ISB Life in the Middle

GOALS by Ethan

2008-10-14T21:20:00.003+07:00

I am sure that we all have goals that we are working hard at pursuing. For those who don’t have goals they will probably have goals later on in their lives. We should all work hard towards our goals so we can attempt and fulfill them. WE all have different goals than other people have but we should always pursue them. WE can have more than one goal that fits into different categories such as social goals, personal goals, and educational goals.

ISB is very supportive of students reaching for their goals and helping the individual students take progressing steps towards their personal goals. In middle school, our humanities, math/science, and elective teachers teach us the basics of what may soon be our future careers. Our learning from our humanities teachers may have us thinking about later being a historian, author, or maybe even and editor. Our learning from our math/science teachers may have us pondering on a career such as a scientist or maybe even a mathematician. An elective such as art may bring about the idea of being an artist later on.

We may have social goals such as getting a group of friends that have an international background and different cultures. This gives us a more vast friendship around the world where we can rely on our friends anywhere at any time.

Goals are a good way to motivate ourselves. We should always stick to one goal but at the same time it is possible to have many goals at once. A good way to start pursuing a goal is to master the basics and then move forward. For soccer, you could probably learn first how to play soccer and then move forward to skills. Here is a really helpful saying for those who are pursuing goals.

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a first step.” By Lao Tzu, Chinese philosopher.

Locker Stickers Steven C

2008-10-07T10:21:00.004+07:00

If you read the MS Notices for today, some of you probably are wondering what locker stickers are. There are some locker stickers on the lockers, if you can notice. When you do activities afterschool (most of the time) other than school work, you can get these stickers. Locker stickers are the proof that you are doing or did that activity and you can stick it on your locker. Some of the activities are Jazz Band, BISAC, Cross Country, and MUN; however, there are more.

Here are some of the

stickers:

Panther Pops- By Oda

2008-10-07T10:13:00.002+07:00

Don’t you feel disappointed when you have waited one month to buy a panther pop, and when you get down to the booster hut they’re all sold out, and you have to wait one more month until you can buy one again? And during that month you miss the taste of a perfect cookie, and you miss the way the chocolate chips melt in your mouth, and how you are slowly digging your way into the middle to reach the creamy caramel? Last time they sold panther pops this happened to me. I was only two minutes late for lunch, and all the panther pops were sold out. I want more panther pops, and I want them to be sold more often! And I know that some teachers have bought them for four years, and they would also love to have more panther pops at ISB. Is there anyone else here who would like ISB to sell more panther pops please leave a comment.

Parent Teacher Conferences=4 day Weekend!

2008-10-07T10:06:00.000+07:00

Parent teacher conferences are here! Which also means, 4-day weekend! Well, at least 3 days since you have conferences on either Thursday or Friday. Good thing is, it’s only 15 minutes long. You can get the day off after that. Here are some good ideas to help you have fun in the 4-day weekend.

· Go biking – if you live in Nichada, it’s easy to bike around the lake, right? If not, find a place.

· Have a sleepover marathon – ever heard of it? It’s when you have three sleepovers in a row. Sounds like fun!

· Go bowling or watch a movie with your friends – socialize! Everyone loves popcorn.

· Have a relaxed vacation to… - anywhere you like! Preferably in Thailand, since 4 days is not long enough to travel somewhere else.

· Watch T.V – grab a bowl of your favorite snack, cozy up on the couch, and turn the volume up high!

· Clean out your room – crank the music, it will get you in the mood for cleaning up!

With these ideas, I guarantee you a great 4-day weekend!

Be a Princess for One Day and Ten Thousand Dollars- By Grace

2008-10-07T10:04:00.002+07:00

Being a princess is something almost every little girl dreams of. Movies like The Princess Diaries and The Cinderella Story, as well as other forms of princess-y merchandise that companies like Toys R’ Us delight in selling, further feed the tiara dream. Now, I’ve added one more tantalizing gem to the collection: Kate Brian’s novel, The Princess and the Pauper.

I’ll readily admit that when I was young, being a princess wasn’t my ultimate goal, but when I saw this book in the ISB main library, I was still interested in checking it out. (After all, who doesn’t want to read about riches and glamour?) It turned out being a great decision, as this book is definitely rated one of my favorites.

The Princess and the Pauper revolves around two girls, whose only similarity is their appearance (they look like peas in a pod). Princess Carina of Vineland is going to LA for a goodwill tour, but all she really wants to do is sneak out to meet her rock star pen-pal Ribbit at his concert. Julia Johnson is a true-blue LA girl who attends a prestigious school filled with rich kids, but at home she’s just trying to find ways to get her and her mother out of being evicted from their run-down apartment for not paying the rent.

Needless to say these two meet, and Julia finds herself irresistibly attracted to Carina’s ten-thousand dollar offer to replace her for a day so that Carina can go to her concert. (It will pay more than her rent…) Complications arise (hint: ‘complications’ include a rich guy’s son, a rock band’s tour bus, the desert- and a flight back to Vineland) and Julia’s ten-thousand dollar dream turns out to be much, much more.

This book is very interesting and is written a la Meg Cabot in a cheery, upbeat fashion. Excellent writing and awesome characterization make up for the slight predictability of the book, and makes it a book you won’t want to put down. I’ll give this book a five out of five- as will you when you read this book! Pick it up especially if you love Meg Cabot, Shannon Hale, Gail Carson Levine and other teen-romance writers.

The image (hardcover version’s jacket design) was taken from http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/edition/?isbn=0689861737.

Long Weekends- by Oda Spross

2008-10-07T09:58:00.003+07:00

Don’t you like the feeling of waking up early to go to school, but then you remember you have a long weekend and you fall back into bed, and go to sleep again? Don’t you like having three or four or five days out of school instead of two so that you can go to the beach or do something else fun instead of just staying home for two days because you don’t have time for anything else? Don’t you feel like you need some more time to rest? Well I do, and I’ve asked ten ISB students if they would like to have more long weekends nine out of nine students, and one out of one teachers at ISB said Yes. Let’s see what they said.
“I think we should have more long weekends to just relax and socialize without the worry of going to school and having to do homework.” – Raimy, 6th grade
“We need more long weekends. School can be a real problem when it comes to fatigue. So I think it is really unfair how long weekends aren’t applied so much.” – Sasha, 7th grade
“Yes, because we have five school days and only two free days, so I think we should have more long weekends.” – Shawnie, 7th grade
“Yes, because they allow us more time to have fun, and do our homework.” – Grace, 8th grade
“Yes, because children should have more time to rest.” – Margaret, 6th grade
“Yes, because we have more time to express ourselves.”-Afek, 8th grade
“Yes, because we get more time to finish our homework.” – Nino, 8th grade
“Yes, because I need a rest sometime, no because I like school.” – Lee, 6th grade
“Yes, because I get really frustrated at school sometimes, but on long weekends, I can cool off.”-Benedict, 7th grade
“Yes, I want one every week, because you will have more time to do your homework, and I can sleep, go biking, go sailing and prepare for class.” – Dr. Everett
In conclusion, most of the students, and teachers, at ISB want more long weekends. Please leave a comment, and give your opinion about long weekends.

Second Quarter Preview By Steven C

2008-10-06T10:54:00.000+07:00

As you guys can notice, the first quarter is almost at an end! However, the second quarter is coming up. There will be many changes and events in this next quarter. Oct. 9th, we will start differently. Let’s preview this upcoming quarter.
Just right after Oct.9th, there will be MS Parent Teacher Conferences; however, there will be long break after this. And just a few days later, there will be Halloween Social as well! - October
November is the month filled with the variety of events. NBSL (Northern Bangkok Soccer League) Opening Day starts (Nov.1st), MS soccer open play, MS Soccer (U15/U13) and BISAC U-15/U-13 Cross Country Invitational Meet at ISB, follow next. MS Honor band concert in Jakarta, MS Jazz Band Concert, MS theater sport, Red Carpet Events became our musical events. Any other events? MS Operation Smile weeks, MS Operation Smile Assembly, MS Ex-Celebration, SPIRIT NIGHT– Soccer, all of these are waiting! It seems like there are a variety of events in November- Sports, Music, Drama, Assembly, and many more!
The last month of the second quarter, December, has many events as well. MS Instrumental Concert, MS Instrumental Assembly and Kids in Motion performance are coming up. Also, many students are waiting for H.M. KING'S BIRTHDAY (HOLIDAY) and Constitution Day. Gr. 7 Ellis Island Immigration Simulation, MS Dance/Drama Assembly, MS Semester End Assembly and semester 1 end in December, are you ready for these events?
http://www.isb.ac.th/Calendar/Default.asp?Month=10&Year=2008&cMonth=10&cYear=2008&FullMonth=Yes October
http://www.isb.ac.th/Calendar/Default.asp?Month=10&Year=2008&cMonth=11&cYear=2008&FullMonth=Yes November
http://www.isb.ac.th/Calendar/Default.asp?Month=10&Year=2008&cMonth=12&cYear=2008&FullMonth=Yes December

Anti-Cyberbullying Wallpaper Design Competition!

2008-09-30T10:14:00.000+07:00

“Cyberbullying isn’t cool, but a new ipod is! Help fight cyberbullying at ISB and win a new iPod shuffle!”

THE COMPETITION
Design a Wallpaper (desktop image) for the MS Computer Lab computers using whatever software you prefer (MS Paint, MS Word, InDesign, PowerPoint, PhotoShop etc.). You can use images from online, however the bulk of the design should be your own work. Any images must not infringe copyright, you can tag “creative commons” when you do your online image search. The theme of your design should be centered around ISB being against cyberbullying.

PRIZE
One winner will receive a 1GB Apple iPod shuffle 3G (3rd Generation)
Additional selected entries will be used as the desktop wallpaper in the MS Labs for a couple of weeks.

RULES

1. Competition ends Monday, October 6th

2. Your Wallpaper must be 1280x1024 pixels in JPG format. Need help, then you can see Khun Eed or Khun Apple in the MS Computer Labs.

3. All entries should be dropped in the StuShare>MS>CyberSafety Wallpaper folder, no later than the evening of Monday, October 6th. This will give the judges time to compile all entries and award the winners during the next day’s Synergy.

4. Save your design as your student number eg.2054333.jpg You can enter as many times as you like, if you submit a second entry ad and an ‘a’ on the end eg. 2054333a.jpg. Subsequent entries should have b, c, d etc.

5. Criteria used to judge the work includes artistic design, visual effect and clear message. The winner will be judged by individual faculty members - their decision is final.

6. Any questions should be directed to Mr Bates in person or e-mail (cybersafety@isb.ac.th).

8. The winner will be announced during Synergy on Tuesday, October 6th.

Good luck, I look forward to seeing the designs.

Chad Bates

Transfer from Word Document to Notebook Software - Anurag & Vignesh

2008-09-30T08:56:00.002+07:00

Whenever you work on Microsoft Word do you feel like putting cool looking stars, smiley faces, and flowers? I will tell you how you can do that! You have to open a Notebook File on a computer/laptop. After that you go to the magical marker and click it. Afterwards, you just scribble around and then when you are finished scribbling. You just take the black pointer and you select the part where you scribbled. Then you right click or press “CTRL+C”. That will allow you to copy and then you open a Microsoft Word document. You press “CTRL+V” to paste or right click and “Paste”. It will show you the same thing as what you did in Notebook File.

Let’s put the transfer aside for a while. If you didn’t know you know you can actually put a background like “Snowflakes, Sunrays, and Rainy days”. Instead of just putting normal colors you put backgrounds, which is awesome because you can put it on an occasion. So make your essays and/or Narratives more attractive by putting slimy Magic Maker and achieve an A+.

Popcorn by Margaret and Shawnie

2008-09-30T08:50:00.002+07:00

A lot of people enjoy eating popcorn because it is yummy and people like the crunchy sound of it. I’ll tell you the history of the popcorn.

