ICS Annual Report 2021 - 2022

Table of Contents

Message from the Head of

Annual

Annual

Message from the Head of Schools Stephen Ladas

When I reflect on the 2021-22 school year, I canʼt help but be extremely grateful for what God brought us all through as a community. We were stretched in so many areas with issues to work through and problems to solve, but we grew stronger as a school because of it. We were able to maintain student learning through the changes that all of our students/teachers endured, and towards the second semester, some normalcy returned to our school hallways, bringing life and joy back into our classrooms.

I also think of the word “sacrifice” as I look back at this year. Starting the year online was not optimal but our teachers, staff, parents, and students were able to adapt to a new online learning system that effectively met the needs of our ICS community. Everyone sacrificed in some way. Our teachers sacri ficed through coming up with online learning plans that would keep students engaged, meeting with individual students via Zoom if learning issues were developing, teaching hybrid throughout the whole second half of the year, and so much more. Our parents sacrificed by having to stay home and help lead their child towards success in learning online and touching base with their child daily to see if they were keeping up with their work, and so much more. Our students sacrificed by once again enduring staying on a computer for hours each day, and trying their best to focus in every given lesson. That was no small feat, but they came out more resilient, more responsible, and more flexible as a result.

I am thankful that we were able to stay open throughout the second semester, even though some students remained online due to COVID protocols. It felt like a very “long” year but at the same time, I am thank ful for the growth we saw in our community. In all trials we find growth, in all problems solved we find better solutions, in all times of trouble we find hope in God, ourselves, and in our community. I thank God for his goodness, that he led us throughout the 2021-22 school year and that students are back walking our hallways each day, learning face to face from their teacher and from connecting with each other. That is what school is all about.

Kathryn Rose designed and installed an irrigation system to increase the agricultural productivity of a community for consumption and to be sold at a market.

Pean helped students and families understand the importance of early identification of scoliosis through an awareness program and an initial school screening system.

Mig supported rural farmers by combining elec tronics and coding to create a “smart” scarecrow to replace the short-term harmful traditional method of chasing birds with firecrackers.

Kaytie encouraged the elderly community at the Ruth Center to use Mandala art as an avenue to improve physical and emotional wellbeing.

May recognized her neighbors and her own lack of preparedness when a community member had a heart attack. Determined to change future outcomes of similar situations, she organized a CPR training program.

Rauhit leveraged his passion for research methodology to help the Ruth Center farm develop a soil improvement plan.

Petch W installed a system for a rural school to both inspire other students in agri culture and improve the nutritional quality of their lunch.

Plearn recognized the strength and mobility challenges faced by bed-ridden elderly, she then empowered other ICS HS students to create DIY exercise bands which she then trained the elderly to use as she distributed them.

Polly applied her understanding of mosqui to-borne illnesses to develop a pesti cide-free mosquito repellent based on readi ly available local plants.

THIS YEAR

Seniors contributed more than 2335 hours on their CSPs, much of this during seasons of COVID uncertainty. A really broad group of communities, and organizations includes:

Adults (farmers, factory workers, office workers or trash collectors) Neighborhoods (often their own neighbors or close to home)

Elderly (Ruth Center Uthai Thani, nursing homes, or other foundations) Kids and education (Local Thai Schools, Construction of Hope, Cherish English Center, BIT)

2022 Focus Industry

Agriculture (fisheries, gardens, aquaponic systems, irrigation systems)

Infrastructure (lighting, safety, community spaces) COVID (relief, and preparation for reopening schools, churches, businesses)

Education (tech skills, reading, supplemental learning for online students)

Health (exercise, mental health, mosquitos, physical therapy)

SPIRIT WEEK

Once we were able to open our doors for face to face learning, we were able to start up after-school activities and sports. We kicked off our seasons with Spirit Week, which celebrated our studentsʼ creativity and marked a welcome celebration of face to face learning again. Our Varsity Volleyball and Soccer seasons began their long anticipated seasons as well as our Swim team. Students had the opportunity to participate in themed dress days which was quite the sight to see. Even teachers joined in on the act.

HIGH SCHOOL

SALT TRIP

Because of Covid restrictions, The HS SALT trips took a significant pivot. The organizing team took us back to the core goals of SALT trips (developing empathy, opportunities for action) and emphasized "launch" ("now what"). Serving others remained a high value though we were limited in our usual travel and group sizes. The outcome was a conference-style event. Day 1 provided students opportunities to be inspired by 2 keynote speakers, to learn from 2 of 15 different part ner organizations, and to participate in 2 of 4 simula tions. Day 2 was all about service. Students were able to choose from 14 different service experiences, 3 of which remained on campus. Trips ranged from support ing COVID frontline workers, to enhancing rescued soi dog shelters, to making a special lunch for kids to deep cleaning a home for vulnerable women.

