ISB News Wednesday, May 13, 2009 · Ecole Internationale de Boston – International School of Boston Pre-K & K: 781-646-0510 – Grades 1-12: 617-499-1451 (Chair, BOT continued from

Ecole Internationale de Boston – International School of Boston Pre-K & K: 781-646-0510 – Grades 1-12: 617-499-1451

www.isbos.org

ISB News Wednesday, May 13, 2009

ISB VIPieces Chair, Board of Trustees................2-3 Gala.................................................4-5

In This Issue

PTA.................................................6-8 John Larner/All School…....….. 9-13 Lower School………………....14-16,18 Library..............................................17 Middle & Upper School………...19-24 Behind The ISB Window……….......25

For full Gala details , please see page 4 and 5 & to view more photos of the Gala, please visit www.isbos.org)

A special “thank you” to our international Gala Committee

:

Claude Berthoux, Vera Duin, Frédérique Heissat & Beth Ann Dahan

“Shall We Dance?” “Shall We Dance?” “Shall We Dance?” “Shall We Dance?” Gala: Gala: Gala: Gala:

100% success!

Proud of our ISB Alumni

Class of 2003: Octavia Peissel

“I attended ISB from 1992 to 2003 & was in Mrs. Dargo's class for grades 2 and 3. I currently live in Paris and am working for American film director , Wes Anderson, on a film based on a book that I first read while I was Mrs. Dargo’s student, Fantastic Mr Fox, by Roald Dahl. Please pass on my very fond regards to Mrs. Dargo and any other teach-ers 'from my time' at ISB. Best regards, Octavia Peissel” (To submit ISB Alumni news and updates please email the ISB Devel-opment Office: [email protected] )

COLLEGE FAIR – MAY 20 5 to 8 p.m.

Cambridge Campus Gym

“All School Coffee” May 29 - 8:30 am

Cambridge Cafeteria

François Gauthier,

Consul General of France in Boston

welcomes the attendees One of the many “Shall we Dance?” performers of the evening.


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Dear ISB Community, I feel like I have met more parents in the last three or four weeks than in the previous 5-6 years we have been at this School. It’s been a very enlightening and encouraging experience. And of course I am look-ing forward to the meetings with Maternelle and Lower School parents next week. I can tell you that not only is this community extremely passionate and committed to the ISB, but there is a robust optimism about the plans we’re delivering on. That is excellent news, because we’re only just starting. On this note I’d like to spend some time laying out some of these achievements and plans. But first of all, I want to thank the outgoing Chair of the Board of Trustees, Rob Bloemker, for all that he has done in the last year. It has been tumultuous year for all of us, both in the School and outside of it. Rob, despite having substantial work challenges owing to the economic downturn, has led the Board pro-fessionally, intelligently and effectively. As the incoming Chair I have a great deal to live up to. Many thanks, Rob. One of the exciting developments that I want to mention up front is the reconstitution of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA), renamed from the Parents Association (PA). This organization has historically been the means for the community to both help and influence the School. The ISB community is full of accomplished people, people with very substantial skills, experience, insight and energy. And it is a com-munity that really cares about the education of its children. The PTA is a key vehicle for parental involve-ment in the school, and I will make a few comments about that later. The big PTA achievement recently, of course, was the Annual ISB Gala, “Shall we Dance?”, held on May 1 this year. The Gala is about the community getting together and having fun. It is also a fund raising event, with a primary goal of raising funding for important capital projects that we as parents want to see implemented. Projects that were targeted included the Math Lab project, which I am happy to say is now fully funded. The Math Lab will allow mathematical concepts to be taught in an advanced fashion, involving digital whiteboard technology as well as a computer per child in the lab. Other projects included the Science Lab initiative and a plan to develop the space in Arlington. These both remain works-in-progress.

Announcements at the Gala included the following: The decision by the Eerste Nederlandse School of Boston to base them-selves at the ISB. This is a school of Dutch Language and Culture, certified by the Dutch government and targeted at children between the ages of 4 and 12. The ENSiB looked at three other major locations in the Boston area and chose the ISB. They will be using the school facilities on Sun-days.

