BASIS International School Bangkok eNewsletter

Message from the School:

BASIS families,

It has been a vibrant week on campus, and we are excited for the many events ahead!

Next week, we cordially invite you to join our Coffee Morning Sessions, designed to provide insights into your child’s learning experience. These sessions offer a wonderful opportunity for Q&A and discussion. Please save the dates:

Tuesday, March 4th – Coffee Morning for Kindergarten at the Black Box, 8:30 AM
Wednesday, March 5th – Coffee Morning for Grade 8 at the MPR, 8:30 AM
Thursday, March 6th – Coffee Morning for High School AP at the MPR, 8:30 AM

We would like to also encourage our students to submit their creative works to The Lotus Pond, our school’s literary magazine. This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase poetry, short stories, essays, photography, comics, and artwork. Kindly refer to the poster below or reach out to Ms. Erika, our Librarian, for more details.

Next Friday, March 7th, 2025, we are excited to invite you to the Student Recital Performance at the Black Box from 4:00 – 5:00 PM. Join us for an evening of instrumental music as our talented young TUSKERS take the stage!

Lastly, tomorrow, Saturday, March 1^st, we are hosting the BASIS Open House, welcoming prospective families to experience BASIS Bangkok. If you know any friends or families who may be interested, we would love to have them visit! Please feel free to reach out to us.

Thank you for your continued support. We look forward to seeing you at these upcoming events!

Best regards,
BASIS International School Bangkok

Save the date for School Events and Academic Calendar:

Disclaimer: Kindly note that event dates and times are subject to change. We encourage you to check the latest newsletter closer to the event for the most accurate information.

Message from Director of Academic Programs

Hello BISB Parents,

Trimester 2 has officially ended!
We are so proud of our students' achievements this trimester and hope you are too! As we move into the final stretch of the academic year, here are some important updates:

📩 Report Cards:
You will receive Report Cards on Friday, March 14th.

📌 Registration for Next Academic Year:
It’s time to register for the 2025-2026 school year! Here’s what you need to know:

✅ Early Years & Grades 1-4:
No action is needed! Your child will be automatically enrolled.

✅ Middle School (Current Grades 5-7):
Please use [this link] to register for electives.

⏳ Priority is given first by seniority and then by response time.
- We also aim to keep grade levels within a +/-1 range in elective classes.

✅ High School (Current Grades 8-10):
Please use [this link] to register.

Miss Kate will continue to meet with students and parents to ensure course selections align with university ambitions.
Expect further communication from Miss Kate if we feel adjustments can better support your child’s success.

🚀 Looking Ahead: Project Week

As we approach the end of the academic year, students will have the opportunity to take part in Project Week, an extended period of hands-on learning.

For all of our primary and upper school students, skill-building activities, and projects designed to expand learning beyond the classroom.

💡 Student Ideas Wanted!
Encourage your child to speak with classmates, teachers, and staff about their ideas. We are currently collecting teacher proposals, but student input is just as valuable! More details to come in April.

As always, I am here to help. Think of me as your partner in planning the best academic path for your child. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Sincerely,
Mr. Ian
Director of Academic Programs

Early Years Newsletter

I hope you’ve had a wonderful week! We have some exciting events coming up, and we can’t wait to connect.

🏫 Open House — This Saturday!

We’re looking forward to welcoming new families to our campus this Saturday at our Open House event. It’s a wonderful opportunity to showcase our vibrant learning community, share what makes BASIS special, and meet prospective students and parents. If you know families interested in joining our school, please encourage them to attend!

☕ Kindergarten Coffee Morning — Next Tuesday

Calling all Kindergarten families — join us for a Coffee Morning next Tuesday, March 4 at 8:30am as we discuss the exciting transition to First Grade. We’ll share how we are preparing students for this next step in their learning journey and offer tips for how you can support your child at home. It’s a great chance to ask questions, meet other families, and feel confident about the road ahead.

We are grateful for your continued partnership and look forward to these opportunities to connect, learn, and grow together.

