Dragon News - 11.16.20
Principal's Message
We are at the mid-point of 1st Semester and now is a good time for families to review their students' engagement level and academic progress. Quarter 1 progress reports will be published on ParentVue/StudentVue within the next few days. During Wednesday's Advisory class students will review their progress reports and set goals for the next nine weeks. Ask your child to share their reflections and goals with you afterwards.
Our teachers are trying their best to engage students in meaningful, rigorous learning while developing positive relationships with students. Even this far along in the school year though, teachers are often teaching to a screen of boxes rather than live student faces. Students' relationships with classmates is made more challenging by this also. As I have visited classes over the past several weeks, I've noticed that sometimes only one or two cameras are on. Please encourage your child to turn on their camera when possible and appropriate in Zoom meetings. If your child isn't yet comfortable with that, encourage them to add a picture of themselves to their Zoom profile. This will help their teachers and classmates recognize them when we return to school in Hybrid.
This summer I read an article encouraging students to be a "front row student" during distance learning. Being a "front row student" is a reference to classrooms where students can select where to sit in a room. In a college classroom you'll often find the most successful students seated in the front row. In CDL truly everyone can be a front row student. Here are some tips from the article, adapted for ISB:
- Check Canvas for each course early, as soon as it's posted in every class.
- Get to a Zoom meeting first, turn on your camera, and make yourself nod & look at the teacher in a synchronous class (teachers miss seeing your nods of understanding or facial expressions when you're confused - it helps us teach better).
- Raise your hand. Ask questions, as well as share ideas and offer answers. Send chats to your teachers to engage them and connect through email.
- Take notes constantly, preferably with paper and pencil. The act of writing something down helps our brains process information and recall it later. Review your notes frequently and update them as needed.
- Use your planner and Canvas calendar to organize your time. Color code priorities and deadlines, review them regularly, and celebrate by crossing tasks off when they're complete.
Study after study has shown that these basic strategies for engagement and organization make a difference in student achievement. I hope to see more students in the front row when I visit more classes this week!
Warmly,
Jill O'Neill
ISB School Picture Days - Today and Tomorrow
ISB School Picture Days are still scheduled for today and tomorrow, however the location has been changed back to the Southridge High School Batting Cages. See Picture Day Map Nov2020.pdf below.
Pictures are by appointment only on Monday, Nov. 16th from 3-7:30 pm and Tuesday, Nov. 17th from 3-6:00 pm. If you signed up before the event was rescheduled, we will honor your original appointment time. If you have not yet scheduled your picture appointment, please do so here.
In compliance with social distancing guidelines, only students and a few staff members will be allowed in the building. Recommended social distancing and sanitization practices will be used to safeguard students and masks will be required for staff at all times and for students except while their picture is taken. Participation is free and all students are encouraged to participate if they are healthy. Anyone with a fever, cough, fatigue, or other symptoms of COVID-19 should not attend.
Students will receive their Student ID card at the event and the photo will be used in the yearbook for grades 6-11. Seniors should have their school picture taken, but may also submit a Senior Portrait for inclusion in the yearbook. Dorian Studios has mailed picture ordering information to our families and pre-ordered picture packages will be mailed to your home before Winter Break. Picture Retake Days will be scheduled in February.
Hats, sunglasses, costumes, and other props will not be allowed in these school pictures.
Canned Food Drive for BSD Food Boxes
Please consider helping feed students and families in our district by contributing a non-perishable food item when you participate in ISB's Picture Days. We are partnering with other BSD schools to help supply the food boxes that are distributed to BSD families. We are especially in need of peanut butter, pasta, and dry or canned beans. Thank you for your generosity and support of our local community!
Curbside Pick Up This Saturday
Do you have materials to pick up at ISB? In addition to being able to pick them up any school day from 8 am - 2 pm, there will be a Curbside event this Saturday, Nov. 21st from 9:30 - 11:30 am. Please pull up to the front entrance of ISB. On weekdays, call the school office and they will bring materials to you. On Saturday, staff members will be out front to help you.
Yearbooks for Sale!
The ISB Yearbook is a hard bound, 80 colored page book full of wonderful memories for your son or daughter to cherish. The cost is $35 through the end of the year, and $40 after Jan. 1st. Visit https://or-beaverton.intouchreceipting.com/ to purchase it online.
Climate Change CAS Project
A group of IB Diploma students from Mountainside High School is working to create a climate change awareness campaign for their CAS project this year (check out their Instagram account here). Their goal is to spread as much education and information about climate change as possible and to do so they would like to collaborate with other IB schools in the district.
This group of students will be holding a Zoom workshop the first week of December and they want to have as many BSD students there as possible. If you are interested in participating, please fill out this interest form.
Math Tutoring
Need help in math? Here are two possible resources:
ISB's Math Honor Society is hosting Math Tutoring sessions every Wednesday from 12-1 pm. Students can find the Zoom link and password in their grade level Canvas Course. Please do not share the link with anyone outside of the ISB community.
Monday-Thursday from 5-6 pm, Western Oregon University's Math Education students are staffing a daily math homework help session for students in Grades 4-12. Each session will have at least two tutors available and on Tuesdays a Spanish-speaking tutor will be available. All sessions are recorded to protect both WOU and 4-12 grade students. WOU expects that all students are supervised by an adult during the tutoring sessions. Questions? Contact WOU's Dr. Rachel Harrington at harringtonr@wou.edu or 503-838-8831.
CONTACT AND FOLLOW US
International School of Beaverton
Jill O'Neill, 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.