Community Update - 08 March 2024

COMMUNITY UPDATE

DIRECTOR’S UPDATE Dear Community Members, The sun has been shining on our campus this week and you can already see the spring in the steps of our students and faculty. Apart from the sunshine, there are many things we look forward to this season, involving the entire ISB community.

We are kicking off the first week of March with our UK Alumni Tour in Edinburgh and London.

Together with the Middle School Head and Assistant Director, Mike Crowley, and the Director of Advancement, Fanny Chan, we will reconnect with over 100 past ISB students to reminisce about their ISB experience, to share exciting updates about ISB, and to invite them to our alumni celebration coming up this June – Summerfest 2024.

Beyond the blooming colours of our fields and forest, March will also bring a lot of creativity to our campus. Between 18 and 29 March our Chateau, Annex, and High School ground floor will display a variety of artworks from all school sections. Pathways of a Visual Arts Student will feature creative interpretations of the student journey from the Early Childhood Centre to High School and will feature the work of Senior IBDP and BTEC graduating artists. The Grand Opening will take place on 18 March between 16:00 and 18:00, and I invite everyone to experience the ISB journey as seen through the imaginative eyes of our students and to get inspired by the visualisations of our learners’ diverse pathways.

I was also very happy to see that we kicked-off spring with great team spirit! Friday, 1 March was Spirit Day at ISB and the entire campus wore red to support our Raiders JV and Varsity basketball teams in their games against the Frankfurt International School Warriors. Seeing our gym full of students, parents, and staff, flaunting the Raiders’ colours and cheering for our teams together was a powerful visualisation of the great job we do to foster a diverse and motivated school community.

James MacDonald ISB Director

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

INSPIRED BY ISB CHALLENGE OPPORTUNITIES: ARSH BANSAL Arsh Bansal is a Grade 10 student with a fervent passion for Computer Science and Mathematics.

Arsh is captivated by the intricacies of coding and problem-solving and loves to explore new programming concepts and to

tackle

complex

mathematical

questions. His biggest dream is to apply his skills and dedication to make a

GET INSPIRED BY Arsh Bansal Grade 10

meaningful change in people’s lives.

Part of the ISB mission is for everyone to be challenged. During your time at ISB, what have you participated in that has helped you feel challenged?

My journey at ISB has been incredible. I actively tried to find opportunities that pushed me beyond my comfort zone. I challenged myself physically and learned sabre fencing, participated in the school’s lacrosse team, and even completed the Duke of Edinburgh International Award.

Academically, I am taking AP Physics, AP Statistics, and AP Macroeconomics, which demand a heavy workload. I maintain a strict schedule and make sure to check Schoology twice a day. I sometimes complete my schoolwork on the school bus, and at times I get so tired that I go to bed just after school. However, the next morning I wake up early to complete my work. Combining my course workload with my extracurriculars has taught me a lot about how to effectively manage my time and prioritise my work.

What does ‘being challenged’ feel like to you?

To me, being challenged is a combination of excitement and apprehension. I know there will be a lot of hurdles; however, I also know that I have the opportunity to overcome them and emerge stronger on the other side.

While it can be daunting at times, the sense of accomplishment that comes from overcoming challenges is immensely rewarding. Being challenged is about pushing my boundaries, testing my abilities, and ultimately discovering new learning opportunities.

Mrs. Schroeder has shared that you have challenged yourself in a variety of ways. What have you participated in outside of school?

Mrs. Schroeder was the first person who saw potential in me and motivated me to push myself, so I would like to thank her for persuading me to reach my potential. Based on her advice, after I scored 99.99 percentile in the NNAT 3 test in Grade 9, I decided to pursue AP Computer Science A from John Hopkins University, in their Center for Talented Youth Programme. While I was a bit apprehensive about appearing in the AP exam, Ms. Scharff (my MS counsellor) strongly recommended that I should go for it. I am very glad that I did, as I scored a perfect 5.

During my summer vacation, I got an opportunity to do an internship with Applied Frameworks, where I developed an AI model that could customise responses based on their book. After seeing the immense potential of AI, I subsequently enrolled myself in a professional and graduate level course of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning from Defense Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), India and Defense Institute of Advanced Technology (DIAT), India. This was quite a challenge, as I had to manage the course alongside my rigorous school curriculum that included 3 AP courses and Extended Maths. By properly managing my time, I completed the course successfully and got a professional certification for AI and Machine Learning.

