Mock Exams
Justin Alexander
justina@isb.ac.th
Dear Parents,
It might not be an exciting time for our Senior students, but certainly it is a busy time as they take part in their mock exams this week and into next week. For students that are nearing the end of their High School career, now is the time for consolidation, review, and honing their skills as they prepare for the real exams in early May. We wish our students (and their parents) all the best as they put their best foot forward during mock exams so that they can find out what they know (and more importantly what they do not know).
Congratulations are due to all of our CC teams that traveled last weekend and for making us proud as they represented ISB at the 2023 IASAS Cultural Convention with distinction. Our Debate team took home the Gold medal whilst the Forensics team scored Gold and Silver in the Oral Interpretation category and Silver in the Impromptu section. No medals were on offer for Dance, Drama, Tech, and Music, but ISB’s performances were well attended and received rave reviews.
Upcoming meetings
We have had great attendance at the University Counselor community meetings in recent weeks and they look forward to welcoming members of our Thai community to attend their meeting on Tuesday, March 14th at 9 am. More details about this meeting and others held by our University counselors can be found in their E-News article further below. Eagle-eyed readers of the HS E-news will have noticed that I am also offering a Fourth Friday of the month drop-in meeting with the HS Principal. The next of these meetings will be on Friday 24th March at 8 am in the HS office.
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 March 3rd – includes new meetings (4th Friday Chat with Justin)
ISB Panther page for Varsity and Junior Varsity game schedules etc
Justin Alexander
High School Principal
Advisory ‘The Open Session’
Andy Vaughan
andyv@isb.ac.th
Over the past month our HS Advisory groups have been learning a new practice that we are integrating into our HS advisory curriculum called the “The Open Session”. All advisory’s will experience this every month during their Advisory period for the rest of the year and into future years. We hope that its benefits will meet your child’s need to connect with each other over “real life” issues and that the result of experiencing The Open Session will be greater empathy, SEL ability, and community.
Due to the nature of the topics students will address, and the fact that many of their issues will be submitted anonymously, we ask that you not ask specific questions about what was shared, following Open Sessions, but rather allow your child space and time to share generally with you about all of the excellent ideas and support that will no doubt come their way as a result of participating in this format.
WHAT IS OPEN SESSION?
The Open Session was created by facilitators from Institute for Social and Emotional Learning (IFSEL), whom ISB has been working with this year to review and improve our advisory program. In The Open Session, a group of adolescent peers engage with each other by “collectively wondering” about decisions, dilemmas, personal and social concerns going on in their everyday lives, as well as joyful moments. Throughout their 30 minute Advisory, in groups of about 12-14 students, teachers facilitate and students practice three specific types of SEL responses: seeking clarification, providing support and encouragement, and generating solutions, often from their “real life” wisdom. These skills flow naturally into application within students’ lives inside and outside the classroom and promote a host of positive responses.
As students develop increased emotional self-awareness and self-regulation and as positive communication skills and social awareness skills increase, they will self -advocate and seek support. When the personal stress of young adolescents is lowered, practices of empathy, resilience, and advocacy for diverse points of view – cultural/identity – all of these elements factor into the process of becoming a more self-aware human being who embraces collaboration alongside ethical decision-making in the daily interactions/advocacy for rights and respect for peers and all members of the school community.
IFSEL’s Open Session methodology is in use by schools around the world; engaging students, faculties, and parents to amplify connection, resilience, and caring, and teach vital social and emotional skills. (The Power of Collective Empathy, a TEDx talk on Open Session was given at San Ramon Public High School by IFSEL co-founder, Janice Toben, M.Ed. “Check-in”, used to begin Open Session, was first cited in Daniel Goleman’s groundbreaking 1995 book, Emotional Intelligence.)
Here is some of the data on empathy, ethical reasoning, predictive thinking, anti-bullying, and resilience:
The Open Session and check-in may provide an antidote to bullying and a motivation for ethical action:
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Seeing someone else’s point of view or sharing another person’s feelings are important skills in the classroom. Perspective taking and empathy can facilitate beneficial interactions among classmates, such as intervening to stop bullying (Gini, Albiero, & Altoe, 2008).
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Scholars have suggested that teaching empathic reasoning and perspective-taking (two components of social and emotional imagination) could be one step toward curbing bullying. (Nickerson, Mele and Princiotta, 2008; van Noorden, Haselager, Cillessen, & Bukowski, 2014).
