Dolphin Dispatch INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF PANAMA
February 3, 2017
ISSUE 21
IN THIS ISSUE:
Elementary News & Events
Athletics & After School
PTA Pool Party
Middle School News & Events
PTA Announcements
STEM EXPO Save the Date
High School News & Events
Cafeteria Menu, Nutrition tips and Calendar
Picture Retakes
Visual and Performing Arts
ISP’s WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
#thereisnoplacelikeisp www.isp.edu.pa
Issue 21
Announcements PTA WELCOME BACK POOL PARTY 2017
ISP’s WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
#thereisnoplacelikeisp www.isp.edu.pa
Issue 21
Announcements
RETAKES, RETAKES, RETAKES!!!!!!!
This is the last opportunity. If you are NEW to ISP or didn’t have your picture taken on picture day……
Please prepare for retakes on
FEBRUARY 13th and 14th This will be your LAST chance to have your pictures taken and included in the yearbook!!! Remember: you can order and buy any package too. QUESTIONS: for further information please contact: pta@isp.edu.pa
ISP’s WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
#thereisnoplacelikeisp www.isp.edu.pa
Issue 21
Elementary School Becky Jobes, PhD—Elementary Principal—bjobes@isp.edu.pa ISP Elementary School Students Call for Donations to Support Our Sister School
Dear Parents, For the last 15 years, ISP’s Elementary School has made it a tradition to collect school supplies for our sister school, Gabriel Lewis Galindo, (Las Trancas). Gabriel Lewis Galindo School is a public elementary school located just a few kilometers from our beautiful campus, where over 400 underprivileged children attend grades pre-kinder through 6th grade in morning or afternoon shifts. Click here to read more.
JOIN US FOR COFFEE & CONVERSATION Wednesday, February 8 at 8:30AM Please join us for a morning of coffee and conversation. We will give a short presentation on the blogs that teachers are using for communication, we will share about Dreambox and parent roles in supporting student learning, and we’ll talk a little bit about our reading program and share how you can support readers at home. ISP’s WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
#thereisnoplacelikeisp www.isp.edu.pa
Issue 21
Elementary School Becky Jobes, PhD—Elementary Principal—bjobes@isp.edu.pa
KIND & FIRM PARENTING In the elementary school at ISP, we embrace ideas about behavior and discipline from a few trusted sources. You know about Conscious Discipline from our workshops, and we also believe in the Positive Discipline philosophy which is very similar. One of the principle tenets of Positive Discipline that can help you at home is the idea of Kind AND Firm parenting. Kindness without being firm can lead to a sense of entitlement in children (I get what I want), and firmness without being kind can instill fear-based compliance (and doesn’t feel good to enforce). However, being kind is not always being nice. Parents often give in to children who seem to be suffering (tantrums, begging, etc.) for a variety of reasons. But allowing them to suffer helps them build their “resiliency muscles” and serves them better in the long run than just wanting them to stop crying in the moment. The balance comes from adding a gentle layer of firmness that does NOT sound like, “Stop crying like a baby. You can’t always get what you want.” Instead, Positive Discipline teaches us to communicate like, “I can see this is very upsetting to you. It can be very disappointing when we don’t get what we want.” Showing empathy for how your child is feeling is key without engaging in a discussion about what has already been established (i.e. You are not buying them the toy. Why keep talking about it?). I encourage you to take a look at this article that provides very useful language when enforcing decisions in a kind AND firm way with your child. Here are 2 examples: “I know you would rather watch TV than do your homework (show understanding), AND homework needs to be done first.” “You don’t want to go to bed, AND it is bedtime. Do you want one story or two stories as soon as your pajamas are on? (Provide a choice) Kind and Firm Parenting from Positive Discipline Please contact Dan Conzelman, Raul Alvarado, or Katherine Ghinaglia for more information or tips from Conscious OR Positive Discipline!
ISP’s WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
#thereisnoplacelikeisp www.isp.edu.pa
Issue 21
Middle School Vickie Swann Middle School Principal vswann@isp.edu.pa
6th Graders turn the tables The 6th grade team is collaborating in an interdisciplinary fashion to ensure that all students are prepared to give quality presentations throughout their time in the secondary school. Read more here.
MIDDLE SCHOOL FIELD TRIPS Grade 8: To La Granja We Go! “The water floating thing” – that is how most of our eighth graders describe a favorite part of their recent team building field trip to La Granja, an agro-tourism site located near Colon on Panama’s Atlantic side. The “floating thing” is actually a huge, yellow, blue, and green, inflated playground floating close to La Granja’s shore in Gatun Lake. It clearly took a lot of team work for the kids to scale the structure’s slippery sides and to make it tip just enough to send a dozen or more squealing teenagers back into the lake. In addition to the “floating thing," the kids enjoyed zip-lining across a section of the lake, negotiating part of an extreme park ropes course and visiting La Granja’s farm animals. Clearly, cuddling baby goats and feeding milk to big “baby” water buffalo was another favorite part of the events. For Eric Medina, the highlight was celebrating his birthday in the company of his classmates, complete with two big cakes and 15 candles! The two-day field trip on Monday and Tuesday, January 30 -31, included 87 kids and 11 teachers.
