ISSUE # 1

SY1617

MIDDLE SCHOOL
WEEK OF:

Friday Bulletin

Weekly Publication for Middle School Parents

AUGUST 8 TO 12

Inside this issue:

Dear Parents,
Welcome to the 2016 - 2017 school year at ISM. The Middle School years are an exciting adventure filled with change, growing independence and, from time to time, a
little bit of drama! Please remember that the MS team is here to support you and your
child as you navigate the Middle School years. We are a highly experienced, dedicated
and approachable team of educators who know and understand the ins and outs of adolescence. Please dont hesitate to reach out if you have questions and concerns or
need guidance and support.
This week we have welcomed 116 new students to the Middle School! We have 25 G5
students, 25 G6 students, 31 G7 students and 35 G8 students. They have all received a
warm Bearcat welcome and we look forward to getting to know them and their families
over the coming month.

Superintendents Message

MS Club Fair

Athletics & Activities

(ATAC)

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After-School Activities
(AFAC)

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Heres to a wonderful school year filled with boundless learning opportunities and lots
of fun!
THIS WEEK:
Saturday, August 6th
MS New Student Social
Time : 10:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Location: Little Theater
Who: New ISM MS students and MS Student Ambassadors
Why: Orientation to MS, making peer-group connections and to have fun!
Facilitators: MS Counseling Team

Monday, August 8th

MS AFAC Club Fair
Time for students: 2:00 - 3:00p.m.
Time for parents: 2:30 - 3:00p.m.
Location: Lofthouse
Why: Showcase of MS AFAC options and the opportunity to ask questions
and meet activity leaders
Thursday, August 11th:
New Parent Coffee
Time: 7:45 - 9:00 a.m.
Location: Little Theater
Focus: Dynamics of Change

COMING UP SOON:
Tuesday, August 16th:
MS/HS ESL Parent Coffee
Time: 7:45 - 9:00 a.m.
Location: Lofthouse A

STUDENT ATTENDANCE:
On those days when a student
needs to be absent from
school, we ask that a parent
inform the Middle School Office via:

E-MAIL:
ms@ismanila.org
PHONE:
840-8550
840-8553
It is the responsibility of the student to communicate with
their teacher when they return
to school to make up for work
missed as a result of any absences.

Please remember that ISM has now shifted to a cash-free

campus for students. All students must now use their ISM ID
card to pay for food. The Campus Card payment system can
be pre-loaded online or at one of the loading kiosks on campus. These are located outside the canteen and in the cashier
area. Students who forget their ID card will need to go to the
Security Office for a special pass that will allow them to purchase food. Parents can monitor their child/childrens purchasing history online.

Thursday, August 18th:

PCA Bearcat Welcome
Time: 7:30 - 10:30a.m.
Location: Lofthouse

Monday, August 22nd:

MS AFAC Start
Time: 3:15 - 4:30
Location: depends on Activity

Wednesday, August 24th:

MS Open House
Time: 5:00 - 7:30 p.m.
Location: FAT

ID Card (Campus Card) Loading & Payment Guide

Basic Campus Card System Information
A Guide to CAMPUS CARD SYSTEM

Friday, August 29th:

No School
Philippine Holiday - National Heroes Day

If you have any other concerns about the ISM Campus Card
system, please send an email to campuscard@ismanila.org.

NEED TO KNOW:

As soon as students left school in June, construction workers

moved in! Their hard work has resulted in the following significant changes on campus:
Bearcat Kantina
Bearcat Cafe
Remodelled libraries
Bearcat Kantina:

Bearcat Cafe:
The Bearcat Cafe is our campus coffee shop that sells, coffee,
tea, sodas, ice-cream and lots more! In order to help encourage our MS students to make healthy choices, they are not
allowed in the Bearcat Cafe until after 3:00 p.m. If they want
to purchase a soda and/or an ice-cream after 3:00 p.m. they
are welcome to do so. We politely request that parents help
support this initiative and not purchase coffee, soda and icecream for their children before 3:00 p.m.
MS Library:
It is with great anticipation that we share that
our MS Library will be
open as of Monday,
August 8th! Students
are eagerly awaiting
access to this area and
we are sure the noisecancelling reading eggs
are going to be some of
the favorite seats in the
house! Please feel free
to drop into our library
and check out our new
learning space!

