JUNE

2 Grade 8 Service Day

6 - 16 Art Exhibit

9 - 10 MS Play

15 Parent Coffee

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MIDDLE SCHOOLMIDDLE SCHOOLMIDDLE SCHOOL

ISSUE # 34

SY 2013 –2014

WEEK OF: Weekly Publication for Middle School Parents Friday Bulletin

Inside this issue:

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8 ISM Upcoming Events

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Treasury Department

6 Superintendent’s Office

Athletics & Activities

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2 Admissions & Advancement

Superintendent’s Office

MAY

MAY 12 TO 16

Events & Activities:

19 - 23 MS Tour & Talk

23 MS Party

29 Advocating for Change

30 Grade 8 Dinner Dance

Dear Parents, Are you looking for some family entertainment this weekend? Then come and watch Searching for Heroes, this year’s Middle School Play. The show opens May 9 at 6:00 P.M. with additional performances on Saturday, May 10 at 2:30 and 6:00. The cast and crew have worked long hours and dedicated lots of time and energy to learn their lines and refine their drama skills so please come out and support our aspiring performers. A big thank you to Cath Rankin and her production team for their commitment and efforts in bringing this show to the stage.

Not to be missed is also the Middle School Art Show. Before watching the MS Play, save some time to wander around the FAT lobby and gaze at student art-work. Some colorful and creative pieces are on display that represent our stu-dents’ ideas and view of the world. The art show carries on through May 15 so visitors can enjoy the artwork throughout the coming week. Our appreciation goes out to Morgan Jacobs, Carmel Lim-Torres and Dennis Respecki for their efforts in nurturing the artist in our students.

By now you should have received a copy of your child’s MAP test scores. It has come to light that the reports are missing the District Average score, which indi-cates the average score for ISM and provides an indication of where your child scored relative to other ISM students. The District Average scores are listed in the table below.

If you would like a reprinted copy of your child’s report, which includes the District Average score, please contact the Middle School Guidance Office at 840 – 8555.

This Thursday on May 15, we will be hosting a Parent Coffee in the Little Theater starting at 7:45. During this time we will be sharing the progress that has been made on the school-wide goal on assessment and grad-ing. Please join us and hear about the changes that will be implement-ed next school year.

Have a relaxing weekend! Yours in Education, Simon Gillespie Clarissa Sayson Middle School Principal Middle School Assistant Principal

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Returning for school year 2014—2015?

Dear Parents, Please take a moment to review the re-enrollment procedure for your child to attend classes on August 7, 2014. STEP 1 - Online Re-enrollment must be completed by May 22.

After May 22nd you will not have access to POWERSCHOOL and this may re-sult in a delay for your child to attend classes on the first day of school for school year 2014-2015. Please follow this link for the detailed step-by-step guide and required forms for students entering Grade 1, 6 and 9. To access the Parent Portal and PowerSchool, please download the PDF instructions here. The forms should be completed and submitted to the appropriate offices at any time prior to the start of school in the Fall. We encourage you do start this process NOW to avoid long lines. For information regarding your POWERSCHOOL access information please contact the school in which your child is currently enrolled. For information regarding our Health Clinic Clearance procedures, please contact the Clinic at clinic@ismanila.org. For information regarding billing or tuition and fees, please contact our Treasury department at villar@ismanila.org (for billing) and esguerrae@ismanila.org or felipen@ismanila.org (for tuition and fees). May we request that if you are NOT RETURNING that you send the Admissions Office your offi-cial WITHDRAWAL NOTIFICATION FORM immediately as this will help us to clear student account(s) in a timely manner. We request one form per child. Please note: Parents who fail to notify the school by Friday, 9th May that their children are leaving ISM will forfeit US$1,000 from each Facilities Upgrade Deposit. We appreciate your assistance with this procedure as we have many anxious families awaiting word regard-ing spaces for their children for school year 2014-2015. Sincerely, Stephanie H. Hagedorn Director of Admissions & Advancement

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Online Re-enrollment

must be accomplished

by May 22, 2014.

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Re-enrollment: SY14-15 Returning Students Medical Update

Dear Parents:

As you may know, for a number of years we have had required medical check-ups for students at different stages

in their school lives: G1; G5; G9. In recognition of the increasing concern about heart health, especially in conjunc-

tion with physical exercise in a tropical climate, we shall be introducing a mandatory Electro-Cardiogram (ECG)

test for older students.

Sudden Cardiac Death in Adolescents, especially during sporting activity, is a recognized syndrome and well over

100 children a year die of this in the USA. Medical advice is that it makes sense to test only students who are 12

years old and beyond. In light of this, we shall now have two thresholds for medical examinations instead of the

present three. These will be in Grade 1 and Grade 6. At Grade 1, there will be a physical examination performed

by a duly accredited doctor as is the case at present. At Grade 6, there will be a similar physical examination but

with the added component of an ECG. All new students between G1 and G5 will have a physical examination; all

new students from G6 onward will have a physical examination and the ECG.

In order to "grandfather out" our present cohort of students, please note:

· Incoming G6 students will have an ECG, but will not need a physical examination, since this was done when

they entered G5

· Incoming G9 students will have the full medical examination and an ECG.

· Incoming G7 and G8 will have the full medical examination and an ECG when they enter G9.

· We shall continue to encourage very strongly all athletes participating in Varsity sports to take an ECG.

Over the course of the next years, this will mean that all ISM students from G6 onwards will have had a basic heart

check-up. The ECG is not definitive, and there is a more sophisticated check that the doctor will recommend if any-

thing in the ECG causes concern. The test itself is very reasonably priced and is readily available at St Luke’s and

Makati Medical Center as well as other hospitals.

Please take a moment to review our re-enrollment time-line and procedures for all students returning for school

year 2014-2015: RE-ENROLLMENT

I do understand that adding this requirement of an ECG may be seen as an additional chore for parents and stu-

dents at the time of re-enrollment, but if such a test saves even one life then it will be well worth the extra effort.

Sincerely,

David Toze

Superintendent

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4th season practices continue this week for HS Boys and Girls Volleyball, HS Boys and Girls Soccer and HS Girls Basketball. If you are interested in trying out for one of these teams next school year, come along and join in. Grade 8′s you are very welcome and en-couraged to join these practices if you are planning on trying out for teams next school year. Please come along and meet the coaches. If you have ques-tions talk to the following coaches for information… Boys and Girls Volleyball- Coach Atkinson and Coach Child, Boys Soccer- Coach Ayling and Coach MacInnes, Girls Soccer Coach Dodd and Girls Basketball Coach Juteau. This coming Saturday May 10 is the annual Goodwill Gymnastics meet; with 250 gymnasts entered this year it is going to be a great event. Meet starts at 8am and runs until 5pm. Come along and support our ISM Gymnastics team in action. May 10 is also set for our TaeKwondo team to com-pete at the annual Interna-tional Schools tournament. This year it will be held at Everest Academy close to ISM. Good luck to all our team members. May 17 ISM will host our

annual Judo tournament at the MS gym, this will be our final event of the year and is al-ways a day full of action and Judo competi-tors from all over the Philippines come to-gether to test their skills. Regards, Mark Pekin Director of Athletics/ Activities

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