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Posted on February 19, 2021 by Phremjit ZANNIER PORZELLA

Student Led Conferences – Learning more

by Dennis Harter, MS Principal
dennish@isb.ac.th

On Thursday morning, Cindy and I hosted a parent webinar on our upcoming Student-Led Conferences (SLCs), scheduled for March 11 & 12. In the webinar, we explained what SLCs are and why our school would shift to this format. The webinar was recorded for those who could not attend. The information to view the webinar is below – please note the passcode provided will be needed in order to view the session. 

A link for sign-ups for the MS Student-Led Conferences will be sent out on Wednesday after the February break in coordination with Elementary and High School sign-ups as well.

(we had some technical difficulty during the presentation, which you will encounter at the 19:00 mark. It kept recording during the technical difficulty, so once you see it freeze you can skip ahead to 21:37, unless you want to watch us troubleshoot. You can also jump to 26:00 to avoid some repetition.)

WEBINAR INFORMATION:

Topic: MS Student Led Conferences
Start Time : Feb 18, 2021 08:18 AM

Meeting Recording:
https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/OZhb0y7f6axppIGg8aWTE4QT1xUFSguo7Oi_fUGPHC7G03yxEfDsvLmPXQIMtd4o.jAJViSb_3e8yIapg

Access Passcode: bu7iA#q5

 

Class Trips Dates

We have confirmed our dates for the rescheduled class trips in the middle school.

Of course, we will continue to keep an eye on safety issues and work closely with the Thai government agencies to get approval for these trips to operate.

We are planning for the following dates:

  • Grade 6: May 5-7
  • Grade 7: May 12-14
  • Grade 8: May 10-14

While this is still a ways off, we are engaged in the planning of logistics and safety protocols now. More communication will come to parent in the coming month regarding further details. There is no additional cost to parents for these trips.

 

February Break 

Next week, the ISB campus will be closed for the February break. School will resume on Monday, March 1st which will be a Day 7 for Middle School.

It’s also important to note that the two school days after the break, March 1&2 are designated “Assessment Free Days.” This means that no tests will be done and no assignments will be collected on those days. The goal is to provide a true break for students and to allow families to spend time together.

(of course, if your child is behind on work, then the break is a good time to catch up on work and that can be submitted on those first days back).

We hope students stay safe and enjoy the rest and break. We encourage them to read and spend time with family and friends as much as possible.

 

Jumping for Elephants a big success 

by Kerry Dyke, MS Service Learning Coordinator

Two weeks ago our students started jumping for elephants.  This week the students collected their donations from their sponsors.  The turnout was incredible. At last count, we collected 314,000 baht.   ES and MS students really stepped up with jumping and raising money.   Everyone who participated made a difference and we could not have done this without you.  Several people went above and beyond with incredible individual efforts, including one 7th grader who raised 30,000 baht herself!  

Where is the money going?
This money will be donated to OURLAND to be used to secure land to protect an important corridor allowing wild elephants and other wildlife to reach the river Kwai. This could be a long term annual project since there is more land to buy, but our event raised more than enough to buy the first section of land, which was our goal.

What’s the Issue?
Thailand’s elephant population has dropped from over 300,000 elephants to less than 3500 wild elephants in about 100 years.   While poaching for ivory and capturing elephants for entertainment are serious issues, the main reason for such a dramatic drop in wild elephants in Thailand is habitat loss. As human populations increase and more wild land is converted to farms, resorts, factories, housing, etc the elephants lose space and vital corridors to areas they need to reach. Thus protecting this corridor is crucial in helping elephants.

Service in the Middle School is normally more hands-on
It is important to note that while we prefer hands on experiential learning at the site, Current times with COVID precautions has made that very difficult and not practical right now.  Ourland has also stated that funds are what they need most at the moment.  Therefore, our action was this fundraiser. However, we will continue our long term relationship with Ourland for experiential service learning through Eco Trips and the Grade 7 service trip in May, 2021.

We thank all of you who participated and were a part of this solution to help keep wild elephants in the wild. 

 

PAW PRINTS: News from the Panther Den 

Season 2 Panther Activities

Registration for Season 3 offerings (Panther Basketball, Panther Rugby, Panther Tennis, and Panther Volleyball) are open now through February 28, with those activities starting the week of March 1st. Please contact Zack Wade at PantherBaseballandSoftball@isb.ac.th for some exciting opportunities offered through the new Panther Baseball and Softball Academy. In addition, registration for Panther Paws Track & Field will open in late March for an April 23rd start. Again, if you have questions, please contact the Panther Activities Team at PantherActivities@isb.ac.th or any of the area coordinators for these programs listed below.

 

 

Semester 2 Panther Activities 

Semester 2 Panther Activities including Panther Arts*, Panther Dance, Panther Golf, Panther Gymnastics, Panther Music**, Panther Native Language Academy, Panther Soccer, and Panther Swim began Monday, February 8th with late registrations still being accepted through area coordinators. Note that students will not be allowed to participate in programs where payments are past due. Panther Explore classes began February 15th. Questions? Contact the Panther Activities Team at PantherActivities@isb.ac.th or any of the area coordinators listed below. 

*Pather Arts include Watercolor, Architecture, Thai Music, Jewelry Making, Ceramics, Product Design and new this semester, Graphic Design which will be taught by Tommaso Maggio, an Italian graphic designer and visual artist with over 15years of experience as a practitioner and academic. PhDc on Arts Education. Resident Artist at Thai-Italian Chamber of Commerce. In Bangkok since 2009 where he taught Communication Design at Chulalongkorn University. Appointed consultant for graphic design and visual communication by the Embassy of Italy in Thailand for the Italian Festival in Thailand. Creator of the logo for 150’ years of diplomatic relationship between Thailand and Italy. The computer technology corporation Oracle and the fashion house Diesel are among his former clients. His work had been on display in Europe, Asia and America, and published in international magazines. 