Popcorn (also known as popping corn) is a type of corn which explodes from the kernel (baked corn) and puffs up when heated. Special varieties are grown to give improved popping yield. Some wild types will pop, but the cultivated strain is Zea mays averta, which is a special kind of flint corn. The process of making popcorn was first discovered by the Native Americans thousands of years ago who believed that the popping noise was that of an angry god who escaped the kernel. Popcorn was very popular during the 1890s but at the World War 1, they started to eat nuts instead of corn but during the World War 2, the Americans ate three times more popcorn than before because of the sugar that was going overseas.

The popcorn pops because the outer part of the kernel is both moisturized and strong. The popcorn pops as the oil and the water are heated past the boiling point, they turn the moisture in the kernel into a superheated pressurized steam, contained within the moisture-proof hull. Under these conditions, the starch inside the kernel gelatinizes, softening and becoming pliable. The pressure continues to increase until the breaking point of the hull is reached. The pressure is about 180 degrees Celsius. The hull ruptures rapidly, causing a sudden drop in pressure inside the kernel and a corresponding rapid expansion of the steam, which expands the starch and proteins of the endosperm into airy foam. As the foam rapidly cools, the starch and protein polymers set into the familiar crispy puff.

Every Wednesday and Friday the school will be selling popcorn. We interviewed Ms. Virginia and Ms. Noriko on why they’re selling popcorn. This is what they said:

‘Why are you selling popcorn?’

Ms. Virginia and Ms. Noriko, “Well, we are selling popcorn because we want to raise money for the PTA (Parent Teacher Association).

Information and pictures from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popcorn

Meg Cabot Visits Bangkok! By Grace

2008-09-30T08:49:00.002+07:00

Get this- Meg Cabot is visiting Bangkok soon!

That’s right; the author of the bestseller Princess Diaries series and several other popular teen romances (like Guy Next Door and All-American Girl) is visiting us here in Thailand. I can’t wait; she’s one of my favourite authors!

On the 8^th of October, she’ll be at the B2S bookstore in Central World shopping mall, from 1500 (3.00 pm) to 1700 (5.00 pm); and on the 10^th of October, she’ll be signing books at Kinokuniya bookstore in Siam Paragon, from 1630 (4.30 pm) to 1800 (6.00 pm). For enquiries on these visits, email sw@deliveringasia.com.

More information about Meg Cabot, her achievements, and her Asia tour can be found at http://www.prlog.org/10109581-bestselling-author-meg-cabot-to-tour-asia-october-2008-hong-kong-singapore-bangkok.html and her website, http://www.megcabot.com/tourinformation.php.

The image (Princess Diaries: Take Two jacket cover) was taken from http://www.macmillan.com.hk/pma/english/02a.jpg.

The 2nd Quarter by Matt & Robbie

2008-09-30T08:45:00.001+07:00

The first quarter is coming to an end which means the 2^nd quarter is coming up with new electives for everybody. Some people may be disappointed to have a class end or some people will be happy to leave their current classes. We asked some of our classmates on whether they want the quarter to end or not.

Tim said, “I don't want the quarter to end because I have good classes like life in the middle and drama.”

“No, I don’t want the quarter to end because I like my electives”, said Ethan.

Pranav said, “I want the quarter to end because I want to experience new classes.”

Afek stated, “I don't want the 2^nd quarter to come because I have life in the middle and woodworking and those classes are enjoyable.”

Win said, “I don’t care if the quarter ends or not.”

Sasha said, “I want this quarter to end only because I don’t like photography class.”

We want to stay in life in the middle because it’s a fun class and not the hardest class out there. If you don’t want the quarter to end just look at it this way, the 2^nd quarter starting means it’s one step closer to winter break.

Chiang Mai- Sara

2008-09-30T08:40:00.001+07:00

Every year, there are overnight trips for every grade level. Each of them go to different places. Sixth grade is going to Kanchanaburi, seventh is going to Korat and eight grade is going to Chiang Mai! People who are in ninth grade now and that have been here since sixth grade have said that Chiang- Mai was the best trip they had ever had. There are many fun activities to do there. Some of them are rock climbing, white water rafting, and kayaking. The Eight grade is going to have a chance to get to choose the activities they want to do this week. The reason that they are picking so early is because it takes a lot of preparation and time to arrange it all. The students are going to get to Chiang Mai by train and in total of the four nights of the trip they spend half on the train, one in Prem Tinsulanonda International School and then another night in another place. We get three trains, and there will be about 40 students per section of the train. You can choose who you would like to be near in the train. It’s going to be an awesome trip because you will basically have 4 days off from school away from the city and you get to spend time with your friends and even get a chance to make new ones. The plus’ and minus’ of the trip are that there are that on Monday we will still have school and leave straight after, and then when we get back Friday morning, we get no school for the rest of the day while the rest of the Middle Schoolers will be getting back from their trips early afternoon. One thing that everyone should be aware of is that there are bugs, so you may want to bring a lot of bug repellent. All I know is that everyone is extremely excited for this trip and that it will be a blast!

ISB SPIRIT NIGHT BY TIM

2008-09-30T08:26:00.001+07:00

LAST WEEK WAS SPIRIT NIGHT. AND AS WE ALL KNOW, IT’S A CHANCE TO GET TOGETHER AND HAVE FUN WITH FRIENDS OR YOU COULD COME TO CHEER FOR YOU PANTHERS. ONE OF THE REASONS MOST PEOPLE GO IS FOR THE FOOD, THE DRINKS, AND THE CANDY! THE BOYS AND GIRLS WERE BOTH AMAZING, MAKING IT INTO THE FINALS. UNFORTUNATELY FOR ALL PANTHER FANS, THEY WERE VERSING THE BEST, THE BADDEST, THE UNDEFEATED THAI TEAM. BOTH TEAMS GOT CRUSHED AND WERE BEAT OUT TWO GAMES TO NOTHING. MOST OF THE FANS WERE DISSAPOINTED BUT STILL THEY HAD TO BE PRETTY PUMPED TO SEE THEM MAKE IT INTO THE FINALS. I TALKED TO SOME OF THE PEOPLE WHO WERE WATCHING THE GAME AND HERE’S WHAT THEY SAID.

ETHAN SAID, “ISB WAS AWESOME, MY SISTER WAS ON THE TEAM AND ACED SO MANY PEOPLE.”

ROBBIE STATED, “MY BROTHER WAS THE LIBRERO, HE’S THE GUY THAT HAS TO DIVE FOR THE BALL. IN MY OWN WORDS I HAVE TO SAY HE WAS A BEST!”

MATT SAID, “I COULDN’T TAKE MY EYES AWAY FOR A SECOND”

NOLAN SAID, “ISB! ISB! ISB!”

AS YOU CAN SEE, MANY PEOPLE LOVED SPIRIT NIGHT BY THE WAY THERE’S A SPIRIT NIGHT THIS FRIDAY FROM FOUR THIRTY TO SEVEN THIRTY FOR THE ISB SOCCER TEAM. SO GRAB A POM POM AND START CHEERING.

Chewing Gum! By Grace

2008-09-30T08:20:00.001+07:00

A lot of middle school students like chewing gum. In fact, you may like chewing it yourself (even though it is banned during school hours). Here is a bit about the history of chewing gum that maybe you didn’t know before, as well as some ISB MS students’ opinions to ‘chew’ on!
Researchers discovered that Mayans who lived in Central America chewed chicle, a natural gum that comes from the latex of the Sapodilla tree and later went on to become one of the main ingredients in chewing gum.

Thomas Adams, a New York inventor, has to be credited for the first creation of the official chewing gum. He was hired by a Mexican General in 1869 to invent a new kind of rubber using chicle. Admittedly, he failed at creating a new kind of rubber, but what he did do was produce the first modern chewing gum ever. He named it Adams New York No. 1 (kind of like Chanel No. 5, isn’t it?).

Now, there’re more than a thousand types of gum manufactured and sold in the U.S., and they come in all kinds of crazy shapes and flavors. What do the middle school students here in ISB feel about this ‘phenomena’, then? Let’s check it out.

“It’s good stuff, it makes me happy,” 6th grader Margaret said, joking that it ‘made her feel like a gangster’. 7th grader Shawnie said that some flavors, like lemon, are so nice that it makes her want to swallow the gum. Khun E said that gum’s good to chew when you’re in an airplane and the pressure’s just getting to your head (I so agree! Ever been on a super-long flight and your head’s just killing you- then you remember chewing gum?). 6th grader Raimy said, “I like chewing gum because it comes in many flavors. I would just say it’s awesome!” Oda, who’s also in 6th grade, agreed about the ‘awesome’ bit. “It’s good and fresh!” she said.

I myself like chewing gum- especially Wrigley’s spearmint flavor. The flavor always feels so fresh and it’s as good as any other candy you pop into your mouth. It’s also very convenient to just pop a few sticks of gum in your bag to pull out and chew occasionally.
What do you feel about chewing gum?

The history of chewing gum was taken from http://www.nacgm.org/consumer/storyof.html, while the image was taken from http://www.buzzle.com/img/articleImages/121225-5med.jpg.

Anti-Cyberbullying Wallpaper Design Competition!

2008-09-26T13:11:00.000+07:00

“Cyberbullying isn’t cool, but a new ipod is! Help fight cyberbullying at ISB and win a new iPod shuffle!”

SEAYBST by Ethan, Robbie, & Tim

2008-09-25T10:10:00.002+07:00

SEAYBST (South East Asia Youth Baseball Softball Tournament) tryouts are happening at the end of October. It’s a baseball/softball tournament in Southeast Asia that kids participate in. The countries that are involved in the tournament include the Philippines (Manila), Indonesia (Jakarta), and Australia (Perth), Singapore, Thailand. There was a team from Hong Kong last year that was invited to the tournament, but there was only a team for the majors league. For boys, the grades range from 5^th grade to 12^th grade. There are 3 teams for boys. For girls, the grade ranges are from 6^th grade to 12^th grade. There is 1 team for girls, grades 6-9 from ISB. Not everybody gets to be on the team, there are cuts. The maximum alternate players (if someone gets injured they play instead) is 6 players. The alternates usually do not go on the tournament with the rest of the team. This year the SEA teams will be going to Manila. All the transportation and hotel information will be arranged by the Bangkok team coordinator. We asked some baseball and softball athletes that went to the tournament last year what they thought about it.

Tim Abdelnoor said, “I really enjoyed the tournament because it was very social and I also enjoyed going around Singapore.”

“Last year’s tournament was so much fun! Our team had won and we had so much fun walking around Singapore. The hotel was awesome, too,” Ethan said.

We thought it would be interesting to tell you about the results from last year’s SEAYBST tournament. We will start out with softball. The only softball team for Bangkok got 4^th place and lost to Singapore in the 3^rd and 4^th place game. The minor’s baseball team for Bangkok dominated the tournament and went undefeated. In the end the minors had won the tournament and beat Singapore. Unfortunately, the majors got last place and same with the seniors. Although, the seniors had almost beat Perth, the 1^st place team, in extra innings until the Perth team had got in a run to win the game. The SEA teams will be going to Manila but if something occurs and everybody is not able to go to Manila the tournament will be held here in Bangkok. The teams will be gone for one week and will miss a week of school.

Disadvantage of Windows Microsoft Word 2007 - Anurag & Vignesh

2008-09-25T10:06:00.004+07:00

Are you having trouble with Windows Word 2007? I’m pretty sure you are having some problems. Yesterday, I was in my Humanities class and we were doing a writing assignment. My classmates were having so much trouble that they all came up to me and said, “Can you help me?” I was so annoyed that I decided to write this.

We have the latest information about how to fix and get rid of the trouble. If you save the word document in 2007 mode it won’t work in Windows Word 97-2003. So now the way to fix it is by going to the logo near HOME. Another way is that the logo above Home. It is something like a floppy. Another way is by using “Ctrl+S”. First you go to the Windows Logo and you click on it. Then it will show you, New, Open, Convert, Save, and Save as. If you get your pointer on it, it will show save as 97 – 2003. Click that and you will be able to do it at home.

Another problem is that when you put a shape on the document you can’t really find the way to make the outline thicker. It is kind of like hid somewhere. But when you put the shape/picture the top toolbar will automatically go to Format. Under it, it says SHAPE OUTLINE. Then all you have to do is click it and then it says WEIGHT. Get your pointer on it and it will show you the weights. Choose one of them. Didn’t even know how to save the first time I used it. If you want to make the page landscape you first have to go to page layout and click on orientation.

