Dear Parents,
We are looking forward to assisting you and your family in your transition to International School Manila. Below you will find important information regarding the School Year 2025-26. All families will have the opportunity to join the Orientation Day on August 5, 2025.
WHO: New Parents (Preschool to Grade 12)
New Students (Grade 2 to 12)
WHAT: New Parent and New Student Orientation
WHEN: August 5th, Tuesday at 9:00 AM
(refreshments served beginning 7:30 AM)
WHERE: Fine Arts Theater (FAT)
All guests are requested to enter the school at Gate 3. Please ensure that you bring some form of ID with you on the day.
For students who have completed their interviews, please ensure that you have submitted your Enrollment Clearance Documentation to the Admissions Office (Parent Shared Agreement, ISM Proxy Form, Drug Policy Form, Honor Code, etc.)
For students who have yet to be interviewed, please email the Admissions Office for your arrival date to secure an interview schedule.
Elementary School
All new families are invited to join the ES Principals on August 5th, Tuesday at 10:00 AM, after the initial New Student Orientation welcome session in the Fine Arts Theater. The purpose of this session is to learn more about the Elementary School and our community, including:
- Meet key people in the school
- Understand our guiding beliefs
- Be provided with key logistical information
- Meet other new parents
Students in Grades 2, 3 and 4 are invited onto campus at the same time, where they will have a tour of the school, meet other new students in their grade level, and have some fun. They will join you initially at the welcome session at 9:00 AM, prior to leaving for their tour. You will then collect them at 11:00 AM following our Elementary presentation.
Please note: students in Preschool to Grade 1 will receive individual orientation letters, detailing your orientation program - including their separate orientation appointment on the first day of school (August 7th, Thursday).
An email from the Elementary School will be sent to families with the individual session information by early August.
ES Technology Overview
"Getting to Know Our Digital School" will be on August 19th, Tuesday at the ES Lounge, 7:30 AM
ES After School Activities: Please check the Activities website for general information and to see an overview of the Activities program.
Elementary students in Kindergarten to Grade 4 will be able to register for 'Saturday Soccer' as a part of the Block 1 Activities sign-up process. This will be held on designated Saturday mornings during Block 1 of Activities from (late-August to mid-October). This will be a non-competitive environment with an emphasis on developing a love of the game of soccer and involves parent volunteer coaches in running teams. *S1 ES Saturday Soccer schedule is coordinated via the Activities Office.
- Block 1 Sign-up opens on August 15th, Friday at 7:00 AM
- Block 1 Sign-up closes August 19th, Tuesday at 7:00 AM
- Block 1 Activities confirmation is sent via email on or before August 19th, Tuesday
- Block 1 Activities program begins on August 19th, Tuesday
For further information please see the links below:
Elementary School Office Contact
Phone number: 8840.8450
Email address: es@ismanila.org
Middle School
All new parents and students will have an orientation on August 5th beginning at 9:00 AM. There will be a technology session in August to help students set up their computers, in preparation for the start of classes.
TECHNOLOGY at ISM Parent and Student Orientations
On Tuesday, August 5th, Middle School and High School Students will be assisted with their IT setup after their formal MS/HS orientation session is completed. Support will be offered between 12:45 - 3:00 PM by the IT department in a designated area of the Kantina. If students cannot make this session, please do not worry, as IT orientation will be covered within the MS General Student Orientation sessions that take place on Thursday, August 7th and Friday, August 8th.
Students who arrive after this date or who need further assistance will be able to visit the Middle School and High School Offices during the first week of school, where they will be assisted with their IT setup needs.
BYOD: BRING YOUR OWN DEVICE @ ISM FOR GRADES 7-12
Please be informed that Middle School Students in Grades 7 and 8 are required to bring their own laptops to school each day as per the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) program. For more information about the BYOD program, click HERE or read more below.
MIDDLE SCHOOL DATES TO REMEMBER
For students who have completed their interviews and enrollment clearance:
August 5, 2025 (Tuesday): Class Schedules will be issued by the MS Office.
August 7, 2025 (Thursday): Start of Classes
SUPPLY LISTS FOR MS STUDENTS
Please click HERE to view the supply lists for SY 2025-2026.
