Dragon News - 10.21.22
Principal's Message
Last Monday was “Silver Platter Day.” This is a wonderful ISB tradition in which seniors have just completed their extended essays (4000 word independent research paper) on topics that come out of their academic interests. The students print out a final copy of their paper, dress up in a graduation gown, and deliver it on a silver platter to their extended essay advisor.
Once the final draft has been submitted, students then conduct a reflective conversation with their advisor, known as the “viva voce.” I was honored to be able to supervise three different students this year for their extended essays. During the viva voce for one of them, I posed the question of how it was that he had learned so much and become so independent in his learning. His response was the following:
“ISB has a student population that is more motivated than most. The motivation and collective passion to be better and learn more pushes other people to be more motivated and push themselves. This means we do things that aren’t part of the norm. This is not about getting good grades, but it encompasses all parts of our lives including the pursuing of passions and interests more vigorously than would be the norm in other places. Sitting and talking with my friends and other students here has made me a better thinker, has kept me interested in learning, and led me to come up with ideas that I never would have had.”
This is one of the best embodiments of the IB Learner Profile that I’ve heard since I’ve started here. It is evidence of the fact that what we are doing works.
Below are some pictures from Silver Platter Day, and also a list of the topics they chose for their Extended Essays.
Andrew Gilford
Principal
- To what extent was the fall of the Unified Silla Kingdom during the Later 3 Kingdoms Period a result of nationalism?
- How can developing countries finance infrastructure projects in a way that minimizes the impact on national sovereignty?
- In what ways do the experiences of abuse and neglect in adolescence have a long term effect later in life?
- What is the association between Tourette Syndrome and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder?
- To what extent has the origins of Christianity influenced the modern sexual oppression of women in the US?
- What military factors in the 17th and 18th century were the most significant in halting Ottoman expansion in Europe?
- To what extent was French colonialism over Indochina a leading cause of Vietnam’s development of communism?
- To what extent was there a disconnect between Ceaușescu’s self-presentation of benevolence, and the response of Romania’s people?
- What were the most significant factors that led to the downfall of the Ottoman Empire in 1918?
- In what ways and for what purpose does Taylor Swift portray Contemporary romance in American Society?
- Examine what was the most oppressive factor towards African Americans from 1863 to 1954
- Which treatment is more effective for adolescents who experience anxiety, cognitive behavioral therapy or dialectical behavior therapy?
- To what extent did the Yom Kippur War alter Israel’s perception of itself from a strong and invincible state to one more weak and vulnerable?
- How do American, Korean, and Japanese films explore societal concepts through expression of visual storytelling and filmmaking in horror films?
- To what extent does Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s portrayal of mental illnesses in female characters reinforce negative stereotypes regarding mental illnesses?
- To what extent did immigrants shape early 20th century Broadway?
- To what extent is Jon Favreau’s high degree of directing techniques affect the overall economic performance of a film worldwide?
- How does Emily Dickinson’s poetry differ from that of Silvia Plath’s in regards to the theme of mortality?
- How did Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini's Fascist ideologies contribute to key historical events such as the Holocaust?
- How effective is panda diplomacy in improving international relations?
- How do characters in Ursula K. Le Guin’s The Lathe of Heaven explore different aspects of Taoist philosophy?
- In what ways do Into the Spider-Verse and Finding Nemo combine principles of animation and sound to demonstrate how their protagonists show vulnerability?
- To what extent were chemical dispersants the biologically safest method to clean up the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill?
- To what extent is parent messaging the main factor in the development of anxiety-based eating disorders in women ages 15-30?
- To what extent does Linguistic Relativity play a role in cognitive color categorization?
- What is the impact of telemedicine on detrimental patient outcomes in areas with limited medical infrastructures?
- What factors were most influential in leading Romania, Hungary, and Bulgaria to ally with Nazi Germany during the second world war?
- To what extent did the Japanese’s use of biological warfare on Chinese war prisoners and civilians during World War 2 lead to medical advancements or discoveries?
- How did trade in the Tang dynasty play a key role in establishing the Tang dynasty as China’s “Golden age”?
- How do characters in Naguib Mahfouz’s Midaq Alley and Louise Erdrich’s Love Medicine demonstrate the shift in the relationship between traditional and modern values through various generations?
- How is the idea that loneliness is exasperated by online spaces explored within Yeule’s lyrics?
- How do the films Maleficent and Incredibles 2 contradict the traditional roles of villains through film techniques?
