Harrovian Vol18 No.12 - Harrow International School Bangkok

the
HARROVIAN
the newsletter of Harrow International School Bangkok
Vol 18 No 12
6th May 2016
From the Head Master
Dear All,
I was so proud on Saturday evening at The Charity Masked Ball – the whole event
was absolutely magnificent from start to finish and it was wonderful to see so
many members of our community looking fantastic, relaxing together and
enjoying the night. The Burmese Education Partnerships will benefit by over THB
400,000 in all, sufficient to run their literacy programme for a whole year they tell
us, meaning that it was the perfect Harrow Bangkok event: great fun, of a very
high standard and contributing positively to our wider community. The pictures
say it all…
Libby Fox, our new Head of Prep Phase, has made a very strong start since joining
us at Songkran. Libby comes from a very strong background as an age 14 to 16
phase leader in the UK and will add a lot to the standards and general running of
Prep at Harrow Bangkok.
I'm also very pleased to announce the appointment of Alex Costa (currently Y1C
teacher) as our new Deputy Head of Lower School, effective at the beginning of
the new academic year, when Jo Khanteetao moves to lead our Human Resources
Team. Alex will draw on her grounding as an experienced deputy and curriculum
manager to provide the skills, knowledge and expertise our Lower School needs
for the next phase of development.
We're in the thick of exam season, and it's hot, so my very best wishes to all
involved in both public and internal examinations. Good wishes also to the
organisers and competitors in our '2Fast2Furious' swim meet and the Primary
FOBISIA Games which we host later in the month. GO LIONS!
I hope you have a good weekend,
Mick Farley
THE HARROVIAN
Lower School News
Welcome back. I hope you all had a very happy Songkran break. This year in Lower School, we have invested a lot of time
training our staff in the best strategies for teaching in reading, phonics, writing and maths. The results are really paying off with
reading and writing standards higher than ever.
Below, our Lower School Deputy shares with you some of the training we have been doing with our Educational support staff.
Nicholas Prockter, Head of Lower School
At Harrow Bangkok, we value professional development for all our staff. The Educational Support Staff in our lower school play a
valuable and important part in the teaching and learning that happens in school every day. With this in mind, we see the
importance of offering our TAs a variety of opportunities to develop themselves professionally and be constantly learning and
improving just as we do with our teachers. The TAs in Lower School have received training in a range of areas, such as behaviour
management in Pre Prep and learning through play in the Early Years. All lower school TAs have received Child Protection and
Safeguarding training. The training programme offered has encouraged many of our TAs to do additional study and apply for a UK
recognised CACHE endorsed certificate through the UK Teaching Assistant College.
CACHE was established in 1945 by the British Ministry of Health under the name of the National Nursery Examination Board
(NNEB). Over the years CACHE have continually invested in high quality qualifications for staff working in care and education.
Written and developed by experts, they have helped millions of learners across the world to raise professional standards, with a
reputation for excellence and leadership across the sector. CACHE are an organisation dedicated to those who care for children,
young people and adults.
Professional development such as this, where our TAs earn professional credentials, is one way in which we put your children’s
progress and development first.
Jo Khanteetao, Deputy Head of Lower School
HARROW INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL BANGKOK
THE HARROVIAN
The Charity Masked Ball
Who doesn’t love a masked ball? Glamorous gowns, venetian masks, ice sculptures and James Bond look-alikes graced the
entrance hall of the JW Marriott as 260 parents, staff and alumni of the Harrow Bangkok community came together for a night of
glitz, entertainment and fund raising. Excellent food and great company set the scene for the charity auction hosted by the
dazzling team of Mr Herbert and Miss Blackman. Items such as return air tickets to London, donated by Ethiad, and several hotel
rooms donated by varying hotels, including a luxury villa stay in a Samui, generated significant interest. There were also many
table and raffle prizes including another set of return tickets to London donated by British Airways. By the end of the evening an
astonishing 460,000 THB had been raised for the Mobile Education Partnerships which will go a long way in helping to build the
future of migrant communities, especially the children, in the Mae Sot region.
