COMMUNITY UPDATE DIRECTOR’S UPDATE Dear Community Members, At ISB, we emphasise the importance of being future oriented, both in the attitudes and values we foster in our community and through the varied learning paths we offer to each student. Focusing on what’s to come, on progress, and on adaptability to changing futures is one of the most important features of an ISB education. However, I believe that every now and then it is important to stop to reflect on the present and to celebrate our community’s achievements. With this mind, our team put together a new page for our website, dedicated to celebrating our current and past students, whose ISB learning path led them to extraordinary passions and achievements. From three-sport athletes, to painters and digital artists, and to app developers using their knowledge and skills for increasing accessibility to education, our students’ diverse pursuits are proof that a holistic education is the best way to unlock potential and to support their evolution into well-rounded global citizens of tomorrow. Similarly, our alumni’s achievements show that opportunities to explore what lights one’s passions, within and beyond traditional academic curricula, is the tested recipe for achieving success as entrepreneurs, journalists, culinary masters, and medical professionals alike. As an inclusive school with a varied and personalised curriculum, ISB is committed to ensuring that every student who is undertaking a learning journey with us is included, challenged, and successful. Looking towards the future, we can see from Ilona’s, Krish’s, Zoé’s, and Yunji’s stories that ISB fosters everyone’s talents and passions in order to ensure that all students have bright futures ahead, no matter what path will lead them to success. Likewise, looking back from the already established careers of our former students, it is important to reflect on what worked, what inspired them to keep pursuing their dreams, and what advice they have for those currently mapping bright futures. Seeing the success of both our current students and our alumni, I am thankful to the entire ISB community for shaping such achievements, and I am excited to see the great things that ISB students will achieve for many more generations to come.
James MacDonald ISB Director
Discover our new website page dedicated to celebrating our current and past students, whose ISB learning path led them to extraordinary passions and achievements.
Get Inspired
“The time spent at ISB literally changed my life” Matt Merritt Class of 2006
EMBARKING ON A NEW CHAPTER: A NEW MASCOT FOR ISB RAIDERS ATHLETICS Raiders Athletics gears up for a historic change by introducing a new mascot! We will be bidding farewell to the knight and ushering in a new symbol that truly embodies our school’s spirit and community values. The power of choice rests with our students. Starting Monday 5 February, all ISB students will get a chance to vote for the perfect logo that best represents ISB Athletics. Stay tuned for the grand reveal on Monday 19, February.
DID YOU KNOW?
Once thought to be extinct in Belgium, the Wolf is making a comeback. The Wolf is perceived as a complex and highly intelligent animal. Wolves thrive by understanding teamwork and how to be a member of the pack.
With a healthy population in Belgium, the tenacious Badger is an appropriate animal to represent ISB athletics. The badger is famous for being aggressive and highly protective, but is also considered an innovative animal.
The Fox is a common animal in Belgium (we even had a fox take up residence on campus last summer). Foxes are commonly seen as being cunning and sly, but there is much more to a fox than just what you read in fables. Foxes are highly adaptable and extremely determined.
NEW RAIDERS MASCOT
VS
TEAM WOLF
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TEAM BADGER
TEAM FOX
GRAND REVEAL MONDAY 19 FEB
This January, it was a thrill to welcome back ISB alumnus Tom Vercnocke (class of 2016) who returned to the fold with professional theatre company Art-Ed Net to bring their performance of 1984 to our Middle and High Schoolers. Also in January, our dedicated team took a group of Grade 9 and 10 students to London to see shows at the National, backstage at Drury Lane, and other inspirational delights. Now, our 2024 spring season of Performing Arts at ISB proceeds apace The Elementary School ISB Plus production of The Tree that Holds Up the Sky takes place in the ISB Theatre on 5 and 6 March. A team of road builders arrive in a sacred rainforest. Both them and the people they meet must confront their belief systems, what it means to be an outsider, and work out just what is worth fighting for in our shared world. The High School studio production will be Almost, Maine. Showing on 19 and 20 March in the Black Box, the play depicts a cold, clear, moonless, and slightly surreal Friday night in the middle of the deepest part of a Northern Maine winter. Almost, Maine explores love and its various expressions! Funny, heartwarming, and intimate - you won't want to miss it! The Middle School play will be A Midsummer Night's Dream, one of Shakespeare's funniest, darkest and most beloved plays. It has just been cast after a storming round of auditions. Performances will be held in the ISB Theatre on 3 and 4 May. Lose yourselves in music with our concerts, bands, strings, and choir We have a series of exciting concerts and choir performances, which started this week with fantastic Grade 5 and 6 "informances" in the Atrium, and a Stephen Schwartz Spectacular in the Black Box. Well done to all the staff and students involved. Throughout the season our talented vocalists and instrumentalists will be visiting different international venues, including this very week in London. Coming up are visits in Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Paris, and Berlin, where students will be performing a wide variety of programmes with and for a vast range of other performers and audiences. Catch the Strings performers in Brussels too, at the Great Synagogue on 27 March 2024. Don’t forget to check out our events ticketing site,
The Brussels Sports Association (BSA) is currently seeking a Finance Director to join their Board! In June we must say goodbye to our wonderful Finance Director, Meghna Bansal, as her family will be departing Brussels. Therefore, we are currently seeking to fill her Board position with the BSA. This is a great volunteer opportunity for those with accounting/finance backgrounds. On average, 5 hours per month will be required for this position. To find out more, click here or email Lizette Subach at office@bsasports.org. We hope you will consider becoming a part of our leadership team!
