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Message from High School Principal

Dear Parents,

Our HS students have enjoyed Spirit week and are now ready for Spirit night tonight. There is a Track and Field meet, Badminton, Baseball, softball games and golf exhibitions all taking place on campus this afternoon. Please come along to watch and support.

Thank you to the 60 or so parents that joined us for a marathon Principals Forum meeting on Thursday. The questions were varied and a lot of information was shared at the meeting. You can see the answers and questions that were posed by looking at the HS Principals Forum presentation. Thank you again to the Principals’ Forum committee co-chairs Dhoolekah Rajand Debbie Gunderson and the rest of the committee for their work in collecting and presenting the questions to the HS Admin team.

Update on absences.

Once again the numbers of students that are missing school for covid related reasons are quite reasonable compared to a few weeks ago. You can see the details in this chart.

Have a great weekend and enjoy the games at school this weekend.

Regards
Justin Alexander
HS Principal

HAL and Grade progress will be posted on PowerSchool

Justyna McMillan
justynam@isb.ac.th
Your child’s grade in progress will be posted on Powerschool by the end of Monday 28th. You will also see the Habits and Attitudes towards Learning (HAL) progress, alongside their academic grade. Please remember the grade is a ‘snapshot’ of achievement and your child will continue to receive feedback on their progress in learning.

Mid Semester Comments are due April 8th.

Clarification regarding the last day of classes for Gr12 students.

Justyna McMillan
justynam@isb.ac.th

It has come to our attention that there is some confusion regarding the final day of classes for our Gr12 students. Tuesday April 26th is the last day of school for full IB Diploma students and those taking 3 or more IB exams.

Students who are taking 2 or fewer IB exams, continue attending any non-IB classes up until Friday 13th May. Note: for any student with an IB/AP exam (AP class taught at ISB), two days of study leave prior to each exam, is provided. Students in this category will be contacted by the Dean of Academics, to make arrangements for the study leave period and to clarify when students need to be on campus.

Below is a rationale for the different end dates for these two groups of students:

ISB has always differentiated between IB and semester classes.
IB classes finish as students are given study leave in preparation for the three week IB exam period from April 28th – May 20th.
Semester classes running as long as possible, to allow course credit to be awarded and facilitate any final assessments.
Historically classes ran till the end of term with graduation on the last day of term; this moved forward with graduation moving forward.
This year’s date aligns with the Grade 12 grading period final date
The calendar print should have read:

“G12 Last Day of IB Classes”

This has been updated on the calendar and we apologise for the confusion caused.

Decision Regarding IB Curriculum for Class of 2023

Justyna McMillan
justynam@isb.ac.th

Below you can find an excerpt from the most recent communication from the IB about the May 2023 exam session. The IB has confirmed that students will complete all assessment components and none of the Assessment Adaptations for May 2021 and 2022 sessions will apply. However, the IB will continue to closely monitor the situation, receive feedback from schools and adjust grade boundaries for this cohort, to help mitigate the impact of the pandemic, on student learning and preparedness for the IB exams.

“For May 2023, our expectation is that nearly all our students will be able to take our examinations and will be awarded grades based on the full range of assessment components they have completed for each subject. For the assessment sessions in 2023 we will continue to support students through mitigations in the grade boundary setting process….

…we anticipate that disruption to learning will impact student performance in 2023 examinations to some extent. Grade boundary setting will take this impact into account. Therefore, grade boundaries for May 2023 examinations will not necessarily be the same as those of May 2019.”

IB Communication, March 2022

If you would like to learn more about this decision, HERE is a video link to the IB Director of Teaching and Learning, Nicole Bien, discussing the plans for May 2023.

DELVE Re-registration

Peter Assimakopoulos
petera@isb.ac.th

Next week we will begin the DELVE sign ups for May 2022. Registration for DELVE courses will start on Monday, March 28th at 7PM and close on Friday, April 1st. Students have the next few days to familiarise themselves with the courses and trips offered.

It is very important that prior to your child registering, you have conversations with them that clearly limit the cost of trips you are willing to pay. If students move courses after they are placed, they will be placed after all students in the high school are placed. This will limit the choices for students that decide to change courses after being placed.

Please find here the link to the DELVE Booklet containing course information, availability, and cost for each trip.

For any questions, please email Mr. Assimakopoulos directly at: petera@isb.ac.th or Khun Pat Boonswad patarinb@isb.ac.th

DELVE Timeline 2022

March 24th: DELVE Advisory

March 28th: Registration opens for Grade 11 Students

March 29th: Registration opens for Grade 10 Students

March 31st: Registration opens for Grade 9 Students

April 4-8: DELVE placements

April 29th: DELVE payment

Jump! Adventures

Peter Assimakopoulos
petera@isb.ac.th

Does your child have nothing planned for the summer or Songkran? Consider joining a JUMP Foundation Adventure Program.

