ISSUE # 24

MIDDLE SCHOOL
WEEK OF:
FEBRUARY 24 to 28

SY 2013 2014

Friday Bulletin
Inside this issue:
Superintendents Office Saturday Service Learning Athletics & Activities Admissions & Advancement ISM Upcoming Events

Weekly Publication for Middle School Parents

Dear Parents: This week we were fortunate to have Mitch Albom, best-selling author of Tuesdays with Morrie and other novels, speak to our grade 6 grade 8 students. He shared with us his career path into writing, his writing process, and lessons he has learned along the way. He also fielded questions from our own students and encouraged them to read in order to become stronger writers. Giving is living was one of the most important pieces of advice that he shared with the audience as he spoke of his time with his professor and mentor, Morrie Schwartz, and his efforts with an orphanage in Haiti. Thank you to Meg Parry, the Middle School librarian, for organizing this event and bringing such an inspirational author to ISM. This week we launched our transition programs for grade 4 students entering grade 5 and grade 8 students moving into high school. Principals and counselors from each division spent time with small groups of students, discussed their next level of schooling, shared activities and events to look forward to, and answered any questions that rose to the surface. In the coming months more activities are planned so that the students slowly become more comfortable with the idea of moving on to Middle School or High School. For parents of grade 8 students, a High School Course Selection Meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, March 5 from 5:30 7:00 P.M. in the Little Theater. Please plan to attend so that you can hear more about high school and what lies ahead for your child. Middle School course registration for school year 2014-2015 will take place the week of March 3. One new course offering, Robotics - Advanced, will be available to grade 8 students who have or will have taken the introductory Robotics course. Information will be available through the MS Blog for all students and parents, and students will also hear the information during an assembly time on Wednesday, February 26. Please take some time to discuss the options with your child so that they are prepared to register for next years classes. Reminderthere will be no classes on February 24 and 25. Classes resume on February 26. Have a fabulous weekend! Yours in Education, Simon Gillespie Middle School Principal Clarissa Sayson Middle School Assistant Principal

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Events & Activities:

FEBRUARY

24 25
MARCH

No Classes National Holiday

3-7 3-7 7 10 - 14 27 25 - 31 27

Course Registration Spirit Week MS Party MAP Testing Student-Led Conferences MAP Testing Grade 5/6 All Strings Concert

Re-enrollment: SY14-15 Returning Students Medical Update

Dear Parents: As you may know, for a number of years we have had required medical check-ups for students at different stages in their school lives: G1; G5; G9. In recognition of the increasing concern about heart health, especially in conjunction with physical exercise in a tropical climate, we shall be introducing a mandatory Electro-Cardiogram (ECG) test for older students. Sudden Cardiac Death in Adolescents, especially during sporting activity, is a recognized syndrome and well over 100 children a year die of this in the USA. Medical advice is that it makes sense to test only students who are 12 years old and beyond. In light of this, we shall now have two thresholds for medical examinations instead of the present three. These will be in Grade 1 and Grade 6. At Grade 1, there will be a physical examination performed by a duly accredited doctor as is the case at present. At Grade 6, there will be a similar physical examination but with the added component of an ECG. All new students between G1 and G5 will have a physical examination; all new students from G6 onward will have a physical examination and the ECG. In order to "grandfather out" our present cohort of students, please note: Incoming G6 students will have an ECG, but will not need a physical examination, since this was done when they entered G5 Incoming G9 students will have the full medical examination and an ECG. Incoming G7 and G8 will have the full medical examination and an ECG when they enter G9. We shall continue to encourage very strongly all athletes participating in Varsity sports to take an ECG. Over the course of the next years, this will mean that all ISM students from G6 onwards will have had a basic heart check-up. The ECG is not definitive, and there is a more sophisticated check that the doctor will recommend if anything in the ECG causes concern. The test itself is very reasonably priced and is readily available at St Lukes and Makati Medical Center as well as other hospitals. Please take a moment to review our re-enrollment time-line and procedures for all students returning for school year 2014-2015: RE-ENROLLMENT I do understand that adding this requirement of an ECG may be seen as an additional chore for parents and students at the time of re-enrollment, but if such a test saves even one life then it will be well worth the extra effort. Sincerely, David Toze Superintendent
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MS Saturday Service Dates

March 1 March 8 March 15 March 22 March 29 April 5 Habitat for Humanity Love2Learn Papaya Academy CRIBS Foundation Chosen Childrens Village (CCV) Philippine Community Fund (PCF) Philippine Animal Welfare Society Tzu Chi Foundation Recycling Center

To sign up, get a Permission Slip in the MS Office and prepare to [Get awesome!]

