BASIS International School Bangkok eNewsletter

Important Updates from Head of School & Head of Operations:

Dear BASIS Families,

What a wonderful week to see a lot of moving pieces in school and ECA has started this week. This is the first week we allowed parents into campus and thank you for adhering with the rules.

We would like to take a moment to thank you all who have attended the Coffee Morning for Grade 4-5 and Grade 6-8 this week, we do hope you find the session is useful and feel free to reach the academic administrators & support team for any assistance or clarifications.

Below is next week event, we are warmly inviting you to join;

On Tuesday, September 26^th - “Expert Talk on “Children with Special Needs” at 08.30 – 10.00 am at Black Box by Dr. Golf, our Wellbeing Team.
On Friday, September 29^th - Literacy Day “Author’s Day – Parents & Students after school. More detail is available under Library Corner from Ms. Erika
On Sunday, October 1^st – Basketball Competition for U9, U11, U13, U15 and U16 at our campus from 08.00 – 14.00 hrs.

We would also like to announce the additional of a new team member of College Counselling Department. Please find the announcement below.

Introduction to College Counseling Team:

It is our pleasure to provide an update to the College Counseling team here at BASIS Bangkok. We are thrilled to have the addition of Nattharmma Namfah, Ph.D. (Ms. Nat) as our Local College Counselor Consultant, starting next week. With her joining, we now have an amazing team consisting of both Ms. Kate Irving and Ms. Nat, who will be working together to support our students and families to make well-informed decision regarding university choices.

Ms. Kate currently serves as a Subject Advisor for College Counseling within the BASIS Independent Network. She brings with her a Master's degree in Teaching English from Columbia University as well as another Master’s degree in School Counseling from Hunter College. With her conviction in the BASIS curriculum and 6 years as a College Counselor with BASIS (more than 10 years in college counseling experience), Ms. Kate is the right person to be appointed as the “Senior College Counselor” at BASIS Bangkok. In addition to looking after our grade 9 students, she will also interact with our middle school and high school students and families and conduct workshops on various occasions. This year, she will be available for online office hours and will also be traveling to Thailand for face-to-face meetings throughout the year.

Ms. Nat is a graduate of Chulalongkorn University, holding both a master's degree and a Ph.D. in English Education. She is also a recipient of the FULBRIGHT Scholarship Program, organized by the US Embassy. Ms. Nat has vast experience as an expert teacher for numerous Thai universities that offer international programs. She also possesses in-depth knowledge of universities’ application requirements. She currently serves as a full-time lecturer at Burapha University and has been appointed as the "Local College Counseling Consultant" for BASIS Bangkok. Ms. Nat will be working closely with Ms. Kate to provide comprehensive support to individual students who are interested in gaining admission into Thai universities.

Both Ms. Kate and Ms. Nat will be available to meet with students and parents during the first week of October. To make the most of this opportunity, we will be holding the Parents session forum for Grade 8 and Grade 9 parents to meet with them on Friday, October 6th 2023 at 08.30 – 10.00at Black Box. Howvever, the session is open for other grade parents if they are interested.

We encourage you to submit any questions you may have to school by Friday, September 29th, 2023 at communication@basis.ac.th

Please join us in extending a warm welcome to our College Counseling team. We are excited about the expertise and support they will provide to our students and families on their college journey.

Best regards,

Dr. W. and Ms. Kwan

Head of School and Head of Operations

Save the date for School Events:

Tuesday, September 26th - Expert Talk "Children with Special Needs from 8:30 - 10:00 at Black Box.

Friday, September 29th - Literacy Day "Author's Day"

Sunday, October 1st - U9, U11, U13, U15 and U16 Basketball Tour with 4 International Schools.

U9 - U11 from 8:00 - 10:30 hrs. at Gymnasuim.
U13 - U16 from 11:00 - 15:00 hrs. at Gymnasuim.

Friday, October 6th - Grade 8-9 Parents Session "College Counseling with Ms. Kate" from 8:30 - 10:00 at Black Box.

