BASIS International School Bangkok eNewsletter

Farewell and New Appointment Announcement:

Dear BASIS Community,

We have an important announcement to share regarding a change in our leadership team. After years of dedication and invaluable contributions, Ms. Kwan will be moving on from BASIS International School Bangkok, with her last day on September 15. While we will greatly miss her, we profoundly thankful for the positive impact she has on our community.

At the same time, we are looking forward to warmly welcoming Ms. Wilairat (Lyn) Chalermsrisiri, who will be joining our team as Head of Operations.

Please take a moment to read the attached letter for more details.

HOPS Announcement

Warm Regards,
Mr. Toby Walker
Vice-President BASIS Independent Schools
Executive Committee Board Member

Mr. Jonathan B. Schwimmer
Managing Director
BASIS International School Bangkok

Thank you email from Head of Operations:

Dear Students, Parents, Teachers, and School Staff,

It has been a great privilege to be part of the BISB family since 2021. The past three years have been some of the most memorable and formative of my life. I am truly thankful to each member of the BISB community for your inspiration and support.

A special thank you to our wonderful parents, teachers and school staff for your endless encouragement and for nurturing the brilliant and caring students we have in our school.

As I embark on the next chapter of my life, I will always cherish BISB with treasured memories and remarkable people. I eagerly await the amazing achievements of our students and look forward to celebrating their successes in the future.

Wishing you all a wonderful, healthy, and happy school year ahead!

Warmest regards,
Ms. Kwan (Kingkarn O.)
Head of Operations

Message from Head of School & Head of Operations:

Dear TUSKERS families,

Please be reminded that we will have our Literacy Day upcoming up on Tuesday, September 3rd!

Please encourage your child to dress up for their grades assigned genre for the special fashion show. Parents are cordially invited to join your students for a Storytime and craft-making session in the Library at 3:45 P.M. For more detailed information, please refer to Library Corner below.

Additionally, please mark your calendars with the upcoming school events over the next two weeks.

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

Message from Director of Academic Programs:

Dear BASIS Parents,

I sincerely hope that you were able to attend and enjoy the Coffee Morning(s) this week, it was a pleasure to meet all of you. As I said, please do keep in regular contact with me about your questions and concerns because your collaborative involvement is essential to the smooth and successful operations of our academic programs.

I wanted to also mention that, different from our original plan, we will be sending home course syllabi next week to give you a better sense of what is happening in class. If you have questions or concerns about this, please feel free to reach out to me directly.

Looking ahead, progress reports will be sent home on September 20th. These reports cover the first half of the trimester and will help us identify aspects to focus on for the rest of the trimester, how students have improved, and ways they can improve further.

Sincerely,
Mr. Ian
Director of Academic Programs

Early Years Newsletter:

Dear Families,

It was nice to see many of you at our Coffee Mornings. I have noted the items brought up that I am able to take immediate action on and those that need further consideration and future planning.

Video and Photographing: One of the items that needs immediate attention is the fact that parents continue to take videos and photographs while standing at the turnstile. This is infringing on the privacy wishes of other parents to NOT have their children in someone else’s media. It is also against our school rules. Please put phones away when at the turnstile. I will be telling people to do this and I have also directed my teachers to address the situation and if necessary, I will have the security team also involved. You may have noticed that there is now a film covering the canteen windows. This had to be placed in the second week of school because adults were taking pictures through the window. There is a simple solution to the problem. No phones visible at the turnstile.

Milk: You are welcome to send in a box milk alternative for your child, however flavored milks do not qualify. Please send plain white milk if you wish to do so.

Swimming: We need a medical note from the doctor that states no swimming and for what duration of time. Otherwise, students will participate in swimming lessons. Swimming and Movement are a curricular part of enrolling your child at BASIS. It is a class with Learning Objectives and grades.

Thank you for your attention to these matters. Most important is that your children are happy and showing us they are ready to learn! It is exciting to be able to dive quickly into academics. Thank you for preparing them for school.

Sincerely,

Ms. Annie Fletcher
Director of Early Years

Primary, Middle & High School Newsletter:

Message from Director of Primary & Upper School

Dear BISB Families,

Thank you for attending the Coffee Mornings this week. It is always a pleasure meeting you and sharing information about your child's learning journey at BISB. Please stay tuned for more upcoming Coffee Mornings. Library, College Counseling, and AP courses and exams.

Routines

Three weeks into the new school year, your child should be establishing positive routines to maximize learning and academic achievement. This is where we, families and the school, collaborate in creating healthy environments and consistent routines for learning and well-being.

Homework

Homework is an organic and integral part of the learning process. It is the best way for the student to verify that they understand the material and can use the knowledge independently. Homework assists students in developing self - discipline, self - direction, and effective study skills. Please see the Homework Policy for recommended grade-level time allotments for math and reading. Please encourage your child to complete their homework on their own and bring any questions back to the subject teacher the next day. Please reach out to subject teachers for more information about homework and other assignments.

