BASIS International School Bangkok eNewsletter

Message from Head of School & Head of Operations:

Dear TUSKERS families,

Today, we joyfully celebrated the 5th Anniversary of BASIS International School Bangkok. We would like to take this opportunity to express our deepest gratitude for your unwavering support. We truly believe that, with the continued collaboration of our exceptional BASIS Bangkok community, we will achieve even greater success in the years to come!

As part of the celebration, representatives from our Parent Association handover donations from our community to ‘The Mirror Foundation’ to support flood relief efforts in Northern Thailand. This initiative emphasized our TUSKERS core value of being “Kind,” and we hope it serves as a meaningful example to our students about the importance of supporting the community around them. Thank you all for your generosity!

This week has been full of vibrant activities on our campus. We had an insightful Parent Workshop on communicating with teens, led by our School Counselors, and a Coffee Morning on the Pre-SAT, hosted by our College Counselor. We also hosted friendly basketball and football matches with King’s Bangkok. The games were thrilling, and our players did an amazing job. More importantly, beyond the victories, they fostered valuable friendships and enhanced their skills. We’re already looking forward to the next matches!

Please take note of the exciting events coming up next week—mark your calendars and come join us!

Enjoy your weekend, and thank you once again for being such an integral part of our community.

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

Message from Director of Academic Programs:

Dear BISB Parents,

It's Progress Report week! This is our first milestone in the school year, but certainly not the last. You will be receiving a paper copy of the progress report, but I wanted to give you some more information about how to interpret the information you'll see in this report. If you are an Early Years parent, you are not receiving a progress report in written form. Due to the sensitive nature of learning and adjustment in early years, we prefer to convey learning progress to you in alternate channels.

Most important to remember is that this is only a glimpse into the overall learning process, which is larger and more complex than we can capture in only letters and numbers. Although these letters and numbers are important, it is important to remember that your children are developing their own unique talents at different paces, and that the teachers are the experts with deeper insights into how exactly this is taking place in the classroom. If you have questions or concerns about the progress report, we suggest you inquire directly to your child's teacher(s).

I also wanted to remind you of the different grading scales me use across the grade levels, to ensure full understanding of what you see on he reports:

SPNU scale: Uses four marking categories: Superior, Pass, Needs Improvement, and Unsatisfactory. The SPNU scale is used in courses focused on skills, participation, and collaboration. SPNU is used in PK for all courses, in Grades K–4 for non-core courses, in Grades 5 and 6 for PE, and in all Grades to assess term projects. Students in Grade 12 will receive SPNU grades for College Counseling and Senior Projects. For courses grades on the SPNU scale, the system assigns a numerical equivalent to the letter grade as follows: S=4, P=3, N=2, and U=1. The average point equivalent is then converted back to a letter grade.

Simple A–F scale: Uses five marking categories: A, B, C, D, F. This scale is used for courses focusing on the mastery of specific levels of thinking and content retention. The Simple A–F scale is used in Grades K–8 for all courses not assessed by SPNU scale as described above.

Qualified A–F scale: Uses 12 marking categories: A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, F. This scale is used in all courses taught in Grades 9–12 to prepare students for the system that most colleges use.

As always, if you have any questions please do reach out. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Best,
Mr. Ian
Director of Academic Programs

Primary, Middle & High School Newsletter:

Message from Deans of Primary & Upper School

Dear Families,

This week in our Primary assemblies we learned that respect is ‘considering how our words and actions affect other people, places and things’. We talked about how we can show respect not only in school, but also in our community. Wai Kru day was a celebration of the respect that the students show to their teachers. Our desire is for the children to understand the importance of showing this same respect to the world around them. We hope to have many Tusker badge nominations for students showing respect in the coming days and weeks as the children evidence this important value.

We are very pleased to see so many students showing responsibility by wearing their BASIS lanyards. If your child has lost their lanyard or forgets it at home, please remind them to stop by Reception to borrow a lanyard for the day. This lanyard allows the students to move through the gates around campus and helps all adults at BASIS to be able to identify them and direct them as needed. This is especially supportive as we dismiss the children to their families at the end of the school day as well. Thank you for your support!

This week Kangaroo Math and Hippo English certificates arrived for our young Tuskers. Congratulations to our winners all students who took part in these competitions! Middle and High School students received their certificates in this week’s assemblies. You can find photos of these below. The Primary students will be awarded their certificates in our next assemblies at the end of October. If you would like your child to receive their Kangaroo Math and Hippo English certificate before the next assembly, please email Dean Jenny and she will leave your child’s certificate at Reception.

Have a lovely weekend,
Dean Jenny and Dean Andrew

Dear Grade 4 Parents and Students,

I’m excited to inform you that on Friday, September 27, we will have a special cooking activity during our Thai class. We will be making Thai spicy salad. Please note that the recipe does not contain any nuts or seafood.

We look forward to a fun and delicious experience!