Day 3 was focused on the future. The goal was to inspire every student to leverage their vocation in service to others. Students caught the vision through our many keynote speakers. The day also gave an opportunity for our ICS students to present about proj ects they organized or ideas on how to fundraise or lead a team. It was so encour aging handing the stage over to our students and seeing them shine!

MIDDLE SCHOOL

SALT TRIP

Middle School SALT Trip 2022 was a week of significance. While our community has faced many challenges over the past two years, our teachers were determined to not lose one of the most important weeks of the school year despite the unique challenges of organising safe trips during the pandemic. Every year, SALT Trip is a week when we see kids rise to leadership, work and display determination, learn and grow compassion. SALT week truly demonstrates the heart of our school. ICS Middle School partnered with iCare Thailand, Chaiyapruek Foundation, Rainbow House, The Way Center, Wat Sa Kaeo orphanage, Inn Train and Abundant Life Home. Prior to SALT trip week, our students participated in a "Give It UP" challenge in which they individually raised money through sponsorships to purchase sup plies for survival packs and food bags that we then packed during service days to be distributed to those most affected by the pandemic in our community. Grade 6 students raised money in a Run-a-thon with A21 to raise awareness of the work this organisation does to combat poverty and human trafficking. Then, during the service week, our students had opportunities to give their time and energy to serve alongside our amazing ministry partners and hear about ways these organisations are serving communities in need.

Our middle schoolers rotated to two or three different service sites over two full service days and then spent the third day of SALT week here at school, participating in simulations, guest speakers, team building activities and reflection journals about their service projects. They planted gardens, painted playgrounds, packed food parcels, cleaned beaches, and created teaching resources.

SALT week 2022 may have looked a little different on the outside, but, on the inside, SALT week 2022 still had the same big heart for loving and serving those around us!

DRAMA PRODUCTION

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

The production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat was simply put amazing in every way. Leading up to the show, the students had to deal with COVID protocols taking students out of rehearsals for 10 days, or rescheduling of practices, and more. It was clear the show had to move on because it was done with excellence, exuberance, and passion. The acting was superb, the set designs were beautiful, and the choreography was dynamic and creative. Mr. Gersom led these students effectively and allowed them the space to complete a massive project together as one com munity. We praise God for the many talents God has bestowed upon our students.

ELEMENTARY MUSIC/ DRAMA PROGRAM

We had a variety of music programs in the 2021-22 school year for the elementary students. Grade 3 did an online musical during the first quarter of online learning, “Journey to Outer Space.” Once back in school, Grade 2 did an instrumental showcase for parents, which was a wonderful experience welcoming parents back to the PAC. In the spring, Grade 3 did a recorder showcase, and in May, Grade 5 held our first annual Elementary Choral Concert. This choir concert was the highlight of our elementary music program and was a wonderful afternoon of beautiful music.

BAND/ORCHESTRA CONCERT

Thankfully, in the 2nd semester, we were able to hold our first live, face to face concert in over 2 years. Mrs. Saara and Mr. Cody prepared their students to complete a heartwarming performance which wowed the audience through each passing song. The stage was filled to the brim during the last song as the HS band and HS orchestra classes combined to play a beautiful piece. Online learning and COVID protocols couldnʼt stop our students from performing a live streamed performance shortly before Christmas as well.

SENIOR CARNIVAL

Due to a long online learning period at the start of the 2021-22 school year, our seniors were counting down the days we would be able to return to face to face learning so that they could host their annual Senior Carnival for the whole school to enjoy. The Class of 2022 showed flexi bility and ingenuity as they had to plan a completely different structure to the carnival, only having the ability for small groups to come to enjoy the festivities every hour. It was a tiring day for all involved but well worth it. It allowed the whole community to once again feel a glimpse of normalcy after a 5-6 month stretch of online learning.

THAI DAY

There were crowds numbered in the hundreds sur rounding the courtyard at the front of the school during the Thai Day festivities. It was an eclectic celebration of the rich, vibrant, and beautiful culture that we are all experiencing here in Thailand. Our students and teachers worked tirelessly to make the event come alive with an array of different songs, dances, and activities.