ATHLETICS AND ACTIVITIES
ATHLETICS:
In August, Middle and High School students have the chance to try out for Volleyball, Soccer and Cross Country for Season One (S1) sports at the start of the school year.
Overview of the key dates for August 2025
Season 1 Competitive Team Tryouts: Weeks of August 7, 8 and August 11 -14
- High School - August 7, 8, 11, 12 (Volleyball/Cross Country/Soccer)
- Middle School - August 12, 13, 14 (Volleyball/Cross Country/Soccer)
Season one (S1) team training for MS/HS Volleyball/Cross Country/Soccer teams will begin immediately after tryouts week until mid October. Athletics S1 tryout and practice schedules will be available on the Athletics website, published in Friday parent bulletins, posted on school notice boards, and included on TV screens around campus.
Year Round (YR) Teams Tryouts: Week of August 18-22
- YR Team Tryouts will start from August 18th for: Gymnastics, Aikido, Chess, Wall Climbing, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, and Sailfish Swimming programs.
YR team yearlong training schedule is published on the Athletic website and is posted on school notice boards, and included on TV screens around campus.
Students who make our YR teams will train 3 x per week throughout the year and compete in local Manila-based events/competitions.
- For the Sailfish swim team please visit the Sailfish website to view the tryout schedule and skills assessment criteria required for squad selection.
- Tryouts for our Gymnastics team are limited to 36 places and skill requirements are posted on the Gymnastics page of the Athletics website.
Middle School Athletics Registration
In order to assist students with the organization of the competitive Athletics program tryout sessions, a MS Google registration form will be sent to all MS parents on August 7th. *A separate Activities Registration Form link will be sent and provided for all Activities program offerings.
MS After School Activities: Please check the Activities website for general information and to see an overview of the Activities program.
• Block 1 Sign-up opens on August 15th, Friday at 7:00 AM
• Block 1 Sign-up closes August 19th, Tuesday at 7:00 AM
• Block 1 Activities confirmation is sent via email on or before August 19th,
Tuesday
• Block 1 Activities program begins on August 19th, Tuesday
For further information please see the links below:
SUMMER READS
Middle School Office Contact
Phone number: 8840.8555
Email address: ms@ismanila.org
High School
All new parents and students entering Grades 9-12 will have an orientation on August 5, 2025.
TECHNOLOGY at ISM Parent and Student Orientations
On Tuesday, August 5th, Middle School and High School Students will be assisted with their IT setup after their formal MS/HS orientation session is completed. Support will be offered between 12:45 - 3:00 PM by the IT department in a designated area of the Kantina. If students cannot make this session, please do not worry, as IT orientation will be covered within the MS General Student Orientation sessions that take place on Thursday, August 7th and Friday, August 8th.
Students who arrive after this date or who need further assistance will be able to visit the Middle School and High School Offices during the first week of school, where they will be assisted with their IT setup needs.
BYOD: BRING YOUR OWN DEVICE @ ISM FOR GRADES 7-12
ISM students in Grades 7-12 are required to bring their own laptop to school to use as a learning tool in the classroom. For information, expectations for responsible use, requirements and frequently asked questions for our Grades 7-12 BYOD program, click HERE.
HIGH SCHOOL DATES TO REMEMBER
For students who have completed their interviews
August 6, 2025 (Wednesday): Class Schedule Distribution Online for Grades 9-12
August 7, 2025 (Thursday): Start of Classes
SUMMER READING ASSIGNMENTS FOR HS STUDENTS
Summer reading is a requirement for all incoming High School Students, thus students should have read the material and completed any accompanying work before the first day of school. This reading will be explored in class the first days or possibly the first few weeks.
USEFUL LINKS FOR HS STUDENTS
ARTS, ATHLETICS AND ACTIVITIES
ARTS & CULTURAL ACTIVITIES:
While most other ISM Arts-based clubs and societies will begin after the High School Club Expo on August 20th, two groups will start earlier:
High School Musical 2025: Footloose Auditions
The HS Play at ISM is a highly anticipated Season 1 activity, which regularly involves over 150 HS students from all grades onstage, backstage or in the band. This year's play is the musical Footloose. Audition information for actors is linked here. Auditions for acting roles will take place from Monday, August 11th, Wednesday, August 13th and Thursday, August 14th in the ISM Fine Arts Theater from 3:00 to 4:45 PM each day. For backstage roles (tech, stage crew, props, set design, make up & hair/ costume/ promotions) and the band, an application form is posted in the HS Student Daily Notices during the first week of school. Anybody who signs up for crew, band or auditions will be included in some way. The play is performed from October 9th to 11th so students are then free to join Season 2 Athletics and Activities.
