Sathorn

Parent Handbookwww.standrews-schools.com

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Head of School Welcome 2School Mission Statement 3Fee Policy 3School Uniform 3Spare Clothes 4Increasing Attendance Sessions 4School Calendar 4Birthdays 4Student Indentification Cards 4Car Stickers 4Medicine 5Using Sun Sense 5Discipline 5Emergencies 5Food and Refreshments 6Communication 6Illness 6Early Years Curriculum 7The Curriculum for Key Stage One and Two 7Curriculum Letters 7My Own Work 8Parent - Teacher Consultations 8Independence 8Quality Learning 8Courteous Language 8Reading 8Toys in School 9 Staff Training 9School Photos 9After School Activities 9Collage and Modelling Supples 10

Contents

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Dear Parents,

Welcome to the Parent’s Handbook for St Andrews International School, Sathorn Campus. This handbook is to provide parents with day to day information which helps our school run so smoothly. If you need any further clarification, please don’t hesitate to contact the school office or your child’s class teacher.

The curriculum at Sathorn is based on the National curriculum of England and Wales. With children from over 30 different nationalities attending our school, we adjust this curriculum accordingly to meet the needs of our international community.

Children can attend Sathorn from the term they turn 2 years old (Nursery) to 11 Years old (Year 6). After this they can transfer to our Sukhumvit Soi 107 campus which will take the children through to IB level. During the school year we work between each campus so that our Year 6 classes have as smooth a transition as possible. With the philosophies and ethos of each campus being so similar this is seen as a natural progression.

We fully embrace parent participation at Sathorn and invite parents throughout the year to support in classes and in various events. We also have a Parent /Teacher Group (PTG) which usually meets every month supporting in all the major events held at school.

I am sure I will meet you all throughout the coming school year but please don’t hesitate to pop in to see me if you have any matters you would like to discuss in more detail.

Kind Regards,

Karen Pennock Head of School

Welcome

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Fee PolicyTUITION FEEThe fee for each term’s tuition must be paid by the due date shown on the invoice which will be given towards the end of the previous term. No child will be allowed to attend the school until the tuition fee has been paid in full, or an acceptable arrangement has been made with the school concerning later payment. If a child joins the school at any time during the first half of a term the full tuition fee for that term is to be paid. If a child joins at any time during the second half of a term then half the tuition fee for that term is to be paid.

School Uniform• Allourchildrenareexpectedto wear a school uniform and school PE kit, which are available at the school office. Please check that your child’s school uniform is clearly labelled right down to their shoes! It is surprising how frequently confusion occurs when garments and even shoes are identical.• BlackShoes–Pleasetrytomake sure your child has black shoes which fasten securely to his/her feet. We are really quite worried about the damage which could be done to feet and ankles at an early age.• St.Andrewshasa‘noshoespolicy’in classandweexpectourchildrenand visitors to abide by this.• WehaveaSt.Andrewsswimming costume available in various designs.

Mission StatementThe St Andrews International Group of Schools’ mission statement is

to develop independent, confident lifelong learners.

Organisation of the School Day (Nursery–Reception) Year1–3 Year4-6

Start of School 8.15 am 8.15 am 8.00 am

Break & Snack 10.00 am 10.10 am 10.10 am

2nd Session 10.30 am 10.30 am 10.30 am

Lunchtime 11.45 am 11.50 am 12.15 am

3rd Session 1.05 am 1.05 am 1.05 am

End of School 2.35 pm 2.35 pm 2.35 pm

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Spare ClothesPlease ensure that your Nursery & Kindergarten child has a change of clothes in their school bag at all times. Spare clothes do not need to be a school uniform or PE kit. Please ensure that all clothes are clearly labeled.

Increasing Attendance SessionsFor students in Nursery: if you wish to change or increase any of your child’s attendance sessions, please speak to your child’s teacher in the first instance to ensure that your child is ready for this change. The teacher will then refer you to the office and if space is available you will be requested to complete the necessary forms.

School CalendarPlease refer to your calendar regularly so that you are aware of the set holidays. Holidays and special events are also featured weekly in the school newsletter.

Birthdays• Birthdaysaremomentouseventsin every child’s life and at school we like to celebrate these special occasions. Please let us know in advance if you would like to send a cake to school to share with the class.

• BookDonations:Ithasbeenatradition at school for families to make book donations to mark a special occasion. If a child has a birthday or is leaving the school often the parents will donate a book. The family or the school will thenputaspecial‘golden’labelinthe front of the book with the date, the child’s name and the reason the book has been donated. The children are very proud and it is a lovely way to mark these occasions.

Student Identification CardsPlease provide the school with two passport – sized photographs of your child for astudent ID card. These cards are for your child’s security and will need to be shown to the school guard when your child is collected from school. If you misplace a card or need duplicate copies, a new card can be purchased from the office for 30 Baht.

