JUNIOR GIRLS BOARDING HANDBOOK

23. BEDTIME

On every night of the week apart from Saturdays and Sundays, you are expected to be getting ready for bed (shower, brushing your teeth and changing for bed) at least 30 minutes before lights out.

The duty staff will say goodnight to you and turn your lights off at lights out time.

On Fridays and Saturdays, bedtimes are half an hour later. Sunday bedtimes are the same as weekdays as you have school the next day.

KEEPING HAPPY, HEALTHY, SAFE AND SECURE

24. FEELING ILL?

If you feel ill, you should first report to the duty staff and they will give you permission to see the duty nurse if necessary.

Nurse Pheung and Nurse Liu are in the boarding medical centre throughout the week and most weekends but will rotate with the other nurses as part of the whole school rota in boarding. There is always a nurse on site to offer medical support.

If you incur an injury or are taken ill suddenly, you should try to find Mr Shufflebotham or Mr Copp immediately. One of us will always have the duty phone on us so make sure that you have the number. If you cannot find either of them, please speak to the security guard. In an absolute emergency, you should phone 1669.

25. MEDICATION

You must not bring any kind of medicine into the house. If you have been prescribed medication, you must hand it to the nurses for safekeeping as soon as you arrive at the boarding village. It is vital that Nurse Pheung, Nurse Liu and the rest of our medical team know what medication you are taking. You are not allowed to keep any medication (even headache tablets or cold remedies) in your own room; the only exception to this rule is asthma inhalers and EpiPens. The same rules apply to any supplements/vitamins, which must all be administered by the nurses.

26. PERSONAL HYGIENE

It is important that you keep yourself and your possessions clean and tidy, in order to maintain health and good relationships with other girls. You must always shower after any physical activity, and in any case you must shower at least once a day and use a deodorant/antiperspirant. Wear suitable clothing and slippers to and from the shower. You may use the showers at any reasonable and appropriate time during the day, but obviously not during prep time or after you are supposed to be in your rooms in the evening.

27. RELATIONSHIPS

It is important that all girls in the house treat each other (and each other’s property) with respect. Bullying of any sort and abuses of power or authority will not be tolerated. If you are worried about these or any other matters, talk to your senior family member or go straight to any of the Junior Girls staff.

One of the most important relationships for you to get right is that with your roommate(s). Remember that there is an art to sharing a room and it requires tolerance, empathy, respect and compromise from both parties.

Inappropriate discrimination or derogatory remarks based on gender, disability, sexuality, race, religion, cultural or linguistic background, academic ability or sporting prowess are not acceptable in Junior Girls. Every girl has the right to enjoy all aspects of life at Harrow Bangkok and in Junior Girls.

28. WHAT TO DO IF YOU ARE UNHAPPY

If you have any worries or difficulties, or are just feeling unhappy, there are many different people who are available and willing to help you. If you want to talk to somebody you can choose:

Inside the School

● Your Housemaster

● Your Deputy Housemistress

● Nurse

● Any other member of the house staff

● The Boarding Head Students

● Another senior girl or family head

● Your Day Head of House

● Any other member of the teaching or support staff

● The Medical Centre doctors and nurses, who may give you help themselves or refer you to a specialist. (Note: Your House Mistress may refer you to the School Counsellors for further support.)

Outside the School

Childline; 1387

You can contact all of these people confidentially, within the framework of the Thai Children Act.

29. KEEPING YOUR ROOM TIDY

You are expected to keep your room in good order. In particular, before you leave the house in the morning for lessons you must make sure that your curtains are drawn, your bed is made, your floor is clear and your desk is tidy. This is important so that the cleaning maids can clean your room properly. Your room will be inspected regularly by Junior Girls House staff. We must also do our part for the environment by ensuring that lights and air con are turned off when we leave a room.

30. PROPERTY

You should name all of your property clearly, including small items such as calculators, pencil cases and so on. Treat other people’s property with respect and never be tempted to ‘borrow’ things from other girls’ rooms: they may not be happy with this and you may not remember to give it back. If, in turn, you feel that you, your property or your space are not being respected, say something.

It is against house rules to go into other people’s rooms if they are not there. Be a generous friend and share but practices such as lending and borrowing money, or buying and selling property such as food, usually end in misunderstandings and trouble, so please do not do it.

