BISB Welcome Back to School Newsletter

Welcome Back!

Dear All! 

No doubt many of you will be in school tomorrow, as we have BOSS camp for the new families first thing in the morning followed by drop-in opportunities for the families whose children have been attending the school.  If I could kindly ask that the latter group leave the school by one o’clock, please – as the teachers are so busy having meetings and getting everything ready for Monday! 

Our babes in Early Years will have their own bespoke dining room from now on.  Over the summer a small army moved into school to redesign the Early Years to allow our little ones to enjoy their own space to enjoy meals.  A much nicer situation than before! 

I should also mention that a huge construction project was undertaken on the primary playground.  It was necessary to further underpin the foundations, and at the time of writing the huge jigsaw puzzle that is that playground is being reassembled. 

Attached to this email are important sources of information for you. Please do take time to read the information pertaining to the Covid protocols that the school will adopt from the start of the year.  Additionally, please familiarize yourselves with the Student & Parents’ Guidebook – as it has been rewritten for the impending school year. 

I should mention that we have expanded the livestock within the Early Years section of the school!  We now also have two rabbits – yet to be named! 

If you have a child in the Early Years please ensure you are familiar with the arrangements for the staggered start regarding each of the age groups therein. Also, be prepared for some tears when you leave your babes – but, if feasible, it is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED that you do not stay too long if your child does cry – as the longer you stay, the harder it is for your babe to become reacclimatized.  Rest assured – we will be there to console them and make sure they are fine! 

We are loosening the arrangements for drop off and pick up.  Parents are welcome to undertake by drive-through, as we did last year, but also are free to park and deliver children – and at the end of the day, park and collect in person.  We would ask that parents be aware of the limited parking space that is available beneath the school.  Therefore, we would be grateful if you did not leave your car therein for a long time as the space is likely to be needed by other families. 

So – it’s a weekend of buying new pencils, pens, erasers, etcetera!  If your child is new to the school, they will be both excited and a little stressed – and that is OK – also for you too!  We ask that you actively listen to children's concerns and do not make light of them.  It is also back to the regimen of early to bed.  For all children, it is a new, fresh opportunity – let’s have a happy year together. 

Best wishes, Alan. 

Important Documents: Parent/Student Guidebook, Handbook, and Covid-19 Guidelines for 2022-2023

Please find the important files below to download and share with your family. These files will also be made available on the Schoolzine sidebar (to the left) under "Forms and Documents" throughout the school year.

Important Notes for Early Years: Staggered Start Dates for Nursery, PK1, & PK2

Dear Parents of  Nursery children, PreK1, Prek2 & Kindergarten,  

Kindly be aware of the arrangements for the first week of school:  

Your class teacher will email you regarding which session your child will take part in. 

Please take an ATK test at least 1 day before and bring the ATK result kit with you and present to school staff upon arrival  prior to accessing on campus.

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NURSERY CHILDREN'S PARENTS

For days 1 and 2, you will be invited to bring your child into the class – and remain with them for one hour, then take the children home. The class will be split, with half of the students attending each session. 

Group 1 will attend at 9:00 -10:00 

Group 2 will attend at 10:30 -11:30 

On day 3, we hope to run according to our normal schedule with parents leaving children as normal! Please stand by for the invitation that will detail the time for your child’s arrival! 

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 Pre-K 1 PARENTS

 For days 1 and 2, you will be invited to bring your child into the class – and remain with them for one hour.  The class will be split with half of the students attending each session. 

 Group 1 will attend at 9:00 -10:00 

Group 2 will attend at 10:30 -11:30 

 On day 3, we hope to run according to our normal schedule. Please stand by for the email that will detail the time of arrival. 

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Pre-K 2 PARENTS

 For days 1 and 2, you will be invited to bring your child into the class – and remain with them for one hour.  The class will be split with half of the students attending each session. 

Group 1 will attend at 9:00 -10:00 

Group 2 will attend at 10:30 -11:30 

On day 3, we hope to run according to our normal schedule. Please look out for the email with your allocated time of arrival! 

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KINDERGARTEN PARENTS

Parents are invited to remain in the class for thirty minutes just for the first day 8:30 - 9:00.  Then, from day 2, we anticipate beginning our normal schedule without parents in the classroom. The Kindergarten day will commence at the normal time of 8:20! 