(Continued on page 3)

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Chair, Board of Trustees: Barry Morris


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(Chair, BOT continued from page 2) We have reached agreement on an Exchange Program for 9th and 10th Grade children with the Ecole Alsacienne in Paris. Students in the 9th grade will have the opportunity to attend the Ecole for a period of two weeks, in exchange for students from Paris coming to Boston. In the 10th grade a smaller number of students would have the opportunity to do an exchange for a much longer period of two months. The first 9th grade students from Paris are expected in Boston in November of this year. We have announced an ISB tennis program to start in the fall of this year. Based on interest level, we ex-pect to have a tennis club and a tennis team. The facilities we have arranged are located very close to the school. Details of the tennis program will be announced shortly. Parents in the Middle and Upper Schools are aware that our science teachers have been doing an incredi-ble job of teaching science with facilities that are far from ideal. The School’s science results are excel-lent, but it is very important that we address the issue of science labs. The announcement at the Gala was that we had identified a solution that does not involve a $1m capital investment. Subject to suffi-cient funding we will have access to state-of-the-art labs in a building alongside Tufts, and we have been planning 2009/2010 teaching schedules accordingly. We have a continuing fund-raising appeal to enable this initiative. “Shall we Dance?” was a fabulously successful event and it was great to see so many people from every part of the School, from parents to teachers, from the Maternelle to the Upper School. I am also pleased to say that, with the exception of two Trustees who were unavoidably traveling on business, the entire Board was also there. There are many other activities in the School that are led by volunteers. We should thank those who vol-unteer their time for the bread sales, the winter baskets, the school picnic, Springfeest, Earth Week, graduation, after school activities and, of course, room parents. The School depends on the voluntary effort of the community and it is greatly appreciated. I am reminded of a quote by Susan Ellis: “Paul Re-vere made his living as a silversmith, but he is remembered for what he did as a volunteer”. I would like to take this opportunity to make a request of all parents. The school needs a very strong Par-ent Teacher Association (PTA). This is a body that represents parent and teacher interests, organizes com-munity activities, and mobilizes the community to effect constructive change in the school. It is not run by the School Administration or by the Board of Trustees; rather it is independent and self-governing, working tightly and efficiently with the Development Office of the School. An Interim ISB PTA team has done a lot of foundation work and is now engaged in a nominations and election process for the PTA Leadership Team. Are you the right person to help lead the PTA? Do you know someone who would be? The request on behalf of the PTA is that all parents take part in the nominations and election process. This is an important part of how you can contribute to the education of the children. Once again let me note how stimulating I have found it to engage with the community in recent weeks. The Board will continue to do that as we plan for next year. I have a feeling that the 2009/2010 academic year will be a very exciting one. BARRY MORRIS CHAIR, BOARD OF TRUSTEES

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Chair, Board of Trustees: Barry Morris


www.isbos.org

Thank You…MerciThank You…MerciThank You…MerciThank You…Merci

Solicitations Committee

Claude Berthoux•Anne Miller•Laurence Honan•Linda Hôte Nora Husson • Nathalie Wallace • Aline Arslanian

Online/ AuctionPay Software Committee

Beth Ann Dahan

Party Committee

Vera Duin • Cécile Dietrich • Cécile Georges • Zeyneb Magavi

Communications &

Volunteer Recruitment Committee

Frédérique Heissat • Hélène Rieu-Isaacs (translation)

•Keith Villemeur (invitations and logo)

GALA VOLUNTEERS Alexia Duc

Caroline de Poly Céline Huet

Eve Martineau Julie Fournier

Margaret Bonham Nathalie Ducrest Sophie Bernaert

Stéphanie Michel-Musset Valérie Declée

Welcome Speeches: Barry Morris, Chair of the Board of Trustees

and François Gauthier, Consul General of France in Boston

Auctioneers: Guiliana Berchicci and Christophe Berthoux

“Shall We Dance?” “Shall We Dance?” “Shall We Dance?” “Shall We Dance?” Gala:Gala:Gala:Gala:100% success!

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GALA Co -Chairs Frédérique Heissat•Claude Berthoux

Beth Ann Dahan • Vera Duin


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On May 1, our “Shall We Dance?” Gala & Auction took place. With the commitment of volunteering parents in cooperation with the ISB Development Office, this event was a great success! With superb 18th century decorum, more than 250 people gathered to share a tremendous time together. What a wonderful sight to see all those colorful dresses … There was also Cuban music played by the excellent band, Obbini Tumbao, tango, samba, and rumba dancers filled the hours, and ,of course, memorable dance lessons performed by “Hips on Fire.” The best part: all the generous contributions and donations which will now help develop new projects to benefit all our children. What will happen next year? We can’t wait to find out!

Thanks to your generosity and your belief in ISB,

our community enjoyed a lovely evening together.

Total funds raised: $88,455

Funds raised for the Cambridge project, the Math Lab: $39,550 (to be completed with funds raised from Winter Concert DVD sale)

Funds raised for the Arlington project, creation of an individual space: $1,050 Funds raised for ISB science project/science labs: $10,000 Funds raised for the Annual Fund: $37,855 We are putting together a special communication for those who contributed to the Math Lab project. They will be apprised of the project’s progress until the end of August. Finally, they will be invited to a preview the fin-ished project before its official opening in September, which the entire ISB community will attend.

