Year 1 Newsletter | 27.02.26

Well-being (PSHE) - Learning about grief, loss and bereavement

Grief, loss and bereavement

Next week our teachers will deliver two lessons on loss, grief, and bereavement as part of our Well-being (PSHE) curriculum.

Grief and loss are part of our lives, and so it is important to provide children with the skills they need to manage difficult feelings, to understand grief and to be able to support others. All materials will be very carefully chosen, and age appropriate.

Most importantly, if your child has experienced a significant loss or bereavement, recently or in the past, or if there is a family member or friend who is seriously ill, please contact your child’s class teacher. We can discuss with you whether it is appropriate for them to be in the lesson and be prepared to give them any additional support they may need.

Save the date RSE (relationship and sex education)

Information mornings for Primary Parents March 2026

Dear Parents,

During Term 3, we introduce age-appropriate RSE units as part of our Well-being curriculum in Years 1 to 6. These units help children to develop an understanding of their own physical, social and emotional development, and encompass key values such as respect, kindness and consent.

If you would like to hear more about how and what we teach your child, please join us at a parent presentation. Please sign up via the links below.

All presentations start at 8 a.m. in the Primary Hall.

All presentations will be recorded and made available to Patana parents.

Tuesday 10th March – led by Diana Jones Y3, Patrick O’Connor Y2 and Michael Dolan Y1

Audience: Year 1, Year 2, and Year 3 parents and carers

LINK

Regards

Carol Battram

Vice Principal, Pastoral

We are active stewards of the environment and our communities

A note from the Principal

27-02-2026

This week, the Primary School has very much enjoyed our annual Science Week. Having spent the last 3 years working on Atomic Theory, we are now turning our attentions to marine biology and conservation. It has been fantastic to welcome Piers Baillie from Global Reef and to understand more about their incredible work in Koh Tao. The students have learnt so much and cannot wait to get started on their projects, including coral restoration!

Have a great weekend. Don’t forget that on Monday and Tuesday, school will be closed.

Sarah McCormack

SPELLATHON 2026

Thank you to everyone who helped to make our annual Spellathon such an enormous success. 

We raised 143,250b for Grapongdeang School's new playground. 

You can see more photos at our CAT blog here https://patana.fireflycloud.asia/community-action-teams-cat/year-1-cat-1/spellathon-success-4

We Follow Instructions!

Positive Behaviours – Positive Attitudes

This term in Year 1, we are focusing on using kind words and actions. 

This term in Year 1 we are focusing on using kind words and kind actions. Children this age are still learning how to manage big feelings, so the goal isn’t perfection, it’s helping them practise kindness, especially when things feel tricky.

How you can help at home: 

1. Model the words you want to hear
Children learn kindness by copying adults. Try using calm, respectful language at home, especially during tricky moments, so children can see what kind words sound like in real life. 

2. Name and notice kindness
When you see your child using kind words or helpful actions, say exactly what you noticed. For example, “You waited your turn. That was kind.” This helps children understand what kindness looks like.

3. Pause and practise better choices
If unkind words or actions happen, pause and help your child think of a kinder choice they could try next time. At school, we focus on learning from mistakes rather than punishment. 

4. Encourage kind actions, not just kind words
Kindness is also shown through actions. Helping to tidy up, sharing toys, or checking if someone is okay all count as kind choices and can be celebrated at home.

5. Talk about feelings simply and often
Helping children name feelings like happy, sad, angry, or worried supports kind behaviour. When children understand their own feelings, they are more able to act kindly towards others.

Upcoming events!

FUN DAY VOLUNTEERS!

Fun Day 2026

SMILE DAY 2026!

Parent Workshops

Please click on the link below to view School Workshops and Presentations for this academic year:

Parent Workshops & Presentations

Class Blogs

Year 1 Curriculum

Temporary Guardianship Form 

Temporary Guardianship Form - let us know if both parents are going away and leaving a student with a friend, nanny or a maid.

Notification of Temporary Guardianship August 2020.docx

Allergies

Playground use before and after school

Students are not permitted to use any of the climbing or play equipment before 7:30 a.m.

There is no staff supervision in any play area after 2:30.

The accompanying adult is therefore responsible for the safe supervision of the child.

We encourage parents and family employees to take children straight home at the end of the school day.

Class birthday celebrations

We enjoy mini birthday celebrations in class but ask that you pre-arrange a time with the teacher.

Please note, this is a small celebration within the class. It is not a ‘birthday party’ and siblings and friends from other classes are not allowed to attend.

Birthday treats should be small, with minimal plastic wrapping. Please only send enough for your child’s class.

Individual portions such as small brownies, small cupcakes, and half-donuts are easy to give out.

All food sent into school must be nut free.

As school policy, we do not give out party bags, drinks or gifts sent in by families.

Please do not give out any of these items at school as this can cause unintended problems.

School Shoes

As part of their Patana school uniform, students wear plain black school shoes or sturdy trainers.

• Shoes should be durable and support the whole foot.
• All shoes require at least a strap to keep the shoe firmly in place.
• Children can wear lace-up shoes if they can tie up their laces independently.
• Plain black shoes can be sourced in many shops and department stores in Bangkok.
• If your child has to wear other shoes for a specific reason, please let us know.
• Shoes may need replacing mid-year.

Taking photos and videos of students on Campus

At Bangkok Patana School we welcome parents on to our campus.

As part of this agreement, all parents must agree to our Parents’ Safeguarding Code of Conduct.

This includes:

Never taking images in toilets, changing rooms or areas where privacy is expected.

Using judgement before taking and before sharing images of students.

During a regular school day, parents may only take images of their own child – unless they have sought and received permission from another family to include their child in a group photo.

Family employees with access to the campus must also abide by this rule.

Whilst we encourage our students to learn how to tell the time, smart watches offer additional online functions like that of a mobile phone.

Features such as gaming, internet browsing, and the ability to make and receive calls are potentially distracting in class and can pose a risk for safety and privacy.

Within the Primary School, students are required to keep their smart watch safely stored in their bag during the school day.

Smart watches can be taken out of bags once a child exits the school gates at 2:30pm or once their ECA has ended at 3:30pm or 4:30pm.

Students are not allowed to take or send images while using the school bus.

Smart watches are expensive items. Please be aware that the school takes no responsibility for loss or damage of smart watches.

Thank you for your cooperation and support in maintaining a safe and positive learning environment for all our students.

Useful contacts

Happy Birthday!

Happy birthday to: 

Leia (1A)

Have a great weekend!