ISExpress - ISE International School

ISExpress
International School Eastern Seaboard
February 24, 2012
Dear ISE Families,
New Faculty
It gives me great pleasure to announce our new teachers for the 2012-2103 school year.
Mr. Ryan McPhee - Elementary and Secondary Physical Education. Mr. McPhee will be coaching in
our MRISA basketball program. He is currently head of PE at the Singapore International School in
Hanoi, Vietnam. He has taught in Coquitam, BC, Canada. He is from Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Mrs. Andrea Waltho - Grade 4. Mrs. Waltho has taught at the Singapore American School and the
International School Beijing. She is from North Carolina, USA.
Mr. Mark Waltho - Elementary and Secondary Band. Mr. Waltho has taught in Singapore as well
as in Chester and Towcester in Northhamptonshire, England. He is from Preston, England.
Mr. Ben Reiber will teach grade 2 next year.
Mrs. Kelley Potisit will teach Kindergarten next year.
Mrs. Cindy Kohoutek will continue to teach music in the elementary school and will also teach
English as a Second Language in the elementary school.
While we will have time to say our “goodbyes,” this will be the last year at ISE for Ms. Margie
Grainger, Ms. Lydia Giannakopoulou, Ms. Min Ae Yang and Mr. Joseph Marchione.
PTA General Meeting on March 7
Mrs. Naro and I will make a presentation on our Middle School Standards Based Report Cards. The
meeting will begin at 8:30 a.m. Please try to attend.
MRISA
I would like to thank all the ISE families who hosted visiting soccer players last weekend. Without
hosting families, at all the schools, MRISA wouldn’t be able to offer all these pleasant events. Please
read more about the MRISA Model United Nations, the High School Basketball and the Middle School
Soccer in this edition of the Express.
Thai College Fair
On February 8th, ISE had 15 universities visit our school. Most were Thai universities offering English
language programs and several were American universities with campuses in Thailand. It was an
excellent opportunity for our students to meet university admissions counselors. I would like to
thank the parents who were able to attend.
Parent/Student/Teacher Conferences
The conferences at the end of the third quarter will be held on Friday, March 9. We will send home
specific information in two weeks, but I’d like you all to reserve this time so you may come to school
with your son/daughter to review your child’s progress.
Sincerely,
Robert Brewitt
Superintendent
Dear Parents,
It is hard to believe that another quarter is almost over. Teachers are preparing for student-led
conferences. You will be asked to come to school to share in your child’s successes and plan for
his/her future. I hope you enjoy your time at school.
ASA’s Second Semester
Please be sure to refer to the ASA booklet on the ISE website for exact dates. The ASA’s have
different completion dates and I would like parents to be informed.
Book Week
Book Week will take place from March 12-16th. Please mark your calendars, as we will have a
number of events happening at school. A highlight of the week will be our visiting author, Chris
White. On Friday morning we will hold a character parade, please feel free to watch. Information
has already been sent home about the events throughout the week.
International Day
Thanks for our best ever International Day at ISE. We enjoyed watching the cultural performances
and eating the International buffet. A big thanks goes to Bill Hartz for his organization of the day.
Student-led Conferences
Conferences will be held on March 7th and 9th this semester. Teachers will send home the
conference letter on March 2nd along with your child’s progress report, please return the letter
confirming your time and date. Remember this is a time for children to share their learning with you.
I look forward to seeing everyone at his or her scheduled conference.
