International School Manila For ATTENDANCE concerns,

please contact the HS Office

(Sam Ramos or Laurie Atilano)
Tel: 840 8650 / 840 8653

HS FRIDAY BULLETIN
or email HSOffice@ismanila.org

For GUIDANCE concerns, please

contact Gigi Azarcon and Jasmin
September 4, 2009 Andres Tel:840-8655 / 840-8660

Dear Parents,

I would like to thank the many parents who attended Open House 2009 last Tuesday evening. Certainly
from my perspective it was very successful. I observed many parents “rushing” between blocks as they
tried to find their way to their next class. I even overheard one experienced “Open Houser” say “ yes,
of course, I wore sneakers to Open House so I could run between the classes”! I hope you were all as
equally proud as we were of our Jazz Band, Art Students and Dancers. They really did a fabulous job
considering the short time devoted to practicing their tunes and routines.

I mentioned our mission statement in my speech to Open House, and further narrowed down to focus
on the value of promoting a culture of creativity and “whole child” development. In addition to our ISM
mission statement, core values and student wide goals we also, as a HS division, identify annual
priorities and goals for the current school year. This year we have identified the following key goals:
• Looking for learning in our HS classrooms.
• Curriculum Articulation – embedding Understanding by Design in HS curricula units.
• Implementation of our new assessment policy.
• Implementation of the ISM online word press blog for emergency and class use.
• An ongoing investigation into student balance and or overload.

With these goals in mind ISM will be conducting faculty in-service training next Thursday and Friday,
September 10 and 11. Also next week a reminder about the PTA Bearcat Welcome on Tuesday,
followed by the HS Parent Coffee, in which we will do Power School training. A special invitation is
extended to all new parents to learn how to log in and check your child’s attendance and grades. In the
week starting Monday September 14th we have the Freedom from Chemical Dependency Counselors
working specifically with our grade 9 students. There will be a meeting for all MS and HS parents on
Monday, September 14 at 5:30pm in the Little Theater to hear more about the services and program
that FCD offers to ISM.

This week we had the launch of our club program with Club Expo. Many students signed up for clubs,
councils and activities that they had a perceived interest in. Schools like ISM are rich with
opportunities and activities and I always encourage all students to pursue these activities. However it is
important that students do not overload their busy schedules and that when they do sign up they in
fact turn up and follow through on their commitment to that organization. This weekend has Pre-IASAS
activities and the annual IB Extended Essay retreat, with that in mind it was designated one of our four
“no home work weekends” per year. I hope all students can enjoy the weekend!

Kind regards,

William R. S Brown Michael Dickinson

High School Principal High School Assistant Principal

Page 1 of 5
From the HS Office: From the Guidance Office:

Monday, Sept 7 Tuesday, Sept 8

No Homework Weekend Settling In, Settling Down
10:30-11:30am, Little Theater
Tuesday, Sept 8
IB 2 Econ Commentary DUE Wednesday, Sept 9
7:30am Bearcat Welcome What is PSAT? Why should my son/daughter do it?
9:30am HS Parent Coffee 1-2pm, Little Theater
10:30am Settling In, Settling Down Guidance Activity
Thursday, Sept 17
Wednesday, Sept 9 Bentley University Visit/Talk by Rosemary Kelley
Student Late Start 11:30-12:00pm, Guidance Office
Registration Deadline for SAT I/II for Oct 10
1:00pm PSAT Parent Meeting (LT) Tuesday, Sept 22
Boston University Visit/Talk by Tim Townley
Thursday, Sept 10 2:30-3pm, Guidance Office
No Classes – Faculty In Service

Friday, Sept 11
No Classes – Faculty In Service REPORT CARDS:
For those who have not picked up their Semester 2
Saturday, Sept 12 of SY2008-2009 Report Cards, go the High School
Saturday Service: Club Wild, GK Office to pick them. Thank you.