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Because empathy results in students taking the perspective of another and can motivate students to imagine possible solutions to address a social problem and then take action, empathy, too, can be thought of as generating creative social behavior and deeper understanding. (Nickerson, Mele and Princiotta, 2008; van Noorden, Haselager, Cillessen, & Bukowski, 2014).
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If students engage in constructive internal reflection (Immordino-Yang et al., 2012) it helps them build a nuanced understanding of another’s perspective.
The Open Session likely builds reflective, open-minded and motivated citizens
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The ability to understand one’s social world – to make meaning of socially complex scenarios, to reason empathically about others’ circumstances, and to take the perspective of other individuals and cultures is a form of imagination that leads to the reflective and motivated citizens our society would hope to create. (How Social-Emotional Imagination Facilitates Deep Learning and Creativity in the Classroom by Gotlieb, Jahner, Immordino-Yang, and Kaufman; 2018, in pre-publication.)
The Open Session -why is it helpful for high school students to focus on clarification, support & encouragement & wisdom, ideas, solutions?
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Empathic and social reasoning enables individuals to act creatively in finding solutions to social problems and to strive to better themselves by adopting the values undergirding others’ admirable acts.
SEL, Open Session and Resilience
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There is a link between students’ personal social-emotional qualities, creativity, and long-term achievement in the face of obstacles. Researchers are wondering: how might school support young people in developing creative dispositions toward learning? (How Social-Emotional Imagination Facilitates Deep Learning and Creativity in the Classroom by Gotlieb, Jahner, Immordino-Yang, and Kaufman)
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Students are rarely taught that their persistence is enhanced by their ability to cultivate an imagined possible future and to connect what they are learning to the meaning that future holds (e.g., Oyserman & Destin, 2010; Torrance, 1993).
Social Media and Stress–more need for internal reflection in schools
During constructive internal reflection an individual may build a complex representation of the self, envision possible futures, or engage in moral reasoning. Immordin-Yang and colleagues (2012) hypothesize that the opportunity for constructive internal reflection can be compromised by overbooked school schedules, the challenges of urban environments, or incessant texting and engagement with social media. Consistent exposure to such circumstances could conceivably undermine youths’ ability to reflect and think creatively. (Rotenstein, Bansal, Yang, & Immordino-Yang, 2014).
Season 3 Spirit Week
Kelley McKenna
kelleym@isb.ac.th
Join in the fun and participate in spirit week next week! On Friday, show your Panther pride and come watch our Baseball, Softball and Badminton teams in action. Games will begin after school and there will be food vendors!
News from University Counselors
Debbie McDowell
debbiem@isb.ac.th
University Parent Coffees
University counselors have kicked off the community meetings this week. Thank you to those who joined us on Thursday for the Japanese Community Meeting. The turnout was great! Next week the university counselors will be hosting the Thai Community Meeting (Tuesday, 14 March @ 9:00) and the Chinese Community Meeting (Thursday, 16 March @ 9:00) in the MS Skybox. Please note, translation will be available in each meeting. We look forward to seeing those families next week!
Grade 10
On Wednesday, almost 100 grade 10 students took the PSAT 10. This was the first opportunity to sit a large standardized test for most of those students. The 10th graders did a good job of getting in, set up and taking the exam. The students will receive their results via email. So please remind them to check their email in approximately 4-6 weeks.
SAT: 11 March
If your child is registered for the SAT on March 11 please be informed that this administration of the SAT is a digital one. The following email was sent to those registered:
On test day, bring your school laptop fully charged with the Bluebook app already downloaded. By using your school laptop, you will be able to connect to the school wifi. If your laptop is fully charged, you should be able to use your laptop for the full duration of the test without needing to recharge. The test is 2 hours and 15 minutes, unless you have accommodations for extra time. If you have not yet downloaded Bluebook, please do so. This week, you should also have access in the Bluebook app to complete a quick exam set up. Please do this as soon as possible – this will confirm that your device meets all test requirements, download your test, and generate your admission ticket. You must be able to present your admission ticket on test day, either on your phone or printed on a piece of paper.
On test day, please arrive outside of the MPB by 7:30 am. We will check you in twice – once outside MPB, and once inside the testing room.
