ISB's Newsletter, Winter 2018, Vol. 3 by internationalschoolofbrooklyn

Winter 2018, Vol. 3

All the School’s a Stage: Performing Arts at ISB ISB’s Performing Arts curriculum emphasizes creativity and exploration, from its beginning in Nursery Music class through its finale in 8th Grade. What does this mean in the classroom? How does the curriculum build from our Preschool Music program through our Middle School Performing Arts program? How do Performing Arts at ISB integrate into our curriculum, and how does the program reflect ISB’s core values? ISB Teachers Melanie Cozzi and Mariko Watt sat down to answer these questions and to highlight the many ways Performing Arts enrich the student experience at ISB.

“Music is a unique form of expression. Many students can benefit from expressing themselves through music in a way that they cannot through other mediums.” - Melanie The arts are central to ISB’s holistic, inquiry-based curriculum, and the Performing Arts program begins when our youngest students enter school, in Nursery. Throughout Preschool, Music classes focus on the basic foundations of music: moving, listening, singing, using musical props, and doing creative and choreographed movement. In Kindergarten, students start to learn about contrasting musical ideas such as high and low, soft and loud, fast and slow. As they move into 1st and 2nd Grade, they are introduced to reading music and playing ORFF instruments. They also launch into music studies, looking at larger works of music and gaining perspective about what that these pieces mean to them personally.

Students listen to music, then talk about what the music means to them and to their classmates. “For example, we may discuss how music can be emotional. We might ask, ‘how can you tell what emotion is being conveyed?’ Students share their impressions and we talk about how there is no one correct answer, that music can mean different things to different people. This is another way for them to empathize with one another, to understand other people’s perspectives,” they explained. As students enter 3rd Grade, their music studies deepen, and students begin to learn more about the historical contexts of music pieces. They are also introduced to more techniques on the ORFF instruments and begin to play the recorder. In 4th and 5th Grade, music class incorporates more difficult rhythms, and students begin to explore beats and measures. They also start to sight read and use solfège (a musical education method used to teach pitch). Band begins in 4th Grade, and many of our students participate as a way to deepen their music education. In addition to becoming more technical, music education at this level also becomes more contextualized. “Before we start learning any song, we discuss where the song comes from, why is it important, and what sort of instruments are used,” Mariko explained.

As they move into Middle School, students are exposed much more to the historical context of music. Each unit begins with the history of a genre or style of music and a look at how that has changed over time. Another significant shift is that the music that Middle Schoolers perform is more choral-based, and the theatre arts component of the curriculum greatly expands. Some performances take place in class, while others are open to groups of other students or parents. 6th Graders start with individual monologues. “For this project, they figure out what’s important to the performance: story arc and character development. From there we move to one-act performance which are student directed,” said Mariko.

Throughout the program, Melanie and Mariko look for ways to tie music education back to the units of inquiry and the curriculum. “In Lower School, I will always try to connect as much as possible to the current unit of inquiry. For example, during the 2nd Grade unit on Outer Space, we listen to Gustav Holst’s The Planets and discuss how the students think the different movements were created to represent each of the planets. Next, the 2nd Graders will be writing their own raps about the planets in our solar system. In this way, they are taking a musical concept and working on it within in the context of their unit of inquiry. For another example, 3rd Grade is studying Oral Traditions, so we are discussing how music is passed on traditionally, with a particular focus on African and African American communities.” - Melanie In 4th and 5th Grade, this connection can lead to discussions about protest songs and the role they played in movements around the world. “Our students explore what it means for something to be a song of protest and discuss what songs today might be considered protest songs because of their points of view.” - Mariko

In 7th Grade, students dive into technical theatre. When they put on their Shakespearean performance, they not only act and direct, but they are also responsible for all the stage management, house management, set design, costuming, and staging. In 8th Grade, students take their favorite fairy tales, rewrite them as scripts for a children’s theatre play, and direct and perform the stories for Lower School students. By the time our students graduate from from ISB, they not only have experience with directing and performing; they have also been introduced to every element of a performance, from set design, to costuming and make-up, to staging.