“Shall We Dance?” “Shall We Dance?” “Shall We Dance?” “Shall We Dance?” Gala:Gala:Gala:Gala:100% success!


www.isbos.org

The New ISB Parent Teacher Association (PTA)

All ISB families and all ISB teachers are members of the ISB PTA.

The interim ISB Parent Association Leadership Committee has been working hard all year to overhaul and re-structure the Parent Association at ISB. Now called the ISB Parent Teacher Association (PTA), we are in the midst of planning the first membership-wide election for PTA Leadership Committee members in many years. This is a perfect opportunity for a team of dynamic people to work together to promote our international school community, coordinate better communication, and help provide our 567+ students with unique opportunities and experiences. To nominate yourself or someone else, please fill out a nomination form and return it to the designated boxes at the Cambridge or Arlington Reception by Tuesday, May 19. PTA elections will then take place in person on Wednesday, May 27. We are asking for a commitment of one year, the term of which will run from July 1, 2009 to July 1, 2010. We will be nominating and voting for the following PTA Leadership positions:

- Co-Presidents (2) - Secretary (1) - Treasurer (1) - Parent Representatives (8) (Teacher representatives will be elected in the Fall) Sincerely, Vicci Recckio , France Crespin & Kate Allen Forms have been emailed; they can also be found on our website under “forms”, under the “PTA“ section and at the Arlington and Cambridge Reception areas.

PTA: Nominations & Elections

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www.isbos.org

PTA: Upcoming Events

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JUNE 13, 2009 SPRINGFEST IS HAPPENING... BUT WE STILL NEED HELP.

TO VOLUNTEER, please email our Springfest Coordinator, Janine Elkhoury [email protected]

TEACHER & STAFF APPRECIATION WEEK For more detailed information, please see page 8

Tuesday, May 26: Nothing to bring! Wednesday, May 27: Please bring flowers! Thursday, May 28: Please bring in a breakfast item or side dish! For Friday, May 29: (to be collected by Friday, May 22.) Please bring a bottle of wine and /or a gourmet treat. The Teacher Appreciation Committee:

Margaret Bonham, Palmer Berry, Jessica Baxter and Mariele Taverna

PLEASE HELP TO WELCOME NEW FAMILIES!

The ISB Admissions Office is looking for families from each division who would like to help to welcome new ISB families throughout the year, but particularly between June and Septem-ber. This should not take up too much of your time, but it will mean a lot to the new families. We will send every new family a welcoming note with a form to be completed and returned to the ISB Admissions Office if they wish to be contacted over the summer. The information contained on the form will allow us to best match an ISB welcoming family with a new family. If you wish to participate in this important welcoming activity, please contact the Admissions Office at 617-499-1459 or send an e-mail to [email protected] or [email protected] before Wednesday, May 27. A 15 minute information meeting will take place on Friday, May 29 at 8:30 am during our “All School Coffee” in the Cafeteria in Cambridge and again at 2:30pm in the Cafeteria in Arling-ton.

Thank you in advance for your participation!


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ISB Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week Tuesday, May 26 to Friday, May 29 2009

It is a tradition in the United States to honor school teachers and staff and highlight their crucial roles in the education of our children. The ISB parent community would like to continue this tra-dition and demonstrate our gratitude and appreciation towards the ISB teachers and staff by or-ganizing several events during the 4-day week of May 26-29, 2009. Your help and participation in the following activities will ensure a successful celebratory week!

Tuesday, May 26: Nothing to bring! We will surprise the teachers and staff by installing a new coffee/espresso machine in the teach-ers’ lounges at both the Arlington and Cambridge campuses. The gift will include coffee pods, sugar, etc. so that it can be enjoyed right away!

Wednesday, May 27: Please bring flowers! As we have done in the past, ISB parents will give floral bouquets to teachers and staff. So we need flowers! We ask that each child bring a few flowers to his/her classroom to contribute to this activity. We will use the extra flowers to decorate the public areas of the schools. There will be volunteers in Arlington and Cambridge during morning drop-off to receive the flowers as well. Also, with the guidance of the school directors, students will distribute cards and other special notes of appreciation to teachers and staff during the day.

Thursday, May 28: Please bring in a breakfast item or side dish! We will organize a breakfast and offer additional treats throughout the day in the teachers’ lounges. We ask that parents bring in a breakfast item, baked good, side salad or fruit. Again, room parents will post a sign-up sheet outside your child’s classroom.