If we had a sheet of paper with all the instructions in it I bet it will be easier!

First Quarter, New Experiences- by Grace

2008-09-25T10:04:00.001+07:00

The first quarter of the 2008 school year’s nearly over. Come October the 9^th, we’ll be embarking on a brand new quarter. You may already be accustomed to the events that happen in ISB, but do you still remember the lost-looking, shy new students that first arrived to ISB just about two months ago? Let’s check out how these new students are faring.

Margaret is in 6^th grade. Before arriving in ISB, she studied in Seoul, Korea. Speaking of the first quarter here, she said, “It was okay. I’ve made some new friends. The homework is more difficult than those in my former school, but the teachers are kind and I get along well with my classmates. My electives are what I expected them to be when I signed up for them and I like them, especially Publications, because there’s no homework.”

7^th grader Shawnie was in the American School of Bangkok (ASB) before coming here. She describes the first quarter at ISB as ‘awesome’, adding, “I’ve made many good friends. There’s a lot more homework though, and it’s harder than at my previous school. However, the teachers are definitely more knowledgeable and my classmates are very nice, helping me out when I need help. The electives are what I expected them to be when I first signed up for them and I like them, because it’s nice to do what you are interested in.”

As for me, I was in Singapore before coming here and I find the environment here very relaxed and conducive to learning. It’s truly ‘inspired learning’. I love the concept of electives because I can do what I like to do and what I’m interested in, and I find my teachers and classmates all very helpful and friendly. I’ve enjoyed my first quarter immensely so far and I’m looking forward to more to come.

Regardless of whether you’re a new student, returning student, or old student, you’ll definitely have experienced some new stuff and have stories to share! Comment on this post to tell a tale of your first quarter.

Picture was taken from http://www.isb.ac.th/Academic_Standards2.

Decorating Your Agenda: Part 2 –Shawnie

2008-09-25T09:55:00.002+07:00

These are some few ways, with these ideas you soon could have a very colorful and beautiful agenda.

-Cut out photos from magazines of your favorite things, stars, food, etc.

-Get a photo and replace the picture of the hands.

-Grab some markers and draw or color some patterns.

-Stick on some cute stickers.

-Cover the cover with foil and draw on the foil with permanent markers.

- Border the cover with ribbons and glitter.

The best material to use for decorating your agenda is WHITEOUT! Seriously, it is the best thing to use for drawing stuff on your agenda. I hope these ideas help you make your agenda a more colorful and beautiful place to write your homework for the whole year!

Mystery of Stonehenge ‘Solved’ By Steven C

2008-09-25T09:52:00.001+07:00

Wordless and gigantic stones, Stonehenge, are very famous for being mysterious. These heavy and gigantic stone constructions were built by ancient people around 2500b.c. There were many theories for the usage of these constructions. A temple for ancient sun-worshippers, a sacred burial site, or even a kind of massive prehistoric astronomical calculator, but no one knew the truth. However, two British archaeologists declared that they have uncovered the main reason behind the construction of one of the world's best known and least understood landmarks. One of the archaeologists quoted, “We found several reasons to believe that the stones were built as part of a belief in a healing process.” The key to their theory was Stonehenge's double circle of bluestones and the bluestones were prized for the healing properties. Proof was not only in the stones, but skeletons. Skeletons found from the area showed signs of serious diseases or injury. "It could have been a temple, even as it was a healing center." Timothy Darvill, one of the archaeologists said. Do you agree?

*If you are interested, visit http://www.stonehenge.co.uk/

DotA- By: Steve.J and Nino

2008-09-25T09:46:00.003+07:00

“DotA” is, a custom scenario for Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne, based on the custom scenario from “Starcraft.” The main objective in this game is to destroy the main structure of the opposing team, Sentinel and Scourge. Sentinel is known as a good guy and Scourge is recognized as a bad guy. While Sentinel is the protector of the world, the Scourge wants to control the world. In the entire game, each player controls one hero. With one hero they have to get money, upgrade the skills, level up, and buy weapons and armors to become strong enough to fight through the “Ancient” buildings of the Sentinel and the Scourge. Each hero (there is about 91 heroes in the game) has its own special skills to kill the enemy hero. This game is not as violent as it might sound like; rather, it’s a very soothing game. To play this game the players require a good, agile pair of hands. Only a fast gamers’ mind can dominate the game.

Rechargeable Batteries- By: Pranav and Benedict

2008-09-25T09:42:00.003+07:00

Have you ever heard of rechargeable batteries? Well I’m going to tell you about it anyway. Have you ever bought something that runs on batteries, and you never have enough batteries because they run out of power quickly? Well, rechargeable batteries last more than two times longer than normal batteries. You also don't have to keep on buying them because you can recharge them. They work out cheaper for long term use. Rechargeable batteries also are eco-friendlier because one rechargeable battery equals about 20 – 100 normal batteries depending on how much you use them. The charger also only costs about 1000 baht for a good one. Each battery costs about 20 – 50 baht which is a very good deal. Here in ISB we also have a rechargeable battery program that is run by Mr. Dyke. The program lets anyone turn in used up normal batteries and Mr. Dyke recycles them. If you have rechargeable batteries, you can come and charge it in the bookstore for free. The teachers are also given rechargeable batteries for school use. If you buy rechargeable batteries from the bookstore, you can trade the old battery for another charged battery for free. That way rechargeable batteries will be used more and as we said the batteries will turn out to be much cheaper than normal batteries so go and buy you some rechargeable batteries to empower your power supply.

Alternate Dress Day- Sara

2008-09-25T09:37:00.001+07:00

This Friday will be our second alternate dress day. The theme is going to be “favorite t-shirt day”. The idea is quite broad so what you wear should fit into the theme. If you’re not interested in any of the out of dress code days then you can always stand out in our green and white school polo’s. For those who are interested, the favorite t-shirt day is when you search through your wardrobe and find your ultimate favorite t-shirt and wear it to school. The bottoms you wear don’t really matter but look at the student hand book to see what the regulations are for the type of clothes you can wear. Same goes for the top too. The t-shirt you wear doesn’t have to be a normal t-shirt, but it can be sometime you really like to wear. Just make sure you find one that you think best fits the theme. If you don’t have a favorite t-shirt then you can also wear the clothes you usually wear out with your friends or when you go shopping. Make sure you start looking in your closest because we only have a couple more days left to look fabulous:]]

Biking Adventure by Tim

2008-09-24T11:17:00.001+07:00

Did you know that Mr.BT and Mr.Chan is hosting a biking adventure on Ko Kret? The ride is going to be on Saturday, October 4 and is going to leave I.S.B at 9:00 am. They will arrive back at I.S.B at approximately 12:00pm. They will be taking a ferry to Ko Kret and will be cycling around the island. They will see lots of temples and will be able to stop and buy some pottery at the pottery shop. The ride will be approximately 16 km. If you go, you should bring money to buy food/drinks, etc. You need to bring your own bike and helmet. I think that it is a great activity for bike riders. For permission slips or more information, you could go ask Mr.BT.

Alternate Dress Day by Margaret

2008-09-24T11:14:00.004+07:00

On Friday September twenty sixth, 2008 there will be the first middle school’s alternate dress day for the year. What is the purpose for alternate dress day? Is it reasonable to exist?

First, ISB students say that they do like the ISB uniforms, but they really like the chance to show their personalities and give us options. It is based on the themes such as:

Crazy Hair Day
Black and Gold Day
"Twins" Day
Cool Hats and Shades Day
Come As You Will Be in 25 Years Day
I'd Rather Be . . . Day
Come in Your Own Theme Day

They say that the alternate dress days would be between every three or four weeks but to be polite and responsible people, ISB makes sure it should be appropriate and hopes that kids would participate wearing proper clothes.

The two pictures are comparing the uniform and a kid wearing normal clothes. Even though it’s up to us, let’s not wear inappropriate outfits.

Some Things you just shouldn’t eat- by Grace

2008-09-24T10:34:00.003+07:00

When you or your family go to the supermarket, do you just pick products off the shelf if they look good, or do you prefer to buy from certain brands? For me, I have my own comfort brands that I’ve bought from before and like- for example, I love Wall’s ice-cream and White Rabbit candy.

But now, some imported milk products from China are being banned across Asia, as they have been found to contain melamine, a chemical that’s used to make plastics. As of September the 22^nd this year, the number of Chinese infants hospitalized after drinking these tainted milk formulas rose to nearly 13 000. In fact, four deaths have been reported to be caused by this toxic milk, which is said to bring about kidney stones and other complications.

Countries are all taking action. The Japanese government purportedly asked 90 000 companies to check their products for melamine, and Taiwan has banned all mainland dairy products. Malaysia has banned all imports of milk products from China with immediate effect, and Singapore did likewise after finding melamine in three brands of China-made milk products (including my favourite White Rabbit candy, Magnum, Meiji and Walls ice cream!).

Closer to home, in Thailand, Deputy Secretary-General of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Pharmacist Manit Arunakul has revealed that the FDA is taking precautions against these products. They have ordered all dairy products from China to be seized and quarantined as tests are conducted. Only after clearing contamination tests will these products be allowed into the Thai market.

I think that this problem will greatly affect everyone’s economies, especially China’s, now that a lot of their exports (for China) and imports (for other countries) have to be banned to ensure everyone’s safety. I feel that China should take more precautions to ensure such things shouldn’t happen. It’s good knowing that some of the authorities are taking such precautions so that more people can be safe, but all the same we should watch what we consume and take care of our health.

Some things you just shouldn’t eat…

Information taken from http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_280202.html, http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/thailand/fda-takes-stringent-measures-to-test-chinese-produced-dairy-products_10098273.html http://www.aseanaffairs.com/page/china_s_milk_scare_spreads_to_malaysia_singapore_and_myanmar, http://health.yahoo.com/news/reuters/china_milk_dc.html , and http://health.asiaone.com/Health/News/Story/A1Story20080921-89066.html.

2010 World Cup in South Africa By Steven C & Win E

2008-09-23T08:44:00.002+07:00

2008 Beijing Olympic was a wonderful event, and now South Africa is preparing for another wonderful event in 2010. It is not Olympic, it is World Cup! It will be the first ever World Cup hosted in Africa. The project has been delayed by political problem in South Africa, but now it is slightly ahead of the schedule. FIFA president Sepp Blatter concerned about delays, rising costs, crime and lack of transportation in South Africa, so he visited South Africa. And he was very satisfied with the work going on in South Africa. The speed of construction for the stadiums has been increased and rooms have been secured for the fans by FIFA. Also, South Africa plans to increase the police to 190,000 by 2010 for the security in South Africa. As for the transportation, the government plans to spend $1.7 billion for rail and road links in venue cities.

Win E: “I’ve watched the World Cup for years and I have a feeling that this one would be one of the best. I want to go watch it there in South Africa.”

Steve C: “I think it would be cool to watch the World Cup in Africa. By the way, this is the first time hosted in Africa and it would be a bit different. ”

Benedict: “I think that the South Africa 2010 is going to be as big as the Beijing 2008. It’s that big of a deal.”

It is a greatly anticipated event for the world and the ISB soccer fans for 2010.

October Break - Toey

2008-09-23T08:26:00.001+07:00

There is a break coming up right after the students from OS get back, so that will be in October. The October break is from the 18^th to the 26^th. Where do you think you will be going? Have you ever thought that how you are getting there and where you are going affects the planet? Well, tourism contributes to the world’s climate change because of all the pollution the airplanes cause. However, they are not as much harm as cruise ships. Most families like to go on cruise ships which, after the years, spoiled the water in the Caribbean and clogged the harbors everywhere. Everybody wants to go to a nice, exotic place, but they do not think that the hotels they stay in have replaced the locals that cannot afford to stay in their own hometowns. Peasants have been evicted from their rural landscape and the land transformed into high-end tourist accommodations. According to a recent study, tourism is responsible for about 5 percent of the world’s pollution and this will increase later on if the people keep up this trend for traveling to all places. However, there is a positive side to tourism. Countries that have lower incomes are already starting to benefit. For example, Namibia has created a ‘community-based tourism’ which helps their local residents earn more money in foreign currency and preserve the wildlife by decreasing the amount of poaching. They have turned this into hunting or photo safaris and white water rafting to help animals escape from poaching and turn it into something they could make money out of instead. Water is also being affected by the acts of tourists, who use up to as much water as a local family would use, with their many toilet flushes and multiple daily showers or baths. Also, nowadays, looking for a nice and sort of isolated place to relax is very difficult; everywhere is crowded with eager tourists, even Bhutan, which a couple of years ago did not invite that many people. As you can see, tourism is having a big effect on the world, so think again before you invest in a big trip to somewhere you can escape from your daily life.

