THE FOBISIAN June 2023, Term 3 Issue 42

EDITOR'S NOTE

Dear readers,

Welcome to issue 42 of the FOBISIAN eMagazine! Inside these digital pages, you'll find a variety of articles and features covering various highlights from the recent FOBISIA Conference, as well as student events.

In this edition, you will see the winning design of the FOBISIA Secondary Mural Competition, created by a gifted student of Crescendo-HELP International School. Get a glimpse of our exciting student sports events through the eyes of our enthusiastic student participants and relive the excitement of our Golf, Football, and Basketball competitions, as well as the U13 Friendly Games.

Academics is also featured; we are proud to showcase the Primary Maths Competition, Choral Festival, and Photography Competition

Celebrating Happiness that brought joy to our FOBISIA community. We extend our heartfelt appreciation to all our contributors for their valuable insights, expertise, and passion.

We hope you will enjoy reading this issue as much as we enjoyed producing it. We are grateful for your continued support, and we look forward to bringing you more exciting updates from the FOBISIA community next year.

Happy reading and have a wonderful summer break!!

Bunjopporn

(Yoke) Kittrell

COVER ART BY

En Qi, Year 7 Crescendo-HELP International School

PUBLISHER FOBISIA

EDITOR

Bunjopporn (Yoke) Kittrell

CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS ISSUE

Anthony Rowlands

British International School HCMC & FOBISIA Board

John Gwyn Jones MBE, Shana Kongmun, Janine Minchin, Dawn Jones, Swati Sinha Bedi FOBISIA HQ

Aman Chandhoke

The British School Manila

Blue Leal

Brighton College Bangkok

Connor Vinnicombe, Mr. Banzragch Tulga The English School of Mongolia

Darshak Pandya Haileybury Almaty

Iain Hope

The British School Jakarta

Ian Bosonnet

The ABC International School Ho Chi Minh City

Kristen Ng-Kelly

Singapore International School of Bangkok (Pracha Uthit Campus)

Matt Buck

Rugby School Thailand

Paul Rotherham

Shrewsbury International School, Bangkok Riverside

Richard Molloy

Bangkok Patana School

Simon Green

Bangkok Prep International and Preparatory School

Vector images from freepik.com

ABOUT THE FOBISIAN

A termly eMagazine for sharing events and news among the membership. Three issues are published each academic year.

If you would like to contribute, email: design@fobisia.org

FROM OUR CHAIR

Anthony Rowlands

FOBISIA Chair - March 2019 to present Principal, British International School Ho Chi Minh City

As we come to the end of another academic year, I am delighted to introduce the Term 3 FOBSIAN Magazine, which showcases the achievements and experiences of our students, teachers,and leaders across the FOBISIA network

This year has seen FOBISIA events roar back into life with student events and CPD activities growing immensely. The return to normality continued with the 29th Leadership Conference which saw Heads and senior leaders from across FOBISIA attend.

This magazine is a celebration of the hard work, creativity, and dedication that our community has demonstrated over the past several months and highlights the diversity and richness of the FOBISIA experience.

I hope that you enjoy reading this last FOBISIAN for 2022-23 and that it serves as a reminder of the incredible things that can be achieved when we work together as a community.

I wish you all a restful and rejuvenating summer break.

Anthony Rowlands Chair

Principal British International School Ho Chi Minh City anthony.rowlands@bisvietnam.com

Matt Mills Vice Chair and HQ Support

Head of School Bangkok Patana School mami@patana.ac.th

Dinah Hawtree Student Events - Sport

Principal Prince of Wales Island International School, Penang principal@powiis.edu.my

David Butcher Student Events - Academic

Principal British School Jakarta principal@bsj.sch.id

B O A R D M E M B E R S

Duncan Stonehouse Treasurer

Head of School

Bangkok International Preparatory & Secondary School hos@bkkprep.ac.th

Vanita Uppal OBE Safeguarding

Director The British School New Delhi v.uppal@british-school.org

Nick Magnus Heads' Support

Headmaster Dulwich College (Singapore) headmaster@dulwich-singapore.edu.sg

H E A D Q U A R T E R S

John Gwyn Jones MBE Chief Executive Officer ceo@fobisia.org

Swati Sinha Bedi CPD & Safeguarding Executive cpd-safeguarding@fobisia.org

Jitsaman (Pheung) Chan Accounts Executive accounts@fobisia.org

Shana Kongmun Executive Operations Manager eom@fobisia.org

Janine Minchin Student Events Executive student-events@fobisia.org

Salinee (Tai) Chooputtaphong Administration Executive info@fobisia.org

Martin Towse Secretary & Membership

Principal St. Christopher's International School, Penang martin.towse@scips.org.my

