Emman A.
1. Don’t Multitask! While doing homework, most people listen to music or watch Netflix/Youtube. But this has been proven to slow down working speed and increase anxiety levels. Instead, here are some white noise sounds for studying or sleeping.
2. Sleep Early!
This is probably something you have heard several times but it genuinely helps your school success and life in general. Sleeping early decreases stress levels, develops your memory, makes you more alert, and can prevent physical or mental health related diseases like cancer, diabetes, and depression.
3. Stay Off Screens!
Most electronics like iPhones and laptops emit a blue light that decreases melatonin levels. Melatonin is a hormone secreted by the pineal gland that plays a key part in the regulation of your sleep cycle. Therefore, the longer you are on your electronics, the harder it will be to fall asleep. In addition, social media is infamous for lowering self esteem due to cyberbullying and/or exposure to posts of people who only show “the good parts” of their lives. Low self esteem can later lead to anxiety, depression and other mental disorders.
4. Create a DISTRACTION FREE study zone!
When studying at home or at school, it is important to create a distraction free zone to maximize your work quality. While studying, make sure to keep your phone in a separate room to prevent the temptation to check social media or play games. Make sure to put your phone on silent or airplane mode to fully assure that you will not get distracted. Secondly, make sure you study away from friends to guarantee that you won’t go off topic. Lastly, if you are at home, study away from your bedroom. Your bedroom can be filled with distractions that may sway you away from your work.
5. Get supplies and/or a backpack that you find stylish!
Even though it may not feel like it to some, wearing nice shoes and using backpacks or school supplies that you find stylish has its benefits. This can boost morale, make you more excited to go to school and maybe even make hitting the books fun!
Beeke F.
People often talk about stocking up on school essentials: pencils, notebooks, planners and laptops. But these are not the true keys to a successful school year. It’s your mental supplies--your motivation and focus--that are the true measure of how successful you will be this school year.
A perfect school environment is one full of kids thriving in their academics: students on top of their game, good relationships with teachers and peers, and a positive stance to learning. But for many, reaching a high level of academic achievement can be a difficult task. These essentials are key to helping create a thriving school community for all students.
Motivation
Finding something to work towards is an essential part of life. When students are motivated, they are also actively engaged in their education. But people sometimes struggle to find something that will motivate them. One common motivation is getting into a good college or even getting a good job. However, motivation doesn’t need to be so far in the future. It can be as simple as going out for a treat to celebrate a success. It’s important to not only find motivation, but also be reminded of it daily. Potential strategies for this are setting reminders on your phone, sticking post its on your desk, changing your phone background, etc. No matter what your motivation is or how you remind yourself of it, make sure it pushes you to put more effort into your work.
Focus
Focus is important for any academic assignment. Being focused allows you to put everything you’ve got into what you're working on, which pushes you to be efficient and intense. While staying completely focused seems like a large feat, it doesn't have to be. It’s important to find an environment without distractions. At home, work alone in your room or at the kitchen table. However, a calm environment is a little harder to find at school. I suggest listening to music. Studies show that listening to music while studying can be beneficial as it improves memory, attention, and can lessen feelings of depression or anxiety. I find that listening to ANY music I like helps me shut out my surroundings and get in the ‘zone’. If listening to music isn’t helpful for you find helpful, try sitting in a quieter area when working on an important task.
Christine S.
Not everyone thinks they can be successful in school, but anyone can with some motivation and dedication! Follow these steps to help make your everyday routines easier and more productive.
Write Homework in Your Planner
Your planner is a tool that can keep you more organized by writing down assignments and important dates. Here, you can also check your schedule for the day, read the school rules, locate where classrooms are, and much more that can help your daily routine in school.
Close All Unnecessary Tabs
Jon Hamilton, a journalist from Columbia University, confirms that multitasking is not possible as it is just a switch between different tasks at a very quick rate. That means that you won't be focused completely on both tasks at the same time. Many students keep tabs open that aren't related to the task they need to complete, which leads t0 distraction and will delay the time it takes to get your work done .