Saturday, October 7th - Puppy Swim Cup at Bangkok Prep International School

Session 1 (8 yrs and under) from 7:30 -10:30 hrs.
Session 2 (9 yrs -11 yrs) from 11:30 - 14:00 hrs.

Wednesday, October 11th - Drop-in Session for Grade 6-8 Parents/Students "Residential Trip" from 16:00 - 17:00 hrs. at Black Box.

Reminder of Ms. Kate visit from Monday, October 2nd to 6th 2023.

Dear BISB Families,

I hope this email finds you well. As we approach October, I wanted to inform you that I will be visiting your school from Monday 2nd to 6th October, 2023. During my visit, I will be holding students and parents session during that particular week.

I will also hold the parent session forum for Grade 8 and Grade 9 on Friday 6^th October 2023 at 08.30 to 10.00 at Black Box Theater. Howvever, the session is open for other grade parents if they are interested. I will also be available to answer any questions you may have about college counseling. Whether you would like to know more about me, colleges in the US, BASIS alumni, or summer opportunities for students, I encourage you to ask me anything that is on your mind. I am here to assist you in any way I can.

To streamline the process and ensure effective communication, I kindly request that you send all of your questions to school by September 29^th, please send email to communication@basis.ac.th

I look forward to receiving your questions and addressing any concerns you may have. Your active engagement in this process is key in ensuring that I provide the guidance and support you need. Please do not hesitate to reach out with any inquiries,big or small.

Thank you for your cooperation, and I am eager to meet you all during my visit.

Best regards,

Ms. Kate Irving

Early Years Newsletter:

Message from Director of Early Years:

Dear TUSKERS families,

I just want to take a moment to highlight some of the positive happenings in Early Years.

Students are becoming increasingly involved in our morning circle and show me that they are able to transition more and more quickly from play to group participation in our group TUSKERS chant and songs.
Our kindergartners have taken the fall baseline Edmentum assessment and overall it shows that they are ready for the BASIS kindergarten curriculum. Well done to the teachers of PK2 and PK1 for setting the groundwork for success. And well done to the kindergarten families and students for practicing early literacy and early numeracy skills outside of the school setting.
In addition to all the lesson planning and collaboration that is happening, grade level teams are preparing for 2023/24 field trips. PK1, PK2 and Kindergarten will all go on one bigger field trip off campus and one walking field trip near the school. As we solidify our plans you will learn more. My aim is to have a consistent field trip for each grade level.
We are learning about fire safety and Early Years students have already practiced how to evacuate to our meeting location on campus, away from our building. That practice was incredibly successful on the part of our young students. Next week, we will join the entire school in a fire drill and next month the fire department will come to visit us, give a demonstration and let us get up close to some of the equipment.

Seeking Experts:

If you are in a career that you think would be of interest either to our Early Years students or to students in older grades, please connect with me. We are building a plan for career exploration, guest speakers and mini lessons around careers. Please don’t be shy. We will work with you to figure out how to share your career.

Ms. Annie Fletcher

Director of Early Years

Primary, Middle & High School Newsletter:

Message from Director of Primary & Upper School:

Dear Parents,

I would like to take some time to clarify for you one of our foundational teaching practices at BASIS – the spiraling curriculum. This notion rests on the idea that concepts introduced in one grade, will be repeated over again throughout the year, as well as in years to come. As students matriculate through the grades, concepts reappear, each time with increased layers of complexity. Not only does this curriculum design reinforce past learning, but also, it challenges students to examine concepts at a more advanced level, or in different applications. Ultimately, the spiraling curricular structure builds the deep content mastery that students will leverage on Comprehensive Examinations, AP Exams, and beyond.

As a result, you will see your children cover the same/similar topics each year. Please remember that this is intentional, and that our teachers will raise the bar for learning each and every time.

If you would like to discuss this, or any other topic with me, please contact me at r.aquilina-finan@basis.ac.th.

Thank you, and have a lovely weekend!

