Weekly Message from Principal Allen
Thanks to those of you who were able to join us for yesterday’s ES Parent Engage! It was a great opportunity for parents to connect with each other as well as Ms. Farah Thaxton and I.
The focus of the session was on the exciting work of authors Tom Rath and Don Clifton who wrote “How Full is Your Bucket”. The general concept of “bucket filling” for children and adults is that each of us has an invisible bucket. While using a simple metaphor of a bucket and a dipper, authors illustrate that when we choose to be kind, we not only fill the buckets of those around us, but also fill our OWN bucket. Conversely, when we choose to say or do mean things, we are dipping into buckets. All day long, we are either filling up or dipping into each other’s buckets by what we say and what we do.
We shared that once students understand the bucket filling concept, we introduce the idea of the “lid”. We “use our lid” to protect and keep the happiness inside our bucket. The Buckets, Dippers, and Lids concrete concept helps children (and adults) of all ages grow in understanding, kindness, self-control, resilience, empathy, and forgiveness.
Feel free to check out these slides from the session which include a link to one of the videos that we discussed. If interested in adding to your child’s library, consider these books: https://bucketfillers101.com/publications/
Your partner in education,
Michael Allen
MichaelA@isb.ac.th
Early Dismissal on Wednesday
All ISB students will be dismissed at 1:10pm on Wednesday, February 8, 2023. On Early Dismissal Days, school buses will leave ISB at 1:20 p.m. Early Dismissal Days allow faculty members and administrators to collaborate and further their professional learning.
Upcoming ISA Testing for Grades 3, 5, 7 and 10
Students in grades 3, 5, 7 and 10 will take the annual ISA assessment on February 9 and 10 and there will be no make-up testing. The International School Assessment is designed to offer comparable assessment data for students in international schools. The ISA assesses students in the three domains of Mathematical Literacy, Reading and Writing.
Information collected by ACER regarding your child will be used only for the purpose of the ISA program. Any data identifying the student by name will only be provided to the school. ACER’s Privacy Policy may be found at the ACER website www.acer.edu.au or you may obtain a copy by writing to the Privacy Officer, ACER, Private Bag 55, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia.
More details about the ISA can be found here: https://www.acer.org/id/isa If you have any questions, please contact Debi Caskey, Deputy Head of School for Learning (debic@isb.ac.th)
Feb. 13-17 February Break – No School
We have one more week of school before our February holiday! Classes resume on Monday, February 20. It will be Day B.
Student-Led Conferences: March 2 – 3
We are looking forward to seeing you at Student-Led Conferences on March 2-3.
As we purposefully calendar conferences well in advance, we ask all families to cooperate by attending conferences on these dates and avoid making any requests for a conference on an alternate date. Please contact ES Principal Michael Allen directly if you have a family emergency that conflicts with your scheduled appointment: MichaelA@isb.ac.th
Please access your child’s individual letter containing additional details by logging into your PowerSchool account. Find “Parent Conference” on the left hand side. At the bottom of the letter you will find the link to schedule conferences through Pick-a-Time. Scheduling for the conferences will open Tuesday, February 21 at 8:00 AM and close Tuesday, February 28 at 2:00 PM. Please note that all appointments need to be scheduled through Pick-a-Time. If you have trouble logging into PowerSchool, please contact Khun Benz in the ES office, or email her at: chatnaps@isb.ac.th
Before the Conference:
- Sign up for a time via PowerSchool before February 28th @ 2PM
- Be prepared to talk to your child about his/her strengths and areas for growth
- Understand this is the time for your child to take the lead and demonstrate their learning
During the Conference:
- Use the language with which you are most comfortable
- Be an active listener
- Be present (no mobile telephones, emails, texts)
- Avoid critiquing, instead focus on successes and new learning
- Ask questions of your child to help them reflect on their learning growth.