To minimize any issues on test day, your laptop should be configured to prevent common interruptions such as: antivirus scans, screensavers, sleep or hibernate mode, automatic software or application updates, alerts from email/calendar/texts/instant messengers.
Other than your laptop, please make sure to bring:
- passport or Thai ID
- admission ticket
- pencils for scratch work
- charging cable
You may also want to bring:
- water and snacks
- an acceptable calculator (there will be a built-in calculator so this is not required)
Please do not bring:
- anything else that connects to the internet (e.g. mobile phones, smartwatches, a second laptop, tablet etc.)
- Bluetooth devices (e.g. wireless headphones)
- timers (we will have one available)
- cameras
- highlighters or colored pencils
- books
- compasses, rulers, protractors, or cutting devices
- papers of any kind (you will be provided scratch paper)
- earplugs
- unacceptable calculators
Please confirm with your child if they are scheduled to take the SAT on Saturday.
University Visits at ISB
Universities are making appointments to come to ISB to meet with students and parents. Please encourage your child to check the list on Maia Learning and the TV screen outside the counseling office for who will visit and when.
Upcoming University Visits:
Monday, 13 March: Canadian Mini Fair, 11:00-11:40 @ High School Breezeway
(University of Toronto, Western University, Algoma University, Carleton University, Brock University, Ontario Tech University, Centennial University, Humber College
Sault College {Bachelor of Engineering-Mechatronics}, Fanshawe College, College of the North Atlantic, Dalhousie University, Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, Bow Valley College, MacEwan University, Coast Mountain College, Alexander College, Columbia College, Cornerstone International Community College)
Monday, 13 March: Central Washington University and University of Tampa, 3:00-3:30 @ HS Conference Room
Tuesday, 14 March: UK Mini Fair, 3:00-3:40 @ High School Breezeway
(University of Bristol, University of Leicester, Durham University, Newcastle University, The University of Manchester, University of Edinburgh, University of Bath, University of Nottingham, University of York)
Thursday, 16 March: University of Calgary, 11:00-11:40 @ HS Conference Room
Thursday, 16 March: Fudan University, 11:00-11:40 @ HS Conference Room
Monday, 20 March: Drew University, 3:00-3:30 @ HS Conference Room
Monday, 27 March: Yamanashi Gakuin University, 11:00-11:40 @ HS Conf Room 2
Monday, 27 March: American University, 11:00-11:40 @ HS Conference Room 1
Monday, 27 March: University of Exeter, 3:00-3:40 @ HS Conference Room
Wednesday, 29 March: University of British Columbia, 3:00-3:40 @ TBD
Monday, 3 April, Loyola Marymount University, 11:00-11:40 @ HS Conference Room
Monday, 17 April, Boston University, 3:00-3:30 @ TBD
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
News from School Counselors
Shannon Leoni
shannonl@isb.ac.th
The middle school and high school counselors would like to invite you to a coffee/tea on Thursday, March 23 from 8:30-9:30am in the MPB where we will share recent research findings and facilitate a conversation about the impact of social media on our kids. Please sign up HERE.
We feel this is an important conversation to have as we navigate the teenage years and the influence social media has had and continues to have in our children’s lives.
We’re looking forward to our time together and hope you are able to join us.
News from HS Library
Christopher Bell
christob@isb.ac.th
Please click News from HS Library
ISB to Host AMIS Asian MS Honor Orchestra March 16-18, 2023
Anthony Giles
anthonyg@isb.ac.th
ISB will be hosting MS string musicians from all over Asia March 16-18, 2023 for the AMIS Asian MS Honor Orchestra. Please join us for the Gala Concert scheduled in the CC Theater at 6:00pm on Saturday, March 18th.
ARTMARKS
Anthony Giles
anthonyg@isb.ac.th
Culminating an extensive drawing and painting workshop, ES art students welcome you to their most recent exhibition, ARTMARKS. The works displayed celebrate the diversity and individual expression of our talented students. Their unique artworks demonstrate the numerous valuable connections they have made to both themselves and their world. Join us for the opening on Friday, March 17th at 2 pm in the Chevron Gallery. ARTMARKS will be displayed throughout various ES spaces including the library, ES office, and the ES walkways and gardens till the end of March.