Reading in Grades 1 to 5

As a way to foster the joy of reading and encourage students to read at home for 20 to 30 minutes each day, students can now earn house points. We ask for parent collaboration. Each day that your child reads for 20 to 30 minutes, please sign your signature in the CJ on the left side where it says the days of the week. On a Friday, when the students take their CJ's out, the teacher or LET will check the child's reading of that week.

Monday-Thursday-1 house point for each day.

Friday, Saturday & Sunday- 2 points for each day.

This means the student could earn up to 10 house points a week for reading!

Ms. Allison
Director of Primary & Upper School

Message from College Counselor

Greetings BISB Community,

The school year is off to a great start and students are engaging in a variety of social and academic pursuits. Our BASIS International School Bangkok NHS and NJHS Chapters are excited to open the doors for Grade 7-10 students to apply for membership to this rewarding and prestigious organization. If your child is an academic leader who wants to give back to their school, local, and global community, please encourage them to apply. The attached letter covers the mission of NHS and NJHS and outlines the requirements and process for applying. Please read the letter over closely and message me with any questions. Have a lovely weekend.

NHS Welcome Letter

Thank you,
Ms. Kate Irving
College Counselor

Message from Dean of Primary School

Dear Parents

We’ve had another wonderful week of play and learning in Primary! Thank you for ensuring that your child arrives to school on time. This allows the children to feel a part of the school community and allows the teacher to begin lessons on time. We will send out emails as needed to address regular late arrivals.

All students should be wearing their BASIS lanyards during the school day. If they have lost their lanyard, please remind your child to borrow a temporary one at reception.

I am enjoying getting to know the children! I often visit the classrooms so that I can get to know them as learners. This allows the students to be more comfortable with me as well.

Last week in our assemblies we reviewed expectations for behavior both in and out of the classroom and reminded the children about possible consequences if they are struggling to follow these expectations. Ms. Olivia led our Tuskers chant, and we talked about the values we are all focusing on here at school, in our homes, and in the community. The children decorated the letters to spell TUSKERS and we hung the letters in the Primary hallway to remind us about working as a team.

Have a lovely weekend,
Dean Jenny
Dean of Primary School

Library Corner:

Hello from BISB Library!

This month’s theme in the library has been curiosity.

In grades 1-3, we read the novel The Curious Why by Angela DiTerlizzi and Lorena Alvarez Gomez. The book asks students to pose questions about the world around them like, why do certain creatures glow? And how are crayons made? The story encourages them to be curious and inquisitive, and to know that when in doubt, or when they have a question – the library and books often hold answers for them!

For students in Grades 4 and 5, we spent the week doing book tastings! Book tastings are designed to encourage students to try new genres of books. They allow students to read something different than their usual taste, and to pique their curiosity to, hopefully, get them checking out a new book.

One of my personal goals as your Librarian is to get our students more curious about the world around them. I encourage them to ask questions, to try new things, and to see learning as something we can choose to do on our own, and in our own way.

Next week in the library, we will celebrate our love of literacy all week!

For students in grades 4-8, we will work on digital literacy and research skills. Grades 1-3 will enjoy fun storytimes in collaboration with their other classes, and EY students will have a magical storytime focusing on growth mindset! In addition, Literacy Day is on Tuesday, September 3rd! I look forward to seeing the unique and creative costumes, and to seeing students and parents in the library for a magical storytime and craft.

See you on Literacy Day, and happy reading,

Ms. Erika
Librarian

Well-being Corner:

Dear TUSKERS Families,

It is with immense excitement that I announce our upcoming "Parents Series," an engaging and comprehensive program designed to address a myriad of topics pertinent to parents throughout their journey. This event will be hosted in the Black Box, featuring Ms. Ked, Dr. Golf, and a distinguished guest host for our final session.

For those who had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Golf at last year’s event, we are delighted to share that this year, she will be collaborating with Ms. Ked, our new school counselor. Ms. Ked, a certified marriage and family therapist with a specialization in relational therapy, brings a wealth of expertise and a unique perspective, drawing from her dual citizenship in Canada and Thailand. Her dedication to raising awareness about mental health is truly inspiring.

Our series will commence in September with a compelling session on "Effective Communication with Teens," followed by a diverse range of topics each month. Please refer to the attached poster for a detailed schedule of this year’s topics.

We eagerly anticipate your participation and look forward to seeing you there!

Ms. Ked
School Counselor

Weekly Menu Updates:

Community Health Updates

This week our records cut-off time for is Friday at 3:00 P.M. There are 11 cases this week.

Cleaning and Sanitization

BISB Calendars 2024-25: Sport Academy Calendar:

BISB Calendars 2024-25: ECA Calendar

TUSKER Sport Academy Schedule:

TUSKERS Of The Week

Congratulations to Milin, our talented Grade 8 student, for receiving the Supreme Gold runner-up award at the 54th Pentel International Children’s Art Competition! 🎨🏆

Out of 37,517 submissions from around the world, Milin is one of only four participants to receive the Supreme Gold runner-up award—an achievement she has now earned twice! Her award-winning artwork will be showcased at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre until September 8th before being sent to Japan.

This international recognition is a testament to Milin’s artistic excellence and her dedication to pursuing her passion. We are incredibly proud of you, Milin!