Friday, May 29: Please bring a bottle of wine and /or a gourmet treat. Please bring a bottle of wine of approximately $10 in value (we need to collect 100 bottles!) and other gourmet non-perishables by Friday, May 22nd. At both campuses, each teacher and staff member will receive a gourmet goodie bag. We ask parents to contribute wine, chocolate, tea boxes, crackers, olives and other gourmet non-

perishables. There will be volunteers during morning drop-off to receive the goods. Thank you in advance for your generous support! The Teacher Appreciation Committee: Margaret Bonham, Palmer Berry, Jessica Baxter and Mariele Taverna “Transforming young children from every background and circumstance into successful adults re-quires a broad set of skills that have made our country great. Teachers need the cultivating skills of a farmer, the healing skills of a doctor, the courage of a soldier and an unlimited supply of pa-tience and determination. But even with all of this, teachers need something else as well - something that cannot be ac-quired through training or education - and that is passion and compassion for children. Through their work, teachers reflect a set of values and beliefs: that every child can learn, every child is worth something, and you never give up on a child.” -President Barack Obama, 2009 Teachers of the Year event

PTA: Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week

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All School: John Larner

A Letter from John Larner

Dear ISB Community,

The last few weeks have provided us all with a sobering reminder that humans are not

able to beat nature, a fitting coda to our School’s celebration last week of Earth Week.

The recent outbreak of the H1N1 flu virus has demonstrated that once again, just like

when a major storm or natural catastrophe ravages our planet. We sometimes forget

that not everything can be controlled for or planned around. We are so used to plan-

ning, or trying to plan every aspect of our lives, and especially of our children’s lives, that

we forget there is always that statistical margin of error that we cannot control.

I raise this because it is a reminder of something we too often forget: we need to edu-

cate our children to deal with adversity, with setbacks, with the unpredictable and the

unknown. In other words, educate them about what we do not know at times as much

as we educate them about what we do know. And then we need to give them strate-

gies to cope and deal with these unknowns. They need to learn that the first thing not

to do is panic. They need to gather information, test and verify sources, separate fear

and speculation from substance. They need to learn what prudent steps they can take to

better protect themselves, even against the unknown. This applies as much to dealing

with the flu virus (washing hands, covering sneezes and coughs, etc.) as it might to dan-

gers on the internet (don’t chat with strangers, never give out personal information,

etc.). Above all, they need to learn not to give in to rumors and fear, but to keep a level

head and go into a problem-solving mode of thinking and acting.

Ultimately, as adults, we have to recognize that we cannot eliminate all the dangers our

children will face. Therefore we have to educate them about how to recognize and face

these dangers. Even those we ourselves cannot see or suspect. We will not always be

able to protect our children; they will have to learn to protect themselves -- under our

guidance. This is what we at the School are dedicated to doing, as you are at home.

John Larner

�Spring's Recycling Event @ISB. Saturday, May 30 Like last year, Computer Recycling USA will come with a truck and the Earthen Vessels tutoring program will staff the event .

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All School: Front Desk

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�From Our “Office of First Impressions” at Cambridge:

Checking out Technology!

From my spot at the front desk, I get to see much of what goes on during the school day. I can piece together what different classes are working on by observing and talking with teachers as they prepare. A big change I have seen this year is the increasing use of technology. One of my tasks here is to keep track of the audio-visual equipment that teachers can borrow for use in the classroom. When I started here in September, we had the video carts for watching videos and DVDs, and a few laptops and projectors available down in the IT office. Since then, the IT depart-ment has been building our collection so we now have a cabinet at the front desk dedicated to A/V. We now have 4 laptops, 7 LCD projectors, 5 sets of speakers, and 3 overhead projectors available to teachers! Many of them use the laptops to do lessons with PowerPoint, show film clips over the internet, and have students give presentations. But they have also been used in theatre perform-ances, with innovative math software, and for music to inspire dramatic interpretations of Shake-speare. The demand for this technology has been growing over the course of this year alone, and I am sure we will see even more creative lessons in the future! (submitted by Stephanie Izzicupo)

Heads Up!

Believe it or not, it’s already time to request the MBTA Student Passes for the 2009-2010 school year! These passes are still a great bargain at $20 per month, so students wishing to sign up for these money savers should please give their names to Martha or Stephanie at the Front Desk by Monday, June 15th at the very latest. This will assure that their passes will be ready and waiting on the first day of school! Those students who do not ride the “T” as often but would still like to save money should request a Student Charlie Card, which saves them 50% off the cost of riding buses and the “T” between 5 a.m. and 8 p.m. on school days. (submitted by Martha Mayne)


www.isbos.org

All School: Misc.

