The Accord

February 2014
The Accord
Newsletter of Bangkok Patana Parent Teacher Group
The Countdown
to Fun has
begun ...
Dear All,
3 days to go!
FUN DAY
Saturday
1st March
See inside for details...
Inside this issue:
PTG Calendar
2
Fun Day Information 4
We hope you all had an enjoyable mid-term break and were able to get away from the
tense situation in Bangkok. If you avoid the protest sites and marches, you can pretty well
stay clear and may not even notice anything. Over the years the school has had a lot of
experience dealing with "unusual" situations and also this year Bangkok Patana showed
their ability to adjust well to any situation.
It is good to be aware of what is happening. Our PTG Communication Manager, Susanne
Crosetto has compiled a list of various sources on social media which you can find on the
PTG blog (here). We are also pleased to announce that we now have our Facebook
Group for Patana parents (see p.10).
Since mid-November, the PTG has organised a number of activities. Unfortunately
the picnic in the park was not well attended as there were demonstrations all over
Bangkok that day. The PTG sponsored Santa and was his right hand in giving small
presents to the all Foundation Stage kids. The Christmas concert was very well
attended and the PTG’s homemade mulled wine very popular. In January, the PTG
organised a biking tour in the beautiful mountains of Khao Yai. We have already received
various requests to repeat this event, as some had to miss it because of SEASAC taking
place that same weekend.
FUN DAY is next, on Saturday 1st March at school from 9am to 3pm! The PTG has a
great team of extremely efficient volunteers who have been working extremely hard to
organise this event with Daphne Seiler doing a great job leading the team. Under Khun
Ann Vanasin and Khun Nog Tangtrongchitr, the Thai PTG has arranged an amazing
number of lucky draw prizes. This year we will have many exciting new rides and even a
dog show on the main stage. Fun Day will be a whole day of unlimited fun for everyone!
Don’t miss the Tiger Shop’s new merchandise available especially for Fun Day. In this
issue we have published something about healthy food in Bangkok
again…. read on….
Biking in Khao Yai
9
PTG on Facebook
10
PTG Committee
11
PTG Tiger Shop
16
Healthy Living
18
Hope to see you all at Fun Day on the 1st of March!
Warm regards,
PTG contact info
20
Malee Whitcraft
PTG Chairman
[email protected]
PTG Meeting
Parent Teacher Group (PTG) Committee Meeting
Our last full PTG meeting was held on Monday, 3rd February 2014.
We published the summary of the PTG minutes on the school‟s website, which is on the Parents‟ Gateway, or
click here.
Our next PTG meeting will be held on Monday, 31st March 2014.
Last year, during our PTG meeting on 25th November 2013, the school photographer took photos of the
committee, however not all members were present, so watch this space for a photo of the full committee
soon!
PTG Meeting at School on Monday, 25th November 2013
Future dates for your diary:

Fun Day*
1st March 2014

PTG Meeting*
31st March 2014

Quiz Night *
25th April 2014

Staff Appreciation Day*
(to be confirmed)

PTG AGM*
14th May 2014 (open to all parents and staff)