31. SAFES

You will find a small digital safe in your room. Junior Girls house staff will help you set the combination and you can then use it for storing money and other valuables. If you forget the combination, Mr Shufflebotham has a master key to open the safe for you, but try not to do it too often!

You may also store any money and valuables in the Junior Girls office safe. This is also where passports must be stored for international girls.

32. SIGNING OUT AND SIGNING IN

Whenever you leave the house, you must remember to fill in the register on the desk of the security guard notifying us that you have left Junior Girls and your destination. Similarly, whenever you return to the house, you must ‘sign in’ using the same method of filling in the register with the security guard.

The process of signing out involves another layer of procedure; you must have a blue sign out slip form signed by a member of boarding staff. Security on the main entrance gates to the school will not let you leave the site unless you have a signed sign out slip. Please have your mobile phone with you at all times should we need to reach you. This system always provides an important up-to-date register of your location, which is a crucial part of ensuring that you are safe and easy to locate throughout the day. If you fail to sign out or sign in properly, you can expect to face sanctions; it is your responsibility to ensure that these rules are followed.

If you wish to entertain a friend from another house or a Harrovian who is a day student, you must first seek Mr Shufflebotham’s permission for this. Your friend should then sign in when they arrive and sign out when they leave.

If you wish to go out for the day, then you must be accompanied by a guardian or your friend’s parent. Both your parent/guardian and that of your friend must email permission for this to happen to Mr Shufflebotham or Mr Copp with a clear time frame for your departure and return. The same applies for if you wish to stay out of boarding overnight. A duty member of staff has the authority to refuse this request if they believe that it is in your best interests.

33. FIRE/LOCKDOWN ALARMS and LIGHTNING WARNING ALARM

FIRE ALARM

The fire alarm is a continuous, loud ringing which is designed to wake you up very quickly. On the door of every room in the house there is a set of rules for fire alarms, but here are the simplified guidelines:

● On hearing the alarm, close all room windows.

● Check that the rooms on either side of you are empty.

● Quickly but calmly make your way to the main exit.

● Once outside make your way to the assembly point which is out on the road behind The Grove.

● Do not stop to collect belongings.

● Do not re-enter the building until told to do so.

● Stand with the rest of your year-group and remain absolutely silent during the roll call.

Lockdown Alarm

The lockdown alarm is a different sound again to the fire alarm. These will be tested weekly every Friday at around 1600 so you will quickly become familiar with its sound. Should the lockdown alarm go off then you are to go into the nearest room, lock the door, turn off lights and then hide until you are told to come out.

Lightning Warning Alarm

These are red flashing lights positioned around the outside of buildings. If lightning comes down within a certain distance from the school, these red flashing lights will go off. If you are involved with sports on the school field then you must quickly head indoors. You must not go outside until a green flashing light goes off signalling that it is safe to do so.

34. FOOD

You are allowed to bring extra food and drink into the house should you wish to do so, though you must keep such supplies stored away in the storage boxes in the communal area of each floor. This is to minimise the presence of pests such as ants or worse! House staff will provide snacks on your return to Junior Girls after afternoon activities, which include fruit, bread and sometimes cookies.

You may, as a treat, order snack food (for yourself only, and not a whole meal), on a Friday between 1500-1700 or 1930-2030 and once at the weekend. This is a privilege, not a right, and it may be withdrawn at any time if it proves to be disruptive or if house routines are not being followed.

35. HOUSE TRIPS AND SOCIALS

From time to time, there will be house trips to the tenpin bowling alley, a sports match, or elsewhere. These will nearly always be after school and home clothes can be worn unless otherwise specified.

Mr Shufflebotham and Mr Copp will run socials throughout the term for different year groups and family groups. Please do your best to be free for these and enjoy spending time with your peers and making new friends.

MISCELLANEOUS 36. STATIONERY

You will be supplied with a prep diary and some stationery when you arrive. You will need to bring your own calculator, writing pen, pencils, ruler, rubber, pencil case and so on. Girls in Junior Girls are expected to take pride in the presentation of their academic work.