- How does the impact of switching to electric cars affect Norway?
- To what extent have Wes Anderson’s visual techniques progressed throughout his career?
- To what extent did textile workers in Meiji Japan have autonomy over their lives?
- How is absurdism explored and developed in Albert Camus’s The Stranger and Kurt Vonnegut’s The Sirens of Titan?
- What events were most significant to the rise of American Christian Zionism in the 20th-Century?
- In what ways do trickster archetypes in Norse mythology and the Brer trickster characters from Joel Chandler Harris depict the tales of morality?
- Assess the impact of outsourced air pollution and carbon emissions on the local health of communities in China.
- To what extent was the Bays of Pigs invasion the largest contributing factor leading up to the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis?
- To what extent is mental flexibility the most significant outcome of bilingualism and how does it promote the Bilingual Advantage Hypothesis?
- To what extent does the splash art of principle artists across the League of Legends Independent Properties reflect qualities of Modern American Realist Portraiture?
- What were the effects of the American intervention on the Korean War?
- How do loot box systems interact with the human psyche, and how do these interactions compare to those of gambling?
- To what extent has Taiwan fit into the idea of “One China” after the democratization in the 1980s
- How can Portland, Oregon use transformative applications of renewable energy sources to support the energy needs of the city?
- How does Rudyard Kipling demonstrate shifting attitudes and perspectives on war through his poetry?
- To what extent is the concept of life explored in the anime films Neon Genesis Evangelion and The Children of the Sea?
- How did Soviet youth's growing interest in the West through rock music and culture pose a threat to Soviet authorities and independent groups in the early 1970s to the late 1980s?
- In what ways do the films American Beauty and Come and See treat social issues and how does that treatment affect audience’s perception of society?
- To what extent was foreign influence the largest factor in the Qing Dynasty’s downfall?
- To what extent was government reliance the most significant factor in the difference in compliance of the One-Child Policy in rural and urban regions of China between the years of 1980 and 1990?
- In what ways does a background in comedy enable directors to subvert tropes and cinematographic elements of film in the thriller genre?
- To what extent were the social and political conditions of the Roma as an ethnic minority different from the rest of the Romanian population in the Socialist Republic of Romania from 1965 to 1989?
- To what extent has colonialism affected agriculture and cultural values in Vietnam?
- To what extent was North Vietnamese Communist or Nationalist from the 1950s-1960s?
- How significant were the US‘s military actions and foreign policies in Cambodia in supporting the uprising of the Khmer Rouge before and during their rule from 1975 to 1979?
- To what extent can object detection be a viable technique for mathematical character recognition?
- How significant were the economic and political changes from Mikhail Gorbachev’s reforms in the Soviet Union’s collapse?
- In what ways and for what purposes does O’Connor use Southern Gothic elements in her short stories?
- How do epigenetic changes caused by adverse early life conditions lead to Type 2 Diabetes later in life?
Upcoming Events
- October 24-28 - Spirit Week
- October 28 - Middle School Harvest Social; 2:15 - 4:00 pm
- November 4 - Picture Retake Day
- November 8 - High School Band Concert; 6:30 - 8:00 pm
- November 10 - Grading Day, no students
- November 11 - Holiday
- November 17 - High School Choir Concert; 6:30 - 8:00 pm
- November 23-25 - Thanksgiving, no school
Spirit Week Next Week
Next week MS StuCo has put together a Spirit Week for the whole school. We hope you all will participate! This will lead up to our first middle school social of the year on Friday, October 28th from 2:15-4:00 pm. (Spirit Week is for middle and high school students, the social is only for middle school.)
Monday – Little Miss/Mr/Mx
Tuesday – Twin Day
Wednesday – Streetwear vs. Elegant
Thursday – Decades Day
Friday – Dress in Monochrome
BONUS – Don’t forget Monday, Oct. 31st is dress up for Halloween!!! (See note below about costumes.)
Middle School Harvest Social
We are so excited to host our first middle school social this year! All Middle School students are invited to attend the Harvest Social on October 28th from 2:15-4:00 pm. Please arrange a pickup for you child promptly at 4:00 pm, bussing is not available. The cost is $5 if you have an ASB sticker and $7 without an ASB sticker. There will also be pizza, popcorn, snow cones, and cotton candy available for purchase. ASB stickers can be purchased in the front office or through the online payment system. Tickets will be sold during lunch on Friday, October 28th. All students also need a signed permission slip in order to purchase a ticket.
