‘Opening up’
Dear Parents and students,
Week 4 has been completed successfully and safely. Next week is a busy and shorter week. We host our first HS PTA meeting on Tuesday morning at 9am (online) and also our HS Open house on Wednesday evening at 6pm. There are more details in this newsletter below outlining the instructions you need to follow in order to join the HS PTA meeting webinar and to learn more about the HS Open House.
Thank you again for your support of ISB and your students as we continue with learning at school and being active on our great campus. We are steadily welcoming new ISB and returning ISB students on campus as they complete their quarantine stays in ASQ’s. We look forward to the day when we have everyone here!
All the best
Justin Alexander
High School Principal
HS PTA Meeting – Tuesday September 8th – 9am
Justin Alexander
justina@isb.ac.th
Please join us for the first HS PTA meeting of the year at 9am on Tuesday morning via zoom. In order to join this webinar you need to pre register by clicking on the link below. You will be sent a confirmation email with your own individual link to use for the meeting. You cannot forward or share that link with others so please register yourself.
You are invited to a Zoom webinar.
When: Sep 8, 2020 09:00 AM Bangkok
Topic: HS PTA Meeting
Register in advance for this webinar:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_m2vkGCEnTs24Q7Qb4CWgzw
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar
Agenda
Welcome New HS PTA representative – Xiao He
Introductions – HS Admin team
Activities/Clubs/CAS – Peter Assimakapoulos
Athletics – Chris Mott
Arts – Anthony Giles
DP Results/ Global Online Academy – Justyna McMillan
GCW (Global Citizenship Week) update – Andy Vaughan and Peter Assimakapoulos
Attendance, out of school concerns – Andy Vaughan
Questions and Answers
Upcoming Events
Open House Information – Wednesday September 9th – 6pm
Justin Alexander
justina@isb.ac.th
We are very much looking forward to having you join us on Wednesday September 9th for the HS Open House. Please click HERE to see a welcoming video from the HS Administration team that also shares details regarding your child’s schedule for Wednesday night. All HS parents will receive an individual email on Monday that contains their child’s schedule and zoom links for the evening.
Please note that the HS Open house is not the right venue for questions about your child’s progress. If you do have questions about your child’s progress we will be hosting student parent teacher conferences in early October and of course you are able to reach out and contact teachers beforehand if needed.
HS Uniforms
Andy Vaughan
andyv@isb.ac.th
As we enter week five of school, we are starting to see some students relax a little with their uniform choices. In the coming two weeks we are going to be focussing on ensuring students are wearing the current ISB uniform with the week ahead focussing on reminding and allowing students a chance to correct their uniform choice. If students are not wearing the correct uniform in the following week we will be asking students to purchase the correct uniform from the bookstore. Our dress code policy can be found in the online student handbook under ‘Uniform and Dress Code’.
For a quick summary of the key points for our uniform, 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 next week.
- Footwear should be comfortable, practical and safe. Open toe shoes are not allowed such as slippers and flip flop sandals.
Our hope is that we are able to spend less time on conversations surrounding uniform and more time on supporting each child’s progress in High School. We appreciate your help in ensuring that your student(s) only wear dress code conforming clothing to the school uniform policy.
Habits and Attitudes Toward Learning Grades (HAL)
Justyna McMillan
justynam@isb.ac.th
At ISB, students are assessed in two distinct areas: i) in relation to stated learning standards using a 7-1 grade descriptor and ii) in relation to their approach to learning. We call this second area the Habits and Attitudes to Learning or HAL grade. Following a review of the HAL rubric last year, we have changed the way we assess these approaches to learning. We believe the new HAL Rubric is much more aligned with our mission and our definition of learning. We are now focusing on three learner dispositions: Responsibility, Engagement and Collaboration. On your child’s HAL grades, you will see each of these dispositions assessed separately. The descriptors used to assess the dispositions are: Consistently, Frequently, Occasionally and Rarely. Please take a few moments to look over the new rubric HERE.
