by Dennis Harter, MS Principal
dennish@isb.ac.th
After our recent inspection, we are hopeful to reopen campus with limited capacity in the coming week. At this time we are planning for students to start attending school on campus on Wednesday, September 29th (pending confirmation). As shared in various parent communication, forums, and the ISB reopening plan, Middle School will have 2 cohorts:
- Cohort A: Grade 6
- Cohort B: Grades 7 & 8
In combination with the rest of school, we can maintain the 50% numbers expectation on the days when 2 MS grades are on campus.
Please look at other articles in this week’s eNews about specific details on reopening, including: new family orientation, uniforms, safety measures, and ID cards.
The MS and HS will be using a “2-days on / 2 days virtual” plan for cohorts, allowing students to have some consistency as they go through all their classes in two days, before switching formats. This will start with Grade 6 on campus for two days while grades 7 & 8 remain home continuing Virtual School (with slightly adjusted class start times). Grades 7 & 8 will then have two school days on campus, as grade 6 stays home for Virtual School. The pattern will continue this way.
Tentatively, the schedule for the first two weeks will be as follows (we still await official confirmation):
To read this schedule, find a day of the specific week, and look below the day to see the numbered day. Depending on the grade of your child you will see an on campus schedule (the taller column), or a VS (Virtual School) schedule, with the start times of each class.
Aspects worthy of note in our reopening schedule include:
- Tuesday, Asynchronous learning day – students will be provided instructions for independent work that day, as teachers prepare classrooms and safety measures on campus for reopening.
- Special schedules for the cohort’s first day on campus, with more time in Advisory to get to know each other, go over safety protocols, check in, and ensure successful dismissal.
- Starting with a Day 5 order of periods – this is necessary in order to align with High School scheduling needs.
- Using the full 8-day rotation – we will be fully rotating class periods now, so students will need to keep track of which “numbered day” it is to determine order of periods. Zoom links for teachers remain the same and students can find these links in PowerSchool, if they need them.
- October 7 & 8 are school learning days – these days have been reclaimed for classes. They were originally scheduled as conference days.
- Following the October break, it will be Day 5 again – with Friday, Oct 8th a Day 4, following the break, we pick up where we left on and Oct 18th will be a Day 5.
Teachers will support students in Virtual School Advisory on Monday to ensure they understand the schedule. Students can also consult the Good Morning Middle School email bulletin sent to them each evening ahead of a school day for more information about the schedule.