MIDDLE SCHOOL

Friday Bulletin ISSUE # 06

Weekly Publication for Middle School Parents WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 14 TO 18, 2009

From the Middle School Office

Dear Parents:

This past Tuesday was Open House and we were excited that a large number of parents came to meet the teachers. We
hope you gained some valuable information about your child’s academic program and an insight into life in the Middle
School. If you have any questions about your child’s progress, please feel free to contact your child’s teachers.

One of the school-wide goals this year is to continue work on Understanding by Design (UbD), a framework for writing units
that focuses on backward design, or starting with the end in mind. During the in-service days on Thursday and Friday the
faculty spent their time engaged in curricular work and professional dialogue around unit design, assessment and
instructional practices. One of our goals is to develop a common language together with common practices that support our
aim to continually improve the quality of student learning. Each unit that is taught contains unit understandings and essential
questions. As the year progresses, we encourage you to ask your children about the essential questions they have been
asked to consider and discuss how they are learning and the level of understanding they have achieved.

As publicized last week, consultants from Freedom from Chemical Dependency (FCD) Educational Services will visit ISM
from September 14 – 18. FCD is a non-profit organization that provides substance abuse prevention education for schools
and colleges in the United States and around the world.

Since 1976, they have taught over a million students of all ages. Their mission is to:

• Provide educational communities with the guidance and training necessary to implement comprehensive, effective
approaches to substance abuse prevention
• Educate students, parents, teachers, and school administrators on the physiological and psychological effects of alcohol
and other drugs
• Promote awareness of drug addiction, including alcoholism, as a progressive, chronic and often fatal disease
• Teach students and adults how to recognize the early warning signs of substance abuse and to intervene appropriately
• Empower young people to make healthy, responsible choices regarding alcohol and other drug use
• Encourage and support the non-use of alcohol and other illegal or illicit drugs during the growing years.
A parent meeting on Monday, September 14 starting at 5:30 P.M. in the Little Theater has been scheduled and all
parents are invited to attend. For the duration of their stay, FCD presenters will meet with students, counselors, wellness
teachers and administrators. Based on feedback from last year, we are confident that this program will be a valuable
educational experience for our school community. We hope you will join us on Monday, September 14.

Looking ahead…On Thursday, September 24 we will be hosting a Parent Coffee in the Little Theater starting at 7:45 A.M.
We hope you will join us.

Sincerely,

Danielle Fredericks Clarissa Sayson

Middle School Principal Middle School Assistant Principal

Upcoming Events PowerSchool Grade Update

September 21 School Holiday (Eid-ul-Fitr) Sept. 18 - Grade Update

23 to 25 Grade 8 Overnight
24 to 25 Grade 5, 6, & 7 Overnight Oct. 02 - Grade Update
24 MS Parent Coffee (7:45 AM, LT)

October 02 MS Party (Grade 5 & 6)

03 Service Learning: GK 777
09 MS Party (Grade 7 & 8)
10 Service Learning: Chosen Children Village
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From the Director of Operations & Security

9 September 2009

We have been informed that the Every Nation Building will be holding an emergency evacuation drill on Sep-
tember 17, 2009 from 9:00 A.M. to 10:00 A.M. They will be using the corner of 14th Street and University
Parkway as their evacuation site. We have been assured that traffic marshals will be deployed and access to
Gate 3 will not be impeded.

It is likely that emergency service vehicles will be deployed to the area in support of this activity. They should
not be a cause for concern.

Mike Flynn
Director, Operations & Security

From the Clinic

Dear Parents,

In an effort to maintain frequent communication with the ISM community about the development and impact of
H1N1 influenza on our school community, I would like to reassure you that we continue to monitor sickness and
absence throughout the ES, MS and HS schools. There have been no confirmed cases of H1N1 to our knowl-
edge in the school community and we have seen no identifiable clusters of flu-like illness which may suggest
infection with H1N1. Please keep your children at home if they are ill and any child coming to school with a
fever will be sent home.

Thank you for your continued support.

Best regards from the Clinic.

Chosen Children’s Village

Chosen Children’s Village is home to 80 children with disabilities in Silang, Cavite. This year
the middle and high school CCV clubs are teaming up with the senior class to run the diaper
drive of the century. Diapers of all sizes are needed to help our friends at CCV. We are
pleased to announce that this year, organic biodegradable diapers will be on sale outside of the
canteen September 14th-18th from 11:30 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. The middle school homeroom and
high school class that collects the most diapers will win a dress down day. Grades 5 and 6
should bring their diapers to Ms. Vergel (room 2024). Grades 7 and 8 should bring their dia-
pers to Ms. Stannard (room 3007). High school students should bring their donations to Ms. Hamilton (room
3017). Your generous donations will be accepted until October 2nd.

CONTACT INFORMATION CHANGES?

We’re on the web! Please inform the Middle School Office if you recently changed your contact information
www.ismanila.org (i.e. Home Address, Home/Office Telephone Numbers, Mobile Numbers and Email Ad-
dresses). You may contact us through 840-8550 or 840-8553
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From the Environmental Council

Eco invites you to a community clean up!

Where? Taktak Falls in Antipolo

When? 6.30 A.M.- 2:00 P.M. Saturday, 19th of Sep-

tember.

Meet at the bus, ES playground

How? Collect your permission slip from either the MS

or HS office and return to Ms. Gillman or Mr. Pasamba
by Wednesday, 16th of September.

See you there!

www.ism-online.org/gogreen

Middle School Academic Bowl Tryouts

Tryouts will take place in room P043 (Mrs. Birchenall’s classroom) on Monday, 14th, Tuesday,
15th and Thursday, 17th September from 3:00 – 3:30 P.M. Successful students will represent
ISM at the next Academic Bowl meeting between ISM, Faith Academy and Brent International
School. All Middle School students are welcome to tryout.

If you have any questions or queries, please speak to Mrs. Birchenall or e-mail her at
birchenallv@ismanila.org

From the Athletics & Activities Office

Friday, September 11th
• Varsity/JV Volleyball at Brent (Team Bus departs 3:00 P.M.)
Saturday, September 12th
• MS/HS volleyball at ISM (check game schedule for match times)
• HS Soccer teams boys and girls at ISM (check game schedule for match times)

Saturday, September 19th

• RIFA Soccer festival for C,E,G teams at CSA ( 8:00 A.M.-12:00 Noon)
• FA MS girls festival at CSA (1:00-5:00 P.M.)
• Swim meet at Brent
• Cross Country MS/HS at Faith

Please check Game Schedule on ATAC and school divisional websites for accurate and up to date fixtures for
all sports teams.
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IASAS Soccer Housing

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Basketball Camp
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