A Note from the Principal
Dear Colleagues,
It was lovely to see everyone together at our Songkran assembly this morning, in a riot of colour and wonderfully colourful shirts! As we come to the end of Term 2, I wanted to take a moment to reflect and to share a brief staffing update.
Whilst 11 weeks can sound short, this term has been full in every sense. From Primary Play in a Day and Wasteless Week to Performance Week, Science Week and World Book Day, there has been a great deal for our students to experience and enjoy. Alongside this, our Year 3 Residentials, PTG Fun Day, the Language Olympiad, Smile Day, as well as a wide range of day trips, sporting events and competitions, have all contributed to a rich and memorable term. Thank you for the care, energy and organisation that has made this possible for our students.
In terms of staffing, our recruitment for next year is now largely complete. This week, we have met with class teachers who will be moving year groups, and most class allocations have been confirmed. We still have one A Post appointment to finalise. After the holidays, we will share information on our staff leavers and details on our team structure for the new academic year.
If you have not already done so, please let us know your half-term movements here: As per Chris’s email, please do take your laptops and chargers with you and let me know if you encounter any travel disruptions. We will, of course, hope that these remain purely theoretical. On a personal note, the McCormack’s are heading off to the Gili Islands and Hong Kong over the break, and we are very much looking forward to having the full family together, which feels increasingly rare and therefore all the more special.
Thank you again for all that you have given this term. Wishing you a happy and restful Songkran break. We look forward to welcoming everyone back for Term 3 on Monday 20 April!
Yours
Sarah
Upcoming events and diary dates
| Date | Event | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20th April | Term 3 Commences | ||
| 20th April | Block D Selective ECAs begin | ||
| 22nd April | Y6 Whole Year Group Photograph for Students | Y34 Fotoball Field | |
| 27th April | Block D Regular ECAs begin | ||
| 1st May | Academic staff CPL Day | Students not in school | |
| 4th May | Coronation Day | School Closed |
RSE Parent Presentation
PGC
New Big Night Out date:
The PTG Big Night Out new date: 16 May 2026 at Escape (EMQuartier)
Y6 Whole Year Photograph
On Wednesday 22nd of April, Year 6 will take their whole year group photograph on the Y3/4 field. Please ensure students are in full uniform on this day.
A Message from Ms Tanya
Well-being
Great books about puberty, sex and growing up
Talking with your child about Relationships and Sex
After the Songkran break, we teach an RSE unit in Y1-Y6.
You may find this article helpful as an overview for Primary age children.
It contains a link to relevant books in our libraries.
Talking With Your Child About Sex and Relationships - Bangkok Patana School
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.
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.
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 6 Curriculum
Please click the image below to find out more about this term's learning in Year 6
Interculturalism
PE
PE Lessons Year 6 Monday 16th March to Friday 26th June | |
Monday | Friday |
Swimming All Classes | Option Blocks All Classes |
On Monday 16th March, Year 6 will begin their first swimming lessons. All students should go directly to the 25m pool at the start of the lesson.
Students will need to bring:
- A towel
- Swimming costume
- Swimming hat
- Goggles
If a student is unable to swim, they are required to bring a note from home. If a student is unable to swim for two or more weeks, a doctor’s note will be required.
This is a polite reminder that swimming is an essential part of the curriculum, and we kindly request that students are actively encouraged to participate in these lessons.
If you would like to know more about our swimming curriculum, please contact jaju@patana.ac.th.
For the Options classes, students have already been informed about the activities they will be participating in and where they should meet their teacher.
We look forward to seeing all of the exciting activities that Year 6 will be participating in over the coming term.
Blogs
Click on the image to visit the Year 6 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.
Events In The World
You can keep up to date with current events around the world by watching Newsround, an age appropriate news show. Being aware of current events will help your child to make connections with a range of themes when reading in class, and it is an ideal opportunity for you to model discussing your opinions and using experiences to draw connections between events and people.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround
Birthdays!
The following Year 6 students will be celebrating their birthdays this week:
Kin, 6F
Thomas, 6J
Xander, 6F
Akira 6S
Happy Birthday!
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 6 PTG Rep- Inna Matijasevich- ptgy6@patana.ac.th Primary Representative - Bharati Lachmandas ptgprimary@patana.ac.th | |
| Year Group Leaders | Year Group Leader (Pastoral): Mr. Breandan Casey brca@patana.ac.th Year Group Leader (Curriculum): Ms Sarah Dibley sidi@patana.ac.th |