‘Changes’

Dear Parents,

At the time of writing our Athletic Director (Mr. Chris Mott) and his team are planning to welcome over 400 student-athletes onto our campus this weekend for the Bangkok Exchange. This is yet another step forward in continuing to work towards providing opportunities and experiences for our students at ISB during these difficult and challenging times. Another upcoming experience that we want to be sure to continue with is our Global Citizenship Week which was originally scheduled to take place in December 2020 but was postponed. We are now in a position to confirm a date for GCW to take place within this school year.

The HS Admin team is pleased to announce that GCW will now take place during the week of Monday 17th May through Friday 21st May. We are planning for this week to include trips within Bangkok and throughout Thailand primarily focused on service as we have done in recent years. There will not be any overseas trips of course and unfortunately, Seniors will not be able to participate in GCW as this week takes place during their IB exams.

We will share more details with students on Monday in grade-level meetings and then with parents and students in a communication shortly afterward. We will also be working with the senior class to look at alternative trips/experiences for their class given this clash with IB exams.

We are excited about the opportunity to run GCW in May 2021 and look forward to sharing more details with you about this in the coming weeks.

Regards
Justin Alexander
High School Principal

Second Semester Course Choices

Justyna McMillan
justynam@isb.ac.th

Second semester is not too far away and with this in mind we have opened up second semester classes on PowerSchool. As usual there may be some movement of students between sections in year long courses, to accommodate elective choices in S2. Where possible we have tried to minimise such disruptions.

Students who are considering changing their course choices for the second semester should see their counselor in the next week. Where possible we can try to accommodate changes, but many of our courses are full.

If students have any questions, please contact their counselor.

IB Roundtable discussion – slides available

Justyna McMillan
justynam@isb.ac.th

Thank you to the 50+ parents who attended our roundtable discussion about the IB. We hope the conversation was useful.

As promised, HERE is a copy of the presentation slides that were used in the meeting.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Justyna McMillan.

News from the College Office

Sonya Ohlsson
sonyao@isb.ac.th
Seniors:
The last Senior Seminar is next week, Dec 2 and 3 in MPB 1. There will be important information given out (as there is everytime!) and time for last minute questions about the UCAS applications, which are due Dec. 4. We ask for them at this time because when a student submits them, they are actually submitting them to their counselor, who then has some sections to complete and then the counselor submits it to UCAS. And it’s better to do this now, before the winter break, than after as the UCAS is due only a few days after we return.

Sophomores: The 10th grade class took the Morrisby Assessment on Tuesday. It was a long and detailed questionnaire which allowed the students to really delve into who they are and what they want. The results have led to some great discussions with parents as well as some wonderful self-reflection. Students will continue to go over their results, little by little, in their Advisory. The results will also come in handy when talking about their learning style, course selection and possible future plans. But it’s important to note that this assessment doesn’t dictate anyone’s future; it’s just a guide and a great way to start a conversation.

Other News: A few weeks ago, the American Overseas Schools Project held two opportunities for people to join in on a Admissions Leaders Roundtable discussion. This is the recording of that even if you were not able to attend. It will also be listed on our College site: tinyurl.com/isbcollege on the Resources page.

Overseas Schools Project Admissions Leaders Roundtable
Date: Nov 12, 2020 8:00 PM EST
Meeting Recording Access Passcode: n4kfL&^@Bt

PSAT & SAT: Juniors who took the PSAT in October should be receiving their results sometime in December– we have not been told the exact date. They will be sent to the student’s email–or the email the student filled in when they registered.
The next SAT after December will be March 13, 2021 and the registration deadline is February 12, 2021.

ISB Virtual University Visits:

There are no more bespoke ISB virtual visits this semester. Check back for who will be with us, either in person or virtually, next semester!