Bangkung Amphawa - Anurag & Vignesh

2008-09-23T08:23:00.002+07:00

Do you know what Bangkung – Amphawa is? It is a very beautiful place. Many of you should go there. It is actually a temple covered with a banyan tree on top. It has covered the whole temple so that it looks like you are going into a tree. Inside, is one of Thailand’s famous Buddhas. The tree on top of the temple is a Banyan tree, and it is very heavy with it’s big tails from the branches. If you see it from the wrong side, you will think of it as a normal tree, but IT IS NOT! You should move and get to the point where you could see the statue of the Buddha.

So are you ready to see the trick of nature?

Orphanage Care Givers, After the First Visit - Raimy

2008-09-23T08:20:00.001+07:00

On Wednesday, September 10, the orphanage care givers went to pay a visit to some babies without a home. I was one of these people. We took a small Montri Van and rode 15 minutes to the Payathai Babies Home. Excited, Sarah Banbury, Louise Bastiaans, Oda Spross, and Raimy Shin, myself, hurried to the room where all the little babies were. Mr. Straub and Mr. Guthrie led the way. When we got there, we carefully pushed the door open and opened our arms wide for them to cuddle. The babies came toddling to us, wide smiles on their faces. The baby I was holding never let go of me, and when I tried to hold someone else, she started whimpering and crying. I became so attached to some of them only on my first visit.

They are adorable. They are worth your time after school on Wednesdays. They will love you for coming to the Payathai Babies Home to care for them, feed them, and give them the time and attention they never get enough of. Those babies, they will hold their arms up to you. Sometimes they won’t get the cuddle they want because of another baby in your arms. Just think, did that ever happen to you when you were young?

It’s a great feeling to give someone a smile, a laugh. Give the present of happiness to these homeless babies.

About Bicycles by Margaret

2008-09-23T08:15:00.008+07:00

Bicycles have been a part of people since a long time ago. Some people ride them to school and some people use them to exercise. They are also used as children’s toys and in competitive sports, known worldwide but not a lot of people know much information about bikes.

First, the definition of bikes is a pedal driven, human powered vehicle that is attached with two wheels. Bicycles were introduced in the 19^th century. The shape of the bike has changed little since 1885. The first picture is an ordinary bike that was photographed in the Skoda museum in the Czech Republic. The second image is a bike called “Wooden Dandy Horse” that was made around 1820. These bicycles are unusual bikes that you will normally not be able to see in the town.

Second, the most common types of bicycles are utility bikes, mountain bikes racing bikes, touring bikes, hybrid bikes, cruiser bikes, BMX bikes. The less common ones are tandems, lowriders, tall bikes, fixed gear, folding models, and recumbents.

Last, the third picture is a bike-sharing station in Barcelona and the fourth picture is a commuting bike in Amsterdam which shows how bikes can be used and how people share for each other.

These were information about bicycles and I hope people would understand the history and ride more bicycles to exercise.

For more information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycles

Rover to the rescue! By Grace

2008-09-19T11:19:00.010+07:00

I’ve always wanted a dog. I don’t have any extra requirements other than the usual sterilization stuff. It doesn’t have to know how to lead me across the road or anything. But I read something over the news recently about some dogs and I’m beginning to change my mind. Catch this: some dogs can call 911 if their owners are in trouble!

This canine Buddy doesn’t wear a cape, but it came to the rescue of Joe Stalnaker when he suffered from a seizure, calling 911 and barking repeatedly when the dispatcher answered the phone. Joe was sent to the hospital once the police arrived and has recovered from his seizure.

Apparently, he’s especially prone to seizures due to a head injury he suffered from 10 years ago, and since he adopted Buddy at the age of 8 weeks, this talented dog has saved his life thrice. Buddy was adopted from Michigan-based Paws with a Cause, which trains assistance dogs to get the phone if its owner started showing signs of a seizure.

Isn’t this so cool? Dogs are definitely going one step further as man’s best friend. In the fictional world of Disney’s film 101 Dalmations, the dogs saved their puppies from the evil Cruela de Vil. Closer to us in ISB, Raimy, who’s from sixth grade, used to have a Siberian dog who liked to go into the refrigerator- and stay there! Oda, who’s also in sixth grade, has a Great Dane who’s the nicest dog ever, but is scared of a lot of things, like drunken people on the street. 6^th grader Margaret had a dog Blanco who would run to fetch his treats when Margaret threw them. Dr Everett’s Dalmatian catches Frisbees and rolls over. Shawnie’s uncle’s Pomeranian dog Jubbie used to jump onto beds and comfort her cousins when they cried (isn’t that so sweet?). Her aunt’s dog only bites foreigners, and leaves Asians alone (strange…)! My great-aunt once had this pair of dogs who followed me around all the time, even to the toilet, where I had to chase them away (with much difficulty) before closing the door. What amazing stuff does your dog do? Comment on this post to share the ‘tail’ (tale)!

Information was taken from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26706278/.

HURRICANE IKE BY TIM

2008-09-19T11:19:00.008+07:00

On September 1^st 2008 a hurricane hit the Caribbean Area. HURRICANE IKE! Hurdling winds at over 145 miles per hour, this hurricane took the lives of over 145 people. Ranked a category 4 hurricane, this thing was deadly. The damages in total were over $29.5 BILLION. It doesn’t seem much to care about half way around the world, but when your whole family lives in Texas ,it gives you something to worry about. My grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins were hit by this storm. Although the water didn’t hit them, the winds did. Trees were falling, houses were falling to the ground and the power went out for who knows how long. These are the areas in which Ike hit: Turks and Caicos, Bahamas, Hispaniola, Cuba, Florida Keys, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi Valley, and Ohio Valley. We tried to contact our relatives for days; even weeks with no response. Finally, we emailed to see if they were okay and they replied with a yes! I shouldn’t be the one worried about this when there are far worse case scenarios. Louisiana has it the worst living on the coast of the United States of America. So help out before it’s too late. Even if it’s the simplest thing like donating clothes or even a couple hundred baht. So go and help out today.

Snakes in ISB-Matt

2008-09-19T11:19:00.006+07:00

Have you ever seen a snake in ISB? I have. In fact, kids in ISB have claimed they also have seen wild snakes. Some of those students include Robbie, Afek, Teoy, Tim, Pranav and Jacob. Usually, they have been spotted in the same place, the track and field around the elementary area. Some say they have seen some longer than the bus and others say about a foot long. Pranav and I were walking one day when we saw a brown snake near the elementary basket ball court. It had this weird design on it and was about a foot long and by the time we told the teacher the snake had disappeared into a bush. Jacob Richardson said he was running the cross country course when he jumped over a huge stick that suddenly twisted and moved. He stopped and looked at it and it started to move again, so he jumped back and screamed, “Snake”!!!!!!!!!! The girls started to scream and run back and Jacob continued his cross county run. About every kid I asked said that they had seen a snake near the elementary play ground (not the big toy) and cross county. Afek says it’s because I S B was built on a cobra field. I think that it’s because those specific areas are areas that are suitable for snakes plus those areas are near ditches and sewer systems.

Interesting snake facts,

How to avoid getting bit by a snake

· Learn your surrounding

· Always take a partner with you into a field

· Wear thick material clothes when going out in to the wild

· Try not to scare a snake

How to treat a snake bite

· When bitten by a venomous snake try not to move a lot, movement helps the venom spread around the body

· Breathe

· Keep the victim warm, calm and at rest contact an emergency room immediately

· If you have a first aid kit or a snake bite kit wash the bite and place suction device over the bite do not suck the bite with our mouth.

· If you’re alone and on foot walk slowly toward help if you have a cell phone or a way of communication use it.

· Try to identify the snake that bit you or the person you are with but do not waste time. If you identify the snake it makes it easier to treat the snake bite.

For more information about snake safety visit

http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/boone/safety/critters/snakes.shtml

Orphanage Care Givers – After the First Visit -Raimy

2008-09-19T11:19:00.002+07:00

On Wednesday, September 10, the orphanage care givers went to pay a visit to some babies without a home. I was one of the people. We took a small Montri Van and rode 15 minutes to the Payathai Babies Home. Excited, Sarah Banbury, Louise Bastiaans, Oda Spross, Raimy Shin, and myself, hurried to the room where all the little babies were. Mr. Straub and Mr. Guthrie led the way. When we got there, we carefully pushed the door open and opened our arms wide for them to cuddle. The babies came toddling to us, wide smiles on their faces. The baby I was holding never let go of me, and when I tried to hold someone else, she started whimpering and crying. I became so attached to some of them only on my first visit.

It’s a great feeling to give someone a smile, a laugh. Give the present of happiness to these homeless babies.

HOLIDAY SPOTS - Anurag & Vignesh

2008-09-19T11:19:00.001+07:00

Are you a person who likes to visit different countries or places? If that’s so then we got a great article for you! Read the next few paragraphs to know more about visiting places in THAILAND or nearby.

Thailand is the 3 top places in the world for visitors to go. They didn’t just give Thailand the award for no reason. Thailand has a lot of visiting places and one of them is Pattaya. Pattaya is a beautiful beach in Thailand. There are many other places near or in Thailand like Phuket, Cambodia, and Singapore.

Phuket is a tremendous place to go for holidays. Over there you can go to the ride of the ocean or just hang out over there. Another place is Cambodia. Cambodia is most likely a village and with a temple named Angkor Wat.

Singapore is a pollution free place. It is so awesome. It has a lot of mall to go shopping and tall buildings. Singapore also has great hotels and they are really luxurious.

So don’t spend your time sitting on the couch and watching T.V. Go to these cool places.

Upcoming Parent Teacher Conferences by Ethan

2008-09-19T11:14:00.009+07:00

During the month of October, the middle school students and their parents will be attending the parent-teacher conferences. In middle school parent-teacher conferences the students go with their parents to their core classes and discuss their recent work between themselves, their parents, and their teachers. Usually before the conferences ,the students get help from their teachers to make a portfolio of all the work that they have done so they can show their parents. The students also have the choice to go to their elective or language classes but it isn’t mandatory like the core classes are. Most of the time students are anxious about the conferences because of having to show their grades to their parents. I asked a few students what they thought about the conferences.

Afek explained, “I think they are useful because your parents are aware of how you are doing and can help you later on.”

Pernav said, “I think they are good because the parents know what you are up to in school.”

Grace stated, “ I think they are ok. I wonder what my teachers will tell my parents.”

“I think it is a waste of time for me because I feel the students don’t need to attend and it should be a informative bonding time between the parents and teachers,” Robbie said defensively

“ I think it’s a real time when the teachers reveal things about what you do and how you do it,” Sasha declared

Nino said,” I don’t like them because the parents always fuss about your grades and how you do.”

Of course, we all have different viewpoints and opinions, but, in the end, we all have to attend the conferences. The only people who won’t be attending the conferences will be the 8^th grade students who will be going on the Operation Starship trip. Although their parents still have to attend the conferences. I think in order to have a successful conference try and behave and bring your grades up in class and I assure you your parents won’t be questioning your academic skills.

quirky facts: part 2 by ethan

2008-09-19T11:14:00.007+07:00

As we all know, ISB was supposedly built on a cobra field, and the NIST campus used to be the ISB campus, but there’s more!! ISB is the oldest IASAS school in southeast asia. ISB also has a large number of students enrolled in the school, both elementary, and high school. We have an estimated 1800 students from all over the world. Did you know that ISB was the school that a few famous celebrities attended when they were young? In addition to the last quirky facts post we’ve added a new load of interesting facts that will catch your eye and make you wonder how and why. These 25 facts range from humor to actual interesting facts.

