A Good Start
by Dennis Harter, MS Principal
dennish@isb.ac.th
One week into our Virtual School start to the second semester and things are going relatively smoothly in Middle School. We had some technical and schedule glitches with students in the first couple days, but those issues have been smoothed out and we are moving along well.
Thank you to our teachers and counselors for their organization and professionalism. They have shifted gears out of the holidays into this new learning environment competently and thoughtfully. I continue to appreciate our students for their dedication to their own learning, engaging in lessons and doing their best, despite the unusual circumstances. Thank you to parents for helping them set up learning environments at home that are conducive to success.
A special thank you to our office staff and IAs, as well, for putting together massive amounts of school materials, collecting essential items from lockers and classrooms, and handling distribution to students and families this week. Our amazing staff are the backbone of our success.
Of course, starting in Virtual School has had an impact on some of our programs. The ones impacted currently are summarized below:
- Grade Level trips, originally scheduled for week of Feb. 1-5 have been postponed to an undetermined later date.
- 2nd Season sports and BISAC tournaments have been cancelled.
- MS activities including Sports Bash social, Activities & Club Fair, and PTA Meetings have been postponed until we know more about returning to campus.
- Grade 8 Wild Panther trips to the Environmental Wilderness Campus (EWC) for the last 2 groups have been postponed to a later date (to be determined).
- Grade 6 Wild Panthers trips – we have not decided on these yet, but they could be delayed from their original start date in February.
The ISB Activities and Athletics offices are putting together some virtual programs for students to engage in while campus is closed. Keep your eye out for those opportunities in the eNews and announcements.
We will continue to keep parents informed about campus re-opening as we learn more from government officials. In the meantime, stay safe and active as best you can. We appreciate everyone’s engagement, understanding and support of each other during these times. Together as a community we are strong and we will continue to adapt and succeed in whatever comes our way.
Setting up a home workspace
In December our Technology Coaches hosted a Parent training session on setting up a home workspace in the event of Virtual School. Now that we find ourselves here fully into Virtual School, the team thought it might be useful to share the slides from that presentation.
Reminder about Attendance during Virtual School
During Virtual School we will still be taking attendance as usual. With most of our students in the same time zone, we expect that students will join Zoom sessions for class and engage in the learning on time.
Of course, if a child is sick, rest is the most important thing for them. Despite being home, we would ask that you excuse them and let them rest to get better, rather than join a Zoom class, while feeling ill. Students do not need to join a Zoom class from their sick bed.
In these cases, parents, please email the MS Office (msoffice@isb.ac.th) to inform us that your child is unwell, so that we can mark the records.
In many cases, parents may be home with their child, but unaware whether they are signing in to class. As such, we will continue to email parents and the students each period if they have been marked absent by the teacher at the start of class. As the email points out, if the student arrives later, then the absence will be changed to a “tardy.”
These emails are a necessary component of our Virtual School program to help students be successful. Therefore it’s all the more important that if your child is unwell, you inform us, so that we can avoid sending you up to 5 emails that day because your child wasn’t in class.
Alternatively, since parents are now often home with their children, if your child should be in class and you receive the email from us, it is our hope that by reaching you quickly, you are able to check in on your child to see what’s happening and wake them up or get them back on track.
Thank you for your support and understanding. We hope that Virtual School doesn’t last too long, but we also are setting up good habits now to carry us through however long we need.
Contact Tracing Requirements
Last semester, students in MS and HS and parents of ES students began keeping logs of places visited outside of school hours in order to facilitate contact tracing should it be necessary. The Government continues to require this documentation of locations visited for all students at ISB even during virtual school.
We have created a basic log sheet that students need to maintain (students will be emailed this sheet today). Students are required to record where they have been each day in the case that contact tracing is requested through a government agency. At this time, students will maintain their own log and only be asked to share this in the case of a confirmed covid case.
