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BISB Weekly Update - March 8th, 2024

Message from Head of School & Head of Operations:

Dear TUSKERS families,

We hope you have been enjoying your time this week as much as we do.

Firstly, we extend our gratitude to all parents who joined the Coffee Morning sessions with Mr. Toby Walkers, Dr. W and administrator team. The sessions were engaging and meaningful. Your thoughtful questions definitely contribute to creating the best learning experiences for our students. Later this month, we will be hosting a parents and student session with Ms. Kate Irving, our college counsellor who will be visiting us during the week of Monday, 25th March to Friday, 29th March 2024. Please stay tuned for more details.

This week, we hosted Swimming Gala for Grade 1 to Grade 3 students. It was indeed full of fun to see our young swimmers thrive in swimming competition. The spirit of camaraderie and healthy competition made this event a memorable experience for all involved. Thank you to all our PE coaches, teachers and school staff, for making this happen.

We are thrilled to extend our heartfelt congratulations to our student representatives for their outstanding performance today at the Kid's Lit Quiz Competition, held at Shrewsbury International School Bangkok Riverside. Their love for reading and passion for literacy are truly inspiring. Well done, TUSKERS! Much appreciation goes to Ms. Erika, Dean Selby and our teachers for their unwavering support and guidance.

Get ready for an exciting week ahead! Book Week 2024 is just around the corner. We have a full week of engaging activities to encourage our students to love reading even more. We cordially invite parents of Early Years and Grade 1-5 students to join us for the highlight of the week – our Book Parade on Monday, March 11th. Kindly refer to the time schedule below.

Primary Book Parade at Sports Field, starting from 8.00 – 8.30 A.M.
Early Years Book Parade at Sports Field, starting from 8.45 – 9.30 A.M.

All parents are also invited to visit our Book Fair, taking place at the café from Wednesday to Friday. We have two vendors, Kinokuniya Bookstore and Asia Books, coming to introduce you to books that may be your next favorites.

Last reminder, parents are invited to observe your children during ECA periods after school next week, Early Years is from 3.15 P.M onward and Primary and Upper School is from 4.00 P.M. Please take note that the observation will be limited to open and outdoor spaces, including the Sports Field, Gymnasium, Gymnastic Gym and Amphi-Lawn. To ensure minimal disruption to ongoing activities, classroom observations will not be permitted. Thank you very much for your kind understanding.

Looking forward to meeting you on campus next week. Have a great weekend and take care!

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

Save the date for School Events and Academic Calendar:

Message from College Counselor:

Greetings BISB Community,

I trust you had a nice week and were able to spend quality time with Mr. Toby Walker. I will be on campus to meet with families and students starting on Monday, March 25, and am excited to spend the week with all of you. In today's message, I want to share my favorite way to keep my college counseling brain fresh. I love a good podcast, and there are many out there offering great advice to college counselors, students, and their parents. There is a lot of information on college counseling out there, and not all of it is trustworthy or helpful. These podcasts help clarify the message and cover college admissions information across the globe. I hope you find one you enjoy.

The National Association of College Admissions Counselors (NACAC) informative and timely podcast, College Admissions Decoded features NACAC member experts in conversations that speak directly to parents, families, and the general public to help demystify the college admission process.

My favorite college admissions blogger, Rick Clark, also has his own short but sweet podcast entitled The College Admissions Brief Podcast. He works for Georgia Institute of Technology, but his podcasts are for every college-bound person.
Curious about what college admissions officers are thinking and doing? Listen to Inside the Yale Admissions Podcast for insights and inspiration into your own college applications and process. It's not just about Yale.
NACAC also has collected a network of college counseling podcasts that offer college search, application, and matriculation advice to families, students, counselors, and anyone interested in learning more. Find their list on NACAC Podcast Network.

Best,
Ms. Kate Irving
College Counselor

Early Years Newsletter

Message from Director of Early Years:

Dear Parents of Early Years,

It was nice to see many of you at our recent Coffee Morning where we discussed the milestones and transitions to the next Grade. If you were unable to attend, or if you have more questions, please speak with your child’s teachers at your conference. Teachers are taking appointments now for conferences during the weeks of March 25 and April 1.

