Learning Beyond the Classroom: Embracing Holiday Opportunities at AISB

As we approach the end of Semester 1, we reflect with pride on the growth, engagement, and curiosity our students have shown throughout their learning journey. At AISB, we believe that teaching and learning extends beyond the classroom. The upcoming holiday period offers a rich and exciting opportunity for our young people to apply their skills in new, meaningful, and creative ways, turning the world around them into a vibrant, authentic learning environment.

The World as a Global Classroom

Travel, even in its simplest form, provides countless avenues for young people to connect with our school value of Global Outlook. Whether families are exploring a new country or revisiting familiar places, students can become active learners: collecting photographs, brochures, tickets, and mementos to create scrapbooks that document their adventures. These simple acts not only strengthen writing, sequencing, and visual literacy skills but also help students develop a deeper appreciation for the diversity of people and places. Encouraging children to try new foods or learn how to say hello, please, and thank you in another language fosters intercultural understanding and supports our aim of nurturing compassionate and responsible Global Citizens.

Real World Skills: From Airports to Markets

Even at home, everyday experiences become powerful learning moments. Reading timetables in airports or shopping centres, budgeting for meals, navigating maps, interpreting signs, and engaging in conversations with new people all strengthen real-world literacy and numeracy. These “in-the-wild” applications reinforce the important partnership between home and school, showing children that learning is continuous, relevant, and purposeful. When a child helps manage travel documents or compare/convert prices, they are actively applying the skills they’ve mastered in the classroom to solve authentic problems.

Discovering Bangkok's Cultural Riches

For families staying in Bangkok, our wonderful city offers a wealth of opportunities to explore, create, and discover. Local museums such as the Bangkok National Museum, Museum of Siam, and the Children’s Discovery Museum provide hands-on, inquiry-rich experiences that spark curiosity. Art lovers may enjoy the MOCA Museum of Contemporary Art or the vibrant exhibitions at BACC (Bangkok Art and Culture Centre). Many venues listed on Time Out Bangkok host holiday workshops, guided tours, performances, and creative activities that invite children to expand their cultural awareness. Traditional markets, temples, and community events also offer engaging ways for students to deepen their understanding of Thai culture while strengthening their sense of belonging within our broader community.

Five Family Learning Adventures in Bangkok

Activity	AISB Learning Focus	Real-World Skill Application
1. The Chao Phraya River Express & Water Taxi	Global Outlook & Sequencing	Take a regular Chao Phraya Express Boat (not a tourist cruise). Ask children to read the route map, note the names of the piers (or 'thaa' in Thai), and track how much the trip costs. They can collect a ticket (a great scrapbook item) and note the sights they pass, working on sequencing skills by documenting the journey from start to finish.
2. Museum Siam / Children's Discovery Museum	Inquiry & Cultural Understanding	Visit Museum Siam (interactive focus on "Decoding Thainess") or the Children's Discovery Museum (hands-on science and culture). These free-entry museums use games and interactive exhibits to teach Thai history and culture, prompting students to ask "How?" and "Why?" about the world around them.
3. Take a Beginner Thai Cooking Class	Intercultural Understanding & Numeracy	Sign up for a family-friendly Thai cooking class. This is a direct way to encourage trying new foods. Students practice following sequenced instructions and engage with numeracy by measuring ingredients and timing cooking stages. They can then write a postcard to a teacher describing the new dish they learned to make.
4. Chatuchak Weekend Market Exploration	Practical Literacy & Global Citizenship	Head to Chatuchak Weekend Market (or another local market). Give older students a small, fixed budget (numeracy/budgeting) and a simple task, like finding an item representing Thai culture or a gift for a friend. They must use basic Thai phrases ("Tao rai ka/krap?" - How much?) and read signs (literacy) to navigate, encouraging conversation and respect for local customs.
5. The Artist's House (Baan Silapin)	Creativity & Visual Literacy	Visit The Artist's House in Khlong Bang Luang, a community art space. They often host traditional Thai puppet shows and painting workshops (check their schedule). This provides a creative outlet and a quiet retreat where students can work on their visual literacy by sketching the unique riverside architecture or creating their own artwork.

As we move into the holiday period, we invite families to embrace these moments as part of their child’s learning journey. When children see that the world is their classroom, they return to school more confident, curious, and ready for new challenges. Thank you for your continued partnership and for the many ways you support your child’s growth as a learner and global citizen. We wish all AISB families a safe, restful, and inspiring break.

Mark Pearce

Deputy Head of Primary 

Head of Teaching and Learning