Car StickersAfter enrolment you will receive two car stickers. These will allow you access through BNH without payment.

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Foodand Refreshments

The School catering service provides a light snack of milk, juice and healthy finger foods during the morning, just before break time. Fresh drinking water is available at all times.

We encourage all the children to eat independently so please make sure your childknowshowtoopenhis/herlunchboxand drink container and use a spoon and fork.

CommunicationParents have a special role to play in their child’s early education and therefore need not only to understand what teachers are trying to do, but also to work in partnership with us. At St. Andrews we provide various communication channels which enable us to create strong home/school links.

• CONTACTBOOK: we encourage individualcontactthrougha‘contact book’. This provides an opportunity for the teacher, child and parent to comment upon any item relevant to the child’s well-being or education on a day to day basis.

• PARENT/TEACHER CONSULTATIONS: these take place by appointment on a termly basis.

• SCHOOLREPORTS: issued in the first term and at the end of the school year.

• NEWSLETTERS: published every other Friday, to keep you informed of events. These are distributed by email. A hard copy is available on request.

• GENERALAPPOINTMENTS: if you have any problems or queries, please do not hesitate to telephone the school office and make an appointment with your child’s Class Teacher or Head of School. Tel: +66 (0) 2632 1995

IllnessWe are sometimes concerned that children return to school too soon after an illness. We request that children not return until there is no danger of other children and staff picking up infection from the sick child.

In the case of an infectious illness, such as chickenpox,measlesetc.,We request thatchildren do not return to school until they have a doctor’s note to say they are clear to attend.

We are not only concerned for the child’s health but for other children as well as adults and pregnant mothers. This will hopefully help us to contain any sickness that may be going around and make our school a healthier environment.

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MedicationIf your child is taking medication please check with your pediatrician before letting your child come back to school. If it is necessary to continue medication after your child is well enough to return to school, please give the medicine to the nurse. We would also like to kindly request that you put a note in your child’s contact book to inform the teacher.

Using Sun SenseWe plan outdoor activities so that the children spend time in shady areas and encourage frequent liquid intake. Please help us to protect your child and ensure that s/he has a sun hat to wear at school every day.

DisciplineAt St. Andrews we make a point of praising each child every day to promote positive thinking and self-esteem. In this way we encourage and promote our curriculum with recognition and praise. Sometimes however it is necessary to channel more aggressive impulses into acceptable behaviour and we use specific positive discipline guidelines to reinforce this:

• Fit the discipline to the child’s state of development–Forouryoungest children we try at first to divert their attention to another activity. If this does not work we remove them to another area. For a child over two, disciplineincludesanexplanation

as together we try to understand what triggered the child’s behaviour.• Discipline must fit the child–We make use of what we know about the child’s temperament and sensitivities. A sensitive child would be devastated by punishment that may be appropriate to an active more confident child.• Model behaviours for the child–We help children learn controls or ways to deal with a situation by giving examplesandwepraise,praise, praise, when we observe children really trying to control themselves.• Use of time-out–Whenachildis observed using unacceptable behaviour more than once, they may needtohave‘timeout’fromthe activity they were participating in at thetime.‘Timeout’mayalsoinvolve the child doing another activity for a short period of time.• Stop and re-evaluate whenever discipline does not work–ifachild continues to repeat inappropriate behaviour and indicates that s/he is anxiousoroutofcontrolwecontact parents to try and find out reasons and ways to help and support.

EmergenciesIf your child becomes sick at school we will contact you, administer basic first aid and stay with your child until you or guardian arrives.

FEVERWith parental permission, we will give your child some paracetamol – syrupand encourage them to drink water; a

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cool cloth will be used to bring down the fever.CUTS & BRUISESWewillwashgrazesgentlywithcoolwater,clean the wound and apply a plaster if necessary; ice will be used to bring down the swelling of bad bruise.

EMERGENCIESIn an emergency, if parents are not available, children will be taken to BNH hospital by a member of staff and helper. Every attempt will be made to contact parents before leaving school.

Early Years CurriculumAt St. Andrews we follow the UK’s “Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage” which is a document for teachers working with children in Nursery, Kindergarten and Reception. This curriculum has a set of goals called “Early Learning Goals” that emphasise early Literacy, Numeracy and the development of Personal and Social skills. It also contributes to children’s knowledge and understanding and skills in other areas. The document focuses on six Areasof Learning forunder–fivesandprovidesafoundationforlaterachievement.Thesixareas are:

• PersonalandSocialDevelopment• Communication,Language&Literacy• Mathematics• KnowledgeandUnderstanding of the world• PhysicalDevelopment• CreativeDevelopment

The Curriculum for Key Stage One and TwoWe use the National Curriculum of England and Wales as the foundation for our curriculum here at St. Andrews. This is adapted for our International environment. Each subject is clearly laid out in a detailed document that outlines all the knowledge, skills to be taught at each stage & learning outcomes. The curriculum is based on a system of assessment by which the teacher monitors the progress of all the individuals in his/her class. It is important to remember:• EachChildinanindividual• Childrendevelopatdifferentratesin different subjects.• TheNationalCurriculumisdesigned to take account of this and to help your child to progress. For further information please visit http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/ teachingandlearning

Curriculum LettersCurriculum letters outlining the learning objectives of each new topic are sent home every term for your information. If you have any comments or questions on the topics we would like to hear from you.

