BASIS International School Bangkok eNewsletter

Message from the Head of School

Dear Families,

Another holiday beckons! I am sure mommies and daddies are so happy to have their babes back in their total care for a week! Relax and enjoy – remember, they grow up way too quickly…!

A few things to share with you all:

Look out for the application forms for ECAs or after school club activities below. Places are bound to be in demand, so make sure you act quickly!

Swimming will commence in school soon! Some information regarding the swimming pool protocols is in this newsletter. Clearly, we have to be way more diligent than pre-Covid times… Any parents who actively do not want their babes to go swimming – we feel this is entirely your prerogative. However, we would like to know in advance in order that we can make arrangements for the non-swimming children.

We had a false alarm regarding Covid in a PreK1 class this week. That class and their teachers spent a day with online learning. However, it transpired that the little one who was thought to have Covid very thankfully did not!

Pre-comprehensive exams were taken by the grades 6 and 7 children this week. These are used as a mid-year indicator in terms of what the children know – and what they still need to know prior to undertaking the way more meaningful comprehensive examinations near the end of the school year. Be sure to say WELL DONE to your children if they took the exams this week!

As you know, I have been in schools for a long time… And, I can share with you that I have never had a year without some issues occurring either in grade 5 or grade 6 (or both!) as children simply are going through an arduous stage in their lives. Clearly, for it to always occur means it is a natural phenomenon. Children can develop passions for things that they can drop at short notice. They can be very trying with parents. They can be extremely difficult with each other as friendships appear to be frequently under strain. Supposedly their brains are physically altering as they move toward adolescence. Whilst we parents do not like the idea, children of this age start talking about relationships. I know full-well, from personal experience, as moms and dads we almost invariably want to ignore these things. However, we have to accept this as a very natural part of life. I would urge you to be calm if children in grades 5, 6 and 7 start to talk to you about the issue of relationships – far better to listen than ignore or show you are shocked! Far better to appear calm and dispassionate than make a fuss – and then not be available to advise children. I believe that it is appropriate for children of this age to have some professional advice and an opportunity to speak with a genuine expert on such middle years’ matters. In consequence, I am attempting to arrange for a suitably qualified counsellor to undertake sessions with these children soon after the upcoming holiday. Rest assured, if you do not want your child to participate – we will absolutely honour your decision. Further, once we find the right person to deliver these classes – we will give you way more information regarding content, and the structure of the classes – since, as an example, one does not mix boys and girls for such sessions.

And so to a holiday week! Have a wonderful time – and catch your babes doing the right things – and make a fuss about that. Whilst it is a great opportunity just to have time to sit and actively listen to your babes!

Alan.

ECA's Are Back!

Beginning Monday, February 28th, our Extra-Curricular Activies program returns after a long hiatus! Please find the catalog below and sign-up form at the following link:

https://forms.gle/CDEsF4erf3B9wFtG6

Register now until February 22nd, 2022. ECAs will run from February 28th to June 10th.

ECA_Catalog_2021_2022_T2_Final.pdf

Swimming Lessons Return After February Break

Please review the Swimming Safety Protocols below. For students who do not wish to partake in swimming lessons, please call the school at 02-415-0099 or contact us at our Line Official @bisb.

Pre-K Optional Naptime

Thank you for signing up, and do not forget to bring nap supplies on Monday, February 21st if your child is enrolled in optional naptime. For parents who do not have their own nap supplies, we have items for sale at the school. Please contact the school at 02-415-0099 or Line Official @bisb for more information!

Update on the Pfizer Vaccine for Children 5-11 Years Old

Dear parents,

Regarding Pfizer vaccine orange cap for children 5-11 years old, we have submitted your requests to The Office of the Private Education Commission (OPEC) on January 28,2022. The government plan is to distribute the first round of vaccine to the hospital for sick children first, and then schools would be the 2nd round. We are currently waiting for vaccine dosages to be assigned to our school. During this waiting period, if any family is able to get COVID vaccine elsewhere, please let the school know by our Line Official @bisb or call at 02 415 0099. This will help us stay updated with the government and not delay the vaccine assignment.

Thank you for your help to keep our community safe.

7th Grade Art Elective Mural

Our 7th grade Art students worked together to create a large-scale recreation of “The Great Wave Off Kanagawa” by Japanese ukiyo-e artist Hokusai. This project’s focus is on using a grid to draw an image accurately, learning to collaborate with each other, and working with acrylic paint. Each student was responsible for completing at least 5 pieces of the collaborative grid painting. It is currently displayed in the BASIS Cafe, where you can come visit and take a closer look at this impressive work of art.

1st and 2nd Grader Socially Distanced Community Mural

The students began the New Year by reading the book "Maybe Something Beautiful: How Art Transformed a Neighborhood" by F. Isabel Campoy and Theresa Howell, Illustrated by Rafael Lópeza. The book centers around the power of art and its ability to bring the community together.

The students aimed to transform their school into something beautiful like Mira and the Muralist in the book! The students overcame the challenge of working together in a pandemic by swapping their painted papers between grade levels. The 1^st Graders used the 2^nd Graders' painted paper to make trees for the mural, and the 2^nd used the 1st' to make the houses. Ms. Dash, the art teacher, used 1^st and 2^nd Graders' painted paper to create the sun that shines brightly over the vibrant neighborhood.

The students hope this brings a smile to your face and brightens up your day!

"A splash of color is all you need to change your day from drought to a flowery field!" - Ms. Dash.