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Summer Camp registra-tion is OPEN! Registration is first come first serve … Registration documents can be found online or at the front desk. If you have any questions about Grades 1 to 5 camp, please contact Samantha Kravitz at [email protected]. If you have any questions about Preschool camp, please contact Catherine Bastien at [email protected]

Philosophy Teacher Needed:

There is a possible part-time posi-tion for an experienced teacher of Philosophy for the French Bac-calaureate program. This position is for approximately 9 hours a week. If you are interested, please fill out the application form on the ISB website or con-tact Peggy Kirkpatrick. [email protected]

Keep an eye out for an e-mail that will tell you how you can help support the Yearbook and also keep you and your child organized! Florence Hamilton Yearbook Coordinator

ISB Adult Language School Questionnaire: Chinese? Arabic? French, of course! Have you taken a class through the ISB Adult Language School? Would you like to do so in the 2009-10 school year? Please help us meet your needs by answering the short question-naire the entire ISB community will receive by email.

Background information on the Adult School: ISB's adult language courses provide the opportunity for some people to discover a language, for others to perfect their language skills, and for others to simply better follow their children's stud-ies. The courses are taught by experienced teachers and take place at the International School of Boston, which has more than 40 years of experience in language instruction.


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� CHESS TOURNAMENT. All Levels Welcome. Give it a try!

WHEN: Friday, May 29, starting at 4 pm WHERE: The multipurpose room

Organized by: The After-school Program

There will be prizes for different levels and ages. Snacks provided. Garderie included. Participation fee: $15 Ask your parents to please complete the sign up form below before Friday, May 22, and drop it off along with your payment at the front desk. If you have questions, please email: [email protected]

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Chess Tournament Participation Form

Name of Student______________________________________ Grade: _________________ I authorize my child to participate in the ISB Chess Tourna-ment; I encourage him or her to play and have fun, and I know that it is just a game! Payment enclosed: $15

Parent’s Signature: ___________________________________________

(or please pick up a form from the Arlington and Cambridge Reception Areas.)

ALL School: Chess, Anyone?

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YEARBOOK PICK-UP PROCEDURES From Florence Hamilton, Yearbook Coordinator.

[email protected]

Well it’s almost time to receive yearbooks. Yearbooks will be given out on the campus your child attends. All yearbooks were ordered in advanced. We have a waiting list if you are interested in purchasing a yearbook for $45. However, being on the waiting list does not guarantee obtaining a yearbook. To obtain your yearbook, all students in the Maternelle and Lower School need a parent signa-ture when picking up their yearbook. All Middle and Upper School students will be able to sign for their OWN yearbook.

Pick-up times:

On the Cambridge Campus: Tuesday, June 16th at 11am: ONLY MIDDLE/UPPER SCHOOL students (more information on this distribution will be given closer to this date) Wednesday, June 17th at 3:00-4:00pm near the reception desk (ALL students) Thursday, June 18th at 7:45am-8:30am near the reception desk (ALL students) Thursday, June 18th at 11:30-12:30 near the reception desk (ALL students)

On the Arlington Campus: Wednesday, June 17th at 3:00-4:00pm at the entrance (ALL students) Thursday, June 18th at 7:45am-8:30am at the entrance (ALL students) Thursday, June 18th at 11:30-12:30 at the entrance (ALL students) Yearbooks will NOT be able to be picked up outside of these times! All yearbooks will be labeled with the child’s name, grade and section. These labels will peel off easily and will not ruin your book. Yearbooks will be labeled according to the child designated when you placed your year-book order.

ALL School: Yearbook Pick-Up

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��Lower School Reminders

Lower School: Reminders

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Wednesday, May 27 Sports Day at The French-American

School of R.I. in Providence! Third and Sixth Grade Classes

Departure will be by bus at 8:30 a.m. Be on time! The return to school is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. A snack will be provided. Please provide for your child: - Suitable sports clothing, a cap or hat, sun-block - A lunch bag + 1 or 2 drinks

Thursday, June 18 Final Day of School

The final day of the school year 2008-2009 is on June 18th. We run our academic program throughout the month of June and will therefore expect and hope for full attendance by students. Students who leave early miss key elements of the curriculum, end of the year events and the best chance for closure with their classroom community. In the case that a family must depart before the final day, please understand that teachers are not ex-pected to provide work and that in some cases students may miss out on vital assess-ments which are intended to be represented on their final report card. Thanks for your understanding and cooperation.

Tuesday, June 16 Graduation! Save the Date!

The 5th grade graduation will take place at 2pm on Tuesday, June 16 . Details to follow!

Friday, May 22 A reminder that any requests for class make up for the following school year should be submitted in writing (email is acceptable) to Leigh Doherty by Friday May 22nd. We will do our very best to consider and grant requests when possible. Requests for specific teachers are not allowed. Please trust we will do our best to create classroom communities matched with the best ISB professionals. Class lists will be posted at the ISB Open House scheduled on

Friday, August 28, 2009.


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Lower School: Enrichment

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�Grades 1 and 2 enjoy magical science lesson! It was so much fun, even some 9th Graders enjoyed it.

