MS Final Week Schedule
The 2022-23 school year is coming to an end and we have a fun final week planned for our MS students. Please note that the final day of school on Friday, June 16th, school is dismissed at 11:30 AM. Students will need to leave campus at that time, though some offices will remain open (Cashier, MS Office, etc) until 3 pm.
On Thursday, June 15th, all grades have a special day planned. Parents will have heard from their respective grade levels. Permission forms have come via Operoo.
- Grade 6 – Water Park Trip
- Grade 7 – Amazing Race in Ayutthya
- Grade 8 – Moving On Ceremony
We also have special plans developed by students for the grade 8s in their final week of Middle School, including some themed dress days, and fun activities for the grade level. Of course, we’ll also be rehearsing for the ceremony taking place on Thursday.
Here’s the day schedule for the week.
- Monday, June 12th – Day 8 (Grade 8 “Night In” Event)
- Tuesday, June 13th – Day 1
- Wednesday, June 14th – Day 2
- Thursday, June 15th – Special Days for each grade (see above)
- Friday, June 16th – Last Day of School, Special Schedule, 11:30 dismissal
Report Cards available on Friday, 3PM
As the 2022-23 school year ends next week, teachers have been preparing final grades for each course and student. Middle School report cards will be posted on PowerSchool for parent / student access after 3:00 PM on June 16th. End of year report cards include grades for each class and a narrative comment from Advisors. Class comments were provided earlier in the term as they were intended for formative feedback rather than end of year summaries.
Please note that access to reports will be blocked if any school materials remain missing or not returned. The library and english classes have been sending reminder emails home regarding unreturned books.
For departing students, please also return laptops and chargers.
Reminders about Appropriate Messages
This time of a school year is an important time of farewells and year-end closure. Part of that experience is signing yearbooks and leaving messages to friends and classmates. Leaving students often get special “Once a Panther, Always a Panther” T-shirts signed as a keepsake of their fond memories at ISB.
Unfortunately, we also see some immaturity surface at this time of year as well. Students may write inappropriate language or messages in a yearbook or on a t-shirt. We have seen them draw inappropriate pictures that leave the receiving students with a yearbook or shirt that they can’t share with their parents or possibly leaves them feeling bad about an inappropriate message instead of good about the kind and friendly messages from others. This is not fair to those other students and not appropriate for some students to deface another student’s property (whether they think their friend will think it funny, or not).
From experience we have seen unfortunate intense arguments take place after yearbooks came out because someone wrote something explicit and inappropriate, and a parent happened to read it. We hope to help avoid this.
This weekend may be a good time to speak with your children about both ensuring that: 1) they are only asking for messages from friends that they trust will not deface or ruin their property; and 2) they are behaving maturely themselves and recognize that these are not the places for that type of offensive remark or material.
This is something we speak with students about each year and would appreciate support from parents at home on this as well. If students demonstrate offensive material in others’ books or on their shirts, we will have to withhold them from signing other students’ property during school hours to protect the other students from this damaging behavior.
Thank you for any support you can provide in relaying this message of maturity.
Regarding ISB Laptops
Grade 8s must return laptops
This year, the laptops of Grade 8 students will be collected on Wednesday, June 14th. Grade 8 students must return their school issued laptop and charger that day. These students will receive new laptops in grade 9 if they return to ISB for HS. If a grade 8 student has an extenuating need to use the laptop over the summer (Summer School program, for example), then parents should contact Ed. Tech (help@isb.ac.th) with this information.
Grades 6 & 7 may keep laptops for summer
Grade 6 & 7 students may keep their laptops over the summer as we will not be updating the software on these this term. If parents would prefer that their child does NOT have a laptop over the summer months, the laptop can be returned to Ed. Tech along with the charger and we will re-issue it to the student in August.
All leaving students must return laptop and charger in order to receive school documents.
The Arts @ ISB
Spring/Summer, 2023
JUNE
1-9 IB Year 1 Visual Art Exhibition @ the MS/HS Library
1-16 MS Diversity Flower Installation @ Panther Commons
3-Sept, 2023 ISB Recording Studio Construction @ CC
12-15 ES Music Shares @ Ms. Wong’s Classroom 4-115
13 Jr. Council’s StucoCella ‘23 4pm @ Panther Commons Stage
16 ES, MS and HS Assemblies TBA @ Chevron Theater
17-July, 2024 Chevron Theater Renovation
19-23 Kinnari Music Festival 8am-4pm @ the CC Building
23 Kinnari “Unleash” Concert 7pm @ the CC Theater
24 Kinnari “Unleash” Concert 5pm and 7pm @ ICONSIAM
Panther Activities & Athletics Summer Camp Registration open through June 15th
With the successful launch of our new after school activities/athletics registration program, CCA through PowerSchool will once again be used for our Panther Activities and Athletics Camps. Please note that registration through CCA requires payment to be completed within an hour of sign ups.
