc). We are in the process of updating phone numbers, addresses and emergency contacts. Please take the time to login to Powerschool Parent Portal and check the details that ISB has on record. Please update if necessary. It is really important this information is accurate, as we use this in emergency situations.
Instructions
Step 1. Login to Powerschool
- If you are new, you should have received an email with your login details, if not please contact help@isb.ac.th
- If you have forgotten your password please contact cholthis@isb.ac.th
Step 2. At the bottom of the left hand menu click “Contact Update”. This information will then take a day or two to update (we manually check for accuracy).
If you have any questions or queries, contact cholthis@isb.ac.th
(Repeat) Attendance, Tardiness, Absence
If your child is going to be absent from school, please notify us by 8:00am by either calling the ES office or e-mailing K. Tom (cholthis@isb.ac.th) as well as your child’s teacher.
(Repeat) Panther Run Series
Please join us and register for this year’s Panther Fun Run Series (September 5, October 3). These three charity races will benefit Operation Smile. You only need to register once HERE
This year, the run is only open to ISB families and only participants who pre-registered will be allowed on campus you find a link to complete the self-disclosure form HERE.
Due to the strict COVID guidelines, we will have a physically-distanced start. Please ensure to wear your masks at all times until you are starting the race and put it back on after you reach the finish area. We will not hand out race bibs nor provide timings at the end of the race. It’s a true fun run to enjoy with your family. If you want to run hard, bring your running watch and time yourself!
Fun Run Dates: Sept. 5, and Oct. 3
All races will begin at 7:15 am. Meet at the main field before 7:00 am and wait until you are invited to move to your starting position.
Instead of a registration fee, we will have donation boxes for Operation Smile at the start of the event. Please bring some cash before the race to donate to this wonderful organization. Operation Smile is a non-profit organization providing life-changing cleft-palate surgeries for children.
For more information, see the promotional posters around school/link here regarding the race.
(Repeat) ES Music Ensemble Sign Ups
Panther Orff Ensemble, Panther String Ensemble and Panther Choir begin the week of September 14th. Click HERE to learn more and register for one of these ensembles. These ensembles are only for students in Grades 3, 4 or 5. Enrollment for some ensembles is limited, so sign up quickly!
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.
Calendar of Events
September 2020
| Sept. 1 | 1:10PM ISB Early Dismissal |
| Sept. 2 | Panther (ES) Explore Program Registration Closes |
| Sept. 3 | ES Parent Engage 7:45AM (Chevron) |
| Sept. 3-4 | ES ‘Out of School Uniform’ Days |
| Sept. 10 | Professional Day (No School for Students) |
| Sept. 11 | ISB Holiday (No School) |