Grade 11 and 12 Students:

Remember: Please sign in at the HS Office on or before 7:30 am
on days where you have first period study hall for a
Sept 14-18: quick attendance check. If we do not see you by
Freedom Against Chemical Dependency (FCD) Workshop
7:45 am we will urgently call your parents to verify
Sept 14:
your whereabouts.
FCD Talk for Parents (LT) 5:30pm Monday- Block A
Tuesday- Block F
Sept 16: Wednesday – Block C
New Student Roundup Thursday – Block G
Friday – Block D
Sept 19:
ECO Clean Up the World Field Trip (Los Banos) To all the seniors --- please be reminded that you
Saturday Service: PCF
have the privilege of using this period for study time
at home. You may ask your parents to write a
permission letter addressed to the HS Office for this
senior privilege. (email at RamosM@ismanila.org )
Until we get official notice from your parents which
is then verified by the HS Office, attendance will be
checked.

Page 2 of 5
From the Guidance Office: Congratulations!

We are proud to announce that Chia Wei Lu

(Grade 11) won the main event (3x3x3) of the
two-day World Cube Association (WCA)
Philippines Open at Robinson's Midtown last Aug.
29 to 30! He bested a field of about 60
competitors, some who flew in from Thailand
just for the bout. Chia Wei's average in the final
round was 13.30 seconds. Chia Wei joins the list
of international winners worldwide. Take a look
at these great links!
http://www.worldcubeassociation.org/index.php
http://www.speedcubing.com/
http://www.worldcubeassociation.org/results/c.p
hp?top3=Top+3&competitionId=PhilippinesOpen
2009
Congratulations Chia Wei!!!

From the PTA Office:

The ISM-PTA is pleased to welcome everyone to SY 2009-2010!
You are cordially invited to the
PTA Bearcat Welcome Coffee
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
7:30am in the Little Theater
This will be a great way to meet new and returning ISM parents, meet the ISM Administration and many of the international
organizations available for ex-pats in Manila. We look forward to seeing you there. If you have any questions about ISM or the PTA
before that time, please feel free to contact one of the members of the
PTA Hospitality Committee:
Annie Sandor - 09178042258
Celina Maxwel - 09178921028
Lisa Elizalde – 09209704134
Welcome to ISM!

PTA Announcement:
This is a translation for the statements.
한국 학부모님들께
Greetings! Korean all parents for ISM !!!
The new school year 2009-2010 has started.
안녕하십니까?
We would like to invite all Korean Parents to our
2009년도 새 학기가 시작되었습니다. annual meeting. At our meeting, we are going to
지난해의 여러 가지 행사내용을 보고 드리고 올 한해 동안 있을 행사에 대해 report our last year’s activities and discuss about
서로 의논하며, 또한 신입생 학부모님들을 소개하고자 ‘ISM new activities for this year and introduce our new
한국 학부모 정기 총회’를 parents.
다음과 같이 갖고자 하오니 많은 참석 부탁 드립니다.
Please join us and enjoy your time with all Korean
parents.
일시: 2009년 9월 7일(월요일) 오전 9시 30분 Our annual meeting will be held as follows;
장소: ISM Little Theater Date: Monday, September 7, 2009
Time: 9:30am, Little Theater, ISM
한국 학부모 대표 박 남석 드림(635-5418, 0917-531-7972)

Page 3 of 5
From the Clinic: TIME TO SIGN UP FOR THE HEPATITIS A AND B VACCINATIONS
Date Price (Php)

October 7th, 2009 Hepatitis A (Adult) 2249

Hepatitis A (Junior) 1125
Hepatitis B (Adult) 630
Hepatitis B (Junior) 355
Hepatitis A and B combined vaccine (Adult) 2000
Hepatitis A and B combined vaccine (Junior) 1000

(Prices are per individual vaccine in a course of either 2 or 3 vaccinations)

If you would like more information or you wish to sign up to receive any of the above vaccines, please call in at the clinic to pick up a
registration form (next to the elementary canteen). Only people with a valid ISM ID may participate in this program.

PAYMENT FOR THESE VACCINATIONS MUST BE MADE TO THE CASHIER DEPARTMENT BY NO LATER THAN FRIDAY 25TH
SEPTEMBER 2009. VACCINES WILL THEN BE ORDERED AND NO FURTHER REGISTRATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED.