New this summer! Check out the Surfskate and Parkour camps!!!
We will open CCA Registration for Summer camps from Thursday, June 1st at 6:00pm until Thursday, June 15th at 12:00pm. After that time, it will not be possible to add any students to any sports camp program or switch the program.
Camp dates are on Monday to Friday for the following period:
- June 19 – July 7, 2023
Transition
Campers who are currently G1 and Under will be required to have parents, guardians or nannies to be responsible for the camp transition during camps. No transportation, lunch or snacks are provided during camp. Please have kids bring their own water bottle. We no longer provide the paper cups on campus.
Refunds for camp
The reason we would consider a refund is:
- Your child has a medical issue that requires them to stop an activity (documentation is required).
Note:
If the number of students who sign up for summer camp is less than the minimum requirement, the program will be canceled, with refunds issued.
For questions about Panther Activities please contact Khun Bee at panchary@isb.ac.th. For questions about Panther Athletics please contact Khun Fon at punnanuw@isb.ac.th or Khun Ning at walleeb@isb.ac.th.
Summer School – haven’t signed up yet – last call to register
Dear Parents,
If you are planning on enrolling your child in a summer school class and haven’t done so already, please note that we did cancel a number of classes due to low enrollment. Registration for the remaining classes is still open.
Our Summer School dates are Monday, June 19th to Friday, July 7th.
You can get more specific information about each camp, our regular summer school academic program, tuition fees, the sign-up process, etc, HERE
Any questions, please email them to sumdir@isb.ac.th
Summer School – Information for Parents of Registered Students
Dear Parents,
Thank you for joining our summer school program! We are really looking forward to working with your children this summer! We are getting close and are in the process of finalizing our preparations for summer school! By mid-next week sometime, you should be receiving an email from us confirming the class(es) your child(ren) is/are enrolled in. You will also receive information about the first day of school and other things to expect.
For now, any immediate questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at sumdir@isb.ac.th
Footwear rules for 2023-24
As we look ahead to the 2023-24 school year, I wanted to communicate a change that we will be making for MS students regarding acceptable footwear for school, based on our experience this school year.
Much to our surprise “Crocs” seem to have come back into fashion with young people this year. We found many of our students wearing Crocs to school and we made a decision to see whether they would be okay or become an issue at school. Unfortunately, this trial has not worked.
MS students have been wearing Crocs to school and then trying to use them for P.E. and other physical activities. These shoes are not suitable for sport or physical activity and as such are not allowed in PE. (not even in “sports mode” with the strap back, as the students call it). This year, we expected that if a student wore Crocs, that they would bring appropriate footwear for PE and other physical activity. But far too often, they did not. In PE, this forced PE teachers to have them sit out rather than risk injury. This became more and more frustrating as students kept “forgetting” other shoes for PE. During lunchtime soccer or basketball, students were kicking Crocs off (recognizing that they are not conducive to running around) and playing barefoot. As several students learned, this creates injury to the feet, preventing students from physical activity for days and weeks in one case. Students are NOT allowed to play games at lunch and/or in PE barefoot on campus.
All of this takes me to our decision for next year. Crocs will no longer be acceptable footwear for the school day in the MS. If students want to bring them to school and change into them after practice or games in their after school activity, they are welcome to, but they may not wear Crocs (or other Croc-like shoes), flip flops, slides, or other sandals during the school day. Students can wear shoes to school that work for PE and lunchtime activity.
We share this now so that parents understand the school rules before buying shoes over the holiday for the coming year. We hope that this information is helpful for making good choices for purchases for 2023-24.
Return all School Materials
As we near the end of the year, please check with your child on whether they have returned all items belonging to the school. Typically, in MS this might include library books, classroom library books, cameras or other AV equipment, or sports uniforms. These could be buried under other items in their bedrooms.
Most ISB offices/teachers have been reaching out via email to students regarding anything that is missing or overdue. The goal is to have everything back before the end of the term. If you are departing ISB, then the laptop and charger must be returned as well.
In the event that there are any materials or equipment still not returned, ISB will put a “hold” on school documents. That means report cards will not be accessible until all items have been returned or their loss paid for. For those leaving, school documents will not be forwarded to the next school until all school materials are accounted for.