JUMP Foundation is starting to plan an exciting set of individual enrollment, JUMP! Adventure Programs, for Songkran break and Summer break. The focus is to create opportunities for youth to get out in nature and have meaningful social + emotional development opportunities.

Peter

News for the University Counselors
Debbie McDowell
debbiem@isb.ac.th

Class of 2022

There are several events that will be provided for parents of seniors in the near future. Mark your calendar. If you are the parent of a senior who will be going to the US for university as an international student and will require a student visa, please plan on attending (on campus) the US Visa Presentation by the US Embassy Consular Office on Thursday, 7 April at 3:00 PM in the MPB 1.

Also there will be a Transitions Presentation by the university counselors for parents of seniors on that same day, Thursday, 7 April at 9:00 AM. At this time, we expect that presentation to be virtual but if we can move it to in person/zoom, we will do so. Please watch this space for details as we near that date.

Looking ahead, the university counselors are working with the grade 12 advisors to provide several opportunities for the students to connect with graduates of ISB who will be able to share their university experiences. There will be a session in Advisory at the end of the month in which seniors can visit with an ISB Graduate about their university experience. The seniors will choose sessions based on university major or subject interest. Then, a general session will be held on 19 April in which a live virtual panel of ISB graduates will speak about their university transition and time at university. And… the seniors will also participate in the “Been There, Done That” discussion with the grade 11 students to give them sage advice on how to prepare for and handle their upcoming senior year.

Class of 2023

Junior Led Conferences are almost finished! Most grade 11 students have already presented their Junior Led Conference and the rest are scheduled to be completed before the end of March with their university counselor and their parents. If a parent wants to attend the meeting in person, please let the counselor know in advance of the meeting and an invitation to come on campus can be arranged (with proper Covid protocols.) The counselors look forward to hearing from the rest of the students about what their plans are for life after ISB! Looking ahead, the next Junior Seminar will be on Monday, 28 March.

Class of 2024

Mark your calendars! University Night for grade 10 students and parents will be on Tuesday, April 5 at 6:30 PM. Watch this space as we are working towards getting permission to have that in person at the Chevron Theater. We look forward to meeting with grade 10 families to kick start the university research and selection process.

Parent Coffees Continue!

Thanks to all those who joined the sessions this week. It was great to have the opportunity to present to our Japanese and Korean communities. You can see the recording and slides here. We will be having two more parent meetings next week.

Be sure to join the university counselors on Monday, 28 March @ 9:00 AM for the Thai Community Meeting. Parents can join by clicking on this link. The presentation will be in English but we will have an interpreter available to explain in Thai, as needed, and to assist parents who feel most comfortable asking questions in Thai.

On Thursday, 31 March @ 9:00 AM we will host the Chinese Community Meeting. Parents can join by clicking on this link. Again, the presentation will be in English but our Chinese Liaison will be available to explain in Chinese, as needed, and to assist parents who feel most comfortable asking questions in Chinese.

The university counselors are excited about meeting with our different communities, providing information and answering their questions.

Future Parent Coffees are scheduled for:

28 March @ 9:00 AM: Thai Community Meeting

31 March @ 9:00 AM: Chinese Community Meeting

25 April @ 9:00 AM: Financing University Studies

Please watch this space for information about location, links and details.

University Visits

Virtual university visits: Be sure to check the Virtual University Visit list for university presentations that are available for students and families to join.

Please check the ISB University/College Counseling website for loads of information. You will find university research tools, transition resources for students and parents, recordings of Parent Coffees and family presentations, virtual university visits, information about testing and how to sign up for the SAT at ISB, a list of summer programs about which the counselors have been informed, and the ISB School Profile.

Kindly,
Debbie

News from the School Counselors
Kevin Callahan
kevinc@isb.ac.th

This week we have been checking in with students for academic concerns and monitoring, general well-being, and any course selection questions about next year. This can be a stressful time for both students and teachers, as the end of the year is a long way off, and lots of obligations are on the table for high school students of every grade. It’s good to be able to check in with students who are struggling and are open about it in a safe setting. Our conversations with students are strictly confidential in all cases except where there is concern that a student could harm themself or others, in which case a conversation with at least one parent takes place.

As we reflect on the changing situations resulting from the Covid pandemic and the many other issues around the world, we counselors are really impressed and heartened by the positive attitudes of the great majority of our students, who truly appreciate the opportunity to attend school “live” and to see their teachers and classmates daily. We really do have a tremendous group of students and teachers here and it is a pleasure to see their resilience and positivity in the face of the various challenges that the pandemic has imposed upon us. Things are looking a bit better.

Please know that we want you to reach out to us if you have concerns with how your student is handling it all, so we can work together for everybody’s well-being. Thanks.