37. ELECTRONIC DEVICES: COMPUTERS, MOBILE PHONES, TABLETS etc.

You will be completing much of your academic work on your personal laptop computer or iPad. This is an expensive piece of equipment, and it is therefore vital that you name it clearly and take good care of it at all times. Every evening you will be expected to hand in your devices for safekeeping; it is your responsibility to ensure that your computer has found its way to the device cabinet, together with your phone and any other devices by the allocated time. You will be able to collect them again the next morning. While you will be submitting much of your work electronically, there are several printers around the house and boarding village that are connected to the school network and which you are free to use whenever you wish.

Soon after you arrive you will be given a school email address. You can access your email from any of the house or school computers, and from anywhere else in the world via the internet. You must check your email inbox several times a day, as teachers will use email to send you prep details and information about meetings, sports arrangements, etc. All teachers’ email addresses can be found through the outlook email platform. The address will be the teacher’s first name followed by an underscore (_) and then the first two letters of the teacher’s surname, then ‘@harrowschool.ac.th’. For example, Mr Shufflebotham’s email address is paul_sh@harrowschool.ac.th.

You are allowed to bring a mobile phone to school, but it must be clearly named (preferably engraved) and the number must be given to Mr Shufflebotham as soon as you arrive who will then save it on the Junior Girls house duty phone. The following rules are to ensure that you do not lose your phone, that you learn to use it sensibly, and that time that is better spent interacting with the rest of your year group and other peers is not wasted on the phone. You must make sure you save the Junior Girls duty phone number onto your own phone as soon as you arrive.

No girl is allowed to use her phone during prep time, or after bedtime. You should make sure that your parents, family and friends are aware of these rules so that they do not phone you at these times.

We also have ‘Device Down Days’ on Monday and Wednesday when phones are handed in from 1730 and all other devices at 1930.

Other handheld devices such as iPads are permitted. Non-academic use of a computer, phone or other handheld device, e.g. for playing games or watching television programme or films, is allowed only during your free time after prep or weekends. The same applies when using the house Wii etc.

You and your parents will be asked to sign a form on which you agree to abide by certain guidelines relating to the responsible use of computers, mobile phones, other handheld devices, the school network and IT equipment generally. Infringements of these guidelines are taken very seriously. If you break any of the rules relating to the use of computers, mobile phones and other handheld devices, you can expect to have such items confiscated for a period of time.

38. TELEVISION

You are welcome to watch television in your free time. There is a television with Netflix and a Wii downstairs in the Mac.

39. LETTERS, NEWSPAPERS AND MAGAZINES

Post for boards is collected from the clocktower by a member of boarding staff each day on their way back to the boarding village from school. Parcels and letters will then be distributed to girls each afternoon/evening. Please ensure that your parents, family and friends have the correct address:

Harrow International School Bangkok, 45 Soi Kosumruamchai 14, Kosumruamchai Road, Don Mueang Subdistrict, Don Mueang District, Bangkok, 10210 Thailand

+66 2 503 7222

Please ensure that when you are ordering parcels that it clearly states your nickname and ‘BOARDING’ on the address. You will be required to open all parcels in front of staff to ensure the safety of all boarders and you are not permitted to pick a parcel up by yourself fro the clocktower.

40. MONEY, PASSPORTS AND VALUABLES

Any money you bring to school should be deposited with Mr Shufflebothm who operates the house bank. This ensures that your money will be safe. You will have the opportunity to withdraw your money from the house bank whenever you need it. The recommended initial deposit to see you through the first half of your first term is 5,000 baht, but if you are a full boarder you may wish to bring more money for your weekend trips. This should be handed in an envelope, preferably made up of low denomination notes and with your name on it to Mr Shufflebotham when you arrive on the first day. You should always keep any money that you have withdrawn either on your person or in your safe. Under no circumstances should you leave money lying around unattended or even ‘hidden’ in your room.

If you are an international boarder, you must also deposit your passport with Mr Shufflebothem for safekeeping. You can collect it again when it is required and it will be returned to you when you leave for your holidays. Please remember to bring it back once the break has ended. HR will at times request your passport so we need to have it to hand when it is needed for visa purposes.

As far as possible you should try not to bring valuables into school as unfortunately their security cannot be guaranteed. Any valuables you do bring must be named or engraved wherever possible and must be locked in your personal safe.