ISB Peace Day Assembly March 24, 2023
Anthony Giles
anthonyg@isb.ac.th
Due to COVID restrictions still in place for our student assemblies last fall, ISB’s International Day of Peace event, originally scheduled for September 21st, 2022, was moved to March 24th, 2023. This new date, chosen to coincide with the UN’s International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, has allowed the Global Initiatives Network student organizers the opportunity to put together a program that addresses the 2022 Peace Day Challenge and that highlights the theme, Voices for Action Against Racism. Through the mediums of art, dance, drama, film, music, poetry and storytelling, this year’s PK-12 gathering will celebrate the power each of us has to End Racism. Build Peace.
Due to limited space in Rajendra Hall this event is not open to the public, however photos and a video of the assembly will be available to all ISB parents the following the event. Please spread the word that Friday, March 24th is a free dress day for all divisions with students, staff, and faculty encouraged to wear bright colors to celebrate our diversity as a learning community and our solidarity with others seeking peace around the world. Please see comments about and footage from past Peace Day assemblies at ISB below. Peace!
2019 ISB Peace Day Assembly Video
2019 ISB Peace day Assembly Photos
2021 ISB Virtual Peace Day Assembly
Comments about past ISB Peace Day events…
Congratulations on another fantastic Peace Day Assembly. Thank you for all of your hard work – I can imagine it doesn’t seem very peaceful at times getting it all together, but it’s an important event for our school. Thanks!
I know that you had a team behind you with the assembly today but I just wanted to say that it was a fantastic event, so well done to you both and all those involved. My own boys had such a cool time and it was great to watch a recording of it again tonight with them as a family.
Thanks again for a wonderful day. My class has been buzzing all day. We listened to music and did some lovely reflections on peace. It is so amazing to have everyone together and the energy was awesome! The MCs were the best ever. Can’t wait to plan our next activity together.
First of all, how magnificent this morning was, a really nice community feel about it. Well done!
I know I am missing a few people who played major parts in planning today’s assembly, but I needed to tell you that TODAY’S ASSEMBLY WAS INCREDIBLE! Thank you for all the work you did to create a beautiful celebration of peace, diversity and love. It was magical!
Overheard on the way back to class…“Can we have an assembly like that EVERY day? I love it when there is a show!” Thanks for making the “show” SO AMAZING! :) Our hands are clapping and our hearts are happy.
Thank You! Grand Slam! Nice job to you and everyone involved. That was fantastic.
Another great school-wide event! I am including a link to the livestream that had 70 people viewing. A HUGE thanks to Mod, Pop and Well from the Student Management Group/HS Tech Council in setting this up and doing all camera work and directing.
Thank you everyone for yet another beautiful assembly! This is one of my favorite days of the year, so much joy! Thank you again and again for making this day happen.
Now that was beautiful. Well done team. I am pretty sure EVERYBODY felt the love today. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
That was exceptional. Simply. Amazing.
Thank you for all the hours it took to create an experience for our whole school to come together as one… Convincing our teachers to be active participants made a HUGE difference. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Please share my thanks with all who helped embed (and thereby affirm) multiple languages in the Hands & Hearts assembly…the emcees, those who led the signing, those who prepped the #StopPoverty vid, and surely many others. It’s great to see our multilingual students “hearted” in all these ways!
Jazz Nite II – ‘Celebrating Improvisation’
Anthony Giles
anthonyg@isb.ac.th
Featuring the ISB HS Jazz Combo and the ES Panther Orff Ensemble
Tuesday, March 28, 2023
CCT – 6:30 pm
Directors: Mr. Tom Myers and Ms. Angela Wong
Selections include charts by Wayne Shorter, Lee Morgan, Horace Silver, and other Jazz greats!
In addition to the special performance by the ES Orff Ensemble, there will also be a vocal performance by Mia Friedman.
Please join us for a night of enjoyable music making through our instruments, voices, and hearts.
Admission is free and all are welcome.
Amnesty Intl & ArtsCo announce Light Up Night 2023
Anthony Giles
anthonyg@isb.ac.th
Join us on Wednesday, April 5th at the cafeteria stage for this year’s Artsco X Amnesty Light up Night Event! This collaboration will celebrate both the arts and raise awareness for human rights on behalf of Amnesty International. Club booths and food trucks will open at 4:00pm with performances + refugee guest speakers on the outdoor stage starting at 4:30pm and candle lighting at 6:30pm. Booths will feature both human rights awareness activities, along with club advocacy and popular booths seen at Artists Under the Stars. Sign up to perform using the QR code on the posters around school or this link, and booth sign ups are here. See you there!