ISP’s WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
#thereisnoplacelikeisp www.isp.edu.pa
Issue 21
Middle School Vickie Swann Middle School Principal vswann@isp.edu.pa
MIDDLE SCHOOL FIELD TRIPS DISCOVERING EL GAITAL We got muddy and wet in the ropes course at Crater Valley, observed beautiful blue Morpho butterflies at the butterfly house, and hiked a strenuous trail through El Gaital. This and more, coupled with lesson objectives like collecting data about living organisms and noticing settings for fictional stories in English class, were a few of the things we did at the tropical rain forest of El Valle last week. It was an excellent opportunity for students to explore and make connections between what they have studied in Science and English and directly apply and appreciate those understandings in an authentic setting. These out of school activities benefit students but also represent a chance for teachers to get to know students better. After all the team preparation and collaboration required I´m sure we can all agree that this was a successful and quality filed trip for both students and teachers. The benefits far outweigh the challenges related to logistical planning that every field trip requires. Based on the smiles, laughs, and good times had, we believe students will long remember it.
ADVENTURE TIME:
VISIT TO SAFARICK’S & EMBERA VILLAGE
This past week, the 6th grade students had the opportunity to visit an animal rescue and rehabilitation center in Colón as well as visit the indigenous group of Emberá. Safarick's At Safaricks, children went on a guided tour and learned about how Safaricks receives confiscated wildlife, rehabilitates them, and finally releases them back to the wild if possible. Ocelots, spider monkeys and toucans were just some of the animals children got to see. One of the highlights of the visit was the butterfly garden which housed different specimens. Finally, kids got to enjoy a couple of hours at the beach on the Atlantic side. Embera The children spent the day with the Emberá people in their village. They learned about their culture and history. Students got an opportunity to admire and purchase typical arts and crafts of the Emberá people and some even got decorative temporary tattoos applied on themselves using the villager’s ethnic dye/natural mosquito repellent. They also, ate a traditional lunch and participated in a celebration dance. A highlight of the trip was when they visited and swam at a waterfall in the Chagres River. Overall, the students had an amazing time learning about Panamanian culture, developing an even stronger community as a grade level, all while having tons of fun!
ISP’s WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
#thereisnoplacelikeisp www.isp.edu.pa
Issue 21
High School Eric Monson High School Principal emonson@isp.edu.pa Honor Roll: ISP is a comprehensive high school, meaning that we offer students many opportunities to participate in activities and develop skills outside the walls of the classroom. Athletes, actors, and musicians are often recognized for their performances. Honor Roll is a great ceremony and a positive way to recognize all the hard working students who excel in the classroom. On February 1, one hundred and twenty five students from the high school were recognized for their excellence in their academic courses. Congratulations to all the Honor Roll recipients and thank you for leading the way and making ISP proud. Registration Reminder: Parents and students, remember that the completed and signed registration form must be turned in no later than February 17th. Completed forms should be turned into your respective counselor. For current grade 8 students who will be coming to the high school next year, forms can be turned into the high school main office. Everyone needs to be sure to have all the proper signatures for the courses you are selecting. ANNOUNCEMENT: On Wednesday, February 8th the high school and middle school will be hosting a joint parent meeting to go over the recent changes from MEDUCA for graduation from ISP. The meeting will begin at 9:45am in the PAC and is scheduled for one hour, and we will stay to address any questions. We are encouraging grade 6 – 11 parents to attend. NOTE: Current grade 12 parents are not required to attend but are welcome.
The computer science class lead by Mr. Rios takes on two great challenges. One team is working on designing an autonomous vehicle to check the interior of the parking lot tunnel. Using a high definition camera and sensors to detect dangerous gasses or water contamination. Read more here. ISP’s WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
#thereisnoplacelikeisp www.isp.edu.pa
Issue 21
High School Eric Monson High School Principal emonson@isp.edu.pa
COUNSELORS CORNER The Counseling Department is happy to announce on-campus opportunities to learn about prestigious summer session programs at top universities in the U.S. during Summer 2017. Monday, February 6 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. | Informational meeting in the MS/HS Library The Association of University Summer Sessions (AUSS) Attending universities include: George Washington University, Boston University, University of California – Berkeley, and University of Colorado Boulder Students, if you would like to attend, please sign up through Naviance, or see your counselor. __________ Wednesday, March 8 12:30 - 1:05 p.m. | Information table in breezeway 1:05 - 1:50 p.m. | Informational meeting in the MS/HS Library
The National Student Leadership Conference https://www.nslcleaders.org/ The NSLC hosts career-focused, summer leadership development conferences for high school students. Affiliated universities include: American University, Fordham University, Georgetown University, Georgia Tech, Harvard Medical School, Northwestern University, Rice University, UC-Berkeley, UCLA, University of Washington, and Yale University Students, if you would like to attend the informational session after lunch, please sign up through Naviance, or see your counselor. _________
Online Resource: In addition to these campus visits, students and parents are encouraged to explore numerous other summer programs via this link: http://www.internationalacac.org/summer-programs2017#USANational Please see your counselor if you have questions about summer programs, and need assistance with applying and obtaining needed recommendations. It is strongly encouraged that you apply early if you are considering attending a program this summer.