Write Neat Notes
Try to make your notes neat by: color coordinating based on the topic, writing neatly, and getting down important details. This will help make your notes look much more organized, and many students say that this may give you the motivation to look through your notes again to study.
Keep Your Device in a Different Room
If your phone is right next to you, you may constantly pick it up to check it. You may say that you will only look at it for five minutes, but that’s hard to follow. Instead shut it in a box or put it in a separate room. That will keep you from checking social media every ten minutes and instead will give you a chance to be focused on your work.
Learn To Say No
Being a middle schooler also means hanging out with friends or doing after school activities. Make sure you set a limit for those things, as they can creep into the time you need to spend on other priorities. You have control over your life and what you do, so make the best decisions.
Take these steps one by one, and they can dramatically improve your study routines.
Ms. Joyce, Librarian
Ms. Stone, 6th Grade Guidance Counselor
Ms. Ramani, 8th Grade English Teacher
In ISM’s centennial year, 21 staff were welcomed into Middle School. Learn more about three newcomers as they discuss ISM, life in the Philippines, and how it’s more fun in the middle!
What makes you want to teach/work at ISM? “The atmosphere of the school is entirely different from other schools. It’s a challenge for me since my previous work was from a small school, and handling a big population after a while is daunting.”
How is life in the Philippines? “I’m a local!”
What do you love most about ISM? I haven’t tried the milk tea downstairs, but I want to try it one of these days. But I don’t think many local schools have milk tea. We also have I-Campus. I recently ruined my earpods, and I was able to buy a pair, like, right away. That’s what I love about ISM for the moment. And the atmosphere--everyone is very welcoming. Everyone’s kind.
What makes you want to teach/work at ISM? “It’s a funny story, actually. My best friend in Kuwait was Ms. Walker, who’s our Middle School librarian. So when we left Kuwait, she came here and I went to the school I was at before this. And one weekend I came to visit her and there was an IASAS tournament, so we went to watch. And I remember sitting in the bleachers and looking around and everyone was so into it; they were so proud to be a Bearcat. There was such a sense of community. And I realized, I really want that. So a school that has really great education is important, but a school that also has a heart is even more than that. So that’s really something.”
How was life like in the Philippines? “It’s great, I live in BGC so I don’t know -- I don’t fully know Philippines yet. I know BGC, and I think it’s a good easy kind of living. I am excited to go and see the real Manila and the Philippines.”
What do you love the most about ISM? “I love the students. I think that they are funny and that they are really -- they just have so much personality in them that often I will forget that this is my job. I just love being around them, learning together, and seeing who they really are and meet other stuff. I guess they’re my favorite.”
What makes you want to teach/work at ISM? “Well, I’m coming from Kuala Lumpur and I was working at ISKL, so I was aware of ISM, and I heard that it was such a great school, that the people are friendly, and that it’s a wonderful place to be. So, those are all of the reasons why I wanted to work here, and it just so happens that my husband got assigned here as part of the U.S. Embassy. And so we were already coming here that I knew this was the place I really wanted to work at.”
How was life like in the Philippines? “Well, so far so good! I’m brand new, so I’ve just been here a few months, I had nothing to complain about so far. I love it! I really like that it’s a diverse place, and I love all the -- I haven’t been out of this area yet, but I look forward to exploring lots of the islands, and all the things the Philippines has to offer. I know there’s a lot more to it out there.”
What do you love the most about ISM? “I’d say the people. Yep, from the students to the people I get to work with every single day, to my administrators, absolutely the people. Everyone’s really friendly and willing to help. And I get lost a lot still, not that much anymore but, anyway, I think that people are very caring around here. They watch out for the new people, so that helps me to do my job better.”
Jasmeena. S
ISM has been around a century now dating all the way back in 1920. That's more than eight times your age! This year we’ll be celebrating the ISM’s 100th year anniversary in 2020. ISM started small a small group of 50 students from school to school with nearly 2,360 students. Have you ever wondered about how the school was back then, or how it has changed since?
It all started back in 1920 when the school was called The American School (AS). It was called AS because it was founded by American and British parents. There where eight teachers and 50 students from grades 1-12. Not only has the school grown much, much bigger, but the location of the school has changed four times in a century! Later, in 1930, the symbol for the school became an American Indian. Now, however, the symbol is a globe which has been part of the school since 1994. The globe represents ISM's internationalism.