For the third year running, ISB will be providing an exciting opportunity for students in grades 9, 10, and 11, through the World of Work Experience Programme, during the Summer of 2024. The goals of the programme are to prepare students for life beyond ISB and to create authentic opportunities for them to experience ‘real-life’ work environments. The World of Work Experience Programme consists of a two-week full-time placement. As the emphasis is on gathering a first work experience, students will not be paid for their participation. The application deadline for students is 9 February 2024. We are looking for a range of host organisations located in Belgium that can offer two weeks of work experience during the summer months (between end of June to mid August). All information - both for students and for companies - can be found in this document.
Lunch for all HS students regularly volunteer for the Lunch 4 All Project. This is a compassionate initiative aimed at supporting the community, with a specific focus on distributing lunches to those in need. Amidst times of crisis, a considerable number of individuals find themselves navigating the streets of Brussels without access to any form of assistance. Consequently, the challenge of securing a meal becomes a pressing issue for many residents in the city. Recognising this urgent need, Serve the City developed the Lunch 4 All project to address food insecurity.
Dedicated volunteers contribute to this impactful project by assembling lunch bags containing nourishing meals. The heart of the initiative lies in the collaborative distribution of these provisions to individuals facing hardships. This transcends the mere act of providing sustenance; it is a profound and fulfilling experience for volunteers who become immersed in a contagiously positive atmosphere. Participation in the Lunch 4 All project is accessible through the registration process on the ‘Serve Now app’. By registering, individuals have the opportunity to contribute to a meaningful cause, extending a helping hand to those who need it most. Embrace the chance to make a difference and be part of this impactful and rewarding project by signing up as a volunteer.
Mark your calendars to join the FA at one of our workshops, classes or events.
FA Classes Language Class (French and English) - Wednesday and Thursday mornings FA Yoga Class - Tuesdays at 09:00 Group Fitness Class with Sylwia - Tuesdays at 13:00 What’s On 22 February, 09:30 - 11:00 - Brunch & Bubbles 23 February, 10:00 - 12:00 - In-chair Massage Workshop Save the Date 9 June - ISB International Festival
For event details and registration, connect with the ISB FA.
GENERAL IT REMINDER ISB CENTRAL LEARNING PLATFORM Set up your ISB Parent Account In order to access ISB’s digital resources, you will need to set up your unique ISB Parent Account. To do so, please follow the instructions below. 1. Go to isb.be/portal and enter the credentials that were sent to you in the email. 2. When prompted for your email, re-enter your username, NOT your personal email. 3. When prompted for your password, enter your temporary password.
Log in to the ISB Learning Platform Once you have set up your account, you can access the ISB Learning Platform (PowerSchool). This is a centralised space for all ISB digital resources.
Access all ISB Digital Resources In the left-hand menu of the ISB Learning Platform (PowerSchool), you will find links to the digital resources below. Please use your ISB Parent Account to log in. ISB Information Hub (ISB Community Portal) : For all relevant resources such as the ISB Calendar, the ISB Directory, and our New Families Page. ISB Digital Learning (Schoology) : For information on your child’s classes, learning materials, upcoming assignments, and more. ISB After-School Activities (SchoolsBuddy) : To register your child for the ISB after-school activities. To log in, please click on the button ‘Azuread’.
Should you encounter any issues, our IT team is available via email at IThelpdesk@isb.be and will happily help you.
OTHER INFORMATION Outdoor furniture and decorations donation request for BTEC Art and Design project Dear ISB Parents and Community members, A graduating BTEC Art and Design student is currently working on the renovation of the 300's balcony (HS 1st floor), and is looking for any outdoor furniture and materials that you don't use anymore or are willing to donate for her to use in her curation. If you have any items you are willing to donate, could you please submit pictures to the student (ideally by Monday, 19 February) to 1dogruguvn@isb.be? Thank you, ISB BTEC and Visual Art Department
Donations to the Performing Arts department If you have any unwanted, “natural-looking” Christmas (or other festival) decorations to give away, we would love to see if we can make use of them as props in our forthcoming ES theatre production. Nothing that appears mass or industrially-produced please, but plausibly handmade items based on foliage, flora, wood, and natural materials most welcome. Please send a picture to odonoghued@isb.be by Tuesday, 6 February 2024.