PTG Meeting*
16th June 2014
* organised by the PTG
Page 2
The Accord 02/2014
Page 3
Don’t miss it !
FUN DAY
The Accord 02/2014
Get Your All Day Pass: 500 THB for Unlimited Rides
Quick information on Fun Day 2014:
Fun Day will be held on Saturday, 1st March 2014 from 9:00 am until 3:00 pm
All Day Pass Wristbands
Great news! No more long queues for coupons, get your all day pass! Go on as many rides
as you like, play as many games as you like, meet Clown Eckie, go for scuba diving lessons,
enjoy the great entertainment on stage including a dog show, climb a mountain and have
hours of pool fun! This year we will have many exciting new rides!
Prices:
THB 500 all day pass includes all rides, games and activities
THB 100 entry pass for parents or seniors who do not want to go on rides
Lucky Draw
Lucky Draw tickets have been sent home in envelopes with your youngest child. Please return them by Thursday 27th February. There are great prizes to win!
Price:
THB 50 per ticket
Both, wristbands and Lucky Draw tickets are on sale at the school‟s main entrance and Primary entrance, from
7:30 am-8:30 am and 1:30 pm-2:45 pm, between 24th and 28th February. You can also buy them during Fun
Day.
Page 4
The Accord 02/2014
Page 5
The Accord 02/2014
Wanted! Second Hand Books & Toys for Fun Day Stall
Do you have gently used books and toys that you would like to donate? We
would love to have them for the Second Hand Books and Toys Stall on Fun Day.
Boxes for the collection of goods will be placed at the entrance of
school through the week until Friday 28th February.
All donations will be much appreciated, thank you!
WE WELCOME ALL ‘TEA ROOM’ DONATIONS FOR FUN DAY
Dear Parents/Guardians,
Like every year, Fun Day this year includes a Tea Room in the Sports Hall Lobby where
bakery and savoury goods are sold, as well as coffee and tea. All proceeds will contribute
towards our community.
It would be great if you could support the Tea Room. You can make a donation of Homemade Cakes, Pies or Savories, anything that your kids will love.
Please drop off your donations on Friday 28th February before 4pm, or on the morning of
Fun Day - Saturday 1st March from 8am onwards, at the Sports Hall Lobby (we have a
fridge). Please clearly label your donated items with "Tea Room" and please label food
containers with your child's name and class so that it can be returned.
The Primary School has a No Nut Policy as some kids have severe nut allergies. Please
ensure that your donation does not contain any nut products.
If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Many thanks and best regards,
Tea Room Coordinators
Debbie ([email protected]) and Claire ([email protected])
Page 6
The Accord 02/2014
Page 7
The Accord 02/2014
Page 8
FUN DAY Main Stage
PTG Social Event
The Accord 02/2014
First Social PTG Event of the Year
PTG’s Khao Yai Biking Tour
text by Siobhan Bland
photos by Susanne Crosetto
On 25th and 26th January the PTG held its first
social event of the year – the Khao Yai Biking
Tour! On Saturday, 30 people (10 Patana Families) joined the BBQ at Baan Chonglom with its
spectacular views across the majestic Khao Yai
National Park. The children connected immediately; whether they were playing tag outside or
playing games under cover, there was lots of
laughter amongst them. The parents, and the
conversation, soon warmed up with a mulled
wine or two and homemade burgers and lasagna,
barbequed corn and fresh green salad on the
menu. After watching the beautiful sunset over
Khao Yai, the rapid drop in temperature forced
everyone to retreat to the cozy warmth of their
nearby hotels.
On Sunday, 20 people braved the brisk 13 degree morning for the biking tour. Everyone
bought their own bikes or hired them in Bangkok. Our youngest rider was seven years old and
our oldest was…well...let‟s say around 50 years
old. Before we headed off on our adventure
through the National Park and surrounds, Malee
Whitcraft gave a safety briefing to the riding party to make sure everyone knew where to go and
what to do if they were confronted by an unfriendly dog or monkey…or elephant for that
matter; there is one lone elephant that is known
to wander the area, plucking palm trees out of
peoples‟ gardens like celery sticks.
After being supplied with a bottle of water and a