Students can download a copy of the Daily Covid Log at this link, which has also been shared with students via email. Students will be reminded to complete this task through email and in their advisory.
Many thanks for supporting this government requirement.
Message from the Main Library
Welcome back! We know this isn’t the way any of us wanted to start 2021, but such is life during COVID. Hopefully we can get back to face to face soon. This week is just some special notes about accessing resources for students and parents from the Main Library.
Main Library Information:
The Book Club/Gathering scheduled for Jan. 28th had to be postponed, we will update when we get confirmation of allowing people on campus.
The Library plays a major role in the HS Tedx Event – we are working on solutions but do not have a decision yet, stay tuned for an announcement.
RESOURCES
We are updating as fast as we can the Main Library website with information about checkouts and other resources. Take a look if you need something at: https://library.isb.ac.th/
BOOK RETURNS
Bins will be out in front of the turnstiles by the panther – you can drop them off anytime.
REQUEST BOOKS ANYTIME!
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Using the Library Catalog – find the book you would like (make sure to check if it is AVAILABLE). You will need the Title and Author.
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STUDENTS Complete this Book Request Form.
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PARENTS Complete this Book Request Form.
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Wait for an email confirmation
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Pick up of Book Requests will be on Tuesdays and Thursdays
REQUESTING A BOOK TO BE PURCHASED
We are always accepting requests for New Print Books or Audio/eBooks (on Sora). At the bottom of the Book Request Form, you can make a request for a new book to be purchased by the library. If it is purchased we will email you to confirm and with the details.
BELL’S BEST BOOK!
The Strain ~ by Guillermo Del Toro
This is definitely not for the faint of heart. Del Toro, whole also writes screenplays and movie scripts, brings in all the elements of what we are dealing with right now in the midst of COVID and goes further to scare us. Let’s just say the book starts with a jumbo jet landing at JFK, and everyone on boards mysteriously seems dead… Read this one with the lights on! Beautifully written, action packed, and more twists than you can possibly predict.
MELINDA’S BEST BOOK
Where the Crawdad’s Sing ~ by Delia Owens
This one of the best books I have read in a long time. I found myself tearing up on a number of occasions. Not only do you fall in love with the main character and root for her all along, the descriptions of the fauna and flora also brings the sites, sounds, and smells of the Marsh alive. Set in the 1960s on the North Carolina coast. It is about a girl who survives alone in the Marsh for many years before beginning relationships with two very different men from a nearby small town. One of which is found dead due to mysterious circumstances …
TECH UPDATES
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Make sure your Zoom App is updated and that when you sign in you are using the Google Sign On and not logging in – if you don’t you won’t be able to enter teachers classes.
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BigSur the Mac OS update came out last week. PLEASE do not update yet as we are waiting to see if any issues arise. Also, it takes about 45 minutes to go through the process, so I would wait.
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Make sure to clean your computer, update apps, and restart at least once a week for best performance
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Let Mr. Bell know if you are having any issues: christob@isb.ac.th
TECH RESOURCE OF THE WEEK
Before break Mr. Cowherd, MS Tech, and Mr. Bell hosted a Parent Training for setting up your home for Virtual Learning training. We got some great feedback and support for conducting more of these training sessions. This training provides information on study breaks, physical environment, and tools to help with students having to work at home. Take a look at the presentation and remember you can always write to Mr. Bell to ask questions. christob@isb.ac.th
VIRTUAL ACTIVITIES @ ISB START NEXT WEEK!!!
As mentioned in last week’s message from ISB Athletics and Panther Activities, while campus is closed we will be offering daily after school Virtual Activities for students starting next week. January 18th-22nd. More information will be sent out Monday morning, January 18th with the what, where (Zoom links) and when. Questions? Contact Anthony Giles, Chris Mott, Lucas Rivera or Mark Jaspers at anthonyg@isb.ac.th, chrism@
JOIN THE VIRTUAL PANTHER RUN JANUARY 25th-31st!!!
