Message from the Head of School – May 17, 2019

Regine Winkler – Board Secretary, Dewi Prabayanthi – MYP Bahasa Teacher, Yunita Reny – PYP Math Enrichment Teacher and SPK Principal, and I traveled to Bogor on Wednesday, May 8 to present our Primary and Secondary programs to ministry officials. While it was a long day of travel, the Board’s efforts and those of our Ministry Liaison folks, Ibu Lea and Ibu Aulia are certainly paying off. The Ministry was impressed with BIS efforts to comply and remain compliant while staying true to our Mission and Vision and IB Programs. They have asked BIS to assist in writing the Indonesian Studies Curriculum which all SPK schools will use to teach international students about the host country’s history, culture, and traditions. We continue to look for ways to ensure that the three compulsory subjects are being taught and that our Indonesian students will be able to return to Indonesia to work in the civil service should they choose. I’d like to thank Ibu Regine, in particular, as she has spearheaded this work over the past several years and has forged strong relationships to set BIS up as a leader.

Head of School Task Force

The International Mindedness definition at BIS is in need of a review. As an international school, this definition helps to steer our school, the curriculum and programs on offer, and is a major factor when families are considering our school. Our school’s Vision Statement also speaks to this major component of our value proposition statements: To be the school of choice for internationally-minded families and a leader of IB World Schools in Indonesia.

I am creating a Task Force to assist me in updating our Definition of International Mindedness at BIS. Here is our current definition:

International Mindedness

Bali Island School (BIS) is committed to fostering the belief, values and skills that will allow our students to become interculturally literate global citizens who can positively impact the world.

The Task Force will meet 2-3 times for one hour each. We will research other school’s definitions, come to the table with suggestions and modifications and then propose a new definition to the BIS Board and our community. Once approved we will publish our new definition on all of our Guiding Statement posters, website, etc.

Please email me if you are interested in helping me with this important work. headofschool@baliis.net

Lost and Found

Items found after school hours will be placed in a cabinet just outside our nurse’s office. Valuables will be handed to the division assistants during the school day and the security after school hours.

We will display found items once a term and if they are not picked up after the week, we will donate them to charity.

Whatsapp and BIS Marketing Efforts

With hopes of raising our school’s profile and engagement even further, we would like to ask you, our parent community, if you would be willing to become a BIS Ambassador. We will send promotional material through our Whatsapp network. A BIS Ambassador would then pass it on to his/her network or those who might find the information important.

We will add all parents today. Please continue to be a member if you wish to be a BIS Ambassador, please remove yourself from the group should you not.

We will send information about Open Houses, Admission dates and Scholarships and will do our best to keep the announcements to a minimum.

School Development Topic Group

Please remember to take this survey if you haven’t to provide the School Development TG information regarding our Key Performance Indicators. Many thanks!

Upcoming Presentations and Events

Governance Presentation

Kib Roby, Board Chair and I will present next Thursday morning 8:00 a.m., May 23 about our Board Structure and Governance model. We hope you are able to attend.

Senior Farewell Assembly

If you would like to help send off our Seniors…we will all be saying goodbye to them on Friday May 24 at 2:00 p.m. in the MPR.

Head of School Coffee

At 8:00 a.m. on June 7, I will present our Year in Review. This information session will report on my school wide goal progress, enrollment and academic data, program data, celebrate the good work that has occurred and provide some insights into where we will be headed next year as a school. I hope you will plan on joining.

Farewell to Long time Staff Members

On June 10 at 2:15 p.m. I welcome you to help us say a meaningful goodbye to:

Ibu Dian – 31 years

Ibu Made – 28 years

Pak Heri  – 19 years

We will celebrate their long service to Bali Island School and share some memories of their time here. We are inviting all alumni, to come to school to help us say thank you to these long term members of our community and BIS family. If you have a story to share, please let me know via email so you can be included in the celebrations.

At 3:00 p.m. on this same day we will host an Alumni Football game between Pak Heri’s Team, Faculty Team and two Alumni Teams. Please sign-up to join the fun! headofschool@baliis.net