MIDDLE SCHOOL

Friday Bulletin ISSUE # 07

Weekly Publication for Middle School Parents WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 21 TO 25, 2009

From the Middle School Office

Dear Parents:

Next week all the students will be involved in team building activities and trips. The teachers have been busy planning
numerous activities, and we’re confident that the students will enjoy a meaningful learning experience. More importantly, we
hope to see the students return with a stronger sense of belonging and community, a deeper appreciation for one another,
and a firm commitment to team building.

We are in the midst of a Diaper Drive, which kicked off two weeks ago and will continue until early October. All middle school
students have been challenged to bring in diapers to support Chosen Children’s Village (CCV), which is a residential care
facility for special needs children. Students are encouraged to bring in cloth or disposable diapers (M – XL infant) and
medium-size adult diapers. CCV is one of the organizations through which students can get involved in service learning and
develop as responsible, caring and ethical contributors to the world surrounding them.

This week we were extremely fortunate to have Mr. George Brown, a consultant from Freedom from Chemical
Dependency (FCD) Educational Services, work with our Grade 8 and Grade 7 students. He also met the Grade 5 and
Grade 6 students during a full school assembly. This was Mr. Brown’s third visit to ISM, and we are pleased that we have
been able to build our ties with him and FCD. He talked to the students about holding the key to their success, unlocking
their potential and making healthy, responsible choices. Based on the students’ responses, it was evident that he had a
captive audience; some of the students even remembered him and his message from last school year. Please take some
time to talk to your children about what they might have learned during their sessions this week with Mr. Brown.

Last week we shared in the bulletin the work that is underway regarding the design of unit plans around identified standards.
Part of the curricular work we have undertaken also includes improving our assessment practices. As many parents are
aware, students are graded in the classes of English, Math, Science, Social Studies, Modern Language, PE and Wellness
using an A to F scale. This year it was decided that the exploratory classes of Grades 5 and 6 and the elective courses from
Grades 5 to 8 would use a grading scale of Exemplary (E), Meets the Standard (M) and Developing (D) to identify a
student’s progress in relationship to a content area standard. In the Middle School, we refer to it as the EMD scale. The
rationale behind this decision was to encourage students to explore their interests while at the same time implementing
contemporary assessment practices. It has been brought to our attention that some confusion has arisen when students
and parents see the letter D in PowerSchool. If a student earns a D in an elective course, it does not mean that the student
is close to failing. The D signifies that the student is developing skills and understanding but has not yet attained the
standard. Please keep in mind that learning is a process and that all students need time to master certain skills and
concepts.

Please be advised that the Parent Coffee scheduled for Thursday, September 24 has been postponed. The new date is
Tuesday, October 6 starting at 7:45 A.M.

Sincerely,

Danielle Fredericks Clarissa Sayson

Middle School Principal Middle School Assistant Principal

Upcoming Events PowerSchool Grade Update

October 02 MS Party (Grade 5 & 6) Oct. 02 - Grade Update

03 Service Learning: GK 777
Oct. 09 - MS Progress Reports
06 MS Parent Coffee (7:45 A.M., Little Theater)
09 MS Party (Grade 7 & 8)
10 Service Learning: Chosen Children Village
The Middle School Parent
19 to 20 Parent Teacher Conferences (1:00 P.M., MS Gym)
Coffee is moved from Sep-
23 Filipiniana tember 24 to October 06.
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From the Guidance Office

Rethinking Parenting: How can rethinking our assumptions about parenting help us bridge the gap between what
we do and what we want?

Last year at this time, the PS-12 counseling department introduced Rethinking Parenting as a replacement for Systematic
Training for Effective Parenting (STEP) groups that happened in the past. Based on the overwhelmingly positive feedback,
counselors will be running a similar (not the same) course again this semester beginning Thursday, October 1, 2009, and
finishing on Thursday, December 10, 2009. The group will meet from 8:00-10:00 A.M. in Room 1057.

This 9-session course will begin with exploring your long-term objectives for your children. Through selected readings, dis-
cussions, and activities participants will consider whether what they are doing will help reach these goals. Themes in the
course include effective communication and relationship building. Additionally, this session will consider the topic of anxi-
ety—where it comes from, and how it is perpetuated in our interactions and expectations.

For course registration, please contact Myrna in the Elementary Office. Please note this is a 9 week course requiring regular
attendance and participation. It is not open for “drop-ins”.

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
840 8581
duckworthd@ismanila.org

From the After School Activities Office

Please be informed that there will be

NO After School Activities on Sept. 24
(Thursday) and Sept. 25 (Friday).
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From the Athletics & Activities Office

We still require housing placements for the IASAS Soc-
cer Tournament. Please see letter attached in the Par-
ent Bulletin for details. Please help by housing a visit-
ing IASAS Soccer player.
• RIFA Soccer Festival Boys Midgets C, E, G
teams - 8:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. @ CSA
• RIFA Soccer Festival MS girls, 1:00-5:00 P.M. @
CSA

Friday, September 18: • Varsity Boys/JV Boys and Girls /MS Girls Green
Volleyball @ ISM
• Varsity Volleyball @ Faith
• Midgets A/Aspirants/Varsity Boys Soccer v La Salle September 25-27:
@ ISM
• Varsity Cross Country & Soccer
Exchange @ International School
Saturday, September 19: Bangkok
• Cross Country @ Faith
• Swim Meet @ Brent

Chosen Children’s Village Diaper Drive

The CCV diaper drive is still ongoing. All diapers welcome. Last day of collection will be on Oc-
tober 2nd. Many thanks from CCV to all who have contributed so far. Diapers will be delivered
on October 03.

Please donate your glossy magazines to PCF

WHY?
Glossy Magazines cannot be pulped and recycled like regular clean paper here in Manila so if you don’t ensure that they’re
made into something else… they just end up in a land fill.

WHAT does PCF do with them?

Parents of the school children are employed to make beads out of them which, in turn, get made into jewellery and bags.

HOW does this help families?

The money from the products generates income for them so that they can afford to buy food and clothes for their children.

WHERE?
Collection boxes can be found in ES, MS and HS offices

Thank you for your support!

"Dream the world you want and deserve to live in.

Write it down.
Communicate your vision passionately, as if your life depended upon it!"
(Randy Hayes, Founder of Rainforest Action Network)

www.ism-online.org/gogreen/

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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IASAS Soccer Housing

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Basketball Camp
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