Ms. Ruth

Director of Primary and Upper School

Message from Deans:

Hello BISB Parents,

Students are doing well at the beginning of the school year and are overall adhering very well to school protocol and policies. We have had some behavior concerns involving language and actions reported to be learned online through platforms such as: Tik-Tok, Youtube, and others. Please make sure to supervise your child while they are online at home, and that they are only observing age-appropriate content.

Inappropriate language and adult content are extremely harmful and disruptive when shared in the school setting and for your child’s social-emotional development.

Here are some useful links for learning how to manage parental control on home devices

Google’s Parental Controls - Google Safety Center

ใช้การควบคุมโดยผู้ปกครองบน iPhone, iPad, และ iPod touch ของบุตรหลานคุณ - Apple การสนับสนุน (TH)

Please note that students who share unsafe language or content at school will be subject to disciplinary action.

Thank you for your support

Dean Drew and Dean Selby

Message from English and Humanities Department:

The Lotus Pond Volume 2:

Calling all creative writers in Grades 3 to 9! We want your short stories, poems, essays, and art to be featured in the second edition of BISB's Literary Magazine, The Lotus Pond. The first due date for submissions is on November 17th. Please see your English or Humanities teacher for more information.

Best Regards,

English and Humanities Department

Message from Intervention Specialists:

Hi All,

Edmentum Diagnostic results are now available to access at home.

1. To access these reports, find and click the Reports button in the top right corner of the Home Screen.

2. The next screen will populate the diagnostic results for your child's Reading, Language Arts, and Math assessments.

3. To learn more about each of their scores, click "Diagnostic 1" link under each subject. This will give an in-depth look at the skills and topics that your child has mastered and those which need more practice.

Please see the following resources below to better aid you in understanding how to interpret these results.

Making Sense of Computer Adaptive Tests:https://youtu.be/dbuiwdBl8RU?si=EvX2Zn9aLfjR16pr

Getting Started: Exact Path for Families: https://youtu.be/pHDaQLGjI80?si=j_tjJF0A-cSiQvVr

Exact Path Understanding Your Student's Results (PDF file attached)

After accessing these scores, you may encourage your child to continuing working on their Exact Path to reinforce skills they have mastered and practice skills they are still struggling with. This is NOT required but highly recommended. For reference, the suggested time spent in each learning path is 20 minutes per subject every week.

Reminder: Edmentum is only used to help determine the best way to improve your child's education through academic supports such as AE, student hours, interventions and extension opportunities at school. The Edmentum program does not interfere or impact the BISB grading policy for your child!

If you have any questions, please contact your child's LET or Ms. Shaneika at s.edmond@basis.ac.th.

Best,

Shaneika Edmond

Interventions Specialist

Primary Grades 1-5

Exact_Path_Understanding_Your_Students_Diagnostic_Results.pdf

Community Well-being Corner: Expert Talk “Children with Special Needs”

Thank you for your participation this week and to parents whom missed the opportunity, please find enclosed PPT from Dr. Golf’s session below.

We are thrilled to extend an invitation to you for a unique and insightful training session titled "Understanding Child Personality & Development, with Focus on Children with Special Needs." This training is specially designed for parents of children with diverse abilities, including conditions such as ADHD, learning disabilities (LD), and more.

Details of the training are as follows:

Date: Tuesday, 26^th September, 2023

Time: 8.30-10.00 a.m.

Venue: The Black Box,

The training will encompass a comprehensive exploration of various topics related to child development, with a particular emphasis on children with special needs. Throughout the session, you can expect to:

ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)

What is it?
How is it happened?
My child has ADHD?
How to treat?

The Character of others Disorder such as Learning Disability, Autistic Spectrum Disorder

Dr. Golf, our psychiatrist advisor, who specializes in child and adolescent psychiatry will lead the session will lead this training. She is committed to equipping you with the knowledge and tools necessary to create a nurturing and supportive environment for your child's holistic development.

This training also presents an invaluable opportunity for you to connect with other parents who share similar journeys. You'll have the chance to exchange experiences, insights, and practical tips to enhance your child's overall well-being.