Warmly,
Ms. Annie
Director of Early Years

Be Part of BASIS Bangkok's First-Ever Student Drama Production!

“THIS MURDER WAS STAGED “
May 1 & 2, 2025 | 4:00 PM
Black Box Theater

A night of mystery, suspense, and thrilling performances awaits! Our students have been working hard for over six months to bring this production to life—don't miss this unforgettable debut!

Tickets will be available for purchase at the reception area starting Monday, March 3rd, 2025.

Zone A – THB 200
Zone B – THB 300
VIP Box – THB 5,000 (Limited to 2 VIP boxes ONLY!)

By supporting this event, you’re also making a meaningful impact on the lives of children in need. All proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to the Community Children Foundation (CCF) under the Royal Patronage of HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.

Tickets are selling fast—secure your spot now!

Come support our young performers and witness a mystery unfold live on stage!

Experience VIP Mystery & Comfort! Only 2 VIP Boxes Available!

Step into the mystery with the best seats in the house! Our exclusive VIP Box offers:

Popcorn
Non-alcoholic drinks
Exclusive “Meet the Cast”
Signed Playbook
“The Murder Was Staged” Poster
Private box seating for 6 guests

THB 5,000 per box – and we only have 2 VIP boxes available!

🔎 Book now before they’re gone!

Support Student Theater – Become a Sponsor!

BASIS Bangkok’s first-ever student drama production is looking for sponsors! Your name & contributions will be featured in our official playbook, seen by students, parents, and the community.

Sponsorship Benefits:

Your name/logo in the playbook (Both Physical and Digital Copies)
Special mention during the event
Be part of an educational & artistic milestone!

Contact us today and support young talent in the arts!

Kindly confirm your sponsorship by Friday, March 7^th, 2025.

College Counseling Corner:

Greetings BISB Community,

Welcome to the College Corner, a snapshot of the College Counseling process at BASIS International School Bangkok.

College application season is in full swing across the world, and our BASIS Network Grade 12 students have already started receiving some amazing acceptances! While the process is still ongoing, we are proud to share that our BASIS Network Class of 2025 has received acceptances from top-ranked universities in the U.S. and abroad, including MIT, Stanford, and University College London. To date, our students have secured admissions to 20 universities ranked in the Top 100 QS Rankings, with the majority of results to come in by the end of April. Final university outcomes will be shared by individual BASIS schools and the network in May. Congratulations Class of 2025. 🎉

For a look at last year’s college admissions outcomes, visit the BASIS Network Blog for network statistics. To get a closer look at BASIS Independent McLean (my former school), their Class of 2024 college results can be found here.

Understanding the College Application Process Applying to university is both exciting and complex, as each country has unique application deadlines and processes. Below is an overview of the application timelines by region:

Australia: Traditional start time is February, with applications submitted post-graduation. Students can also apply for a July start by submitting applications in February.
Europe: Most university applications close between June and July.
Singapore: Applications run from February to March, with decisions released in May.
United Kingdom: Applications open October 15 (for Cambridge and Oxford) and close by January 29. Decisions are typically released before mid-May.
United States: Applications occur in multiple rounds:
- Early Action (EA) & Early Decision (ED): Applications due in November, with decisions in December.
- Regular Decision (RD): Applications due in December/January, with decisions released in March/April.

U.S. College Admission Types In the U.S., there are multiple types of admissions deadlines:

Regular Decision (RD): The most common application type. Deadlines vary, but January 1 is typical, while the University of California system has an earlier deadline of November 30.
Early Decision (ED): A binding agreement where students apply by early November and receive decisions in December. Accepted students must withdraw other applications and commit to attending.
Early Action (EA): Similar to ED, but non-binding. Students apply early and receive decisions in December but are not obligated to enroll.
Restrictive Early Action (REA): A non-binding option that limits students from applying early to other institutions. Offered by Harvard, Stanford, Princeton, and Yale.