We are very proud of the efforts of the whole Harrow Bangkok community and would like to thank all our sponsors and our parents
and staff who bid so generously: Etihad, British Airways, Friends of Harrow, Montri Transport, Chang Beer, Central Wines, Kao
Cosmetics, Downia Bedding , Epicure Catering, Crabtree and Evelyn, Sheraton hotel Samui, Courtyard Marriot Hotel, Marriott
Hua Hin, Marriott Khao Lak, Anantara Vacation Club, Sofitel Golf and Resort Krabi, FClinic beauty, The Grand Four Wings
Convention Centre, Raja Fashions, Hotel Indigo, The Okura Hotel, Van Belle Hotel Samui, Marriot Rayong, Ultimaradiance Spa,
Kattiya Lipscomb, Kwanta Ali, Patcharavalai Jirapojaphorn, Benjarong Kulphaisaltham, Pijjapha Akrasmithinond, Jutamas
Nithianantporn, Mark Wesson.
Gayle van den Berg
HARROW INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL BANGKOK
THE HARROVIAN
HARROW INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL BANGKOK
THE HARROVIAN
Around the Upper School
Dragons’ Den Business Competition
Congratulations to Moe (C10), Faa (K10) and Nin (B10) who represented Harrow Bangkok at the final of the Bangkok
Dragons’ Den Business Competition hosted by St Andrews International School on Tuesday 3rd May. The Harrow
Bangkok team were one of six finalists to pitch their business idea, a range of cleverly designed document storage
folders branded TELA, to three judges in an attempt to persuade them to invest in their business. In addition to the
presentation, the TELA team also submitted a detailed business plan and answered questions from the judges on
their product. Although they were not selected winners on the day, TELA were amazing ambassadors for Harrow
Bangkok and did exceptionally well to make it through to the competition final. Well done, TELA!
Bangkok Economics Essay Competition
Well done to the nine Sixth Form Economics students who participated in this year’s Bangkok Economics Essay Competition.
It was extremely pleasing to see so many aspiring young economists take the opportunity to independently explore issues in their
chosen subject at such a busy time of the academic year. The process of researching and critically analysing the multifarious
nature of topics such as climate change and free trade is challenging to any academic, and the writing produced by all participants
has shown that each has considerable promise in being able to cope with the challenges and rigours of undergraduate study.
Congratulations are extended to Uno (B12) and Peem (C12) for making it through to the next round of the competition where a
final judging of the shortlisted entries will take place by Dr. Thitinan Pongsudhirak.
The Economics Department would like to thank all participants for their hard work and effort.
James Beere
HARROW INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL BANGKOK
Year 9 Take a Close Look at ………………………. Darwinism
Year 9 Religious Studies students produced some excellent work for their ‘Voyage of the Beagle’ project recently. They took a
look at the work of Charles Darwin as part of a Science and Religion Unit.
Editorial
THE HARROVIAN
Boarding News
Easter, a Christian festival, is observed on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox, here in Boarding
we had a go at one of the traditional activities enjoyed by many children throughout the world: we decorated our own Easter eggs.
Everyone came up with different ideas and unique designs; I tried to incorporate Jackson Pollock’s painting style in my Easter egg
creation (can you spot it?). The person with the best designed egg (Moji N12) won a whole lot of chocolate as well as the Easter
Egg Cup.
In the Boarding Houses, Easter Day was a special treat as it involved a lot of chocolate. As we went for breakfast, we were all
given a chocolate egg and some brownies, and by that time I knew that the day was going to be an ‘eggxalent’ one. While we
were doing homework, the Gap students were working hard to find perfect places to hide more chocolate eggs. When the time
came we all ran out and tried to find the eggs, and the person (this year is was Robert in B12) who found the most eggs won and
got the most chocolate. The Gap students really did a good job at organizing the whole egg hunt. Soon after, the winner of the
best decorated egg was announced, which turns out wasn't me (although I did make it to the final).
Josh K9
HARROW INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL BANGKOK
Greens, Greens, Greens!
Approximately 90% of the vegetables we serve in the dining hall and across campus are hand cut and hand prepared by us every
morning. We believe that basic is best. Food in its basic form carries the most nutrients for our bodies and is optimally digested,
hence allowing us the maximum benefits from the food we eat.
Our main dining hall brings you closer to consuming your recommended servings of fruits and vegetables. With our salad bar, you
have many healthy choices of salads and vegetables such as lettuce, shredded raw cabbage, broccoli, tomatoes, cucumbers, bell
peppers, red kidney and sweet corn.
Below are some more interesting facts and health benefits to some of the vegetables available in the canteen.
