‘Starting up’
Dear Parents,
What a busy week of communications and messages from ISB about the exciting possibility of opening our campus to students next Wednesday. As a result I will keep my message short so that you can take the time to read Andy Vaughan’s messages about the logistics of ‘starting’ school next week.
There are messages below about access to campus, what students need to bring, how lunch, activities, break times etc. will work for students. Please take the time to read them carefully.
The HS Admin team held a student webinar today in order to share safety protocols, schedule information with all students and have collected questions from students. We will be sharing the recording of the student webinar with all students (as some were not able to attend) and share answers to the questions that were asked today.
Everyone is excited about the return to school and we are working hard to make sure that we have a safe and successful return to school.
All the best
Justin Alexander
HS Principal
PS. Please make sure that you make sure that your child takes their ATK test on Tuesday evening between 4-8pm and that you (the parent) submits the result and declaration during that time period. Only students whose parents have submitted this declaration during that time period will be able to access campus the next day.
Back to School Reminders
Andy Vaughan
andyv@isb.ac.th
We are so excited with the possibility of having students back on campus after being online since Songkran last school year. Today we met with students and shared with them a number of protocols about returning to school and what to expect in Hybrid Learning. On Tuesday we will welcome new students in an on campus orientation; we can’t wait to see students back in the hallways and rooms once again!
With a return to school in this current climate, there are many changes in how we conduct a number of practices around the school given the safety measures in place for covid-19. These are clearly laid out in communications that have been sent out over the past couple of weeks.
Students will receive more messages regarding how this looks on campus and we have an open questionnaire for all students to continue to ask questions, which will also create a FAQ doc to help clarify any queries.
There are a number of other messages in this enews which we have published separately, please take time to read about uniforms, golf carts & motorbikes, absences and ID Cards in the other articles.
Uniforms and Dress Code
Andy Vaughan
andyv@isb.ac.th
We will be continuing this school year with a focus on uniform and dress code with our students. Our dress code policy can be found in the online student handbook under ‘Uniform and Dress Code’.
For a quick summary 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 directly.
- Footwear should be comfortable, practical and safe. Open toe shoes are not allowed such as slippers and flip flop sandals.
The High School faculty and administration will monitor students’ attire to ensure that it aligns to our expectations. Please help us in ensuring that your student(s) only wear dress code conforming clothing to school.
Please note that in the first week of school we understand that some students will still be purchasing new uniforms if they have not been able to get to campus prior to this time. It would be appreciated if parents can check uniforms as your child gets back into practice.
For anyone who has not had a chance to book in to purchase uniforms, please book a time to come in and pick up any uniform needs on Monday and Tuesday next week via this link.
Driving to school -Golf Carts and Motorbikes
Andy Vaughan
andyv@isb.ac.th
Only students with a valid Thai driver’s license may drive/park a car on campus. Students who are 15 years or older may drive/park a motor scooter on campus provided:
- Student has a Thai driver’s license for his/her age group
- Student obtains a parking permit sticker from the HS Office
- The motorbike is 110cc or under if the student is under 18 years of age
- Always wears an appropriate/strapped motorcycle helmet (and only carries passengers with helmets) on and off campus
Golf carts must also be operated safely and be affixed with a parking pass from the security office. Only students with an approved drivers license will be permitted to park a golf cart on campus and such students must obtain an approval from the High School Office. Drivers licenses from other countries are applicable certification for students driving golf carts to school.
Bicycle and Motor Scooter Helmets
For personal safety considerations, appropriate bike helmets must be worn (and properly strapped) by both students and adults entering campus. Administrators and security guards will periodically monitor the front gate and offer reminders and encouragement. Thank you for helping to support and model a safe environment at ISB!
Excusing Absences
Andy Vaughan
andyv@isb.ac.th
Any absence for HS students should be excused by parents via a phone call or email to the HS Attendance secretary, Khun Gade 02 963 5883 (ext. 3305) or email: sasivimb@isb.ac.th. It is appreciated if this phone call can be received before 8.00am so that we can alert teachers early.