 

**Pather Music is fortunate to add Khun Chitipat Darapong to our strings program. Khun Chitipat comes highly recommended having studied in both Thailand and Vienna. He has many years of experience both teaching and performing. Khun Chitipat will be here on campus every Tuesday. For families interested, please contact our coordinator Angela Kohl at PantherMusic@isb.ac.th. 

 

 

The What, When and Where about Panther Activities 

Panther Activities at ISB is the umbrella organization for a multitude of programs offered after school and on weekends that provide active, creative, diverse and collaborative opportunities for all students. Different from scholastic programs which are offered exclusively to ISB students as an extension of their enrollment, most Panther Activities include a fee and are open to both ISB and non-ISB students. Although some Panther Activities sessions align with the three ISB Athletic seasons which start in August, October, and February respectively, many are offered year round with two registration periods, August and January, in line with the start of each of ISB’s academic semesters. Although sometimes daunting to navigate, the plethora of choices available at ISB, coupled with multiple entry points to join throughout the year, allow students to dabble, dive deep, or diversify!

 

Panther Activities Sessions 2020-2021

 

Semester 1: August, 2020 through December, 2020

Panther Arts, Panther Dance, Panther Golf, Panther Gymnastics, Panther Music, Panther Native Language Academy, Panther Soccer, and Panther Swim 

 

Semester 2: January, 2021 through June, 2021

Panther Arts, Panther Dance, Panther Golf, Panther Gymnastics, Panther Music, Panther Native Language Academy, Panther Soccer, and Panther Swim 

 

Season 1: August, 2020 through Mid-October, 2020

Panther Basketball, Panther Rugby, Panther Tennis, and Panther Volleyball

 

Season 2: Mid-October, 2020 through February, 2021 

BBSA, Panther Basketball, Panther Rugby, Panther Tennis, and Panther Volleyball

 

Season 3: March, 2021 through April, 2021

Panther Basketball, Panther Rugby, Panther Tennis, and Panther Volleyball

 

Panther Activities is now on Facebook! 

Please give us a like for the latest on program updates, what’s new, and announcements from Panther Activities. 

 

Click here to go to our Facebook page. 

 

Music Celebrations of Learning are Coming!

Please join us for the upcoming Music Celebrations of Learning for students in Kindergarten through Grade 5! On the ES Music blog, you will find the dates and times for each grade level and class. Kindergarten and Grade 1 will be virtual watch parties that you may access via the Zoom links found in each class’s Seesaw announcement. Grades 2-5 will be performing live in the Chevron theatre. More information about the audience capacity for these performances will be updated in the near future. We hope to see you there!

 

 

Visiting Artist – Kitti Narod 

In November and December 2020 elementary, middle, and high school art students worked with world renown artist, K. Kitti Narod, exploring themes of public spaces, groups and gatherings with his signature loose figures. This exhibition highlights the students’ joyful experiences with K. Kitti and his light, playful approach to his work. The works developed over his visit highlight some of the seemingly mundane aspects of daily life, those moments that provide the essential elements of connection, humor, wellness, and love. The focus of the work is apt with the current state of the world and the limits placed upon our interactions, communal gatherings, and movements. 

Students considered questions such as… who has access to public spaces? What do public spaces provide for a community? A society? How do they reflect what a society values? 

What are moments in my day that provide me with comfort? What makes me happy? Who do I love and want to surround myself with? 

Visit Chevron Gallery to share in this experience!

 

 

IASAS DDT, FAD and Music CulCon at ISB – March 5th, 2021 

Despite the challenges faced in response to COVID-19, our Dance, Drama, Tech, Forensics, Debate, and Music Delegates will be participating virtually with the other five IASAS schools March 3rd-6th with an opportunity for ISB HS students, faculty and staff to see the fifty plus debates, performances and speeches presented throughout the day on March 5th. See HERE for the tentative schedule and then make plans to attend. Seating is limited.  

 

Repeat Announcement: How to Subscribe/Resubscribe to receive the Good Morning ISB Middle School – Daily Student Announcements… 

Dear New/Returning ISB Middle School Parents,

 If you would like to start receiving in your email each day, the Good Morning ISB Middle School – Daily Student Announcements, please complete and submit this subscription form to do so. 

 

Repeat Announcement: MS Production ”In a Grove: Japanese Ghost Stories” April 6-8, 2021

Congratulations to the full cast of  “In a Grove: Japanese Ghost Stories” the Middle School Spring Production! Mark your calendars for the three performances scheduled for April 6th, 7th, and 8th!!!

 

 

 

Repeat Announcement: INVENTION CENTER NOW OPEN AFTER SCHOOL

Making in the Invention Center Workshop After School

Welcome to Mr. Travis Dynes, travisd@isb.ac.th, he will be our community workshop instructor for this semester in the Invention Center! His goal is to open the invention center up the ISB community after school and on weekends, offering classes and allowing time to work on personal projects. 

Where? Invention Center

When?  Everyday after school 3:00pm to 7:00pm and Saturdays 8am to 4pm in February and March 

Stop by if you are interested!! You can also complete the safety form beforehand HERE. Hope to see you soon… 

 

 

Repeat Announcement: ISB Middle School Art: Expressive Color Installation 

Last semester middle school artists explored how color can express emotions, intentions, hopes, and memories. The Expressive Color Installation will be up outside the Main Library through April. Take time to visit it when you can, to see their personal and creative responses.

 

 

 

  

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