When people say ISM has been around for 100 years, it is easy to think of how ISM has progressed and improved. But many people may not think of the many challenges it has faced. A huge challenge that ISM faced was during WWll. When the Japanese troops came into Manila in 1942, all of the students were moved to the University of Sto, and they stayed there until 1946. That's four years in a different school! Only 34 students completed their high school requirements and graduated during WWII.
After 40 years at the Bel-Air campus, from 1962 to 2002, International School Manila moved to its current state-of-the-art campus on a 7000 square foot site in Bonifacio Global City.
I’m sure the American and British founding parents could never have imagined ISM like it is today because the history of ISM has definitely been a roller coaster.
With a growing international community of over 2,360 students, I’m sure everyone at ISM will be proud to celebrate the 100th year birthday of the school.
Izzy Q.
In Manila, strays are a common sight. Over the years many ISM students and their families have helped the stray kittens they saw outside their apartments and around Manila. These are a few of their stories and how the lack of animal shelters in the Philippines affects not only the kittens, but also the health of their owners.
Adopting strays in Manila is incredibly easy and no official documents are needed. Most cats just need to visit the vet and that’s it. There are only four animal shelters in Manila, and none of them are in Makati or BGC where the majority of ISM students live. The executive director of the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) Anna Cabrera has said that adoption may not be enough to save the number of strays on the streets, and that 200 dogs go to the pound every month in Marikina alone. The number of stray cats as well as stray dogs in Metro Manila is a lot higher than Marikina, meaning the number of animals going to the pound is also a lot higher.
The grade eight student we interviewed adopted four stray kittens that she and her mom found outside their apartment building. She is not usually one to be overly caring and nurturing to stray animals, but her heart went out to the kittens. She believes that Manila needs more shelters and that the vast number of cats living on the streets cannot be sustained. Unfortunately three of her kittens died from disease, two at the vet and one at home. She felt very upset and disappointed as she had put in a lot of time and effort into helping the kittens and it was so sad to see them then suffer and struggle and not be able to help.
The number of registered dogs in Manila has increased by 304,296 since 2014 according to the FCI, which means that the number of dogs has vastly increased. PAWS has actually said that it is the responsibility of vets and pounds to kill or neuter the animals, and deal with the growing numbers. PAWS focuses on educating people and preventing pet owners from abandoning their pets, which contributes to the problem.
Affan A.
Academic Bowl is a competition of wits in multiple subjects for grades 5-8. Academic Bowl includes topics like Math, Science, Grammar, Literature, History, Mythology and more! Teams of four students from multiple schools compete to buzz in first and answer a trivia question for points so that they can have a chance for the glory of victory!
What is The Academic Bowl?
The Academic Bowl is a Jeopardy-style trivia for multiple subjects. Multiple schools competes to score more points than other teams. Each school has a coach to train the students by studying possible topics. ISM’s coaches, Ms. Walker and Ms. Elwell, have been coaching the ISM team for the last five years.
When does Academic Bowl happen?
The Academic Bowl takes place twice a year, once in spring and once in fall. The fall Academic Bowl will take place on November 13 at Faith Academy, while the spring Academic Bowl will take place on March 10 at ISM!
Who does ISM compete against?
The schools that compete against ISM in the Academic Bowl are Faith Academy and Brent. Academic Bowls can also be held at other schools. In fact, the fall Academic Bowl will be held in Faith Academy. ISM has been in the Academic Bowl for over 10 years!
Interested?
You can watch the Academic Bowl if it is held at your school, but you can’t follow the teams to other schools. You could encourage and support Academic Bowl members to do great and try their best before the competition. If you do get to watch the Academic Bowl, then don’t forget to be quiet and respectful and not yell out the answers!
Julia O.
Wondering what the healthy food choices are at school? Here is your essential guide to navigating the bustling Kantina if you want to refuel with wholesome, good-for-you options. With all the choices available, here are a couple you might not have tried!
