Y1 Newsletter: Week 31 - 03.05.24

A note from Mrs McCormack (Primary Principal):

3 May 2024

Dear Parents,

This week, it struck me how our school embodies flexibility, a commitment to learning, and a dedication to excellence. This was particularly clear during our whole-school Continuous Professional Learning (CPL) day. We actively participated in sessions led by three external speakers—Angela Brown, Tom Sherrington, and Gemma Cracker—and reflected on our individual professional growth journeys.

This adaptability was also evident during our Sports Days. Although initially planned for outdoor activities, the heat prompted us to reconsider. As a result, we revamped the format and activities, ensuring an enjoyable, safe and much cooler experience for all participants.

Well done Patana!

Sarah McCormack

Learning

Class Blogs

Please visit our class blogs every Friday to find out about our learning in each of the classes!

Curriculum

To find out about our Year 1 curriculum please visit our Curriculum page.

PSHE

This week in PSHE, the students have been learning about how we are all different and that's what makes us unique. We looked at our physical features, such as hair, eye and skin colour, as well as other features that make us special and who we are. Please see the slides below for more information.

Next week in PSHE, we will be continuing to learn about our differences and celebrating what makes us unique. The students will use sentence stems to celebrate each others' differences, for example, "I think Mr Patrick is special because he loves building castles". The students will then think of a friend in class who has a difference to them. They will acknowledge and respect these differences using sentence stems such as, "I think Mr Patrick is different to me because he likes rainy weather." The students will use the discussion cards below to help them celebrate and respect each others' similarities and differences.

Please feel free to discuss these cards with your child at home, in order to support their learning.

If you have any questions, please contact your child's teacher.

Patana Book Club

Tech Talk

#274: Screenagers Bites - Talking With Teens About Video Game Addiction | Alisha Moreland-Capuia, MD

In this video, Dr. Alisha Moreland-Capuia, an addiction specialist and professor at Harvard Medical School, discusses video game addiction and how it can impact a young person's life. She explores the definition of 'internet gaming disorder' according to the World Health Organization (WHO) and shares ways for parents to have conversations with their kids about gaming, emphasizing the importance of meaningful conversations.

If you’re looking for further insight into this then listen to the full interview on the links below:

Listen Here: Apple Podcasts // Spotify // Youtube // Website

PTG AGM

Tom Sherrington Parent Workshop

Parents Workshop by Tom Sherrington

Thank you for joining us at the 'Supporting Your Child to Develop Independence in Learning’ workshop held on April 30th, 2024. Here are the slides from the presentation for your reference.

General Information

Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease – Preventative Measures

HFMD is a viral infection which spreads via direct contact, particularly of body fluids caused by coughing and sneezing.

Symptoms of HFMD may include fever for 2/3 days, sore throat, runny nose, rash (palms of hands, soles of feet, buttocks, mouth), poor appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy.

Because of the prevalence of HFMD in Thailand, we are required to report all cases to the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority.

The school response (children kept at home for seven days + rigorous cleaning of buildings and equipment) helps avert closures.

Rigorous and frequent handwashing is also an important preventative measure.

If you notice such symptoms, please contact Nurse Joe and a member of her team will check all children in the class.

If your child with symptoms, and there are other siblings in school, please share this information with Nurse Joe.

Khun Joe can be contacted at kiau@patana.ac.th

Air Pollution

At this time of year we notice a change in the Air Quality in Bangkok.

In the morning before school starts when we have the Status:

Unhealthy

From 7am onwards, Year 1 students should come inside and go to the creative art area (in the middle of Year 1) where there will be teachers supervising them safely inside.

Parents are encouraged to drop their children at the doors. 

We please kindly ask parents not to stay in this space as it can become crowded and overfull. Some students can find separation from parents more challenging on these days as well, so please support your child by giving them a big hug and then leaving them with us (see below for more guidance on separation).

Should your child arrive before 7am on any day, they should go directly to the Primary Office until duty staff begin to supervise.

Please find the school policy for Air Quality Here

Morning Separation

It is very common for some children to find separating from their parents challenging in the mornings. This can be triggered by a variety of reasons: a change in their normal routine, an argument with a sibling, a parent being away, feeling unwell, etc. Many children are not able to explain why they are upset when they are struggling to separate from a parent, but here are some suggestions on how to best support your child:

• Make saying goodbye a positive time. When you leave your child, however sad or worried you may be feeling, smile and wave goodbye confidently and happily, otherwise they will pick up on your tension. By giving your child experience of saying goodbye then having happy reunions, you are teaching them an important life lesson.
• Talk about what you'll do together later. Talk to your child about what you're going to do when you see them again so they have something to look forward to with you. For example, you could say: "When Mummy comes back to pick you up, we'll go to the shop together to get food for dinner."
• Leave something comforting with your child. It may comfort your child to have something they identify with you – like a scarf with your scent on or a favourite toy – close by. This may reassure them while you are away. These items will be kept in your child's school bag, but having them there can bring reassurance and a sense of calm. 

If you are concerned about separation issues, please speak to your child's teacher as there may be individual systems they can put in place to support your child in the mornings. 

Birthday celebrations

The following students are celebrating their birthdays next week...

Anhad (1S) and Kraam (1P). A very big happy birthday to all of you!

Reminder: We cannot give out party bags or gifts - please keep these for any sort of celebration that you do out of school.

If you would like to send in some birthday treats for your child to share with their class, please arrange a day with your child's class teacher. We will only be able to manage individual items like brownies, doughnuts, or cupcakes. 

Please remember we are a nut-free Primary School and also check with the class teacher for any other dietary requirements of the class.