I have also started an AI club in the school, as I wanted to share my knowledge about the interesting world of AI. In my opinion, the future is AI and we should be ready to embrace it.

Why have you chosen to engage in some additional challenges?

I always strive to become a better version of myself. Every challenge gives me an opportunity to improve myself and to enhance my knowledge. Life is full of challenges, and by taking up these challenges today I am preparing myself for potential obstacles in the future, especially after finishing school. My current struggles will also help me develop soft skills such as resilience, adaptability, and time management.

How have these experiences shaped who you are and your future goals?

The challenges I've faced have taught me to persevere in the face of adversity and to never give up on my goals, no matter how intimidating the circumstances may seem. I’ve learned the importance of being adaptable and flexible in my approach to problem-solving. When my strategies fail, I learn from my mistakes and devise new plans to work towards my goals again. I have a clear understanding of my strengths and weaknesses, and I put extra efforts in filling any gaps. I have recently gained more clarity about what truly matters and what I want to set as my goals for the future.

How do you keep yourself balanced with all of these choices? When do you find time?

Maintaining balance is a challenge, but I try to allocate time and energy in an effective manner. I prioritise tasks and goals based on their importance and urgency, and I utilise effective timemanagement techniques, such as setting realistic deadlines, breaking tasks into smaller manageable chunks, and utilising tools like calendars and to-do lists to stay organised and on track. I also try to remain flexible and open to adjusting my plans where needed. At the same time, it is also very important to indulge in recreational activities, to relax, and to unwind. I make sure that I allocate some time to play video games, to watch movies, to go out, and to spend time with my family.

Preschool to Grade 12 Visual Arts Exhibition – Pathways

Opening night: 18 March 2024 from 16:00 - 18:00 Please join the ISB Visual Arts department as we present the Pathways of a Visual Arts Student. This is a school-wide exhibition, representing a variety of artwork from each grade level. The journey from preschool up through to the IB and BTEC graduating class will be collectively showcased and celebrated across campus over a two-week period.

Starting in the Chateau, viewers will experience the fledgling artists from the Early Childhood Centre and their development through Elementary School. The pathway continues towards the Annex and the High School building, representing a selection of works from Grades 7 through 12. The culmination of the exhibition features the Senior IBDP and BTEC graduating student artists.

The Pathway does not end and is open to interpretation by the viewer as to where these artist’s creativity will take them.

The exhibition will run until 29 March.

MEET OUR ARTISTS

What do you like the most about the Arts Programme?

How does the ISB Arts Programme shape your journey / experience at ISB?

My favourite part of the performing arts programme at ISB is how open and freeing it is. You're able to learn and develop without being afraid that your fellow actors will judge you for it. When I first came to ISB and tried to perform for the first time, I was met by an open community. I have been able to grow from someone without much self-confidence or acting and performing talent into a confident person who is now able to express oneself on stage.

Through the performing arts department I have been able to excel at what I do, I got to know a lot of different people, and got to have fun while creating a piece. Theatre specifically has been a huge part of my formation. Through the difficulties I have faced with a lot of schoolwork, the theatre department has always been there to cheer me up and to allow me to have a break from the stressful reality of being an IB student.

Eline Semundseth, HS Theatre

What I like the most about the Arts Programme is that you have the option to do what you want. For example, I like to work with clay, and I like that I have the ability to do anything with it. Mr. Reed allows us to create anything and to see where our mind takes us. For instance, this morning the base of my clay artwork snapped in half and I had to repair it. I was disappointed at first, but the repair process was very creative and Mr. Reed helped me to see it as an opportunity to put it back together in a creative way.

After repairing it, next week I will expand it and add more pieces at the top.

Before joining ISB, at my old school I used to draw a lot. I liked drawing, but the instructions were very specific and we were always told what to draw or to follow a certain theme. Here we get to explore our minds and see where our creativity takes us.

The Arts Programme is shaping my ISB experience a lot. Being experimental with my creativity influences my experience with other school subjects because it allows me to open my mind to different ways of studying or of solving problems.