DID YOU KNOW?.?.?.?.?.?

1. If you scream for 8 years 7 months and 6 days you would have produced enough sound energy to heat one cup of coffee.

2. Banging your head against a wall uses 150 calories an hour.

3. Right-handed people live for approximately 9 years longer than left-handed people

4. Some lions mate over 50 times per day.

5. Donkeys kill more people annually than plane crashes.

6. A Boeing 747s wingspan is longer than the Wright brothers’ first flight.

7. Most dust particles in your house are made up of dead skin.

8. The first Mr. McDonalds died of an overdose of cholesterol.

9. It is possible to lead a cow upstairs but not downstairs.

10. People fear spiders more than they do debt.

11. On average 100 people choke to death from ballpoint pens a year.

12. “TYPEWRITER” is the longest word that can be typed in the first row of letters on a keyboard.

13. Thomas Edison, the light bulb inventor, was afraid of the dark.

14. The Eiffel Tower shrinks 6 inches in the season of winter.

15. 100% of Lottery Winners gain weight.

16. It’s impossible to sneeze with your eyes open.

17. You cannot burp in space because there is no gravity to separate liquid from gas.

18. In every continent of the world there is a city called “Rome”.

19. The longest record flight of a chicken is 13 seconds.

20. You would need 14,826 billion fireflies to generate as much light as the sun produces.

21. Mosquitoes are attracted to the color blue twice as much as any other color.

24. There are as many chickens on the planet as there are people.

25. Mel Blanc, the man who voiced Bugs Bunny was allergic to carrots.

THAT’S ALL FOLKS!!

These quirky facts are very true and very real. Although they may seem very false, in fact, we got them from a trusted source. We got these facts from an agenda from Ethan’s old school which was made from an actual company that put little side facts, the quirky facts, on every page.

IPod Nano. Another one? Benedict

2008-09-19T11:14:00.005+07:00

So far, Steve Jobs (The person who created Apple) has created 4 iPod Nanos over the last 4 years. The newest one, iPod Nano-chromatic was finished on September 9, 2008. The new iPod nano has 2 models. An 8 GB model and a new 16 gb model. This is the first time there is a 16 GB nano. It is 3.6 inches tall, 1.5 inches wide and 0.24 inches thick. The 8 GB holds 2000 songs and 8hours of video. The 16 GB model holds 4000 songs and 16hours of video. There is 24 hours of listening and 4 hours of video every time you recharge it. It takes about 1.5 hours to charge up 80% of the iPod. If you flip your iPod over, the screen flips over too. If you shake your iPod, the iPod shuffles your songs and plays them. I think that the new iPod is much better than the other iPod nano because of all the new things you can do on the new Ipod for the same price.

Apple “refurbished” items By Tim

2008-09-19T11:14:00.001+07:00

Did you know that you can buy the ipod Nano 4GB (previous generation) for just $79 from $149. That is almost half the original price! You can also get the 8GB for $99, half the original price of $199. That is, I think, the best deal you can get. You can even get the AppleCare Protection Plan for your ipod Nano or Your ipod Shuffle for just $39. The pack extends the 90 days of complimentary single-incident support and one-year warranty on your iPod to up to two years of world-class support and service. You can even get the refurbished certified Macbook Air for just $1499 from $1799. There are a lot of refurbished certified apple products, and if you want to look at them, you can go to the apple store online, and there will be a corner that says refurbished ipod Nano starting at $79. If you click in there, there will be a lot of cheap refurbished certified Apple products

We Need A Break by Ethan

2008-09-18T08:59:00.011+07:00

The second to last week in October of 2008 all the ISB students will be taking a long week break after a good 3 months of hard and strenuous school work. The good thing about this break is that all the ISB faculty and staff will be off. This gives the teachers a chance to relax and take a break before they come back and deal with all the students. The students attending the Operation Starship trip will arrive the Sunday before the break, and then they go straight into the break. This gives the O.S. students a time to get over the jet-lag and get ready for the upcoming week. So, where are students and faculty going during the break? Some students and teachers will be going back to their home country and other students and faculty will be going to a vacation spot. Other people will be just be hanging out here in Bangkok with their other friends. A few students and teachers were able to tell where they were headed to on the October Break.

Matt said excitedly, “I will probably be going to Hong Kong to just relax and chill.”

Sasha stated, “I will be just staying here in Bangkok and just hanging out with my other friends!”

“Since I’m going on Operations Starship, I’ll probably be staying in Bangkok to get over my jet-lag, “Robbie said.

Khun Ed said,”I will go to Uban Rachathani province which is near the Southern Laos.”

“I will be going all over Northeast Thailand after I get back from chaperoning O.S.,” said Mr Souza.

Win said,” I will not be returning to Bangkok after O.S. so I will be going to New York to visit my family.”

This 1 week break will be a good way to get our minds off of school and just get away from school life. I think we should all just relax and not do anything strenuous that works our minds. Just hang out with friends, or relax at home. Maybe even go to the beach and let your mind roam. I think we will all be looking forward to this October Break.

Jonas Brothers Craze! - Sara

2008-09-18T08:59:00.009+07:00

Every girl (and guy, if there are any) who love the Jonas Brothers can get excited now! Rumors have said that In November, the trio is coming down to Bangkok to perform an exclusive concert. Special access and backstage passes can even be found through sponsors, if you have connections. The concert has not been confirmed yet, but people everywhere have been saying that the Jonas Brothers are coming to Bangkok! If you have no clue who the Jonas Brothers are, well then here is a little bit of information about them. They are the number one teen boy band. The group members are Nick, Joe and Kevin. They compose pop and pop rock songs. They started their band in 2005 and have become very famous. When people talk about them, they usually say “Nick is cute, Joe is hot, Kevin… what happened to you?!” Now you have a little bit of an idea what they look like in comparison to each other:]. They have also starred on the movie “Camp Rock” which was an amazing summer movie for children and teens. The Jonas Brothers are also going to be in the second “Camp Rock” movie which should be out in a year and a half. The reason why it’s coming out so late is because the Jonas Brothers are very busy with touring and writing songs. If they do come to Bangkok, I think that everyone should go and listen to their music because you can really learn to enjoy it!

(The concert has NOT been conformed yet, so do not get your hopes up too high)

Decorating Your Agenda Part 1- by Grace

2008-09-18T08:59:00.006+07:00

The MS Agenda is something all we middle-school students share. It’s where we write down homework and assignments (ugh!), project deadlines (oh no), take note of school rules to keep by (oops) and it also informs us of upcoming school events (after which you can just pop down to LITM and check out what happened, if it’s been written about).

But you’ll never guess it’s the humble Agenda from behind some creative covers some students have been creating. Many students here have taken up their art materials, kicked their artistic muses in the shins, drunk some creative juice, and decorated their Agendas with aplomb. Seriously, take a look around you, and you’ll be surprised at the cool designs you see!

Maybe soon, you won’t see the plain old Agenda anymore, with the white background and faded green light bulbs gracing the cover. Maybe soon, the school will be filled with a myriad of decorated Agendas, with colours ranging from outrageous fuschia to a gentle periwinkle, from eye-catching lime green to electric blue.

It all depends on your creativity, people! Art has no limits: as Shawnie will show you in Decorating Your Agenda Part 2.

This little piggy...-by Grace

2008-09-18T08:59:00.005+07:00

Hey, ever had times when you stared at the mirror in hopelessness about the little red pimple growing on your nose? Everyone has times when they just don’t feel good about themselves. But compare yourself to Penelope Wilhern- a girl who grows up with the features of a pig as a result of a curse on her family.

In the movie Penelope, which is available in stores now, Christina Ricci stars as the young woman who is forced to ‘interrogate’ many blue-blooded bachelors, who are eligible to break the curse and free her of her porcine appearance, via a two-way mirror daily.

Her obedient, hidden life is turned upside-down one day when Lemon, a short cunning reporter who is dying to get his revenge on the overprotective mother (Catherine O’Hara) who once seriously hurt his right eye because he’d been hiding in the Wilhern household for a shot of the pig-like baby, hires a guy whom he mistakes for a blue-blooded bachelor in debt, Maxwell Campion (James McAvoy, who also starred in Becoming Jane).

There is a time in the movie when everyone discovers that Max is actually Johnny Martin, just a normal guy without a single bit of blue blood in his veins, but by that time it’s too late: he’s fallen in love with Penelope, but turned down her hand in marriage, and Penelope’s decided to break out and become independent.

This movie (produced by actress Reese Witherspoon, who co-stars as Penelope’s outgoing friend Annie) is a delightful story about believing in yourself and making your dreams come true, and although the ending may be a little bit predictable, there are still twists along the way that make this romantic comedy charming.

I love this movie because Penelope’s sad life before Max –or rather, Johnny- arrived touched me- the way she had to live in seclusion, not knowing anything about the outside world. It was also amazing when she finally claimed her independence. This movie is definitely one of my favourites. You have to catch it!

Picture taken from http://www.filmstreet.co.uk/uploads/images/Penelope_Christina_Ricci_1_809.jpg.

Stuck with my brother, and no one but Introspect to visit- by Grace

2008-09-18T08:59:00.004+07:00

You might have a brother, be it younger or older, in your home- and he may be the source of your delight or irritation.

Author Nicholas Sparks not only has a brother too, he’s written a book about it. I finished reading it over the long weekend, and found it a hilarious, yet introspective book, that led me to reflect on my own life and my relationship with my two older brothers, who live back in Singapore.

Published in April 2004, 3 Weeks With My Brother may not a book you have heard about, but all the same, it comes from the bestseller author of The Notebook, and it’s a great book to pick up and read.

This non-fiction memoir is about how Nicholas Sparks himself receives a brochure in the mail about a three-week journey around the world. He decides to go with his older brother, Micah Sparks. Despite the fact that both are married with young children, their wives give the go-ahead and agree to take care of the children for the three weeks they’re on the journey.

The following paragraph is from the prologue of the book.

It isn’t easy living with an author. I know this because my wife has informed me of this fact, and she did so again that day. To be honest, it’s not the easiest thing to hear, and while it would be easy to get defensive, I’ve come to understand that arguing with her about it has never solved anything. So instead of denying it, I’ve learned to take her hands, look her in the eyes, and respond with those three magic words that every woman wants to hear:

“You’re right, sweetheart.”

More of the prologue is available as an excerpt on http://www.nicholassparks.com/Novels/ThreeWeeks/Index.html. I hope that from reading the paragraph, and maybe the rest of the excerpt, you’ll be all set to pick up this spectacular book, because you definitely won’t regret it.

Information taken from http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nJ9UGUXtKz8/RvrspELftkI/AAAAAAAADbg/wiMeCKYvKBI/s400/three%2Bweeks.jpg&imgrefurl=http://myworldbeyondstars.blogspot.com/2007/09/book-review-three-weeks-with-my-brother.html&h=400&w=265&sz=17&hl=en&start=1&usg=__PSAJIa6JzmvZL4l3YeQUGNn0nB4=&tbnid=Or51mO9dyeVonM:&tbnh=124&tbnw=82&prev=/images%3Fq%3D3%2Bweeks%2Bwith%2Bmy%2Bbrother%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1T4GGLG_en___TH287

Orphanage Care Givers- Raimy

2008-09-18T08:59:00.003+07:00

It’s a great feeling to give someone a smile, a laugh. Give the present of happiness to these homeless babies.

Rubik's Cube Part 2- by Shawnie

2008-09-15T10:20:00.001+07:00

This is the second part of the Rubik’s Cube, in this article I’ll give you the formula for solving the… RUBIK’S CUBE!!!

Formula:

Most 3×3×3 Rubik's Cube solution guides use the same notation, originated by David Sing master, to communicate sequences of moves. This is generally referred to as "cube notation" or in some literature "Sing master notation" (or variations thereof), or sometimes (but rarely) it is called "direction inferred notation" or "DIN". Its relative nature allows algorithms to be written in such a way that they can be applied regardless of which side is designated the top or how the colors are organized on a particular cube.