Melanie and Mariko have worked over the past few years to try to integrate the core values of ISB into the Music and Performing Arts program by making it multicultural, incorporating languages other than English, and delving deep into the musical traditions of other cultures. “Music is multicultural, and we make sure to incorporate different types of songs in our curriculum and to talk about their context and origins.” -Mariko ISB’s emphasis on Performing Arts also helps to push our students outside of their comfort zones and helps them become better risk-takers. “Because of ISB’s tight-knit community, students are able to take risks in a safe space and in a way that they feel comfortable. This is one more way they are able to grow during their time at ISB.” -Mariko So what’s next for ISB’s Performing Arts program? In Melanie’s words, “We would love to see more cross-divisional work and more ties between grades, as we have already with the band. These cross-divisional interactions are important because they showcase students’ growth throughout the program, and they allow younger students to see what they can aspire to as they move on to the upper grades.” Mariko echoed the importance of performing. “We want to give students even more opportunities to perform, whether it’s during an assembly or at an evening event for parents. Many of our students are already performing outside of school, and this would be another way for them to showcase their work and their talents to our school community.” We look forward to watching ISB’s Performing Arts program continue to grow, and we can’t wait to see our students’ creativity on display at the many upcoming performances this spring.

8th Graders Take NYC Many ISB students are performing around the city, including these members of the Class of 2018! Maya Barth and Samuel Larriere are members of the Brooklyn Youth Chorus. This January, they performed at Harlem Renaissance, a concert at Lincoln Center organized by the New York Philharmonic for young composers. Earlier this month, they also performed a show of the new William Brittelle album, Spiritual America. In addition to singing at an upcoming gala, they will also be performing at the annual BYC Silent Voices show at BAM in May. Clemetine Belber-Tiberghien is currently performing in the play Terminus at NYTW Next Door. Rico Brill starred last summer as King Claudius in a young person’s production of Hamlet. He will be performing (piano and singing) in a recital at Steinway Hall in Manhattan in April. Nia Lwanga is a dancer and choreographer. She currently performs with the Alvin Ailey Junior Division, where she studies Ballet, West African dance, and Horton (modern dance). This past summer, she was under the tutilage of Savion Glover and created a solo piece for a tribute to John Coltrane at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. Nia was commissioned for the second year to create a debutante ballroom dance for 10 debutantes who will be presented this June. Nia will also be performing in the Alvin Ailey Junior Division Spring Recital in late May. Teo Stallworth performed at the BRIC jazz festival in October with the Grove Diplomacy Orchestra.

Letter from the Head of School Dear ISB Community, As I reflect on the past seven months, I cannot help but feel lucky. Being chosen to be ISB’s second Head of School has meant continuing to be able to help this wonderful institution, which has become such an important part of my life. It has also meant being able to work with Rebecca for most of the first semester, learning from her and working together to ensuring a smooth transition. Rebecca left me with an amazing team, from our highly functioning and innovative senior leadership team to our passionate faculty and staff - a team that truly believes in the mission and vision of our school. As you can imagine, things at ISB have been very busy during the last few months. I was excited to stop by classrooms for lively discussions with the students. When I visited our French classrooms, I asked students to help me with my French, and in particular, to teach me the most important words that I needed to learn. In an early visit, the French Kindergarten class told me to make sure I always say, “merci.” They also pointed out that I needed to learn more French, a sentiment with which I wholeheartedly agree. My visits to the Spanish classrooms allowed me to engage the students in conversations in Spanish, with many wanting to know more about what my job entails. I was thrilled to spend this time with the students and see what they were doing in class, and I hope they had as much fun getting to know me and learning about what I do at school.

Advice for ISB’s New Head of School from the Students On January 22, 2018, students in Kindergarten-8th Grade gathered for an assembly to welcome Head of School Joe Santos formally in his new role. During the assembly, he addressed the Lower School and Middle School for the first time all together. “I am honored and humbled to be installed as ISB’s second Head of School. A month ago, we were all here in this same hall, saying our goodbyes to Rebecca Skinner, the founder of our school and ISB’s first Head of School. Her vision created this school; now our job is to continue her mission, to make sure that everyone here has the opportunity to become an advocate, to become a leader, and to continue to develop as an adventurer. With the help of the fabulous and dedicated team of teachers and administrators that we have here at ISB, we will continue to help you, our incredibly diverse group of learners, become the best people you can be.” After Joe’s remarks, students went up and shared words of advice and encouragement with him.

