ISB Long Weekend – Assessment Free Days
At ISB we value the time families have together to connect and spend together.
To support this, when we have long weekends or extended vacations from school, we hope to protect students’ time by minimizing the school work that they might have to do (or worry about) during these breaks.
Monday and Tuesday, September 14 and 15 are “Assessment-Free” days. In other words, students should not have anything due these days, nor assessments that they have to study or prepare for. The weekend is also Activity-Free, which means we close the campus to any activities. The goal is for students to have time to spend with their family.
Of course, some students may have over-due assignments that were due previously and need to catch up and complete those. These can still be expected on Monday and Tuesday by teachers, because there was time to complete these last week.
And we always encourage students to read, whenever they can. This can actually be a lovely shared family time, when everyone is reading sitting together.
We hope that families enjoy the long weekend and the time together.
Reminder about absence and missing class
by Dennis Harter, MS Principal
dennish@isb.ac.th
In the MS eNews on August 28th, I shared our expectations for students are not at school (see the entire post, below). Students who are home from school, not feeling well or taken out of school by parents for a trip should not expect to join Zoom lessons that our teachers are providing for remote learners who are in quarantine or remain outside of Thailand.
Teaching in this “dual” manner is demanding on teachers and no matter how effective they are, teaching students in multiple locations and formats impacts the learning environment in the classroom. Teachers will not create Zoom sessions for absent students and we ask that students who are absent from school do not request to join existing Zoom classes. Whatever the reason a child is away from school, that should be the focus of that time – recovering from illness, joining the family in whatever they are doing, etc. If it was important enough to pull the child from school, then we imagine the child should be focused on that.
We firmly believe that the best format for learning is for students to be in the classroom with their teacher and peers. Zoom is not a replacement for this, when being in class is possible. It is for our remote learners only, because they have no other viable access to the classroom learning.
Teachers are supporting students when they are absent , by providing screencasts, lesson materials, and assignment details.
Thank you for your understanding of this. Our teachers are doing an amazing job and it’s important that their focus is on the students in their classroom as much and as often as possible.
The post from August 28th:
The global pandemic has impacted practices around the world as schools adjust to virtual school, on campus safety regulations, and hybrid learning (a combination of at school learners with remote learners). ISB is no exception. Here on campus our teachers are delivering lessons for students in the classroom while connecting with students, both synchronously and not, online as well. This has required adaptability, changes in practice, and hours of additional time each week for every teacher to provide online learning for students who are studying remotely.
On this last point, it’s important to understand that the intent and implementation of this program is FOR remote learners who are unable to access campus. It is NOT for when a child is home away from campus because they aren’t feeling well or for other family reasons.
If your child is sick, their time at home should be spent resting and recovering so that they may return to campus sooner rather than later. If there are other reasons a child is staying home, then we do not want the student connecting to live zoom classes. If they can attend the live zoom and aren’t unwell, they should be at school.
We firmly believe that learning is best for students when they are at school. We also believe that students who need to rest and recover at home should do so. Students will learn important self-management skills when they return to school to make up work, as they self-advocate and interact with teachers. This is a skill that is important for their entire lifetimes.
Zoom classes are not in place to encourage removing students from class during school times, nor having them try to do school work when they aren’t well.
Thank you for your understanding and support of our students and teachers.
Wild Panthers back up and running
by Dennis Harter, MS Principal
dennish@isb.ac.th
In the past two weeks we have sent our first groups of grade 7 students to our Environmental Wilderness Campus (EWC) for our Wild Panther Outdoor Education program. The program involves 3 Day/2 Night trips for students in all grades with a different focus and program each year.
With the campus closure in March of last school year, our grade 6 students (except for one group) missed out on their chance to participate in this program. So starting this year with trips was a wonderful way to start their 7th grade year.
Of course, the Wild Panthers team has put in safety measures throughout the program and venues, with distancing, divider shields, mask-wearing rules, and other guidelines in place.
To see the program and safety measures firsthand, I joined the first trip two weeks ago.
The students had a terrific experience. Honestly, it was great just seeing them in the outdoors again. Students navigated their groups using compasses and maps, hitting checkpoints and taking turns with leadership. They took on responsibility by belaying each other rock climbing on real rock. The demonstrated courage by abseiling and rock climbing in real, natural conditions, trusting their classmates, their instructors, their equipment, and themselves. And the students developed their understanding as they learned about the story of the local community and interacted with the monk who runs the temple near by our climbing site.
Wild Panthers is a wonderful experience that we are happy to have our students doing again. Our ISB Outdoor Ed teachers are happy to be working with students again and our EWC staff are happy to have residents on site.
We hope your child is looking forward to their Wild Panthers trip in the coming year.
What Parents should know about Tik Tok
by Dennis Harter, MS Principal
dennish@isb.ac.th
Most parents of adolescents hear the words Tik Tok and think of short dance videos performed by kids and adults, celebrities and family members. During the months of home isolation, Tik Tok served as a pastime for many families as they learned fun choreography together.
