The Owl
A weekly parent newsletter
from Maria Abad – 5/13
As we wrap up this year we reflect on the list of things that must be completed every school year. We have to acknowledge that great things have happened already in our classrooms and around the school. There have been many accomplishments – some more visible than others but all equally important. As educators we… View Article
Thinkers!
“No problem can withstand the assault of sustained thinking.” –Voltaire The IB Learner Profile for the month of May is Thinkers. The IB defines a Thinker as someone who “…exercises initiative in applying thinking skills critically and creatively to recognize and approach complex problems, and make reasoned, ethical decisions. (IBO 2009) ISP students will be… View Article
News from Robert – 4/22
Dear Parents, This article is the second installment on initiatives being implemented before the close of this school year that will be carried into next year. Last week we highlighted the initiative about literacy screening for kindergarten. In the spotlight this week is an initiative focused on the social/ emotional development of ISP students in… View Article
News from Robert – 4/15
Dear Parents, Over the next several weeks, I will be highlighting a series of initiatives. These initiatives will carry into the coming school year and beyond, as important aspects of our educational practice. This week I will highlight Kindergarten Literacy Screening. At ISP we focus on building the target language intensively in prek, lowk and… View Article
News from Maria Abad – April 8
Flowers are blooming, people are starting to sneeze, kids are in short sleeves – it may be that spring has arrived and that means lots of things in a school setting. Teachers are full of energy and enthusiasm thinking of all the things that have to be accomplished before the year ends. Parents are also… View Article
Poetry 诗 Poesía 詩
April is National Poetry Month. The library will be celebrating with “pocket poems.” Pockets filled with colorful, pocket-sizedpoems can be found inside the library during April. Students are encouraged to take one to keep, to share, to read in class, or to give to a friend. New this year for our young poets is an online resource with links to poetry, poetry… View Article
News from Robert – 3/18
Last month, the Parent Network hosted a guest speaker who addressed the topic of “peer mistreatment” commonly known to many as bullying. (Click here for the video.) It was a very interesting presentation with several notable points. For example, many of the behaviors attributed to bullying are behaviors that children experiment with as they grow… View Article
Note from Maria Abad – March 4
March is here and so are Parent teacher conferences. What a great time to celebrate the accomplishments and growth of your kids! The majority of you have now met with your son’s or daughter’s teachers and experienced the learning that is going on in your child’s life. Sometimes, after the conference, you think of more… View Article
Risk Takers Speak Up in March
March has arrived and so has our exploration of the IB Learner Profile Risk Taker. Perhaps the term initially sounds paradoxical to our responsibilities as educators and parents. How many times have we cautioned our charges, “Don’t jump off the play structure,” or “Don’t ride your bike without a helmet?” Breathe easy, these are not the types of… View Article
Transdisciplinary??? What is that???
The word “transdisciplinary” is such an important word at an IB school. It makes our curriculum powerful, unique, and engaging for students, teachers, and parents. Yet, spell check does not recognize it as a word. So, what exactly does it mean? The word transdisciplinary implies that our teaching & learning transcends the boundaries of traditional… View Article