Spring 2017, Vol. 2
ISB’s Next Head of School: Joe Santos What made you want to become a Head of School? I grew up in Gibraltar, which is a small British Overseas Territory off the coast of Spain. I remember being in high school, 15 years old, and we had the opportunity to do a 2-week mini internship. I was able to choose one thing, and I chose teaching. I really enjoyed the experience, but I didn’t know then that I would definitely become a teacher. What I did know, even then, was that whatever field I went into, I wanted to do my best, and that if I did go into teaching, I wanted to become a Head. When I started my career teaching in 1988, I always thought that I would be a Head someday. Life, family, and other things made my career progression toward this goal take a backseat from time to time, but it was always something I kept working toward. I was not the kind of person who sought the limelight, but I have always been willing to step up when I was needed. When I was in university, my friends were part of forming a student union, and I went to a few meetings with them. When it came to doing the hard work of getting the organization off the ground and no one wanted to do it, I stepped up. I said, “This is a good idea, and we can’t just let it die just because no one wants to do the work.” I was always willing to step up and work to get things done.
How does your family feel about your becoming HOS? I have two children: Stella, 5, who is here at ISB, and Henry, 9, who is in 4th Grade at PS 9. Henry is looking forward to coming to ISB in Middle School; it will be fun to have
both of them here. They’re proud of me, though Stella is too young to really understand. Henry is excited, but he’s a little disappointed that he won’t have me as a Middle School science teacher. I’m a little sad about that too - I love teaching and I hope to be able to spend some time in the classroom in my new role, albeit not in the same way as I do now. My wife Shellee is happy too. She loves this community and looks forward to having both of our kids here. During my first year at ISB, Shellee came to International Feast. She saw everything and everyone, and she said to me, “This is really an international school. We belong here.” She works at an international school herself, and she really appreciates how authentic and down to earth our community is.
Do you have any personal heroes? I don’t have any people who are my heros per se, but I have really appreciated some of my colleagues over the years. At my first job, I learned so much from two of the department heads, and they became my best friends while I worked there. They had completely different teaching philosophies, but they were both great. I find myself thinking sometimes, “What would Tony do? What would John do?” They are both Heads of School now, and whenever I am back in the UK, I try to meet up with them. I have learned a lot from the people I worked with over the years, including, of course, Rebecca.
Do you have any other hobbies or interests? Reading. Before I went on the Costa Rica trip, I was reading Road to Valor, which is about Italian cyclist Gino Bartali, who helped people being persecuted by the Nazis escape. However, I forgot my book at home, so when I was at the airport, I picked up a young adult book called Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. In general, I like fantasy/fiction, ones that let my imagination run wild. I love reading, and books are an escape for me. Aside from reading, I love walking - I adore walking. I like hiking in nature. This year, I managed to take Stella on a 6 mile hike - I am very happy that she’s getting old enough to take long walks with me. In the past, I have enjoyed scuba diving and horseback riding.
Do you have any plans for the summer? Italy. It’s our first big holiday since Stella was born. Holidays for us are usually just going back to Europe to visit family, but this time we are spending two weeks in Italy, one in Gibraltar. My son loves history and mythology, and we are going to visit Rome, Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Florence. Later in the summer, we will spend a week camping as a family in Maine, rock climbing, horseback riding, making fires - like Frost Valley times ten!
What’s something that people might not know about you? When I left Gibraltar, I had to change the way I spoke Spanish, otherwise no one would have been able to understand me! The dialect in Gibraltar is a combination of Spanish, English, and Genoese. When the British came to Gibraltar, the Spanish shipwrights all left and shipwrights from northern Italy came in, giving us our unique dialect, Llanito. Llanito is almost unintelligible to anyone outside of Gibraltar, so I have to speak castellano now.
Congratulations to Joe Santos and his family on his appointment! We look forward to welcoming him as ISB’s 2nd Head of School starting on January 1, 2018, and as Head of School Elect beginning on July 1, 2017.
Do you have a personal philosophy? I would say I think it’s important to look for solutions to problems and not to be afraid of failure. I don’t like failure, but I am not scared of it - you can’t be scared of it. Sometimes you need to take risks, calculated ones. I am not a gambler, so if I take a risk, I’ve done my homework; it’s calculated. It’s the kind of risk-taking that has led me to live and work in so many countries and to take on challenges.
