Message from the Principal
Justin Alexander
justina@isb.ac.th
Hi Everyone,
Welcome to 2023 and to a fresh semester of learning, activities, and hopefully some fun along the way. We welcomed 11 new ISB families to the High School on Monday morning and it has been wonderful to see our new students being welcomed into our community very quickly. A big thank you to our student ambassadors and other students for their role in helping our new students settle in quickly.
Students and teachers are back into their routines and their classes whilst our season two student-athletes are continuing with their preparations for the IASAS tournaments being held at the end of January. TedX talks for the selected Grade 11 students taking place on January 24th will be another great school event to attend and to look forward to.
Late January /early February is the time of the year when students (and parents) are looking at classes and subject offerings for the new school year. This is of particular importance for our current Grade 10 students as they look at the last two years of their High School experience. Please do keep a look out for details of meetings and links to course outlines and overviews from Ms. McMillan in the coming weeks.
Enjoy a great weekend and feel free to come on campus over the weekend to watch our JV teams compete in their invitational tournament.
Justin Alexander
High School Principal
Important Links
Have a question and don’t know who to ask? You can email me at justina@isb.ac.th or click on HS QUESTION LINK and we will get you the answer you need.
HS Parent Meetings – Semester 2 – updated list of the upcoming Parent meetings.
ISB Panther page for Varsity and Junior Varsity game schedules etc
IB Basics for Parents and Students
Justyna McMillan
justynam@isb.ac.th
We would like to invite you to our upcoming IB Basics Evening which will take place on Thursday January 19th at 6:30PM in MPB1. This session is primarily aimed at parents and students who are interested in learning more about the IB Program at ISB, which includes information about the IB Diploma, IB Courses and IB Assessment. We particularly encourage current Gr10 parents and students to
join as students are making course choices for the next academic year in the coming weeks.
Please register for this session using THIS link.
We would also like to remind you about our Course Information Evening for current Grade 10 students and parents scheduled for January 26th at 6:30. This evening will offer an opportunity to talk to subject teachers about our pathways in Grades 11 and 12 and all courses on offer, including Advanced Placement (AP), ISB and IBDP courses.
For your information HS Course Registrations for 2023-2024 will open on PowerSchool on February 1st.
If you have any questions about the IB Basics session please contact Justyna McMillan, the Dean of Academics.
Donate Bike and Equipment
Peter Assimakopoulos
petera@isb.ac.th
The cycling club and iCare club are collaborating to host a bike drive! Drop off unused bicycles, pumps, and cycling equipment in the school parking lot. All bikes and money will be donated to children in villages living in Northern Thailand.
News from the University Counselors
Debbie McDowell
debbiem@isb.ac.th
Happy New Year! The university counselors send their best wishes for all students and families for a happy and healthy 2023. We look forward to working with you in the new year.
Grade 12
Many seniors have received news about their Early Action and Early Decision applications already. Please encourage your child to share all application results (admit, deny or defer) with their counselor. Most university applications (nearly 1,200 applications) have been submitted by the grade 12 students but there are still some who are applying to institutions with a different start date and deadlines, such as Korea, Australia, Thailand, etc. If that is your child’s case, please encourage them to set an appointment with their counselor to make a plan and timetable for their applications. The next Senior Seminar will be on 3 February.
University counselors will be sending out the Mid Year Reports to all universities that require those updates and to which the seniors applied. That material will be submitted next week by the counselors. Students should monitor their application portals to ensure all materials are received by the university.
The grade 12 students are participating in three alumni panels through their advisory program this Friday and next week. This is a great opportunity for students to learn from former students and peers about their experience in different countries around the world. Ask your child what they heard!
Grade 11
Juniors met with their university counselors on Tuesday in Junior Seminar. Counselors walked the students through researching universities using Maia Learning and then introduced the Junior Led Conferences. Every junior will be setting up a one hour appointment with their parents and their university counselor during January, February and March (23 Jan-24 Mar) to present their reflections, research and planning for university research, selection and application. This is a mandatory part of the counseling curriculum at ISB. Parents are expected to attend the meeting with their child. We look forward to hearing about the student’s plans and are excited to find out about the families priorities and preferences for the university application process. The next Junior Seminar is next week on 18 January and will be a work session for the juniors to engage in university research and prepare their presentations.
Mark your calendars! The Junior Family University Night will be next week on Thursday, 19 January at 6:30 pm in the Chevron Theater. Please plan on joining the counselors for an overview of what is ahead for the juniors!
