Dragon News - 03.04.22
Principal's Message
Being an educator means that your days are filled with immense celebration and joy as well as challenge and tragedy. With over 900 people part of the ISB community on a daily basis, we witness life happening first hand.
Last week we had an amazing gathering of some of our Latinx families, sharing food, conversation, and information about transcripts. This was hosted in part by our junior and senior AVID students who shared with 9th and 10th graders their successes here at ISB. Just this past Tuesday the National Honor Society held its induction, and we were able to honor the new inductees as they committed themselves to scholarship and service. Traditionally NHS inductees light a candle when they make their commitment, but due to fire codes they all had glowsticks instead. Today at lunch I watched 9th grade Physics students conduct their “Barbie Bungee” experiments.
Last week also brought the news of the death of a long-term Beaverton School District elementary school teacher, whom many of our students had. Several of our Ukrainian students came to me expressing their fears and sadness over the invasion of their country. And we know that some of our students still struggle with anxiety and depression on a daily basis, and others come to school for a meal and a safe place to be.
This is the stuff of life. I am grateful that at ISB it feels like we are all in it together. On a near daily basis I am laughing uproariously, tearing up because of something that has moved me, or chastising myself because I believe we can do more or better. Sometimes you will hear educators say to students, “In the real world…” and this is usually followed by some warning about how you can’t be late, you can’t miss deadlines, and you can’t have a crisis that happens to you mid-day. The truth is, we are in the real world, and while it is incredibly hard, I wouldn’t want it any other way.
Andrew Gilford
Principal
Upcoming Events
March 7-11 - 6th Grade Outdoor School (except March 10)
March 10 - Early Release Day, school lets out at 12:05
March 10 - High School Choir Concert, 6:30 - 8:00 pm
- March 14-18 - Spirit Week
- March 14 - WL Honor Societies’ Inductions, 2:30 - 3:30
- March 16 - FRISB Meeting (virtual), 5:45 - 7:00
- March 21-25 - Spring Break, no school
Outdoor School for Grade 6
Grade 6 students are off to Outdoor School next week. They will be outside all day on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. Make sure they dress warmly, wear layers, bring a raincoat or poncho, and leave their chromebooks at home or in their lockers. They can either bring lunch from home or get a bag lunch from the cafeteria. Separate ParentSquare reminders have already been sent out directly to Grade 6 students and parents.
Reminder: Early Release March 10
High School Choir Concert - March 10
The high school choirs (Concert Choir and IB Choir) will be performing on March 10 in the ISB Cafeteria. Please note, each student may bring up to two guests only in order to safely distance in the space they will be performing in. Students are expected to arrive by 6:15 pm wearing black formal wear. This should include a black dress shirt, black pants/long skirt, and black shoes. Please refrain from wearing anything with logos on it. The concert will start at 6:30 pm and run through 8:00 pm approximately.
Hot Off the Press - Second Edition of the ISB Dragon Scroll!
We invite you to read the second edition of the ISB Dragon Scroll, our student run, written, and produced newspaper. This issue has very interesting articles about our new staff members, the Fall Dance, local and global events, and entertainment. We hope you enjoy it!
Middle School Students and Social Media
We’ve noticed an increasing number of our middle school students engaging in social media in inappropriate ways. Many students don’t self regulate and self filter prior to posting group messages, posting on instagram, or sending emails to each other. We encourage you to talk with your student about their social media and technology use. As the parent, don’t feel shy to check their instagram, look at their emails, or check their messages on their phones.
Ukraine Support Fundraiser
A group of ISB students are wanting to support Ukrainians impacted by the war. They are partnering with a non-profit, Nova Ukraine, to raise funds which will go to helping those in need. We will be holding a raffle for Ukrainian treats at school as a way to raise money. Each raffle ticket will cost one dollar and will be sold at lunches on Tuesday and Wednesday.
ISB Students Excel at BHSE 2022
Congratulations to our science rockstars who participated in the Beaverton Hillsboro Science Expo 2022 on Saturday, February 26th and to Mrs. Jaimie Yee and the science teachers for supporting our students through this work.
There were about 120 projects from Beaverton and Hillsboro competing in the fair. Our students began this work in fall and have been tirelessly working on their projects for nearly 6 months. Participants who are not 9th graders in Mrs. Yee’s ASR class participated in the fair in addition to all their usual schoolwork.
Irene Lim & Alex Lim are going to ISEF and will be representing ISB and Beaverton SD in Atlanta in May at the International Science and Engineering Fair! Their project is titled “Mental Health Risk Detection with Artificial Intelligence”.
Additionally, the following students were advanced from the district fair to the regional fair NWSE in April. They will be getting another opportunity to qualify for ISEF at this fair.
Ronald Lin (11)
Vedant Pawar (11)
Genesis Williams (9)
Shreya Thakur (9)
Sabine Dickerson (9)
Leann Al-Musawi (9)
Izzy Wagner (9)
Vivek Dixit (9)
Anthony Querbach (9)
Biology Awards
3rd place
Jacob Van “The Effect of the Time of UV Ray Exposure on The Corrosiveness of Acetic Acid”
Shreya Thakur “The identification of fingerprint patterns inherited through generations.”
2nd place
Vivek Dixit “Tin Crystal Mass over Time during Electrolysis”
1st place
Leann Al-Musawi “The Chemistry of Hair Relaxers”
Genesis Williams “Natural Disinfectants and Bacteria”
Engineering Awards
3rd Place
Mira Jezewski “What is the impact of Humidity on the Strength of three different adhesive tapes?”
