Message from HS Principal
Justin Alexander
justina@isb.ac.th
Dear Parents,
A well deserved long weekend lies in front of us and we (students and teachers) are ready for a short break before we rush to the end of the semester. We are fortunate to be able to have a number of our athletic teams playing games against opposition and that students involved in clubs and activities can also participate in their chosen field.
We are glad that the COVID protocols (ATK testing, form filling and following social distancing and mask measures) are helping keep us safe here on campus and we look forward to this continuing in the coming weeks. I am making a plea to all parents though to please continue to follow our testing protocols on Sunday and Wednesday evenings between 4-8pm so that we can give access to campus the next morning. This week on Thursday morning we had a significant number of students that had forgotten to either take the test on Wednesday night (they had to return home) or the parents had forgotten to complete the form. Also – if your child does record a positive ATK result, please do let us know by completing the ATK form and/or calling us. The quicker we know these details the better for letting you know about the next steps and for us to begin contact tracing etc.
We are looking forward to our final two weeks of school before the December break and will be able to enjoy a number of performances and concerts (albeit from a distance) in the coming days. Do read the rest of the Enews for details of events and webinars etc.
Have a great weekend.
Regards
Justin Alexander
Second Semester Course Choices
Justyna McMillan
justynam@isb.ac.th
Second semester is not too far away and with this in mind we have opened up second semester classes on PowerSchool. As usual there may be some movement of students between sections in year long courses, to accommodate elective choices in S2. Where possible we have tried to minimise such disruptions.
Students who are considering changing their course choices for the second semester should see their counselor next week. Where possible we can try to accommodate changes, but some of the courses may already be full.
If students have any questions, please contact their counselor.
Advanced Placement (AP) Informative Session for Parents
Justyna McMillan
justynam@isb.ac.th
Dear Parents,
Thank you to those parents who joined us last week on the 26th November, for this informative session. We hope the presentation was useful and helped to answer any questions. For those who were unable to attend, we are happy to share the video and presentation slides.
These additional AP offerings will be available next academic year for 2022-2023. Courses will be open to students in Gr10 and above.
If you have any further questions, please let us know.
Second Semester Highlights for Meetings and Events for HS Parents
Justyna McMillan
justynam@isb.ac.th
A quick heads up to save the date, for informational meetings, course registrations and other events focused on different groups in the High School.
- IB Basics – open to all interested parents but most useful to parents of current GR10 students – January 20th @ 6:30 PM (possibly live)
- Junior Parent University Night – aimed at Gr11 parents – January 20th @ 6:30 PM
- Grade 10 course Information Night – aimed at current Gr10 parents -February 1st @ 6:30 PM (possibly live)
- HS Course Registration for incoming Gr 9 & 10 – February 3rd @ 10:30AM (webinar)
- Course Registration open for 2022-2023 – February 2nd – 10th
iCare Thailand Foundation
Peter Assimakopoulos
petera@isb.ac.th
Through their advisories, students are working on collecting gifts for children and families for iCare. Please ask your son/daughter about what they can bring to support our iCare families. For additional information, please see the presentation linked.
ISB CLASS OF 2022 PARENTS
Parent Graduation COMMITTEE
parentgradcom@isb.ac.th
Dear ISB CLASS OF 2022 PARENTS,
Thank you all so much for your fantastic engagement! Both on offering to help with the various committees/monthly treats and regarding donations towards the exam packs and end of year celebrations!
The ISB CLASS OF 2022 PARENTS facebook page also currently has 119 members and that is a great turnout! We will continue sharing photos and giving info as available.
In case you missed photos of the Halloween treat, please log on the ISB Fb page or the ISB high school instagram account. Thank you to the parents of the USA community who sourced the candy and packed the goodie bags.
There are also photos of the Loy Kratong celebration in November. Thank you to the parents in the Thai community for sharing this tradition with our students.
Lots of happy smiles.
The next one is on December 10th. Parents from The Latin American community will be baking special Holiday treats and our committee will be distributing stress buster toys and practice exam goodie bags thanks to your generous donations!
Stay tuned for more photos soon and good luck to all our seniors for their practice exams.
