Issue 1- 05 September 2025
COMMUNITY UPDATE DIRECTOR’S UPDATE Dear Community, It’s a great pleasure to welcome you to the first Community Update of the school year! I hope you all had a great summer and are excited to start a new year of learning. If you are new to ISB, we hope that the events of the past few days have helped you settle into your new surroundings. I am confident that our community, from students and parents to teachers and staff, will make you feel at home in no time. One great occasion to make new friends and reconnect with fellow parents at the beginning of the year is the Welcome Back BBQ, hosted by our Family Association. All ISB families, new and returning, are invited on Sunday, 7 September, from 13:00 to 16:00 to celebrate the start of the new school year together. We are thrilled to be restarting classes and seeing so much learning happening across campus. As we continue to strengthen personalised learning for every student, one of our key areas of focus this year is developing what we call ‘agency’. We define agency as the capacity of individuals to strategically manage themselves and their learning in order to fulfill their potential. We believe that developing the skills and dispositions related to agency is not only vital for academic success here at ISB, but also forms a solid foundation for lifelong success. In parallel, our teachers are also deepening their own sense of agency through professional learning, building the capacity to improve in their practice. Together, by developing agency in both students and educators, we are shaping a community where growth, adaptability, and lifelong success are possible for all. Strengthening agency sets the stage for all other aspects of the learning process to improve as well. I look forward to seeing many of you on campus and at community events throughout the year, and to making it a truly memorable one for our community. Wishing everyone a great weekend!
James MacDonald ISB Director