Our first graduating class at BISB will celebrate their milestone in 2027, and our current high school students are already actively preparing for their future through college counseling workshops, summer program applications, and portfolio-building activities. In Grade 12, they will participate in a dedicated daily class focused on college counseling and the university application process. The college counseling program is designed to help them identify, target, and ultimately gain admission to the university that best suits their goals and aspirations.

Navigating the university application process can be complex, but I am here to support you and your child every step of the way.

Best regards,
Ms. Kate Irving
College Counselor

University Events in Thailand

Library Corner

Hello from BISB Library!

For the Love of Reading: Books As Windows has come to a close, and our D.E.A.R. (Drop Everything And Read) Day was a great success! It is always a joy to see our students engaged and excited about reading.

For our final week, we read the book I Am More Than by basketball superstar and children’s author, Lebron James. This book focuses on confidence building and believing in yourself. Students discussed how, like Lebron James who is both an athlete and an author, we are all more than one thing: student, artist, friend, athlete, dancer, writer, etc. It was such an engaging story time!

This week, we also hosted our first Lunchtime Legends! For this event, students in Grades 6 - 8 volunteered to read stories on sports legends like Michael Jordan, Jackie Robinson, and Muhammad Ali to our Grade 1 -3 students. This was such a fun activity, and we hope to make it a monthly staple in the library. Special shout out and a big thank you to our readers in Grade 7, Circe and Thichar, and our readers in Grade 6, Watong, Tiwat, Niko, Sean, Alex, Tyler, Juno and Rohan! All of them earned points for their houses!

Lastly, I wanted to remind our BISB community of the library’s policies for book reconsideration and label stickering policy regarding appropriate content level reading.

All of the books in our library are chosen with care and consideration for content, the needs of the curriculum, and for the enjoyment and education of our students. In support of this, all fiction books in our MS and HS Library space are stickered to assist students, teachers, and parents in regard to book content and age-appropriateness. The system includes 3 colors, like a traffic light:

Green: GO Evolving Readers – This book is suitable for everyone.
Yellow: WAIT Experienced Readers – This book may have some mature content (action, horror, some violence).
Red: STOP! Mature Readers Only – This book contains mature content, Grades 8 and Up only.*

*Note there is a black dot on the RED sticker to differentiate the darker colors for students who are colorblind.

This stickering system is only for books in the MS/HS space, and both primary and Early Years students are not allowed in that space, unless granted permission from their parent/guardian. If you would like to grant permission for your student to read in the upper school space, or grant permission for them to read RED-stickered books, please email me or our LETs at e.wigren@basis.ac.th for the required permission form.

We want to ensure we listen to and address concerns from all members of our community regarding our materials. If you have concern regarding a specific BISB Library book, please complete this anonymous form for Book Reconsideration: https://forms.gle/1qDKVXGuEkZfT3V39

After reconsideration requests are submitted, our review board will read the title in its entirety and submit their recommendations for next steps to our Head of School. Please allow time for this process to occur, but know we are always open to hearing concerns and holding discussions when it comes to the education of our students.

Thank you and happy reading,
Ms. Erika
Librarian

Dear TUSKERS Families,

Thank you for your unwavering support and trust in building a strong and sustainable sports program where our students can thrive and shine in the world of sports.

As we head into March Madness, get ready for an action-packed month filled with competitions! Mark your calendars and come cheer for our TUSKERS:

UPCOMING SPORTS EVENTS

🏀 Basketball
🗓 Saturday, March 1 – U11 Boys & Girls (BISAL Tournament) @ SISB Nonthaburi | 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM
🗓 Saturday, March 8 – U11 Boys & Girls (BISAL Tournament) @ BASIS | 8:30 AM – 12:00 PM
🗓 Saturday, March 22 – U13-15 Girls (BISAL Tournament) @ Thai Sikh Int’l | 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

🏊 Swimming
🗓 Saturday, March 8 – U6-9 Boys & Girls (Brighton Swim Meet) | 7:00 AM – 4:00 PM
🗓 Sunday, March 9 – U10-16 Boys & Girls (Brighton Swim Meet) | 7:00 AM – 4:00 PM
🗓 Saturday, March 22 – U6-16 @ SISB Nonthaburi | 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
🗓 Saturday, March 29 – U6-16 @ BASIS | 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM

⚽ Football
🗓 Wednesday, March 12 – U13-15 Boys Friendly vs. Raffles @ BASIS | 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
🗓 Saturday, March 22 – U9 Boys @ BPS | 8:00 AM – 9:30 AM

🏸 Badminton
🗓 Wednesday, March 19 – U13 Boys & Girls @ Kings College | 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
🗓 Thursday, March 27 – U11 Boys & Girls @ RIS (Minburi) | 4:15 PM – 5:15 PM
🗓 Monday, March 31 – U9 Boys & Girls @ BASIS | 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM (Rescheduled from March 24)

SWIMMING SPOTLIGHT

TUSKERS Making Waves!
This month, our swimmers are wrapping up their water polo unit, focusing on teamwork, dribbling, passing, shooting, and hand-eye coordination. This will culminate in a full team game next week, emphasizing, rules, safety, and fun!

Next up, our TUSKERS will dive into the Swim England Pathway, testing their skills over a three-week challenge that includes:
✅ Diving & Turns
✅ Sprint Races (25m & 50m)
✅ Relays & Long-Distance (200m – 2000m)

We believe in the "play to learn" approach—making a splash while growing in our aquatic journey! I am incredibly proud of our TUSKERS swimmers and can’t wait to see their continued success.

🏅 Swimmers of the Month:
Grade 1: Hugo, Lilin
Grade 2: Win, Phing Phing
Grade 3: Leo, Nita
Grade 4: August, Holmes
Grade 5: Prem, Iris
Grade 6: Vevey, Phumthan
Grade 7: Sun Sun, Cheng
Grade 8: Seiya, Thee

💙 TUSKERS SWIM TEAM UPDATE
Our TUSKERS Swim Team continues to build stamina, endurance, speed, and perseverance. In the coming weeks, the focus will be on perfecting technique, isolating arms and legs, and fine-tuning every detail in preparation for the Brighton, SISB, and BASIS swim events!

LET’S GO TUSKERS!
We are proud of all our athletes and can’t wait to see them compete, grow, and succeed. Thank you for your ongoing support—let’s continue to strive for excellence together!

GO TUSKERS!!!

ECA Corner

ECA Highlight

ECA Calendar

Exclusive Privilege for BASIS Bangkok Families

At BASIS Bangkok, we care about the health and well-being of our community. In partnership with Nakornthon Hospital, we are pleased to offer special discounted rates on Dengue Fever and Flu Vaccinations exclusively for BASIS Bangkok families.

Special Offers:

Dengue Fever Vaccine
- Children (Ages 4-14): THB 5,000 (Usual Price: THB 7,000)
- Adults (15+): THB 4,500 (Usual Price: THB 6,400)

Dengue Fever Vaccine + Flu Vaccine (4 strains)
- Children (Ages 4-14): THB 5,500 (Usual Price: THB 8,288)
- Adults (15+): THB 5,000 (Usual Price: THB 7,688)

This exclusive offer is available only for BASIS Bangkok families from February 28^th to June 30^th, 2025. Please refer to the poster below for more details and contact Nakornthon Hospital directly for further inquiries or to book an appointment.

Nakornthon Hospital LINE Official Account: https://lin.ee/9X435jp

Warmest regards,
BASIS International School Bangkok

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 Dr. Golf and a distinguished guest host for our final session.

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!

Join our BASIS Community Sports Activities!

We invite all parents, students, family members, faculty, and staff to join our fun Community Sports Activities.

Here’s the schedule:

• Tuesday: Badminton (5:30 - 7:30 PM)
• Wednesday: Football (5:30 - 7:00 PM)
• Thursday: Badminton & Basketball (5:30 - 7:30 PM)

Just bring a water bottle, and if you’re playing badminton, don’t forget your racket! No reservations needed, but please sign in at reception if it’s your first time using the facilities this year.

Students aged 14 and up can join without parents but must also submit the form at reception.

We hope to see you there!