Nick Sheehan CPD

Principal Jerudong International School Brunei nicholas.sheehan@jis.edu.bn

SOCIETY 95 Portsdown Road, 139299, SINGAPORE

THAILAND Headquarters 39/4 Todsamon Clubhouse Building, Mezzanine Floor Soi LaSalle 39/1, Sukhumvit 105, Bangna, Bangkok 10260 THAILAND

Dawn Jones Marketing & Communications Executive marketing@fobisia.org

Bunjopporn (Yoke) Kittrell Communications Design Executive design@fobisia.org

FROM OUR CEO

John Gwyn Jones MBE FOBISIA CEO

We are also in the process of organising the next Leadership Conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 3-5 November. I look forward to seeing our school leaders there.

The Primary Games at Pattana Sports Resort saw 1,445 students from 49 schools compete over the course of the Friendly Games. Bangkok International Preparatory & Secondary School, hosted the first music festival in 3 years, whilst Primary and Secondary Maths competitions also returned to their in-person formats. Children enjoyed making new friends and competing or participating alongside students from all over the FOBISIA region.

The first stand-alone Safeguarding Conference recently concluded in Jakarta, ably co-hosted by Haileybury Almaty and the British School Jakarta. Safeguarding is such a key factor in our schools, it was great to see so many able to attend this conference. Our teachers and staff have had a busy schedule of JAWs events and eJAWs conferences. We are excited to announce that next year’s calendar will be a full one of professional learning.

Here at HQ we announced the winner of the FOBISIA mural contest and were happy to have an artist paint it on our entrance wall already. You can see the full photo in this magazine and it is featured on the cover. Or please visit our offices to see it in person.

We bid farewell to a long-term Board member and huge supporter of FOBISIA, Matt Mills, the Head of Bangkok Patana School. His dedication and support have benefitted FOBISIA and our Member schools greatly. Thank you for your dedication, support, and collaboration throughout this incredible journey. Term 3 always feels like a race to the end, but let’s not forget to stop, take a moment and reflect on the year gone by. It is not just a door closing on the year, but one opening to the possibilities of the next.

We would also like to acknowledge the outgoing members of our Executive Committees who have stepped down this year, either to new roles, or to new schools outside of the Federation.

We appreciate their input and commitment to their respective Committees over the years; Iain Hope and Hannah Tait (Safeguarding), Susan Walter and Aiden Stallwood (CPD), Ken Lund (Drama), Beth Bown and Ben Lim (Music), Phil Husband and Steve Kenny (PE & Sport)

As we reach the end of another memorable school year, it's time to reflect on the remarkable journey we have embarked on together.

FOBISIA 2023-24 CALENDAR OF EVENTS

UPDATED 13 JUNE 2023

SEPTEMBER 2023

Staff events:

Student events:

Refer to Member Support page on www.fobisia.org for calendar updates. Dates for in-person events do not include travel days (with the exception of the FOBISIA Games).

events may be subject to change.

professional development to ensure teachers are improving best practice consistently over time without ‘levelling off’ their student impact

OCTOBER 2023

NOVEMBER 2023

DECEMBER 2023

JANUARY 2024

FEBRUARY 2024

JUNE 2024

FOBISIA - MAKING CONNECTIONS

FOBISIA CEO John Gwyn Jones MBE, along with the HQ team, have been actively engaging in the region and beyond to represent FOBISIA and foster stronger connections.

FOBISIA IS MAKING A NAME FOR ITSELF AROUND THE GLOBE FOR ITS WORK IN SUPPORTING AND PROMOTING HIGH-QUALITY BRITISH EDUCATION IN ASIA

Representing FOBISIA at the BETT Awards Presentation Dinner

Invited by BETT and BESA to present a keynote at the roadshow in Ho Chi Minh City

Catching up with so many of FOBISIA Affiliate Members at the COBIS conference in London

Attending the FOBISIA Safeguarding Conference hosted by The British School Jakarta (BSJ) and Haileybury Almaty (HBA)

Visiting the Shangri-La Hotel in Kuala Lumpur in preparation for the 30th Leadership Conference in November

FIRST FOBISIA SAFEGUARDING CONFERENCE SEES OVER 130 DELEGATES TAKING PART FROM ALL ACROSS ASIA!