On April 7, 2009, grades 1 and 2 were treated to the magic of science and air by "Gigawatt Jeff" of Mad Science. During separate shows for each grade, Jeff introduced the children to the science of magic tricks, air pressure and the concept that hot air rises. To the delight of the ninth graders in the adjacent room (who were allowed a brief break from French politics to watch the antics) Jeff lifted several students off the floor with a leaf blower and dazzled the crowd with a floating laundry bag pumped full of hot air! Using sev-eral volunteer assistants, Jeff demonstrated the con-cept of disbursed pressure and the effect of air removal on two "Megdeburg" type hemispheres. All in all, the children had fun and learned some science along the way. (submitted by Regina Cosnowsky)

�Another Year of Successful Enrichment Programs! Thank you Gretchen and Regina!

A huge thanks from the Lower School community to Gretchen Hamilton and Regina Cosnowsky, Enrichment Program Coordinators. Together these moms presented and organized a fun pro-gram for all students bringing such exciting events as the Chinese Acrobats, the Cantabrigia Brass Band, the Mad Scientist, and the Pharaohs and Pyramids presentation (to name a few!). The children truly enjoyed each show. Thanks again Gretchen and Regina!


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�Civil Engineering in Grades 3, 4 and 5. Our Enrichment Program offers amazing experiences.

On April 9, Grades 3, 4, and 5, explored the fascinating world of civil engineering through a show called "Why Buildings Don't Fall Down". During the hour long show, Tom Wahle of Techsploration, Inc. demonstrated the concepts of ten-sion and compression, how bridges get built using post and beams and had several student vol-unteers along the way! The utility of Roman arches and particularly, flying buttresses, were illus-trated through the use of blocks and wood as a few children tried unsuccessfully to build a struc-ture without these load shifting mechanisms. Tom also covered truss bridges and suspension bridges, both the differences and similarities, and provided a dramatic example of the strength of domes, by assembling a muffin tin "stage" filled with "dome" shaped eggs and standing on it without any eggs breaking! The program ended with a rousing rendition of the "Structure Blues" which featured Tom on the harmonica and a couple of terrific volunteer blues singers! (submitted by Gretchen Hamilton)

Lower School: Enrichment

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�3 ISB teachers ”SKYPE” to participate in Global Literature Project! The ISB library wants to thank Anne Bouwer, Tho Vu, and Alex Baez and her mother. All of them were willing to give some of their personal time to partici-pate in a project on Global Literature. Middle schoolers from Bedford Middle School met them on Skype to speak about South African, Vietnamese, and Dominican cultures. Thank you Ann, Tho, and Alex!

�ISB receives a grant and acquires “Picturing Amer-ica” Congratulations to Ms. Mitchell and

Ms. Valdettaro ! The school is pleased to announce that it has recently acquired a collection entitled "Picturing America" through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humani-ties, which was secured through the efforts of Middle and Upper School Social Studies teacher Kristen Mitchell. The “Picturing America” collection consists of 40 high-quality reproductions of American art that introduce viewers to the nation's history and culture. As required by the grant, Ms. Mitchell and Ms. Valdettaro will be working together over the course of the 2009-2010 school year to develop ways to use Picturing America in the classrooms and beyond. In the interim, the full exhibit will be displayed in the corridor leading to the library.

Library: Receives a Grant!

�Authors’ Week: A big Success for our Writers! From April 8th to 15th, the lower school students cele-brated Author’s Week with an illustration contest, a writing contest, an exhibit of their written work (books, poetry, etc), and a visit from Stephen Kren-sky, author of children’s books.

�Visit of a Bayard Rep. Subscriptions for the Summer!

On Thursday, May 14, Milena Leonard, the representative from Bayard/Milan Jeunesse will be at ISB and will present the different French magazine subscriptions available to parents in our school. She will have many samples and will be available to answer ques-tions in front of the library at the Cambridge Campus from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm. Discounts will be available to parents and teachers who

subscribe that day.

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�-2008– 2009 ERB RESULTS We are very pleased to share with you the ERB (Educational Records Bureau) standardized test results for the 2008-2009 school year. On the charts below we have compared the average scores of our students with the average scores of children in other independent schools and in suburban public schools. Once again we are pleased with these results as the scores are comparable to those from other independent schools especially at the Middle School level where the majority of our students have been studying in a bilingual environment for the 5-7 years considered necessary to be at the level of their peers in a monolingual environment. That being said, one must also keep in mind the fact that all students not taking part in our ESL program do take the ERBs. Therefore scores of students who have only been studying English for as little as one and a half years are included within the mix. These results serve as one indication of how well our students are doing. Teachers use the results to gain a deeper understand-ing of their students and to engage in reflection of their own teaching. It also helps ISB in its ongoing review of its curriculum.

