A Terrific First Week
by Dennis Harter, MS Principal
dennish@isb.ac.th
What a joy it has been to have students in our halls and classrooms again. This first week of school has been filled with smiles, camaraderie, new welcomes, and lots of person-to-person interaction. It has been remarked to me many times by teachers and students alike that being at school “feels great” and it looks like a wonderful year ahead.
While this positivity is partially attributed to the sense that, while not out of it completely, we feel as if we are on the latter end of the pandemic, it is also not by accident. The hard work of counselors, teachers, and ISB staff have created this atmosphere of care, positivity, enjoyment of each other’s company, and excitement for a year of learning ahead. We are incredibly grateful for their hard work and attention to starting the year well. It’s a simple phrase to write, but an incredibly difficult thing to achieve.
Next week, MS Athletics get going and more information regarding clubs and service opportunities will be shared and start up. We will be building up to our first trips of the year to our Environmental Wilderness Campus (EWC) and start planning for our back to school event for parents, MS Open House. Our Middle School will continue to thrive and connect as a wider community.
If the first week is any sign, we have a great year ahead!
Save the Date – MS Open House
Middle School is excited to host MS Open House on Thursday, September 8th, 6:00 – 8:45 PM. MS Open House is an evening during which parents will attend an abbreviated version of their child’s schedule, allowing parents to meet their child’s teachers and see the learning spaces (in most cases) on campus.
More information will be provided in the coming weeks, but please hold the date in your calendars for this on-campus event.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES’ ANNOUNCEMENT
Mary Ann Morse Banker and her family has left ISB and Thailand, creating a vacancy on the Board of Trustees for this school year. Mary Ann has been an invaluable and dedicated member of the Board for the last three years and we all wish her well in her future endeavours.
In this regard, we would like to announce the vacancy to the ISA community (specifically ISB parents who are not employees of ISB) and call for candidates who are willing to be considered for the said position. If you are interested, please fill out the attached Board of Trustees Nomination Form and send it to Joy Davy, at this email address: joyd@isb.ac.th. If you have any questions regarding the said position, please don’t hesitate to contact me maes.suwantra@gmail.com or at this number: 084 100 0051.
The deadline for the submission of nomination forms is 12:00 noon Friday September 2, 2022.
By: Maes Suwantra, BOT Secretary
After School Buses
Next week, some after school athletics are starting for Middle School, which means students are staying at school after the first buses have departed. If your child uses the Montri school bus to get home in the afternoons, please make sure your child knows which bus to ride in the afternoons and what time(s) these buses are leaving.
“Late” buses drop students at “top Soi” which means at the top end of a street nearby your home. Please also make sure your child knows how to get home from this top Soi location. For more information on your own child’s bus specifics, please contact Montri directly. This will ensure that your family has the information you need about when and where your child’s bus will be and drop off before your child starts staying after school for activities.
Service and Club Opportunities
In Middle School we encourage students to get involved and explore interests, both ones they have and ones they might discover. As we start the new school year – and hoping for greater possibilities to interact on campus and off – we are putting together our Service and Clubs for the new year.
To oversee our programs, we have two faculty members coordinating and ensuring a wide range of opportunities:
- Activities and Clubs: Trista Meisner
- Service: Kerry Dyke
Both spoke at our opening assembly, encouraging students to be on the look out for announcements and sign-up forms. Both also encouraged students to come to them with their ideas for clubs or service in the community. We encourage student initiative and leadership!
Ms. Meisner and Mr. Dyke are in the process now of finding faculty sponsors, collecting ideas, and putting together all of the options for students. More information will be shared next week with what’s on offer and days/times they meet. We are excited to get these activities up and running.
Students should be on the lookout in our daily Good Morning Middle School emails for more information on clubs and service. Parents will get information on these through this Friday MS eNews. We will be sure to also celebrate the many great things students will be doing throughout the year.
Setting up Google Classroom Guardian Summaries
Google classroom guardian summaries are emails automatically sent to guardians/parents that summarize headers and instructions of their children’s google classroom activity. Parents can choose to see these summaries once a day, once a week, or unsubscribe and not see them at all. The summaries are “view only” and parents cannot go into the actual classroom to view/edit files, docs, or submissions. The Google Classroom is an extension of the classroom and predominantly for student and teacher interaction.
Guardian summaries provide information about what is posted in Google Classrooms in order to inform conversations with your child(ren) about what is happening at school. We encourage parents to have conversations with their children and ask their children to show them what’s in their Google Classroom, how they know what their assignments are, and what they are learning in class. These are important lessons for self-management and teachers and parents can support students by encouraging the growth of these skills.
In the coming weeks parents will receive an email from Google to accept and set up these weekly or daily summary emails. Please note that in these first weeks, teachers are delaying the use of Google Classroom to focus on in person work, connections, and getting to know each other in the class.