We have a number of school events coming up, please mark your calendars:
February 29th
March 2nd
March 7th & 9th
March 12th – 16th
March 23rd
ES Birthday Table
Dress Down Day
Grade 1 Assembly
Student-led Conferences
Book Week
Grade 2 Assembly
Thanks for your continued support of ISE,
Heather Naro
Elementary School Principal
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Pre-K and Kindergarten Field Day 2012
The Pre-k and Kindergarten students enjoyed a morning of field games and activities on January 27,
2012. Assisted by their teachers, several parents and student volunteers, the children showcased
their motor and thinking skills as they moved from one station to another. Divided into four
different groups with each group composed of Pre-k and Kindergarten students, they went to four
different stations. First, the students displayed their “fishing” skills, scooping from several tubs
different colored rubber balls and putting them in the proper basket by using a small net. At the
next station, they enjoyed pouring and squeezing water from sponges, making bubbles, and playing
with a lot of different items in the water. The children loved the soapy water and making mounds of
bubbly froth while providing great exercise for their small hands. The third station was building
something with the sand, using their scoops and shovels. Some of course did not just build but also
enjoyed burying their feet in the sand! Lastly, the children again had to build but this time with
jumbo blocks. It was wonderful seeing them plan together on what to build and how to go about it
using only the materials available.
After enjoying a water and ice cream break with their parents, the children showed much enthusiasm
and excitement as they prepared to go down the water slide and run around the water sprinklers
that were set-up just for them. We managed to avoid the rain on that not-so-sunny day and the
children enjoyed themselves, as they were able to show their parents that they can work and play
well with others.
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ISE’S International Day
On February 1st, ISE students from all corners of the globe
celebrated their cultural heritage on International Day. The
morning started with students and teachers participating in
the flag parade procession led by the Thai Krong Yao
drummers. Once all twenty-six nationalities were
announced on stage, the cultural performances began. This
year, the countries that were represented on stage were
India, Thailand, Korea, United States, Scotland, England,
France, Venezuela, and Japan. There were a variety of
performances this year, very much appreciated by everyone.
(The participants all volunteered to share their talent so a
special thank - you goes out to those who entertained the
audience.)
After the school assembly, the students in the elementary
had a “country sharing” with another grade level and the
secondary school became more familiar with their peers by
participating in fun field games.
The half day ended with everyone’s favorite event, the
annual international lunch buffet. ISE’s PTA organized the
five star culinary events which offered an assortment of
dishes from the four corners of the world (thanks to parents
who generously prepared their favorite food item for the
luncheon). No one left hungry…just smiles of enjoyment
after the day’s event ended.
The International Day Committee would like to thank all
parents and staff who helped on the day. Special thanks go
to the maintenance department under the direction of Khun
Somporn for assembling the stage and bleachers along with other duties for the all school function.
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Track and Field Meet
Beep! The whistle was blown and the participants took off. It was the starting event in the 7th and 8th
Graders’ track and field meet, which took place on February 10th, 2012. After weeks of training, the
students separated into teams and headed to for the Sriracha stadium for a friendly competition.
Four teams in the 7th grade competed against each other while five teams in the 8th grade
participated in the event. Some events that took place included the 100m dash, long jump and
discus.
It was a fairly cloudy day, which was perfect for the event. Upon arriving at the stadium, teams
warmed up with their team captains, before heading off to their assigned stations to compete in
their individual events. One event that has to be mentioned is the 800m run for the 8th graders. From
the moment the run started, Jong Min Kim and Adounis Cedolin were fighting neck to neck to win the
event. However, it was Jong Min who emerged victorious, with a time of 2:52 while Adounis finished
the race in 2:54.
The most important event of all, however, was the 4 x 100 relay. It was saved for the end of the track
meet, and was the sole team event in the entire meet. Tension was high as four team members from
each team raced around the track, trying to keep their team in the lead. In the end, it was the Red
Shirts, led by Roberto Cardano, who won the 7th grade race in 1:05 and the Universal Unicorns who
won the 8th grade race in 1:04.
Overall, it was an exciting and fast-paced day to wrap up our track and field unit in P.E class, and all
of us hope the event will continue for years to come.
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MUN at UNIS
This past week, February 15 through 19, ISE sent eight delegates from grades 8-12 to attend the
fourth annual UNIS MUN conference. A total of eleven schools attended this conference, over five
separate committees. The team left ISE at 8:00 Wednesday morning, and rose early Sunday morning
to catch a flight back to Bangkok.