To confirm your attendance or if you have any questions, please RSVP by ……. Kindly provide your name, your child and Grade level, the number of attendees.

We are excited about your active involvement in this training, and we believe that together, we can make a significant positive impact on our children's lives.

Warm regards,

Well-being Team

Understand_Child_Personality_Development_in_Early_Years.pdf

Library Corner:

Hello from BISB Library!

I have received some questions from parents regarding library hours and library use policy, so I just wanted to take a moment to update all parents on how they can use the library.

For starters, parents are welcome to use the library every week, on the designated library days for parents:

BEFORE SCHOOL

Monday through Friday: 7:30 a.m. to 8 a.m.

AFTER SCHOOL:

Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday: 3:15 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Parents may bring young children/students to the library with them, but they must be supervised by the parent at all times.

You are welcome to checkout a maximum of 6 books for you and your children, and can keep them for up to 3 weeks. Books can be returned to Ms. Erika in the Library, to the front desk at reception, or by your student when they return to school.

If books are lost, damaged beyond repair, or water damaged, they must be replaced by the borrower.

If you have any more questions, please feel free to email me at e.wigren@basis.ac.th

Lastly, don’t forget to dress up your TUSKERS to their assigned genre for Literacy Day on Friday, September 29, 2023! And of course, please come to the after-school library activities for storytime and crafts with Ms. Erika – open to all parents and children/students of all ages.

Thank you and happy reading,

Ms. Erika

Librarian

P.E. Corner:

Dear TUSKERS Families,

We hope this message finds you well, and we want to start by extending a huge thank you for your ongoing support.

We would like to give a special shoutout to the students who have shown incredible commitment by waking up early for morning practices and staying back for evening sessions. Their hard work and dedication do not go unnoticed, and it's time to take the next step!

As we move forward, we are excited to provide our students with exposure to the competitive world of sports. These competitions will offer a fantastic opportunity for them to grow, learn, and excel in their chosen sports.

Here are some important dates to mark in your calendar:

Sunday, October 1st - U9 to U16 Basketball Tournament (Boys and Girls)

Get ready for an exciting day of basketball! Coach Namita will be providing more information soon, so stay tuned for further details.

Saturday, October 7th - Puppy Cup Swim Meet

The swimmers from the Swimming Academy have been selected to represent BISB in the Puppy Cup Swim Meet. Details were sent out yesterday to the parents of the selected students. Let's show our support for them on this special day.

Friendly Football Games for U9 to U15

We have friendly football games in the pipeline for our young Footballers. Stay tuned for updates on these exciting opportunities to showcase our football skills.

" PE & Swimming Teaching Lessons

Together, we are helping our students lead active and healthy lives! "

Dear BISB Parents,

Let me take this moment to express our sincere appreciation for your ongoing support. As we are at the end of our Basketball unit, our students have shown remarkable dedication and enthusiasm during this unit, and it's truly inspiring to witness their progress.

Starting next week, for Grade 1-Grage 9, we will be transitioning into our Athletics Unit, which will encompass a wide range of Track & Field events, along with some Gymnastics elements. This unit promises to be exciting and versatile, introducing our students to sports and activities that may be new to many of them.

For our Early Years students, we have an exciting shift from Gymnastics to Dance, adding a fresh dimension to their physical education experience.

In our swimming classes, the conclusion of the Intro to Swimming Unit marks the beginning of our Freestyle Unit. During this phase, we will place a strong emphasis on mastering the freestyle stroke.

For our Early Years swimmers, we will wrap up Discovery Duckling 2 and progress to Discovery Duckling 3.

We are thrilled by the commitment and progress of our students so far, and we believe that the upcoming units will provide new opportunities for them to develop their skills, build confidence, and have fun while staying active.

Your support, as parents, plays an integral role in our students' success, and we want to express our gratitude for your encouragement and involvement in their physical education journey.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the upcoming units or any other aspect of our physical education program, please don't hesitate to reach out to us. We value open communication and are here to assist you in any way we can.

Thank you once again for being wonderful partners in your child's education and well-being.