Iain Hope Deputy Head of Primary, The British School Jakarta

From Kazakhstan to Indonesia; from Haileybury Almaty to the British School Jakarta; from online to in-person, 18-20 May was when Safeguarding took centre stage for FOBISIA.

The British School Jakarta (BSJ) and Haileybury Almaty hosted the FOBISIA Safeguarding and Pastoral Conference 2023. This was the first opportunity since the pandemic to get Safeguarding Leads together and there was a fantastic turnout! Over fifty schools across Asia sent delegates or had delegates tune in online.

From a FOBISIA perspective, the Safeguarding Committee is the new kid on the block. This year BSJ provided the venue for the AGM and first in-person Conference. With the ambition to highlight Safeguarding to its rightful place as the most important consideration for FOBISIA schools and schools worldwide, BSJ and the Safeguarding Executive Committee supported an in-person and online programme that allowed as many as possible to connect and be part of the experience.

Over the three days, there were both workshop options and presentations. Keynote presentations by Jonathan Taylor MSc (former Met. Police Child Abuse Investigation Command), Siobhan McGrath (Executive Principal at Southbank International School) and Lindy Macgregor (Living Works), focused on Online Safety, School Safeguarding Culture and Suicide Prevention. Workshops also covered a range of high priority areas from Gender Indecision, Vicarious Self Care and Eating Disorders to Affluent Neglect, Mental Health and Safer Recruitment. A huge thank you goes to all presenters from across FOBISIA schools, with a special thank you to event sponsors: The Safeguarding Alliance, Clipboard.app and Mind Your Health, who also provided excellent resources and workshops.

The key message from the Conference and AGM was that we need to build a network of Safeguarding Leads who connect and support each other to protect our staff, students and communities. The Conference itself provided an invaluable time to do just that. Long may this continue!

With the honour to host this inaugural Conference in 2021, it has been quite the journey! Despite numerous challenges stemming from the pandemic and ongoing travel restrictions, the brilliant team behind the Conference managed to pull together and welcome over 140 participants to the FOBISIA Pastoral Care and Safeguarding Conference in May of 2023.

However none of this would have been possible without the overwhelming support of David Butcher (Principal at BSJ & FOBISIA Board Member), Iain Hope (Deputy Head of Primary at BSJ) and the outstanding team in Jakarta. BSJ’s stunning campus, welcoming staff and pupil body and enviable resources, provided the facility to ensure the Conference was a success; for participants in-person alongside those joining remotely.

So much so that, looking ahead, John Gwyn Jones MBE has already pencilled involvement from both schools into the diary!

The chance to network was well received with many delegates connecting; across regions and in partnership within their locality. Facilitating discussions between newly fledged relationships relating to key threads such as:

. Importance of Low Level Concerns in adopting a proactive approach to establishing a culture of safety in schools

. Growing prominence of Online Safety in a developing world and in response to new legislation in the UK

. Continuing focus on Wellbeing, Emotional Health and Suicidal Ideation

Inspiration from the Conference has already led to initiatives at Haileybury Almaty such as a parental engagement series for the wider community and a renewed look at Online Safety. Coupled with an upcoming programme covering the Development of the Adolescent Mind in conjunction with the University of Cambridge and Mental Health First Aid training for staff and pupils alike, the Safeguarding Committee at the school are looking forward to an exciting future ahead.

Through collaboration and cooperation, both BSJ and Haileybury Almaty have demonstrated their commitment to professional development and a framework for children in both Indonesia and Kazakhstan to aspire to the most competitive universities in the world. With ever more schools across the network involved at the next iteration on the Vietnamese horizon, the possibilities are endless!

On behalf of Haileybury Almaty, a huge thank you to everyone at FOBISIA and the British School Jakarta. With 145 participants, the FOBISIA Safeguarding and Pastoral Care Conference 2023 was an unparalleled opportunity for schools to progress safeguarding provision across Asia.

