Message from HS Principal
Justin Alexander
justina@isb.ac.th
Dear Parents,
We are approaching the October break and the opportunity for a short break which everyone is looking forward to. Thank you to all parents who have been on campus in the past few weeks attending the Open House, PTA meetings, and of course watching games during last week’s invitational tournament at ISB. It has been great to see old and new faces at these great events and be available to answer questions and welcome everyone to the ISB community.
The week ahead will see the HS Student Parent Teacher conferences take place on Thursday, Sep 29th, and Friday, Sep 30th. In order to attend the conferences, you must complete the online registration through Powerschool by clicking HERE. Registrations close on Monday at 5 pm. Please be sure to bring your student to the conference as well.
HS PTA meeting:
Thank you to the HS parents who joined us this morning for a relaxed and informative HS PTA meeting on a variety of topics, including DELVE, Advisory in the HS, and upcoming IASAS events. If you did not attend but would like to see the presentation you can click on Link to HS PTA Meeting presentation Sep 23
Some important links to share
Link to ISB Athletics page and ISB Panther page (for schedules and other detailed information)
Full list of HS parent meetings this year
Click HS Parent Meetings to see the dates and details of all of the HS Parent meetings for this school year.
IASAS Tournament HOUSING NEEDED
We are in need of ISB families to help host visiting athletes for the upcoming IASAS tournament please click HERE to register your interest.
Questions?
Do you have a question and do not know who to ask simply click on HS QUESTION LINK and one of the HS Admin team will be in touch with you early next week.
Enjoy your Friday and see you next week at the conferences.
Regards
Justin Alexander
High School Principal
Online Safety for G9 Parents
Andy Vaughan
andyv@isb.ac.th
Recently we were made aware of an online anonymous site that has been set up for the class of 2026 called “ISB Gossip”. This site is on a social media platform called tellonym. We have seen sites like this in the past, which allow for members to post completely anonymous comments for other users. This site is reviewed by Common Sense Media and receives a “1-star rating”, which is the lowest rating possible, the site is reviewed by Common Sense as follows: “Anonymous messenger ripe for cyberbullying, hurt feelings”.
This is not the kind of site we want to see our students choosing to use and we believe that the potential for this site to cause hurt or harm to our students is very real.
We have attempted on a daily basis to contact the company to remove the site, but they have been unresponsive. We have also been monitoring any use of the app on ISB connected devices and talking with any student who has accessed the site. There has been direct communication with the anonymous user of the site to cease the posts and to close the account. We are observing that students are primarily accessing the site on their personal device/phone.
As a school we will have a discussion around this situation in our G9 advisory class next week on Tuesday, but we ask for parental help if you have a grade nine child. Please ask them to open their phone and check if they have the app “tellonym”. If so, this would be a great conversation opportunity and we would encourage you to ask them to remove this from their device.
We will continue to contact and work with the company behind this app to get the site removed and will also look to see if we can “Geo-Fence” the app from the area around school so that no access from any device is possible in this area.
PowerSchool Info Update
Andy Vaughan
andyv@isb.ac.th
We ask that parents please take a few minutes to login to the Powerschool Parent Portal to update your information so that we can ensure we have your latest contact information correct.
Instructions:
Step 1. Login to Powerschool
- If you are new, you should have received an email with your login details, if not please contact help@isb.ac.th
- If you have forgotten your password, please contact arisap@isb.ac.th,
Step 2. Please click “Personal Information Update” on the left hand side.
Review your information that ISB has on record and please update if necessary. It is really important this information is accurate, as we use this in emergency situations. This information will then take a day or two to be updated.
If you have any questions or queries, contact arisap@isb.ac.th
iCare – where are your money and efforts going?
Peter Assimakopoulos
petera@isb.ac.th
Last year, the ISB community banded together to make a difference in many lives. Lives that were directly impacted by COVID and others that have been living a life of poverty in the slums.
Your money and efforts helped iCare make a significant difference.
- About half a million baht was donated in total from the ISB community and this is the result of all the money raised through fundraisers throughout the year.
- Over 600,000 people were fed in slums and construction camps.
- 10 micro businesses were started by single mothers.
- 2,000 blankets and jackets and sweaters were distributed in northern Thailand during the wintertime.
- iCare distributed food to 600 people along with supplies for young mothers and infants.
- Over 160 bicycles were also distributed to school children across districts which have helped kids find an easier way to school.