When you turn your head, you are stuck in a sea of students, forced to shuffle along and not break the flow. What will you pick? Mouth-watering Mexican? Inviting Italian? The choice that is not made, however, is if one should eat healthier. So what can you eat if you’re looking to live a healthier lifestyle?
Not the Best for Your Health...
Let’s start with what isn’t good. You guessed it! Fries, chips, shaken with an extra dose of powdered and artificial flavoring. The holy grail: mozzarella sticks, gooey cheese stretching out under the golden breading. Yum! Take them with a mango freeze? According to distinguished source Livestrong.com, you’re now easily taking in huge amounts of calories surpassing your recommended sugar and fat levels; a recipe for a potential heart disorder and weight gain. Think again before reaching for another chip, hiding layers of built up fat and flavoring from chemicals you probably cannot even pronounce.
Better Choices!
Miso Soup at Gokinjo - Made of fermented soybeans, miso soup boasts a large number of health benefits, such as improving digestion, reducing the risk of certain cancers, and strengthening the immune system, as stated by Healthline.org. In addition, seaweed and tofu included in the soup pack in extra doses of protein and iodine, keeping you in tip-top shape.
Frozen Yogurt at Yogi Chef - Who knew that frozen yogurt could be healthy? If you pick the right toppings, it could actually be good for you! Avoid syrups; they’re usually jam-packed with sugar and flavorings. Go for fresh fruits instead, which can add a multitude of different vitamins and minerals that affect your body positively, or nuts, a good source of protein and healthy fats, as suggested by Eatingwell.com. Be mindful of your servings: aim for at the most a small serving. Although frozen yogurt contains healthy nutrients that can protect your bones, such as calcium, it still contains sugar. Nevertheless, taking in a relatively wholesome sweet treat can help satiate cravings in a better way, compared to taking in foods that are even higher in sugar.
Devika O.
It’s the time of the year again where the Dengue fever has affected numerous people in Manila, many of them including our own ISM students. This year’s dengue outbreak is so severe that the Philippines’ Department of Health (DOH) has declared a National Dengue Epidemic.
Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral infection, which can cause severe flu-like illness. It sometimes can even progress to lethal or severe dengue. Severe dengue (dengue hemorrhagic fever) was recognized in the 1950s during dengue epidemics in Thailand and the Philippines. Asian and Latin American countries are more prone to dengue, due to the tropical climates that are sufficient in nurturing mosquitoes. These countries have the most hospitalization and death among adults and children. The virus is spread mainly by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, and is passed on only by the female. Once bitten, the human is infected. The human then becomes a source of disease for non-infected mosquitoes. Once a non-infected mosquito bites an infected human, the virus is passed into that mosquito.
Once a human is infected, a fever usually develops within 2-7 days and is usually not fatal when given proper treatment. The DOH has recorded 10,103 cases of dengue in the whole capital region between January 1st and July 27, 2019. After contracting dengue, one remains immune to that specific type, though not immune to the other serotypes (DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3, and DEN-4).
Multiple students at ISM and all over the Philippines have contracted dengue. A student who recently contracted dengue been was interviewed to share their experience. “[Dengue] really takes out your energy and it takes time to get that energy back. You have to take pills every two hours or three hours. You have blood tests, and IV needles having fluids going through your body so that you stay hydrated.” The student missed school for two weeks and stayed in the hospital for the whole time. To help prevent dengue he says, “Because dengue mosquitoes usually bite around the leg, wear longs pants since they can’t fly high, and stay away from stagnant water, because dengue mosquitoes are attracted to those areas.” The Depart of Health advocates the "4S Strategy:" Search and destroy mosquito breeding places; Self-protective measures like wearing long sleeves and use of insect repellent; Seek early consultation at the first signs and symptoms of the disease; and Say yes to fogging if there is an impending outbreak. Dengue is a virus that may develop into something more fatal. It is not something to be taken lightly.
Kaavya K.
On August 20, the news broke that Disney and Sony split up over a bad contract. Marvel characters are now banned from making an appearance in any more of Sony’s Spider-Man films. Since the information became public, fans have been devastated for what this might mean for future Spider-Man and Avengers movies.