THE ARTS

At ICS, we do our best to create avenues that have the potential to showcase the talents our students exhibit across every area. Art is no exception as the Community Arts Forum showcased striking pieces of artwork throughout the year from our youngest K4 budding artists to our HS AP art students.

ICS SHOEBOX DRIVE

Nothing could prevent our Middle School and Elementary students from participating in the annual Christmas Shoebox Drive, even with much less time to prepare due to our late return to school in the first semester. Thousands of boxes were pre pared, assembled, wrapped, and taken away to various ministries across Bangkok. Our students are responsible citizens.

CAPS FOR CURE

Covid protocols, mask wearing, social distancing and the like didnʼt stop us from once again raising awareness and funds for childhood cancer across the globe. Our students were ecstatic to be back at school in December and to wear a hat for Caps for Cure.

ICS GOT TALENT

ICS students left audience members in awe as new talents were revealed at the Student Council sponsored ICS Got Talent event. Amidst all of the COVID protocols, the school was still able to move forward with two shows exhibiting the vast array of gifts our students possess here on our campus.

IN NOVEMBER BACK TO SCHOOL

After working tirelessly to get the school ready and prepared to finally open our doors, we welcomed back students in November of 2021. After the longest layoff we have ever had, it was truly a breath of fresh air to see and hear “life” back on our campus.

NIGHTTIME ZOOM EVENTS DURING ONLINE LEARNING

Midnight with the ICS Middle School Night Owls Program and a live interview with Rick Riordan! What an amazing opportu nity our students had to join schools around the world at this live event and hear what inspired Mr Riordan to become a writer. We had over 80 students in attendance! Thank you Mr Peter and Mr Chris for helping Mrs. Karen to host the event. Another “Night Owl” event allowed 68 of our middle school ers to log into a virtual field trip with Mr Chris and Mr Stephen hosting a live Q&A with astronomer, Munazza Alam, in Cambridge, USA. Our ICSMS students asked many ques tions and really enjoyed learning a lot from the answers!

THE PRIME MINISTER’S SCIENCE AWARD

Two of our senior students, Plearn and Polly, went to display their research at the National Science and Technology Fair and received the Prime Minister's Science Special Award sponsored by Bayer Thai Co. in collaboration with the German Embassy. It was a great experience for both of them to be able to present their work to Bayer Thai and H.E. Mr. George Schmidt, the German Ambassador to Thailand. An article about this was featured in the Bangkok Post as well.

PPE KEEP COVID-FREE EVENT

The ICS Student Council decided to undertake a massive community service project in order to help frontline Covid workers. They set a very large goal for this project and they needed a huge amount of community support to achieve these goals! It was great to see the Student Council focused on support ing communities in need during a time like that. Hun dreds of members of our ICS community banded together to deliver 50,000 pairs of leggings to 50 Public Hospitals all over Thailand.

COLOR WHEEL PROJECT

Due to the success of our MS leg covering project a doctor from Prayathai Hospital contacted our students about the Counting Wheel Project and the need for it in hospitals. So our students made prototypes from recycled items in their homes and more kids were able to join in the project. Grade 8 students who joined the project were Pai, Jap, Totto, Benjamin, Fonda, Frank, Faybua, Punn, Kum, and Jane. They made 200 DOI Counting Wheels and gave them to 30 hospitals around the Bangkok area.

HS BANQUET

We were able to hold a High School banquet for the first time in three years and the students soaked up every minute of joy that came along with it. The students took beauti ful pictures together from a rooftop terrace and dressed up in dazzling attire. Giving students that opportunity to finally gather together out of the confines of the school walls was a blessing for all of them.

4B LEGEND PROGRAM

4B legends is a leadership training opportunity for Grade 5 students. Students from each home room were nominated by the homeroom teachers to support the 4B program (4Bs is the common language and expectations for behaviors and attitudes throughout the elementary division). In the weekly chapels, the 4B legends creatively remind the elementary students of 4B expectations by giving examples and recognizing classes and students who have demon strated 4B behaviors. The 4B Legends program also coordinates with a Grade 5 writing unit focused on everyday (servant) leadership.

5TH GRADE

MOVING UP CEREMONY

For the first time ever, our 5th graders were able to celebrate moving up to Middle School during the last week of school. They created graduation caps, Mrs. Doni took time to honor them during the flag ceremony, and all parents were extremely excited to take pictures of the eventual ICS Class of 2029.