Grade 3 Results: Average Percent Correct



ISB Suburban Public Independent Schools

Auditory Comprehension 75% 74% 81%

Reading Comprehension 78% 72% 79% Word Analysis 84% 83% 88%

Writing Mechanics 73% 71% 76%

Mathematics 73% 73% 79%


Verbal Reasoning 77% 65% 72%

Auditory Comprehension 78% 68% 77%

Reading Comprehension 73% 65% 74%


Writing Concepts and Skills 68% 68% 73%

Quantitative Reasoning 66% 60% 67%

Mathematics 1 & 2 70% 61% 68%



Vocabulary 71% 59% 70%





Mathematics 1 & 2 71% 65% 70%

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Lower School: ERB Results


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Mathematics 1 & 2 65% 61% 66%








Mathematics 1 & 2 64% 57% 64%








Mathematics 1 & 2 63% 59% 62%

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Middle School: ERB Results


www.isbos.org

ISB celebrated Earth Week the week of April 26th. Students enjoyed two assemblies: Mr. Peter Gish educated our Middle and Upper School students about wind and solar power and Dr. David Gallo taught them all about the wonders of our oceans. Dr. Gallo mesmerized our students with amazing images he had taken while exploring the oceans' depths. In addition to being educated about our environ-ment, students participated in several "green" actions throughout the week. Students brought in recyclables, turned off lights and other electric devices (saving an amount of en-ergy equivalent to taking 29 cars off the road for one day), and many walked or rode their bikes to school. The week culminated with "Planting Day". Un-der the guidance of Dr. Mark Leighton, a tree expert, and volunteer teachers, parents and staff, Middle School and Upper School students planted 14 trees and 14 other plants around the Cambridge campus. All plants were either do-nated or bought with donations from the Mid-dle and Upper School students. Vanessa Rule, parent volunteer, said, "It makes me feel good to have my children at a school where this would happen." So, despite the soggy weather, fun was had by all and Earth Week ended with a green flourish! (See the ISB homepage, www.isbos.org for a slideshow of Planting Day.)

Middle School: Earth Week

�Reflections on Earth Week

Sincere thanks to our two guest speakers, Mr. Peter Gish and Dr. David Gallo, as well as Robin Kaiser Gish, Dr. Mark Leighton, Vanessa Rule, Tamsen Sherrell, Dick Mahoney, Car-los Cordeiro, Alessandra Bertuccelli, Irene Ghazaleh, and Margaret Desjardins for their invaluable contributions to making Earth Week a success. And, special thanks to our students for their donations of money and labor to beautify our Cambridge campus.

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www.isbos.org

Middle School: Grade 5 Move-Up

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On Friday, May 1st, 5th graders attended a move-up assembly with 6th grade students, 6th grade advisors and Marti Lemp, Middle School Director. Fifth graders were told what to expect in 6th grade and were given advice by this year's sixth graders. 6th graders walked 5th graders through a sample day and answered 5th grader’s many questions.

�5th Grade Move-Up Assembly


www.isbos.org

Middle School

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�Introducing the Basic Concepts of Physics... with Chocolate.

Learning never tasted so good. Catherine Heremans’ Grade 6 Science class used the Church kitchen to learn how chocolate is made and molded. A big “thank you” to pastry/chocolate chef, Jean-Luc Renault, for sharing his talents and time.

Wednesday, May 27 Sports Day at The French-American School of R.I.

in Providence! All Third and Sixth Grade Classes

The departure will be by bus at 8:30 a.m. Be on time! The return to school is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. A snack will be provided. Provide for your child: - Suitable sports clothing, a cap or hat, sun-block - A lunch bag + 1 or 2 drinks

Thank you to our volunteer, Jean-Luc Renault


www.isbos.org

On Saturday April 25, during their vaca-tions, Farrah R. and Emma S. (9th Grade International Program) went to the Con-cord Academy Model UN Conference to represent Burkina Faso at the Security Council (where they passed a resolution concerning " the North Korea Nuclear Threat" ) and the General Assembly (where they passed a resolution concerning "Human Organ Trafficking".) This was following 6 months of preparation during which they learned what the UN is, how it works, and what the topics imply. It was also a good learning experience for their next Model UN conference at North-

eastern University, May 15 & 16, where they will represent North Korea (they will pass a resolu-tion concerning "Malaria, TB and Infectious Diseases", a very timely topic, and "Changing Age Structures and Development"). At the Northeastern University Conference, they will be joined by Jillian Q. and Calum B. two students from the 11th Grade International Baccalaureate program who did the Model UN last year and enjoyed it so much that they wanted to participate this year again even though it is not part of their program anymore. Jillian and Calum will work together on these topics: " Child Soldiers" and " Light Weapon Trafficking" in the 1st committee of the General Assembly (Disarmament and International Se-curity) while Farrah and Emma will be on the 3rd committee of the General Assembly (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural). Dominique Lecomte, Model UN Coordinator

�Upper Grade Students Start a Red Cross Club A group of upper school students started a Red Cross Club at ISB to bring awareness of world health issues to the Cambridge campus. Last month the club raised $143 which will be donated to the Red Cross to support the measles vaccination initiative. Each dollar can save the life of a child who is vaccinated against measles. Many thanks to the parents, staff, and students who purchased items at the bake sale and supported this worthy cause!

