All you need to know: new device policy

Tommy F. and Bill E.

Vsco Girls

Erin M.

Seven Steps to Sustainability

Mariah S.

Sustainability (noun): the ability to be maintained at a certain rate or level.

Sustainability is a word we’ve all heard of before. But what does it mean to be truly sustainable? How does sustainability help the environment?

Even with small, simple acts, we can do our part to promote sustainability and eventually help save the environment. Here are seven steps you can practice to achieve this goal:

1. Practice BYOC.

Here at ISM, the BYOC (“Bring Your Own Container”) system has been initiated in MS students so that single-use materials in the Kantina, like paper containers, can be reduced. If you buy your food from the Kantina, you can purchase your food and have it placed in your own food container. Also, if you bring your own container, you get a Php 5.00 discount from purchasing.

The Bearcat Cafe also follows the same system. The cafe is no longer providing single-use paper cups to customers; instead, they give out ceramic mugs for your drinks when you dining in. And they will place the drink in your own thermos when you are on the go. This is done to reduce the thousands of single-use paper cups that were given out last year. With these new practices, we can help reduce waste in the environment.

2. Conserve electricity.

Conserving electricity can help reduce energy. When you are not using the lights or air-con in one room, turn them off. When you’re brushing your teeth, don’t keep the tap on. When it is not necessary, do not use heaters or the AC.

3. Be healthy!

It’s also essential to be physically sustainable! Consume more healthy foods like fruits and vegetables, carbohydrates, and dairy products. Healthy foods can decrease your chances of having a major illness and can improve your body’s overall health. Even if you can’t eat a whole meal of only healthy foods, it’s still important to have a balanced diet with different food groups in each meal.

4. Reduce air pollution.

In the Philippines, 45.3 deaths per 100,000 Filipinos are caused by air pollution (Rappler PH, 2018). Too much air pollution can cause sickness in the lungs, throat, and eyes, like stroke and lung cancer. This is caused because of too much carbon dioxide and other gases in the air. In your own way, you can reduce air pollution by carpooling with a friend or taking the school bus rather than driving in a separate car. You can also walk to and from school or ride a bike instead of driving!

5. Go green!

When shopping or buying groceries, reuse plastic bags and take your own instead. Use totes or cloth bags that you bring with you to place your bought items in. As well as this, when you’re storing your food you can place it in reusable containers, which can also eliminate waste.

6. Reduce, reuse and recycle.

A lot of people tell you to practice the 3R’s, but do you actually do it? You can reuse old notebooks or school supplies year to year. You can improvise your own recycled materials such as reusing plastic bottles as water jugs for your plants or holders for your pens. Reduce your waste by decreasing your usage of single-use paper and plastic products.

7. Segregate trash.

Do you know what happens when your trash is not properly segregated? It can combine with other hazardous materials, leading to soil contamination. This can be harmful to plants, animals, and even to us humans. At home, you can practice trash segregation by setting up different waste bins for different types of trash like here at ISM, where there are different labeled trash bins where you can properly distribute your waste. Be sure to read the labels and know where to dispose of that soda can so you can help the environment!

Using Your Planner

Shaasvata N.

Each year, the Student Planner Committee provides us with a brand new MS planner. Believe it or not, your planner is a great tool to stay organized and manage your time wisely. However, in order for this tool to truly help, you need to make sure you are using it properly. But how exactly do you do that?

When you get your planner, make sure that you write your first and last name as well as your grade level on the side. Then, open it up and look at the left side. You will see that there is another slot to write your name and underneath, there should be space for your advisory teacher’s name. It is extremely important to fill these out, as it increases the chances of your planner getting back to you if you accidentally lose it.

Each page in your MS planner is split into four columns, in order for you to be more organized and get your work done.

1. The first column is the subject column. Fill out each subject for each day in order (first to last).

2. Now, you might have noticed that right next to your subject column is a blank slot. This is for you to write down your assignments. After each class, make sure that you take the time to fill out the slots with the homework and assignments for that class. If you don’t have any homework for that day, it is helpful to write ‘no homework’ or abbreviations such as NH. Doing this not only helps you keep track of work, but is also totally worth your time since it only takes about 30 seconds.

3. When filling out homework and upcoming assignments in your planner, it is important to make sure that you fill in the due date of the assignment in the due date column. This helps you prioritize your work because you will know what to complete first.

4. Done with your work? Good job! After completing an assignment, make sure to write down a checkmark to indicate that the assignment is completed. This will help you differentiate what is done and what still needs to be completed.

At the end of each page in your planner, there is usually a doodle box or mini activity. You don't need to fill this out, but it is a nice way to give your mind a brain break, at least for a little while.

in depth questions with ms students

Mariah S. and Shaasvata N.

Are you smarter than a fifth grader?

Jas S. and Alina S.

School was Cancelled Last Tuesday; Here's Why

Tommy F.

As you probably know, school on Tuesday Dec. 3 was cancelled due to Typhoon Kammuri(Tisoy)that passed over the Philippines, just south of Manila. But the rain we did get did not seem harsh enough to end after school activities on one day or cancel a whole other day of school. Here’s why that decision was made.

Mr. Mike Flynn, ISM’s director of security, said this about the cancellation. “The decision is made by Mr. Toze following consultation with me, following a review of PAGASA (the government weather service) reports and local and national government advice.” Manila has public storm warnings, which are reported to warn the public of incoming weather disturbances, and ISM has certain guidelines based off of these official reports. According to Mr. Flynn, “The guidelines for closure due to inclement weather are included in the school calendar. It states that in the event of a Signal 2 being called before the beginning of school, then classes will be suspended.”

It was during classes on Monday that a Signal 2 (representing a lead time of 24 hours with light to moderate damage) was raised. It was clear that this was going to continue into Tuesday, so classes were cancelled.

Now you have a little more visibility about how school closure decisions are made at ISM, which can help you understand other decisions ISM's leaders make in the future.

Highlights of Bearcat Idol

Alina S.

On Friday, November 22, middle school students performed in and watched another one-of-a-kind Bearcat Idol event.

Many students competed against each other in singing, dancing, and playing music. There were amazing performances throughout the night. One of the most memorable moments was when one singer sang “Flashlight” and everyone in the audience took out their phone, or actual flashlight, and started to swing it side to side with the beat. It was a beautiful sight to see.

There was also a raffle organized by PAWS. Each raffle ticket was PHP50 and the funds went to a PAWS donation to help animals in the shelter. After every few performances, the PAWS raffle representatives came to the stage to call out another winner, who would get a big bag of candy.

Last but not least, the ultimate winner of Bearcat Idol was a person that did the wave with their arms. It was so unbelievably cool. I don’t think anyone has seen anything like it before, it was as if they were the wave.

All in all, this year’s Bearcat Idol was amazing. If you could not make it there this year, try to go next year. So many fun, beautiful, and talented performances made the night special, something that every middle school student should attend at least once.

Lessons Learned the hard way

Seamus B.