snack for the journey, „Team Patana‟ headed off.
Once under the cover of the forest in the National Park we were lucky enough to see a troop of
about 50 macaque monkeys sitting on the path
ahead. We all stopped and enjoyed their presence until they noticed us and disappeared into
the dense forest further up the mountainside.
…. Continue reading on the PTG blog
Page 9
The Accord 02/2014
News from the PTG
Hello, we are the PTG!
We want to connect with parents, teachers and staff from the Bangkok Patana Community and we want this
community to bond continuously!
There are many different ways to reach out to the Bangkok Patana community. The PTG members and volunteers - who sometimes run around in orange shirts - hang posters around school, post on the PTG blog
and publish the PTG newsletter, The Accord. We also published updates and information in Friday’s Patana
News, the Primary newsletter and the Secondary Notices. Last but not ideal, for urgent matters, we sometimes email all parents via school directly. However, the PTG and the school do try to avoid information
overload for parents.
However, despite all these communication channels, some parents still miss out on hearing about our
events, and there are newcomers who are not familiar with PTG and what it is all about.
BIG NEWS!
So the PTG decided to improve its communication. We want to be faster and more independent, and the
ideal solution for now, we think, is to connect with you on Facebook!
You won’t miss any interesting information or fun event anymore if you join our PTG Facebook Group!
We will share links to important PTG blog posts and create events on Facebook that you can
join. We will keep you updated on community happenings and on events in Bangkok. Your
comments and questions will be only visible to other members of this closed FB Group. Check
out our rules and join!
What else is new with the PTG?
A big new button for our PTG blog! You can’t
miss us anymore when on the Patana Gateway!
Thank you Bangkok Patana IT Department!
On the PTG blog we have compiled a selection
of English language news sources on social media for Bangkok which can be useful for both expats and travellers, especially during a crisis.
Click here for the blog post.
On the PTG blog we also update Community Events. Click here for an
Page 10
overview
The Accord 02/2014
Page 11
PTG Committee 2013/2014
The Accord 02/2014
Page 12
PTG Committee 2013/2014
The Accord 02/2014
PTG Committee 2013/2014
You are invited, join the PTG Facebook Group!
Page 13
The Accord 02/2014
Page 14
PTG Committee 2013/2014
The Accord 02/2014
Get Wet, Get Cool with POOL PARTY FUN
Bring your swimwear & towel !!
Page 15
The Accord 02/2014
PTG Tiger Shop
Speci
Cool Ne al
w It
availab ems
le o
FUN DA n
Y !!
+++ Get your Tiger Paw Towel for Pool Party Fun on Fun Day +++
Visit the Tiger Shop virtually : Tiger Shop on the PTG blog (<- click left)
Page 16
PTG Tiger Shop
The Accord 02/2014
PTG TIGER SHOP OPENING TIMES
7.30 - 10.30am
TUES 25 FEBRUARY
Andrea Chaplin
WED 26 FEBRUARY
Karen Kulsatri Andersen (7.30
- 10.00am)
THUR 27 FEBRUARY
FRI 28 FEBRUARY
MON 3 MARCH
TUES 4 MARCH
WED 5 MARCH
THURS 6 MARCH
FRI 7 MARCH
MON 10 MARCH
TUES 11 MARCH
WED 12 MARCH
THURS 13 MARCH
FRI 14 MARCH
MON 17 MARCH
Cynthia Purnomo
Cynthia Purnomo
Andrea Chaplin
Karen Kulsatri Andersen (7.30
- 10.00am)
Cynthia Purnomo
Jo Guyett
Cynthia Purnomo
Andrea Chaplin
CLOSED
Andrea Chaplin
Karen Kulsatri Andersen (7.30
- 10.00am)
Cynthia Purnomo
Jo Guyett
Cynthia Purnomo
CLOSED
WED 19 MARCH
Karen Kulsatri Andersen (7.30
- 10.00am)
WED 2 APRIL
THURS 3 APRIL
FRI 4 APRIL
Jo Guyett
CLOSED
Andrea Chaplin
WED 26 MARCH
THURS 27 MARCH
FRI 28 MARCH
MON 31 MARCH
TUES 1 APRIL
1.00 - 3.30pm
Andrea Chaplin
TUES 18 MARCH
THURS 20 MARCH
FRI 21 MARCH
MON 24 MARCH
TUES 25 MARCH
10.30am - 1.00pm
Cynthia Purnomo
Jo Guyett
Cynthia Purnomo
Andrea Chaplin
CLOSED
Andrea Chaplin
Karen Kulsatri Andersen (7.30
- 10.00am)
Cynthia Purnomo
Jo Guyett
Cynthia Purnomo
Andrea Chaplin
CLOSED
Andrea Chaplin
Karen Kulsatri Andersen (7.30
- 10.00am)
Cynthia Purnomo
Jo Guyett
Cynthia Purnomo
Andrea Chaplin
Would you like to volunteer at the PTG Tiger Shop? Please contact our Tiger Shop Manager
Andrea at [email protected]
Page 17
The Accord 02/2014
Healthy Living in Bangkok
HEALTHY FOOD IN BANGKOK