Advice from our Students

“Joe, para ser un buen director te aconsejo que intentes que ISB sea una buena escuela que ayuda ala resto del mundo.” “Joe, para ser un buen director, te aconsejo que trabajas muchos y consigas mucho material para la escuela.” “Uno de los consejos que queremos darte, Joe, es que podías ir de vez en cuando a las clases para que nos conozcas mejor y veas como trabajamos las unidades de indagación.”

I have also really enjoyed spending one-on-one time with members of the staff over a cup of tea or coffee, learning more about them and what inspired them to take the paths they have chosen. By the end of the school year, I will have met with everyone on the staff, and from my experiences thus far, am confident that these conversations will give me deeper insight into my team, their work, and their aspirations. As I look ahead, there are so many milestones, events, and ISB traditions coming up that I am sure the rest of this semester will fly by as quickly as the beginning of the year. Cultural Week, the 4th Grade field trip to the Ashokan Center, the Spring Benefit, the 7th Grade trips abroad, performances, the Art Show, and Graduation are just a few of the events that will fill our calendars in the coming months. At the same time, I will be hard at work with my team, moving forward with ISB’s Vision 2021 Strategic Plan and putting it into action. Already, we have assembled a STEM team to look at where we are in our current program and to generate ideas to strengthen our curriculum. In September 2018, we will be organizing our student support specialists into a department, and expanding this team by hiring an additional Learning Specialist to strengthen our commitment to supporting all learners. I will be sharing more updates with you as we continue this important work on implementing the Vision 2021 Strategic Plan.

“También nos gustaría que nos invitaras a a conocer a las personas que trabajan en la administración para conocer mejor el funcionamiento de ISB.” “Continue to think of others and have ideas to help our community grow.” “Trust your instincts.”

“Be a principled principal!”

“To be an amazing Head of School, you should be a good listener and communicator.”

Enjoy the spring break! I look forward to seeing you in the coming months as we celebrate our students’ continued growth and success.

“Be connected to the students and be reachable.”

Best regards,

“Educate younger classes about issues going on in our world, such as inequalities, wars, politics, and other important things that generally only Middle Schoolers learn about.”

Joe Santos Head of School

“Be openminded to new ideas and learn from your mistakes.”

“Create more freedom and choice for students and support them in their academic careers.” 6

Así que cuando vi este taller, enfocado en trabajar la lectura y la escritura siguiendo los pasos de la indagación, me pareció una oportunidad estupenda de poder avanzar en mi trabajo como profesor IB dentro del programa de español. Añadido a esto, durante los tres días que duró la conferencia, he descubierto una nueva forma de afrontar la lectura y la escritura del español además de distintas estrategias que puedo incorponar a las que venía ya utilizando. La tallerista era una directora de un colegio en argentina con muchos años de experiencia dentro del mundo IB que nos supo trasmitir la idea de que no es tan complicado usar la indagación para trabajar la lectura y la escritura.

Taller IB en Lima, Péru: Lectura y escritura a través de la indagación

No sólo me he traído conmigo nuevos e interesantes conocimientos para la enseñanza de español usando la indagación como herramienta básica. Los asistentes a mi taller eran profesores de distintos países; Ecuador, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Perú… y que llevan años trabajando en el mundo IB y con los que espero realizar actividades enfocadas en la diversidad lingüística del español.

by Luis Ángel Esteban Olano, Spanish 2nd Grade Head Teacher Durante la segunda semana de octubre asistí a un taller IB centrado en la lectura y la escritura a través de la indagación. El taller estaba enmarcado dentro los talleres regionales que organiza el programa PEP (PYP). En esta ocasión los talleres en español se desarrollaban en la ciudad de Lima, Perú. Durante mi experiencia como profesor IB una de las cosas más difíciles de afrontar habían sido todos aquellos contenidos que en principio están más alejados de la indagación y del descubrimiento por parte de los alumnos así como integrarlo dentro de una perspectiva más activa por parte de los chicos.