Warm regards from the Counseling Team, David Letiecq Grades 10-12, Last Names L-Z Eddie Levisman Grades 10-12, Last Names A-K Samir Jamal Grade 9
ISP’s WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
#thereisnoplacelikeisp www.isp.edu.pa
Issue 21
High School Eric Monson High School Principal emonson@isp.edu.pa
ISP’s WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
#thereisnoplacelikeisp www.isp.edu.pa
Issue 21
Visual & Performing Arts Adam Herzig, Visual and Performing Arts Director—aherzig@isp.edu.pa
Elementary School Musicfest- ISP is excited to welcome elementary students from Balboa Academy, Knightsbridge Schools International, Panama Coast International, and Magen David to the Performing Arts Center for a day of music making and choral concert on Friday Feb. 10. We are lucky to have the chance to host such a talented group of young performers from around Panama!
AASCA Music- Second week of February we will wish luck to many of our talented young musicians as they go to compete at AASCA Music in Costa Rica's Lincoln School. They have been rehearsing for months and are excited to be a part of this bi-yearly event.
IB Theatre Collaborative Night- The IB theatre Students will be performing an original piece of theatre in the blackbox on February 21 at 4:30 PM
IB Art Show- Mark your Calendar for March 8, which will be the IB Art show in the PTA Galleries in the PAC. Don't miss the Visual Arts highlight of the year!
REHEARSALS ES Musical Madagascar Jr - Music rehearsals are just about complete and next week we move to the stage for blocking! MS Play Stone Soup- Show is cast, scripts are out and rehearsals have started! Looking forward to opening the play on April 27! HS Play Six Characters in Search of an Author- We are super lucky to have such a talented cast of high school students this year participating in the play. Rehearsal are well under way and we sure Mr. Wong and the ISP thespians will do an excellent job.
ISP’s WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
#thereisnoplacelikeisp www.isp.edu.pa
Issue 21
Athletics: #GOISPDOLPHINS! Peter Smyth, Athletic Director—psmyth@isp.edu.pa IMPORTANT ES STUDENTS. W e w ill inform teachers and transportation of your child's ASA schedule; however, we kindly ask to you to remind your child whenever he/she has an after school activity and therefore they will stay at school that day. Meeting point for elementary students is the ES Gym at 2:40pm, for ALL elementary students despite their grade. I f your child w ill not stay on a given day, please notify m e, transportation (m contreras@isp.edu.pa), the teacher or the elementary office before 12:00pm. MS and HS students m ust com e to the classroom or meeting point that was indicated on the confirmation email. Trial period and payment. I f your child do not w ant to continue with an activity it is your duty to notify us no later than February 17th; after, the activity will be billed to your school account. P aym ent can be m ade via w ire transfer, direct deposit or with the school’s cashier. Transportation. For any transportation matters (arriving hours, delays, changes, etc.) please contact directly Mariela Contreras at 6982-1470 or mcontreras@isp.edu.pa. Busses leave school at 4:30pm , and at 3:00pm on Wednesdays. Please contact Kary Almengor kalmengor@isp.edu.pa if you haven’t received your confirmation email or for any inquiry about ASA’s.
Flag football UNDER THE LIGHTS The Flag football girls kick off their season with a practice game here at ISP on Thursday, February 9th . Under the lights at 7pm. Come on out and support the Dolphins! ISP’s WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
#thereisnoplacelikeisp www.isp.edu.pa
Issue 21
Athletics: #GOISPDOLPHINS! Peter Smyth, Athletic Director—psmyth@isp.edu.pa
ISP’s WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
#thereisnoplacelikeisp www.isp.edu.pa
Issue 21
Athletics: #GOISPDOLPHINS! Peter Smyth, Athletic Director—psmyth@isp.edu.pa
ISP’s WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
#thereisnoplacelikeisp www.isp.edu.pa
Issue 21
PARENT TEACHER ASSOCIATION ISP WELCOME TO PANAMA INTERCULTURAL PROGRAM
WHO WE ARE: We are a group of ISP parents who offer orientation and information to families regarding relocation, the local language, improve your Spanish, as well as understanding and navigating Panamanian Culture. WHEN WE MEET ? Every Wednesday 8am– 10am in Performing Arts Center Lobby. Join us for some fun, sharing with other as we experience life in Panama together. I We are looking for Parent and Teacher volunteers for our program. If you are interested please contact. Graciela Bareiro +50762694472 nexosinitiative@gmail.com
WANT TO KNOW WHAT”S COOKING AT THE ISP CAFETERIA CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO SEE MENU’S & NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION: http://www.isp.edu.pa/Cafeteria FOR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS PLEASE CONTACT:
ISP’s WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
ispcommunication@isp.edu.pa
#thereisnoplacelikeisp www.isp.edu.pa
Issue 21