New students are a routine part of the culture at ISB MS. Throughout the school year, we will often have well over 120 new students join our school. Working together with admissions and administration, we have developed policies and procedures to determine appropriate placement for students and created an admissions committee. In consultation with World Language teachers and our math department, we are creating a faster, more streamlined process for placement testing.
In cooperation with my counseling partner, we are creating an interview process that will allow for more accurate documentation and rapid follow up on any issues or concerns. We have also collaborated with the Health Office to provide for more ‘checks and balances’ when in comes to screening for any medical concerns.
At the start of each semester, we organize “New Student Getaways” for our new students and Student Ambassadors. These trips involve immersion into the Thai culture in one form or another, as well as the essential bonding to facilitate our new students’ transition to ISB MS. Some of the activities our new students have participated in are traditional Thai dancing, Muay Thai fighting, umbrella painting, Thai food cooking, site seeing in Thailand’s former capital on a rice barge, elephant education, and ancient Thai herbal medicine.