We would like to remind parents that there is a designated

parent reading area which has been integrated into the HS
Library space. This area contains comfortable chairs, books
on parenting, table and chairs and a work station. This comThis space has been totally redesigned and offers a much
fortable area can be found at the top of the stairs leading up
more appealing dining area for the ISM community. Students
from the ES Library. While parents are more than welcome
in the MS have given the Bearcat Kantina a huge thumbs up
in our libraries, if you are planning on staying in the liand are thrilled with the upgrades!
brary for a while and getting comfortable with a book or

doing some work, we respectfully request you be in the designated parent area. Water is allowed in the libraries but
other drinks and food items are not allowed. The MS Library
is open from 7:00a.m. - 4:45p.m. Monday through Friday.
Parent Bulletin:
The MS Parent Bulletin is our primary avenue of communication with parents. It would be greatly appreciated if you
could take the time to set aside some time to read this bulletin so you are up to date on Middle School news and
events. In the event that you have any questions or need
clarification, please feel free to contact the Middle School
office. If you have just moved and are not yet connected to
the internet, please be aware that we post a paper copy of
the Parent Bulletin outside the MS Guidance Office.
Advisory and Tutorial Times for Next Week:
In order to help all students have a wonderful start to the
new school year, we have tweaked the MS schedule for next
week. Instead of having tutorial sessions, each of the 2:35 -

3:00 p.m. sessions will be dedicated to Advisory. This will

help students bond with their advisors and peers while
providing a safe and comfortable space for students to share
their thoughts and feelings about how the new school year is
going for them.
Student Planners:
We have had a quick update from the printers and the Student Planners should be in school early next week and we will
disseminate them to students as soon as we can. When we
distribute the planners we will also provide a copy of the ISM
hard copy calendar - one per family. New students and all G5
students will also receive their House Shirts.
Have a great weekend!
Kind Regards,
Rachel Harrington, Middle School Principal
Amanda Pekin, Assistant Middle School Principal

Dear Parents,
Greetings and welcome to the school year 2016/17 International School Manila. I hope that these weeks of summer vacation
have given you the opportunity to enjoy some family time together. As I realized myself last year when my son and daughter
went off to university children grow up far too quickly!
I want to take this opportunity to remind you of some of the support services and campus procedures to ensure an orderly
and efficient school start. I hope you understand that, in such a large community, it is essential for us to establish certain
agreements in order to make things easier for everyone.
School Office hours: Monday Friday, 7 am 4 pm.
Note that the Cashiers Office will close at 3:15pm to allow for the daily bookkeeping.
Uniform Shop
The details of our full range of uniform items, along with prices, can be viewed on the ISM website and are available for inspection and purchase at the ISM Uniform Shop on the Plaza Level. For those students needing to try items on or requiring
measurements for alterations a fitting room will be in operation in the Fine Arts Theatre changing room 1123 until September 2nd. The Uniform Shop hours of operation are detailed below:
Extended days from July 18 to September 2
Monday Friday, 7 am to 4 pm
Regular hours start the week of September 5
Tuesdays and Fridays, 7 am to 4 pm
Smartcards (IDs)
All students will be provided with a Smartcard ID which contains a smart chip. This ID can be loaded with cash through the
on-site kiosks located in front of the canteen and near the ATM, online or at the main cashier located in the Business Office.
Guidelines for loading are online at www.ismanila.org under Student Services.
The smart cards can be used for making purchases in the Canteen, Bearcat Den, copy and print in the library, purchasing tickets for school performances and for accessing MS/HS lockers, therefore it is important that students carry their IDs at all
times.
Parents may obtain a Smartcard ID through the Security Office at a charge of Php 250.00.
Canteen
Over the summer, the canteen underwent an overhaul to provide the students, faculty and staff a fresh look. With its new
look comes its new name, BEARCAT KANTINA.
Bearcat Kantina has a wide array of food choices. If you are craving Mexican, you should try Chihuahua, their burrito is a best
-seller. If you opt for the traditional American, visit NY Express
and for Filipiniana palate, visit Selections by Sodexo. For a taste of Italian appetite, go for Prego
by LOpera. We offer Asian Express for a variety of Asian cuisine that includes Korean, Thai, Singaporean and Japanese rice
topping/bowl options. If you are into healthy option and detox, dont miss Yogi Chef. For those in a hurry, we now have the
grab-and- go section by Good Eats.
And if you need coffee, feel at home at the Bearcat Caf that is located beside the Fine Arts Theater.
Bearcat Kantinas operating hours are from 6:30a.m. to 5:00p.m.