Warm regards,

The BISB PE Team

Teacher Led Clubs & Student Led Clubs

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Teacher and student-led clubs are underway starting this week, and we would like more students to be encouraged to join the fantastic range of clubs we offer as we begin developing our club's program across the school. Please have a look at the club schedule. Our student-led clubs are an excellent way for our older students in grades 8-9 to show initiative, leadership, and communication skills as they take ownership of a club and organize fun activities with the help of their teacher advisor. The teacher-led clubs are hosted by teachers passionate about their craft who want to share that love and passion with others. Most clubs will be running from 4 pm -5 pm with some also in the morning 7 am-7:45 am. Students are still welcome to join.

Kind Regards,

Mr. Jason Rowe

Club_timetable_and_venues_2.pdf

Winter Camp is available - BASIS Winter Camp 2023 is now available for registration

Winter Camp is available - BASIS Winter Camp 2023 is now available for registration. The winter camps made available for all age from 3-12 years. Join us for a fun variety sets of activities for each camp and make this winter one to remember for your child and children. The camp is open to both BASIS and non-BASIS students.

Please see the detail below of each camp available

**Space is limited, and to register. For more detail, please contact school line @bisb or email at communication@basis.ac.th

A Day in the Life as a BISB Student: A Project by Dr. W

Our Head of School, Dr. Willem, has taken on an exciting challenge to get a firsthand understanding of our amazing TUSKERS. This week, he had the pleasure of joining our fantastic Grade 8 students in their classes, walking around, and even having lunch with them!

Through this project, Dr. W aims to gain a deeper insight into the daily lives of our BASIS students and truly understand what they go through each day. This incredible initiative will continue every week, with Dr. W shadowing a different Grade level.

At BASIS, our management team is not just about managing; we are hands-on, actively involved, and committed to understanding our students and upholding our core values. This project is a perfect example of our dedication to providing the best educational experience for our BASIS community.

Stay tuned for more updates as Dr. W shares his reflections and experiences with the BISB team and all of you. "A Day in the Life of a BISB Student" promises to be an extraordinary journey, filled with valuable insights and exciting discoveries. We can't wait to see what he learns next!

Community Event: Charity Mini-Marathon on December 10th, 2023

We’d like to invite TUSKERS families and friends to participate in the mini-marathon for charity event at Nakornthon Hospital on December 10th. Application can be submitted online via QR code on poster.

BASIS Bangkok is the official partner of “Run with Love for Cancer Patient” event with Nakornthon Hospital. This year is the 13th annual event and it’s our third year supporting it.

There will be volunteer opportunities for students G6-9 to hand out water/food to runners as well. More details to come in the up-coming weeks.

Funds raised from ticket sales will be donated to Bhadra Maha Rajanusorn Foundation for the purpose of cancer research and help of patients who’s in need.

Hope to see you there!

Community Health Updates:

This week our records cut-off time for is every Fridays at 15:00 hrs.

Sport Activities for BISB Community

We are also happy to announce the resume of sports activities for the BISB community (between parents and staff) after school.

Please note that all attendees must sign in at the front desk with proper identification. Proper sports attire is also strongly recommended in order to avoid any unnecessary injuries and/or damage to school facilities.

Please see below the schedule as follows:

Weekly Menu Updates:

TUSKERS Spotlight

🏆Congratulations to Bhuri on receiving the Grand Honors Certificate from Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY)! 🎉 Bhuri scored excellently on the School and College Ability Test (SCAT) and has earned the highest tier of CTY. 🚀🔬💻

As a result, Bhuri is now eligible for our Advanced CTY-level and CTY-level courses in Math, Science, and Computer Science. We are so proud of our talented TUSKER, Bhuri! 🐘

CTY is a global leader in gifted education, focused on recognizing academic talent in exceptional K-12 students and providing them with specialized courses and resources to support their growth. CTY draws students from 50 states and 84 countries worldwide. CTY uses above- grade-level testing to identify advanced students from around the world and provide a clear picture of their true academic abilities. To learn more about the CTY Talent Search, visit: https://cty.jhu.edu