A short story about Chutima
Statistics are all well and good, but each of those numbers represents lives impacted. The result of which is harder to quantify. One such instance comes to mind from the end of the school year. As the school year was winding down, some of the middle schoolers at ISB initiated a drive to collect bicycles to be donated to those in need- which ended up having a bigger impact than any of us realized, particularly in the life of one of our 15-year-old scholarship students, Chutima.
When Chutima was 13, her mother suffered a stroke that left her almost completely paralyzed, except for the ability to blink, which she quickly developed into a means to communicate with her daughter. As her mom was caring for Chutima, her younger sister, 5, and her elderly grandmother, overnight Chutima became an adult, responsible for the welfare of the household, having to make decisions that no 13-year-old should have to.
For 2 years Chutima managed the family, caring for the physical needs of her mom and the rest of the family, as well as ensuring her sister went to school, at the expense of her having to drop out of school. All of this is on the disability pension her mom received of 800 baht per month, and the social welfare funds her grandmother received of 600 baht for a total of 1,400 Baht monthly.
Once iCare became aware of this distressing situation, they started doing their best to find a way to get Chutima back into school, as well as get the help this family so desperately needed. As the pieces came together, the very last obstacle was the bus fee of 650 baht per month to get to and from school. Thankfully one of the bicycles that were collected by ISB was a perfect fit for her, enabling her to bike to school daily. We are proud to report that she’s back in school, working hard to catch up on the 2 years she missed out.
So on behalf of Chutima, and thousands of other students like her, we would like to say thank you to each and every one of you in the ISB community for changing her world for the better.
We are excited to work with iCare again this year as they help bring about long-term lasting change to communities in need across Thailand.
If you would like to know how you can help, please contact Peter Assimakopoulos (petera@isb.ac.th)
Thank you,
Peter
News from University Counselors
Debbie McDowell
debbiem@isb.ac.th
The Greater Bangkok Fair on Thursday was a smashing success! Thank you to all the students and parents who attended. It was a vibrant and exciting atmosphere and so wonderful to have university representatives back on campus with students. Please remember to check out the future visits on campus and virtually.
Senior Seminar on Wednesday was spent working with grade 12 students regarding transcript requests, filling out applications, researching universities and working on essays. The counselors emphasized the deadlines that are coming up very quickly. The next Senior Seminar will be in October.
The first Junior Seminar will be next week on Tuesday, 27 September. Counselors will introduce the students to several activities for students to begin their self reflection that will lead into the university search process.
Junior University Family Night will be next week on Wednesday, 28 September at 6:30 PM in the Chevron. The university counselors look forward to kicking off the university reflection, search and application process for the class of 2024.
There are many university visits scheduled for the next few weeks. Check out who’s planning on visiting ISB in the near future:
26 September @ 11:00-11:40: Elon University, HS Conference Room
26 September @ 11:00-11:40: Hong Kong University, HS Large Conference Room
26 September @ 3:00-3:30: School of the Art Institute Chicago, HS Small Conference Room
27 September @ 6:00-8:00 pm IASAS Virtual University Fair (registration details have been sent to grade 11 and 12 students)
There are many virtual and off campus university events taking place which our students are invited to attend. Check the Virtual and Off Campus University Events spreadsheet to know what’s available. Please note that pre-registration is needed for some events.
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 and slide shows from Parent Coffees and family presentations, virtual and off campus 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
Ms. Debbie McDowell (she, her, hers, Ms.)
News from School Counselors
Shannon Leoni
shannonl@isb.ac.th
We hope the school year is off to a good start for your family. It’s hard to believe the first six weeks have already come and gone!
Several of you have approached the Dean of Students and counselors with various concerns related to raising a teen. We thought an open conversation, where none of us are the experts, but rather there to share our challenges and successes during this important time in our kids’ lives, would be a great way to start off the year.
To that end, we would like to invite you to a High School Parent/Counselor Coffee – A Conversation About Parenting Adolescents next Tuesday, September 27 from 11:30am-12:45pm in the MPB 1-2. Please fill out this FORM by Monday morning.
We look forward to seeing you next week.