Multilingual Book Fair & Poetry Evening Another standout of this year’s Literacy Week was the first-ever Book Fair Presale & Poetry Evening. ISB parents Sarah Riggs and Omar Berrada gave a multilingual poetry reading of original and translated works in French, English, and Arabic. This evening, attended by parents and staff, helped to set the tone perfectly for ISB’s 13th Annual Multilingual Book Fair. This year’s Book Fair was a great success and generated lots of enthusiasm. The gym was transformed into a bibliophile’s wonderland with colorful hand painted signs and posters created by parent and student volunteers. The Library Team, Library Committee, ISB parents, and Middle School student volunteers all collaborated to plan and execute a memorable celebration of literature for our multilingual community.

ISB Literacy Week & Multilingual Book Fair 2017 By Matt Lazarus, Substitute Teacher & Maria Falgoust, Librarian While walking through the halls during ISB’s Literacy Week, one would have been hardpressed to avoid falling under its spell. As is tradition, classes kicked off the celebration by reproducing a full-length book jackets of their favorite books as covers for their classroom doors. These colorful displays left one to ponder the eponymous forest-dweller in El Grufalo by Julia Donaldson while passing by Spanish Nursery, or feel transported to the medieval castle in Le Roi Est Occupé by Mario Ramos upon entering French Pre-K.

Our wonderful vendors, La Librairie des Enfants, L’ecole Loisirs, and Chau Chau Luna provided

curated multicultural literature in French and Spanish for kids of all ages. Stories Bookshop & Storytelling Lab offered high quality books for children, as well as for ISB’s Adult Book Club. Bayard/Milan were also there, selling subscriptions to gorgeous magazines in French and Spanish.

Reading Without Walls A highlight of this year’s Literacy Week was undoubtedly the “Reading Without Walls” challenge, in which students of all grade levels were given the task of selecting books outside of their usual comfort zones: books whose characters look and live differently than they do, books which feature new topics, or books whose format or genre might be entirely unfamiliar. Students tackled the challenge with abandon, and Danielle Jones, English 5th Grade Head Teacher and chair of Literacy Week, observed that her students were gaining empathy from these new characters and that the challenge had led to an enthusiastic flurry of book recommendations.

“I was so impressed by the wonderful book selection at the year’s Multilingual Book Fair. Not only did I get some fantastic books in Spanish for my children, I was also able to pick up some very unique gifts! This is definitely one of my favorite ISB events. I cannot wait for next year!” -Lulu Betancur, ISB Parent

they remember enjoying as children, along with photographs of themselves that would be unfamiliar even to their own children! Before the arrival of the “mystery reader” (which could be anyone from a faculty member, a parent, or an older student), she would show the picture, along with three hints about the identity of the reader. As expected, the students were on the edge of their seats.

Highlights from this year’s Multilingual Book Fair: • • • •

ISB parent Florence Mars signed her new book Say Bonjour to the Lady along with her talented illustrator Pauline Leveque Almost 100 beautiful new books were donated by generous ISB families to our classrooms and the Library Middle School students read stories and played games with younger children in the “Book Nook” The Middle School Student Council hosted a bake sale to raise funds for Worldreader, a nonprofit organization that brings digital reading material to underserved communities in order to create a world where everyone can be a reader

The ISB Community Bonding Over Books ISB parents and staff are true bibliophiles, and when it comes to Literacy Week, everyone gets involved! Year after year, French 3rd Grade Head Teacher Molida Khuon ranks among the stalwart proponents of Literacy Week, and this year was no different. For her class, she hatched a plan in which parent volunteers would send her the titles of books

Spanish Pre-K Head Teacher Leticia Gonzalez was beaming with pride when the topic of Literacy Week came up. Throughout the week, every single student in her class welcomed a member of his or her family as a mystery reader. During their end-of-week Literacy Celebration, Leticia handed out certificates to each student for having completed the Reading Without Walls challenge. Librarian Maria Falgoust put it this way: “Literacy Week is a wonderful tradition that promotes our community’s love of literature.” Step through the Library during any class’ check-out period and you will see a line of students snaking up to Maria’s desk, each anxiously awaiting to call a fresh stack of books their own, at least for the next two weeks. But the charms of reading, of the pursuit of literature, are often drowned out by the cacophony of our daily routine. This reminder of what we truly love about books is precisely what makes Literacy Week such an important time of the year. Technology Director Kyle Vitale is not afforded many chances to read in front of a classroom of students, so when he was approached to be a mystery reader, he jumped at the opportunity to read a book he has read to his children many times. Judging by how actively engaged the students were, he could tell they welcomed a new voice in the classroom. “No matter what job you have,” he reflected, “it’s good to be a reader.”