41. COMPLAINTS AND SUGGESTIONS

If you ever feel that you have been unfairly treated or that something is wrong then you should not hesitate to contact any of the house staff. You can also leave a note (anonymously if you wish) under Mr Shufflebotham’s door to her private residence if you want to draw Mr Shufflebotham’s attention to anything. There is a suggestion box for small suggestions also. Please ensure that you come to speak to a member of staff about something that is upsetting you, as this is far more productive than writing an anonymous note. You may also wish to make suggestions to, or even be a member of, the Boarding Committee which meets regularly to discuss boarding issues.

BEHAVIOUR, DISCIPLINE AND REWARDS

42. RULE, SANCTIONS AND REWARDS

You will be issued with a set of school rules (‘existing customs’) when you first arrive. These rules supplement all the information contained in this handbook. The basic expectation is that you will behave sensibly and treat property, possessions and people with respect at all times.

Sanctions outside the house

Outside the house, only teachers and other school staff can issue sanctions for bad behaviour in line with the school behaviour policy.

Sanctions inside the house

For offences committed inside the house, the House Mistress may issue a sanction to a girl. Such sanctions typically involve loss of device or take away privilege, or early bedtime. All sanctions will be recorded. Major offences will be dealt with by the Housemaster (often in liaison with the Head of Boarding, Director of Houses, Head of School or the Head Master). Girls are never allowed to issue sanctions to other girls. If you ever feel you have been unfairly treated you should speak to your senior family member or a member of staff in the boarding house.

Of course, as a sensible young Junior Girl who wants to maintain a good reputation and make a success of your time at Harrow Bangkok, you are unlikely to become too familiar with any of these sanctions…!

Rewards

We have high expectations of our girls and the girls are regularly praised for their kind, helpful and dedicated behaviour. In addition, we have a reward system that allows the girls to earn privileges and merits. This will be clearly explained at the start of the new academic year and will contribute to your success in the Boarding Harrow Prize.

43. GOING HOME FOR THE WEEKEND AND THE BEGINNING AND END OF TERM

Weekly boarders can go home after school finishes each Friday. The sign-out procedure is the same; you must let the staff member on duty know you are about to leave the site, take a blue slip and then sign yourself out. A member of staff will check that you are being collected by your guardian/driver.

You must return to Junior Girls by Sunday evening no later than 2000. If it looks as if you are going to be late back from a weekend at home (e.g. due to unpredictable transport difficulties), your parents must contact Mr Shufflebotham or Mr Copp with an explanation and you must make sure that you report to them as soon as you arrive back at the House. The same arrangements apply at the start and end of each academic term.

If you are a full boarder and wish to sign out for the weekend, your parents and the guardian who is taking parental responsibility for you for the weekend, must communicate this in writing to Mr Shufflebotham before you will be allowed to sign out. Mr Shufflebotham and other boarding staff can refuse this permission if they have concerns regarding your supervision and safety over the weekend.

44. TERM DATES

The same arrangements apply to the beginning and end of term and to half-term breaks. Term dates are always published about a year in advance on the school website and you are expected to arrive and leave at the correct times and on the correct days. Permission is very unlikely to be granted for late arrivals or early departures because of the inevitable disruption that this causes. Your parents must not arrange holidays or make transport arrangements that would require an early departure at the end of term or a late arrival at the beginning: the Head Master is extremely unlikely to allow this to happen.

20/08/23

06/10/23

16/10/23

15/12/23

08/01/24

16/02/24

25/02/24

05/04/24

21/04/24

28/06/24

Boarding opens for Term 1a at 16:00

Boarding closes for Term 1a at 18:00

Boarding opens for Term 1b at 16:00

Boarding closes for Term 1b at 18:00

Boarding opens for Term 2a at 16:00

Boarding closes for Term 2a at 18:00

Boarding opens for Term 2b at 16:00

Boarding closes for Term 2b at 18:00

Boarding opens for Term 3 at 16:00

Boarding closes for Term 3 at 18:00

45. TRANSPORT: BUSES and TAXIS

If you require transport to take you to or from Harrow Bangkok at the beginning or end of term or at a long holiday weekend, Khun Kai, our boarding coordinator will organise this for you. Just make sure that your parents have given Khun Kai the details well in advance. Often it is possible to share a bus or taxi with another Harrow Bangkok boarder in order to save money. Graduates will accompany you to the airport on bus runs to make sure you get away safely and in a timely fashion.