IASAS DDT, FAD, Music and VEX Robotics Congratulations!!!
Anthony Giles
anthonyg@isb.ac.th
Congratulations to our Dance, Drama, Theater Tech, Forensics, Debate, Music and VEX Robotics teams for rocking it at ISKL, SAS, JIS and St. Andrew’s respectively this past weekend! Check out their performances, presentations and results linked at the websites below.
IASAS Dance, Drama & Tech @ ISKL
IASAS Forensics & Debate @ SAS
VEX ‘Thai Nationals’ @ St. Andrew’s
2023 IASAS Forensics & Debate Medalists
Gold Medal Debate – Ella Wilner, Nami Piroonhapat & Chino Supawattanapong
Best Speaker Debate Ella Wilner
Top 10 Speaker Debate – Nami Piroonhapat & Hanna Parker
Gold Medal Oral Interpretation – Zach Hall
Silver Medal Oral Interpretation – Matt Amatayakul
Silver Medal Impromptu – Rehaan Goyal
2023 VEX ‘Thai Nationals’ Awards & Invitation to Worlds in Dallas, TX USA
Tournament Champions
Pun Pun Israpanich, Ken Terdprisant, Run Jongsuebchoke, Peak Chairatn, Pan Pitpreecha, Kris Pornsirikul, Friend Sukparangsee, Min Rungsinaporn
Skills Champions
Alex Li, Jonathan Lamontagne-Kratz, Navin Kasemtanakul, Kekoa Austria, Shen Dynes
ISB Summer School 2023 – have you signed up yet?
Maurilio (Moe) Baron-Toaldo
maurilib@isb.ac.th
Our Summer School Program this year will be held from Monday, June 19 to Friday, July 7th (3 weeks). All information about our programs, courses, specific dates, fees, and registration process is now available on our website.
Early Bird reduced tuition fees are available until Friday, April 28th so register early!
Our Summer School Office is located in the Panther Den (Activities Office across from the Bookstore). Khun Fon, our Summer School Office Secretary is there to greet and assist you 7:00 am – 2:45 pm Mondays to Fridays.
All our summer school staff are present ISB staff members. Our summer school is open to present ISB students and to new students joining ISB for the 2023-2024 school year.
For any questions, please email sumdir@isb.ac.th
Best Regards,
Mr. Maurilio (Moe) Baron-Toaldo
ISB Summer School Director
Re-enrollment for 2023/24 is open and due by 7 April
Rebecca Lau
Re-enrollment for the 2023/24 school year is now open and we kindly ask that every family indicates their intent by 7 April 2023.
You should have received an automated email that includes a personalized link to start the re-enrollment process. Our re-enrollment process incorporates an online payment option for the seat deposit and asks you to confirm enrollment by signing the 2023/24 Terms and Conditions contract through our ISB Admissions Portal.
Please note that families with graduating Seniors will not be sent a re-enrollment request and we request that all faculty with students complete this process as well.
There are three options to choose by 7 April:
- YES – selecting ‘yes’ means you will be re-enrolling your children for the 23/24 school year and you will be asked to sign the 2023/24 Enrollment Terms and Conditions contract and given the option to pay the seat deposit.
- NO – selecting ‘no’ means you will not be re-enrolling your children for the 23/24 school year and you will be asked to complete the withdrawal paperwork.
- UNDECIDED – If you anticipate remaining unsure past the deadline please select ‘undecided’ and request an extension.
In order to assist our families with planning, we have shared the Board of Trustees approved 2023/24 tuition fees and these can be found on our school website.
If you need additional information about the tuition fees or billing, please do not hesitate to contact our Invoice Office at invoice@isb.ac.th, or call the school at 02-963-5800 and contact Khun Sawitree, Invoice Assistant ext. 1121 or Khun Atchara, Invoice Officer ext. 1122.
If you have any other questions about our re-enrollment process or need an extension on re-enrollment please send a request to the Office of Admission at admissions@isb.ac.th
Thank you!
The Re-enrollment Team
Admissions, Finance, & IT