It is important that we receive this parental contact, because without it, your child is marked as absent (X) on PowerSchool. Unexcused absences may result in additional consequences. You can see whether your child has been marked absent (X) on any day using PowerSchool. If we receive confirmation from parents that the absence is excused, then we adjust the code to reflect that (AbE). Please help us to ensure we best understand the reasons for your child missing school.
For students who have opted to remain in virtual learning when their grade level is at school, the code of NPVS (Not present virtual school), will appear on these classes. The same is for students overseas. These absences do not count to final attendance totals.
Please also note if a student misses a class during the day, they may not participate in co-curricular activities on that day without prior approval from the Dean of Students.
For extended absences, parents should email counsellors and also copy in Andy Vaughan (andyv@isb.ac.th) and Khun Gade (sasivimb@isb.ac.th) for approval.
ID Cards for students
Andy Vaughan
andyv@isb.ac.th
All students will require their ID card to enter campus when we return. Please see below some key reminders about ensuring your child is prepared to enter campus without any issues:
- ID Cards from last year are all activated to work for all students, including students moving up from middle school
- New Students will have received their ID card, or will receive this on Tuesday at their orientation.
- If a student has lost their ID card they can come into school on Monday or Tuesday of next week and get a new ID card in the Chevron. In order to access this space, students must book a time at this link. Please note that any student doing this will need to wear a blue HS uniform shirt for their photo.
- Any Grade 9 student who wishes to get a new HS ID card prior to the start of school can come in and do this on Monday or Tuesday at the Chevron. In order to access this space, students must book a time at this link. Please note that any student doing this will need to wear a blue HS uniform shirt for their photo.
- Grade 9 students who do not get a new card prior to coming to campus will have HS photos taken on Friday 1 October and Monday 4 October. New cards will be available for collection on the morning of Thursday 7 October.
First Day Schedule for HS
Andy Vaughan
andyv@isb.ac.th
We will run a special schedule on Monday, which aims to allow students to receive the necessary information to be successful in the first weeks of school.
We will be starting Tuesday in advisory, spend some time in class meetings and then rotate through the student schedule for the first two days of school.
The First Day schedule as can be found at this link.
PowerSchool Schedules for HS Students
Andy Vaughan
andyv@isb.ac.th
PowerSchool Schedules will be available for students to access on Saturday night for students through their PowerSchool student Log-in (https://powerschool.isb.ac.th/public/)
For any students that are unable to access PowerSchool, please contact either Chris Bell (christob@isb.ac.th) or Mr. Vaughan (andyv@isb.ac.th).
Please note that changes may occur to student’s schedules as we may need to balance classes due to a much higher late enrolment than we normally experience. Students are not able to change classes on their first day back, but are permitted to change classes (if possible) in the first 8 day rotation, with the final day of schedule changes August 21.
Message from the HS Parent Graduation Committee
Parent Graduation Committee
parentgradcom@isb.ac.th
“Class of 2022 parents: Watch this space for opportunities to volunteer in the end of year celebrations for our seniors”
Principal’s Forum – October 26th (save the date)
Dhooleka Raja
dhooleka.raj@gmail.com
FALL 2021 – HS Principal’s Forum – Now inviting all questions from parents
We are inviting questions from parents for the next Principal’s Forum. The HS Principal’s Forum (PF) is a channel of communication between parents and the administration. It is a platform to allow all parents to bring forward any questions, suggestions, or concerns to the Committee composed of parents representing grades 9-12 and EAL language communities.
All HS parents are welcome to attend PF scheduled 9am on October 26th (location and format TBC by the school administration). The meeting will be led by Principal Alexander with Dean of Academics, Justyna McMillan, Dean of Students, Andy Vaughan and HS Team members. There is one HS PF each semester, two per academic year.
All questions are shared with the administration anonymously: only the content is presented. The topics are addressed and discussed in an open meeting between administration and HS parents. Parents are invited to send their questions/suggestions/concerns to us before October 15th via: HS Principal’s Forum- Questions from Parents- Intake Form. We review, code and submit all queries to the administration; the administration organizes the presentation to parents. Your specific question may not be addressed during the public forum meeting as the topics covered during the meeting depend on the number of queries received on the topic.
As always, if there are time sensitive questions and individual concerns, please reach out directly to the teachers, The HS Principal’s office, counsellors and Admin team. They are always your first port of call and will be happy to assist and support you.
