News and Updates
September 2011
Ms. Val Staley of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and Mr. Peter Gittins of the Council of International Schools (CIS) will visit our campus September 6 and 7 as part of the CIS/WASC Preliminary Accreditation Visit.
Brent Baguio is currently accredited by the US-based WASC: a relationship that dates back to 1974 when Brent Baguio became the first school in East Asia to be so recognized. The Preliminary Visit is a key step in a two-year Self Study process that we are hopeful will conclude with our re-accreditation with WASC along with the addition of the prestigious qualification of CIS accreditation.
CIS, based in Madrid, Spain, is a non-profit association of over 500 schools worldwide, working together toward improvement of international education. The CIS/WASC accreditation process offers BISB the opportunity to take part in a rigorous evaluation program set against demanding standards developed for international schools.
Ms. Staley and Mr. Gittins will meet with all staff members as well as groups of students, parents and Board members to both gain insights into our school as well as provide guidance in undertaking a Self Study program that will focus on all aspects of our school community.
We will be asking some of our parents and guardians to meet with the visitors during their time on campus, and in the coming months, we would like to ask for the participation of all of our parents in this very meaningful process – one that will help assure the best possible education for our children.
As we move into the second month of school, it is a good time to take stock of student progress. For those students that are new to Brent and for those who are not progressing as we might have expected, Initial Progress reports will be issued on September 14th. There is still plenty of time in the first semester and we encourage students who might be struggling to take greater responsibility for their studies and make a stronger effort to succeed. One of the best ways to progress is to take advantage of remedial sessions, held each day, between 2:30 and 3 pm.
BISB will administer a test called Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) from September 5-13 for students in grades 3-10. The MAP test will help our school better determine each student’s instructional level: measuring academic growth against Brent standards in the areas of Reading, Language and Mathematics.
MAP will be administered twice a year: at the beginning of the school year as a formative evaluation of student proficiency and at the end of the year to see progress and areas for growth. MAP provides teachers, students and parents a clear idea of progress and where they might be able to assist or spend more time and focus to achieve proficiency.
MAP tests are unique in that they adapt during the testing to be appropriate for each child’s level of learning. As a result, students have the same opportunity to succeed and maintain a positive attitude toward testing. And with MAP tests, we can administer shorter tests and use less class time while still receiving detailed, accurate information about your child’s growth. For more information on resources for parents, download the Parent Toolkit at www.nwea.org >> Partner Support.
Brent Baguio will hold a weekend writing session for all seniors who are developing Extended Essays, both diploma and non-diploma candidates. The two-day, on-campus retreat is designed to allow for highly-focused writing, in consultation with supervisors. The sessions will start on Friday afternoon, September 16 and continue the next morning, Saturday September 17, from 8 a.m. (sharp) until noon at the library.
We believe the Writing Retreat is a critical step in completing a successful piece of research writing and it is our hope and expectation that all of our seniors will attend these sessions in their entirety.
A letter, schedule for the Retreat and a permission slip will be sent home in early September. Please have your child return the slip to the Administration Office on or before Friday, September 9.