A lot goes on in ISE’s MUN club. ISE has attended two separate conferences at Ruamrudee
International School in Bangkok this year, and a select team of delegates also attended a much larger
conference in Singapore, where they not only attended the quite prestigious conference, but were
also afforded the opportunity to explore Singapore and Singaporian culture, which all of them took
advantage of.
The final MUN conference the team will attend will be hosted right here in ISE this March. The whole
of the MUN club will attend, as well as the entire ninth and tenth grade body. However, all are
encouraged to participate. Interested parties should contact Mr. Naro to book their place on this
MUN Saturday.
MRISA Junior Football at ISE
February 16-19, 2012 saw MRISA football return to ISE. All eight MRISA schools were represented as
160 middle school footballers played 40 matches throughout the course of the tournament. The ISE
girls and boys teams combined excellent football skills with true fighting spirit to achieve 3rd and 4th
places respectively. But more than that, the weekend united the whole ISE community in a way only
sport can, and so provided many unforgettable memories for the players, fans, coaches, organizers,
officials, parents and host families alike. Here is how the action unfolded for the ISE teams:
Friday: ISE Boys and Girls both win 2 and draw 1
The ISE boys’ team started quickly in their first game to
defeat NISC, Cambodia 3-1 with goals from Jake, team
captain Roberto and finally Jong Min. Only a number of
great saves from the NISC keeper kept the score from
being much higher. Next came ISHCMC in what
became one of the best matches of the tournament, as
ISE fought back twice to earn a well deserved 2-2 draw.
Jake scored the first from a rebound off the post,
whilst Roberto scored a magical free kick in the final
minute of the game to secure the point. More goals
from Jong Min and Roberto gave ISE a comfortable 2-1
win over a skillful ISPP team in the final game of the day. This gave ISE 7 points and 2nd place on goal
difference behind ISHCMC. In the girls’ tournament, ISE also began strongly with goals from Eun Ji
and Mikki enough for a 2-1 win over SSIS. Then 2 goals from team captain, Sarah Meath, gave ISE a 20 win over VIS. The girls’ final group game was against the superb UNIS girls. Although they lost 5-1,
Mikki’s goal proved to be the only one UNIS conceded in the whole tournament. So as the round robin stage closed on a rainy Friday evening both ISE teams were through to the final 4 and in
position to challenge for the MRISA CUP.
Saturday: Girls third, Boys fourth
The ISE girls were to play their semi final against group B winners ISCMC. It was a close, hard fought
game in cool conditions. The girls came close to the final, but lost 2-0, meaning they would play ISPP
in the 3rd /4th play-off. Here, another Mikki Finch goal gave the girls a very impressive 3rd place finsh.
Well done indeed to all the players and also to their coach, Mr Jones.
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The ISE boys semi-final was against defending champions SSIS. The boys played well , but ultimately
lost 4-1. Perhaps the key moment of the game was when the referee failed to award Roberto’s goal
to make it 1-1. General opinion and a Mr. Meath photo suggest that it was over the line, but the
referee did not have a clear view, so in the absence of goal line technology it was not given. That’s
football! And so to a 3rd /4th plat off with a fine UNIS side. This was a great game of end to end
football where a string of great saves from the UNIS keeper, including a last minute stop from a Nick
Parker shot, consigned ISE to 4th place.
Success on the field was complemented by a similar effort off it as so many people worked so hard to
make this such a memorable tournament. Azman went far beyond the call of duty in leading the
Media Team in providing beautiful visual memories of the event. A huge thank-you must go out to all
who helped make this a tournament to be remembered fondly. So to everyone, from the PTA… to
the host families….to the volunteers… to the ball boys and girls etc etc… THANK YOU ALL.
For the Record
Girls Champions: UNIS Hanoi, Vietnam Runners-up: ISHCMC, Vietnam, ISE 3rd
Girls Plate winners: ISPP, Cambodia
ISE All Tournament Team Star: Sarah Meath
Boys Champions: SSIS, Vietnam, Runners-up: ISHCMC, Vietnam, ISE 4th
Plate winners: VIS, Loas
ISE All Tournament Team Star: Jong Min Kim
5th Graders Operate ISE Post Office
Students in Mr. Hartz’s 5th grade class ran a
temporary “post office” for the elementary school in
February. This enabled all students to learn about
the importance of properly addressing envelopes and
the correct form for writing a friendly letter. All
students in the elementary mailed their letters and
cards to friends in other classrooms. The most
volume of mail processed in one day was on
Valentine’s Day. Even Cupid took advantage of the
post office.