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ISB Hosts the North American Finals of the Ambassadeurs en herbe Debate Competition by Constance Dubois & Amina Maine, ISB Faculty On April 3rd and 4th, 2017, ISB hosted the Ambassadeurs en herbe North American regional finals, a debate competition among French schools from around the world. 40 students from eight different schools in North America participated in the regional finals. Participating schools included: Lycée Rochambeau of Washington, D.C., Lycée Claudel of Ottawa, Collège International Marie de France of Montreal, Lyceum Kennedy of New York, Collège Stanislas of Quebec City, International School of Broward (Miami), Lycée Francais de Toronto, and our very own International School of Brooklyn. The ISB students who participated on ISB’s team first went through a selection process in their classes. After students volunteered, we ran debates in the classrooms to select the finalists for each class and role (the roles included three orators, one mediator, and one moderator). ISB students Elsie M. (5th Grade), Samuel L. (7th Grade), Elea B. (7th Grade), Annabelle J. (8th Grade), and Athena Y. (8th Grade) were chosen through this process to represent our school in the regional finals.
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For this stage of the Ambassadeurs en herbe competition, students from the eight schools met and debated about this year’s topic, “Media literacy.” During the event, students came together in groups of five, and each student had a specific role to play within their group. Each group had three orators, who would repond to the questions; one moderator, who would lead the debate and ask questions to the orators; and one mediator, who would summarize the content of the debate. This kind of project presents a great opportunity for students to practice their language, debate, research, and critical thinking skills around current issues. ISB participated for the first time in the Ambassadeurs en Herbe competition last year and sent one student to Paris to participate in the finals. This year, we were very excited to send another of our students, 8th Grader Annabelle J., to represent our school on the North American team in Paris at the world finals of the competition. Congratulations to Annabelle and to the other students selected for the North American team! The final round of the debate took place May 9th to May 11th at the Comité National Olympique et Sportif Français and the Conference Center of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development. The debate was on the theme of “Olympic Spirit.” A video of the ISB-hosted round of the competition is available on the blog at isbrooklyn.org/2017/04/ambassadeurs-en-herbe-north-american-regional-finals. 5
Letter from the Head of School Dear ISB Community, The another wonderful year at ISB has come to an end. The music concerts and art show are over, and both the Lower School and Middle School field days were fun and successful. On Friday, June 16, our third group of 8th Graders, the ISB Class of 2017, became graduates.
I am amazed at all of that we accomplished this year in working with our students and in growing as an institution, and I thank all of you for being a part of this community. We have so much to be proud of at ISB. As we say farewell for the summer, I wish you all the best for a fun and enriching next few months, whether you are staying local or exploring new cities. I look forward to welcoming the students back in September for the start of ISB’s 13th year and for the start of my last semester at ISB. Sincerely, Rebecca Skinner Head of School and Co-founder
As we get ready to start the summer, I want to take a moment to share important and exciting updates on some of the initiatives we worked on this year. French and Spanish Accreditations We received the double good news that our applications for further accreditation by the French and Spanish Ministries of Education were both approved! Congratulations and many thanks to the Language Coordinators, Division Directors, and Faculty who were a part of this accreditation process. We can now say the following: ISB is accredited by the French Ministry of Education for Nursery-3rd Grade. ISB is accredited by the Spanish Ministry of Education for Nursery-8th Grade. The ISB Annual Fund for Excellence This year’s fundraising efforts have been a big success: we have raised over $248,955 for the ISB Annual Fund for Excellence. This total has been raised through our fall and spring ISB Annual Fund for Excellence fundraising efforts and through a range of events and initiatives, including Pecha Kucha, the Cameraperson film screening, La Fiesta de la Primavera/La Fête du Printemps, and the ISB Ribbon Project. Additionally, this year, the parents of the Class of 2017 began a new tradition, a legacy gift in honor of the graduating class. As a group, they have raised funds to replace the dying tree in the front of school (on Court Street) with a new one. This will be a lasting tribute to the Class of 2017. Bravo! Strategic Planning Task Force and Diversity Task Force This year, the Board of Trustees created two task forces, which were each charged with undertaking one of two initiatives: 1. a strategic planning process to identify ISB’s major focus and initiatives for the period of 2017-2020, affectionately named ISB Vision 2020; and 2. an in depth review of our Diversity Statement and a reflection on our diversity initiatives. Both task forces gathered input from various stakeholders – students, staff, parents, committees, Board members – in a variety of individual and group formats. In the late winter and early spring, all of the gathered data was reviewed, and the broad strokes of a new strategic plan, as well as a draft of a new diversity statement, began to take shape. During the months of April through June, the Board of Trustees shifted their focus to the important work of choosing a new Head of School. Now, during the summer months, the task forces will resume work with the goal of presenting their final work to the Board of Trustees for approval in September. 6