Caden Medeiros, ES Visual Arts

The Spring ISB Plus activity schedules are now out. You can find them on the Central Learning Platform New activities include All-Star cheerleading, badminton, acting for film, tinkering, and comic character discovery, alongside returning spring favourites.

The registration is open from Wednesday, 6 March at 12:00 until Sunday, 10 March at midnight. Information on how to register is available here.

The spring activities season runs from 18 March to 7 June.

If you are looking for after-school or early-dismissal supervision during gap week (the week between the activity seasons) on 11-13 March, or for full-day supervision on the upcoming conference days on 14-15 March, please use this form to register.

Fedasil WSP: Community Engagement Project Fedasil (Federal agency for the reception of asylum seekers) is a public utility body that helps unaccompanied minors seeking asylum in Belgium. The organisation provides daily necessities, as well as legal, medical, psychological, and social aid and opportunities. As part of a CAS Superproject, a team of Grade 11 students are working together to coordinate with Fedasil and to organise social opportunities on campus once a month. These events typically take place on the last Sunday of each month and involve visiting ISB, playing sports, and socialising with ISB volunteers. In order to hold the monthly event, the project leaders organise the access to school equipment and facilities, by reaching out to ISB faculty/staff. An ISB chaperone and a chaperone from Fedasil attend each event. Typically, the Fedasil guests have an age range similar to the MS and HS demographic. Our guests come from a variety of backgrounds and places, and student volunteers and project leaders socialise with them, converse, and play sports.

Football is the most popular sport amongst the visitors, and we always play outside, as long as the weather allows it. Each monthly event lasts for around two hours, and the volunteers are encouraged to bring drinks and snacks to share after playing sports. On occasion, a musical activity is organised in coordination with the Arts department in order to add some variety and diversity to the prepared activities. On the weekend of 25 February, for example, Fedasil guests and student volunteers participated in a drumcircle workshop led by Ms. Du Toit from the Arts Department and organised by students.

Overall, the monthly Fedasil event presents a wonderful opportunity for students and guests to make new friends, and for us to aid our young guests in adapting to their new home. Students and visitors can bond over shared interests and hobbies, such as sports and music. Volunteers are appreciated, and we hope to continue this project and monthly events in the future.

STEM @ ISB On the weekend of 24 February, our Elementary and High School Robotics teams participated in the VEX Robotics Belgian National Championships in Antwerp.

Representing the ES team: Jenami Shah, G6 Kenichi Sasaki, G5 Josephine Whitelaw, G5 Representing the HS team: Lucas de Haas, G11 Arsh Bansal, G10 At the Elementary level, our team fought hard to earn a spot in the finals. They came in 5th place out of 22, which is a truly great result for our first-ever tournament!

Our High School group had a stiff competition, but managed to secure a spot in the semifinals and an overall 7th place. As first year competitors as well, this is a very impressive result!

The ES and HS coaches, Ivan Durdevic and John Lund are very proud of their teams’ effort, passion, and teamwork.

ATHLETICS Raiders Tryouts Information about the Raiders Athletics Spring Season is here. Tryouts start on 18 March. Please make sure to fill out the Spring Sports Interest Form. We're excited to offer U14 Boys Volleyball this spring for the first time.

Try It Out week For those students in grades 6-8 who are unsure which spring sport might interest them the most, Raiders Athletics will have Try It Out week between 11-13 March, after school from 16:00 to 17:00.

We ask students to register for Try It Out using this link in advance, so we can plan accordingly.

Mark your calendars to join the FA at one of our workshops, classes or events.

Join us this Spring at one of our workshops, classes and 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 Monday, 11 March, Self-Defense Workshop, 10:00 - 11:30, Annex Do-Jang Tuesday, 12 March, FA Operations Meeting, 09:30 - 11:00, Annex Community Lounge, all parents are welcome Monday, 18 March, Self-Defense Workshop, 10:00 - 11:30, Annex Do-Jang Monday, 25 March, Self-Defense Workshop, 10:00 - 11:30, Annex Do-Jang Mark Your Calendars!

For event details and registration, connect with the ISB FA.

SAVE THE DATE

Click here to connect with the International Festival Committee to get more information on hosting a booth from your country or volunteer to help on the day.

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 need help to reset your login credentials, our IT team is available via email at IThelpdesk@isb.be and will happily help you.