We have a lot of events next week in honor of Book Week that you are welcome to be involved in. Please note the dress up days all week long. We have a parade on Monday, two book vendors on campus, and an author book signing. Ms. Erika’s section in this newsletter contains details, and your child’s newsletter will inform you of specific classroom activities during this special week. As you know, we are HUGE supporters of all things reading and especially instilling a love of reading and putting books into the hands of our students.

In closing I want to thank you again for our partnership and should you wish to pass along a book suggestion, I do love to read!

Sincerely,
Ms. Annie Fletcher
Director of Early Years

Primary, Middle & High School Newsletter

Message from Dean of Primary School:

Dear Primary Students,

This month we will review Lockdown Procedures with Primary and Upper School students to ensure the safety of everyone on campus. During the assemblies we will explain:

What is a Lockdown Drill?
Why are lockdown drills important for our safety?
Why it is important that we listen carefully and take lockdown protocol seriously, so that we are prepared during a true emergency.
Why Lockdown Drills help teachers, school staff, and emergency personnel keep you safe!
Why Lockdown Drills are practiced in all public spaces to protect people and help us keep calm during emergency situations.

Thank you for your continued support,
Dean Selby
Dean of Primary

Message from Dean of Upper School:

Dear Parents,

Many exciting things have been taking place in the upper school this week. Last Saturday, at the Open House event, 5 of our wonderful students; Meg, Jiban, Sally, Henry and Hua took to the stage as part of a student panel to describe their experience as BASIS students and how they have adapted to the curriculum and life at the school. They really blew the audience away with their eloquence, insightful answers and public speaking skills. Well done to them.

On Tuesday and Thursday, Mr. Toby walker had a sit-down talk with our 9th and 8th grades respectively to talk about the Highschool pathways for next year, helping the students consider their long-term goals and making them aware of the many opportunities awaiting them in their future as BASIS scholars.

Please sit down with your child and help them to reflect on their conversation with Toby, as planning and taking control of their academic future will help them to stay motivated in the coming months.

Finally, I would like to share a short video which has inspired me this week, and which you may also find interesting. It is entitled How to Correctly Praise Children to Foster Growth Mindset.

Thank you for your support,
Dean Drew
Dean of Upper School

Message from Music Department:

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We are excited to announce this year's BASIS Got Talent competitions! There will be Primary School and Upper School BASIS Got Talent this year. Upper School Got Talent auditions are open now. Please see the schedule below:

Upper School Got Talent Date: Friday, March 29^that 4:00 P.M. (Parents will be invited)
Sign up period: From now until Tuesday, March 19^that 4.00 P.M.
Audition Date: Wednesday, March 20^th
Rehearsal: Wednesday, March 27^th

Audition guidelines and sign-up link:

Audition date: Wednesday, March 20^th
Time: 11:50-12:30 (A.E. time)
Location: Music and Drama rooms (2201, 2202, 2203)
Audition Guidelines:
- Any entertainment act welcome!
- You can collaborate with anyone from grades 6-9
- 8 people maximum group size
- One audition per student only (one person can't be in two groups)
- 5 minutes maximum length, 3 minutes recommended
- No non-student accompanists - group performances or backing tracks only
- All acts must use school-appropriate language and costumes
Sign-up form link: https://forms.gle/EX2NVrKfqJziQZg7 9
Sign-up deadline: Tuesday, March 19^that 4:00 P.M.

We look forward to seeing all the awesome auditions, and to seeing all of you at the show on March 29th! Please email Ms. Olivia (o.drouillard@basis.ac.th) with any questions about the BASIS Got Talent audition process and performance.

Sincerely,

Ms. Olivia Drouillard
Fine and Performing Arts Subject Lead
Subject Expert Teacher, Music

Message from Interventions Specialist:

Hello, TUSKER Community!

🥁 Drumroll, please! 🥁 After an entire month of diving into the wonderful world of books, we're thrilled to share the fantastic results of our "Love of Reading" challenge. The commitment and enthusiasm from our students, parents, teachers, and staff have truly made this competition a resounding success. Without further ado, let's celebrate our top readers and classes!