Being a Fulbright Scholar is about building relationships across cultures in order to help promote peace on a global level. The Fulbright organization provides Scholars numerous opportunities to learn about another culture through visiting local establishments such as primary schools, universities, farms, and government offices. These opportunities also create a space for scholars to represent their own cultural values to the places they are visiting. The goal of these interactions between visiting scholars and the local population is to broaden both groups’ perspectives on their own and other cultures. Everyone that I met during my travels was very eager to show me the best of Thailand. For example, on a visit to a local primary school, the community had organized a unique event to welcome us. Imagine this: I walked off of the bus and into a parade! This is just one example of many of how welcoming the Thai people were and how enthusiastic they were in showing us their community and traditions. Likewise, I was there as a representative of the United States. Some people I encountered had certain misperceptions about Americans, and my presence there gave me an opportunity to show them a different side of our culture. I found this exchange incredibly humbling.

Taking it Back to the Classroom

Staff Spotlight: Lauren Cantor’s Experience as a Fulbright Scholar by Danielle Valenti, Advancement Associate In May 2017, English Language Coordinator and 5th Grade English Head Teacher Lauren Cantor was awarded a Fulbright-Hays Scholarship for “Exploring the Diverse Culture and History of Thailand.” This past summer, Lauren had the opportunity to visit Thailand in order to explore the diversity of the country’s culture and history. She sat down with Advancement Associate Danielle Valenti to share her experience.

Living in Thailand

My month in Thailand gave me countless enriching experiences and an authentic understanding of Thai culture. Fulbright scheduled and organized opportunities for our group to visit primary schools, universities, and the Ministry of Education in order to develop a richer understanding of the Thai educational system. We had first-hand experiences with Thai agriculture by visiting farms and laboratories, allowing us to understand how the relationship between farmers and agricultural practices have affected the country on a holistic level. Fulbright made it a priority for us to develop a well-rounded understanding of Thai art through visiting museums, exploring markets, and looking at how shadow puppetry has been used as a tool for storytelling over generations. I even learned how to cook Thai food and perform Thai dance moves! One of the most extraordinary days included a visit to an elephant sanctuary. I had the opportunity to learn about the work of the mahout, or elephant handler, and how his relationship with his elephant started as a young child. Learning about how Buddhism is embedded into Thai society and social norms was also eye-opening. There were temples and Buddhas on nearly every corner. Each day, my senses and perspective were completely overwhelmed and saturated with experiences unique to Thailand’s culture.

Being a Fulbright Scholar

I did not fully realize the scope of this opportunity until I arrived in Thailand. One incredible piece of this experience was traveling with the 15 other educators who were also chosen for this scholarship. The group was from all over the US, and this gave me the opportunity not only to learn about differences between American and Thai education, but also to learn about schools in Hawaii, West Virginia, Montana, and North Carolina. We were a group of K-8 teachers who teach subjects ranging from English to art to science; it was like one giant think tank!

One of the units that ISB’s curriculum explores in the 5th Grade is Civic Symbols & Constitutions. This unit looks deeply at all forms of government and how power and systems play a role in society. While I was in Thailand, a major focus of our study was looking at how the royal family - the monarchy - plays a tremendous role in nearly every facet of Thai culture. I had the opportunity to gain a deep understanding of the influence of this monarchy on the Thai people. This year, as we study the Civic Symbols & Constitutions unit, I am going to focus on the American government and similarities and differences it has relative to the Thai Monarchy. I want to encourage students to use primary sources to understand how leaders communicate to their people and how we form our own opinions on what makes strong and effective leadership. It is important to me that I give my students the space to come to their own conclusions. My students will be reading primary source materials related to how the United States Constitution was formed, as well as primary sources on how the late King Rama IX influenced the Thai people.

