Key Stage 2: Go Green with the Ecobeasts!

We pride ourselves on being an open door school but recognise that in these challenging times we live in this may not always be in a face to face format. The following table clarifies the lines of communication available to you as parents.

Email

Email is probably the most common form of communication used. Class, year group, phase and whole school information will often be relayed to parents in this way. While email is a quick and easy way to converse with teachers, it is essential to bear the following in mind:

• Teachers will always endeavour to reply at the earliest opportunity; however, there are various limitations which mean that an immediate response should not be expected.
• Generally, we apply a 24-hour reply expectation.
• Emails sent during the school day may not be read until after the children have gone home, so for anything urgent, it is best to contact the school office by phone.
• Teachers will often seek consultation with colleagues before replying to more sensitive emails, which may take longer for you to receive a reply. In this case, the teacher would send an initial acknowledgement of receipt of the email before sending a carefully composed, full reply later.
• Please note that email filters can be inconsistent. Some school emails may be accidentally delivered to Spam Folders or hidden under the “Promotions” tab of your Gmail inbox. It is recommended that you add all @standrews.ac.th email addresses to your contacts list to ensure messages land in your inbox.

Phones and Smart Watches in School

In this modern age, many children bring a mobile phone or a smartwatch capable of making calls to school. These prove to be invaluable in helping with the collection of the children at the end of the school day. We are very happy for children to bring these devices into school, but the following guidelines should be adhered to:

• Phones should stay in bags during the school day;
• Phones are not to be used for gaming, for watching videos or for engaging in social media;
• Parents must not call the children during the school day. Any messages for children should be relayed either through the class teacher or through the school office
• We ask that you do not answer calls from your children during the school day. If there are any issues, the school will make direct contact with you.

If children are found to be making/receiving calls during the day, the teacher will take the device and keep it until the end of the day. Your support with the correct management of these devices would be greatly appreciated.

Ensuring a great start and end to the School day.

With ECAs just about to start, we would like to remind you all about the procedures for collecting children at the end of the day. We have also noticed that in the mornings, the queue of children arriving late has been growing steadily over the last few weeks and we would like to remind you of a few points to ensure that your child is in on time and is ready to start their learning journey for the day.

Late Arrival in the Morning

The school day starts at 7.45 am, which is when the bell is rung for line up. Each day begins with a 15-minute session with the class teacher. This includes doing the register, but also provides a chance to touch base and prepare the children for the day ahead, ready to start the first lesson at 8.00 am.

Students who arrive at the guard's checkpoint from 7.50 am will be given a late card. They then need to go to the table in front of the office to be registered by one of the staff there. They will be marked as late in Moodle and are given a green slip to take to their class teacher. This lets the class teacher know that the register has been updated. The reason for this is that it takes children time to get from the gate to their class, so we need this small buffer to help us ensure that our registers are all accurate in the morning.

We fully understand the unpredictability of Bangkok traffic, especially as we are in the rainy season, but it is important to plan your morning so that you should arrive at school before 7.45 am. This will allow your child to get to class, ready to learn without feeling rushed or feeling any anxiety over being late.

Collection before 2.30 pm

If you need to collect your child before 2.30 pm (the end of the school day) we request that you follow the following steps:

• Before 07.45 am on the day of early finish, inform both the child’s class teacher and the school office via email of the following:
  • Name of child
  • Class Teacher
  • Time of collection
• The class teacher will confirm the early finish for the child.
• Children will be taken to the school office to await collection at the agreed time.
• Parents must collect the child from the School Office.
• A blue slip will be provided to present to the guard. You need this to take your child through the gates. This will be signed by a Senior leader or the Year Leader.

Please note, a phone call requesting to collect a child early without prior agreement is not possible. If there is an emergency situation, the early collection can only be authorised by:

Head of KS1 - Ms Diane.

Head of KS2 - Mr Geoff.

Collection by friend or colleague

If you need a friend or colleague to collect your child we request that you follow the following steps:

• Before 07.45 am on the day of early finish, inform both the child’s class teacher and the school office via email of:
  • Name of child
  • Class Teacher
  • Name of the person collecting the child
• The class teacher will confirm the collection
• Children will be taken to the collection point to be collected
• The family card must be shown by the person collecting your child.

Collection after ECA

• At 2.30 pm all children must either leave the school campus or attend an ECA.
• Once the ECAs are completed all KS2 children will be taken to the canteen where they can be collected. Please ensure you collect your child in a prompt manner.
• There is no provision to look after siblings if they are not attending an ECA and they cannot remain on campus without an adult. The adult must be with the child at all times.

STEPS Cafe is back!

If you’re looking for a great venue to meet up with other parents over a cup of hot coffee and a bite to eat, look no further than STEPS Cafe. Located just up the stairs by the Sports Hall, both the Cafe and the Zero Waste Shop will be very happy to serve you!

The Cafe will open at 8.00 am and will then be open all day for parents’ use.

*Please note that access to the rest of the campus is still restricted and is by appointment only.

Parent-Led International Day Performances

The parent-led performances are always one of the highlights and are a perfect way to celebrate the diverse cultures that make up our community. This year, the performances will take place in the Sports Hall rather than outside in the quad.on both the Thursday and Friday at break time - beginning 10 am.

If you would like to organise a performance, please contact Mr Geoff as soon as possible at geoff.ma@standrews.ac.th to register your interest. Please provide him with the following information:

• Country represented
• No. of children participating
• Year groups of the performers
• Approximate length of the performance

As always, we will ask to see a preview of the performance a few weeks before the big days.

Pridi 20 Entrance

As mentioned previously, the Pridi 20 entrance to the school is for pedestrians and shuttle bus users only. This gate should not be used as a drop-off or pick up zone. Using this gate disrupts the shuttle bus service and is a disturbance to local residents within the Soi. There is a strong possibility that we will have to stop using this gate if the traffic in the Soi stays as it is.

Let your child’s creative juices flow!

If your child enjoys writing, they will LOVE this worldwide creative competition for KS2 children: My Country.

The competition requires the children to write a piece about either the country they are from, their ideal country or their favourite country in the world. Besides providing a great opportunity to showcase your child's writing skills, there are some great prizes to be won. More details can be found on the website.

The piece of writing must be completed and sent from home; however, your child’s teacher would be more than happy to give some feedback before it is submitted.

The deadline for entering the story is Sunday 1st November 2020.

Environment and Sustainability

The Ecobeasts still has some places available for anyone who wants to do their part to look at making our school a greener, healthier place to learn. Ecobeasts is a network of teachers and pupils at schools across Bangkok working together to make schools greener places to be.

We hope to empower club members to educate themselves and others about environmental problems and solutions, make real-life changes in their community and inspire us all by sharing their achievements.

This year, the STA Ecobeasts are excited to be working with “Grow” and we will be welcoming Mr Goustan back to help develop the school’s Secret Garden. Pupils joining us will get the chance to become real gardeners.

Ecobeasts is open to children in Years 4, 5 and 6. If your child would like to join the STA Ecobeasts, please contact Mr Ewen or Mrs Susan.