Dragon News - 05.04.20
Principal's Message
Dear Students and Families,
This week we celebrate Staff Appreciation Week, along with May 5th's National Teacher Appreciation Day and May 6th's National School Nurse Day. I am deeply grateful to all of ISB's staff for the learning they themselves have embarked on to support the learning of our students. I'm also very appreciative to all of the new cadre of teachers that have sprung to action in homes . . . parents, grandparents, siblings, and other household members are coaching, tutoring, and teaching too. Working together, we've been successful in actively engaging about 90% of ISB students during remote learning. It's not perfect, but we're on the right track. We are grateful for the collaboration and partnership between our students, families, and teachers to ensure our students keep learning and are prepared for the future. Together, we will get through this!
Warmly,
Jill O'Neill, Principal
Pass/Incomplete in StudentVue/ParentVue
The Oregon Department of Education recently directed all secondary schools (grades 6-12) in Oregon to report class grades using only a Pass or Incomplete scale. As a result, BSD has updated our processes so that any class grade on any transcript for the Spring of 2020 will be displayed as a Pass or Incomplete. The Pass indicates credit earned while the Incomplete communicates that additional evidence of learning is required for the credit. Neither mark has an impact on students’ Grade Point Average (GPA).
In addition, beginning Monday May 4, 2020, all grades displayed in the Synergy gradebook will be calculated using only the Pass or Incomplete scale. Teachers will continue to provide feedback on assignments using written, verbal, and numerical methods. Teachers will use the standard rubric scores (1-8) for numeric feedback. However, all overall (calculated) grades will be displayed as Pass or Incomplete. The minimum threshold for a Pass is a 2.0 on ISB's MYP/DP 1-8 scale.
US News & World Report - ISB #1 in Oregon
US News & World Report recently released their Best High Schools 2020 list . . . ISB is once again ranked #1 in Oregon and #69 in the U.S. See the report here. We're exceptionally proud of the achievement of our students and staff, as well as the support of our ISB families.
Class of 2020 - Cap & Gown Pick Up this Friday
Seniors, your teachers, counselors, admin, and support staff are ready to celebrate your achievements with you! Many will be at ISB on Friday, May 8th from 12:30 - 1:30 pm to cheer you on as you pick up your graduation cap & gown, honor cords, and your Senior sweatshirt.
We encourage students to follow social distancing practices and refrain from carpooling with others from outside your household. Family members are welcome to join in the fun too. Use the bus lane to pull up to the front of the school. Please have a sign in your car with your first and last name clearly visible - a piece of notebook paper works great and helps us maintain social distancing. We'll be announcing your name over a loudspeaker so your fans can cheer you on. We'll place your bagged items on a table, back away, and then you can get out of the car to pick up your belongings. If you are ready to return library and textbooks, you can place them on the same table. For your safety, we will be disinfecting the table in between each pick up.
Class of 2021 - College Application Process
Juniors, the College Place Oregon in collaboration with Oregon Goes to College has recorded some online resources that could be very beneficial as you prepare for the college application process. There are sessions on everything from beginning your college search, to playing athletics, to paying for college, to writing your college essay. All sessions were recorded by local college admissions officers and other professionals in the area. Here is a link to this fabulous resource.
Seminario Web de Canvas para Padres/Apoderados
Digital Exchange Opportunity for High School Students - May 20th Application Deadline
Through The Experiment Digital, hundreds of young people across the United States connect with high school students from Iraq, Algeria, Yemen, and other countries in the Middle East and North Africa to discuss such topics as digital citizenship, leadership and identity, community initiatives, and public narrative. The program is conducted entirely online and mobile-accessible four hours a week from June 22-August 16, 2020. Application deadline is May 20.
Free Mental Health Summit
The Oregon Association of Student Councils (OASC) is hosting an online FREE Mental Health Summit for students, teachers, counselors, and administrators, Wednesday, May 13th from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon. Participants do not need to attend the entire summit - it's designed to join for all, or choose your own adventure. Participants can join either via Zoom or Instagram @oascleaders. Visit http://oasc.org/?page_id=5321 for schedule and registration.
