A note from the principal
This week, I would like to draw your attention to a feature in today’s Patana News celebrating an important development within our Primary team, the strengthening of our Teaching Assistant leadership pathway.
Teaching Assistants play a vital role in the life of our school. They support learning, nurture wellbeing, and help ensure that every child feels known, included, and able to succeed. This new structure recognises both their impact and their potential to lead.
I am delighted to share the appointment of K. Noi as our TA Lead Practitioner, alongside our newly appointed Lead TAs: K. Emma (FSN), K. Lotus (FS1), K. Pookha (FS2), K. Beer (Year 1), K. Gail (Year 2), and K. Bo (Year 3+ and Specialist areas).
I encourage you to take a moment to read the full article and join me in congratulating the team on this exciting step forward!
Sarah McCormack
Upcoming events and diary dates
| Date | Event | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30th March- 2nd April | Primary School Parent Teacher Meetings | Classrooms | |
| 31st March | Primary Parent Workshop: Problem Solving in Maths | 8-9am Primary Hall | |
| 3rd April | Primary Songkran Assembly | 8-9am Sports Hall | |
| 3rd April | Block C ECAs end | ||
| 3rd April | Last day of Term 2 | ||
| 20th April | Term 3 commences | ||
| 20th April | Block D selective ECAs begin | ||
| 27th April | Block D Regular ECAs begin | ||
| 1st May | Academic staff CPL day | Students not in school | |
| 4th May | Coronation Day | School closed | |
| 16th May | PTG Big Night Out |
A Message from the PTG
A Message from Ms Tanya
Well-being
Grief, loss and bereavement
During this last week of term, our teachers will continue to deliver 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.
Microsoft Teams Chat – Temporary Pause
As part of our regular reviews of digital safety and learning practices, the MS Teams chat function will be temporarily paused for Year 5 and Year 6 students.
Students will continue to use MS Teams for learning, accessing assignments, joining class channels, collaborating on work, and communicating with teachers.
This pause will allow us to evaluate how the chat function can best support student learning, wellbeing, and online safety.
A message from Ms Battram
Great books about puberty, sex and growing up
If you are not always sure what to share with your child, or how to start a conversation, please come and browse.
These books can be found in the Parents’ Section of the Secondary Library
Some are written specifically to support parents and caregivers as their child navigates growing up.
We have recently added two new books to this section which are inclusive and comprehensive.
- The Parents’ Guide to Explaining Sex
- Sex Positive talks to have with kids
Smart Watches
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.
Black 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.
Getting to class on time
Students in Years 1-6 enter their buildings at 7:30.
This gives everyone time to organise their belongings and settle themselves in, ready to learn and in a calm state of mind.
The register is taken at 7:40, and children who arrive after 7:40 are marked as late.
If there is a pattern of lateness during the term, the class teacher will share this information with you so that changes to timings can be made.
Sometimes, a family will need to adjust their arrival time so that a child can be walked in (Years 1 and 2) or dropped off without feeling rushed or stressed.
The start of the day is a very important part of our daily classroom routine.
Teachers use this time to re-set expectations as students switch from home to school mode. This is a time when school staff can check in with individual students and make sure that everyone feels welcomed into class.
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.
Where and when can parents take photos and videos when on campus?
Birthday Treats
Children may bring in a special treat to share with the class.
Please contact the class teacher to arrange a suitable time.
- Brownies, cupcakes, small donuts, and cake slices are easier for your child to give out.
· We do not give out drinks (e.g., bubble tea, sodas)
· Please reduce plastic packaging.
· We do not allow party bags or other gifts to be given out at school, either for birthdays, or other celebrations.
- Please agree a time with the teacher in advance.
- Parents can join in the celebrations.
We are a NUT FREE school. When ordering birthday treats, please ensure that there are no nuts or nut products (such as Nutella or peanut butter) used.
Parent Workshops
Follow this link to find streams and presentations from all of our past Parent Workshops.
The Year 5 Curriculum
Please click the image below to find out more about this term's learning in Year 5
The Rainforest
PE
Technology
Blogs
Click on the image to visit the Year 5 blogs.
This is where you will find an overview of your child's learning along with their home learning tasks and any important messages from your child's class teacher.
Please check your child's class blog weekly to stay informed about their learning.
Please encourage your child to complete their home learning.
General Information
Temporary Guardianship Form - let us know if both parents are going away and leaving a student with a friend, nanny or a maid.
Important Contacts
| Department | Contact Number | |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Office | 02 785 2258 | primary@patana.ac.th |
| Transport | 02 785 2470 | transport@patana.ac.th |
| Primary Nurse | 02 785 2478 02 785 5460 | nurse@patana.ac.th |
| ECAs | 02 785 2231 | eca@patana.ac.th |
| PTG | Year 5 PTG Rep- Korakot (Yui) Masakee ptgy5@patana.ac.th Primary Representative - Bharati Lachmandas ptgprimary@patana.ac.th | |
| Year Group Leaders | Year Group Leader (Pastoral): Miss Sarah Weaver sawv@patana.ac.th Year Group Leader (Curriculum): Ms Claire Myers clmy@patana.ac.th Assistant Year Group Leader: Ms Alice Leslie alle@patana.ac.th |