Grade 10
Grade 10 students have been assigned a university counselor. Students and parents can find out who the counselor is by checking in Powerschool.
As the course selection for next year begins very soon, the university counselors will meet with grade 10 students on Monday (30 January) and Tuesday (31 January) during the student’s free period. Students will complete a google document at the time of the meeting so be sure to ask your child to show you what they discussed about their choices for next year’s classes.
Parent Coffees
This semester will be a busy one for parents who attend the parent coffees. The first one will be on Monday, 16 January at 9:00 AM in the MPB 1. The topic is Higher Education in the US. This is an introduction to college and university in the US. All high school parents are invited to attend. This is designed for those not familiar with the system in the US and will be a basic overview of higher education in the US. Hope to see you there!
February will be dedicated to those interested in finding out about different regions of the world:
| 7 Feb @ 9
10 Feb @ 9 21 Feb @ 9 23 Feb @ 9 28 Feb @ 9 |
Study in the UK
Study in Canada Study in the Netherlands Study in Hong Kong & Singapore Study in Australia |
Then, the meetings in March are focused on supporting the different national communities at ISB:
| 9 March @ 9
14 March @ 9 16 March @9 22 March @ 9 |
Japanese Community Meeting
Thai Community Meeting Korean Community Meeting Chinese Community Meeting |
So mark your calendars and come join the university counselors at these events!
University Visits at ISB
Universities are starting to make appointments to come to ISB to meet with students and parents. Please encourage your child to check the list and the TV screen outside the counseling office for who will visit and when.
16 January, Monday @ 11:00-11:40 AM: SOAS, University of London in the High School Conference Room.
In addition there are lots of university events in Bangkok as well as online. Please encourage your child to consistently 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 useful 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 the School Counselors
Frank Sambula Jr.
franks@isb.ac.th
Happy New Year! We hope you and your family enjoyed the holidays during the Winter break. As we start the second semester, the counseling team looks forward to continuing to be of support to your children.
Just to remind you, Wednesday, January 18, will be the last day for students to change their class schedule.
The counseling team will facilitate two parent events this month, warmly inviting you. The following events are:
Parent Book Club
Our next meeting is Wednesday, January 25, at 9:45 am in MPB3. We are reading Stolen Focus by Johann Hari. Hari investigates several causes of our diminished ability to focus in this well-researched book and discusses individual and societal solutions.
To this point, we have read through Chapter 9. At our next meeting, we will read through Chapter 12. However, it does not matter if you still need to have a chance to read the book. The conversations have been lively and meaningful, and we would love more parents to join us. We hope to see you on the 25th.
Parent Safeguarding Presentation
The school-wide counseling team invites PreK-Grade 12 parents to join our ISB Parent Safeguarding workshop in the MPB on Thursday, January 26, from 7:45 AM-8:45 AM. At this workshop, we will discuss the following:
- Safeguarding at ISB
- Strategies regarding support and supervision of your child How boundaries keep your child safe and reduce risks
- Parenting practices that reduce’ risk
We hope you will be able to join our workshop and learn together about safety, consent, supervision, and best practices and boundaries at ISB and beyond. To help us with our planning, please sign up here if you plan to attend this workshop. We hope to see you on January 26!
Thank you,
Frank
News from HS Library
Christopher Bell
christob@isb.ac.th
Please click News from HS Library
Booster Hut News
Booster Club – Secretary
booster-secretary@isb.ac.th
As you know, The Booster Hut is committed to bringing you only the best and highest quality products. In recent years many of our suppliers have significantly raised their prices, but our prices have stayed the same for the last 7 years.
To execute the values that are at the center of our commitment to you, we will be reaising our prices as of February 1st 2023. This will help us to make sure we can choose the most reliable suppliers and upkeep the quality of our products.
We appreciate your support and to say thank you we will be having a clearance sale in the near future on some of our products, so keep and eye out for those dates.
SEASON 3 REGISTRATION OPENS JANUARY 18th AT 6:00PM
Anthony Giles
anthonyg@isb.ac.th
Dear ISB Parents,
Registration for Season 3 after school programs opens at 6:00pm Wednesday, January 18th and will remain open through 6:00pm on Wednesday, January 25th. See details about how to sign up through CCA below. Again, It is our sincere hope that by having programs available in one place for families, it will make it easier for parents to talk with their kids about what’s on, and to decide together what they want to do after school.
