MIDDLE SCHOOL

Friday Bulletin ISSUE # 01

Weekly Publication for Middle School Parents WEEK OF AUGUST 10 TO 14, 2009

From the Middle School Office

Dear Parents:

Welcome to school year 2009 – 2010! After a busy orientation period and hours of preparing the classrooms,
we are delighted to have the children back in school.

The first day of school went smoothly and we thank everyone for contributing to a successful start. The
enthusiasm on the students’ faces as they greeted one another in the halls, made new friends, and attended
classes renewed life on campus. We are thrilled to have all of our students from Grade 5 to Grade 8 livening
up the halls and rooms of ISM. Together with the teachers, we are looking forward to an exciting year ahead.

As the school year commences, please take note of the following points:
• Since after school clubs and activities have not yet started, students are expected to be off campus by
3:00 P.M. Please make the necessary transportation arrangements so that your child is picked up
promptly at dismissal time.
• Student planners have been distributed during Homebase. Please spend some time with your child
reviewing the student handbook portion of the planner. Important information regarding grades,
homework, discipline and other policies is contained in the handbook. It is expected that all students be
familiar with and adhere to established policies and procedures. At the back of the planner is an
acknowledgement letter that we ask all parents to sign and return to school.
• It is vital that the office has the most current contact information for each family in the event of an
emergency or school closure. Please call the office to update your landline and/or cell phone number.

Should you have any questions or concerns regarding your child’s education here at ISM, please contact the
Middle School Office at 840-8550. We look forward to working with you and your child throughout the year.

Sincerely,

Danielle Fredericks Clarissa Sayson

Middle School Principal Middle School Assistant Principal

Upcoming Events PowerSchool Grade Update

August 14 Student Council Event

Aug. 20 - Grade Update
17-26 Student Council Representatives’ Campaign
Sept. 04 - MS Progress Reports
17 Grade 5 Assembly (2:20 PM, LT)
18 Grade 6 Assembly (2:20 PM, LT)
19 Grade 7 Assembly (2:20 PM, LT)
20 Grade 8 Assembly (2:20 PM, LT)
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From the Superintendent’s Office

Dear Parents:

Welcome everyone to the School Year 2009/10. I shall be sending to you all
a more comprehensive message through our News Bulletin, but in the meantime, I did want to take an
early opportunity to address a problem that is much on everyone’s mind: Swine Flu or A H1N1.

As one would expect in these times of global travel, cases of swine flu can be found in every corner of the
world and the Philippines is no exception. There have already been deaths here due to this virus. As
every day passes, there are more statements and more warnings and more advice and much of this is
contradictory.

I want to tell you how we plan to deal with this matter, since there will certainly be more cases of infection
in Manila and very likely within our own school community. But before I start, I must add that we shall re-
view constantly our response in order to meet the needs of what will certainly be a changing situation.

It is highly unlikely that there will be an effective vaccine available to all before December. The proposi-
tion that we close the school every time there is a flu case within the community might well mean that we
have no classes until after Christmas. That is obviously unacceptable. Meanwhile, we all know that, even
if we did suspend classes, parents and children - and teachers for that matter - would still go to shopping
malls, would still go to cinemas, would still attend churches, and would certainly take local and interna-
tional plane flights - all places where they would be just as likely to catch the virus as they are here in
school.

Here then are the rules that we would like all community members to abide by:

1. Children with flu-like symptoms and/or a temperature of 38C or more, must NOT come to
school. Parents should check their children’s temperatures EVERY DAY.

2. If one member of the family has flu or flu-like symptoms, please keep all students AT HOME;
this particular type of flu is extremely contagious and may have been passed on before symp-
toms have developed.

3. Students should not return to school until they are completely symptom-free.

4. Notify the school if your child is off school due to flu-like symptoms.

5. Notify the school of any confirmed case of H1N1 within the family.
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6. Take these everyday steps to protect your health, as advised by the CDC:

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the
trash after you use it.

• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-
based hand cleaners are also effective.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.

• Try to avoid close contact with sick people.

• Stay home if you are sick for seven days after your symptoms begin or until you have been
symptom-free for 24 hours, whichever is longer. This is to keep from infecting others and
spreading the virus further.

7. Anyone presenting at school with fever and/or flu-like symptoms will be quarantined and sent
home. Parents should aim to pick up their children as quickly as possible.

8. ES classrooms will have hand sanitizers available in each classroom.

9. MS and HS students should bring a small supply of hand sanitizer to school for personal use.

10. Use of masks during the school day is a personal choice.

In school, we shall have a program of continual cleaning and disinfection of high contact areas and a
daily full disinfection of the clinic area. Canteen and food concession staff will be checked every day for
symptoms and sent home if there any doubts about their health. In the meantime, our IT coordinators
are preparing for the online delivery of our educational service to help us maintain our program of study
for individuals or small groups who are sick or, in a worst-case scenario, for when the entire school is
obliged to close.

A H1N1 is no more virulent or dangerous than regular seasonal influenza – and tens of thousands of
people every year die from the flu virus. That said, we have to recognize the widespread anxiety that
exists in our community. We shall view and review our practices with robust common sense and a
healthy prescription of caution.

David Toze

CONTACT INFORMATION CHANGES?

We’re on the web! Please inform the Middle School Office if you recently changed your contact information
www.ismanila.org (i.e. Home Address, Home/Office Telephone Numbers, Mobile Numbers and Email Ad-
dresses). You may contact us through 840-8550 or 840-8553
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From the Security Office

Car stickers

The car stickers for school year 2009/10 are available from the security office.

For vehicles already displaying an exiting sticker, parents should submit a completed renewal form with a
copy of a current LTO official receipt. For new vehicles, parents are reminded that a copy of the vehicle’s
certificate of registration and a current official receipt need to be submitted with the application. Applications
for vehicles registered with companies or other institutions should be supported by a letter of assignment.

Each ISM family will be issued one vehicle sticker free of charge. Any additional stickers will be issued fol-
lowing payment of Php100.00 to the cashier’s office.

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. Further to this, old ISM stickers issued in previous years should be re-
moved.

Vehicles not displaying this year’s car sticker will not be allowed access from August 30.

ID Cards

Parent IDs

Parent IDs issued for the school year 2008-2009 will continue to be valid for the new school year 2009-2010.

Parents who require replacement school IDs due to loss or damage can acquire these from the Security Of-
fice upon payment of Php100.00 to the Cashier.

School Passes

School passes issued to parents’ employees and representatives need to be replaced for this school year.
As of August 31, 2009, the blue bordered passes issued for the school year 2008/2009 will be invalid.

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 Cashier’s Office.

Visitor’s 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 visitor’s business within the school.
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From the Security Office

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 more than
30 minutes before dismissal time. Those who repeatedly fail to comply with this regulation may
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 1:45 p.m.

There are designated areas for drivers, yayas, helpers and security escorts to wait for parents and students.
Unless specifically authorized, they may not enter any other area. In the interests 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 visitor’s 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 cooperates 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. In the event that anyone is unclear as to the purpose of such instructions they can seek clarifica-
tion 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 successful year at International School
Manila.

Regards,

Mike Flynn
Director
Operations & Security
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From the Athletics & Activities Office