Clinic direct number: 840 8580

Email: clinic@ismanila.org

Many thanks
Debbie Duckworth
ISM Clinic Administrator
duckworthd@ismanila.org Tel: 840-8581

From the Security Office:

Message from the Director of Operations and Security

I would like to thank all those who secured their new car stickers in advance of the deadline of 30th August 2009. For
those small number of people who still need to obtain a sticker, please do so straight away as we are now enforcing the
“no sticker/no entry” rule.

I am happy to observe that the vast majority of family employees and appointed representatives have now obtained the
new school passes (IDs). Those that have not yet done so should be aware that the old IDs with blue borders are no
longer valid and will be confiscated by the guards if used in an attempt to gain access to the school.

Over the last few days we have had a number of incidents of “swerving” or inappropriate lane changing. This practice
can cause traffic congestion and is also dangerous. We ask those drivers coming to ISM to follow the flow system both
within the campus and as they approach the school. In particular, drivers should avoid cutting across lanes.

I ask parents to please remind their employees that they may not remain on campus across the school day waiting for
students. They are only allowed on campus during drop-off and pick-up times. Further to this, they should remain
waiting in the designated waiting areas and not enter into the building or obstruct the entrances to the covered parking
area.

Firearms may not be brought onto campus. If a security escort arrives at school with a weapon they should check it in
with the security guards at the gate. It will be returned at the exit gate. Anybody found in possession of a firearm within
the campus is liable to have their privilege of access to campus suspended.

I am grateful to that large majority of members of the ISM community who are following our traffic management and
security regulations. Those few who are not as yet, I urge you in the interests of us all to do so.

Mike Flynn

Page 4 of 5
From the Athletics Office:

Dear ISM Parents/Students:

IASAS Housing:

The IASAS Soccer housing letter is now available via; parent bulletins, the ATAC office and it has been distributed to our
HS first season athletes via their coaches.
HS Students participating in ATAC activities must house in order to be on a team. This is an expected obligation
and is mandated in the school planner and on the ATAC page of the school website.
Housing visiting athletes is an integral part of the IASAS experience as all of our varsity athletes will be housed
when they go away to tournaments during their HS career. In order for us to ensure we are able to host successful
IASAS exchange weekends and IASAS tournaments we hope that all members of our community who have students
involved in ATAC activities will be willing to house for this fantastic tournament from October 14-18. We require 160
housing placements for our visiting male/female soccer players from the IASAS schools.

Expectations of host familes:

Pick up and drop off of visiting athletes each day to school. Visiting athletes can ride the school bus if that is how
your children get to school.
Provide a comfortable place for athlete to sleep/assist the athlete with laundry of their uniforms.
Provide a breakfast each morning and some evening meals. Athletes will buy lunches at school and may have a
team dinner together.
Be available each evening to receive curfew calls from the athletes coaches around 10pm.
Ensure there is parental supervision at home each evening you are hosting.

Questions will no doubt arise?

What if I cannot house? You have to find a friend who can and get them to sign off on the form with full name, details etc.

What if I am away at the IASAS Volleyball/Cross Country tournament? You still can house as your parents may now
have space in the house. Quite a number of parents housed last year when their children were away at the IASAS Soccer
event in Taipei.

What if I can’t house for IASAS Soccer? You must commit to house for an event. Other options during the year are: Pre-I
Basketball in November and IASAS Art/Music in March. You should indicate on the return slip which event you will house
for and have your parents sign off.

What if I live too far away? Alabang and Merville for example are not too far away! We have had a number of students
housed here at past tournaments. As a general rule we do not want visiting athletes to travel more than 45 minutes to/from
school. Please contact us if you have questions about the travel distance.

“HOUSING FOR IASAS EVENTS IS AN EXPECTATION NOT A CHOICE”

We hope you will support the 28th Annual IASAS Soccer Championships. Our varsity girls will be gunning for a
“THREE-PEAT” and defending the gold medals they have won the past two years and we are anticipating a great
home performance from our boys team as they strive for a medal this year.

If you or your parents have questions please call the ATAC office and/or talk with your coach.

Page 5 of 5