Primary Grades (1st-5th): 🏆 Top 3 Individual Readers:

Hope (3Ne):4870 minutes OUTSTANDING JOB! 🥇
Phoenix: (3Ar): 3036 minutes - Way to go! 🥈
Chuen (1Mg): 2886 minutes - Very impressive! 🥉

🎉 Top Class with the Most Reading Minutes: 3Ne – 18,684 minutes: Congratulations on your outstanding dedication to reading!🏆

Intermediate Grades (6th-9th): 🏆 Top 3 Individual Readers:

Pan 8Ti- 2796 minutes - AMAZING WORK! 🥇
Vivi 8V - 2663 minutes - Incredible job! 🥈
Plern 7Ga - 2259 minutes - Well done! 🥉

🎉 Top Class with the Most Reading Minutes: 9Zr: 8537 minutes – Kudos to your impressive commitment to the "Love of Reading" challenge! 🏆

Let's also congratulate a few honorable mentions for the incredible number of minutes read during the month of February:

🌟4000s Club: Over 4000 minutes read:

Hope (3Ne): 4870 minutes

⭐3000s Club: Over 3000 minutes read:

Phoenix (3Ar): 3036 minutes

✨2000s Club: Over 2000 minutes read:

Chuen (1Mg) - 2886 minutes

Bua (4Si): 2864 minutes

Chomprang (3Ne) - 2198 minutes

Tham (3Ne) - 2134 minutes

Praew (9Zr) - 2165 minutes

🎇1000s Club

Nicha (4Ge) - 1018 minutes

Cherene (3Ne) - 1170 minutes

Monique (3Ne) - 1335 minutes

Tina (4Ge) - 1242 minutes

AJ (4Si) - 1319 minutes

Megan (5Co): 1397 minutes

Sally 8Ti - 1130 minutes

Tiantian 8V - 1555 minutes

Yo-I 8V - 1130 minutes

A heartfelt thank you to all parents, teachers, and staff who supported our students throughout this journey. Your encouragement has played a crucial role in fostering a love for reading among our students!

📖 Total Combined Minutes for the Whole School: 86,868 minutes – Together, we accumulated an incredible amount of reading minutes! Each page turned, each chapter explored, and each story shared has contributed to this collective achievement.

As we conclude the "Love of Reading" challenge, let's continue this momentum and make reading an integral part of our daily lives. The benefits of a strong reading habit are boundless, and we're proud of everyone's efforts in making this competition a memorable experience.

Once again, thank you for your participation and dedication. Stay tuned for more literary adventures, and let's keep the love of reading alive at BISB!

Warm regards,
Shaneika Edmond
Interventions Specialist

Information on Edmentum Platform and why it is selected in our school:

Edmentum platform is a diagnostic assessment system that allows educators to assess students and see student progress. The platform is use by 5.2 million students worldwide.

Edmentum was selected because it has a formal partnership with MAP which is typically used in other American schools in Thailand.

As we are committed to academic excellence, we have decided to support the cost of implementing this system and asked our BASIS network school to assess the suitability.

Edmentum is also certified by the College Board and BASIS US have reviewed to be purposeful and can help our teachers and administrators to focus on what need to be done to improve the education. https://cdn.edmentum.com/assets/pdf/AC026-67-Learning-Path-NWEA.pdf

What is Edmentum?

Edmentum are evidence-based computer-adaptive tests designed to provide information about the strengths and needs of individual students, classrooms, schools, and districts in math, reading, and language arts. The assessments use a robust item pool to offer each student a unique testing experience that adjusts in real time based on student responses.

The Edmentum platform consisted 2 main functions:

Diagnostics Assessment: used to identify student needs and strengths (in-school resource)
Exact Path: an individualized learning path to address student needs and reinforce strengths based on diagnostic results (at-home program)

The diagnostic assessments are grade-agnostic tests, designed to measure a person's knowledge without regard to their grade level. This contrasts with traditional tests, which are often designed to measure a student's knowledge relative to their grade level. The diagnostics are computerized adaptive tests (CAT), which means that students receive targeted questions that adjust in real time based on their responses and individual ability level.

In the diagnostic, the first question is chosen based on what we know about a student, which could be:

How the student performed on their last test
What grade level they are in

If the student gets the question right, they get a harder question; answer it wrong, they get an easier question. After each question, we learn more about the student’s ability level and can update the estimate of their ability. Not only does the CAT algorithm look for harder or easier questions, it also works to make sure there is enough information about a student’s ability in different domains. In fact, the CAT works to balance the number of questions given from each domain and even to vary the types of questions, like technology-enhanced items.