High School Model United Nations
Model United Nations (MUN) will have their first meeting on August 12th from 3:05 to 4:45 PM in the Little Theatre (LT). This is because the major events they are preparing for require more time to complete selections for traveling events. There are three main MUN events during Semester One: MUN Locals for all students, SEOMUN in Seoul for 20 students, and IASAS MUN in Kuala Lumpur for 14 students. The club is one of the biggest at ISM with around 100 students regularly signing up. Here is a link to the sign up form, which you should do before attending on August 12th. Also, you can follow the club on Instagram @ism_mun and email the club council with additional questions at mun@ismanila.org .
ATHLETICS:
In August, Middle and High School students have the chance to try out for Volleyball, Soccer and Cross Country for Season One (S1) sports at the start of the school year.
Overview of the key dates for August 2025
Season 1 Competitive Team Tryouts: Weeks of August 7, 8 and August 11 -14
- High School - August 7, 8, 11, 12 (Volleyball/Cross Country/Soccer)
- Middle School - August 12, 13, 14 (Volleyball/Cross Country/Soccer)
Season one (S1) team training for MS/HS Volleyball/Cross Country/Soccer teams will begin immediately after tryouts week until mid October. Athletics S1 tryout and practice schedules will be available on the Athletics website, published in Friday parent bulletins, posted on school notice boards, and included on TV screens around campus.
Year Round (YR) Teams Tryouts: Week of August 18-22
- YR Team Tryouts will start from August 18th for: Gymnastics, Aikido, Chess, Wall Climbing, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, and Sailfish Swimming programs.
YR team yearlong training schedule is published on the Athletic website and is posted on school notice boards, and included on TV screens around campus.
Students who make our YR teams will train 3 x per week throughout the year and compete in local Manila-based events/competitions.
- For the Sailfish swim team please visit the Sailfish website to view the tryout schedule and skills assessment criteria required for squad selection.
- Tryouts for our Gymnastics team are limited to 36 places and skill requirements are posted on the Gymnastics page of the Athletics website.
High School Athletics Registration
HS students need to sign-up via an Athletics Registration Form link which will be emailed directly to all HS students on August 1st when the HS tryouts registration period opens. Follow-up emails will be sent to remind HS students to register before S1 sports tryouts begin on the first day of school. HS students must register in order to be eligible to try out for HS seasonal teams. New students will be unable to register until they have been provided with their ISM email address. New students who would like to try out for S1 sports and are yet to get their ISM email should still attend the tryouts for S1 competitive teams but must register as soon as they get their ISM school email address.
HS After School Activities: Please check the Activities website for general information and to see an overview of the Activities program.
• Block 1 Sign-up opens on August 15th, Friday at 7:00 AM
• Block 1 Sign-up closes August 19th, Tuesday at 7:00 AM
• Block 1 Activities confirmation is sent via email on or before August 19th,
Tuesday
• Block 1 Activities program begins on August 19th, Tuesday
For further information please see the links below:
High School Office Contact
Phone number: 8840.8653
Email address: hs@ismanila.org
Uniform & School Bus
UNIFORM SHOP
The Uniform Shop reopens on weekdays beginning July 21st, Monday until September 5th, Friday. Store hours are 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
Starting the week of September 8th, store hours will revert to the regular schedule every Tuesday and Friday from 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
Please click here to view the options and price list for uniforms.
SCHOOL BUS OFFICE
The School Bus Office opens on June 16, Monday to accept registrations for the bus service.
Operating hours are Weekdays (Monday to Friday) from 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
Please click here to learn more about the School Bus service.
BEARCard
BEARCARD
ISM uses a full debit system in the Bearcat Kantina, Cafe and the ES, MS, HS Libraries. This debit system provides customers with a cashless payment system once the customer’s school ID has been loaded with funds. Adding funds can be done online via the Parent Portal > BEARCard System, through the Cashier, TouchPay machines or either of the two Kiosks located on campus. To learn more, click here.
International School Manila