Staff News & Notes Lauren Cantor, ISB English Language Coordinator and 5th Grade English Head Teacher, has been awarded a Fulbright Scholarship for “Exploring the Diverse Culture and History of Thailand”. This scholarship will provide the platform to enhance her curriculum through a culturally-rich lens. Through this seminar, Lauren will further her understanding of Thai culture through guided exploration of government offices, palaces, schools, museums, and temples. She will have the opportunity to explore the diversity in Thailand’s land through visiting places such as Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Sukhothai, and Ubon Ratchathani-Burirum. Through interactive sessions, this seminar will provide opportunities to meet and learn from local community members, policymakers, key figures, academicians, and American Fulbrighters working in Thai schools. Additionally, she will have the opportunity to participate in hands-on workshops to learn about cultural beliefs and practices that have been passed down from generation to generation. Upon completion of this seminar, Lauren will embed a project within her curriculum to enrich students’ knowledge of Thai culture. Her hope is to give students a clearer sense of the uniqueness of Thai culture in relation to the other cultures of Asia. Matt Stokes, ISB Mathematics Department Head and Middle School Mathematics and Science Teacher, will be attending graduate school in the Fall. He was admitted to Fordham University’s MSE program in Educational Leadership, a program that prepares students to become school leaders. We are delighted that he will be able to continue working full-time at ISB during his studies. This spring, Jessica Chalmers, ISB French Kindergarten Head Teacher, received her MA in elementary education (Professional Certification in Elementary Education) from Teachers College Columbia University. Her thesis was on the topic of “Meditation and mindfulness in the classroom and how this affects students academically and as a group.” 7
Day 2 Today we started the day by catching the school bus that took us to the Cloud Forest School/Centro de Educación Creativa. Once there, we joined the lower school for their circle time, a routine to start the week. During this time, announcements were made, students shared their news with everyone, and we were welcomed to the community.
Dispatches from the 7th Grade Trip to Costa Rica
After this, we had an extensive tour of the school, including a special performance from a 3rd grade class. Our guides were very informative and told us about the history of the Cloud Forest School. The school was created by a group of parents who wanted their children to be brought up in a bilingual environment (sounds familiar!). The school also has an environmental and sustainability mission, with the students’ taking part in the rehabilitation of the forest. The students also learn to farm and take care of their own vegetable patches. The highlight of the tour was a walk through the reserve, where we first heard and then saw a troupe of howler monkeys. Other large animals we saw today included turkey vultures, emerald toucans, and wild turkeys found high up in the trees.
This year, the 7th Grade Spanish Language Acquisition class headed to a new destination for their field trip abroad. In the past, the 7th Grade Spanish Language Acquisition class has visited Puerto Rico, and this year’s students were thrilled to make ISB history as they headed to Monteverde, Costa Rica! The students were chaperoned by Assistant Head of School Joe Santos and Middle School Teachers Sara Fernandez Valladarez and Hined Haida. These are their stories...
Day 1 We have had a fabulous first day. We woke up to very unexpected blue skies and made the most of the wonderful weather. We started the morning by going to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Nature Reserve, where we spent close to three hours hiking through this amazing protected area. The plant life was exuberant and our guides proved to be very knowledgeable. We saw the very rare resplendent quetzal, coatis, and abundant invertebrate life. The kids really enjoyed being in a wild and untouched tropical space, something which many had never experienced before. At a hummingbird garden, they ate the packed lunches made by their host families. The students had the chance to be very close to the hummingbirds and were impressed by their amazing coloration and aerobatics. During the last part of the trip, we visited the best cheese and ice cream factory in Costa Rica (so they say!), where the students all had an ice cream or a gigantic milkshake. We then dropped off the students with their host families, and we were able to chat and get to know them. The students all reported having enjoyed their time with the host families, playing with younger siblings, taking walks with them in the area, tasting the traditional food, and with one family, even helping milk their cow! 8
Just before lunch, two of the host moms led a cooking class for the students, teaching them to make empanadas, a typical Costa Rican dish. All the students loved the process but loved eating the empanadas even more (this group likes to eat!). During their lunch break, our students joined the middle and high school students for recess and played soccer and basketball with their new friends. In the early afternoon, as rain threatened, we moved into a classroom where Sara and Hined introduced the week’s Spanish Language Acquisition project: creating a newspaper of our visit. As the school day neared its end, we broke again for recess. We enjoyed ourselves so much that we lost track of time, and a staff member had to come to fetch us so we would not miss our bus! We said goodbye to our students, all of whom had beaming faces as they boarded the buses with their host siblings. 9
Day 4 Day 3 How does spending two and a half hours up in the tropical forest canopy, zipping from tree to tree sound? Fantastic, right? Well, that’s just what we did this morning! Every single student completed the entire course of 13 zip lines, with the longest being 1 km long! It was an amazing experience for all. The students also had the opportunity of completing the “Tarzan” swing, which was quite a challenge.