Since it’s rise to popularity, of course, other content has found its way onto Tik Tok. Comedy and meme videos are being posted, political messages are being shared, and even schools are tapping into the popularity to post school safety measures in hopes their students will view them.
Tik Tok has found its way into the news with questions of data mining and violations of privacy.
So what should educators and parents know about Tik Tok?
Firstly, like most social media platforms, Tik Tok is collecting data on its users. From EdWeek magazine:
“Like many other social-media platforms, TikTok collects gobs of information from users, including the contents of their private messages, what type of device they’re using, their internet protocol (IP) addresses, and all manner of information on what types of videos they watch and how they watch them. Under its loosest settings, TikTok can also collect from users’ age, phone number, precise geolocation data, and more.”
This is of particular concern to many parents and educators because of their targeted audience of tweens and teenagers. Many parents with older children may remember the site, Musical.ly, became a site of negative commenting and frequent issues of cyberbullying. This was Tik Tok’s predecessor app.
Tik Tok is now under the same scrutiny regarding their parent consent measures and whether they are protecting younger users of the app.
Of particular concern, is the growing range of content finding its way onto Tik Tok. This past week, news agencies reported that a gruesome video of a man’s suicide was posted on Tik Tok and the company scrambled to remove it even as it spread virally. Of course, this type of content is incredibly worrisome and we want to be sure parents are talking to their children about what they view online (in all Apps) and what they might do if they encounter disturbing content unintentionally.
This post is not meant to vilify Tik Tok alone. However it is a cautionary tale for parents to be aware of what apps their children are using, what content they may be seeing, and most importantly, what conversations we all need to be having with our young people.
MS Reporting Timeline for 2020-2021
In an effort to keep you informed about the progress of your child, we’ve established a communication and reporting timeline. On the dates listed below, you can access current information related to your child’s progress in PowerSchool, or in person, during conferences. You should always feel free to reach out to your child’s teacher and/or counselor if you have any questions or concerns related to your child’s progress. The definitions below will help you understand our reporting terminology:
Achievement of Learning Goals: The ISB Middle School reports on student progress towards subject-specific standards based on expected performance at the time of assessment. The middle school uses the following descriptors to report on achievement: Beginning, Approaching, Meeting, Achievement may also be described as falling between levels, such as: Beginning-Approaching (BA), Approaching-Meeting (AM), Meeting-Advanced (MA)
Habits and Attitudes for Learning (HAL): Our ISB Middle School HAL are behaviors and dispositions that support students’ progress towards achieving our Mission. Students who approach their learning with these habits and attitudes develop a growth mindset and become independent, life‐long learners.
Reporting and Communication Timeline for 2020-2021 (Semester 1)
Campus Access After School
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.
By: Mark Hevland, Director of Risk Management
markh@isb.ac.th
Attention Parents of ISB Middle School Students
The first Middle School PTA meeting of the school year will be held Thursday, September 17 at 1:45 pm in MPB2 which is located over the main cafeteria adjacent to the middle school administration offices. (1:45 pm is a new time to accommodate an on-campus meeting.)
This is a chance for parents to hear about this year’s planned activities like MS student socials, MS Olympics and other ISB activities and middle school events! You’ll also have an in-person opportunity to meet and greet a few special middle school administration members including Principal Harter and Vice Principal Plantecoste.
We know there is a lot going on as we all settle into the beginning of school, and if you’d like to ensure specific concerns or questions are answered during this meeting, you’re welcome to send them to us ahead of time. Our role is to help connect the parent community to the school, so please don’t hesitate to contact us at any time if we can be of help. We look forward to September 17 and hope to see you there!
Middle School PTA Coordinators
Kelly Kabat and Moneesha Kapur
Also, mark your calendars now for all of this year’s middle school PTA meetings:
MS Principal Forum #1: Tuesday, November 3 at 9:00 am
MS PTA Meeting #2: Thursday, January 14 at 9:00 am
MS Principal Forum #2: Tuesday, April 27 at 9:00 am
Shaping Peace Together
Students, faculty, and staff will gather virtually on Thursday morning, September 17 for this year’s Peace Day Assembly, Shaping Peace Together. 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, and standing together with One Voice against discrimination and hatred. Look for more information next week about how to view the event, as based on the Thai MOE COVID-19 guidelines, we are still unable to host a live audience. 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!!!
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
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
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
Submit Your Art
ArtsCouncil is launching a monthly series of IG challenges to showcase the diverse range of talented artists in our community. This month’s theme is PEACE – in honor of the upcoming Peace Day on September 21st. Submit your artwork, pieces, and/or videos that relate to this theme of peace- which you can define and interpret any way you like. We will be posting your submissions on our Instagram page. Send in your submissions through this link.