As the student answers more questions, the test learns more about what they do or don't know. Every answered question provides greater confidence and precision in the student’s scale score. Once the scale score is precise enough, the test is over. That means some students may receive fewer questions than others; it just depends on how many questions it takes to hit that targeted level of precision. In some cases, the test may stop after a set maximum number of questions have been administered.

This short video provides further details on the goals and process of a computer-adaptive test.

Scale score:

National Percentile Rank (NPR) is a number from 0-99. It shows how students did on the diagnostic in comparison to other students in the same grade across the country. Edmentum has NPRs for grades kindergarten through eight and preliminary NPRs for high school. The short video below provides further details on what, how, and why national percentile ranks are reported in Exact Path

Assessment Literacy: Unpacking National Percentile Rank

This video explains why national percentile ranks are reported in Exact Path.

Overall, these metrics are used to assessment and support students' strengths and areas of growth, as well provide differentiated instruction to ensure that each student is able to achieve to the best of their ability.

Best,
Ms. Shaneika
Primary Intervention Specialist

Library Corner:

Hello from the library!

Bookweek 2024 is just around the corner and I am so excited for all of the events, guest authors, and spirit days we have planned! Please be sure to see the updated calendar below, including more information about visiting author Jan Urupongsa, author and editor at Barefoot Banana Publishing here in Bangkok.

sign books! If you would like to pre-order her books, please use the QR in the flier below or go to www.barefootbanana.co.

If you pre-order books online, Ms. Urupongsa will have them signed for you and available for pick up on Monday, March 11^th. Be sure to mention BASIS International School Bangkok in the notes when checking out online.

Additionally, parents are encouraged to visit our bookfair from Wednesday to Friday in the café. This year we will host two vendors: Kinokuniya Bookstore AND Asia Books.

I look forward to seeing everyone on Monday when we kick off Bookweek 2024 with our Book Parade, and at the after-school storytelling events throughout the week. Please note that for any after school activities in the Library/Connections, children must be supervised by parents at all times. See you soon!

Happy reading,
Ms. Erika
Librarian

HSK & YCT Test Center

Dear families,

We are pleased to share a potentially significant development regarding our Mandarin program at BISB. We have been exploring the possibility of hosting YCT exam on our BISB campus on May 12th while the HSK exam will take place at Chulalongkorn University on May 19th.

To realize this opportunity, we require a minimum number of participants. This is an exciting endeavor that could open doors for our Mandarin program in the future. The success of this initiative could lead to further opportunities that benefit our students and the wider community.

The registration period is from today until March 31st, students can register both YCT and HSK exam at the same time.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us through the email: mandarin@basis.ac.th.

Thank you for your ongoing support and understanding.

Tuition Fees for 2024-25 Announcement:

Dear BASIS families,

We are pleased to share the Tuition Fees for the 2024-2025 academic year as enclosed. In addition to this, we would like to inform you that we are making some adjustments in an effort to improve this annual process.

From this year forward, instead of sending two invoices we will now combine the re-enrollment and first semester tuition fee into one tuition fee invoice. This invoice will be distributed on April 1st, 2024 with a payment period extended until the last day of the academic year, June 21st, 2024. In support of our families, we will waive the credit card fee for invoices paid within May 15th, 2024.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

Payments must be made within this timeline in order to secure your place in the school.
Invoices paid after June 21st, 2024 will incur interest fees of 1.5% per month for late payment.

At BASIS we are continually seeking ways to improve our education and campus experience. Over the last 2-years, we have faced high inflation but still brought many new facilities and services in order to offer the best value for our families.

To ensure that we continue to be able to offer education at the highest international levels, we must have small increases in tuition costs to help offset some of the additional expenses incurred. Some of these additional improvements are well known to you, such as those listed below. However, others like increased cost of personnel & recruiting, supplies, utilities, repair & maintenance, and many others may not be as visible but are necessary to ensure we continue to provide quality education.

Some things that we have added over the last 2-years include:

New facilities – Early Years canteen, Early Years reading room, Early Years playground, Gymnastics Room, Multi-Purpose Room, Additional science labs, expanded Library, Upper School Lounge, and more.
Academic and Activities Support - Additional intervention specialists, Academic Coach for Grade 5, Dean for Middle School, Director for Early Years, additional music and blackbox equipment, additional Art, Music, and Drama Teachers, and College and Wellbeing Counselors.
Technology - MacBooks for Grade 9+, Additional and replacement Laptops and Tablets for other grades, Additional Science Equipment, College Counselling Platform, Reading Platform, additional security improvements, and many more.
Extracurricular and Activities - Free Teacher and Student Led Clubs, Bands, Sports Teams, Academic Competitions, and expanded school-wide Events and Activities.

