In these past few weeks, our students have not only adjusted to their new classes but have also formed meaningful connections with their peers and teachers. These connections are the heart and soul of our school community, fostering an environment of support and friendship. During the first few weeks of school, our students created “Essential Agreements” which serve to establish a set of expectations for everyone in the class and school. During our primary assembly, the older students helped guide their younger peers through a discussion about our needs and responsibilities. The students also shared how teachers and staff can make our school even better for them this year. Some ideas they shared include making space for soccer, giving students more time to eat snacks and lunch. Others mentioned the books they want for the library. This feedback is valuable and helps us grow as a collaborative community. 

We extend our appreciation to all the parents who joined our Parent Orientation on campus. Parent involvement has helped shape Wells Bang Na in many positive ways, affirming the work of teachers and encouraging our students to share their learning and progress with their family members. During our “meet the teacher” time, some classes has student-led presentations, allowing our primary students to give the typical back to school information directly to their parents. In Grade 4, the students explained our SEL program to parents. In Grade 5, they expressed their growth and goals for the upcoming year. The kindergarten students were simply overjoyed to see parents and grandparents in their classrooms!

As our journey of learning continues to unfold, we will continue to make home connections a significant part of our school culture. 

The post Back to School: Starting a Journey of Learning Together first appeared on �ۿ۴�ý | American International School - Wells.

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In the recent article “,” Education Week succinctly encapsulates the seriousness of students’ activity on the internet. While poor social skills and behavioral choices have always been an issue in seeking admission to universities, never before have the lives of students been made more public than they are in the information age. As the article observes, 24% of admissions officers at universities access applicants’ publicly-available pages online to determine whether they possess the social responsibility that universities often see as an indicator of success. Even grimmer for students is the fact that half of those officers cited negative discoveries that did sway them in the consideration process.

While the dangers for high school students certainly merit consideration, they are not the only ones in danger of misuse. Middle school students and even those in primary, both increasingly connected online, face equally troubling risks. Not understanding the structure of sites such as Facebook and other social networking options, many children post photos, comments and private information freely, failing to recognize that virtually anyone can access that content if the proper privacy settings are not in place. Viewing these sites as separate from their offline lives, they do not realize that the effects of vulgarity and cyber-bullying can be just as damaging and permanent as public behaviors.

Like practically every other modern school, Wells has faced cases in which students have posted questionable photos, made offensive comments or verbally abused others. In such cases we have made every effort to implement appropriate consequences and counsel students in order to help them understand the severity of those actions. However, even more effective is the involvement of parents, who can play a major role in teaching their children responsible, prudent online behavior. By simply being aware of the dangers and having a frank talk with your children, you can turn a potentially hazardous technology into a valuable social tool. Even more valuable is venturing with them onto the internet by creating your own social network profiles and connecting to them online.

Despite the many issues that have arisen around students’ access to the internet, the reality is that they face a new world that many of us did not face as children. Rather than ignore the matter or seek to block them entirely from a part of their lives that will not simply go away, the best approach is to work together to educate them to be responsible online citizens. If you would like help in connecting with your children online or learning how to monitor their actions, feel free to contact a school counselor or administrator. Facebook itself provides useful tips for parents and additional links at , and simply Googling “internet tips for parents” produces a large number of useful sites, each of which offers advice on teaching children how to responsibility access the internet.

The post Navigating Dangerous Waters first appeared on �ۿ۴�ý | American International School - Wells.

The post Navigating Dangerous Waters appeared first on �ۿ۴�ý | American International School - Wells.