MS EAGLE AWARD PROGRAM

"Service. Skill. Wellbeing. Leadership.” These are the four core goals of the new Grade 8 Eagle Award Program. The new ICSMS Eagle Award Program was intended to recognise Grade 8 students who throughout the course of their final year in middle school pursued improvement goals in these core areas for the betterment of their future and our community. Remarkably, we had 23 students complete the full program by June 2022. Students chose a skill goal (such as learning a musical instrument, a new language, a STEM project etc) as well as a physical well-being goal (athletics, sports, exercise targets) and even completed a service project alongside com munity organisations in the final months of the program. The ability to pace themselves through long-term goal setting, collect evidence, meet deadlines, and attend quarterly check-in sessions with mentors will, no doubt, prepare these Grade 8 students for the skills needed in high school and beyond.

NEW HIGH SCHOOL CLUBS

Innovation Spark Club (InSpark): The Inno vation Spark Club is a club with a mission to promote innovation, out-of-the-box thinking, technolo gy, and creativity at ICS. Apart from creating informative educational resources, the club also provides outside company visit opportunities as well as competitions to showcase innovation and technology applied in real life (e.g. AIS Innova tion Center visit, InSpark Olympics, InSpark x AIS E-Waste bins).

ICS SWENext: The ICS SWENext Club (Society of Women Engineers) has a mission to empower those in the science and engineering fields and encourage more female MS and HS students to be involved in these fields. SWE, the organization that this club is associated with, is an international educational and service organization with a mission to empower women to achieve their full potential in careers as engineers and leaders. So far, their activities have included a fundraising event selling science experiment kits they made to sponsor the education of young women in the CCF foundation, an interscholastic Women In Leadership Seminar with guest speakers like the founder of Grab Thailand and K-Bank CEO, and hosting the first ever HS-led Engineering/Rube Goldberg Machine X-Block for MS students.

ICS GoBabyGo: The ICS GoBabyGo Organization aims to build electric toy cars for children who are suffering from physical disabilities that take away their ability to walk. The project was first begun by the University of Delaware and they started a chapter at ICS in order to help promote and offer opportunities for other high school students to be able to participate in this project. So far, theyʼve restructured and modified two cars and have recently donated them to the Baan Fueng Fah Orphanage for Disabled Children.

Average years of tenure for all ICS faculty and staff

CURRICULUM

Surveyed parents who agree the time spent at ICS is preparing their child to be successful at the college or university level

Surveyed parents say their child feels a sense of community and belonging at ICS

ICS BKK MAP SCORES

The MAP Growth Tests confirm the achievement and academic growth of ICS Bangkok students in Grades 3-8. These adaptive computer-based tests are taken by more than 4 million students each year in the United States and globally. The ICS Bangkok average achievement scores are consistently above the average scores for international school scores global ly–in Mathematics, Reading, and Language Usage. The growing ICS scores from grade to grade confirm our partnership between teachers and parents supports our studentsʼ academic growth from year to year.

Comparison of MAP Scores - Semester 2, 2021-2022

ATHLETICS

Badminton

BMAC (Bangkok Metropolitan Athletic Conference)

Varsity Girls - 2nd Place

Varsity Boys - 2nd Place

JV Girls - 1st Place

U14 Girls - 1st Place

U12 Girls - 1st Place

U11 Girls - 1st Place

JV Boys - 3rd Place

U14 Boys - 3rd Place

U12 Boys - 3rd Place

U11 Boys - 3rd Place

Volleyball

NIST Tournament

U11 Boys - 3rd Place

U11 Girls - 3rd Place

Varsity Boys - 3rd Place

Varsity Girls - 3rd Place

ICS Tournament

U11 Boys - 3rd Place

Varsity Boys - 3rd Place

Football

BPS Invitational (Bangkok Patana School)

U11 Boys - 2nd Place

BMAC (Bangkok Metropolitan Athletic Conference)

U12 Boys - 2nd Place

U14 Girls - 3rd Place

ISB Invitational (International School Bangkok)

U12 Boys - 1st Place

ICS Tournament

Varsity Boys - 2nd Place

Varsity Girls - 1st Place

TriSport Tournament

ICS - 2nd Place

Track & Field

BMAC (Bangkok Metropolitan Athletic Conference)

400 Meter Clarisse Hayden 2nd place 1:09

800 Meter Clarisse Hayden 3rd 2:40

Swimming

ISB Splash

1st Place (Male & Female)

50 Freestyle, 100, Freestyle, 400 Freestyle, 100 Backstroke, 50 Breaststroke, 400 Individual Medley, 100 Breaststroke

2nd Place (Male & Female) 100 Freestyle, 200 Individual Medley, 50 Butterfly, 100 Butterfly

3rd Place (Male & Female)

100 Backstroke, 50 Breaststroke, 50 Freestyle, 100 Freestyle, 100 Backstroke,100 Individual Medley

Udon Thai Campus

THAI DAY

Opening a new school in the midst of a global pan demic is no small feat. Yet, in year two of our brand new school, our Udon campus grew by 25 students.