Kale & morning glory: why should you be eating these wonder veggies? They are local vegetables grown in Thailand, and
are quite a hardy plant all on their own. They are extremely high in anti-oxidants, full of Vitamins K, A & C, rich in minerals such as
iron and calcium (offering even more calcium than milk!). It is proven that a diet full of vegetables not only boosts your immune
system, but also may reduce your risk of muscular degeneration, obesity and certain cancers. Good news is they are offered on a
regular basis for lunch in the Early Years Centre as well as the main dining hall.
Broccoli - it is a veritable goldmine of nutrition. In fact, it packs the most nutritional punch of any vegetable.
Botanically, broccoli belongs to the cabbage family, collectively known as cruciferous vegetables. Health organizations have
singled out cruciferous vegetables as must-have foods, recommending we eat them several times a week. To name a few of
Broccoli's noteworthy nutrients they include: vitamin C, which boosts our immune system and provides a potent antioxidant;
vitamin A (mostly as beta-carotene which is also a powerful antioxidant), which helps to maintain healthy skin and fight off
infectious disease; potassium, which promotes optimal brain functioning and a healthy nervous system; magnesium and calcium,
for building strong teeth & bones; folic acid, which can aid in cancer prevention; and it is high in fibre, which aids our digestive
system. Broccoli is on offer at both canteens the EYC and the main dining hall on most days.
For more information on dining hall menus please visit the School website. Both the Early Years Centre menu and our 6-week
rotational menu for the main dining hall are uploaded online.
Bernd Hartner,
Contract Manager, Epicure Catering
THE HARROVIAN
House Competitions
Suriyothai Triumphant on the Water
At the very end of Term 2, one of the most eagerly anticipated House events of the year took place; the Secondary House
Dragonboat Racing Competition.
It is not the strongest or most athletic House that wins the Dragonboat racing, it is the House that is most determined and, in terms
of rowing technique, the most synchronised. Following the heats on Monday and Tuesday, it was Keller, Sonakul, Suriyothai and
Byron in the semi-finals of the Years 9 and 10 competition with Suriyothai beating Sonakul by half a boat in the final. In the Years
11 to13 finals, Suriyothai booked a spot in the final by beating Keller in their semi. In the final they faced Nehru, who had gained a
narrow victory over Sonakul in the other semi-final. Suriyothai triumphed and were the overall champions of the competition.
Our thanks go to the LiA department for running the event so successfully and safely.
Byron Serve-up a Storm
It was love at first spike at the Secondary House Volleyball Competition. A packed Sports Hall and Den witnessed all five courts
being used as students dug deep for their House. Following the pool matches on Tuesday, it was Byron who beat Nehru in the in
the first of the finals between the Year 9 – 10 girls’ on Wednesday. However, in the Year 9 – 10 boys’ competition Keller emerged
victorious over Churchill. In the Year 11 – 13 competitions Byron were through to both finals and although Suriyothai managed to
block them in the fiercely contested girls’ final, Byron made sure they were set for victory over Keller in the boys’ final and so
ensured they retained the House Volleyball trophy for a second year running with Suriyothai and Keller sharing joint second place.
Our thanks to the PE Department for running such a fantastic event.
The Heads of House Team
HARROW INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL BANGKOK
Gymnastics
The first weekend of April saw 29 gymnasts from Harrow Bangkok compete in the annual Moose Games Invitational Competition,
hosted by Thai Canadian Community Sports. Gymnasts from schools and gymnastics clubs across Asia competed in the
Womens’ Artistic and Mens’ Artistic gymnastics disciplines.
All of our gymnasts performed exceptionally well, coming away with many medals. For many of them this was their first
competition and they rose to the occasion, performing their routines with confidence.
Stephanie Lee
THE HARROVIAN
Sports Round-up
As we move into Season 4, it is fantastic to see so many students involved in sports training and activities. With over 700
students enrolled in our academy programmes and many more involved in other sports too, the future for sport at Harrow Bangkok
is very bright indeed.
Following the Songkran holiday, our students have been involved in a range of sports competition in Softball, Volleyball and
Swimming. Our teams excelled at the recent end of season 3 BISAC tournaments, with all teams having made huge
improvements over the season. We would like to say a huge thank you to all our coaches that have committed many hours to
coaching, motivating and organising our teams over the season.