We are now into the 3rd season practice schedule for MS/HS students. The schedule is now posted on the schedules pages of the (ATAC blog) and on notice boards around school. The first track meet of the year will be held tomorrow, Saturday, February 22. Racing starts at 8:00 A.M. and the meet should conclude about 3:00 to 3:30 P.M. Bring your water bottle and sunscreen. Saturday Community Tennis resumed last week February 15th through until the end of May. see the flyer on the blog for dates and details. This is open to ISM community members only, outside guests are not allowed. Contact Coach Czarina to book lessons with our ISM Tennis Academy coaches (http://atac.ism-online.org/ atac/saturday-community-tennis/).

regular Friday parent bulletins. GAME SCHEDULE PDF: (access to game schedule information): Information about all mid-week/ weekend fixtures for ISM teams can be found via the ATAC blog. Please note the game schedule does change often due to involvement with many local schools so please check the page regularly to find out the latest information of where and when the Bearcats teams are playing. Click on schedules tab or the Bearcat logo to be directed to the power school secure site (http:// powerschool.ismanila.org/public/) You will need your power school user name and password to access the game schedule pdf.

The Bearcat Den (http://atac.ism-online.org/ bearcat-den/) is open for business, please drop by to check out the range of Bearcat products. We have a great team of volunteers who run the ISM Varsity boys continued their winning form den and are always looking for more people to beating Ateneo in the Division 1 ISTA Tennis help out. If you are interested in joining a fantasLeague final last Saturday, congratulations on a tic group please contact any of our den memgreat finish to the local season. bers during den opening hours or please contact Carolyn Ching for details carThe MS girls basketball Gold team played their olynqching@yahoo.com. We are always looking league final vs Faith last week and won. Congrat- for new volunteers and encourage parents from ulations on a great season to all players and ES/MS to join our group. The Bearcat den is now coaches and well done for claiming the champi- calling for volunteers to take on POR's (positions ons trophy this year. of responsibility) for next school year '14-15) as secretary, treasurer, volunteer coordinator, inNew families please take some time to peruse ventory/merchandise and snacks purchasing. If the ATAC blog as this will help orientate you you are interested drop an email with the wide variety of co-curricular programs to pekinm@ismanila.org ISM offers. Have a great year at the Home of the Bearcats! A great way to stay in touch with the ISM ATAC program is to subscribe via RSS feed to the ATAC Regards, blog and also to follow via twitter (see twitter Mark Pekin feed on the blog home page). Director of Athletics/Activities Each Monday, I will post the weeks happenings and highlight important events for students and parents information on the ATAC blog and in the
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UPDATE YOUR CONTACT DETAILS THROUGH THE ISM PARENT PORTAL

Dear Parents, We are pleased to inform you that your childs PowerSchool account may be accessed through the ISM Parent Portal. Aside from being a gateway to PowerSchool, the Parent Portal also provides information on school events, useful links, as well as child-specific academic blogs and student portfolios. Should you need to make any changes to your contact information, visit the Parent Portal and follow the steps below:

Leaving ISM?
For those students that will be withdrawing from International School Manila this school year (SY 13 -14), the following procedure applies: Parents are obliged to officially inform the Admissions Office in writing through a Withdrawal Notification Form at least fifteen (15) days prior to your childs last day of school.

For those leaving at the end of the school year, you MUST submit a Withdrawal Notification Form on or before May 09, 2014.
Failure to do so will lead to a deduction of US$1,000 from the Facilities Upgrade Deposit (FUD) in compensation for having held a space for the child and thus preventing the School from offering that space to another child prior to the summer holiday break. The Withdrawal Notification Form can be obtained from the Admissions Office or downloaded from the ISM website here. We hope that your child has had an enriching stay at ISM and wish you and your family the very best in the future.
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