ISM goes Full Debit System

Concessionaires will no longer accept cash payments during the school day except for Parents, Guests and Outsourced Staff.
If a student misplaces/loses the campus card, the concessionaire can access the students name without the card so the student will have access to food that day. If the card is lost, it must be replaced immediately through the Security Office.
New students will be provided a slip by the Security Office in lieu of the campus card while it is still in process. The slip will
have a validity date.
Selections by Sodexo and Yogi Chef will serve the ES Canteen through the full debit system. Please check the Elementary
School Cafeteria page for more information.
If you have any concerns regarding the campus card, please send an email to campuscard@ismanila.org.
Bearcat Den
We invite you to visit the Bearcat Den where you will find school souvenir items and clothing. The Den will be open from
Monday - Friday from 7am - 4pm. The Den will accept cash and smartcard ID (debit card) as modes of payment. We apologize but the Den does not process tax exemptions; all those eligible must process documents through the BIR on their own.
Bus Service
In an effort to make the use of our bus service an attractive option for student travel, we have, over the years, worked with
our service providers to keep the fees down to a competitive rate.
For the school year 2016-17 we are pleased to have negotiated an across the board reduction of 2% for the regular bus fees.
Details of the bus fees will be available on the ISM website and from the Transportation Office. Our transport provider, T
Shuttle Services, has also agreed to provide an additional five vehicles to their fleet, with the intention of reducing travel time
and increasing capacity.
During the last school year, a new Bus Management System known as busRun was successfully introduced. This system has
been specifically developed by the supplier to address the needs of ISM and utilizes iPad tablets to monitor students use of
the school bus service. This is a safe and secure system that allows the school staff and our transport operator to track the
pick-up and drop-off of each student and the movement of our buses whilst in transit. The deployment of our School Marshals on all regular bus routes will continue.
During our discussions with T Shuttle Services we stressed the importance of making the bus service an attractive option for
travel between home and school for as many students as possible. Over the past four years they have demonstrated a willingness to explore ways in which they can, within the constraints of running an efficient and practical service for the majority
of riders, provide a viable transport solution for those who are interested in using the school bus service.
Of course, there will always be certain locations or needs that cannot be provided for, but if the offered bus service does not
at first appear to address a particular need, in regard to location or routing, parents are encouraged to discuss this with the
Transport Office staff.
I urge all parents to consider making use of the ISM Bus Service for their students. Should parents wish to discuss in more
detail the school busing arrangements for the new school year, or they have any particular concerns or needs they can contact the Transport Office at 840-8540 or Ms. Cynthia Opulencia at 840-8529 or email Cynthia at OpulenciaC@ismanila.org.
Billing
Billing statements are available for online viewing on the School website to facilitate access. A user ID and password have
already been provided to existing parents and are available for every new parent. Parents are advised to maintain an up-todate email address for billing information and to view the online billing at least monthly for up to date charges. Please read
carefully the School Fees and Payment Schedule on the web. As was the case last school year, there will be no re-enrollment
deposit. Instead, we expect all departing families to complete the WITHDRAWAL NOTIFICATION FORM on or before May
12, 2017. Failure to do so will lead to a deduction of $1,000.00 from the Facilities Upgrade Deposit.
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Payments
Payments may be in cash, check or through wire transfer in any of the BPI, HSBC, and Citibank branches. Please make sure
that the student ID number and the name of the student for whom the payment is being made is indicated on the deposit
slip, check, or in the bank instruction for wire transfer to ensure proper recording, and provide a copy of the validated deposit slip / confirmation receipt to Treasury Department. Take note of the corresponding bank charges by each bank for
wire transfers and over the counter transactions. Contact Treasury Office at 840-8506 if you have questions.
ISM is currently reviewing our banking arrangements. We are looking at banks, both foreign and local, that can provide ISM
and the ISM community with the best possible service at the most reasonable cost. As this is a matter which affects all of us,
we will make sure to inform you well in advance of any change in the Schools banking arrangements.
Operations and Security
Access and parking within the campus are important security and safety issues. For the well-being of all members of the ISM
community, those entering the school campus are requested to take note of the information and procedures outlined below.
Parent IDs
The parent IDs issued since SY 2013/14 (black) will continue to be valid for the new school year. Standard parent cards will be
issued free of charge. Parents may, however, elect to apply for a smartcard ID which will be usable with the cashless payment system introduced into the school for SY 2013-14. There will be a fee of P250.00 for a smartcard.
Applications for parent IDs can be processed through the Security Office.
Student IDs
All students will be issued with new ID cards at the beginning of the new school year. The cards will be compatible with the
cashless payment system. There will be no need for returning students to visit the Security Office as we will be utilizing the
photographs taken for the yearbooks.
School Passes
School passes issued to parents employees and representatives need to be replaced for this school year. As of August 31,
2016 the brown-bordered passes will be invalid.
The security office is now accepting applications for new school passes. These passes will not be compatible with the cashless
payment system.
Each family will be given two free school passes. Additional school passes may be obtained after paying a processing fee of
Php100.00 each to the Cashiers Office.
Visitors Passes
All visitors must secure a pass from the guardhouse at Gate 3. Before entry will be allowed, a telephone check will be made
with the relevant office to confirm the visitors business within the school. Visitors will need to surrender a photo-ID upon
entry to campus.
Car Stickers
The car stickers for school year 2016/2017 are available from the security office.
Starting last school year 2015-16, parents are no longer required to submit copies of the registration documents of their vehicles. They are instead asked to confirm through the application form that the vehicle has minimum Third (3rd) Party Insurance, is legally registered and is fully compliant for operation on the roads under Philippine Laws. For those vehicles not registered in a parents name a letter of assignment will still be needed.
Each ISM family will be issued one vehicle sticker free of charge. Any additional stickers will be issued following payment of
P100 to the cashiers office.
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In order to facilitate the easy recognition of authorized cars at the gates, the stickers should be affixed to the top right corner
of the windshield. ISM stickers issued in previous years must be removed.
Vehicles not displaying a current car sticker will not be allowed regular access from August 31, 2016.
Vehicular Access
During drop-off and pick-up times, vehicles may enter the campus through Gates 2 and 3. Those entering through Gate 2
should proceed to the drop off area and, once the student has alighted or boarded, they should exit via Gate 1. Those vehicles entering through Gate 3 must turn into the covered parking area and use the designated drop-off areas. All vehicles
must exit through Gate 1.
Please note that Gate 2 may only be used by those drivers and passengers who have an ISM ID card and who are in a vehicle
displaying a valid ISM vehicle sticker.
Alternatively, vehicles entering through Gate 3 may park in the covered car park. The spaces reserved for parent-driven cars
should only be used by those vehicles which are driven by parents themselves. Vehicles in which parents are traveling, but
which are driven by a driver, should not use these spaces. Rather, they should park elsewhere in the covered car park or
make use of the outside spaces next to the power center.
Visitors to ISM must enter through Gate 3. There is an area for short-stay visitor parking near Gate 1.
The Pedestrian Gate
The pedestrian gate is located in the perimeter fence mid-way between Gate 1 and Gate 2. There is a paved area between
the road and the perimeter fence, allowing easy access to the gate. The pedestrian gate is solely for the entry of members of
the ISM Community at the beginning of the school day. It will only be open between 7:00 am and 7:45 am (8:00 am to 8:45
am on Wednesdays).
Due to parking restrictions, and in the interests of security, it will not be open in the afternoon for pick-ups. During the time
it is open, it will be under the supervision of members of the ISM Guard Force.
Drivers should stop adjacent to the paved area and students should alight from the right side of their vehicle. The driver
should then move off, clearing the space for other vehicles dropping off students. Under no circumstances should a student
be dropped off from the middle lane. This is dangerous as the student would need to walk in front of another vehicle. Drivers are reminded that traffic regulations forbid parking on the roads around ISM. Therefore, vehicles should only be stopping
for the brief time it takes for a student to alight. Drivers must not wait for anybody to return to the vehicle.
Drop Off/Pick Up Passes
For non-regular drivers without ISM identification who entering school to drop off or collect visitors or members of our community, but who do not intend to park within the campus, a drop off pass will be issued. Our regular checks to confirm the
identity of a driver and their purpose for entering the campus will continue to be made, but we will not retain a photo-ID in
return for the issued pass. The use of these new passes will avoid delays at the Gate 1 exit and reduce traffic congestion at
busy times.
Vehicle Checks
The practice of inspecting vehicles will continue. During off-peak hours, all vehicles will be checked before they are allowed
to enter the campus.
During peak hours (drop off and pick-up times), all vehicles without valid stickers and randomly selected vehicles with stickers will be asked to undergo an examination.
Whether an examination is conducted or not, it is important that the security staff at the gates are able to identify the occupants of vehicles entering the campus; therefore IDs must be clearly displayed. Vehicles with tinted windows must roll
down windows to allow a clear view of the interior of the vehicle.
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Drivers, Helpers and Bodyguards