Here is a summary of the BISAC Season 3 results:
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U11 Softball Boys - 3rd place
U11 Softball Girls - 3rd place
U13 Volleyball Girls - 3rd place
U13 Volleyball Boys - 5th place
U15 Volleyball Girls - 7th place
U15 Volleyball Boys - 2nd Place
U15 Softball Girls - 4th Place
U15 Softball Boys - 6th Place
9 students travelled to Singapore to compete at the UWC East Dragon’s Den swim meet during the Songkran holidays. The meet
was of a very high standard with a number of competitors from other schools having been at Olympic trials earlier in the year –
this made for a fantastic experience for our students. All swimmers did extremely well, with many personal besta recorded. A
special mention goes to Thi (2H) for winning 4 medals (1 gold, 1 silver and 2 bronze), Nicky (S6) for reaching the final of the 50m
breaststroke and to the boys relay team who won bronze in both the freestyle and medley relays.
The month of May is very busy with the BISAC Gymnastics Championships, BISAC U11 Tennis, 2 Fast 2 Furious swim meet and
the Primary FOBISIA Games also hosted by Harrow Bangkok. Go Lions!
Mike Preston, Director of Sport
Lions Hall of Fame
In each edition of the Harrovian, students are selected for special acknowledgement for their contribution to Harrow Sport. As it
was the end of season 3, we have selected a boy and a girl for each section that competed at BISAC in this edition.
U13/U15
Meryn (K8) – having never played competitive volleyball before, she was a key member of the U13 Girls Volleyball team that went
from strength to strength over Season 3, culminating in a very pleasing 3 rd place at BISAC.
Nont (N9) – an outstanding performance as setter in the very successful U15 Boys Volleyball team that finished 2 nd at BISAC.
U9/U11
Goethe (K6) – he is a fantastic all round sportsman and he performed extremely well at the BISAC Softball competition.
Nano (So6) – an outstanding athlete who shone at the BISAC Softball tournament. Nano has a very bright future ahead of her.
HARROW INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL BANGKOK
Community Football
Representatives from all corners of the Harrow Bangkok footballing family came together on Thursday 7th April for the termly
Community Tournament, which was played in sweltering conditions in the usual friendly but competitive spirit.
For the first time, the ladies match featured teams comprising a mix of staff and students, and this was a format that was certainly
enjoyed by all, and will be stuck to in the future. With the last two men's competitions having been won by Epicure, this time, it
was the turn of the staff teams to dominate, and going into the final round of matches, any one of three of them were in contention
to win the title. As it turned out, a 0-0 draw was enough for Staff Team 3, Italy (pictured below), captained by Dan Wiseman, to lift
the title on goal difference by a single goal scored.
It is always a huge pleasure to see the whole school represented at the tournament, from NCH and CominAsia, to PCS and
Epicure, not to mention the many school staff and some parents as well. The tournament is certainly unique in this respect, and
it continues to go from strength to strength in terms of numbers playing. Long may this continue.
Nigel Phelps
Photographs on this page by Phil Alexander
THE HARROVIAN
Congrats to students at the final
of the #Bangkok #DragonsDen
Business Competition hosted by
St Andrews Bangkok
Primary FOBISIA Games
@HarrowBangkok 21 days to
go #countdown #GoLions
2nd & 3rd Apr saw 29 gymnasts
from Harrow compete in the annual Moose Games
#ThaiCanadian harrowbkksport
Harrow Bangkok is offering
'Golden Tickets' of 100%
#Scholarships to exceptional
#SixthFormers #Bangkok
400,000 Baht was raised at the
Harrow Masked Ball. Thank you
to all sponsors.
@British_Airways EtihadAirways
HARROW INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL BANGKOK
90% of the veg we serve across
campus are hand cut and hand
prepared by us
@EpicureThailand
We would like to give thanks to
@HarrowBangkok for their
#charity ball this weekend. Great
fun was had by all, with huge
funds raised!!!
The Back Page: Book Week 2016
We had an amazing Book Week in the Lower School. Children had the opportunity to meet with children’s author Ian Whybrow.
He entertained the children with his tales of how he got the ideas for Harry and the Dinosaur books and his Meerkat Madness
series.
During the week, there were lots of fun activities for the children to participate in. In the library, children played Harry and the
Dinosaurs Bingo and created their own stories in little mini books. Elsewhere, many children completed a book quiz and had their
photographs taken reading in unusual places. Finally, we all dressed up for Book Character Day. It was fantastic to see so many
children in their homemade costumes.
Throughout the week, many children bought and donated new books for their class which are now being enjoyed by many – thank
you for your generosity, it made a big difference.
The English and Library Teams