Please note that faculty will add the first set of HAL Grades for their subject on PowerSchool by Monday September 7th. The HAL grade gives students and parents an indication of dispositions of students as they develop the characteristics of growth and learning. Please keep in mind that in most classes, there will be only one or two completed assessments at this time of year. Also note, the HAL grade is not part of the academic achievement grade.
If you have any questions regarding this assessment, I encourage you to contact the teacher directly. The first overall academic achievement grade will be posted on September 25.
How to access HAL grades on PowerSchool
Justyna McMillan
justynam@isb.ac.th
If your child does not have a HAL grade in a subject, this may be because it has not yet been possible to determine a HAL grade at this time. This mostly applies to students who are learning online, or if a teacher has not yet been able to join us physically at ISB.
News from the College Office
Sonya Ohlsson
sonyao@isb.ac.th
Parent College Coffees
We are holding our first Parent College Coffee of the semester Wednesday, 9 September. We will be holding the Parent Coffee’s this semester virtually to keep everyone safe. They will be webinar-style with interested parents able to join the Zoom, watch the presentation live and ask questions. The first topic next week will be an introduction of the counselors and an overview of the College Process at ISB and is most appropriate for parents of 9th-12th graders.
8:00-9:30am, 9 September, 2020
Intro to ISB College Counseling
Please use the link below to join the webinar:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84467284347
***
We held our first Junior College Seminar this week with the entire junior class. The wifi was a little slow with such a large group in one space, but we got everyone onto their Cialfo accounts and showed them how to navigate through it a bit. Cialfo is a web-based platform that our seniors and juniors use to research and organize their college application process. It is also how we send all school-related documents (transcripts, letters of recommendation, etc.), to colleges and universities when students apply. Now that the juniors have learned how to access Cialfo, they are not free to explore, add their extracurricular activities and start researching schools. The next Junior College Seminar is November 3rd. Until then, juniors should focus on their academics.
***
Senior Seminar took place this week as well, on the 3rd and 4th. A reminder to all that coming to Senior College Seminar is required unless the student and their parent have cleared this with the counselor this year. We understand that there are some students who have other plans after leaving ISB that do not include college right now, but it’s important to communicate that to the College Office. It is also important that students who are not doing the IB Diploma and are instead doing the Personal Choice Diploma come to the mandatory College Seminars because there is very important information and even technical things that need to be done to allow applications and school materials to be sent so a student can have a successfully-sent application.
For IBDP seniors, it is built into their schedule in the TOK slot. For others, it is during their Free period or at a time that has been cleared by another teacher. It is important that students attend the sessions so they don’t fall behind or miss important information. Attendance is taken and it’s very difficult to do make-up sessions.
This is another reminder for Seniors to schedule their Family Check-in with their college counselor. We would really like to have a meeting with each student and a parent so we can best help and support that student in their applications.
***
Please check the College Office Google site for information about virtual visits and other resources! www.tinyurl.com/isbcollege
Therapy Dog Thailand
Peter Assimakopoulos
petera@isb.ac.th
Therapy Dog Thailand is offering training courses in both English and Thai for keen owners to be trained together with their dogs (sessions on weekends – more information on the website linked).
Teachers, parents, staff members all welcome to join. Please disregard the application deadline on the website, they are giving us an extension until the end of this weekend/early next week (training course starts Sept 17th).
Please LINE or call (062-707-7999) directly if you might have any questions and/or want to start the conversation. Please let them know you were referred from the International School Bangkok.
Campus Access After School
Mark Hevland, Director of Risk Management
markh@isb.ac.th
Dear ISB Community,
Thank you for your continued support of our COVID-19 guidelines as we work to provide a safe and healthy environment for everyone entering our campus.
As a reminder, all community members on campus (indoor/outdoor) must:
Wear a mask at all times
Maintain physical distancing of 1-2 meters at all times
Wash or sanitize hands frequently
Consume food in the cafeteria or at designated picnic tables – there should be no food on the fields, bleachers, or in the gyms.
After 5:10pm, the campus is only available for formal activities organised with direct supervision (Panther Activities, etc). All others on campus will be asked to leave.
