The PTG Committee

By Melissa Golden, PTG Chairperson

At this time, most things have come to a standstill for the Bangkok Patana PTG Committee, but we are looking forward to returning to life as we knew it as soon as possible. Like all members of the PTG Committee, many Patana parents will be missing the many social opportunities and events that being part of the school community provides;

Robert Scott

PTG Treasurer The Scotts are surviving in these tough times. It will be so much better when we are all back in school and we have some freedom again. I miss our coffee mornings after drop off, when we solve all the world’s problems. Home schooling is not as good as the real thing and I know it’s difficult for all the parents, especially for those with more than one child and when some parents are working. I hope to see everyone at school very soon. the activities that give parents a sense of connectedness. Please be assured that these will continue when permitted. We look forward to seeing parents back at school participating and getting involved in the Patana community. PTG events to look forward to in Term 1 2020/21 are the PTG AGM, Fun Day Lucky Dip and, of course, the PTG Big Night Out.

Jayne Harvey

PTG Primary Representative

I think it took over a week to realise that this was our new normal. As we all tried to find a corner to work in, where the WiFi worked, I thought,

“Okay this will be fun for a couple of weeks!” Eight weeks on, after fortynine loaves of bread, over two hundred eggs, a truckload of guava and watermelon, it is interesting how the first thought I have is the amount of food I’ve created! There’s no denying it has tested our resolve. There have been positives of this ‘reset’: Slowing down the pace of life and being together for family meals; talking and sharing stories of our travels; making family TikToks to entertain relatives in the UK; games of hide and seek; reconnecting with friends all over the

Fernanda Castillo

PTG Tiger Shop Manager

We have been constantly baking and trying new recipes.

These cookies were a hit and were gone within a couple of days! Here’s the link to the recipe: https://whatsgabycooking.com/ the-best-chocolate-chip-cookies/

The PTG committee are still available and will continue to support any of our Patana parents at any time. Please contact ptg@patana.ac.th if needed. We have shared thoughts, reflections and useful tips we have found helpful during life in lockdown. Maybe, these will be just as relevant and useful after

all this is over.

world in regular Zoom calls; watch ing ‘Race Across the World’ with the children, revisiting many places we have been through the series; researching our family tree with my parents, discovering amazing stories of our ancestors; being allowed to visit parks again. I hope we can all continue to be grateful for these small

pleasures.

Aki Roughley

PTG Cross Campus Representative

It is hard to believe it’s been nearly two months since our official “lockdown” in Bangkok. Life as we know Whilst working from home and having your child studying – and constantly asking questions – by you has been challenging, it’s also been an eye-opener in many ways. I had the chance to directly learn my daughter’s strengths and weaknesses in different subjects; which subjects she enjoyed and which ones she found challenging. It also was an opportunity for her to learn of discipline – something which even many adults find challenging – in doing her work in the allotted time and submitting daily. She has also become an expert in electronic tools for communication! I think this has, in good and bad ways, forced our child to product design class where she can get ‘down and dirty’

it has changed dramatically and although it has been challenging in many ways, there are some positives that have come out of it. Our lives before were so busy, caught up in routine, schedules and deadlines, always looking ahead. This slower pace of life now has allowed us to appreciate the “now” and spend quality time with our loved ones. We have become more creative, utilising technology in ways we never thought before, getting in touch with friends and family. We are more focused on our health and well-being. Whilst we miss the actual human interaction, we can now cherish the moments we have had and look forward to seeing our friends when this situation settles down. Every cloud

Chavapas (Joe) Ongmahutmongkol

Thai Representative

grow up faster than she otherwise would have. To make each day one which she can look forward to, given her interest in creative aspects, we signed her up for an online has a silver lining. I hope you can find yours.

working to create stuff and exercise her creativity. All-in-all, it’s been a unique, one-of-a-kind experience.

Vanessa Girling

PTG Secretary

Lockdown has meant many different things for our family during this period but for me, one of them has been the gift of time. As the days at home rolled into weeks, we had time to do things as a family that normally get pushed to one side during our usual busy day-to-day routine. We’ve had time to play games together, watch tv shows together (have to recommend Race Across the World!), experiment with new recipes in the kitchen (we can make things other than cookies!) and talk about our move back home this summer. Of course, there are days which seem never-ending, days where we drive each other crazy, days where we argue over screen time and days where all you want to do is watch Netflix and eat chocolate. However, I do have to give myself a little pinch from time to time to remind myself that this won’t last forever and we have to be thankful that we are together and healthy. I hope you and your families remain safe and healthy too.

Melissa Golden PTG Chairperson

I am in Australia with my son Baxter! Trying to stay busy and active. Time is spent planting winter vegetables in the garden, with the slight bonus that it looks like I will be still in Australia to harvest them! Collecting fire wood to keep warm and getting all those little jobs done I haven’t had time to do on other visits home. Even though I am missing family in Bangkok, there have definitely been some positives that have come out of this otherwise extraordinary situation. Please remember, we are all in this together and be kind to one another.

Marielle Eurlings

PTG Secondary Representative

Like many families, this period has been an ideal time to spend more time together as a family. For example, we all sit together at the table to eat three times a day, which was usually not possible because my husband often had to go abroad for work and the kids were still in school in the afternoon. These days we also play a board game together every weekend. Before the virus, we only did it occasionally because we didn’t always find (and make) the time for it. And as it has been for many people

Joseph Cole

PTG Vice Chair There are many online resources out there but this one in particular we find helpful in our house. These words came from www.freehomeschooldeals.com

Try to remember these words to encourage your children

Maayan Chorev

PTG Communications My three ‘mummy’ tips for quarantine with little kids: 1. Build a schedule together! A general schedule will do, don’t feel pressure to follow the exact timing - it’s more a recommendation for activities. This helped us all to know what to expect every day. 2. You won’t always be able to accomplish everything you wanted or

around the world, the COVID-19 virus has created a lot of uncertainty, but I’m sure it also made us realise how important it is to be and stay

healthy. Take care.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. I appreciate you… Thank you for helping with… I’m grateful when you… You’ve really worked hard on… You’re fantastic at…

6. You make me proud when… 7. You listened well on… 8. You were responsible on… 9. Spectacular job at…

10. You excelled at… planned, and that’s okay! Whatever works is fine. It doesn’t mean you’re failing, it just means these are crazy times and guess what? You’re not

Superwoman/Superman! 3. Stay positive and take the time to recharge your own battery. A happy mum = happy kids. I try to carve out at least a few minutes every day for my alone time:) It really helps me manage the day-today stress.

Stay healthy and safe!