This was amidst major lockdowns in Thailand, borders being closed for some time, and hefty travel quarantines in place for people coming into the country. All those hurdles didnʼt stop our Udon teachers and staff from serving their students each day in the classroom. The first several months were filled with online learning and virtual meetings, but towards the middle of the 2nd semester, some normalcy returned. For the first time ever, through the hard work and dedication of our Thai teachers, we were able to host a Thai Day celebration which brought together the whole community. Breathtaking performances, tasty food, handwriting competitions, and much, much more lifted the spirits of everyone in attendance and made us so glad to be serving in the great nation of Thailand.

Udon Thai Campus

AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES EXPANDED

We were proud to see our after school activi ties on our Udon Thani campus continue to expand in year two. A loving and caring community is being formed at ICS Udon Thani and much of that is due to the dedica tion of our teachers who often go the extra mile in ensuring ICS continues to grow in all areas. That was reflected in the after school badminton, swimming, running, soccer, volleyball, and social studies programs.

Udon Thai Campus NEW MANDARIN CLASS

Mandarin is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world so it was a blessing to offer our students the opportunity to learn from Mrs. Cissy all school year. Adding this language to our curricular program in year two gave our students an opportunity to experience the depth and richness of the Chi nese language and culture.

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION VISITS ICS UDON THANI

The MOE in the district where our campus is located came to visit ICS Udon in the month of May and were extremely impressed with the educational system we have set in place in Udon Thani. They expressed a desire to grow in their rela tionship with us and eventually use ICS Udon as a right “model” for education in the region.

ICS UD MAP

SCORES

The MAP Growth Tests provide insight into the achievement and academic growth of ICS Udon Thani students. These adaptive computer-based tests are taken by more than 4 million students each year in the United States and globally. In Grades 3-12 at ICS Udon Thani, both achievement and growth provide helpful insight into individual student progress. Reported results for Grades 3-8 celebrate the growing English profi ciency and complexity of skills students apply each day at ICS Udon Thani with aver age achievement scores above the average scores for international school scores glob ally–in Mathematics, Reading, and Language Usage.

Comparison of MAP Scores - Semester

IMPROVEMENTS

IMPROVEMENTS

New Engineering Program

FINANCES YEARLY EXPENDITURES

Growth of Income vs. Expense School Year 2021/2022

As one of the very few non-profit international schools in Bangkok, it gives me great pleasure to always be able to share that all money received from tuition and fees goes right back into furthering our vision here at ICS, "to continuously excel as a Christ-centered learning community." Just as is in the case in most schools, a large percentage is spent on the salaries and benefits of our staff and teachers. Our staff/teachers stay on average of eight years at ICS and that is why we are able to build such a strong foundation of "community" here. We continue to seek out areas of improvement in our facilities and programs each year, while maintaining tuition rates that are almost half of some other international schools. We do all of this while seeing our students growing in mind and heart each day as well as achieving some of the best test/university results in all of Thailand. We are grateful to our whole parent community for showing trust in the ICS education.

Growth of Income

Message from the ICS Board

Dear ICS Community,

We are humbled by our opportunity to serve the ICS community, students and parents by continuing to guide the school towards its vision, which is to continuously excel as a Christ-cen tered learning community. We say "continuing to guide," because over the years we have born witness to the many and varied ways that following this vision has already produced fruit in the lives of students, parents and staff alike.

Jesus tells us to love in the same way that he loves us. From the teachers who so often go the extra mile, to students who pour their heart and soul into their work, to parents who care deeply about the kind of learning environment their children are in -- we say thank you. ICS's core values of Biblical Truth, Christ-centeredness, Love, Growth, Community, Integrity and Respect are a foundation on which we can stand firmly.

As a community, we can withstand fears, frustrations and global pandemics when we stay true to our vision and show the love we have for one another. Let us continue to build on this strong foundation as we set our sights to the future!

Suzie Person ICS Board Vice-Chairperson

But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.