Community Update - 31 May 2024

COMMUNITY UPDATE

DIRECTOR’S UPDATE

Dear Community Members,

It is amazing how quickly a year can fly by. With June just one day away, we are sailing into the final part of the school year Next weekend is designed to be a grand celebration of our uniquely diverse community

Our weekend begins with a graduation event for the Class of 2024 on Friday night, where our seniors will receive their diploma and walk off the stage into the next chapter of their lives. To all our graduating students, on behalf of our entire community, we want to extend our sincerest congratulations On Saturday June 8, Summerfest will be one of our largest alumni reunions yet, welcoming former students, teachers, and staff from around the globe to reconnect and reminisce about their cherished memories at ISB Following this, on June 9, the International Festival will dazzle us with vibrant performances, culinary delights, and engaging activities. This is the first time we have done such a big community celebration over three days, and we are very excited for a weekend filled with nostalgia, community connections, and cultural exchange

As this is one of my final messages of the year, I want to thank those volunteers who play such an important role in shaping our ISB culture. We have phenomenal parents in our Family Association and working with the Arts or Athletics departments. Many of you volunteer to chaperone students on off-site activities while others make it possible for us to offer learning opportunities through World of Work. So many people are helping with the International Festival… the list seems endless. Without this support, we simply would not be the school that we are today.

I also want to take this chance to personally invite our parent volunteers to this year’s Volunteer Recognition Event that will take place on 11 June at 14:00 (RSVP here). We want to celebrate everything that you have done in support of our school this school year and thank you for your contributions.

James MacDonald ISB Director

INSPIRED BY LOT SELEN

GRADE 6 GRAPHIC DESIGNER

The ISB Communications Team had the opportunity to interview Lot Selen, a G6 student with a passion for graphic design. Inspired by the friendships she fostered at school, Lot used her creative talent to create fun logos representing her friends’ names.

What can you tell us about yourself and your interest in graphic design?

I am from the Netherlands and this is my second year at ISB I started designing logos this year because I got inspired by someone I saw on TV She created logos in different styles So I started making my own just for fun. I first started on paper and then, in Passion Learning, I started using the iPad to create logos.

Can you briefly describe your project of designing logos for your friends? What inspired you to want to create these logos for them?

I started looking for new ideas and then started to go with names It turned into a whole project It wasn’t intentional, to use names It just happened.

Do you have any favourite colours or styles that you feel are representative of your style?

My style is combining the letters into one symbol The font is called SnellRoundhand. For the colours, I ask people what their favourite colour is for their logos.

Is graphic design a passion that you would like to pursue further in your education?

I actually wanted to study Architecture, and I think the two are related

How do you feel about your transition to Middle School in the next school year? What do you look forward to the most?

I’m quite nervous, but I am looking forward to the electives I hope to study Digital Art and/or Visual Arts

ATHLETICS

At the end of another year for Raiders Athletics we want to thank all of the parents who supported the programme A big shoutout to those on the Sports Council, and an extra big shoutout to Jennifer Medeiros, Karen Kennedy, and Rachel Cohn!

With the conclusion of the Raiders Spring season, you can see the results from our post-season ISST tournaments

ISST Spring 2024 Podium Results

Varsity Boys Track & Field - Gold

U14 Boys Track & Field - Gold

Track & Field Overall Team - Silver

U14 Girls Track & Field - Silver

Varsity Boys Baseball - Silver

Varsity Girls Softball - Bronze

U14 Girls Softball - Bronze

ISB Student Athletes chosen for Varsity All Tournament

Julianna Lawrence - Softball

Wyatt Berntson - Baseball

Yuta Suzuki - Baseball

Jack Robertson - Baseball

ISB Teams who won the Sportsmanship Award

Varsity Golf

U14 Girls Softball

U14 Boys Volleyball

With another amazing season finished, we are eagerly looking towards the Fall. Please check out the Raiders Overview for next school year.

Open classes for parents from 3 - 7 June - last week of Spring season

The last session of the season will include open classes, so parents can come and watch and/or take part in activities. We’re hoping to see you there!

The Spring season ends on Friday, 7 June Supervision is available until the last day of school. Should you need it, please use the ad hoc form.