Drivers, helpers and bodyguards should not wait on campus for students throughout the school day. After dropping off students they should exit the school grounds and not return earlier than 30 minutes before dismissal time. Those who repeatedly fail to comply with the regulation will have their access privilege suspended.
Only those vehicles carrying parents or other people with business within the school will be allowed to return to the campus
before the scheduled pick-up time.
There are designated areas for unaccompanied drivers, yayas, helpers and security escorts to wait for parents and students.
Unless specifically authorized, they may not enter any other area. In the interest of security, and to prevent congestion at the
pedestrian entrances to the covered parking area, parents are requested to emphasize to their employees the importance of
cooperating with the security staff and remaining in the appropriate areas.
Firearms
All members of the ISM community are reminded that it is strictly forbidden for firearms to be brought onto the campus. This
includes concealed weapons carried by bodyguards for close protection. Any person arriving at the school with a firearm
should inform the gate guard, and arrangements will be made for the weapon to be safely and securely stored during the
visitors stay.
Security Staff Directions
Our security team is endeavoring to make the school as safe and secure an environment as possible for all members of our
community.
We ask that everybody cooperate with us in this important task. In particular, all those entering our campus are requested
to comply with any directions given to them by members of our guard force.
If you are confused or unclear as to the purpose of such instructions, please seek clarification from the security office. Please
note that it is the parents responsibility to advise their staff accordingly.
Thank you for your cooperation. We are looking forward to another great year at International School Manila.
Best wishes,