To start with the summaries might only show a few classes. You will not have to subscribe again later to see more. In a short time the guardian summary emails will have a more full picture of all the classes, as teachers start their use of Google Classroom.
Watch this video on the process for accepting the invitation and setting up the Guardian Summaries for each of your children in the MS.
Old Fabric Donations Wanted
End Racism. Build Peace.
For Peace Day 2022, the Art Department is asking for donations of fabric and ribbon that is colorful and patterned.
It could be old clothes, dresses, tablecloths, curtains, napkins, or anything else. If you have any traditional fabrics from your home country or travels that you no longer need or are using, please consider donating them to this ISB community art project.
If you are able, it would be most helpful if you could please cut or tear the fabric into 2-4 cm. wide strips (see below) before donating.
What: Colorful, patterned ribbon and old fabric, torn or cut into 2-4 cm. wide strips
Where: Drop off near the Panther (in front of the turnstile on the left, facing the Panther)
When: Friday, 19 Aug – Friday, 2 September 2022
Why: Peace Day community art project to support our community’s commitment to end racism and build peace.
Girl Powered G8&9 Robotics
Always wanted to try robotics? Thinking about finding out more about STEAM in your future? In G8 or 9? Then this is the event for you. We are looking to form a Girl Powered VEX Robotics team from G8&9 this year and are holding this event to find some interested members.
When: Saturday 3rd September 12pm – 4pm
Fill in this form to reserve your spot
We will be starting in the invention center at 12pm and building your first ever VEX robot in small teams. We will then move up to the MPB for a mini competition where we will invite your families to come and watch. The cost of the event is 300THB and will include the cost of snacks, all the supplies and some special gifts for you all. Spaces are limited to 25 participants and will be given on a first come first served basis.
More information will follow after sign-ups. Contact Sarah Steward sarahst@isb.ac.th with any questions.
Invention Center After School Program & Invention Center Saturdays
The Invention Center welcomes you to a new school year! The Invention Center is an amazing resource for the ISB community; offering access to 3D printers, laser cutters, CNC machines, sewing machines, as well as a full suite of woodworking and metalworking tools. We want this resource to be available to the school community outside of the classroom. Our after school program is a free drop in program available to any middle school or high school students or ISB parents every day after school until 6pm and Saturdays from 8am-2pm. Students or parents can come use the space at any of these times and learn how to use the tools or get help with projects. There are also many materials available that can be used for free. In addition, we have Invention Center Saturdays where most Saturdays there will be a specific project that is advertised in the school newsletters that students can sign up for. If you have any questions contact the after school coordinator, Mr. Dynes at travisd@isb.ac.th, or stop by the Invention Center to get a tour of the space.
Jazz Fundamentals for Wind Players
Khun Nin’s Jazz Fundamentals explores jazz theory and techniques through interactive lessons focusing on skill and theory development. Khru Nin offers a fun group oriented learning environment for student musicians to grow and improve upon their musicianship. Grades 7-12/ Intermediate (one year experience)/ 3-5 student limit.
MS Athletics News
ISB Athletics Update:
U12 & U14 Season 1 sports begin on Tuesday, August 23rd. Please make sure that you have registered your child for season 1 on PowerSchool using our new CCA registration system. Tryout information is below:
If you have any questions related to U12 & U14 Athletics, please feel free to contact Khun Apple (orathaik@isb.ac.th) and Kelley McKenna (kelleym@isb.ac.th)
Panther Fun Run
Repeat Announcement: Key MS Contact Information
For your reference, here are some key MS contact details:
MS Attendance Matters – Khun Aor
- Phone: 02963 5894
- email: walairaw@isb.ac.th
PowerSchool Questions – Khun Arintra
- email: arintrat@isb.ac.th
MS Office:
- Phone: 02 963 5894
- email: msoffice@isb.ac.th
Counseling Office:
- Khun Namwan: sariyam@isb.ac.th
- Kevin Nelson: kevinn@isb.ac.th
- Colleen Coady: colleenc@isb.ac.th
MS Administration:
- Khun Nan: phremjiz@isb.ac.th
- Cindy Plantecoste: cindyp@isb.ac.th
- Dennis Harter: dennish@isb.ac.th
Repeat Announcement: Signing up for the Student Daily email Bulletin
Dear New/Returning ISB Middle School Parents,
MS students are automatically enrolled to receive the Good Morning ISB Middle School – Daily Student Announcements in their student ISB email account approximately around 5pm the evening before each scheduled school day.
Parents, if you were already on our list last year to receive the MS student announcements each day, please note this parent database is rebuilt from scratch at the start of each school year so you will need to resubscribe if you would like to continue receiving the announcements this year.
If you would like to start receiving these announcements in your own email each day for this school year, please complete and submit this subscription form to do so.