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We woke up to sun today, and so the first thing we did with the kids was… put on the sunscreen! Today was the much anticipated trip to the coffee and chocolate hacienda. The tour did not disappoint! Our guide, very aware that our students speak and understand Spanish, involved them in many of the explanations and discussions of how coffee and chocolate are produced. Clearly, the favorite part of the tour was when we helped make chocolate - because straight afterward, we got to eat it!
Later, back at school, we continued with our newspaper project. Our students showed high degree of creativity, and we are looking forward to seeing the finished product.
When we returned to the school, we gave the students an extra long break, as they were thoroughly enjoying playing soccer and basketball with students from the school (the PE teacher was kind enough to include us in the PE class).
We ended the afternoon with an introduction to our community service project. Over the next few days, we will be preparing to complete a reforestation project. Each student will have the opportunity to plant a tree in an area designated for ISB. We will attach tags with our names to the trees and in future years, as other ISB groups visit, we will be able to monitor the growth of our little forest in Costa Rica. The students are very excited about the prospect of leaving their mark here!
Then came the second highlight of the day, joining the 4th grade for a music class. Our students joined the 4th graders in song with much gusto. They also treated us all to two songs which they had practiced on the bus. The class ended with everyone joining in dancing to Justin Bieber (a dubious choice, but then again, the teachers were not allowed to choose!). Everyone is back with their host families now enjoying their second to last night.
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project. The students were divided into two groups, and one group worked with local students helping them fill bags with dirt to be used for planting seeds, while the other group created the signs for our tree planting area. We ended the day by working on the second part of our newspaper: the interviews. The students were asked to think of questions in Spanish that they could ask to their host families in order to get to know them a little better. The students will be interviewing them this evening, and tomorrow they will be presenting their answers in class (yes, they have homework to do this evening!).
Day 5 Today we completed the fifth chapter of our Monteverde adventure. The day began with ominous dark clouds on the horizon, but that did not deter our cheerful group from looking forward to our morning activity: the hanging bridges. We started off on the three km hike making sure everyone had their waterproof jackets with them! During the zip line activity, we had travelled in and above the canopy, but our speed did not allow us to observe much. Today’s walk allowed us to move quietly through the same canopy and observe a multitude of plants and animals. A family of pizotes, raccoons, and snakes were among the larger animals we saw, as well as a cornucopia of small birds. After the two hour walk (we walked slowly to be able to observe the wildlife), we returned to school, had lunch, and continued to work on our community service
Day 6 Today, we had a wonderful last day in Monteverde. We started the day working on the ISB Cloud Forest project, and the students finally planted their trees! Everyone worked really hard preparing the land for the planting, cleaning and digging in the dirt. The kids were very enthusiastic about leaving a mark and a legacy in Costa Rica. They all planted their trees as they thought of someone special to them and sent positive thoughts in order for the tree to grow to be healthy. Later, we had a farewell party with the host families. The families treated us with delicious local desserts and homemade tea. The students shared a relaxing time with their families in the school, and they thanked them by performing songs they learned in their Performing Arts class. Everyone had a wonderful time, but we are all a bit sad to leave this amazing place tomorrow! Our day isn’t finished just yet! Last but not least, we will be enjoying a night tour around the forest so we can meet all of the nocturnal animals and species that are hiding at night. We can’t wait!