F (Front): the side currently facing you
B (Back): the side opposite the front
U (Up): the side above or on top of the front side
D (Down): the side opposite the top, underneath the Cube
L (Left): the side directly to the left of the front
R (Right): the side directly to the right of the front
f (Front two layers): the side facing you and the corresponding middle layer
b (Back two layers): the side opposite the front and the corresponding middle layer
u (Up two layers) : the top side and the corresponding middle layer
d (Down two layers) : the bottom layer and the corresponding middle layer
l (Left two layers) : the side to the left of the front and the corresponding middle layer
r (Right two layers) : the side to the right of the front and the corresponding middle layer
x (rotate): rotate the Cube up
y (rotate): rotate the Cube to the left
z (rotate): rotate the Cube on its side to the right

When an apostrophe follows a letter, it means to turn the face counter-clockwise a quarter-turn, while a letter without an apostrophe means to turn it a quarter-turn clockwise. Such an apostrophe mark is pronounced prime. A letter followed by a 2 (occasionally a superscript ²) means to turn the face a half-turn (the direction does not matter). So R is right side clockwise, but R' is right side counter-clockwise. When x, y or z are primed, simply rotate the cube in the opposite direction. When they are squared, rotate it twice. For 'z', you should still be viewing the same front face when rotating.

This notation can also be used on the Pocket Cube, the Revenge, and the Professor, with additional notation. They not only have the F, B, L, R, U, D notation but also f, b, l, r, u, d. For example: (Rr)' l2 f'

(Some solution guides, including Ideal's official publication, The Ideal Solution, use slightly different conventions. Top and Bottom are used rather than Up and Down for the top and bottom faces, with Back being replaced by Posterior. '+' indicates clockwise rotation and '-' counter-clockwise, with '++' representing a half-turn. However, alternative notations failed to catch on, and today the Sing master scheme is used universally by those interested in the puzzle.)

Less-often used moves include rotating the entire Cube or two-thirds of it. The letters x, y, and z are used to indicate that the entire Cube should be turned about one of its axes. The x-axis is the line that passes through the left and right faces, the y-axis is the line that passes through the up and down faces, and the z-axis is the line that passes through the front and back faces. (This type of move is used infrequently in most solutions, to the extent that some solutions simply say "stop and turn the whole cube upside-down" or something similar at the appropriate point.)

However there is another (less common) system of move notation. It is very similar to cube notation, but has a key difference that makes it less daunting to new cube solvers. It is called "direction displayed notation" or "DDN". Each move is represented by two letters. The first indicates which side is to be moved, the second indicates which direction that side is turned. from the F point of view.

F (Front): The side facing you. "R" means turn it right or clockwise. "L" means turn it left or counter-clockwise.
U (Up): The side on top. "R" means turn it right (from the F perspective). "L" means turn it left (from the F perspective).
D (Down): The side on the bottom. "R" means turn it right (from the F perspective). "L" means turn it left (from the F perspective).
R (Right): The side to right. "D" means turn it downward (from the F perspective). "U" means turn it upward (from the F perspective).
L (Left): "D" means turn it downward (from the F perspective). "U" means turn it upward (from the F perspective).

B (Back): The side opposite from the side facing you. This side is hardly ever used in algorithms of any notation let alone direction displayed notation. However if you need to know, first turn the entire cube so that the B side faces you then rotate it as if you were rotating the F side. "R" means turn it right or clockwise. "L" means turn it left or counter-clockwise.

To indicate a half move just put a 2 at the end of the first letter. To indicate rotation of the cube as a whole, use the same notation for direction displayed notation as one would for Sing master notation. (x y z)

Lowercase letters f, b, u, d, l, and r signify to move the first two layers of that face while keeping the remaining layer in place. This is of course equivalent to rotating the whole cube in that direction, then rotating the opposite face back the same amount in the opposite direction, but is useful notation to describe certain triggers for speed cubing. Furthermore, M, E, and S (and respectively their lowercase for larger sized cubes) are used for inner-slice movements. M signifies turning the layer that is between L and R downward (clockwise if looking from the left side). E signifies turning the layer between U and D towards the right (counter-clockwise if looking from the top). S signifies turning the layer between F and B clockwise.

For example, the algorithm (or operator, or sequence) F2 U' R' L F2 R L' U' F2, which cycles three edge cubes in the top layer without affecting any other part of the cube, means:

Turn the Front face 180 degrees.
Turn the Up face 90 degrees counter-clockwise.
Turn the Right face 90 degrees counter-clockwise.
Turn the Left face 90 degrees clockwise.
Turn the Front face 180 degrees.
Turn the Right face 90 degrees clockwise.
Turn the Left face 90 degrees counter-clockwise.
Turn the Up face 90 degrees counter-clockwise.
Finally, turn the Front face 180 degrees.

For beginning students of the Cube, this notation can be daunting, and many solutions available online therefore incorporate animations that demonstrate the algorithms presented.

4×4×4 and larger cubes use slightly different notation to incorporate the middle layers. Generally speaking, uppercase letters (F B U D L R) refer to the outermost portions of the cube (called faces). Lowercase letters (f b u d l r) refer to the inner portions of the cube (called slices). Again Ideal breaks rank by describing their 4×4×4 solution in terms of layers (vertical slices that rotate about the z-axis), tables (horizontal slices), and books (vertical slices that rotate about the x-axis).

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubik%27s_Cube

Hope this formula can help you solve your Rubik’s Cube. Happy Cubing!!

Rubik's Cube Part 1- by Grace

2008-09-15T10:19:00.000+07:00

You might have seen many people whipping out little cubes with colourful squares all over them, and turning it row by row, column by column, until all the sides have the same colour. You might even do it yourself: in which case you’ll know that I’m talking about the Rubik’s Cube, a gadget which has increased in popularity lately.

Now, I can’t solve it myself (I always said I’d learn, but guess what, I haven’t), but my brother can and I’ve always watched him spin it expertly round, or lubricate it slowly and carefully, with awe. It’s an item of interest to me, and one day when I find the time, I might just borrow his and try to solve it. Who knows?

Do you play with the Rubik’s Cube? Some do it for fun, while others do it competitively. The World Cube Organisation (WCA) takes charge of such competitions, which aren’t just for the cube. The competitions also involve other puzzles labeled as ‘Rubik puzzles’ or ‘twisty puzzles’ since they are played by twisting the sides of the object. On September 19-21 this year, in Spain, the European Rubik’s Cube Championship 2008 will take place, and people from around the world will compete to win the official European Championship titles.

Maybe you don’t play it competitively, but you might want to know a little bit of history behind this multicoloured gadget. Erno Rubik was a Hungarian professor of interior design, and he was interested in finding out how the blocks could move independently without falling apart. After he had fixed the little blocks together, he marked each side with colourful adhesive paper and twisted the cube, thus inventing the Rubik’s Cube puzzle in the spring of 1974, when he wanted to discover ‘the way home’, back to the original cube with each side having the same colour.

Something you might not have known before is that it’s much, much easier to solve the Cube quickly when you’ve lubricated it. This can be easily done by placing a tissue on the table, or wherever you’re doing it (it can get a little messy so try to keep your surface clean), take apart the Cube and, using Vaseline (you can buy it in small containers), lubricate it.

Rubik’s cubes are available in sizes as small as 2 x 2, or even 6 x 6. The one most people use is 3 x 3.

Now that you know a bit more about the Rubik’s Cube around the world and its history, look out for Rubik’s Cube: Part 2, by Shawnie, which will attempt to teach you how to solve the cube!

Information was taken from http://inventors.about.com/od/rstartinventions/a/Rubik_Cube.htm, and from Rubik’s official site, http://www.rubiks.com/. The picture was taken from http://yuripanda.deviantart.com/art/Rubik-s-Cube-83023469.

Omelets for Breakfast –Win E. + Pranav

2008-09-15T10:16:00.003+07:00

Have you ever heard that eggs are good for you? Eggs are filled with protein. Our new cafeteria has some good omelets. Guess what? It’s like making your own because you can choose what to put in it. The choices are mushrooms, ham, bell pepper, cheese, tomatoes, and onions. You can also put all of it together. It is a good alternate from eating at home, which many kids don’t do.

Here are some opinions from the people that have tasted the new omelets:

Pranav: “It’s really good, because if you talk politely they might give you extra ham.”

Benedict: “They taste good.”

Matt: “It’s delicious.”

Also, there are other breakfast options at our new cafeteria. They are eggs, ham, pancake, French toast, hot dog, and bacon. They are served from 6:30 to 10 AM.

The New iPod Touch By: Tim

2008-09-15T10:12:00.001+07:00

Did you know that a new iPod Touch is coming out? Well, it’s going to be a lot better than the old one because for one reason, it has better software which comes with the iPod, it has a built-in speaker and also, it is thinner, and it has a volume control on the side. It has a 3.5 wide screen. It is also cheaper than the old one. The price is starting at just $229. You also get free engraving if you buy it on the apple online store. It comes at 8 GB, 16GB, and 32GB. The box includes the iPod touch, earphones, USB 2.0 cable, dock adapter, polishing cloth, and a quick start guide. I think that it is a good deal. I hope the iPod touch will be coming to Thailand in the stores soon.

Fossils by Margaret

2008-09-15T10:07:00.003+07:00

On October 30^th, 2007 there was a fossilized spider that was found. Scientists brought the 50 million year old spider back to life by 3D pictures. They say that this was the first time the VHR-CT technique was used to digitally dissect a fossil in amber.

On January 8^th, 2008 it was proved that France was a jungle because some 55 million old fossils were found. It was discovered in the Oise river area in northern France. The second picture is about the fossils that were found.

On September 3^rd, 2008 the scientists from Oregon State University and National History Museum in London have found the oldest fossil Gecko. It is said that it is about 97 to 110 million years ago.

As you can see, there is lots of information about fossils that may be related to what 6^th graders are learning in humanities- archaeology. These kinds of news are related to what they are learning because if they can get information from outside of school, they will understand better how this archaeology is working. The 6^th graders are going to do some model digs that are going to help understand more about what archaeology is and why it is important. Also, they are watching an educational movie about a boy named CT and the crew traveling to search for evidence about the Mayans which is called “The Second Voyage of Mimi”.

For more information, go to www.sciencedaily.com

Sports Bash - Raimy

2008-09-15T09:55:00.002+07:00

The music was on, and everyone was dancing. Dancing, running, making trains (?) on the dance floor. Guess what this party was?

SPORTS BASH!

At 3:00, the party started. Some people were playing basketball, netball, and ping pong. I arrived at the gym at 3:30, and by then, I could tell that lots of people already wanted to get in the cool MPB and dance. For my friends and I, it was a lot of fun. We didn’t really play any sports, but at 4:00, when the dance officially started, we were never off the dance floor. Every time we went to get something to drink, we were distracted by another one of our favorite songs and we pulled each other to the dance floor again. By the time it was over, we were exhausted and thirsty, but I really think it was worth it.

Let’s hear some opinions about the sports bash.

· “It wasn’t very good, because nothing was new, and I didn’t like the songs.” – Anurag, 7^th grade.

· “I loved it, I really wish we get to have another party soon!” –Roni, 6^th grade

· “It was good ‘cause we get to go crazy!” –Emi, 6^th grade

· “The 6^th graders ruined it,”-Matt, 8^th grade.

I came to a conclusion that the 6th graders loved it, the 7th graders didn’t really like it, and the 8^th graders just didn’t have any fun. The reason that only the 6^th graders enjoyed it was because it was the 6^th graders’ first party in Middle School, and it was all new for them. They went a little crazy on the dance floor. So, I guess for 7^th and 8^th graders, it wasn’t very fun!

6th graders, next time, at the Halloween Party on October 31 at 3:00, let the other grades have some fun too!

Prime minister sacked-Christian

2008-09-15T09:41:00.001+07:00

Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej was sacked because he received money from a cooking show. Not only that, but when you are a prime minister, you cannot have any other job. The Constitution Court Tuesday afternoon disqualified Mr. Samak from the job of prime minister for violating the constitution by hosting two cooking shows on commercial television.