Reflecting on the Experience

My experience in Thailand gave me a lot of time to reflect on how we can create a more global education and how we can ensure that we are really showing children and teachers all over the world what it means to be an educator. I really want to use this opportunity to help my students understand what it is to learn about another culture. I had very little knowledge of Thailand or Thai culture before this program. While I was there, I pushed myself to learn about the local experience by interacting with people, asking questions, and using primary sources to get a deeper understanding of the culture. It is crucial for me to have my students understand why it is important to go beyond superficial knowledge, because I think a lot of children - and adults too - often take information at face value. I am interested in how we can help students develop holistic opinions about other cultures, peoples, and government structures that are rooted in nuanced understandings of histories and experiences that are not their own. I want to share the work and learning I did in Thailand as a model that my students can follow as they find out more about a culture that they know very little about.

Understanding Leadership

I am currently in a Master’s Degree program in educational leadership, and I was excited to have the opportunity to meet a number of Heads of Schools while I was in Thailand. Despite their Heads’ differing styles, all of the schools are very successful. For me, this really shows that there are many ways to be an effective leader.

There is not one “right” way to lead, but I found that these successful leaders are committed to leading by example. As I think about the next steps in my career in educational leadership, I will to be mindful that my actions are part of a reciprocal relationship. I believe that creating organizational change starts with modeling the action that you want the organization to mirror and using this to inspire others.

Dans tous les sens à Prospect Park!

On court pour aller sous l’arbre. On est en train de faire un calin à l’arbre. –JOSÉPHINE

We did bisous à l’arbre. –MATTIA L’arbre c’était dur. –COLETTE The skin of the tree is the bark. –GIDEON

On a utilisé des jumelles. –ADÈLE Les jumelles ça fait les choses plus loin. –LAYLA

by Nathalie Trovato, French Pre-K Head Teacher, Quennie Lamy, French Pre-K Assistant Teacher & Priscilla Chalmers, French Pre-K Aide Avant de nous lancer dans notre nouvelle unitié sur les 5 sens, Lapinou, la mascotte de la classe nous a envoyé une lettre pour nous inviter à le rejoindre et rencontrer son nouvel ami. C’est avec beaucoup de curiosité que nous nous sommes rendus à Prospect Park. Nos maîtresses avaient préparé des jumelles, des loupes et des sacs pour ramasser des trésors. Nous avons bien observé, touché, écouté et senti tout ce qu’il y avait autour de nous et avons finalement fait la connaissance de l’ Arbre, l’ami de Lapinou, avec tous nos sens. L’Arbre était très content de nous voir et surtout qu’on lui fasse des câlins! Suivez-nous, on va vous raconter nos aventures... On a cherché des trésors. –JOSÉPHINE On est allés à la chasse au trésor! –NATHAN We run in the park. –MATTIA On a trouvé un trésor incroyable, c’est une plume noire et bleue. –ADÈLE On a exploré le parc. –LAYLA To see Lapinou’s friend. –LEYLANI

On est allés au parc pour trouver Lapinou. –COLETTE

I feel the blizzard on my face et j’ai touché the grass. –IVY C’est l’herbe. –ADÈLE Je vois la pluie. –LAYLANI C’est mouate la pluie. –GIDEON Je vois les racines qui sortent. –GABRIELLE J’ai vu un tracteur aussi, non, une tondeuse. –VICTOR Moi j’ai entendu l’avion qui passe. –JEANNE Je vois des arbres. J’ai entendu des arbres que le vent il a fait bouger les feuilles. –COLETTE

On aussi utilisé la loupe. –GIDÉON La loupe ça fait les choses être plus grands. –LAYLA On a mangé sous l’arbre. –NATHAN On a dit merci à Mattia, sa maman a fait le gâteau. –VICTOR On s’est assis et on a fait un cercle dessous l’arbre. –CHARLOTTE On a vu des fleurs. –GIDEON On ramasse les feuilles. –CHARLOTTE On a trouvé des “acorns,” quelques uns étaient seuls. C’est les trucs à manger pour les écureuils. –VICTOR C’est un gland. –LEYLANI C’est un grand gland. –NASEEM On a regardé avec nos yeux. –JOSÉPHINE

I heard the water. –MARCELLO On a vu une rivière et deux cascades. –VICTOR

J’ai vu et j’ai aussi entendu l’eau! –NATHAN

J’ai jeté la feuille d’un côté et je l’ai vue sortir de l’autre côté du pont. –CAËL

Ça rejoint le lac! –JOSÉPHINE On était à la plage des chiens. –JEANNE

Dispatches from High School What do you miss the most about ISB?