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Life After ISB: Catching up with Former Teachers Claire Salzman & Macarena Martin Caballero Claire Salzman, a former ISB Lower School teacher, visited ISB this spring. She was excited to talk about what she has been up to since leaving Brooklyn and where her next adventure is taking her! Where did you go after leaving ISB? After ISB, I moved to Cambridge, England. My husband is a physicist, and he got a job there. I was hoping to as well, but Cambridge is a small place, and it was difficult to find something in the area. Fortunately, Cambridge is also a university town, and I used my time there as an opportunity to grow professionally by enrolling in a Master’s Degree program in Educational Leadership. My goal is to become a school principal one day. I am really enjoying the experience, but it has been challenging to go back to studying. It is certainly a big change, going from a day-to-day job working with children to the theoretical nature of graduate work. And it’s in English! That has been a big challenge, writing academically in English, but I have really enjoyed stretching myself. I am now working in a small French school program now for bilingual kids. It’s very concrete, which is a nice contrast to my academic work. The team there is incredible, and I have really enjoyed working and communicating in French again.
What is next for you? My time in Cambridge is nearly over. I am finishing up my degree this semester and we will be moving back to France, to Grenoble. I will be teaching in a bilingual international school there (sound familiar?), this time teaching middle school history and geography - in English!
Another move - this time back to France! I am excited for the move and ready for the new challenge. I love the change, stimulation, and energy that comes with doing something new. I do miss ISB though! ISB changed my life in so many ways, both professionally and personally. Moving to Brooklyn, working in a new language - these really helped me prove things to myself about what I can do. ISB also changed my view on teaching, on how to implement inquiry-based learning, on the importance of critical friendship and student-centered learning. I am infused with ISB and the PYP! Alumni! Please send us your news and updates. Email them to Christina Hultholm (chultholm@isbrooklyn.org).
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How have you be affected by your time at ISB? I have definitely brought my knowledge from ISB to my current work - not long ago, my supervisor even asked me to present about the PYP. The visible thinking routine workshop that I attended at ISB is something I still use in my practice, and I have introduced it to my current school. I’m very grateful for the many experiences I had at ISB, and I continue to be inspired the teachers with whom I worked. Their professionalism, friendship, and knowledge has had a big impact on my life!
Former Middle School Teacher Macarena Martin Caballero shares an email message with the ISB Community. Life is treating me really well, Barcelona is a very chill city and I am enjoying the nice weather and being outdoors as much as I can. It feels really nice to be so close to family and I am trying to spend as much time as I can with my two little nephews, whom I adore. On the other hand, I have to say that ISB community is forever in my heart and I do miss you guys a lot. I have been in touch with a lot of my former students and parents and that makes me even more aware of the incredible group of people with whom I shared my life in NYC. This year I am teaching 5th grade, and I am also the English teacher in grades 5 and 6. I really like my school. It is a small and friendly place, and it is located in the heart of the Eixample district, in the center of Barcelona. I live only 7 minutes walking distance from the school, so I could say my daily routine is pretty relaxed. I hope I can come visit you in the near future, in the meantime I am sending you a huge hug and lot of love to the ISB community. Maca P.S., This picture was taken in Cap de Creus, GIrona (2 hours north of Barcelona), where Salvador Dali lived. 15
Postcard Writing for a Cause of Interest
IN THE STUDENTS’ WORDS “Women should have equal pay as men if they do the same thing.” “Global warming is real. There are many species going extinct because of global warming. If this continues, many ecosystems will be destroyed.”
by Melissa Magallanes, ISB Parent On April 28, 2017, for ISB Day of Service, 3rd Graders participated in “Postcard Writing for a Cause of Interest” in the Learning Commons. 3rd Grade teachers Molida and Karuna prepped the students for this activity beforehand by having the students look up their representatives and practice the mechanics of writing postcards in class. Daniel Murphy, who leads the Committee Board 7 in Brooklyn, was our visiting speaker, and 5th Grade student Joaquin M. was our student speaker. These speakers inspired the students to write to their local legislators on causes they care about. In writing their postcards, students thought about Daniel Murphy’s message that, “politics is about people working together” and that, “there is power in numbers.” They also considered Joaquin’s dedication to the issue he is passionate about when he told them, “the issue that is important to me is protecting the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and keeping landfills safe.” Joaquin has been researching landfills for his PYP Exhibition project. The students took this exercise very seriously, asking parent volunteers, librarians, and teachers to assist them in expressing their ideas and making sure they had good penmanship and correct spelling. Students felt empowered by having their voices heard. All students wrote at least one postcard. At the end of the day, 3rd Grade Spanish class representative, Samirah H. sent the postcards off in the mail. Thank you to Maria Falgoust, ISB Librarian, for organizing this event as a new addition to the ISB Day of Service activities. This was a successful, collaborative ISB community effort! 16