News from HS Library
Christopher Bell
christob@isb.ac.th
Please click News from HS Library
ISB and IASAS needs your help! IASAS Student Athlete Housing Request
Kelley McKenna
kellym@isb.ac.th
ISB and IASAS needs your help! IASAS Student Athlete Housing Request
Wednesday October 5th – Sunday October 9th
Dear Parents and Student-Athletes,
The 2022/2023 IASAS Volleyball Tournament and IASAS Cross Country Championships are fast approaching. Our entire community is gearing up for a spirited and competitive event, the first one in Three Years! ISB will host the five IASAS visiting schools, 180 athletes, from October 5th – 9th, 2022. These season-ending events provide an exceptional opportunity to showcase our teams, our students, and our immense ISB hospitality! We aim to put on an unforgettable event, but in order to do so we require your help. Register: here
IASAS tournaments depend upon the goodwill and generosity of our ISB families to host the visiting IASAS athletes. This reciprocal hosting exchange adds immense value to our athletic program, and it provides a unique opportunity to develop new friendships, share in culture, and strengthen our connections across international communities.
With just two weeks before the IASAS Volleyball and Cross Country events we are in need of help from the ISB Community. Host families can anyone in the ISB community. This includes Elementary, Middle and High School families.
BANGKOK INTERNATIONAL STRINGS FESTIVAL
Anthony Giles
anthonyg@isb.ac.th
Please join us at 2:00pm Saturday, September 24th in the CC Theater for the 2022 Bangkok International Strings Festival Gala Concert featuring 150+ string musicians from around the region. Campus access requirements apply including a current ISB card, ID exchange for visitors, and a COVID declaration.
Invention Center After School & Saturday Programs
Anthony Giles
anthonyg@isb.ac.th
Want to learn how to use a Band Saw? Come to the Invention Center on Saturday, September 24th and get hands-on training on how to operate the saw safely as well as learning various techniques that this very versatile machine is capable of. We will have 3 spots available starting at 10am and 3 spots available at 11am. This lesson is free and open to any high school students, ISB parents, or staff. Contact Travis Dynes at travisd@isb.ac.th to sign up. Please indicate your preference for 10am or 11am.
A reminder that the Invention Center is open to students and parents every day after school until 6pm and on Saturdays from 8am-2pm (elementary students need to have a parent present for supervision).
ISB DRAMA DEPARTMENT PRESENTS:
Anthony Giles
anthonyg@isb.ac.th
BACK YARD THEATRE ENSEMBLE IN HEDDA, NORA, JULIE & ME
A new theatre piece devised by the 2021/22 BYTE ensemble:
Amalia Krueger, Bianca Conry, Rhian Wilson, Verity Wood
and Joachim Matschoss.
Suitable for students from Grade 8 upwards.
PARENTS ARE INVITED TO TWO PERFORMANCES IN THE CC THEATRE
9:20am to 10:40am Monday, September 26th
1:30pm to 2:50pm Tuesday, September 27th
This new theatre piece looks at the four heroines from the classical theatrical canon, Nora (from Ibsen’s ‘Doll’s House’, Julie from Strindberg’s ‘Miss Julie’, Hedda from Ibsen’s ‘Hedda Gabler’ and Nina from Chekov’s ‘Seagull’). These four women meet and talk about their dreams, desires, and everything in between. Apart from the original plays, the adaptation uses letters between Ibsen and Strindberg, Chekov’s diaries, short stories, and other secondary literature to create a vibrant new theatre-piece.
A recent review from the Edinburgh Festival
BANGKOK INTERNATIONAL CHOIR FESTIVAL
Anthony Giles
anthonyg@isb.ac.th
Please join us at 2:00pm Saturday, October 1st in the Chevron Theater for the 2022 Bangkok International Choir Festival Gala Concert featuring 150+ singers from around the region. Campus access requirements apply including a current ISB card, ID exchange for visitors, and a COVID declaration.
EXCLUSIVE OFFER FOR ISB FAMILIES
Anthony Giles
anthonyg@isb.ac.th
As ISB is an official sponsor of the 24th Annual Bangkok International Festival of Dance & Music, ISB families have been offered a 25% discount off of any available tickets, for any remaining shows. Simply look through the list of performances HERE, then email the date and name of the show you wish to attend, and how many tickets you want to purchase to info@bangkokfestivals.com using the subject line: ISB Discount. You will receive a discount code via email specifically for you along with instructions on how to purchase your tickets.
Calling All Bakers _ Panther Pops Needs You!
Enjoy baking and looking for a way to support our ISB students from the comfort of your own home? Read more as per below.
Watch Jamie baking Panther Pop demonstration in the video.
By Panther pops coordinator,
booster-pantherpops@isb.ac.th