Culture Shock 2020
Several months ago, Oregon Episcopal School reached out to invite ISB to participate in their annual Culture Shock conference. With the Stay Home, Save Lives restrictions, their plans necessarily had to shift away from a conference. OES students and staff asked themselves how might we repurpose the keynote that Aisha Fukushima was going to give at Culture Shock? The result is this collaborative piece created by the students and Aisha -- Culture Shock 2020: A Virtual Adaptation. Culture Shock 2020: A Virtual Adaptation is a call to action that comes at a time when we may need to be inspired, challenged, and activated. OES has invited us to share it with the ISB community through May 18, 2020.
An Online Movie Screening of 'Screenagers NEXT CHAPTER'
ISB is excited to announce that the documentary "Screenagers NEXT CHAPTER: Uncovering Skills for Stress Resilience" will be available for home screening from April 20 to May 6, 2020. This documentary offers a scientific explanation of the emotional challenges of being a teen, the role technology plays, and how families (and schools) can support teens. Here is a link to a summary and the trailer of the documentary.
To screen the film in your home from April 20 to May 6 please register at the site: https://www.bigmarker.com/screenagers-starhouse/SCREENAGERS-NC-STREAM-ISB. This registration is free and will provide each household access to the documentary. This link is for a limited number of screenings, so it is important to register ahead of time, watch when you have time to view all 63 minutes of the documentary, and view the documentary as a household. Please see the following link for discussion questions and for further reading suggestions: https://bit.ly/ISBScreenagersNEXTCHAPTER.
Thank you to FRISB and BSD Future Ready for making this event possible.
7th Grade Author Livestream - May 8th
ISB 7th Graders are invited to tune into a live streamed conversation with Ji-li Jiang, author of Red Scarf Girl on Friday, May 8th at 11:00 AM. She will be talking about her experiences growing up in China during the cultural revolution as well as becoming a published author! Ji-li will also be answering questions from ISB 7th graders, who can submit their questions through this Google Form no later than Wednesday, May 6th. 7th Graders can access the event through Canvas. We are deeply grateful to FRISB for generously sponsoring this annual author event!
Astronaut Symposium - May 15th
The Oregon State College of Engineering invites all Oregon STEM high school students, teachers, parents and administrators to participate in the 2020 Oregon State Engineering Virtual Symposium on May 15, 4:00 - 5:45 p.m. This free online symposium will feature a live Q and A with astronaut Ellen Ochoa: first Hispanic woman in space; former director of NASA's Johnson Space Center; pioneer like no other. The event will also feature several current OSU engineering students sharing their groundbreaking design projects. Registration required by May 5. Space is limited. For full event details and to register: https://tinyurl.com/COESymposium2020
Tips for Using Canvas
Are you overwhelmed by update notifications from Canvas? Did you know that you can control their frequency through Canvas settings? Go to: https://www.beaverton.k12.or.us/departments/future-ready/canvas, scroll down and click on "How do I ... " and select "Set up notifications ...". For more tips on using Canvas click here to see a video of last week's BSD Facebook livestream.
Personalize Your Weekly Calendar
Looking for a tool to organize your time for learning? Our teachers and counselors have created two scheduling tools that you might find useful:
Student Help Desk is Available
For students needing help with the BSD student device or applications, IT has created a student help desk. Students can email the help desk at shd@beaverton.k12.or.us or call (503) 356-4656 for support. Please visit this link for more information.
High School Sports
Did you know that last fall more than one in every five ISB high school students played a sport for their home high school? It is unclear what impact the school closure and social distancing guidelines will have on summer practices and tryouts for Fall sports. However, all students interested in participating in high school sports next year should refer to the Athletics page of their home high school for information as it becomes available. Students playing a high school sport for the first time will need to obtain a sports physical. Here are links to the Athletics Department of each comprehensive high school (consider bookmarking if you plan to play a sport):
Yearbook Sales
Our Yearbook Staff are in the process of completing the 2019-20 Yearbook and are still accepting orders. Yearbooks will likely be delivered to the school in June and we will arrange a curbside pick up for those who have pre-ordered their yearbooks. You can order yours online for $45. Go to commpe.pictavo.com, find ISB and follow ordering instructions.
Resources for Families
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.