Darshak Pandya Deputy Head Pastoral and DSL Haileybury Almaty

FOBISIA SECONDARY MURAL COMPETITION

Shana Kongmun

EOM FOBISIA

The halls of FOBISIA are drab no longer. We recently announced that Year 7 student En Qi from Crescendo-HELP International School provided the winning entry in the FOBISIA Secondary Mural Competition.

Through the skilled help of a local artist, the mural has now come to life. This colourful and vibrant piece promotes the need for sustainability in the environment and the international aspects of FOBISIA. The mural depicts the delicate balance between nature and human activity, conveying a powerful message of environmental stewardship. Through vibrant colours and intricate details, the student artist skillfully conveyed the need to protect our planet for future generations.

The competition was a tight one - all of the entries showed the artists’ talents and care for the world around them. If only we had more walls!

Thank you to all the schools and students who entered the FOBISIA Mural Competition.

RUNNER-UP KS3

Shu Hui

Crescendo-HELP International School

RUNNER-UP KS4-5

Kim Khanh

British Vietnamese International School

Ho Chi Minh City

OVERALL WINNER En Qi - Crescendo-HELP International School

FOBISIA Board members had the opportunity to visit HQ and see the new mural

FOBISIA PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION CELEBRATES HAPPINESS ACROSS ASIA

Blue Leal Head of Creative Arts Faculty, Brighton College Bangkok

In February of this year, Brighton College International School of Bangkok hosted the annual FOBISIA photography competition with the theme of Happiness.

The competition celebrated participants from 30 different international schools across Asia, showcasing their talent and creativity in capturing moments of joy and happiness. With a total of 124 entries, the competition was divided into different Key Stages to allow for a fair and equal assessment of each participant's level of skill and experience. All entries can be viewed in the virtual exhibition here

The judges had a difficult task as the quality and variety of entries was exceptional. After careful consideration and review, the judges announced a third place, second place, and first-place winner for each key stage. Each winner was recognised for their artistic vision, technical skill and ability to convey the theme of happiness through their photographs.

This competition provided an opportunity for pupils to showcase not only their photographic skills but also to celebrate the joy in people's lives after the dark times of the Coronavirus. Through their lenses, they captured images that portrayed love, friendship, laughter, nature's beauty, and other aspects that make life worth living.

Congratulations to all participants, your talent has made many people smile. Here are the winning photographs.

KS1 Tenby Setia Eco Park Alberto

KS2 Prince of Wales Island International School Penang Jimmy

KS3 Brighton College International School Bangkok - Aly

KS5 British Vietnamese International School Thao Lin

KS4 Tanglin Trust School Sharumitha

FOBISIA PRIMARY ART COMPETITION

Connor Vinnicombe Head of Junior School, The English School of Mongolia

We at The English School of Mongolia (ESM) were delighted to host the 2022-23 FOBISIA Primary Art Competition, under the theme of ‘My culture through my eyes’. The competition was very popular and highly competitive this year with 239 entries received from 40 FOBISIA schools. All submissions were collected by the end of February and throughout March the artwork was on display to our whole school community and the wider public in a large gallery in the reception area of ESM. The community were encouraged to submit a vote for their favourite piece by placing a sticker next to their chosen artwork.

Everyone was inspired by the amazing talent on show - Mr Michael, Deputy Head for Pastoral Affairs, said, “It was a delight, as an Arts teacher, to see so many wonderful interpretations of so many students' cultures in visual art form. It was very difficult to vote for winners with so many potential candidates, all were worthy and a great effort for all that entered.”

LIST OF PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS;

Amnuay Silpa School

British International School Hanoi

British International School Ho Chi Minh City

British International School, Phuket

British Vietnamese International School Hanoi

British Vietnamese International School Ho Chi Minh City

Bromsgrove International School, Thailand

Crescendo HELP International School

Denla British School, Bangkok

Discovery Bay International School

Eaton International School Malaysia

Epsom College in Malaysia

Garden International School Kuala Lumpur

HELP International School, Kuala Lumpur

Jerudong International School Brunei

Kinabalu International School

King's College International School Bangkok

Nexus International School, Malaysia

Prince of Wales Island International (Primary) School, Penang

Repton International School

Seoul Foreign School

Shrewsbury International School, Bangkok Riverside

Singapore International School of Bangkok (Pracha Uthit Campus)