We thank you for your continued support of BASIS and our mission. Please feel free to reach out to our team if you have any questions.

Most sincerely,
Dr. W and Ms. Kwan
Head of School and Head of Operations

Coffee Morning Session “Early Years Curriculum & Kindergarten Transitions” on March 6th, 2024.

Community News:

Viemus Violin Veneration 2024 Donation

The organizers of Viemus Violin Veneration 2024, together with Dr. Akkrawat Srinarong and Viemus Music School, donated all proceeds from the International Recital Concert held at Basis International School on February 18th, 2024, to Thai Love Animal Foundation (Baan Puen Panajorn). Total amount of THB14,100 was contributed to helping abandoned dogs and other animals.

The foundation currently looking after 179 dogs, 12 cats, 3 cows, 1 buffalo, 3 goats and other animals such as ducks, rabbit, and turtles. The foundation bears expenses of approximately THB70,000 every month for food and necessities.

On behalf of Baan Puen Panajorn Foundation, we would like to extend sincere gratitude to all audiences for contributing to this charity project.

The Kick Belt Test

BASIS Bangkok students are cordially invited to participate in “The Kick Belt Test” host by The Kick Taekwondo by Master Lee. Meet with the National Taekwondo Team member, Coach Choi, on March 24^th, 2024 at Central Rama II (2Floor, Tree Chamber Zone), from 15.00 – 18.00 P.M.

For more information, please contact – Khun Punch (Tel. 080-8095551)

BASIS Parents Golf Community - First Golf Tournament

Dear BISB Parents,

We are thrilled to announce the first-ever golf event organized by the BASIS Parents Golf Community (BPGC)! It's time to tee off and enjoy a day of camaraderie and friendly competition among fellow BASIS parents.

Date: Friday, 15th March 2024

Location: Nikanti Golf Club, Nakorn Pathom

Schedule: 11:30 am: Lunch

1:00 pm: Shortgun

Concluding with dinner and awards ceremony

Package Includes

Green Fee
Caddy
Golf Cart with GPS
Lunch and Dinner

Cost: THB 5,000 net per person

To secure your spot, please make your payment by contacting us via LINE (QR Code on the poster below)

Come join us for a fantastic day on the greens, filled with great food, friendly competition, and memorable moments. Take this opportunity to connect with other BASIS parents while enjoying the beautiful game of golf.

See you on the course!

Warm regards,
BASIS Parent Golf Community (BPGC)

Sport Activities for BISB Community

Weekly Menu Updates:

Community Health Updates

This week our records cut-off time for is Friday at 3:00 P.M. There are 7 cases this week.

BISB Calendars 2023-24 Academic Calendar:

BISB Calendars 2024-25 Academic Calendar:

TUSKERS of the Week

Congratulations to Bhuri from Grade 2 for achieving the 2nd prize in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Mathematical Olympiad Heat Round 2024! His achievement reflects his exceptional mathematical abilities. We hope his success continue to inspire others and motivate him to continue challenging himself in his academic journey! We are truly proud of you. Well done, Bhuri!

Pictures of the Week

EY Coffee Morning with Toby (6 March 2024) :

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-EcI57qlpV61j4SyQmi0oYpOdJtv7D7A?usp=sharing

G1-9 Coffee Morning with Toby (5 March 2024) :

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1sZ8pbG-hIU4HveRRFNnoLWfjoU3wKC1g?usp=sharing

G1-3 Swim Gala :

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1YydCJzzCbrZ1fy5ZViDqp-hqCZDkZqR2?usp=sharing

ECA :

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1O3zUSI8Pm1h5K3M861Yg-KFPeufArYVD?usp=sharing

G1-3 Assembly :

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/104qnwUx-DGse27TDvdCUfirRT0r6QxUm?usp=sharing

PK2 Field Trip to Sea Life :

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1w17FI6AehT7CLUeVXZorRmQdzoFoOdq5?usp=sharing