DAVID TOZE
Superintendent

Welcome back Bearcats and a big welcome to all our new

ISM students, families and new faculty. The ATAC
(Athletics & Activities) Department hopes you will all
have a successful start to the school year.

MS Activities (after school)- This year Coach Holly Chapman is the coordinator of ES and MS activities. All information for the ES/MS Activities programs can be found at
their respective blog pages http://es-activities.ismonline.org/ and http://ms-activities.ism-online.org/ Take
Please take the time to navigate the ATAC blog http://
note of all the program offerings and online registration
atac.ism-online.org/wp-admin/ as it is our one stop shop date and procedures.
for all information related to the competitive ISM sports
program. We are planning for a big year of sports at ISM Please note the practice times for ATAC programs for SY
in SY 16-17. We are hosting IASAS Basketball in February 16-17 are as follows: ATAC all year round teams- 3:15and IASAS Golf and Badminton in 3rd season. All of these 4:30.
IASAS events will be fantastic to host and we look forSee schedule for our All year round
ward to community support to cheer on our Bearcats
teams program here...
teams and to host and house our visiting IASAS athletes
from our sister schools.
See Sailfish blog for swim squad start and finish times.
ATAC Gymnastics team practices 3:10-4:50 M/W/F
Seasonal Sports- Season One Tryout dates SY 16-17All HS seasonal teams practice from 3:05- 4:50pm on
August 4,5,8,9- Season 1 HS Tryouts (Soccer/Volleyball/
their respective practice afternoons. MS seasonal teams
XC)
practice from 3:15-4:45pm. In order to clear the campus
prior to 5pm all after school programs will conclude
August 8,9,10- Season 1 MS Tryouts (Soccer/Volleyball/
by 4:50pm or earlier. The last bus is 4:55pm this is due to
XC) check tryouts schedule for venues and times. For MS the ever increasing traffic concerns in our area.
soccer players who are scheduled to use the roof top tennis courts for tryouts Mon/Tues Aug 8/9 please bring
Parents and students please take some time to peruse
training/PE shoes. For Wed Aug 10 bring your soccer
the ATAC blog it has a wide variety of information and
cleats as the final tryout session will be at the HS/MS/ES links to our sports and activities program. If you have any
fields. Our younger MS soccer players born '05-'06 you
questions regarding the competitive program of sports at
are scheduled on the fields for tryouts so please bring
ISM after reading the information on the blog please send
soccer cleats to all sessions.
an email to pekinm@ismanila.org and I will endeavor to
assist you as best I can.
August 8, 9 10- ES Rifa Soccer registration/tryouts. RIFA
soccer is a competitive program for season 1 open to
Bearcat Den- drop by our fantastic spirit store. There is
Grade 1-4 students. See information here regards tryouts a a range of new products and items to purchase includand participation- ES Rifa Festival information
ing items from our service partners. Bearcat Den hours of
operation- 7am-4pm Mon-Fri.
For our Sailfish swim team program please check the Sailfish blog for information about tryouts http://sailfish.ism- GO BEARCATS!
online.org/
Best Regards,
For gymnastics team information please check http://
Mark Pekin
atac.ism-online.org/atac/gymnastics/ Returning gymDirector of Athletics and Activities
nasts start Aug 8. Tryouts for students wanting to join
the gymnastics team will be Wed Aug 10 and Fri Aug
12 at the MS Gym. Look for Coach Jas or Ramon.
For our other All Year Round teams- Wall Climbing, Chess,
Judo, TKD, Aikido, Table Tennis tryouts and registration
is next Mon/Wed/Fri. See link to information and schedule http://atac.ism-online.org/atac/all-year-sports/

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