Conferences Appreciation
by Dennis Harter
dennish@isb.ac.th
The ISB community took on another new challenge this week as we engaged in Parent-Student-Teacher conferences online through Zoom. Timing of appointments was tight and conversations were brief, but we are pleased that so many parents and students were able to connect and discuss learning progress.
The partnership with home and school is an essential component to students’ success. Conferences like these are valuable in helping the student understand their own learning while also connecting teachers and parents.
We appreciate everyone’s flexibility as we implemented this new format due to COVID restrictions. We also recognize that the timing of these conferences in mid-November makes the feedback different than it might normally be in early October.
Schedule for Nov 22-26
The two days of conferences this week were not counted as “days” in the school rotation. As such, Monday, November 22nd will follow the Day 3 schedule.
Also, please note that Wednesday, November 24th is an Early Release Day, with classes ending at 1:10 PM (the far right column below).
Student School Photos To Be Taken This Week
In the coming week, KidsFoto will be on campus to take this year’s school photos for students. These photos will be used for the yearbook and an opportunity to order prints will be provided to families in a few weeks.
Middle School students will be taken by their Science teacher on a particular day to ensure that we control the numbers of students waiting for their turn. We will ensure distancing takes place in the waiting area. Students will remove masks for their photos and they will be sufficiently distanced and separated from other students.
All outside contractors will have been ATK tested before coming onto campus.
For the photos, MS students must wear the green ISB uniform shirt. If students do not have a green shirt, then we will have ones available to wear for the photo.
We will email parents and students individually to share what day is scheduled for the child’s photo.
For those students who are not on campus this week, there will be an opportunity for photos again in next semester.
ISB Drug Testing Policy and Procedure
ISB understands its educational role and responsibility concerning substance use and abuse. In addition to education in our Health and Wellness classes, we also put in place means for early detection of use, so that we may respond and support the student to prevent long term addiction or risky behavior.
In Middle School, the latter means that we have a drug testing process in place, starting from 8th grade.
From the ISB MS Student Handbook:
As a Middle School student you may be subjected to ad-hoc breath analysis, urinalysis, or drug hair testing. Random drug hair testing of grade 8 students occurs regularly.
We will be beginning our random hair testing next week with grade 8 students. Each week we select 10-12 grade 8 students at random.
Process
An administrator meets with students to explain the process and a school nurse takes a small sample of hair that will be sent to a lab in the U.S. for testing. Parents will receive a letter home when their child is tested, which also provides an opportunity to detail any medication that the child is taking in case it surfaces in the testing. Test results are sent to us within one week, typically. Overwhelmingly, results are negative (as in “no trace of substances”) and we only contact students and parents in the cases of a positive test.
Our goal, particularly in middle school, is to introduce the process which is used throughout all grades of ISB high school. Students have told us that they appreciate the process because it provides them with a “way to say no” to peers if/when they are offered any substances that they don’t want to use. This is another reason why our drug testing serves as a positive component in preventing dangerous substance use and abuse.
Welcome to the Invention Center – Open Workshop!
We are pleased to have the workshop, digital fabrication (CNC, laser cutter, 3D printers), and robotics rooms open for G7-12 students after school daily Monday through Friday from 2:30 pm to 5:00 pm and Saturdays 8:00 am to 2:00 pm! Come by to discuss your project ideas and how we can support you. Scraps are available for tinkering, and we now have an easy mechanism for individuals to order and purchase new material as needed.
Complete the safety form linked HERE, if you are ready to start creating.
Hope to see you in the Invention Center soon.
Spirit Week
Monday the 29th of November to Friday the 3rd of December will be this semester’s ISB Spirit week. Our Spirit Week is for our entire ISB community to enjoy and we encourage everyone to get involved. Thank you to our High School Varsity Council for their organization. Please see the designated days below
Mon (29th November) – PJ Day
Tues (30th November) – Dress like a teacher
Wed (1st December) – Jersey Day ***this is senior class photo, seniors wear blue
Thurs (2nd December) – Intercultural Day
Fri (3rd December) – Black & Gold
Season 2 Athletic team Shirts
The ISB Booster Club will be selling the Season Two Athletic team Shirts on Tuesday 23rd November for all U12 and U14 Teams.
Athletics team Shirts Sales
2:30 pm -4:30 pm – U12 and U14 teams
The Booster Club will be set up in the Breezeway outside the Rajendra Hall. You can stop by before or after practice on Tuesday. Student athletes are also able to purchase the Season Two athletic shirts directly from the Booster Hut on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Repeat Announcement: MAP Testing – November 22 – December 3, 2021
Dear Parents,
Between November 22 and December 3, 2021, MS students will take the NWEA Measurement of Academic Progress (MAP) tests in Math and Reading. Testing will take place during regularly scheduled Math and English classes.
The MAP test is a computer-based test that assesses students starting with a baseline question, and then adjusts subsequent questions to appropriately challenge each student. The testing data provides a snapshot of what individual students can do at a specific point of time of the year. This information is useful to our teachers as they decide how to plan for the learning experience for their students.
There is no preparation needed for the MAP tests. We do recommend that you get a good night’s sleep each night before your tests and that you eat a healthy breakfast before coming to school! Everyone should bring a book to read in case you finish the test before being dismissed.