ISB News!
Our community is a vibrant, diverse group of students, parents and staff members that each contribute to the life of our school in seemingly endless ways.
We encourage you to read through the news highlights below which provide a brief snapshot of the myriad of achievements, initiatives and happenings that are a part of what makes ISB one of the premier international schools in the world.
At the same time, we invite you to navigate through the tabs on the left of this page where you will find community information and resources.
Friends, Food & Fun: Celebrating ISB's 60 Years
As part of our 60th Anniversary celebration we will be having a special Concert in the "Park" event. Please join us on March 18th for an evening of live music and good food with family and friends in a causal, picnic-style setting. Delicious food will be available for purchase or bring your own food from home.
This event will also double as a fundraiser for the 35th Rajaprajanugroh School - or R35 as it is commonly called. As some of you may know, R35 - which is located in Kao Lak, was destroyed by the 2004 tsunami. The ISB Tsunami Relief Network was instrumental in rebuilding R35 and continues to provide financial support to keep the school functioning for the many students that it now serves. Any and all donations will be welcomed.
Please join us in celebrating ISB's 60th anniversary. The event will take place from 5:00 pm to 7:30 pm. We hope to see you there!
...and about that "Park"... that will actually be our main soccer/rugby field, but for this special occasion we will all just pretend that it is a park:)
Flooding in Thailand and the strength of the ISB Community
The loss of life, property and livelihood that the floods have caused has deeply saddened the ISB community. Although the floodwaters did not reach our campus, the homes of a significant number of our staff were affected as well as the homes of some of our students and their families.
Like in previous crisis situations, the strength of the ISB community has shined through once again. Students, staff and parents have pulled together to help flood victims in a variety of ways. Students brought in donations of dry food, clothing, and other necessities. These donations were sorted and packed by students and by parent volunteers and distributed to those in need.
At the same time, set up a fund called the ISB Flood Rehabilitation Fund. Monies in this fund will be used to support a rehabilitation project, such as the rebuilding of homes or schools.
Approximately 90 ISB staff members were forced to evacuate their homes as a result of the floods. Although the school looked after their immediate needs, we have set up a fund called the ISB Staff Recovery Fund to help them recover and be able to move back into their homes.
The strength of the ISB Community - students, parents, teachers and alumni - in crisis and in calm. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of those affected by the flooding.
Recipes, recipes - do we have a recipe for our 2011/12 school year!
Take the highest number of new students entering ISB in the past 25 years. Mix in (while jumping up and down with joy) the construction of a brand new 50 meter pool. Add (while doing the happy dance) the creation of 5 beautiful new tennis courts. Blend in (while clappin' like there is no tomorrow) the building of a stunning new state-of-the-art gymnasium. Throw in a big, juicy dollop of ISB's 60th anniversary and let simmer, and then slowly come to a boil as the final ingredient - the 2011/12 school year being the last year for our beloved Head of School who has given his all to ISB for more than a decade - is gently sprinkled on this scrumptious offering, an offering that promises to be a delectable school year with new facilities in the works that will give our students the opportunity to reach new heights, and a Head of School who has some final dreams for ISB that he plans to make a reality before he departs. Yummy!
ISB's future Head of School: An ISB veteran
Dr. Andy Davies has been selected as International School Bangkok's (ISB) next Head of School and will begin in the 2012/13 school year.
Dr. Davies began his career at ISB 18 years ago as a high school English teacher. He has since served as high school vice-principal and principal. Two years ago, he began serving as Deputy Head of School for Learning. Along the way he has earned a PhD in international education from the University of Bath.
ISB awarded LEED Gold Certification
ISB's 5 story, 6,700 square meter Cultural Center has become the very first building in Thailand to earn the highly coveted Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold Certificate from the U.S. Green Building Council.
Highlights of the Cultural Center's design and construction include:
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A solar reflective roof
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Occupancy sensing lighting and air conditioning devices
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Naturally ventilated corridors and staircases
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Double-thick external walls and high performance window glazing
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Harvesting of rain water, high efficiency water fixtures and innovative wastewater technologies
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Equipment that has a reduced refrigerant charge minimizing ozone depletion
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Use of building products that are from within the region and that incorporate recycled content
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Building automation systems which monitor energy performance and provide feedback
LEED is an internationally recognized green building certification system, providing third-party verification that a structure was designed and built using strategies aimed at the creation of high performance, healthful, durable, affordable and environmentally sound buildings. LEED for schools addresses: Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, Indoor Environmental Quality, and Innovation in the Design Process.
Additional cutting-edge facilities improve student learning
ISB is proud to now have the only international standard running track in Thailand. ISB's new track is constructed to the highest technical specifications available which provide student athletes with a safe, stable and consistent ground surface designed to achieve optimum performance. At the same time, ISB has doubled the number of high-jump stations that students can utilize, quadrupled its number of long-jump stations, created a pole-vault station and installed 4 additional shot-put circles.
Also new to the ISB campus is an all-weather field which is made of 4th generation synthetic grass. The product, imported from The Netherlands, is known as Greenfield Real FT 35. It is comprised of materials that produce a low surface temperature during peak sunlight hours while also reducing bruising when student athletes slide or fall. Even the drainage system is noteworthy, as it has been designed in such a way that students are able to use the field immediately after a heavy rain.
We invite you to come out and view these new cutting-edge facilities. They are truly amazing!
ISB receives a generous grant from the Office of Overseas Schools
Academic advocacy for gifted children: a parent's complete guide; The ADHD workbook for parents; The Shut-Down Learner: helping your academically discouraged child. These are just a few of the titles of the many books that are now lining the shelves of ISB's main library and the library of the U.S. Embassy's Community Liaison office thanks to a generous grant from the Office of Overseas Schools.
Chevron’s donation lights up students’ world
The phrase, “Lights, Camera, Action,” will have a whole new feel within ISB’s theatre thanks to a recent donation given to us by Chevron. Chevron’s generous donation paid for professional-grade, programmable lighting that our students will benefit from for years to come.
We thank Chevron for their generous support, and invite you to experience our new lighting system during any of our upcoming performing arts events.
