BASIS International School Bangkok eNewsletter

Message from Head of School & Head of Operations:

Dear TUSKERS families,

We kicked off BOOKWEEK 2024 with the enchanting Book Parade on Monday! The whole week was filled with various activities including visiting authors, creative storytelling sessions and the Book Fair. It was truly inspiring to witness how much our students enjoy reading!

The International Day was another highlight, where our Parents Association organized international booths representing diverse cuisines and cultures from Japan, India, Taiwan, Australia, Spain and the Netherlands. Students were amazed and eagerly interacted in the activities. They all had a blast and enjoyed the cultural differences! We would like to extend our appreciation to all the supportive Parents Association members for their efforts in making this day successful. You are just amazing!

On the sports side, we hosted another friendly football match with International School Bangkok (ISB) that marked one of the most thrilling matches for our U11 and U12 Boys! The game was neck to neck with consecutive goals scored! Our TUSKERS showed their skills and sportsmanship throughout the game. We could not be more proud of them! We look forward to more fun matches soon.

There are some additional exciting sport tournaments lined-up this academic year, see more details from Coach Namita. See you on this Sunday, March 17th, for the Basketball U9 and U11 Boys and Girls with Australian International School Bangkok, Raffles American School Bangkok and Anglo Singapore International School, at our campus. Come support our talented basketball players!

As a reminder, we are approaching the application deadline for Upper School BASIS Got Talent. We are calling all singers, dancers, actors, and other entertainers to showcase their talents and confidence. Do not miss the chance to support your child as they shine in their own unique way. Please kindly refer to below newsletter for more detailed information and submit the application by Tuesday, March 19th.

Finally, save the date for Wednesday, March 27^th at 08:30 -10:00 A.M. for BASIS BASICS to meet with our Academic team to discuss on the curriculum, assessments, and our educational future. This session is suitable for all grade levels.

Once again, thank you very much for your continuous support and engagement! We eagerly anticipate many more wonderful experiences and unforgettable memories to come!

Best regards,
Dr. W and Ms. Kwan
Head of School and Head of Operations

Save the date for School Events and Academic Calendar:

*Students are reminded to please wear their BASIS polo shirt to the awards ceremony next week.

Upper School BASIS Got Talent

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We are excited to announce this year's BASIS Got Talent competitions! There will be Primary School and Upper School BASIS Got Talent this year. Upper School Got Talent auditions are open now. Please see the schedule below:

Upper School Got Talent Date: Friday, March 29^that 4:00 P.M. (Parents will be invited)
Sign up period: From now until Tuesday, March 19^that 4.00 P.M.
Audition Date: Wednesday, March 20^th
Rehearsal: Wednesday, March 27^th

Audition guidelines and sign-up link:

Audition date: Wednesday, March 20^th
Time: 11:50-12:30 (A.E. time)
Location: Music and Drama rooms (2201, 2202, 2203)
Audition Guidelines:
- Any entertainment act welcome!
- You can collaborate with anyone from grades 6-9
- 8 people maximum group size
- One audition per student only (one person can't be in two groups)
- 5 minutes maximum length, 3 minutes recommended
- No non-student accompanists - group performances or backing tracks only
- All acts must use school-appropriate language and costumes
Sign-up form link: https://forms.gle/EX2NVrKfqJziQZg7 9
Sign-up deadline: Tuesday, March 19^that 4:00 P.M.

We look forward to seeing all the awesome auditions, and to seeing all of you at the show on March 29th! Please email Ms. Olivia (o.drouillard@basis.ac.th) with any questions about the BASIS Got Talent audition process and performance.

Sincerely,

Ms. Olivia Drouillard
Fine and Performing Arts Subject Lead
Subject Expert Teacher, Music

BASIS Explorer Camp 2024

Our BASIS Explorer Camp 2024 is now available for registration. There are varieties of summer camps made available for all age from 3-12 years. Join us for a fun variety of sets of activities for camp and make this summer one to remember for your child/ren. Please stay tuned for more Summer Camps next week!

**Open to both BASIS and non-BASIS students.

**Space is limited, and to register, please scan QR code in the poster.

For more detail, please contact school line @bisb or email at communication@basis.ac.th

Early Years Newsletter

Message from Director of Early Years:

Dear Parents of Early Years,

Thank you for participating in all the fun Book Week activities. There is never a dull moment in our day!

Please be reminded that Early Years students should be dropped off at the Early Years gate in the morning. The only exception is for families that also have a student in the primary school.

Teachers are communicating regarding Parent Teacher Conferences. This is not required of you to participate. If you feel you are already getting the information you need and the reports will suffice to show you how your child is making progress on their learning goals, then you do not need to sign up. I want the teachers to be able to hold deep conversations with parents as opposed to brief exchanges about the well-being of your child. Those brief exchanges can occur outside of the parent teacher conference window.

Sincerely,
Ms. Annie Fletcher
Director of Early Years

BASIS Early Years is a RAINBOW! We celebrated the conclusion of Book Week by turning ourselves into one giant rainbow because WE are a rainbow of possibilities.

Primary, Middle & High School Newsletter

Message from Dean of Primary School:

Congratulations to Nita, Fha Fha, Chomprang, and Saiya!