I miss the teachers! The teachers were genuinely some of the best people that I have ever met in my life. I also miss the community. I grew up with this vibrant and vivacious community who has known me my whole life and I really miss that about ISB.

In November 2018, Class of 2017 Alumna Aurora McGuire stopped by ISB to chat about her freshman year during a visit home from school. She is currently attending Emma Willard School, an all-girls boarding school in upstate New York.

What is high school like?

My school now is very different from ISB. It is an all girls boarding school, and there is no IB program. The curriculum is very rigorous, and you really need to be organized, but I think that ISB’s curriculum really prepared me for this new learning environment. At ISB, the teachers always tried to push us to ask for help when we needed it and taught us that asking for help does not make us stupid. I know so many students who do not ask for help, simply because they are scared, and they find themselves behind, and not doing their best when all they had to do was ask for help.

I love my school now because everyone is very focused and enthusiastic about learning. We have classroom discussions that don’t just last in the classroom. We will continue those discussions when we are on break or we are at lunch. I’m also very involved in sports. During the fall season, I was on the varsity swim team, and during the winter I played JV basketball. Spring sports have not started yet, but I am going to try out for Lacrosse. I like that my school has students from all over the world. We have students from 31 countries and 36 states at my school. It was very important to me that I chose a diverse school with many nationalities represented. I think that diversity is the most important thing that someone at my age can be exposed to.

What’s your favorite class?

Probably French. I just love learning languages!

French! You were in the Spanish track at ISB, so the inevitable question: are you keeping up with your Spanish too?

Right now I am in French 2. My speaking is at a very high level, and I am doing a lot of work on my writing. My teacher is very writing-focused. My current school recommends that freshmen do not double up on languages during their first year, so I’m waiting until next year to continue Spanish. I will probably be in Spanish 4 or AP Spanish, a high level class in which I can continue to study Spanish, grow my vocabulary, and work on understanding higher level texts.

Do you have any opportunities to practice your Spanish?

I talk to my friends who are from Spain or from Latin America in Spanish at every chance I get.

Are they surprised that you speak Spanish?

Yes! I think that they are very surprised because I have no Spanish speaking heritage, and I think people wouldn’t expect me to be speaking at that level.

Upcoming Events 4th Grade Field Trip to Aschokan Center: April 12 to April 13 Grandparents & Special Friends Day: April 13 Cultural Week: April 18 to April 20 Middle School Literary Café: April 19 Lower School Multilingual Poetry Slam (Students only): April 26 ISB Day of Service: April 27 5th Grade PYP Exhibition: May 4 Parent Workshop: “How to Address Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity with your Child”: May 9 Spring Benefit: May 11 6th Grade Performance: May 15 8th Grade MYP Community Projects Presentation: May 18 7th Grade Performance: May 22 Spring Concert (K-3rd Grade): May 31 Spring Concert (4th-8th Grade & Band): June 1 7th Grade Trips to Costa Rica and Québec: June 2 to June 9 8th Grade Party and Performance: June 5 End of Year Picnic: June 8 Nursery Music Share: June 6 (French) & June 13 (Spanish) Pre-K Music Share: June 14 Graduation (Alumni welcome!): June 15 5th Grade Moving On Ceremony: June 18

Alumni! Please send us your news and updates. Email them to Christina Hultholm (chultholm@isbrooklyn.org).