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Fountain of Life Visit
th
On Wednesday, February 15 , some of the student council members, along with Ms. Murray visited
the Fountain of Life. We went there to donate the money we had raised from Walk-a-Thon. I would
like to say thank you to everyone who helped raise money. All the kids appreciate it very much. The
Fountain of Life is a center where unfortunate children can spend time and learn necessary life skills.
There are several teachers who teach the kids a variety of classes. One of the tasks that the Fountain
of Life undertakes is to prepare these underprivileged children for school. Each day, when their
parents drop them off, they are to deposit about 20 baht or so, until they reach enough money to
send their children to school. I think I can say this on behalf of everyone, we had a great time playing
with the kids! They seemed to enjoy our company, and hopefully we can go back soon!
Mook Wongdeethai- Student council President
Keep It Going with IB
It is certainly a busy time with our International Baccalaureate program right now. Our grade 12
students are busy completing internal assessment assignments and handing them in with a sense of
relief. Internal assessment refers to an assignment that is graded by our ISE teachers and then sent to
IB. This is in contrast to an external assessment, which is graded by IB examiners outside of our
school. The IB exams are externally assessed and we are nearing the next IB exam session, which
begins on May 2 and continues until May 22.
I would like to encourage our IB diploma candidates to give a strong effort during the little time
remaining until the IB exams. Two years of hard work with IB will culminate in the exams, so
preparation is critical at this stage in order to optimize the chances of success. I would like to ask our
parents to also encourage the IB students to remain diligent during this final push.
Our grade 11 students are beginning another element of IB: the extended essay. The extended essay
is an in-depth study on a topic of the student’s choice. It is an opportunity for students to develop
research and academic writing skills in preparation for a university education. Students already have
an extended essay handbook and can share it with parents.
Timothy Overacker
IB Coordinator
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“A Parade of Books”
Book Week
March 12-16th, 2012
Dear Parents,
Book Week is coming up in March!
March 12th – March 16th will be a fun filled week with many ways to celebrate reading. The week
with begin with two days of presentations and lessons from our visiting Author, Chris White. Please
visit http://www.authorsabroad.com/authors/profile/chris-white for more information.
Chris will offer creative workshops that motivate, captivate and inspire students to do their best.
Chris had provided both animations and poems for the BBC and was a judge for the “Off by Heart”
nationwide performance contest for schools. He will sign copies of purchased books while he is with
us on Monday and Tuesday.
For Elementary students, we will finish the week a “ Parade of Books” on Friday morning, March 16th.
Your child should come to school that day dressed as a book character from one of his/her favorite
books. Please note that each child will need to come to school on Friday with the book that features
this character. Please brainstorm ideas for the costume with your child. All students will need to
confirm their character choice with their teacher BEFORE March 1st.
Use of recycled materials is strongly encouraged. There are many items that you may already have in
your home that would make a great costume (e.g. sheets, boxes, poster board, clothes) There are
also many ideas on the Internet. Some of the teachers will dress up also. Guidelines were sent home
in Friday folders on February 17th. This will be a fun filled event and parents are welcome to attend
and participate!
Thank you in advance for all your dedication and support in developing a Love for Reading into all our
students at ISE!
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at any time.
Sincerely,
Book Week Committee
Mrs. Garrett
[email protected]
Mr. Pahls
[email protected]
Foyles Book Fair During Book Week
March 14, 15, and 16
Please join us for Foyles Book Fair during Book Week, Wednesday thru Friday, March
14, 15 & 16. There will be many books for all age students!
The location this year will be Room 15 in the Elementary School
John Pahls
K-12 Librarian
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