WELLNESS

ISB works intentionally to create a strong “Culture of Care” within our walls. Our ISB educators also design learning for students in every grade, from our youngest learners in pre-k through high school to help them become caring global citizens. The ISB Culture of Care framework was built around four pillars: being cared for, caring for self, caring for others, and caring for the world.

“Being Cared For” is a critical skill so students understand that there are others in the ISB community who they can go to for help and who are there to provide the social and emotional support our students may need. Key questions that students investigate include:

• Who cares for me at ISB? How do I know?

• Who can trust?

• How do access help when I need it?

Throughout the months of virtual learning, self-isolations, and increasing numbers of positive COVID cases within our community, “Caring for Self” has become an essential skill for everyone. Now that students are learning on campus and our activities are back in full swing, it is becoming easier, but it is still important for everyone to consider:

• How do maintain a healthy balance for myself?

• How do deal with challenges and setbacks in a positive way?

• How do ask for help and trust that it won’t influence how people view me?

• How do advocate for myself?

We saw multiple examples of our community “Caring for Others” during the pandemic. From walking the dog of a neighbor in quarantine to the colossal effort of students and community members to organize messages of love and raise funds for Friends of Evelyn, which helped support one of our youngest Panthers through her battle with cancer, we saw our students looking for ways to help those who needed assistance. And, though our smiles are still masked, our students are learning how to celebrate diversity and be an ally for others. We seek to understand ourselves by asking:

• How do recognize a good friend? Am a good friend to others?

• How do show that I value the differences in others?

• How do stand up for others when see someone being treated poorly? Am I prepared to do that?

We can never stop “Caring for the World”, not even for a global pandemic. ISB continues to find ways to promote service and opportunities for our students and community to look beyond our gates and seek ways to help others. As a community, we raised funds and donations to support iCare Bangkok to provide meals to those hard-hit by lockdowns and economic hardships. Students collected blankets and stuffed toys to give to children in need of warmth and comfort.

To celebrate 70 years since ISB was established as an international school, we planted 70 trees through our Green Panthers club. Thus recognizing the importance of trees, sustainability, and empowering our younger students to take action to fight climate change and make a difference in their local communities. Our middle and high school service projects have covered a range of activities from beach and river cleanups to signing policy amendments with the government to reduce plastic use, increase recycling, and promote trash cleanups, to learning about deforestation and the importance of nature to rejuvenate and connect people with our planet and their own wellness. Students ask themselves:

• How do my actions affect the world?

• How can I make a positive difference in the world? Am I prepared to do that?

• How can I help others in a way that truly helps them?

• How can I use what I have to help others?

Student wellbeing is a foundational part of our strategic learning plan. Now, more than ever, the importance of student wellbeing is a focus for educators worldwide, given these past few years of living through a pandemic.

We know that multilingualism is an asset in our increasingly interconnected world. Our Pre-K through Grade 12 English as an Additional Language (EAL) team met to revise our EAL Philosophy Statement this year. The new Philosophy Statement reflects our continued commitment to ensuring that our EAL learners are supported and encouraged in their English language acquisition, exploring their identities, and the development of their full linguistic repertoires.

ISB uses a sheltered immersion model, with students receiving direct and indirect services to facilitate success in the mainstream classroom. The range and flexibility of the program allow students to receive various types of EAL services as their needs change over time. In each of the three divisions, a collaboration between EAL and classroom teachers occurs regularly to make the curriculum accessible and foster student engagement. The program’s primary goal is to support students’ English language acquisition. Students receiving EAL services are assessed regularly, using a body of evidence to monitor language acquisition and proficiency to determine what level of services are appropriate for each student.