These students have already received ALL of the TUSKERS Badges as a result of following the TUSKERS characteristics. They will be invited to an ice-cream and pizza party with Dr. W at the end of the year!

Please advise the following descriptors of TUSKERS characters as a schoolwide initiative:

Thinker-

Being a thinker means using your brain to solve problems, think of new ideas, and understand the world around you. Thinkers ask questions like "why?" and "how?" They use their imagination to come up with creative solutions and think about things in different ways.

Thinkers are curious and love to learn new things. They pay attention to details and try to understand how things work. They are also good at thinking ahead and planning for the future.

Being a thinker is important because it helps you grow and learn. It helps you make good decisions and solve problems. So, always remember to use your brain and be a great thinker!

Unique-

Being unique means that you are unlike anyone else in the whole wide world. It's like being a special puzzle piece that fits perfectly in its own special place. Just like every snowflake is different, every person is unique too. Your uniqueness is what makes you special and one-of-a-kind. It's about embracing the things that make you different and celebrating them. So, whether you have a special talent, a unique way of thinking, or a different way of doing things, remember that being unique is a wonderful thing that makes you who you are!

Supportive-

Being supportive means lending a hand to others when they need it. Whether it's helping a friend with their schoolwork, picking up toys to keep the classroom tidy, or sharing your crayons with someone who forgot theirs, being supportive shows kindness and makes everyone feel good. When you're supportive, you're showing that you care about others and want to make the world a better place. So, let's all try to be supportive and make our school and community a happier, friendlier place for everyone!

Kind-

Being kind means showing care and concern for others. It's about being friendly, helpful, and thinking about how your actions affect other people's feelings. Kindness is like a warm, fuzzy blanket that can make someone's day brighter. Whether it's sharing your toys, saying nice words, or helping a friend in need, kindness is a superpower that can make the world a happier place for everyone!

Exceptional-

Being exceptional means that you have unique talents, abilities, or qualities that make you stand out in a special way. Just like how each person has their own fingerprint that is different from anyone else's, being exceptional means that there is something about you that is wonderfully unique.

Sometimes being exceptional means that you are really good at something, like drawing, playing sports, or solving puzzles. Other times, it might mean that you think about things in a different way than most people, or that you have a big heart and care a lot about others.

Being exceptional is not about being better or worse than anyone else. It's about being yourself and embracing the things that make you special. So, whether you're exceptional at singing, dancing, or making people laugh, remember that the world is a better place because you are in it!

Respectful-

Being respectful means treating others the way you want to be treated. It means using kind words and actions, listening when someone is talking, and being polite. Respect also means understanding that everyone is different and accepting them for who they are. When we are respectful, we help create a happy and friendly world where everyone feels valued and cared for.

Sincere-

Sincerity is when you are honest and truthful in what you say and do. It means being genuine and real, not pretending to be something or someone you're not. When you are sincere, you mean what you say from your heart. You show sincerity by being honest with your words and actions, and by being true to yourself and others. Sincerity helps you build trust and strong relationships with people around you.

Feel free to use as your guide at home on how to connect our TUSKERS Characteristics and please feel free to add to the descriptions, this is just my way of describing them, make them your own as a family, as we want the children to develop their own personal understanding of what it means to be a TUSKER.

Keep earning those badges! We are very proud of those who already have.

Way to go,
Dean Selby
Dean of Primary

Library Corner:

Hello from the library!

BOOKWEEK 2024 has come to an end and wow, what an amazing week it has been! From the kickoff of activities with our book character parade, to the international food fair, to visiting authors, the book fair, and creative storytelling, our community showed up and showed off our love of books!

I want to thank all of the amazing parents that supported, dressed up, encouraged your students to dress up, and that assisted in our International Day activities and food fair. The support of the BISB community means everything to myself and to the success of our library, so thank you.

I also want to thank everyone for their patience and understanding with the changes to library hours these past few weeks. Beginning Monday, March 17th the normal library hours will resume and there shouldn’t be any more disruptions. BISB Book Club will also continue as normal.

Lastly, the votes are in and I would like to announce the winners of our bookmark and book cover design competitions! Please see the winners below and congratulate our amazing students. For the Book Cover competition, each winner will receive a prize at our upcoming student awards ceremonies, as well as house points for their hard work and creativity. The book covers will also be displayed in the library long-term.

Winners of the bookmark competition will also receive house points and a small price from Ms. Erika. Lastly, we will have their incredible work duplicated and handed out at our school’s 5-year anniversary celebration! Great work everyone!

Thank you all for your support.

Happy reading,
Ms. Erika
Librarian

P.E. Corner:

Dear families,

As we dive into the madness of March, our sports calendar is filled with back-to-back competitions for all sports.

I extend my personal apologies for the recent changes, including rescheduling and cancellations of some competitions. These adjustments were necessary due to unforeseen prior commitments from other schools when selecting the dates.

However, rest assured, our commitment to providing our students with diverse platforms to explore and experience sports remains unwavering.

Please mark your calendars for our highly anticipated 2nd BASIS Football Festival Tournament, scheduled for Saturday, May 11th, 2024. The students are incredibly excited and are pouring their hearts and souls into their preparations.