The deal is slightly complicated.
Sony owns the Spider-Man franchise, but they had partnered with Disney--who owns Marvel--since they needed some external support from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) because of their bad history with past Spider-Man films:
The 2002 and 2004 Spider-Man movies--starring Toby Maguire-- were huge hits. However, the third Spider-Man film was criticised for having too many villains and subplots.
Sony came back with another brave attempt to bring Spider-Man back in 2012. With Andrew Garfield acting as Spider-Man, the movie earned $758 million worldwide. The 2014 sequel, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, again got bad reviews.
Since both of Sony’s previous Spider-Man attempts had failed, they were forced to make a deal with Marvel. In exchange for using Avengers characters in Spider-Man movies, Marvel used Spider-Man in their franchise.
Casting Tom Holland as Spider-Man, they created Spider-Man: Homecoming-- released in 2017-- which earned $880 million worldwide.
After the major success of Spider-Man: Far From Home, Disney realised that the films were making a lot of money and demanded half of the share in the profits. This put Sony in a sticky situation because Marvel shaped the Spider-Man films, and to erase all Marvel characters from the Spider-Man movies could possibly destroy the series.
Since Sony depends on Marvel for their fame, there may be a chance that Sony will want to get back into the deal, but till then, the future of the Spider-Man franchise remains uncertain.
Anyka S.
According to the Meseetti Twin’s Youtube channel, Fuller House Season 5 is half-finished filming, and as we wait for its release, fans question one big part of the show: What will happen to Lori Loughlin’s beloved character Aunt Becky, and will she be replaced by a new actor? Fans question if the show will be able to find a new actor who will do justice to the character.
Fuller House is the hit Netflix original sequel to Full House. Lori Loughlin used to play the character Aunt Becky on the show. She was a character from the original Full House and came back to star in special episodes in Fuller House. During the filming of Season 5, Lori was kicked out of the cast. The reason behind this is because of a collage scandal that took place in late March. Lori Loughlin and her husband Mossimo Giannulli were caught bribing Boston University to allow their daughters, Olivia Jade Giannulli and Isabella Rose Giannulli, to attend. After these events, Lori was fired by Netflix and her multiple other platforms.
Since the announcement of Fuller House Season 5, fans have begun to worry about Lori’s character. Aunt Becky is a very beloved character on the show. Fans want justice to be done for the loved character.
Fans theorize the show will give Aunt Becky a poor excuse as the reason for why she is not longer on the show. Another thing fans theorize is since Lori left the show with a bad reputation she won’t be mentioned ever again in the show. This worries viewers because Aunt Becky as mentioned before was an original character of the original show Full House. Not being allowed to mention her when she is such a big part of the show's history, can majorly affect the storyline.
Sadly, no one will know for sure until Season 5 is released. Fans are anticipating what will happen next but for now, all we can do is wait.
Tommy F.
I’m sure that I'm not the only movie lover out there, and it can drive me crazy when I don’t have a good one to watch, or if I miss something huge. Over the summer, there were many great movie hits, and I'm sure you haven’t seen them all. Here are the four best movies and shows released this summer that you most likely missed.
A lot of these movies are action/ adventure, so if you are into those movies, you are all set. If not, give them a try. Please also note that all the movies on this list are rated PG-13 and under by the Motion Picture Association of America.
1: Spider-Man: Far From Home (July 2): This movie was definitely better than its prequel - Spider-Man: Homecoming. I consider it to be one of the best Spider-Man's of all time. Peter goes to Europe on a school trip hoping for a chill vacation, only to find trouble there. And there are multiple twists that will leave you wondering how you didn’t see them coming.
2: Stranger Things Season 3 (July 4): If you’ve seen the previous seasons of this Netflix series, this is a perfect show to watch. (I still recommend it to those who have not seen previous seasons!) Stranger Things 3 is funny, somewhat scary, a little violent, and can be quite action-packed. Those of you looking for a show to binge watch, I highly recommend this one.
3: Lion King (July 9): The Lion King is a fun and classic movie that you can watch with your whole family. It is quite similar to the cartoon, but it is worth the more realistic view, even though it is still an animation. And it’s always fun to rewatch really good movies.
