NOTHING REPLACES THE HUMAN TOUCH

By Afshan Asad Junaid, PTA-HS Co-Rep/BEC Instructor for PTA-Adult Ed 2022

Life, post COVID 19, comes with its “New Normal”. All the stranded/paused/frozen activities during the pandemic are suddenly finding their groove. That too, at a rocket pace. There is a desperation for togetherness. People suffering from “cabin fever” starved for human contact outside their homes are ready to mingle and live to their full potential. Here, at the International School of Bangkok, the administration has gone above and beyond their call of duty to create such opportunities for all members of its community. There are multiple programs and opportunities carefully planned and executed for both the students and their parents.

The PTA-Adulted program organizes many activities to enrich the ISB parents with numerous skills through various classes. I had the opportunity to get involved in devising one of their activities - The Introductory English Workshop for Basic Conversation (BEC for short) as the instructor this semester. Having a certification from Cambridge University certainly came in handy. The workshop was geared towards equipping the second language learner parents with basic English conversation skills to help them to adjust to the new environment better. The workshop had ten sessions covering a wide variety of topics from small talk to making phone calls, writing emails, traveling to fashion, successfully doing groceries, as well as communicating confidently with new people. The sessions were very well received by the participants and each one walked off empowered with something new to use later in life.

The members of the workshop themself were a true reflection of the international spirit and culture of ISB. The participants were a global mix of people from China, Iran, Chile, Japan, Korea and Türkiye. Learning together in a classroom setting, working through the sessions with role-plays, conversations, group work and presentations; it was an incredible experience. Being face to face with each other was a huge asset. It was such a breath of fresh air in comparison to breakout rooms on Zoom/Teams/Meet.

Tremendous cultural and language similarities were experienced leading to a sense of mutual respect that grew during the exercises and sessions.

ISB once again succeeded in its vision and mission of creating global citizens in a nurturing environment in the oasis for Thailand expatriate families in Nichada.

By: Heather McCain, Booster Club President

The beginning of the 2022-2023 school year has truly been unlike any other; however, it has not slowed down our PANTHER PRIDE! A phrase we have used a lot this year is how good it has been to be back on campus. It hasn’t been easy, but it has been so rewarding. After a nearly 3 year hiatus from many on-campus activities, we have worked hard to bring PANTHER SPIRIT back! We faced so many challenges: uncertainty about when or even if events could happen; recreating events in weeks that usually take months to plan; or just recruiting volunteers. The joy of seeing the kids performing and competing is what makes it all worthwhile.

The ISB Booster Club is made up of a dedicated group of volunteer parents, faculty, and alumni who enthusiastically promote school spirit while supporting students involved in athletics, the arts, and academic programs like MUN and Forensics & Debate. From the Elementary School play to High School graduation, we foster the PANTHER SPIRIT through a welcoming environment and fun comradery.

We are the friendly faces in the Booster Hut. We are creating and selling ISB swag. We are the cheering fans in the Spirit Tent. We are directing traffic to visiting musicians and artists at festivals and cultural conventions.

We host the first All School function of the year – the Annual Pancake Breakfast. We are baking delicious PANTHER POPS!

By raising funds and encouraging community involvement, these are just a few of the ways we support ISB students at all grade levels.

With only a couple of weeks to prepare, we were able to host the annual Booster Club Pancake Breakfast in collaboration with the Panther Activities Fair and the first (hopefully) annual Pet Parade and Adoption Fair. We thoroughly enjoyed welcoming new and old families back to campus after a long absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Led by Jamie Hawk, Pancake Coordinator, we served up the yummy traditional fair of pancakes, eggs, and sausages, as well as a Thai Breakfast option. This event could not have been successful without our student volunteers. Special thanks to Varsity Council and Arts Council members for taking orders and helping with set up. Also, a big ‘thank you’ to the phenomenal team Boy Scouts that served as hosts and servers while and were on hand to help clear and set tables to keep everything moving smoothly.

Our first Spirit Week of the year, culminated with a lively and energetic Spirit Night and the Varsity Soccer and Volleyball Invitationals. The excitement and energy on campus was palpable! For the first time in several years, athletes, parents and visitors were permitted on campus. It was bustling and under the leadership of stellar Booster Club VP, Tim Peco, our volunteers manned our first Spirit Tent selling spirit gear, drinks, snacks, and loads of donated American candy. Who knew Ring Pops would be such a hit! We were glad to cheer on our own varsity soccer and volleyball teams from the breezeway.

IASAS (Interscholastic Association of Southeast Asian Schools) competitions also resumed with ISB hosting the Volleyball and Cross-Country competitions and sending athletes to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for the Soccer Competition. Massive thanks to our Athletics Coordinators, Yuendry Villamizar, JurGita Rhodes, and Amy Caldwell-Diaz for their help in supporting this event.

Additionally, ISB hosted the Model United Nations (MUN) and Cultural Convention (CC). Our outstanding Arts & Activities Coordinators, Katie Edsall and Anusha Goyal, were on hand to support the delegates and to present the advisors and dignitaries, including a former Thailand Prime Minister with tokens of appreciation from the Booster Club.

The Booster Club presents all IASAS participants (athletes and delegates) with an IASAS travel bag to honor their achievements and allow them to carry their ISB pride around school, Bangkok, and even internationally.

There is more on the horizon for Booster Club… so stay tuned! Please continue to watch the ISB eNews and our Facebook page for the volunteer sign-up notices for the Booster Hut, Spirit Tent, Panther Pops and other areas.

Everyone is welcome. GO PANTHERS! pta@isb.ac.th

BOOSTER CLUB – SPOTLIGHT

The BOOSTER HUT is the heart of the Booster Club operation and is located next to the MS/HS cafeteria. All proceeds from our sales, go directly to support student activities throughout the school.

Led by our energetic Booster Coordinators, Angie Darricau and Annelie Östmark-Rauker and the Purchasing Team of B Nyborg and Takky McGary, the HUT is always introducing new designs and apparel, ranging from T-shirts, hoodies, socks, water bottles, etc. This is the place to pick up your spirit wear and gear to show your PANTHER PRIDE!

The Booster Hut is also a great and easy way to get involved and make new friends. If you like to get involved, feel free to stop by the shop to learn more or email: booster-hut@isb.ac.th.