News from the Athletic
Mark Jaspers
markj@isb.ac.th

ISB Golf Invitational – Tuesday the 5th of April
ISB will be hosting a student Golf Tournament on Tuesday the 5th of April at the Summitt Windmill course. ISB Students are able to register using THIS link.

Season Three Athletics – Songkran Showdown – Wednesday the 6th of April
The end of Season Three Varsity Tournament will be held on Wednesday the 6th of April. ISB will be hosting all of the days events including: track and field meet, Badminton Tournament and Softball Tournament. Parents of athletes are welcome to attend on the day.

Upcoming events

GAME SCHEDULES can be found on the ISB Athletics Website

Saturday 26th March: BMAC JV Badminton @ NIST

Saturday 26th March: BMAC JV Softball @ BPS

Saturday 26th March: BMAC U12/U14 Track @ ISB

Saturday 26th March: BMAC U11 Track @ BPS

Sunday 27th March – NIST Varsity Badminton Invitational

Sunday 27th March – Patana Varsity Softball Invitational

Monday 28th March – U12 Soccer @ NIST

Wednesday 30th March – U14 Girls Soccer @ ICS

Saturday 2nd April – U11 Badminton @ ISB

Saturday 2nd April – U11 Mixed Touch @ ISB

Be prepared for Songkran this year!

Anthony Giles
anthonyg@isb.ac.th

Come to the Invention Center on Saturday, March 26th from 10am-12pm and learn to build your own fast loading and fast dispensing PVC squirt gun. This project is free and open to any middle or high school students. Contact Travis Dynes at travisd@isb.ac.th to sign up. We will have space and materials available for the first 10 students that sign up.”

ISB Arts in March (ISBAM) (Repeat)
Anthony Giles
anthonyg@isb.ac.th

March 1st through 31st, 2022

1 MS Spring Play Rehearsals Begin

3-5 IASAS Cultural Convention

7 HS Musical Rehearsals Begin

10-31 ES, MS & HS Visual Arts Exhibitions

15 MS Mindstorms Robotics Competition

19 MS/HS Invention Center Saturdays Begin

19 HS Battle in Bangkok Robotics Competition @ NIST

22 Christo Inspired ISB 70th Anniversary Installation

24 Hanuman Film Festival

25 & 29 IB Dance Madness

30 HS Jazz Nite II

31 ISBAM Artists Under the Stars & Arts Fest

Enjoy the Art! (Repeat)
Anthony Giles
anthonyg@isb.ac.th

Now that campus is open weekday afternoons from 3:45 and weekends, please visit the elementary, middle, and high school visual arts exhibits (locations listed here) to see the amazing creations of our student artists, and how they have responded to the challenge of bringing their ideas to life in a variety of media, colors, and forms. Open now through the end of March. Enjoy the Art!

Jazz Nite II 6:30pm, March 30, 2022 in te CC Theater (Repeat)
Anthony Giles
anthony@isb.ac.th

The ISB Jazz Combo will perform their second concert of the school year on Wednesday, March 30th at 6:30 pm in the CCT. The focus of the concert will be on the music of 3 great jazz artists/composers: Thelonius Monk, Lee Morgan, and Nat Adderley. Through their music, we learn about the many genres of this unique art form that start with the letter ‘B’ – Blues, Ballad, Bossa, Boogaloo, Bop and Broadway. The highly personal art of improvisation will be stressed throughout the concert, along with the great melodies and harmonies of 1940’s, 50’s and 60’s jazz standards. The concert is free to the public, and all are reminded about following the appropriate protocols for attending concerts, including masks and social distancing when seated. We hope to see you there to enjoy some great tunes and support the work of our HS jazz musicians this semester.

Artists Under the Stars: Spring Edition (Repeat)

Anthony Giles
anthonyg@isb.ac.th

As we continue to celebrate ISB’s Arts in March, or ISBAM, please join the HS Arts Council on March 31st starting at 6:00pm, for Artists Under the Stars & Arts Fest! Come to the plaza between the cafeteria and Field D to enjoy good food (Alice’s Pizza), participate in art related activities, and support our many talented students taking part in the performing arts showcase. Hope to see you there!!!

ISB Summer School 2022 – Registration is now open! (Repeat)

Maurilio (Moe) Baron-Toaldo
maurilib@isb.ac.th

Our ISB Summer School Office is now open! Summer School will be held Monday, June 20 to Tuesday, July 12th this year. All information about programs, courses, specific dates, fees, and registration process is now available on our website.

Early Bird reduced tuition fees are available until April 29th so register early!

Our Summer School Office is located in the Chevron Theater Foyer next to the Cashier Office. Khun Fon, our Summer School Office Secretary is there to greet and assist you 7:00am – 2:45pm Monday to Friday.

For any questions, please email sumdir@isb.ac.th

Best Regards,
Mr. Maurilio (Moe) Baron-Toaldo
ISB Summer School Director