Weekend access is only for organized activities coordinated by the Panther Activities/ISB Athletics office. Participants must have an ISB ID to enter campus.
Thank you for your understanding.
Shaping Peace Together
Anthony Giles
anthonyg@isb.ac.th
Join us virtually on Thursday morning, September 17 for this year’s Peace Day Assembly, Shaping Peace Together (specific time and link for viewing to be shared in next week’s eNews). Through the mediums of dance, music, film, poetry, visual art, and storytelling this year’s PK-G12 event will focus on the UN themes of spreading compassion, kindness and hope in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, and standing together with One Voiceagainst attempts to use the virus to promote discrimination or hatred. The day of the assembly will be a free dress day for all divisions with students, staff, and faculty encouraged to wear white to celebrate our unity as a learning community and our solidarity with the rest of the world as we shape peace together!
Panther Music Openings – Learn to Play or Sing!!!
Anthony Giles
anthonyg@isb.ac.th
Panther Music spaces are mostly taken, but we still have some offerings for flute, saxophone, trumpet and voice as well as drums. We are also about to hire two new additional teachers voice and strings to accommodate the demand. Interested? Contact PantherMusic@isb.ac.th
ISB’s Massed Band Festival – September 18-19, 2020
Anthony Giles
anthonyg@isb.ac.th
ISB will host its annual Massed Band Festival September 18-19, welcoming nearly 100 band students from international schools around Bangkok. Tune into the live streamed Gala Concert featuring the Massed Band at 2 pm on Saturday, September 19, 2020.
Panther Activities
Anthony Giles
anthonyg@isb.ac.th
Dear Panther Activities Parent,
As communicated earlier, Panther Activities has gone cashless this year and is accepting online payments only. Payments for all Panther Activities offered this fall can be made online through Monday afternoon, September 7th. Credit card payments can be made through the TMB payment gateway on CHQ. Campus Card payments can be made by filling in the Payment Request Form HERE.
Note that CHQ requires one transaction per child, so if you have multiple children registered for Panther Activities, you will need to pay online separately for each. Likewise, if using the Campus Card you will need to fill out the Payment Request Form separately for each child.
The Panther Activities Kits will be given out to all current Panther Activities participants (one per child) in the Panther Den starting Monday September 7. To pick one up for your child(ren), simply show your CHQ/TMB receipt for payment of your outstanding balance, or if paying by Campus Card, the email verifying payment sent from our office.
A detailed statement with all activity fixtures is also available on CHQ by clicking on My Outstanding Balance, then Show Statement. You can print a copy or save as a PDF for your records, but do so before paying as this feature disappears once your payment is processed.
Thanks,
The Panther Activities Team
PantherActivities@isb.ac.th
Repeat
Check and Update Your Details in Powerschool Parent Portal
Andy Vaughan
andyv@isb.ac.th
We are in the process of updating phone numbers, addresses, passport details 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
Please contact arisap@isb.ac.th, if you have forgotten your password.
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 arisap@isb.ac.th
Advanced Placement Exams – Information for 2021
Justyna McMillan
justynam@isb.ac.th
Dear Students and Parents,
Between September and November 2020, we will be registering students for AP exams for the May 2021 Session.
If you are interested in sitting an AP exam at ISB please read the AP Registration Form and look over the following information.
Please note, unless a student is taking the IB Maths SL 2 / AP Calculus course at ISB, all other AP exams must be discussed with the student’s counselor. At ISB, AP exams are open to students in Grades 10 and above.
AP Courses and Exams (Also linked in the form) – https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/course-index-page
AP Exams Schedule HERE
Focus on Academics
Justyna McMillan
justynam@isb.ac.th
Informational Meeting for parents new to the High School
A quick heads up to save the date, for Tuesday September 29th at 12:30PM.
We will be holding a meeting for new HS parents who would like to know more about academics in the HS. If you are not a new parent, you are of course also welcome to attend! More details about the venue and agenda, will be shared in the coming weeks.