While sitting in on a recent meeting, I made the mistake of remarking what an exciting, new venture this all was. One student quickly set me straight: “It’s not really new – it’s four weeks old.” I knew then that it would be best to sit back and observe. Colleen, the coleader of the group, forged ahead with the week’s agenda: a vote on a student-designed Booklets emblem to appear on the group’s hotly anticipated laminated member badges and T-shirts, and another call for logo submissions for the upcoming ISB Library tote bags, during which the idea of emblazoning “Brought to you by The Booklets” was met with great enthusiasm. Colleen then turned to the subject of Halloween decorations for the Library, which prompted a veritable flood of creative ideas. Since then, the Library has been festooned with streamers, masks, webs and faux-wax LED candlestick holders, and Maria assures me she will be commissioning the Booklets and their unparalleled artistry and craftsmanship again to adorn the Learning Commons during both the upcoming Multilingual Book Fair and Literacy Week. Make no mistake: The Booklets attend to much more than just aesthetics. Maria’s devoted deputies see themselves as not simply planning activities and personalizing the Library, but as playing a vital role in building an even stronger sense of community. Maria describes her vision for the Library as an “oasis” and speaks highly of The Booklets as students “empowered to take ownership of the space.” One way she hopes to achieve this is by affixing student-written book reviews to the library’s shelves, as you might see in your local bookstore. Booklet volunteers will soon draft a set of guidelines for self-checkout for 3rd Graders, in a continuing effort to let students “own the Library.” Given the runaway success of a recent venture, in which Maria invited two 6th Graders to act out a book alongside her as she read to the Spanish Nursery class (a makeshift “reader’s theater”), she soon hopes to work with the Booklets on creating more opportunities for students to interact across grade levels through reading and performance, including recruiting Middle School volunteers to be Mystery Readers in Lower School classrooms. But for all their inspired sprucing and jazzing and moving and shaking, The Booklets are grounded in what motivated them to form this group in the first place. As 6th Grader Ariane B. put it: “I decided to join The Booklets because I thought it would be fun to help the Library. And I love to read.”

Meet the Booklets: A New Era at ISB’s Library By Matt Lazarus, Substitute Teacher “The Booklets” is the newest initiative from Maria Falgoust, ISB’s Librarian and literary impresario. In Maria’s words, The Booklets are “library ambassadors” – a group of a dozen or so Middle School students who have elected to devote their Tuesday lunch periods to planning activities, envisioning new campaigns, and delegating tasks for the week ahead — all in the name of fostering a fresh, student-driven appreciation of the school Library and all it can offer the community. The Library is not exactly desperate for a P.R. bump; since its move from the Annex to its new capacious digs last year, Maria has seen her core group of patrons steadily expand, with everyone from Middle School students to Preschool families taking advantage of the Learning Commons’ unique space in the hours before and after school for reading, studying, and unwinding. But ask any member of The Booklets, and they will say this current success is only the beginning. When pressed about her goals for the year, 6th Grader Margaux A. was unflagging in her resolve to “make everyone want to come to the Library.”

The ISB Booklets Logo Designed by Jillian W., 7th Grade

Founding Head of School Rebecca Skinnerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Farewell Celebration On Friday, December 1st, 2017, the ISB community gathered to celebrate ISBâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Founding Head of School Rebecca Skinner before she set off on her next adventure in Dubai. Thank you to everyone who was able to join us for the event, and especially to the Alumni who presented Rebecca with the design of the plaque that will be installed soon at Reception.

More to See on the Blog... A Look Inside ISB’s Math Program

On Wednesday, November 15, over 40 parents gathered in our Cafeteria for a morning presentation about the math program at ISB. ISB’s Math Coordinator and three Lower School Math teachers explained ISB’s approach to mathematics instruction from Lower School through Middle School. A video interview with two of the presenters is available online.

All the Buzz about Bilingualism

On November 14th, ISB hosted a panel discussion called “The Buzz about Bilingualism: Exploring Language Immersion,” which focused on the benefits of bilingualism and language immersion education. The attendees included current ISB parents, teachers, and prospective families. During the event, the panelists discussed their personal journeys with bilingualism, the misconceptions about second language acquisition, the cognitive benefits of bilingualism, and their own approaches to language immersion education.

ISB Winter Concert

Students in 1st-8th Grade dazzled the ISB Community with their performances at the Winter Concert. To watch a video of the Winter Concert, visit our blog.

Hour of Code

Each year during Computer Science Education Week, ISB students participate in Hour of Code, a global movement designed to celebrate computer science and introduce students to the world of coding. During the recent Hour of Code at ISB, students in 3rd-5th Grade logged onto code.org and started working through a progression of coding puzzles. Read more online.

For these stories and more, go to isbrooklyn.org and click on “Inside ISB.”

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