The PTA is the voice of parents on the ISB campus. The PTA welcomes all parents and offers many chances for families to get involved in the school. The PTA Office is located near the HS Cafeteria, and it is open during school hours for the use of any parent or parent group.
The PTA Board includes 11 elected officers. We encourage representatives of the national groups, ISB teachers, and parents to attend the meetings. The PTA Board meets the 3rd Monday of every month at 10:00 a.m. We discuss, share and update information with board members, representatives from the different countries, and Thai representatives. Some of the topics pertain to the budget, funding requests, fundraising events, ES/MS/HS issues, security, food, and transportation.
The PTA President meets regularly with the Head of School, and the ES, MS, and HS Coordinators meet with the principals of their schools, to help assure a good information flow between the parents and the administration. The PTA Secretary, Treasurer, and 1st and 2nd Vice Presidents perform the administrative functions to keep things moving smoothly.
The PTA Board is the power behind many ISB events. Here are just some of the activities the PTA Board organizes for the whole school:
- General PTA meetings: They are held twice a year in October and May. The agenda items involve approval of the budget, voting on changes to the by-laws and a Head of School report.
- Regular PTA meetings for ES, MS and HS Parents: The ES, MS and HS Coordinators organize regular meetings for elementary, middle, and high school parents. Guest speakers are invited to discuss issues of interest, such as; Week Without Walls, Parenting Teens in Bangkok, Third Culture Kids, and Standardized Test Scores, just to name a few. They also update parents on the many activities going on in the individual schools and they aim to strengthen communication between parents and administrators.
- Touchstone – PTA’s News Magazine: The PTA’s Touchstone appears every quarter, packed with news, views, and photos of ISB. Touchstone features regular columns by the Head of School, the PTA President, the Editor, news from the Board of Trustees, Booster Club, High School, Middle School, Elementary Sschool, and announcements of upcoming events. A team of volunteers led by the Publications Officer writes, edits, takes photos, and distributes to all ISB families and staff. TO READ OUR CURRENT ISSUE OF TOUCHSTONE TODAY, click on the weblink above.
- Hospitality: A program for new families is the Welcome Wai Teas. The newcomers meet for presentations on various topics: Medical Issues, Thai Culture, the ABC's of ISB, etc. to allow networking and friendships to develop. The PTA Hospitality Chairs organize many social events that make life pleasant for ISB’s hardworking teachers and staff including a Cookie Day in November and a Staff Appreciation Lunch in the Spring. Hospitality also boosts staff and teacher morale with small tokens from time to time, marks important life events in the ISB community with cards and flowers, and recognizes the hundreds of parent volunteers.
- The International Food Fair: This deliciously popular event is organized by the IFF Coordinators each year. At this one-evening international feast, ISB’s many national groups show off their cooking skills, while the whole community enjoys sampling the different cuisines. Games for the children, shopping, a silent auction, and student performances also enliven the evening. This is the PTA’s biggest fundraiser of the year, and not to be missed.
- Popcorn Sales: PTA volunteers sell popcorn to students on Fridays as a fundraiser and for the enjoyment of the students.
- Country-Sponsored Events: Country representatives are important members who are here to assure the Board has a connection and relationship with the different national communities. They address issues concerning their particular groups, such as tutorials and language classes for native speakers, and also organize an ever-increasing number of activities for the whole school community. In 2004, the Thai Community brought Thai Olympic medallists and a famous traditional musician to meet the students on Thai Celebration Day, and taught children how to make kratongs for Loi Kratong holiday. The Chinese Community regularly arranges a school-wide Chinese New Year celebration, and the German Community has organized holiday baking and crafts for children. The Indian, Latin, Japanese, Korean and Israeli Communities may have other surprises in store for us. Country representation on the Board is flexible and changes from year to year as different national and regional groups organize themselves.
The PTA aims to respond to the needs of the parent community and always welcomes feedback as well as expressions of concern. The PTA can be reached by email or by phone at ISB extension 1140. Or just stop by the PTA office anytime to say hello!