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My Own WorkIt is always good when parents show an interest in any project or topic work their child brings home from school. Try to encourage and praise especially careful work and try to find a special place to display your child’s achievement where it can be best admired. Try asking questions such as:

• Whatwereyoulearningaboutwhen you did this particular piece of work?• Whydidyouchoosetowrite/drawthis?• Whyareyousoproudofthiswork?

Parent - Teacher ConsultationsParent – teacher consultations arescheduled each term. These provide an excellent opportunity for your child’steacher to discuss his/her school progress. Since the time allowed for consultations is often limited, it is helpful for parents to plan ahead by:

• Makingalistofquestionsandor concerns you may have.• Askingyourchildifs/hehas questions for the teacher.

IndependenceWe encourage the children to be independent and do their own simple tasks. When you bring your child to school, encourage him/her to carry their own belongings and help them put their lunch box,bookbag,schoolbagandcontactbookin the proper place. Mark your child’s name clearly on all possessions and help your

child to recognise his/her own belongings. Please help by teaching your child to use the toilet and wash hands afterwards, dress and feed themselves independently.

Quality LearningAt St. Andrews we aim to promote quality learning with uninterrupted teaching time in school. We therefore ask you to respect the children’s lesson time, except in anemergency and avoid disrupting class time during his period. Parent – helpersare always welcome in school but if you wish to meet with a teacher or to discuss personal issues please make a note in your child’s Contact Book or call the office to make an appointment.

Courteous LanguageWe encourage children to use courteous language. It would be a great help if you would support this practice at home.

HEARTS, LIKE DOORSWILL OPEN WITH EASE

TO VERY, VERY LITTLE KEYSAND DON’T FORGET

THAT THREE OF THESE ARE:“THANK YOU”,

“YOU’RE WELCOME” AND“IF YOU PLEASE”

ReadingSharing and borrowing books from school is an established and enjoyable ritual for many of our children and they love to

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hear favourite stories over and over again. As well as developing a love of books and promoting. Literacy, our aim is to teach the children to treat books with respect and take responsibility for their care.To keep the books in good condition we encourage the use of book bags, available at the school office. We also provide a plastic folder; please use these at all times to protect the books. If these folders are damaged, a new one can be purchased from the office for 30 Baht. Please send your child’s book bag to school every day and ensure that your child has a school bag for personal belongings in addition to their book bag.

At home try to find about ten minutes each day when you and your child can enjoy sharing a book together, somewhere quiet and comfortable. Talk about the pictures,discusswhatmighthappennext,and point to the words as you read them. Above all enjoy the story together. With older children, try and find some time to discuss their reading book, as well as any projects they may be working on. You could help them to research a particular point of interest on the internet and read through the information together.

We realise on the odd occasion accidents do happen. If your child’s book gets damaged or lost we will ask you to replace the book. This can be arranged through school or purchased independently by the parents.

Toys in SchoolExcept for special activities or events wedo not encourage the children to bring toys from home as they can be very distracting and often cause tears and

upsets when they are lost or mislaid.

Staff Training

In – service training days are trainingdays set aside for teachers in order that we can keep up to date with the latest curriculum information and also plan for the coming terms. INSET days are marked on the school calendar and school is closed for children. We also have staff meetings every week when further training takes place, as well as morning meetings before school to discuss relevant issues and every day matters.

School PhotosEach year photographers come to school to take photos of all the children. These photos are then made available to parents who are interested. The school Newsletter will keep you informed of dates and times for this event.

After School ActivitiesThe children are given a selection of different activities each term. These are not compulsory but we encourage all children to join at least one activity each week as part of their physical and social development.

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Collage and Modelling SuppliesHaving a wide variety of materials stimulates our artwork and encourages the children to use their imaginations and select with discrimination. Please help us to make some interesting collections such as shells, lids, film cases, yoghurt pots, eggshells, boxes, buttons, seedsand any other items the children would be able to use in imaginative and creative ways.

Remember, what may seem like rubbish to you, can be very useful to us at school. Please clean and save anything at all which could be used for sticking, from natural to manmade materials no matter how unusual. This would help tremendously.

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Notes

Sathorn Campus9 Sathorn Soi 4, North Sathorn,Bangrak, Bangkok 10500Tel : +66 (0) 2632 1995 Email: sathorn@standrews-schools.comwww.standrews-schools.com