Head’s Lines: Safety first

This year we have had a fantastic response to both our adverts in the UK Guardian and our website with over 600 applications for vacancies next academic year. Interviews have been taking place using Skype, and in school for teachers applying from the South East Asian region.

Last week I spent in a very cold week in London at the annual NAE Teacher Recruitment Fair. I met some great teachers and have offered some positions. Once we have all the contractual details sorted out we will introduce you to our new staff for August 2019.

Air Pollution

Our school closely monitors the air quality levels in accordance with our school policy.

Bangkok has suffered from air pollution for several years now. Our school has developed an air quality policy which is based on the US AQI. It is a four colour scale which indicates the level of pollution in the air. The higher the pollution levels mean that we reduce the outside activities for children and staff. These pollution levels are monitored each day and discussed across the school to ensure all activities we undertake fit into our policy thus protecting our whole school community.

Our school has installed air quality or air pollution monitors on both the High School and Primary School campuses, which give us detailed readings of the air quality levels within our two campuses. These are Air Visual devices. Most of the devices are not publically broadcasting so that we can have real time updates throughout the day, however, there is one air quality monitor based in the High School that broadcasts hourly on the Air Visual app. We will also soon have a device broadcasting from the Primary Campus.

The air quality monitors at each campus are both in the outside environment and in shared areas. This allows us to compare the quality of the air inside our teaching areas with the outside environment. All our air-conditioning units - which continually circulate and cool the air in our teaching areas - have been fitted with additional filtration. This is a specialised 3M filter designed to filter the smallest particles from the air inside the classrooms. This means when the air conditioning is turned on, the air inside our school is filtered and the air quality monitors show it to be much clearer than the outside environment. The specialised filter is changed regularly, ensuring that the air inside each area is kept clean. This means that once inside the school buildings, our school community is working is in a cleaner, healthier environment.

We will continue to listen to parents who are making lots of suggestions about how we can further improve the quality of our air within the classrooms and learning environments within the buildings.  Thank you to parents who have already contacted us about this important issue.

Fun Day

This Saturday is our annual Fun Day which is organised jointly by our PTG and the school. All the rides and stalls have been booked for several months and on Friday there will be a lot of activity in the late afternoon as everything is set up for our Saturday event. To help this preparation run safely and smoothly, all ECAs and sport training that normally takes place at the Primary campus on Friday afternoons have been cancelled this week. Please ensure that your children are collected promptly at 2.30 p.m.

Raffle tickets have been sent home to each family and I hope you buy as many tickets as possible to stand a chance of winning some amazing prizes. We look forward to seeing you on Saturday and enjoying this great community event which keeps getting better and better each year.

Parking is always a challenge and we urge you to use the parking at MaxValu on Sukhumvit soi 71 which has a shuttle bus service to the Primary campus or alternatively come by Skytrain and use the shuttle bus service from Gateway (BTS Ekamai). You can also use the new parking facility at Suk 71 near soi 22 (from 10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.) which is a very short walk to the Primary School.

Parking

The new car parking facility at Suk71 by Soi 24 near our school is available for our parents to park in the morning and afternoon. One of our security guards will be present at Suk71 to help with parking.

There is also parking available at MaxValu on Soi 71 with a shuttle bus service to Primary School both in the mornings and at the close of the school day.

Please do not park in any of the streets around Soi 20. We have had discussions with the police who will be touring these areas in the mornings and after school and will wheel clamp any cars that are parked illegally in this zone. At the moment, drop off on Soi 20 is still allowed but the police have advised the school that the time parents and children are taking to leave their cars has caused serious congestion and they will review this drop off again with the school to see whether it should remain open.

Idling of Car Engines

The school has had several meetings with the Vadhana District office about parents leaving their cars idling in the car park and surrounding areas to the school. At the end of last term their environmental officers came to school and they will continue to monitor the idling car engine problem this term. There are now signs around our school car park giving information about the law as well as about the pollution caused by idling car engines and the sanctions that can be imposed. The District Environmental Officers will review the problem and, working with the school, could fine individuals who leave their cars idling in the school car park or surrounding area.

Furthermore, with the recent decrease in the air quality in Bangkok, we all need to do our part not to contribute to this ongoing situation by leaving car engines idling wastefully while awaiting our kids either before or after-school.

If you have drivers, please also make them aware that cars should not be idling in the car park.

Residential Trips this term

This term, Years 4, 5 and 6 will have their residential trips which should be a challenging but very exciting experience for all involved. I know lots of things have been prepared and work done already to make these trips really memorable and successful experiences for all our Primary children.

Each Year Group will be visiting the following places:

• Year 3 to iCAMP Kanchanaburi: 13 - 15 February 2019
• Year 4 to Pranburi, Hua Hin: 30 January - 1 February 2019
• Year 5 to Kaeng Krachan: 25 February - 1 March 2019
• Year 6 to Rayong: 4 - 8 February 2019

School Calendar 2019-2020

The school calendar showing our term dates and holidays throughout the year is available on the school website at this link.

For parents with enquiries about Primary School, please contact officeps@standrews.ac.th or Tel: +66 2 381-2387-8

For parents with enquiries about High School, please contact officehs@standrews.ac.th or Tel: +66 2 056-9555.