St. Andrew's International School Bangkok

St. Andrew's International School Sukhumvit 107

St. Christopher’s International School, Penang

St. Joseph’s Institution International School Malaysia

St. Stephen’s International School, Bangkok & Khao Yai

Taipei European School

Tenby Setia Eco Park

The Alice Smith School, Kuala Lumpur

The British School Kathmandu

The British School Manila

The British School of Tashkent

The British School Yangon

The English School of Mongolia

The International School @ ParkCity

The Perse School Singapore

Wellington College International Hangzhou

Wellington College International Shanghai

Isabelle, the overall 2nd place winner, from Nexus International School said, “This is my first experience. Therefore, I was nervous. The Theme of it is 'My Culture Through My Eyes'. Malaysia is a multi-ethnic and multireligious country. In addition, we have a lot of delicious foods. The personal goal I used is Rigorous because I have to try to go over the mistake without ruining the main art work."

In the end, awards were shared among 15 schools in 10 different countries, recognising and celebrating the remarkable diversity represented across FOBISIA. Hosting this event has been a wonderful experience for ESM, and we very much look forward to being part of further such events in the future.

All artwork can be viewed on the event website gallery: Winners here, All Entries here

Ker Shin, the overall 1st place winner, from The Alice Smith School said, "My Journey in art has been amazing. Winning had changed my life, I started competing with a struggle, as I couldn't find the commitment and energy to do it. I searched for almost 3 weeks in desperation for an idea, until I found a poster that inspired me to do my piece. It took me a month to finish, I was going to give up in no way I thought I was gonna win, and finally as I lay myself in the school hall with my friends I saw the date and I checked the website in hope and desperation and finally I won, my eyes filled with tears of Joy my art story of 7 years has finally paid off." After winning, Ker Shin was delighted to present the piece framed to Malaysian Oscar winner Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh

OVERALL

Ker Shin

The Alice Smith School, Kuala Lumpur

OVERALL

Isabelle

Nexus International School, Malaysia

OVERALL

Amy

Wellington College International Shanghai

Amy

Wellington College International Shanghai

1ST PLACE (YEAR 1)

Stella

The British School Kathmandu

Simran

Shrewsbury International School, Bangkok Riverside

1ST

Vienna

Denla British School, Bangkok

Steven

Wellington College International Shanghai

3RD

Seoha

The British School Manila

Nominjin

The English School of Mongolia

Praewta

Isabelle

Nexus International School, Malaysia

1ST PLACE

PLACE (YEAR 2)

1ST PLACE (YEAR 3)

2ND PLACE

2ND PLACE (YEAR 1)

2ND PLACE (YEAR 2)

2ND PLACE (YEAR 3)

Amnuay Silpa School

3RD PLACE

3RD PLACE (YEAR 1)

PLACE (YEAR 2)

3RD PLACE (YEAR 3)

1ST PLACE (YEAR 4)

Charlotte

Seoul Foreign School

2ND PLACE (YEAR 4)

Yeowon

The English School of Mongolia

3RD PLACE (YEAR 4)

Valeriia

British International School, Phuket

2ND PLACE (YEAR 5)

Naomi

Bromsgrove International School, Thailand

1ST PLACE (YEAR 5)

Wanrudee

Amnuay

3RD PLACE (YEAR 5)

Sally

Wellington College International Hangzhou

2ND PLACE (YEAR 6)

Nomindari

The English School of Mongolia

3RD PLACE (YEAR 6)

Ai

British Vietnamese International School Ho Chi Minh City

1ST PLACE (YEAR 6)

Ker Shin

The Alice Smith School, Kuala Lumpur

DIRECTOR'S COMMENDATION

Anna

The British School of Tashkent

DIRECTOR'S COMMENDATION

Napapak

Amnuay Silpa School

DIRECTOR'S COMMENDATION

Asha

Garden International School Kuala Lumpur

DIRECTOR'S COMMENDATION

Prima

Amnuay Silpa School

DIRECTOR'S COMMENDATION

Raylene

Taipei European School

DIRECTOR'S COMMENDATION

Soya

Bromsgrove International School, Thailand

Silpa School

FOBISIA CHORAL FESTIVAL

Simon Green Head of Music (Secondary), Bangkok Prep International and Preparatory School

We were delighted to be able to welcome almost 200 students from eight of our FOBISIA Member Schools to Bangkok for a three day festival of singing and music making. We were extremely lucky to have Susanna Saw as our guest conductor and in a relatively short space of time, she was able to develop our voices and ensemble skills tremendously.