Nino said that he was happy

Ben said I don’t care

Wyn said the same

Dr. Everett said don’t ask me

I personally think that he knew what he was doing, but he did not want to quit, he wanted to lose his job.

Mosquitoes by Margaret

2008-09-15T09:38:00.002+07:00

Everyone gets upset with mosquitoes that are disgusting, as skinny as an ant, that bites you every time you stay in the same position for more than a moment. It is really itchy, but if you keep scratching it, blood will come out and you’ll get a scar. I’ll tell you how to make mosquito bites go away quickly and interesting facts about mosquitoes.

To tell you how to make the mosquito bites go away quickly is something like:

1. Get a few ice cubes

2. Use a washcloth or some kind of other cloth to hold the ice.

3. Hold the ice against the bite until it is numb (for a few minutes)

4. Move the ice to the next bite

5. Repeat icing the bites, just to be sure. Now it will go away and never come back!

Now I’ll tell you some interesting facts about mosquitoes.

1. There are over three thousands of different kinds of mosquito bites.

2. A mosquito wing beats 300 to 600 beats per hour.

3. Male mosquitoes don’t bite.

4. Mosquitoes do not transmit HIV/Aids.

5. A male mosquito can find females by listening to the sound of their wings beating.

Isn’t it cool that there are these facts about mosquitoes that we didn’t know?

I never thought that male mosquitoes don’t bite. Also, if you ever get bit by a mosquito, use these ways to make the mosquito bites go away faster than just leaving them and scratching them.

For more information go to: http://www.orangecountyfl.net/cms/DEPT/hfs/mosquito/MCFacts+.htm and http://ww.ehow.com/how_4434342_mosquito-bites-away.html

Xbox 360 vs. PS3 by Steven C and Nino S.

2008-09-10T11:15:00.005+07:00

The latest gaming sensations, the PS3 and Xbox 360 are making gamers go crazy, but which is better PS3 or Xbox 360? First, Xbox beats the PS3 in price at $299 while the PS3 is $499. But PS3 strikes back with a more powerful CPU, and lots of experts say that CPU is extremely important for game systems. By the way, PS3’s RAM is twice as fast as the Xbox 360’s allowing it to do more things at a time. Although, the advanced CPU of the PS3 is extremely difficult to program games for, which means that the PS3 games will come out weeks, if not months after their Xbox 360 versions.

Here are some opinions:

Benedict: I strongly recommend Xbox 360 because there weren’t any problems with Xbox 360!

Win E: I like PS3 because the graphics are cool and it’s faster than Xbox360.

Nicko: Xbox360 because there were not any problems while I was playing it.

Xbox360	PS3
$299	$499
Less CPU	More powerful CPU
Slower RAM	Fast RAM
Benedict	Win E
Nicko

As you can see, PS3 has better quality; however, what gamers are saying about Xbox360 is that it doesn’t affect the game. What is your choice, Xbox360 or PS3?

Why Our School Has Life In The Middle? - Anurag & Pranav

2008-09-10T11:11:00.001+07:00

Do you know why our school has life in the middle? We’ll tell you about it in the next paragraphs. Life in the Middle is most likely the homepage of every laptop and PC. You can read the latest news on this new website ~ isblifeinthemiddle.blogspot.com. The old website has been abandoned and the latest news will be on this new website.

The main idea of having Life in the Middle is that you get updated news about school. We will give the latest news from the school and the writer gets to practice writing, which can improve his/her writing skills. It can also the teach writers how to edit pictures and how to research in proper words. This is a great skill to learn from teachers or other students. Let’s hear what the other people need to know.

Tim- There are a lot of articles to write about and it is so interesting. You don’t get any homework. The teacher is polite and kind.

Vignesh- I like this class because you can learn how to write better and publish things on the internet. I also like this class because you get to find out the latest news.

Nino- I felt relatively good. I picked this class because it would fit in well with photography. I like it because it gives me a chance to try journalism.

So, why don’t you go and check out the new website of LIFE IN THE MIDDLE?

Funny Comic Cartoons by: Matt and Robbie

2008-09-10T10:53:00.003+07:00

Ever just get tired of reading suspense, horror, fantasy and science fiction? Sometimes you just have to laugh aloud to kill the silence. Pick up a funny comic book cartoons that make you laugh like Calvin and Hobbes, baby blues, Garfield and Bazooka Joe are hilarious and will have you on the floor laughing your head off.

Ever just get tired of reading suspense, horror, fantasy, and science fiction? Sometimes you just have to laugh aloud to kill the silence. Pick up a funny comic cartoon that makes you laugh like Calvin and Hobbes, baby blue, Garfield, and Bazooka Joe are hilarious and will have you on the floor laughing your head off.

They’re hilarious and will have you on the floor laughing your head off. Calvin and Hobbes are my personal favorites and I can read comic after comic until there is no more. It’s more than a book, it’s a comic book. It has pictures that entertain you and it can give you great ideas. This will help you if you are in drama class or theater sports. Below are some examples of funny cartoons. If you are interested in reading some you can check them out at the ISB middle and high school library.

The US Open –Win E. + Pranav.S

2008-09-10T10:52:00.003+07:00

This year’s US Open is back! After the Australian Open, the French Open (Roland Garros), and the Wimbledon, the US Open is next in the line of this year’s fourth and last Grand Slam. The US open is one of the oldest and most well-known tennis tournaments; dating back to 1881. The winning prize for the singles tournament is $1,500,000 which is about 50 million baht! The first prize for mixed doubles is $420,000 and for mixed doubles is $150,000. Approximately 600 men and women will be competing for the prizes. The US Open is played at Flushing Meadows in Queens, New York City. It uses a hard court called DecoTurf. This surface is faster by having less friction and having a lower bounce rate. This makes it better for serve-and-volley players. The main court of the tournament is the Arthur Ashe Stadium which seats 24,000 people. Court number 2 is the Louis Armstrong Stadium; it used to be the main court before the Arthur Ashe Stadium was build.

This year, Rafael Nadal was named the new first seed after Roger Federer’s four and a half year reign. But he was sent back home in the semi-finals after losing to Andy Murray. On the contrary, Federer beat Novak Djokovic to go into the finals. It turned out that Roger Federer has stood his ground by winning the title for his fifth straight US Open by easily beating Andy Murray. As for the women’s title, Serena Williams captured it with a win against Jelena Jankovic.

For ISB, the BISAC tennis team will be starting in the second semester somewhere around February or March. There’s also the Panther Tennis which you could join all year round. The Thailand Open is coming up in only a few weeks. Watch it and tune up your skills!

House of Sports Book Review - Raimy

2008-09-10T10:51:00.000+07:00

This book was part of a homework assignment. If it wasn’t for that, I wouldn’t have ever read it. Firstly, I’m not a big fan of sports, so why would I read about it? When I grabbed this book off the shelf and looked at the cover, it didn’t look very fun. “This is only for homework,” I thought, trying to be patient. It was a pretty thick book. However, now, when I think back, I pat myself on the back for reading it.

House of Sports by Marisabina Russo overwhelmed me entirely in a way no other book ever did. The beginning of the book didn’t really grab me. It was about basketball, grandmothers, and family relationships. This wasn’t my safe zone. House of Sports was only the second book I read that was sports fiction. Still, this was a homework assignment. I had to read it. Therefore, trying to keep my eyelids up, I read on. Around the fifth chapter, where the grandmother with the weak heart was introduced, I started getting interested. The main character was Jim Malone and his weak, 82 year old grandmother. Jim loves playing basketball, but not studying. He was a sports kind of guy. On the other hand, his brother, Pete Malone, gets straight A’s all the time. Nana, from France, calls the Malone house ‘House of Sports’. Nana was a champion swimmer until the war had begun. However, because she was Jewish, she was banned from all swimming pools. The World War 2 killed both her parents and her family except for her sister. So, with her sister, she ran to America and had Jim’s mother. Nana loves watching Jim run down the court furiously with a basketball in front of him, dribbling madly. However, one day, after Nana shows Jim an opera and her secret laptop, the House of Sports gets a phone call from the hospital about Jim’s Nana.

“Is this the Malone house?” The nurse on the phone asked coldly.

“Yes,” Jim’s mother said nervously, recognizing Nana’s nurse’s voice.

“Your mother has had a stroke a few minutes ago, and she is in the hospital right now. If you wou--”

Jim’s mom dropped the phone. It crashed loudly on the bare kitchen floor, and the cord broke off. When she turned to tell Jim the news, her face was pale and hot tears were starting to form in her eyes. Jim, his mom, dad, and older brother, Pete, all rushed out into the car and drove off to the hospital.

Nana was lying down on a cot in the hospital, her face even paler than moms’, her skin all wrinkly. It just got worse from then. Nana moved into a home for “old people”, as Jim called it. The hospital couldn’t help her. She was too old and too weak for surgery.

One sunny day, minutes before Nana passed away, the member of the House of Sports sat around her. All they did was shed tears on her white wrinkly skin. Just then, Jim burst out, “We can’t do this. You have to let her go. If the people she loves doesn’t let her go, she’s nowhere, not in the sky, not on the land, just hovering.”

“Jim’s right.” Mom agreed.

“Hearing is the last sense to go. We should whisper what we want to say in her ear.”

Everyone did. Nana sat up from her bed, took three short deep breaths, and fell back, all the breath gone out of her.

The ending made me appreciate my grandparents so much. This book almost made me cry. I suggest this book if you need a good cry or a warm feeling in your heart.

Do you eat here, or bring food? By Sasha

2008-09-10T10:49:00.002+07:00

Do you like food here? No? Do you think it’s too expensive? Do you bring your own food? Well, as a matter of fact, I bring my own lunch. I am not encouraging you to do so, but I think it’s a good thing once in a while to bring your own food. I know this because the baht is getting stronger and stronger, and as prices continue to rise, the food here may become too expensive. Every once in a while, it would be a good idea to bring your own food from your own menu at home, just to get away from eating school food.

I wouldn’t necessarily know what the school’s menu is these days, but I sure as heck know it doesn’t have my type of food on it. The only thing I think I would like would be the Continental section. I can’t eat pork, so that may be a part of it, but I still refuse to eat school food. So what do you eat for school these days? Or are you like me? Eating home food whenever you please? Yeah, that’s the life for some of us. Maybe someday it’ll be the same for you, given the fact that your opinion is as good as mine. To criticize one’s opinion isn’t nice, so try to understand. The select few of us who bring our food to school don’t necessarily HATE the food, but rather prefer their own food. I think that is understandable (considering I do that myself).

Hopefully, the food at home can come to school sometime. It gives you an idea of what kids eat at home, what food they like to eat, and most importantly their culture. And as ironic as it seems, you can learn a lot about a person by looking at their lunch!

Orphanage Care Givers- Sara

2008-09-10T10:47:00.001+07:00

The Orphanage care givers are starting very soon. It is going to be every other Wednesday. What the Orphanage Care Givers do is go to the Pakkred Babies Home, where they can play with little kids and walk around with them on the little playground right beside the home. A lot of these kids were either abandoned when they were young or their parents could not take care of them. All of the children are very cute and adorable. Last year and the year before, the Orphanage Care Givers was a big success. About 12 kids signed up for it, and it was a blast. The kids at the baby home got very attached to the students. They even started to cry when they left. These kids are well treated and get all the necessities they need. They are looked after and cared for when they are sick. The Pakkred Babies home is a great place to go to make little kids happy! If you are interested in going, you should see Mr.Straub as soon as possible because spaces are limited. The Orphanage Care Givers will be starting on September 10, Wednesday right and will last from after school till around 5ish.Those of you who take the bus home will easily be back in time for the late bus. It is free of charge and a reminder for all of you who want to go, bring a water bottle with you because you will get extremely thirsty. Make sure you go!

Global War Crime by Ethan and Afek

2008-09-09T09:08:00.001+07:00

ever wondered why and how the world is suffering from global warming? If so, have you ever wondered what will happen? Everybody in the world refers to this over pollution as global warming. Global warming, as we all know, causes many problems including stronger hurricanes, higher temperatures, Rising sea levels, polluted air and water. but it isn’t just these. here are a few interesting effect of global warming:

the well-known effect of global warming is extreme weather conditions. stronger hurricanes become more frequent and stronger. at times these hurricane’s wind speeds can increase to 56 meters per second.