- Be mindful that what might seem small to you, might be a huge accomplishment for your child
- If your child seems nervous or shy, give them time and/or ask guiding questions about they work they are showing you
- If you want to take photos, please wait until the end of the conference
After the Conference:
- Talk with your child about the conference and develop a plan to implement any strategies that were discussed and goals that were set during the conference
- Remember to periodically check-in with your child regarding progress toward his/her goals
Supervision of Students on Conference Days
- Chairs will be set up outside classrooms for siblings to wait.
- The ES HUB will be open for parents to accompany their child/ren to return and check out books. There will be a managed number of visitors inside the HUB, to allow for appropriate physical distancing, and we will be asking families to limit their time in the HUB to 30 minutes.
- Students may only use the outdoor play spaces if they are actively supervised by a parent or guardian at all times.
Raising Multilinguals: Unlocking the World with a Family Language Plan.
On Tuesday, February 21, from 7:45-9:15 a.m. in MPB 1, ISB faculty and administrators will offer a workshop for parents from all divisions (ES, MS, HS) about maintaining students’ native languages while they also study in English at ISB. This will be similar to the Raising Multilinguals workshop offered in prior years, and is especially useful for new families.
At this workshop, faculty and administrators will:
- Present reasons to maintain native language, based on research
- Describe language classes and resources available at ISB
- Discuss the importance of making a family language plan
Please join us! Parents of students in PreK through Grade 12 are welcome. For further information, please email: nativelanguage@isb.ac.th
ES Explore (ES After School Activities)
The ES Explore Program, season 3 will begin on February 6th.
The following is the ES Explore calendar:
ES Cafeteria Menu
Please find the Pre-K – G5 ES Cafeteria menu for next week linked here, and here is the menu for Allergy Free.
After School Activities/Athletics Procedures & Supervision
Dear Parents/Guardians,
Season 3 of Panther Activities, Panther Athletics, and U11 Athletics begins next week on February 6th. Please review the new protocol for this upcoming season.
After School Activities/Athletics Procedures & Supervision
As a policy, ISB requires supervision for all PK-G1 students involved with programs on campus. However we understand that this might be difficult for some families due to work commitments. If you are not able to provide supervision before, after or between after school activities on any given day, please contact the specific coordinator for your child’s activity immediately.
For Panther Activities:
Panther Arts: PantherArts@isb.ac.th
Panther BoyScouts: PantherBoyScouts@isb.ac.th
Panther CubScouts: PantherCubScouts@isb.ac.th
Panther Dance: PantherDance@isb.ac.th
Panther Explore: PantherExplore@isb.ac.th
Panther Girl Scouts: PantherGirlScouts@isb.ac.th
Panther Music: PantherMusic@isb.ac.th
Panther Xtreme: PantherXtreme@isb.ac.th
Panther Native Language Academy: PantherNativeLanguageAcademy@isb.ac.th
For Panther Athletics:
Panther Basketball: PantherBasketball@isb.ac.th
Panther Baseball & Softball: PantherBaseballandSoftball@isb.ac.th
Panther Golf: PantherGolf@isb.ac.th
Panther Gymnastics: PantherGymnastics@isb.ac.th
Panther Soccer: PantherSoccer@isb.ac.th
Panther Swim: PantherSwim@isb.ac.th
Panther Tennis: PantherTennis@isb.ac.th
Panther Volleyball: PantherVolleyball@isb.ac.th
Please note that there is no transition after the first activity/sport session is finished.
2nd Grade- 5th Grade
Students can find their way to their scheduled activity on their own, right from the start. If a student does not know where to go, they can go to the ES cafeteria and we will make sure to help them find their way.
Students who do not have a 1st session activity
If your child does not have a session immediately after school, it is your responsibility to make sure they have supervision and a means to get to their activity at its scheduled start time. We do not provide supervision from the end of school until the start of session 2 at 4:00pm.