Introducing Absolut Fit Food
We had been contacted by Claire Bostock, a Patana mum and Executive Director at Absolute Yoga Group
after she had read our series on "Healthy Living in Bangkok" in the PTG Newsletter. She invited three ladies of the PTG team to try the Chef‟s table at Absolute Fit Food which consists of a sampling of a super
yummy three-course meal, introduction to Absolute Fit Food‟s unique concept and its use of “superfoods”
ingredients, and also what programs this new company has to offer.
The founder of Absolute Fit Food is Khun Benjaporn Karoonkornsakul, also a Patana Mum, who started the label with Absolute Yoga in
Bangkok in 2002, and expanded later with Absolute Pilates. Both ladies
are full of energy and very enthusiastic about their new project. They
strongly believe that real healthy food starts from the quality of the raw
ingredients.
Yummy Bean Quinoa Salad
We enjoyed the Chef‟s table luncheon very much and were impressed
by how they were able to make healthy food taste and look so good.
The Chef‟s table luncheon is open to the public from Mondays - Fridays from 12 - 2pm at their beautiful show-kitchen on the 3rd floor of
The Portico building on Soi Langsuan (two-minutes walk from BTS
Chidlom). For those who can‟t make it on weekdays, they are now also
open on weekends for breakfast/brunch from 8am - 2pm! For further
information visit www.absolutfitfood.com. Also check out their food
stall on Fun Day!
We liked the food and the concept of these Patana Mums so much,
that we have agreed to plan a workshop session with them for parents
entitled "Superfoods for Superkids". During this workshop parents
will learn about how a healthy diet can improve children's development and what delicious healthy meals can be prepared at home. To
top it off, there will also be a sampling of their food. We will post on
the PTG blog more details soon - so stay tuned!
In our November 2013 issue (see Accord archive), we featured:
Bangkok Farmers’ Market at K Village every last weekend of the month (www.bkkFM.com), Spring
Epicurean Market on Sukhumvit 49 last Sunday of the month (further information click here), Living
Food Café “Rasayana” serves raw food in 57 Soi Prom-Mitr, Sukhumvit 39 (www.rasayanaretreat.com),
CSA Munching Box (Raitong Organics Farm) delivers fresh organic veggies in a box by bicycle, and a
healthy recipe by parent Tanya Stockdale: Benefits of yoghurt and how to make your own.
In our next issue we will publish another healthy recipe.
Page 18
Page 19
PTG Contact Info
The Accord 02/2014
PTG Committee 2013 - 2014
for general enquiries please contact [email protected]
SENIOR STAFF
HEAD OF SCHOOL
MATTHEW MILLS
[email protected]
HEAD OF PRIMARY
CLARE SHARP
[email protected]
HEAD OF SECONDARY
MICHAEL SMITH
[email protected]
BUSINESS DIRECTOR
ANDREW GORDON
[email protected]
PTG CHAIRPERSON
MALEE WHITCRAFT
[email protected]
PTG VICE CHAIR
SIOBHAN BLAND
[email protected]
PTG SECRETARY
SIOBHAN BLAND
[email protected]
PTG TREASURER
KORAVIC (WIKKI) BHANUBANDH
[email protected]
PARENTS
THAI PARENT GROUP (ThPG) REP NAVARA (ANN) VANASIN
[email protected]
PRIMARY PARENT REP
RANIDA THITAPARUN (MAMEOW)
[email protected]
SECONDARY PARENT REP
DYAN ZIMMERMAN
[email protected]
COMMUNICATION & MKTG
SUSANNE CROSETTO
[email protected]
SOCIAL EVENTS COORD.
SUZIE JHANJI
[email protected]
TIGER SHOP MANAGER
ANDREA CHAPLIN
[email protected]
For all volunteers involved in the PTG see a list published on the PTG blog at www.patana.ac.th/BLOG
Get involved today!
We welcome and appreciate all volunteers, whatever your interests or availability. We particularly encourage
new parents to become involved. Volunteering with the PTG is a great way to meet people, have fun, and learn
more about the school. Come and join!
The Accord PTG Newsletter
Can’t wait for the next
PTG Newsletter ?
Want to know what is happening with the PTG?
Visit the PTG Blog at www.patana.ac.th/PTG
Read the last Accord
Find us on facebook and join!
Page 20
Advertising Guidelines
The PTG only accepts community announcements
and notices from non-profit organisations. It can
also accept notices from members of the Bangkok
Patana community, on a space available basis.
Please direct enquiries to [email protected]
Editors:
Susanne Crosetto and Siobhan Bland
Next Issue: March 2014