Student COVID Testing Drop Off
If you opted in for the OHSU student COVID testing this year, the first day to drop off test samples will be Wednesday, October 26. Have your student drop off his/her test sample in the box marked “Drop Off COVID Test Sample Here” located in the foyer as soon as they arrive at school. We will not be collecting test samples from classrooms.
Halloween Reminder
ISB has a strong tradition of dressing up in costumes for Halloween. Most students and staff wear something, and a fun time is had by all. This year’s celebration will take place on Monday, October 31. We encourage students to dress up, with the following rules:
No costumes with blood and gore.
No weapons.
No masks or facial coverings that hide a student’s face.
No traditional cultural dress as a Halloween costume, and/or no costumes that are based on caricatures or stereotypes of other cultures. (During our week of international celebration in February, there will be a day for students to come dressed in cultural costumes that represent their own culture.)
Picture Retake Day is Friday, November 4th
Only students who fit one of the three criteria below will have their pictures taken/retaken and will receive a Student ID Card on November 4th.
- Students who did not have their pictures taken on the 1st Dorian Picture Day.
- Students who wish to purchase pictures now (must have picture order envelope with them in order to be dismissed from class).
- Students who previously purchased pictures but want to have retakes (must have pictures to return with them in order to be dismissed from class).
Latinx Noche de Informacion Universitaria
Early Pick Up and Health Room Reminders
If you know you will be picking up your student before the end of the school day, please send a note with them indicating the time they will be picked up and the reason for the early pick-up. They should show the note to the Attendance Secretary when they arrive at school so she can write an early pick-up pass for them to show to their teacher. At the indicated time, the teacher will send them to the main office to meet you. Allow at least five minutes for your student to show up. A parent/guardian must enter the office to sign out the student before leaving campus. Students who drive themselves to school must also provide a parent/guardian note if they need to leave early and must sign out in the office before leaving campus.
If your student does not feel well during the school day, please remind them to go to the Health Room. Many times we have parents arrive at school because their student has texted them from class saying they want to be picked up but they are not in the Health Room. Having them in the Health Room waiting to be picked up not only helps us monitor how they are feeling but also protects other students from getting sick too.
Following these guidelines will help us avoid interrupting classroom instruction to retrieve students for early pick up.
Chromebook Charger Renewal
Library notices will be sent electronically soon. Most of the overdue items are Chromebook chargers that need to be renewed. Please remind your student(s) to bring their chargers to the library for renewal. Students can go to the library during passing time, lunch, advisory, AT, or after school. Thanks for your help.
NHS Helps BEF!
On October 12, ISB NHS students participated in the annual Beaverton Education Foundation “Answer the Call” event at Westview High School. In 2 hours, these 12 students raised over $2,000 for BEF, and secured $450 for their club!
Beaverton Education Foundation supports all sorts of projects across the school district, including one here at ISB right now. 7th graders at ISB would love the chance to learn about 3D printing. The math teachers at ISB have the experience and lesson plans to teach kids about 3D printing. The English teachers have an end of unit assessment where 7th graders can demonstrate their knowledge of societal systems by creating a board game. This provides us the rare opportunity for cross curricular collaboration between the English and Math departments! The plan is for students to apply what they learn about 3D printing by creating game pieces for their board games.
BEF will provide matching funds for money that we raise directly. To read more about this project and to donate to it, go to this link.
Last Call to Order Your Dragon Gear!
Back by popular demand, we are offering ISB Dragon Gear again this year! Please visit ISB’s online store at https://isbstore.itemorder.com/shop/sale/ to order your items before October 31st. When you order, you will have the option of picking up your order from Big Frog Beaverton or having it shipped home for a small cost. Any questions regarding the online store or purchasing items, please contact Big Frog directly at 503-746-5756.
Outdoor School Volunteers Needed
Outdoor School is still looking for sign ups for the week of Halloween! If you would like to be a Student Leader from October 31st to November 4th, you can sign up on the Northwest Outdoor School website.
Yearbooks for Sale
Hello parents and guardians! Don’t forget to buy a yearbook! They are $40 now and $45 after Winter Break. You can have your student bring in cash or check to Ms. Meyer in the office or buy one online by clicking this link: https://www.beaverton.k12.or.us/departments/business-services/online-payment-system.
Thank you for your support!
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://isb.beaverton.k12.or.us/
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.