Early Release Day (ERD) – February 8th, 2023
Panther Activities/Athletics will begin at their regularly scheduled times on Early Release Days (ERD’s). This means that there will be a 90-minute gap between the end of the school day and the beginning of session 1 when students will be expected to go home and return to school for their activity. Again, a parent or guardian can assist us to supervise PK-G1 students involved with after school activities/sports, especially on ERD’s. If you are not able to provide supervision before or after activities, please contact the specific coordinator for your child’s activity immediately.
Schedule:
Parents can review CCA schedule through PowerSchool/CCA Schedule
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
Inclement Weather
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.
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
Kinnari Music Festival June 19-24, 2023
The Kinnari Music Festival at International School Bangkok, aims to provide an incredible opportunity for young symphonic musicians throughout the region to further explore their passion and develop their musical prowess. Together with like-minded and passionate peers, each student will benefit from the instruction of veteran music instructors and seasoned members of the award-winning Thai Youth Orchestra.
This year’s inaugural festival will take place June 19 – June 24, 2023 at ISB and will feature lessons, masterclasses, workshops, performances by guest artists, and participation in the Festival Orchestra. With a student:staff ratio of 2:1 and space limited to fifty participants the Kinnari Music Festival offers an educational experience unique to Thailand and SE Asia. Musicians between the ages of 10-18 are eligible to apply and the deadline for applications is February 12, 2023. For more information, please visit www.kinnarimusicfestival.com or contact the Kinnari Music Festival organizer, Ja Wuttithamrong at ja.wuttithamrong@gmail.com.
Application Deadline: Sunday, February 12th, 2023
CELEBRATE THE MANY CULTURES OF ISB @ IFF
Calling all performers with acts that highlight the many cultures represented at ISB. If you are interested in joining the line-up for the February 25th, 2023 IFF Concert Hour hosted by Arts Council, please sign up HERE on or before Monday, February 6th to reserve a place on stage, and to provide more information about your act. Know others that have something culturally significant to share at this year’s event? Just send them the link.
Arts & Activities @ ISB
February
1-5 AMIS MS Honor Choir @ Lincoln School Nepal
3-4 First Lego League Robotics Competition @ NSM
11-12 HS Model United Nations @ ICS
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
28 ES Visual Art Exhibition Opening @ Chevron Gallery
March
1-31 ISB Arts in March (ISBAM)
1-31 ES Visual Art Exhibition @ Chevron Gallery
1-5 IASAS DDT, FAD & Music CC @ ISKL, SAS & JIS
7 ASAS DDT, FAD & Music CC Banquet
9-10 HS Drama Production Auditions
16-18 AMIS MS Honor Orchestra @ ISB
25-27 THAI Model United Nations @ Brighton College
28 HS Jazz Night 2 @ CCT
30 ISBAM Festival and Concert Hour
31-A1 MS Model United Nations @ ISB
Invention Center After School & Saturday Programs
Come to the Invention Center on Saturday, February 4th and learn to make a boomerang that comes back to you when you throw it.. There will be 10 spaces available at each of the following times: 9:00, 10:00, and 11:00. This is a free project available to any elementary school, middle school, or high school aged students, parents, or staff. Contact Travis Dynes at travisd@isb.ac.th to sign up for a specific time slot.
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).
Season 3 begins on this Week!
Season 3 is about to begin! Season 3 Tryouts are on Tuesday, Feb 7th & Thurs, Feb 9th.
U11 Girls Badminton- ES Gym
U11 Boys Badminton- Rajendra Gym
U11 Track & Field– bleachers near the track
U11 Touch – steps near Field E (near the ES playground)
If you don’t know where to go- come to the ES Cafeteria and we can help! Good luck and have fun!
SEASON 2 IASAS
Season Two IASAS is currently underway! Cheer on the Panthers from home as they compete in Rugby, Touch, Swimming, Basketball and Tennis. Below are the websites for each IASAS where you can find the schedules and streaming links to join us.
IASAS Swimming – Tournament website
IASAS Rugby/Touch- Tournament Website – passkey: welcometojis
IASAS Basketball – Tournament Website
IASAS Tennis- Tournament Website
Lets Go Panthers!!!!!!