This year, we are thrilled to announce that we will be hosting three age categories: U11, U13, and U15, all for boys. Building upon the success of last year's inaugural event, we aim to elevate the festivities by welcoming sports brands vendors to showcase their merchandise, alongside a live musical performance.

Here is an overview of the sports competitions scheduled for this month:

March 16, 2024: U12 - U14 Basketball Competition at ASCOT - Canceled
March 17, 2024: U9-U11 Basketball Tournament at BASIS - As scheduled
March 23, 2024: U11 Basketball Tournament at SISB TR - As scheduled
March 23, 2024: U9-U11 Badminton Tournament at BASIS - As scheduled
March 26, 2024: U11 Badminton Competition at ISB - As scheduled
March 30, 2024: Puppy Cup Swim Meet at Bangkok Prep - As scheduled
March 30, 2024: Songkran Soccer's Sevens U10 – New Addition
March 31, 2024: U13-U15 Basketball Tournament at BASIS – Rescheduled on 4^th May 2024.

Feel free to contact me for any questions or clarifications.

Thank you for your understanding and continued support.

Best regards,
Coach Namita
Director of Auxiliary Programs

ECA Corner:

ECA Spotlight:

A BIG thank you to all parents for visiting ECA classes for our 1st ECA observation week. We are glad to see students's excitement to see their loved families as well as parents's enthusiasm to see how their child(ren) are doing in the class. We are very happy to share some photos with you for those who didn't attend the observation week, and we are looking forward to seeing you in the future. Stay tuned for more updates on your child(ren) ECA learning journey in the ECA spotlight next week.

ECA Team

HSK & YCT Test Center

Dear families,

We are pleased to share a potentially significant development regarding our Mandarin program at BISB. We have been exploring the possibility of hosting YCT exam on our BISB campus on May 12th while the HSK exam will take place at Chulalongkorn University on May 19th.

To realize this opportunity, we require a minimum number of participants. This is an exciting endeavor that could open doors for our Mandarin program in the future. The success of this initiative could lead to further opportunities that benefit our students and the wider community.

The registration period is from today until March 31st, students can register both YCT and HSK exam at the same time.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us through the email: mandarin@basis.ac.th.

Thank you for your ongoing support and understanding.

Tuition Fees for 2024-25 Announcement:

Dear BASIS families,

We are pleased to share the Tuition Fees for the 2024-2025 academic year as enclosed. In addition to this, we would like to inform you that we are making some adjustments in an effort to improve this annual process.

From this year forward, instead of sending two invoices we will now combine the re-enrollment and first semester tuition fee into one tuition fee invoice. This invoice will be distributed on April 1st, 2024 with a payment period extended until the last day of the academic year, June 21st, 2024. In support of our families, we will waive the credit card fee for invoices paid within May 15th, 2024.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

Payments must be made within this timeline in order to secure your place in the school.
Invoices paid after June 21st, 2024 will incur interest fees of 1.5% per month for late payment.

At BASIS we are continually seeking ways to improve our education and campus experience. Over the last 2-years, we have faced high inflation but still brought many new facilities and services in order to offer the best value for our families.

To ensure that we continue to be able to offer education at the highest international levels, we must have small increases in tuition costs to help offset some of the additional expenses incurred. Some of these additional improvements are well known to you, such as those listed below. However, others like increased cost of personnel & recruiting, supplies, utilities, repair & maintenance, and many others may not be as visible but are necessary to ensure we continue to provide quality education.

Some things that we have added over the last 2-years include:

New facilities – Early Years canteen, Early Years reading room, Early Years playground, Gymnastics Room, Multi-Purpose Room, Additional science labs, expanded Library, Upper School Lounge, and more.
Academic and Activities Support - Additional intervention specialists, Academic Coach for Grade 5, Dean for Middle School, Director for Early Years, additional music and blackbox equipment, additional Art, Music, and Drama Teachers, and College and Wellbeing Counselors.
Technology - MacBooks for Grade 9+, Additional and replacement Laptops and Tablets for other grades, Additional Science Equipment, College Counselling Platform, Reading Platform, additional security improvements, and many more.
Extracurricular and Activities - Free Teacher and Student Led Clubs, Bands, Sports Teams, Academic Competitions, and expanded school-wide Events and Activities.

We thank you for your continued support of BASIS and our mission. Please feel free to reach out to our team if you have any questions.

Most sincerely,
Dr. W and Ms. Kwan
Head of School and Head of Operations

Sport Activities for BISB Community

Weekly Menu Updates:

Community Health Updates

This week our records cut-off time for is Friday at 3:00 P.M. There are 7 cases this week.

BISB Calendars 2023-24 Academic Calendar:

BISB Calendars 2024-25 Academic Calendar:

TUSKERS of the Week

Congratulation to our students for their remarkable performance at the Singapore Math Global Final (SMGF)! This prestigious competition exclusively invited students who achieved Bronze, Silver, and Gold in the American Mathematics Olympiad (AMO) We are immensely proud of our students for their exceptional mastery of mathematics. Well done, TUSKERS!