Join Us to Learn More
Please join us in the Chevron Theater at 8:00am on Wednesday, January 18th, for a short presentation on how to use the new CCA registration platform. Attendees should bring their own device in addition to their powerschool login details.
CCA (Co-Curricular Activities) Registration on PowerSchool
Sign ups for after school programs are just a few clicks away. Simply log into PowerSchool and click the CCA Registration button to start exploring the many activities available for your child.
Payment & Enrollment
Payment is required to register for any pay-to-play programs with the exception of Panther Music which is set up as ‘interest only’ with payments due after lesson times and teacher availability have been confirmed. Scholastic, or ‘free’ programs require simply one click on the “register” button associated with each activity to enroll a student. Some programs have a limited number of participant spaces so registration will be blocked once an activity is full. Sign ups for Cool Arts Club will be honored on a first-come, first served basis with priority given to students who have not taken the class before.
Refund Policy
The two reasons we would consider a refund are:
- Your child has a medical issue that requires them to stop an activity (documentation is required)
- Your family is leaving the country in the middle of the season
Cancellations & Changes
Every effort will be made to make up weather related cancellations however refunds will not be issued for activities that are canceled due to circumstances beyond the control of Panther Activities or Athletics. We reserve the right to make necessary administrative modifications (i.e. instructor, combining classes, location, cancellations, etc.). Changes will be promptly communicated to the email address provided with your registration.
Supervision for PK-G1 Students
Parent or Nanny supervision is required for all PK-G1 students involved with after school activities. If you are not able to provide supervision before, after or between activities, please contact our team immediately.
Early Release Days (ERD)
Our after-school activities/athletics will begin at their regularly scheduled times on ERD days. This means that there will be a 90-minute gap between the end of the school day and the beginning of session 1. We expect that students will go home and return to school for their activity. Supervision will be provided for a fee.
SEASON 3 CO-CURRICULAR BREAKDOWN
On behalf of all of our coaches, staff and coordinators, thank you for signing your children up for our after school programs. We can’t wait to work with your kids!
Regards,
Chris, Kelley, Fon and Anthony
Arts & Activities @ ISB
Anthony Giles
anthonyg@isb.ac.th
January
12-15 VEX Robotics Competition @ ASIJapan
16 MS Drama Production Workshop
18 Madappally United Film Screening (6pm) CCT
18-20 Ajay Govind, Alumni Guest Film Director
20 & 23 MS Drama Production Auditions
20 Lego Robotics Tournament (3-4:30pm) Chevron Theater
20-22 IASAS Music Retreat @ EWC
27-28 “Cinderella” an ISB Panto Benefit Event CC Theater
February
1-5 AMIS MS Honor Choir @ Lincoln School Nepal
12 Applications Due for Kinnari Music Festival
21-23 HS IASAS Showcases for DDT, FAD and Music
22-26 AMIS MS Honor Band @ American School of Bombay
‘Madappally United’ Screening
Anthony Giles
anthonyg@isb.ac.th
6:00pm Wednesday, January 18 CCT
Join us for the screening of the award winning film, Madappally United, and meet filmmaker and ISB Alumni, Ajay Govind(class of 2000), who has written and directed over 50 commissioned documentaries, 2 independent feature films, 5 short films, and 6 music videos. Ajay founded his creative agency words. rhythms. Images in 2008 and registered its trademark Sisyphus Rocks Films as the film vertical.
ISB Presents: CINDERELLA, a Panto Production
Anthony Giles
anthonyg@isb.ac.th
Tickets on sale starting Monday, January 16th in the Panther Den.
Our family friendly panto performance of Cinderella is coming soon to ISB! Performances will take place on January 27th and 28th with two shows for sure and a third show a likely possibility (depending on ticket sales).
Invention Center After School & Saturday Programs
Anthony Giles
anthonyg@isb.ac.th
Come to the Invention Center on Saturday, January 14th from 10:00am to 12:00pm and make stamps to celebrate the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year festival. Make one stamp for the character Fú, for good fortune, using traditional relief cutting and make the border stamp using the laser cutters. This is a free project available to any middle school or high school aged students, parents, or staff. We will have material for the first 10 participants that sign up. Contact Travis Dynes at travisd@isb.ac.th to sign up.
A reminder that the Invention Center is open to students, parents, and staff every day after school until 6pm and on Saturdays from 8am-2pm (elementary students need to have a parent present for supervision).