Please feel free to be in touch with us if you have any questions, or would like to understand more about the HS PF: hsppforum@isb.ac.th
On behalf of our HS Principal’s Forum Parent Committee, we look forward to seeing you on October 26th.
Dhooleka Raj
Grade Updates and what you see in the Gradebook on Powerschool
Justyna McMillan
justynam@isb.ac.th
At ISB in the High School, most assessments are categorised as either formative or summative. Both types of assessments contribute to the overall body of evidence, used by teachers and help to provide feedback, measure student performance and improve student learning.
Summative assessments are primarily used to determine a Grade for each subject; these assessments are reported on PowerSchool and are used at the end of each reporting period to determine the overall performance for the subject.
Formative assessments are equally important as they provide practice opportunities for students to be successful in their summatives, provide feedback for students and help the teacher adjust their teaching.
In a ‘normal’ year with school up and running on campus, we would expect to see first summative grades appear mid to late September, after students have completed a unit or chunk of learning. However this does vary from course to course, depending on the nature of the unit. This is why, our first grade update on PowerSchool, usually focuses on HAL performance only. The next grade update would normally include a HAL and Grade-Up-To Date on a 7-1 scale. By this stage, teachers should have enough assessment data to determine an overall grade, for each student.
However with this unusual start to the school year in virtual school, it is taking longer to collect some of this data. Teachers are getting to know students, teaching content, practicing skills, planning formatives, providing feedback, adjusting teaching etc. the assessment process is decidedly taking a bit longer than in a ‘normal’ year. Although you may not yet see a summative grade in your child’s gradebook on PowerSchool, rest assured that assessment is happening day to day in the classroom and teachers are giving feedback both in written form and verbally. Some of this data may be reported in PowerSchool.
Furthermore, due to the wonderful news (hopefully) that we are reopening school next week, we are having to adjust other aspects of our normal feedback and communication practices, including Mid-Semester Comments, Student-Parent-Teacher Conferences, and reporting timelines.
With this in mind, please be aware that we have decided the following timeline for our grade-updates and communication of grades and student performance to parents:
- October 1st HAL and a Pass/Fail “grade” for all courses
- October 8th Predicted Grades collected for Gr12 students and communicated out to students and parents shortly thereafter
- October 22nd Comments released for students of concern* (more information coming soon)
- October 29th HAL and Grade Update
- November 4/5th (tentative) Student Parent Teacher Conferences (virtual)
- November 19th HAL and Grade Update
- December 13th Semester Grade and HAL Update
Please be patient with us, as we adjust our assessment practices to fit in with this unusual context. Of course if you have any questions about how your child is doing in the meantime, please feel free to reach out to your child’s subject teacher at any time.
Do let us know if you need any further information or clarification about our Grade Updates and Assessment practices in the High School.
Justyna, Justin and Andy
Webinar: Informational Meeting for parents new to the High School – Postponed till Friday October 8th
Justyna McMillan
justynam@isb.ac.th
We are postponing this webinar till Friday October 8th due to our (hopeful) campus reopening next week. The webinar registration link will be shared out next week.
This meeting is aimed at new HS parents (Gr9-12) 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!
News from the College Counselors
Debbie McDowell
debbiem@isb.ac.th
Thank you to those who were able to join the University Counselors for the Junior Family University Night on Tuesday. Here is the link to the recording and the slide show for those who would like to review the information shared on that night or were unable to attend.
The first Junior Seminar took place this week on Thursday. The 11th graders met with their University Counselor to kick off the university research and selection process. The main topics for the lesson were: introduction to a few university research sites, access to the ISB University Counseling website, and the juniors began the process of self-reflection. The students did two exercises in class and now have an assignment to write their personal Six Word Story. (Ask them about these topics!) The next Jr Seminar will be on 18 Oct.
Senior Family Conferences should be wrapping up. Those are scheduled to be completed by the end of September so if your child has not made that appointment with their University Counselor, please have them do so ASAP!