Upper School: Model UN & Red Cross

� "Model UN", a Model for the United Nations

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www.isbos.org

Dear ISB Community, The first International School of Boston College Fair will take place on Wednesday, May 20th from 5:00pm to 8:00pm in the gym. Thirty-plus universities will have representatives present to discuss their programs and answer your questions. There is growing interest in ISB from both North-American and European universities. More and more uni-versities ask to visit the school and meet our students. The college admissions process can be complex and trying. How-ever, the experience can be made more positive and pleasant if a student has access to as much in-formation as possible. For this reason, I invite anyone interested in the admissions process and particularly Upper School stu-dents and their parents to come to the Fair. Meeting and speaking with admissions officers and for-mer students are invaluable steps to making informed choices and decisions. I look forward to seeing many of you on the 20th and am pleased to answer any questions you might have.

Very truly yours, Géraldine Guillermin Guidance Counselor

COLLEGE FAIR – MAY 20th - 5 to 8pm

The following universities and colleges will be represented:

American InterContinental U. London, UK Bowdoin College Brunswick, Maine Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Colgate University Hamilton, New York College of the Holy Cross Worcester, Massachusetts Cornell University Ithaca, New York Dickinson College Carlisle, Pennsylvania Drew University Madison, New Jersey Emmanuel College Boston, Massachusetts Florida Institute of Technology Melbourne, Florida George Washington University Washington, DC Guilford College Greensboro, North Carolina IE International Madrid, Spain Juniata College Huntingdon , Pennsylvania Lehigh University Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Lesley College Cambridge, Massachusetts Middlebury College Middlebury, Vermont Northeastern University Boston, Massachusetts Richmond University London, UK Roger Williams University Bristol, Rhode Island Simmons College Boston, Massachusetts Suffolk University Boston, Massachusetts Skidmore College Saratoga Springs, New York University Bocconi Milan, Italy University of Montreal Montreal, Canada University of New Hampshire Durham, New Hampshire Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, North Carolina Wellesley College Wellesley, Massachusetts Wentworth Inst. of Tech. Boston, Massachusetts Wittenberg University Springfield, Ohio

College Counselor: College Fair

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www.isbos.org

� Behind the Windows of ISB

Getting to know the ISB Faculty and Staff

Introducing…ISB’s Business Office

What do you enjoy most about working at ISB? Kate: The hope that I'm making a real contribution to Boston's only French bi-lingual school and also the company and support of my colleagues. Pam: Being a part of something that helps educate the adults of tomorrow. Seeing the great initiatives the school makes to enrich the learning experience of the kids. Victor: I enjoy working with the administration staff. It’s a great team of people. Everyone is very nice and helpful. Tom: I enjoy the diversity and quality of the people I encounter every day. Myron: I have found my relationships working with all areas of the staff of the school to be welcoming. The work at times can be intense, but the success of the school is worth it. Normand: The international culture, the kids, my job, the education I am receiving, the French influence. What do you do in all your spare time?(hobbies, interests…) Kate: My hobby is escorting my children, both ISB students, to their numerous team games and lessons. Pam: I enjoy spending time outdoors with my family – kayaking, gardening, playing soccer. In my “alone time”, I try running. Victor: Basketball, guitar, photography, cooking, reading & spending time with my wife. Tom: My hobbies include golfing, drawing (in pencil and charcoal) and this year preparing for my wedding in the fall . Myron: Gardening, carpentry, masonry, plumbing, etc. and just about everything that my mother sent me to college to avoid me having to do for a living. Normand: Bookshop browsing, kayaking off the coast of Maine, listening to Red Sox games on a lazy summer evening, dining with family and friends (with a little French wine), yard work.

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Grand Finale

Left to Right: Victor Ng, Myron Cohen, Pam Puri, Kate Allen. Tom Alsup, and Normand Saucier. Note: The Business Office also in-cludes the IT team featured in last month’s ISB News as well and Dick Mahoney and his team.

Documents

ISB News Wednesday, May 13, 2009 · Ecole Internationale de Boston – International School of Boston Pre-K & K: 781-646-0510 – Grades 1-12: 617-499-1451 (Chair, BOT continued from