4: Men In Black: International (June 11): In this Men In Black movie, they tackle the big threat of a mole in their organization. Although I haven't seen this movie, I have only heard good things about it.
I hope I’ve helped you come up with some fun and interesting future movie ideas to watch. Enjoy!
Louisiana, celebrating as they win the 2019 Little League World Series.
Bill E.
Every late August in Williamsport PA, sixteen teams of passionate twelve year old baseball players gather to compete for the title of best Little League team in the world. Of the eight US teams and eight international teams, only one team can win. However, all players will go home with the victory of greater independence, new friendships, improved social skills and memories from an opportunity of a lifetime.
From April to July, there are three initial elimination rounds, each round lasting about a week. At the regional tournaments in late July--the last hurdle before the World Series--from six to eight teams play two to six matches to progress to the Little League World Series. ESPN+ broadcasts the US games ,and for many players it is the highest level of visibility and pressure they have ever experienced. When they've made it through the matches and qualified for the Little League World Series, players pile on top of each other in celebration of achieving their life-long dream.
Upon arrival at Williamsport, the players are escorted to a dorm where they bunk with all fifteen other teams competing in the World Series. Players play ping-pong, cards, gossip about their countries, have fun and play baseball for ten days. Greater independence comes from being by themselves, without their usual friends and family. Parents are only allowed to see their children briefly for about 30 minutes a day.
“It’s a dynamic, life-changing, memorable, positive experience for these kids,” said Bill Theyn, father of Liam who plays for Virginia, to ESPN’s Karl Ravech. Overall he sees it as one huge growth for his kid.
“We’re trying to make an independent adult out of Liam,” Theyn said. “Overall, it’s one great stepping stone for him to become an independent young adult.”
Overall, the Little League World Series is one of the best experiences for kids. You make friends from all over the place, which builds crucial social skills. Fans are constantly asking players to sign autographs, making them feel special and adding to the experience and memories. Players get tips from different coaches and in the end, it is an experience these kids will never forget.
Conor M.
The NBA off-season of 2019 was the best it has ever been, from the insanely good draft picks to some of the best players in the league today surprisingly moving around from a fan base they had already established. During the off season, the landscape of the NBA changed so much, and here are the moves that made it happen.
The draft class of 2019 had a lot of prospects who have a lot of potential to shine in the NBA. For example, let's examine the top 3 draft picks: Zion Williamson, Ja Morant, and RJ Barrett.
Zion Williamson’s college career consisted of 22 points per game, 9.4 rebounds per game, 68.2% shooting percentage, and he had 9 double double digit games. (A double diget game means, for example, a player scores 10 points and gets 10 rebounds.) Zion Williamson also is an athletic freak. At 6’7’’ tall and weighing in at 284 pounds, Zion Williamson has a vertical leap of 45 inches, meaning that his head can go over the rim. That’s crazy! And that would also make Zion the highest rated NBA prospect.
Ja Morant 's college career included 24.5 points per game, 5.7 rebounds per game, 10 points per game, and a shooting percentage of 49.9%. Ja Morant’s passing was considered the best in the NCAA college league. And at 6’3’’, he can dunk the basketball super efficiently.
RJ Barrett was a team mate's of Zion's at Duke University. His stats consisted of 22.6 points per game, 7.5 rebounds per game, and 4.3 assists per game. Rj Barrett is compared to NBA player James Harden because of his shooting and ball-handling skills.
The statistics that those three players have produced have been like no other. They are comparable stats to NBA greats such as Michael Jordan, Kevin Durant, and Steph Curry. This is also considering that these are only the top three draft picks. The top 10 draft picks have all averaged more than 15 points per game, meaning that they all have a good chance to succeed in the NBA.
New Title Contenders
The table above shows the top three teams in each conference in 2019, as well as the predictions for the new 2020 NBA season. Look at how some teams have completely fallen off that list, such as the Portland Trailblazers and the Toronto Raptors. There are also a lot of new teams on that list that came completely out of the blue, such as the Lakers and Clippers. The teams that appeared out of the blue didn’t just improve magically; they signed good players.