Another major effect on global warming is the ice cap thinning. due to the rising temperatures, the ice caps of the north and south poles start to melt. this causes an even greater issue which causes the earth’s seas to rise. It is said that in the near future, 2020, water levels will have risen to the point where cities on the coast will go under water.

A very intriguing effect of global warming is the amount of animal species that could be at risk of extinction. About 20-30% of all the species in the world will be under the risk of extinction. this is probably because of the massive amount of co2, and the higher temperatures.

the effects of global warming involves an abundance of money. the cost to repair things after serious disasters may exceed their expected budget. The cost to upgrade the maintenance of roads, rail lines, airport runways, pipelines, AND ELECTRIC wires to withstand the physical effects of global warming will also cost a load of money.

Many students at ISB have feelings for global warming, whether they are scared of it or pretend the changing problem isn’t there. We had asked a few students here in middle school what their opinions were on global warming.

Ramy stated, “I think global warming is bad because it will kill everybody and i don’t want to die because of the heat.”

Matt and Toey declared, “we don’t really think of global warming as an issue we will have to deal with now.”

Benedict said, “i’m worried but not too worried because not much is changing.”

“I don’t want anybody to die from too much heat,” Christian stated.

Sara said, “i am worried about global warming because one day the earth will react to our doings and will do bad back toward us and what if the trees start giving of toxin.”

in conclusion, the disaster that has been thrown upon us is affecting our lives every day. even the smallest thing could help. what is happening in our world are just mistakes catching up with society. the mistakes are irreversible but can be decreased.

do you want to be part of the solution or do you want to be part of………..

the end!

Maximum Ride The Angel Experiment” By Benedict

2008-09-09T09:06:00.006+07:00

I just finished reading a book called Maximum Ride The Angel Experiment. The book was written by James Patterson. The book is about 6 friends who are 98% human and 2% avian. Their names are Max, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman, and Angel. Max is the oldest member of the flock (a name they call themselves). Fang is the second oldest. Iggy is third oldest. He is blind from some tests the white coats (evil scientists) did on him to improve his night vision. Iggy is also really good at making bombs. Nudge is the fourth oldest. Gasman is the second youngest and Angel is the youngest. They 2 are the only ones that are related by blood in the flock. Gasman can imitate any sound he hears perfectly. Angel and read your mind. In this book, the flock has to save Angel from erasers (evil half wolf half man creatures made by the white coats to hunt down the flock) that have captured her. On the way they are going towards the erasers, they learn a lot about their real families and what has happened to them.

I think that this is a really good book because they explained in really good detail, and it never gets old. Some books make you just want to stop reading and just get it over with but this book does the exact opposite. I like the way they how if one good thing happens, a bad thing happens. It keeps the book from going boring. Not many people read about it or even heard about it but it is the best book ever written.

Did you know that a visiting author came to I.S.B? By: Tim

2008-09-09T09:06:00.003+07:00

Did you know that Marc Joel Levitt came to visit us on Monday, Sept. 8th? He talked to us about peer relationships and Bullying. He works as a writer, storyteller, educator, radio host, T.V host, filmmaker and land use activist. He lives in Wakefield, RI and NYC. He uses books to try to teach students in the U.S and at International Schools about violence, nonviolence, bullying, diversity, and peer pressure. He will also be coming to talk in our classes. I think his stories are funny and every one of them has a moral. If you want more information about him, you can check out this website: http://www.marclevitt.org/

What you can do at lunch By: Tim

2008-09-09T09:05:00.000+07:00

Most people are bored and don’t know what to do at lunch time. All they do is stay in the cafeteria until the next period. Here is an idea. You could go and exercise like play soccer at the field. Well, sometimes there is a problem because now it often rains really hard and you can’t go out and play. But you can still can go to the gym and play basketball. You actually have lots of choices to do at lunch especially when it is long. You could go to the library and do your work or read. Here is what some people do at lunch time

Christian: I play soccer

Ben: I play basketball at the gym

Steve: I play chess

Nino: I play basketball

Tim.A: I eat until the next period

Ethan: I go play basketball

As you see, there are a lot of other things that you could do instead of staying at the cafeteria so be active and exercise.

American Idol gets revved up with more ‘girl power’- by Grace

2008-09-09T09:04:00.001+07:00

Do you enjoy watching some American Idol? Well, you’re not alone. According to a website that sells American Idol tickets, for the week of January 22-28, American Idol airs on Tuesday and Wednesday clinched the top 2 spots for the top 10 shows on television (as rated by their viewership), with 32.6 and 33.87 million TVs tuned in respectively.

And for these millions of people (and you, maybe), there’s cause to be getting excited as American Idol gets fresh new blood on the judging table. You might be a fan of Simon Cowell and his sharp criticisms, or Randy Jackson with his laid-back style, or even Paula Abdul, the lone female in the trio- but soon you might have converted to Kara DioGuardi’s fan base.

Kara who, you may ask. Well, she is the songwriter behind many popular singers’ songs. Stars (some even Grammy-winning) like Kelly Clarkson, Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani, Celine Dion, Faith Hill, Carrie Underwood, Pink, Britney Spears, Avril Lavigne, Pussycat Dolls, Miley Cyrus, The Jonas Brothers, Natasha Bedingfield, Ashley Tisdale, Katharine McPhee, Taylor Hicks, Bo Bice, Clay Aiken, Ashlee Simpson, Hilary Duff, Jessica Simpson, Kylie Minogue, Enrique Iglesias, Nick Lachey and Marc Anthony (yes, the list is extensive) have recorded and released her songs. And she’s going to join Paula as an AI judge as she helps rev American Idol up with some more girl power.

The executive producer of American Idol, Cecile Frot-Coutaz, revealed that they had originally intended four judges for American Idol, and Simon Fuller (creator and executive producer) was quoted as saying, “We are turning the heat up on Idol this year and are thrilled to welcome Kara to the judges' table… She is a smart, sassy lady, and one of America's most successful songwriters. We know she will bring a new level of energy and excitement to the show.”

Joining her fan base or not will have to wait until the next season of American Idol airs on television, when fans around the world will finally get to see the new judge and how she’s like. Kara herself said she was flattered to think Idol selected her, saying, “I mean, when I got the call, I thought they were calling the wrong person.” She also added, “I'm just gonna have my opinion, be honest and I don't foresee any problems. I'm really excited about this, and up for the challenge.”

Are you up and ready for American Idol’s new judge?

Information taken from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/25/kara-dioguardi-american-i_n_121145.html (picture was taken from here as well), http://www.americanidoltickets.com/idolnews020107.php and http://www.americanidol.com/news/view/?pid=1393.

What do you want to read about on Life in the Middle? By Grace and Shawnie

2008-09-09T09:01:00.001+07:00

Have you ever felt that the articles in newspapers and websites are so boring and wished that there could be more articles suited to your interests?

Well, we at Life in the Middle would like to give you the opportunity to give us your ideas and what you want to read about.

First, we asked some of our friends and classmates as well as people like Mrs. Kelsey the librarian and the counselors what they’re interested in reading on an online portal like Life in the Middle.

Student JJ, a 7^th grader, shrugged and said that she wanted to read about “cool stuff” on the blog.

6^th grader Raimy said, “I want to read reviews of magazines.”

Three 8^th graders were approached for comments. One of them, who wants to remain anonymous for this article, said, “I want to read about what good movies are showing now and interesting things, like the biggest and smallest objects.”

Another, J, said, “I want to read about current events and interesting facts,” while Pichaporn mentioned current events, interesting and surprising news about the school and things that we should be aware of but don’t know yet.

Librarian Mrs. Kelsey said, “I want to know what’s happening in ISB middle school and not world news, which I read every day anyway.” She also added that she wanted to read about the impressions and experiences new students at ISB have had.

We then approached the counselors Mr. Estin and Ms Baker what they wanted to read about.

Mr. Estin said, “Well, I would like to know about clubs, activities and Saturday sports updates. Also, as a parent, I would like to read about cyber safety. I would want to read about the results of a survey about the new cafeteria.”

Ms Baker suggested articles about kids’ interests and worries.

When Mr. Straub was approached at the SOAR Center, he said, “I want to know what kids are thinking about and feeling.”

Ms Ulster, who teaches Yearbook and Humanities, says, “I want to know how the first month of school has gone for the students of middle school and what students like- their favorite movies, books and music. I love entertainment!”

If we didn’t get a chance to ask you, or you want to contribute more of your ideas, comment on this post now! Upcoming: watch out for Grace asking middle school students to spill the beans about the weirdest thing that has happened to them or the weirdest thing that they have done. She may ask you…

Picture was taken from Google Images and edited.

Pluto is it a Planet or Not? - Anurag & Vignesh

2008-09-09T09:00:00.003+07:00

Everyone in school has learned that Pluto was a planet. Scientists always change their minds about everything—it seems. Let’s see what other people say about Pluto.

Brett: Pluto is not a planet, it is an ice ball.

Andrea: Yes it is a planet.

Ms.Watts: No, I don’t believe it is a planet. My students say that it is not.

Zack: it is a small planet.

James: It a meteor.

Mr. Straub: It is a planet but the definition keeps on changing.

Ms. Kelsey: It is a planet that’s what we learned in school.

George: Pluto is a moon.

Daniel: Pluto is a planet and I don’t care about it!

Grace: I don’t know I think it is a planet.

Mr. Souza: Pluto is not a planet. It is just an Icy rock.

Mrs. Roong: It is a planet it just keeps changing.

Khun Kaew: It is that’s what we learned in school.

Mrs. Salli Baker: it has been changed .No it is not a planet.

Sally: it is a planet.

Paul: it is a planet.

Nino: It is not a planet. That’s all I know

After reading what 17 people said, only 7 people said it is not a planet. In fact, IT IS NOT A PLANET ANYMORE. You know what this means? It means all the books in the library will have to be changed. It is a big loss for I.S.B. So do not check out any book about Pluto from the library.

What is the weirdest thing middle school students at ISB have done? By Grace

2008-09-09T08:59:00.001+07:00

Ever wondered what’s the weirdest thing a middle school student at ISB has ever done? Well, some students have agreed to spill the beans about their deep, dark, weird actions.

6^th grader M revealed that she threw up while watching the movie The Incredible Hulk (poor Hulk).

Raimy, also from 6^th grade, said that she took the Yearbook into the bathtub, and Oda said, “I said ‘the lurrrrve’ with my front teeth out.”

Oda was also caught laughing till she cried when she heard that 7^th grader S screamed in the middle of a Disney on Ice show (when she thought it was time for an interval). Anurag, also from 7^th grade, answered coolly that answering this question (“What’s the weirdest thing you’ve done?”) was the weirdest thing he’d done.

7^th grader Sasha slapped another student when she asked him if he was from the 6^th grade, and said that was the weirdest thing he’d done- while Win said he hadn’t done anything weird. Several students said they didn’t know.

Khun Ed admitted that she once walked into the wrong class and stayed there for the entire period. The weirdest thing I’ve done is probably walking into a locker room full of high school students when I thought PE was the next period (needless to say, it wasn’t).

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve done?

Picture from Microsoft Clip Art.`

Disney’s Cruise Line by Shawnie

2008-09-09T08:56:00.001+07:00

Do you need a good place for a vacation? Well, you can go to Disney’s Cruise Line for a 3 day trip on the sea. The boat will be headed for Disney’s private island, “Castaway Cay” in the Bahamas. This island is filled with things you can do with your family: riding on a banana boat, snorkeling with the fish, or just lying on the beach and getting a tan. During your trip to this paradise island, you can enjoy yourself on this amazing cruise line. There’s an indoor movie theater showing all of Disney’s latest movies, a kid’s club were little children can play games, draw and do specific activities. There’s also teenagers lounge where you can hang out and meet new friends. For the parents, there’s a SPA and a fitness center on the top floor. When it’s time to blow the horn, Disney’s horn isn’t just a simple ‘Whaaa’!!! It is a seven note melody to the song “When You Wish upon a Star.” This is a great place to have a vacation. Ask your parents to take you on this once in a life time trip.