PSAT for Grade 11: All grade 11 students will be scheduled to take the PSAT at ISB on the morning of Tuesday, 26 October. There will be more information coming out about the test, preparation and details about timing via emails to grade 11 students and parents so watch for those in your email in the next few weeks. Students will receive a PSAT booklet to familiarize themselves with the test. A practice test is also included in the booklet. Juniors who will not need further standardized testing may opt out of taking the PSAT by speaking to their University Counselor and completing the Opt Out form (with parent signature) which will be distributed with the practice book. More details will be provided next week.
SAT Test: ISB will be administering the SAT on Saturday, 2 October. Check-in will begin at 7:30AM and the test is set to start at 8:00AM. Students will take the test in MPB 1/2/3 where students can be seated more than 2 meters apart. Students must properly wear their masks at all times. More details will be coming out as we draw near the date but please remind your child that if he/she is scheduled to take the test on that date, they must follow the COVID protocols for accessing the campus that will be in place at that time. More details about COVID protocols will be released closer to the date. Any student who does not follow these strict guidelines will not be allowed to sit the test. In addition, all students must bring the following items with them to be admitted to campus and the test rooms: School ID, National ID (passport or Thai national ID card), printed admissions ticket.
Virtual university visits: Be sure to check the Virtual University Visit list for university presentations that are scheduled exclusively for ISB students and parents (highlighted in yellow). In addition, there are many virtual events available for any students interested in gaining more information about particular institutions so please check the Virtual University Visits list on the ISB University/College Counseling website for loads of information!
Ms. Debbie McDowell (she, her, hers)
Head of University Counseling
Zoom ID: 987 104 3514
News from School Counselors
Kevin Callahan
kevinc@isb.ac.th
Dear Parents,
There is plenty of excitement around school as we prepare for opening and having students back in class. It will be yet another period of adjustment as we work with a hybrid system where students can come to ISB 50% of the time. It’s not easy to organize, but the students have been great about virtual school, and we’re confident that they’ll manage a new type of instruction as well. Be sure and help them understand their schedules!
HAL (Habits and Attitudes to Learning) grades will be coming out soon, and they are a great talking point for students and parents. Students get descriptors for their Responsibility, Engagement, and Collaboration in their classes. (The descriptors are “rarely”, “occasionally”, “frequently” and “consistently”.) Be sure and take a look at your student’s HAL marks and have a discussion about how changing their HAL grades will most likely help their 1-7 grades. Of course, their is a high correlation between better HAL marks and higher grades.
The High School Peer Tutor Club helps students who can use a little extra time in specific subjects in understanding and work completion. If your student could use an extra hour a week or so in a specific subject with a high school student who is outstanding in that area, send an email to Mr. Callahan (kevinc@isb.ac.th) and he can help get that set up.
Kevin Callahan
High School Counselor
News from HS Library
Christopher Bell
christob@isb.ac.th
Please click News from HS Library
Calling Performers and Artists to Join the International Arts Community!
Anthony Giles
anthonyg@isb.ac.th
JOIN in the INTERNATIONAL arts community!! Youth Forum Switzerland and Bangkok Patana School are inviting ISB students to join events that highlight student films, dance, visual arts, poetry, and public speaking as part of global events happening this semester. MS & HS students with talents in these areas and interest to join the global arts community of international schools can find out more info HERE for Youth Forum Switzerland – film, dance, visual arts, poetry and speech. Or HERE for BPS Virtual Dance Invitational. Join a Zoom chat with Ms. Price for more details on Sept 30 & Oct. 1, Thurs & Fri next week @ 3 – 3:20.
HS Arts Council Presents: Mindful Coloring (Repeat)
Anthony Giles
anthonyg@isb.ac.th
Arts Council encourages all students to try Mindful Coloring with the coloring pages provided HERE. Mindful coloring is when you color while consciously focusing on the act of coloring. Research proves coloring can induce a meditative state, a state highly beneficial for relaxation and stress relief, enhancing physical and emotional well-being. In mindfulness coloring, you let go of all thoughts and bring awareness to the current activity in an interactive & imaginative way. Care to share your work on our @isbartsco Instagram? Please send finished pieces to Miinin at 21725@students.isb.ac.th, or Will at 16680@students.isb.ac.th. Have fun, relax and be creative! Arts & Activities News