Alexandra Garrison “Portable Thermo - Electric Charging Device”
1st Place
Vedant Pawar “ A Novel Electroactive Polymer Based Stent System to Treat Obstructive Hydrocephalus”
Izzy Wagner “Substrates in Microbial Fuel Cells”
Environmental and Earth Sciences
Honorable Mention
Sophia Rider “Ocean Acidification”
3rd Place
Sabine Dickerson “Effects of Water Temperature on Beach Erosion”
Psychology & Life Science
Honorable Mention
Emery Rea “The Best Memorization Method for Studying”
2nd Place
Anthony Querbach “The Intentional Triggering and Reactions of the Fight or Flight Response”
1st Place
Irene Lim & Alex Lim “Mental Health Risk Detection with Artificial Intelligence”
Medicine & Health Science
2nd Place
Ronald Lin “EZRhythm: A CNN based Arrhythmia Detection System optimized Around Third World Countries”
Physics & Mathematics
3rd Place
Asher Milman “Exploration of the Relationship between Incidence and Refraction of a light beam”
Plant Science
Honorable Mention
Ari Lieu “Self-Watering and Fertilizing Robot”
Special Awards
These awards are sponsored by organizations and recognize specific types of projects:
NOAA’s “Taking the Pulse of the Planet” award
Sabine Dickerson
Sustainable Development Award
Alexandra Garrison
Science Champion Award by the US Agency for International development
Alex Lim & Irene Lim
Innovative Engineering Award by the National Society of Professional Engineers
Vedant Pawar
Outstanding Research in Psychology by the American Psychological Association
Irene Lim & Alex Lim
Naval Excellence in Science & Engineering
Alexandra Garrison
Izzy Wagner
The link to the full awards can be found here.
Congrats to Dragons!
Our ISB Dragons do amazing things both here at school and outside in their extracurricular activities.
Sophomore Lauren DeBusk swam for the District's Final Swim Meet leading up to State two weeks ago. She came in 6th in the 200 Freestyle Relay and 16th on the 100 Individual Butterfly. Lauren also made it as an alternate for State for the Mountainside HS swim team.
Daymon Ruano Aguilera and Hasan Al Mashhdani wrestled in the state wrestling championship last weekend held in Sandy, Oregon. Congrats to both for an excellent showing!
Freshman Emi Madsen qualified to compete at the Oregon High School State Ski Championships this week. The Mountainside-ISB Girls Ski Team placed 3rd overall in Metro.
Community Conversations Around Race - Save the Date Apr 6, 2022
The BSD 3rd Annual Community Conversations Around Race event will be held virtually on April 6, 2022 hosted by Southridge High School. Additional information and registration coming soon. Staff, students, families and community are welcome to attend. Please mark your calendars.
Holi Celebration/Color Run on last Friday before Spring Break
At the end of the day on Friday, March 18, ISB students will be doing a short color run prior to going home. Inspired by the Hindu holiday of Holi, students will celebrate the arrival of spring through running/dancing around our track at school while having rainbow colored powder thrown at them by our student council students. There is more about the holiday of Holi in the Culture Corner below. At ISB we celebrate various holidays from around the world as a way to honor those students in our midst, and as a way to let students express their joy and connection to each other. Warning: Students will come home messy. They can wear white that day to take full advantage of the colored powder, and we will try to clean them off as much as possible before sending them to the buses and your cars. Students can of course opt out if they choose.
Culture Corner
March 18, 2022 - Holi Festival (India and Nepal)
During the Holi festival, revelers in India and Nepal welcome spring by throwing colored powder and splashing water on each other in the streets. The vibrant hues are said to represent energy, life, joy, and the coming of spring. The festival of Holi is celebrated on the day after the full moon in early March every year. On the eve of Holi, celebrants light huge bonfires to ward off evil spirits and commemorate the victory of good over evil. The tradition is rooted in a story in the old Hindu religion, but is also recognized more broadly as a farewell to winter.
Taken from: http://www.holifestival.org/ and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holi
and edited by Ginger Murar, ISB parent volunteer in 2013-14.
March 20, 2022 - Nowruz (Persian New Year)
Nowruz, often referred to as Persian New Year, is celebrated in countries and cultures throughout Central Asia. Learn more about the different traditions associated with the holiday and the places where it is celebrated by reading this article from National Geographic, How Different Countries Celebrate Nowruz, the Persian New Year. One of the many places where Nowruz is celebrated is Afghanistan. This resource from the local Refugee Care Collective offers answers to frequently asked questions about the recent refugee population in Portland, including ways that you can get involved and help in their support.
Spring Forward
Daylight Savings Time begins on Sunday, March 14th. This will lead to darker campuses as students and staff arrive at school in the morning. Please keep student safety in mind when entering the parking lot, drive at slow speeds, respect crosswalks, and only use the designated drop off zones shown in this map.
Remember to Order Your Yearbook Now!
CONTACT AND FOLLOW US
International School of Beaverton
IB World School - MYP & DP
Andrew Gilford - Principal
Email: isb_communications@beaverton.k12.or.us
Website: https://www.beaverton.k12.or.us/schools/isb/
Location: 17770 SW Blanton St, Beaverton, OR, United States
Phone: (503) 356-3690
Facebook: facebook.com/isbdragons
Twitter: @isb_dragons
The Beaverton School District prohibits discrimination and harassment based on any basis protected by law, including but not limited to, an individual's actual or perceived race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national or ethnic origin, marital status, age, mental or physical disability, pregnancy, familial status, economic status, veteran status, or because of a perceived or actual association with any other persons within these protected classes.