ISHNEWS bulletin

November 26 2010

SECONDARY SCHOOL

Dear Parents,

We have shared with you our concerns regarding the traffic situation – the way this was designed when the building was placed here turns out to be less than ideal. The first step we are taking is to restrict the already limited parking on the campus to staff and deliveries only. This is necessary as accesses to the two staff car parks are crossing cycling paths. No parking yellow lines will appear all around the outer sides of the road (as exist already on the side of the pond), and clear drop-off zones will be marked. The aim here is to improve circulation flow and keep children from getting out of cars in the middle of our road. A new zebra-crossing will connect the car park opposite the school with our grounds, and we hope that most parents will park there. Of course we are in negotiations with the local authorities and the police to try to solve the traffic flow problem in the surrounding area. Overall, I am afraid, there “is” no traffic jam – we are the traffic jam! These measures will be in place in the near future.

About 20 parents and students attended the platform evening this week, a presentation by Context/Parnassia on preventing alcohol abuse amongst young people. The same group of experts just started this week with the same topic for our mentor program. There will be a follow-up evening in March, focusing on prevention of drug abuse. We hope for better attendance – it is a topic of high priority for all parents.

All Y7 to 10 students should by now have brought home their subject portfolios (Y11, as the moderation year, only have them in class, but they are available for parents at the PTS-conferences). Please make sure you sign them and, more important, ask your son/daughter to guide you through their work. Better insight into performance than all points and grades could give you. Newly available is the IB MYP assessment calendar on the login pages of our website: www.internationalschoolofthehague.nl

There are student places to study mother tongue Mandarin. Please contact Romana Ponsteen for more information r.ponsteen@ishthehague.nl

Best wishes for a fine weekend!

With best wishes from,

Peter Kotrc.Principal of Secondary

Parking changes afoot