The Performing Arts had a busy couple of weeks with many exciting and diverse concerts and performances Notably, congratulations to all Strings students, who performed a stunning concert last week at the All Strings concert. The HS Choir students also presented all of their hard work at their “Love Café” concert, performed in the HS Atrium on Wednesday, 29 May Grade 1 Theatre students were proud to present their performance of “The Quiltmaker’s Gift” to parents and students this week

Finally, we are looking forward to the upcoming All Bands concert on 11 and 12 June; two unforgettable evenings of music celebrating the

Poverello is an organisation like many others who strive to help less fortunate people. Their doors have been open every day since 1978 and they now have 12 different locations in Belgium Anyone in need can go there for soup, a hot meal, and a cup of coffee in a safe and friendly atmosphere This year for community engagement, a couple of friends and I decided to lead this project This included us bringing them equipment provided/collected by ISB, volunteering there on a regular basis, and creating an advertising campaign to recruit more volunteers for Poverello

I have shared many valuable experiences at Poverello, as it taught me how caring for others and helping people in need can make an impact Through this project, I have understood what it means to work as a team towards a common goal and I have met a lot of lovely people along the way, such as staff, other volunteers, and many people in need. However, Poverello is struggling at the moment as the number of volunteers is low and it will be even lower as summer is coming and current volunteers leave on vacation This is why we strongly urge you to volunteer at Poverello this summer, as it can go a very long way to help this organisation and those in need You can sign-up here

Poverello

HEALTHOFFICE

Sun protection is essential for maintaining healthy skin and preventing damage caused by ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun. Here are the key points to consider:

1.

Types of UV Radiation UV radiation is divided into UVA, UVB, and UVC. UVA and UVB reach the Earth's surface and can harm the skin. UVA penetrates deeply, causing ageing and long-term damage, while UVB causes sunburn and can lead to skin cancer

Sunscreen Using a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 50 is crucial Apply it generously on all exposed skin and reapply every two hours, or more often if swimming or sweating. 2

Protective Clothing Wear long-sleeved shirts, wide-brimmed hats, and sunglasses with UV protection Clothing made of tightly woven fabric offers better protection 3

Using umbrellas or staying under trees can reduce direct exposure. 4

Shade Seek shade, especially between 10:00 and 16:00, when the sun's rays are strongest

Regular Skin Checks Perform regular self-examinations of your skin to detect any new or changing moles or spots Early detection of skin cancer can significantly improve treatment outcomes 5

6.

Education and Awareness: Understanding the risks of UV exposure and educating others about sun protection can help reduce the incidence of skin cancer and other related conditions

By integrating these sun protection strategies into your daily routine, you can enjoy the outdoors while minimising the harmful effects of UV radiation

Celebrating Cultural Diversity and Internationalism at ISB

At ISB, our families come from all parts of the globe and bring with them wonderful ideas, languages, traditions, and cultures. Throughout the year, the FA creates opportunities to celebrate this diversity and connect with other cultures From our International Groups where new and current families can connect, to our language classes where we learn and share together, and to our cooking classes that showcase delicious regional cuisines, there are always opportunities for us to learn together and from each other

This year, the celebration of our global community culminates in one of ISB’s most beloved events, the International Festival at ISB On Sunday, 9 June, ISB will open its doors for the entire community, as well as their families and friends, to enjoy a day full of wonderful experiences on campus We come together to celebrate our diversity through food, music, dance, and traditions.

Not only is the day a great opportunity to celebrate our international community, but it also serves as an important fundraiser for the school. All funds raised from the International Festival directly support the charitable work of the school.

We are looking forward to seeing you at the International Festival and to celebrating what makes ISB so unique – our wonderful international community

MOBILITY

With the end of the school year approaching and the 2023-24 Athletics and ISB+ seasons coming to an end, we would like to inform you that the last day for the ISB late buses will be Thursday, 6 June

The ISB late buses will resume on Monday, 26 August with the Athletics Tryouts for the 2024-25 Fall Season

OTHER INFO

Scolarest 25 years anniversary

Our cafeteria partner, Compass group and Scolarest celebrated their 25th Belgian anniversary this year! What started in one school with just 100 students has since grown to more than 120 schools and a total of 20,000 hot meals and 10,000 sandwiches every day Compass didn’t want this to go unnoticed, so they offered a delicious dessert to each student who had a hot meal on Friday, 31 May.

Our lower school chef Cederic invited the elementary school’s students council to join him and decorate 240 cupcakes to share with their fellow students over lunch!

ISB Raincoat

ISB is now offering a rain jacket for students. If interested, you can place an order here.

Is your family leaving ISB?

We have resources and support in place that can help. Here are some articles and presentations from the Counselling Team to guide your family through Moving, Transitions, and Dealing with Change

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.

Go to isb.be/portal and enter the credentials that were sent to you in the email 1 When prompted for your email, re-enter your username, NOT your personal email. 2 When prompted for your password, enter your temporary password. 3.

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.