Best regards,
Grade 4 Thai Language and Culture Teachers

College Counseling Corner:

Greetings BISB Community,

As your College Counselor my main role is to support students on their journey through high school and into college. A major component to this job is networking with universities across the globe and keeping current with the college admissions landscape. This Friday and Saturday I will attend the East Asia Regional Council of Schools (EARCOS) Institute on International Admissions and Guidance. There I will network with counselors and college representatives, attend workshops on building student portfolios, discuss strategies with colleagues, and represent BASIS International School Bangkok in a school fair where universities learn about our school. There will be 200+ universities in attendance from Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, China, France, Germany, Grenada, Hong Kong (SAR) China, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Qatar, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and United States. It is going to be a thrilling two days, and I will share what I learn in future College Corners.

Thank you,
Ms. Kate Irving
College Counselor

NHS and NJHS News:

Thank you to all the Grade 7-10 students who applied to join the BASIS International School Bangkok Chapter of the National and National Junior Honor Society. I will contact all applicants on Monday with information on the next steps in the application process.

Thank you,
Ms. Kate Irving
College Counselor

P.E. Corner

TUSKERS Sports Academy: Season Highlights and Upcoming Events

Dear TUSKERS Families,

We're thrilled to share that our first season of competitions has kicked off with a fantastic victory for our U13 Boys and Girls Basketball Teams! The students showcased outstanding performance, setting a high benchmark for future competitions.

The entire BASIS TUSKERS community is incredibly proud of their achievements and wishes them continued success.

Mark Your Calendars!

September 26th: U9 Boys Friendly Football Match against ISB at BASIS
September 28th: U9-U11 Boys Football Tournament at BASIS

PE Updates: Soccer Unit Ahead!

Starting next week, Grades 1-8 will begin a new soccer (football) unit. Lessons will take place outdoors on our beautiful pitch.

What to Bring:

Football shoes
Hat and sunglasses
Sunscreen
Change of clothes (optional)

Weather Considerations:

Please note that our school's AQI and rain policies will be followed. If necessary, indoor lessons will be arranged.

We look forward to another exciting week of sports and learning!

Sincerely,
The TUSKERS PE & Sports Academy Team

Library Corner:

Hello from BISB Library!

BISB Library is so excited to announce the return of our Library Assistance Program!

Starting this week, students in Grades 4 - 8 can apply to be a BISB Library Assistant. This program began last year, per the request of students that wanted to assist in the library, and I am so excited to kick it off again. This is a great way for students to get involved in the library space, help with creating displays, and assisting classmates with recommendations. Our assistant program helps to build organizational skills, teaches responsibility, encourages book discussions, and helps students see the library as a shared space that we all maintain together.

Applications can be picked up in the Library anytime. All applicants will need to receive parent and LET permission, and complete a training orientation (date TBD).

Library Assistant work is done during student’s normal library AE time, and will require 1 after school event help during the school year. It will not affect their class schedules. While this is volunteer work, students will be rewarded with a library party at the end of the academic year. Be sure to look for Library Assistant features in upcoming BISB newsletters!

Library Assistant applications are due by Thursday

Finally, please note that the library will be CLOSED after school on Friday, September 27th, a s Ms. Erika will be off campus for professional development.

Thank you and happy reading,

Ms. Erika
Librarian

Announcement of National Youth Award 2025 Submission by Thailand Ministry of Education (MOE)

Please see the attached documents for program details and application. Submission for consideration is invited from students who participated and received awards in International Competition(s)during October 1st 2023 to September 30, 2024.

The said competition(s) must have participants from at least 4 countries. Submission due date is October 18, 2024.

There are five award categories

Academic
Art, Culture & Music
Vocational & Craft
Sports & Recreation
Moral, Ethics & Social Responsibility

Please review the guidelines for submission carefully. If parents are interested in submitting evidence to the Program for their child(ren), please be informed that you will need to spare a few business days to submit documents to the school for signature by School Management. The documents will then be returned to you for your own submission to the MOE via method of your choice. If you choose the postal submission, it must be postmarked between September 23rd and October 18th 2024.

If you have any questions about the program, please contact the MOE at 02-281-9752 during the official office hours.

หลักเกณฑ์คัดเลือกเด็กนำชื่อเสียงฯ

ใบสมัครเด็กนำชื่อเสียง-บุคคล

Well-being Corner:

Dear TUSKERS Families,

It is with immense excitement that we 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

Interest Survey for School Bus Service:

Dear BASIS Parents,

Thank you to the parents who have shown interest in our School Bus service. So far, only two families have expressed interest in this. However, we would like to offer one last opportunity to see if we can arrange the school bus routing for families living in the same area who may benefit from this service. If you are interested, please fill out the form and submit it to us by Monday, September 30th, 2024.

Please submit the form or if you have any further inquiries, feel free to reach out to us at communication@basis.ac.th

Sincerely,
School Management