In the meantime, universities around the world are still holding virtual seminars, campus visits and information sessions. For more information on all virtual visits (how to register and join in on a call) as well as links to other resources, please look here: tinyurl.com/isbcollege

~Sonya Ohlsson
Head of College Counseling

News from The Main Library

Chris Bell
chrisb@isb.ac.th
Ebbs and flows of activity are the norm for School Librarians. While last week we were trying to get things like our Research Standards updated and collecting data, as well as managing the library, this week we are out teaching. In a class just this morning we were teaching students how to use Google to help create quality questions. This follows the theory of Inquiry Learning. In the library, we feel that this is a lifelong skill. Students should know how to ask the right questions to get the best answer. This was in lessons to Grade 9 students and then in the Grade 11 students’ classes as they begin work on their TedTalks. This is an annual event at ISB and one that always highlights the best of the best. If you want to see some of our past presenters here is the link to the Official TEDxYouth Site. If your child is an 11th Grader, ask them how it’s going and what their topic is for the talks. We have some great ideas already! Keep your eyes out for the announcements and invitations early in January.

BOOK RECOMMENDATION
Moriarty ~ by Anthony Horowitz

In the true form of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Horowitz has taken up the challenge. This is the 2nd book of his I have read and it does not disappoint. This story is about the death of Professor Moriarty, Sherlock Holmes’ mortal enemy. This is a great tale that from the first word captures your imagination and makes you want to know ‘who-dun-it’! While written in a different time period, it is contemporary in style and easy to read. For you mystery lovers this is awesome!

TECH RECOMMENDATION
Need a break from your tech? Tired, eyes, back, and shoulders? Try StretchClock – a great little add on for Chrome that you can set to remind you to take necessary breaks throughout the day. It is set for any increments of time, remember that 20-30 minutes is optimum for our brains and then we should break to refresh. It also provides suggested stretches for you at your desk that are all Yoga based. Select stretches for your arms or legs or whatever, and you don’t have to be embarrassed about doing these stretches. Take a break on me today and try StretchClock!

Warmest Regards,
Christopher Bell
High School Technology Coordinator and Librarian
christob@isb.ac.th +66 963-58900 ext 1193

News from the Athletics Office

Chris Mott
christm@isb.ac.th

Upcoming events

27-28 November – ISB Bangkok Exchange

27th November – JV Girls Basketball Tournament @ KIS

28th of November – JV Boys Basketball Tournament @ KIS

28 November – U15 Soccer tournament at BKKP

12 December – U13-U15 Badminton tournament at ISB

17th December – Last day of Varsity and JV Training

For the latest information on games, please visit www.isbathletics.com

Student Photos

Jessica Woo
jessicaw@isb.ac.th

If you would like to place an order for your child’s student photos, please submit your order by the end of this week! You can bring the proof photo envelope and payment to the HS office.

Thank you and have a relaxing Sunday!

Kind regards,

Jess

Jazz Night – 6:30pm Thursday, December 3 CCT
Anthony Giles
anghonyg@isb.ac.th

The HS Jazz Band will be featured on Thursday, December 3rd at 6:30 pm in the CCT Theatre. In addition to the Jazz Band, the HS Guitar Class will also be performing songs from around the world and a few carols as we move into the holiday season. Several Jazz Standards will be performed, highlighted by solo improvisations from our talented jazz students. The socially distanced, masked audience is limited to family members who can sign up through the link provided to them.

Community Choir Concert 6:30 Wednesday, December 9th Chevron Theater
Anthony Giles
anghonyg@isb.ac.th

On December 9th, 120 Middle School, High School and adult singers will join together for the annual Community Choir Concert. This event is a display of all of the hard work that these musicians have put in over the last couple of months and a celebration of the position we are in in Thailand to be able to sing together while much of the world has been music-less. The concert will feature the Middle and High School Choirs under the direction of Ms. Lindsay Fuson, accompanied by Ms. Miao Rong Wang with special guests ISB’s Choral Union.

Visiting Artist, Kitti Narod, at ISB (Repeat)

Anthony Giles
anghonyg@isb.ac.th

20 November – 4 December
Internationally renowned painter, K. Kitti Narod, will be working with elementary, middle, and high school students during his time at ISB, focusing on the idea of what people do in public spaces. During his studio time from 10-Noon each day he will be taking ideas, suggestions, and drawings for a collaborative community piece. Stop by the ES Art Quad to watch this painting develop!

Strings Bash Concert – Wednesday, December 2nd: (Repeat)