Congratulations to the Class of 2017! ISB Student HS Acceptances for 2017-2018 Academy for Careers in Television and Film Bard High School Early College Manhattan Bard High School Early College Queens BASIS Independent Brooklyn Bay Ridge Preparatory School The Beacon School The Berkeley Carroll School Brooklyn Friends School* The Brooklyn Latin School Brooklyn Prospect Charter School Brooklyn Technical High School Cardinal Spellman High School Dwight School Edward R. Murrow High School Emma Willard School Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts Fordham Preparatory High School Friends Select School (PA) Goldstein High School for the Sciences
Grace Church School Léman Manhattan Preparatory School Loyola School LREI - Elisabeth Irwin High School* Manhattan/Hunter Science High School Midwood High School Millennium Brooklyn High School Notre Dame School of Manhattan NYC iSchool NYC Museum School PACE High School The Packer Collegiate Institute Rudolf Steiner School St. Edmund Preparatory School Swiss International Scientific School in Dubai* United Nations International School Xavier High School Xaverian High School Bold: ISB Student Attending
*: Multiple ISB Students Attending 17
ISB Ribbon Project
“I love ISB because it is my second home!” DELPHINE M., PARENT & STAFF
As part of ISB’s spring celebration this year, we created a school-wide art project called The ISB Ribbon Project. Each student and staff member was given a ribbon and asked to write down their answer to the question: “What is special about ISB to you?”
MEMBER
“We love ISB because everyone is supported and valued.” THE WALKER FAMILY
During La fiesta de la primavera, La fête du printemps, parents and community members had the opportunity to become part of this project by purchasing and writing on their own ribbons, and the funds raised support ISB’s Annual Fund for Excellence. These student, staff, and community member ribbons have become part of an art installation displayed at Reception. The quotes below are from ribbons in the project.
“Los alumnos y sus familias son como mi familia.” KARUNA H., TEACHER
“The inclusive environment where everyone is celebrated and everyone is seen.” MIRIAM B., TEACHER
“J’aime ISB parce qu’il y a des enfants gentils et j’aime cultural week.”
“ISB Es especial para mí porque puedes creer en lo que quieres.”
LILA G., PRE-K
ANONYMOUS
“ISB is special because of all of the languages and countries represented.”
“Thank you ISB for giving as such a warm and welcoming community! We love your energy, excitement, and the inspiration you give us all!”
NIA L., 7TH GRADE
“ISB is my family. It’s my second home.”
“ISB is special because teaching kindness, care, and respect is above everything else.” JUANITA O., TEACHER
MAYA B., 7TH GRADE
ANONYMOUS
“ISB is a community for our ENTIRE family across all grades and languages” GRETCHEN D., PARENT & TRUSTEE
“ISB is special to me because it lets everyone be who they are.” LUZMINA, 5TH GRADE
“ISB is special because of its humanity. ISB est une école spéciale pour les langues, pour sa diversité. C’est encore une école à échelle humaine avec un fort sens de solidarité. L’équipe enseignante est jeune, dynamique, et créative. Les enfants sont curieux, brillants et attachants.” SABINE M., TEACHER
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ISB Students’ Newsroom Reporting on Gowanus & Syria
By Edward Roussel, ISB Parent An intrepid group of 25 ISB “journalists” convened at 477 Court Street on Saturday, April 8th, for an exercise on “how to write like a newspaper journalist”, hosted by ISB parents from the media industry: Nikki Waller, Rahul Chopra, Carol and Edward Roussel. The event kicked off with an interview with Nikki on the career of a journalist (Nikki is a senior editor at The Wall Street Journal), followed by a writing exercise. The students were split into two teams. One group focused on local news: the recent funding concerns that have surfaced about the Gowanus Canal clean-up, while the second group concentrated on international news: the recent Syria bombings. The students, who ranged from 3rd to 8th Grade, attended “press briefings” to gather information, and then wrote under deadline pressure an article with multimedia - supported by the mentoring of the four parents. Their articles are available on the ISB blog: isbrooklyn.org/2017/04/ isb-students-newsroom-reportinggowanus-syria
Visit the ISB blog for even more stories from our classrooms! Go to isbrooklyn.org and click on “Inside ISB.”
477 Cour t Street, Brooklyn, New York 11231 Main Entrance and Reception at 192 Luquer Street +1 7 18-369 -3023 • www.isbrooklyn.org IG: internationalschoolofbrooklyn • FB: facebook .com/isbrooklyn