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Leaving children at school for their first days of independent attendance can be traumatic, especially for parents and caregivers. Separation anxiety can be difficult, especially for younger children. Nevertheless, we HEARTILY encourage parents to reassure students they will be fine, and that you will return at a specified time, then and leave.  The longer parents stay, in fact, the more difficult it is for a child to adjust to school!  

Best regards,

Alan Wilkinson, Head of School

Getting Ready for the First Day of School - Arrival Procedures

DROP OFF 

Primary and Middle School Students can be dropped off at Gate 4, which opens at 7.00 am. Early Years can be dropped off at Gate 1 which opens at 07.30 am. Students may access the campus in accordance with the protocols that vary by grade. 

Students are NOT allowed on campus prior to 7:00 am or 7.30 am. Parents may not drop-off students prior to 7:00 am or 7.30 am. 

Please kindly note that BASIS International School Bangkok is not responsible for supervising students prior to 7:00 am.

NURSERY, PRE-K1, PRE-K2 AND KINDERGARTEN ARRIVAL POLICY AND PROCEDURES:

All Early Year Students will report directly to the early year playground area when they arrive each day and will be supervised by teachers and staff before accessing the classrooms.

1st - 5th (PRIMARY SCHOOL) GRADE ARRIVAL POLICY AND PROCEDURES 

All grade 1 - 5 students will report directly to the canteen/Town Center playground area when they arrive each day and will be supervised by teachers and staff before accessing the classrooms.  

6th - 8th (MIDDLE SCHOOL) GRADE ARRIVAL POLICY AND PROCEDURES 

Middle school students arriving prior to 7:45 AM will report to the canteen/Town Center playground area upon arrival. From 7:45 AM onwards, 6th – 8th graders will proceed directly to their designated homeroom. The homeroom teacher will dismiss students to their first period class at 8:00 AM. 

Getting Ready for the First Day of School - Dismissal Procedures

For Primary & Middle School students, parents may pick up their children via the car line, or by parking in the garage and walking to the front turnstiles. 

For Early Years children, parents are permitted to access the early years building at the end of the school day according to the dismissal times below.

Dismissal Times

We ask that parents please arrive promptly to collect your children after school. If an emergency arises that causes a delay in picking up a student, parents/guardians should notify the Front Office. All students waiting for pick-up 15 minutes after their dismissal time will be signed into Late Bird and will be charged the Daily Drop-in rate. 

Revised COVID-19 Safety Measures

(Full details can be found in the Covid Guidelines for 2022-2023)

Masks:  

• Students and staff need to wear masks at all times within the school as required by the Ministry of Education. However, in outdoor spaces, students and staff may choose to remove them.  
• Masks must be worn to gain access to the BASIS campus at the turnstiles. 

ATK Test:  

• Until further notice, students and staff are required to take ATKs every Sunday (i.e. once a week) and parents must notify the school if their child had a positive result via school line. Your child MUST bring the actual ATK result to school each Monday as they will not be admitted to the campus without this proof of wellness. 
• ATK tests MUST be independently sourced by parents. The school will no longer provide kits. 
• The first ATK test should be taken on Sunday 21st August between 4:00 pm to 8:00pm, parents should notify the school before 8.00pm if your child was positive. 

Campus Access 

• Parents or care-taker will be able to access public areas of campus. Parents must take an ATK prior to coming on campus (once a week) and bring the physical test stick result to be presented upon arrival. 

Coffee Morning for Nursery and Pre-K 1

Save the Date: Friday 26 August

Time: 8:45 - 9:45 am

Venue: Black Box

Activities for the BISB Community

YOGA LESSON ON BISB COMMUNITIES (PARENTS & STAFF)

• Every Tuesday at 5.00 – 6.00 pm and 1^st Lesson starts on August 30^th, 2022
• Please bring your own mat
• Venue will be advised upon arrival
• ATK test is required only on weekly basis
  

SOCCER DAY (PARENTS & STAFF)

• Every Tuesday from 5pm-7pm on the back field. The skill level is a 6/10 so anybody who is very new to soccer might want to come watch first.
• ATK test is required only on weekly basis
• If you are interested, please join line group "BISB football fun Tuesday 17:00". https://line.me/ti/g/bIaBkwH92l

Next Week's Lunch Menu

2022-2023 School Calendar