Selma & Kelly
News from University Counselors
Debbie McDowell
debbiem@isb.ac.th
SAT Test: ISB will be administering the SAT on Saturday, 4 December. Check-in will begin at 7:30AM and the test is scheduled 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. Each student that is scheduled to take the test on 4 December must have taken a COVID ATK test on Wednesday, 1 December evening and the results must have been loaded in the system between 4 and 8 PM on that evening. Any student who does not follow the strict COVID 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. Students are allowed to have a clear water bottle with them during testing but any snacks/food must be eaten in the HS Cafeteria during the breaks while students are seated at tables. No food can be consumed in the testing room or the hallways adjacent to the testing. Students must properly wear their masks at all times or they will be asked to leave the testing site and their test will be canceled with being scored.
Thank you to all the students and parents who joined the first ever Virtual Thai University Fair on Tuesday. There were over 50 university faculties that were present to meet with ISB families. We certainly hope that it was a positive experience for all.
The clock is ticking for the Seniors! They are expected to submit all of their university applications that are due before 15 February with their counselors before the winter break. Students should be sending their essays to their counselor for review and feedback and then setting appointments to submit their applications. Appointments with counselors will be available up through Thursday, 16 December. No appointments will be available on Friday, 17 December or during the winter break. All students applying to the UK through UCAS should have already submitted their application by 1 December.
Senior Seminar on Friday was devoted to getting students ready to complete their applications and polish their essays. Please ask your child where they are in the process and encourage them to get all of their applications submitted before 18 December so your family can have a relaxing and enjoyable holiday without the ominous cloud of university applications hanging over their heads.
Juniors should have already shared their Priorities and Preferences spreadsheet with their university counselor after interviewing their parents. If you have not had that conversation with your child, please plan on doing this over this weekend. Self reflection and communication are key to a successful university research and application process. Junior Seminar next week will focus on starting the university research process and the students will receive an assignment to conduct research on three universities. That work will be due before the December break.
Virtual university visits: Although the virtual university visits specifically targeting ISB students are tapering off, there are still many virtual events happening around the world. Be sure to check the Virtual University Visit list for university presentations that are available for students and families to join. Please check the Virtual University Visits list on the ISB University/College Counseling website for loads of information!
Want to find out more about the University Counseling program at ISB? Please visit the ISB University Counseling website.
News from HS Counselors
Kevin Callahan
kevinc@isb.ac.th
There will be many in-class summatives and final projects due over the next two weeks. The High School departments have worked out a schedule so that exams are spread out over several days. Even with this approach, time management will be essential for students through the semester home stretch. If you have a chance, it might be a good idea to ask your student to share how they plan to prepare/study for their exams.
We are encouraging students to meet with their counselor over the next two weeks if they want to make a change to their second semester schedule. The master schedule is tight, making it difficult to make many changes to students’ schedules. However, when possible, we will do our best to accommodate students’ requests.
Enjoy the holiday weekend. Get outside and enjoy this beautiful weather!
News from HS Library
Chris Bell
christob@isb.ac.th
Please click News from HS Library
MS/HS Choir Concert – 6:30pm Wednesday, December 8th
Anthony Giles
anthonyg@isb.ac.th
On Wednesday, December 8th, the sound of ISB’s choirs will once again fill the Chevron Theatre! Grade 6-12 choir members will perform for each other for our Annual Winter Concert. Although we cannot accept audience members at this moment, we will Live Stream the event for you and your loved ones all around the world to enjoy. Finally, “Sing We Joyous Altogether!”
HS Jazz Nite I: A Video Concert – Friday, December 10, 2021
Anthony Giles
anthonyg@isb.ac.th
Featuring: The ISB HS Jazz Combo, HS Guitar Class, IB Music Students
Enjoy the great music of jazz giants such as Duke Ellington and Dizzy Gillespie when our HS Jazz Combo performs jazz standards familiar to all. Our HS guitar class will be performing music of various styles including classical fingerstyle, Spanish, Country rock, Pop, and even a Holiday favorite. IB music students will share brief excerpts of their own original compositions, arrangements and performances, along with commentary about their process of creating. This concert is the culmination of our HS music students’ efforts throughout our first semester, which have been both virtual and in-person. So please tune in HERE on December 10th for access to the Jazz Nite I concert video.
ARTISTS UNDER THE STARS 2021
Anthony Giles
anthonyg@isb.ac.th
Open to all HS students. 5:30pm-7:00pm, December 16th marks the time and date for the annual HS Arts Council Artists Under the Stars event. Get ready for a cozy evening of awesome performances and holiday themed booths! Please sign up HERE to perform, or HERE if your club would like to host a booth.