The showcase concert at the end of the festival was attended by parents and friends, many of whom had flown from their home country just for the performance. It was a magical experience to see so many students on stage singing together and we are very happy to have been able to share that experience with so many in the audience.

Not only did the combined choir of Primary and Secondary students perform two songs together, each choir performed a further two songs, each chosen to represent a variety of musical styles, composer backgrounds and difficulty. And in case that wasn’t enough, we asked each choir to prepare a song to share with everyone during the concert too.

Absolutely everyone who participated in the festival did an amazing job and we would like to say a special thank you to the accompanying teachers and support staff. These trips are no small endeavour to organise and we appreciate your continued efforts to provide opportunities for our young musicians.

A full playlist of performances from the combined and individual choirs can be found by following this link or searching for Bangkok Prep Music Department on YouTube.

The event organisers, Simon and Catherine, would like to say a final thank you to everyone who was part of the festival, in whatever capacity, either big or small. From the canteen staff to the maids to the audio support and event management team; from the finance department to transport to the maintenance staff - everyone worked hard to ensure the festival was a great success.

The next Choral event will be hosted by British School Jakarta - log into FOBISIA CONNECT or contact your school’s FOBISIA representative to find out more!

FOBISIA PRIMARY MATHS COMPETITION 2023

Kristen Ng-Kelly

Head of PU Primary Mathematics Department, Singapore International School of Bangkok (Pracha Uthit Campus)

Singapore International School of Bangkok (Pracha Uthit Campus) was honoured to host the FOBISIA Primary Maths Competition on 17-18 March 2023.

26 teams from 9 different countries, consisting of 11 different nationalities came together to compete in a series of Maths Challenges over 2 days. We kicked-off the event with an Opening Ceremony which consisted of a Wall of Fame. All teams were invited to sign their names and best wishes on the Wall of Fame before entering the venue. During the welcome dinner, SISB Primary students also put on a spectacular performance which showcases our unique trilingual curriculum.

LIST OF PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS:

Bangkok International Preparatory & Secondary School

Bangkok Patana School

British International School Ho Chi Minh City

British International School, Phuket

British School Jakarta

British Vietnamese International School Ho Chi Minh City

Discovery Bay International School

Dover Court International School Singapore

Dulwich College Seoul

Garden International School Kuala Lumpur

Haileybury Almaty

Prince of Wales Island International (Primary) School, Penang

Regent's International School Bangkok

Seoul Foreign School

Shrewsbury International School, Bangkok Riverside

Shrewsbury International School, City Campus

Singapore International School of Bangkok (Pracha Uthit Campus)

Tanglin Trust School

Tenby Setia Eco Park

The British School Manila

The International School @ ParkCity

The Perse Singapore

Wellington College International School Bangkok

North London Collegiate School Jeju

North London Collegiate School Singapore

St. Christopher’s International Primary School, Penang

The first Maths Challenge was ‘Maths Mastermind’ where students had to put their mental maths skills to work while racing against the clock and solve as many questions as they could with the time allocated. The next round was held at the Children’s Discovery Museum, where students had to find their way among the exhibits and complete the puzzles and codes to complete the ‘Maths Amazing Race’. The students enjoyed themselves tremendously racing around the museum to find the next station and working as a team to solve the puzzles and codes to receive the next clue.

On the second day, we started off with the Written Test, where students had to solve challenging Maths Olympiad style questions and their individual test scores would be added to their team overall score. Next, students competed in their team in the ‘Maths Escape Room’, an online code breaking form. Once again, students had to work together to solve the codes and puzzles in the fastest time possible to score the most points for their team.

Finally, we ended the day with a ‘Live Buzzer Round’. All the results were then tallied and the winners were announced at the Award Ceremony.

CODIFY: SENIOR CREATIVE CODING COMPETITION

Aman Chandhoke

IGCSE | IBDP Computer Science, The British School Manila

Codify 2023 was an online creative coding event that celebrated the ingenuity and computational thinking skills of high school students within the FOBISIA school network.

The event was organised by The British School Manila. The challenge was to design and develop a working application to promote sustainable living habits by targeting community waste.

Twenty-two schools participated in the event and worked in teams for a week to create applications for a lost and found system, waste segregation and calculating the carbon footprint to name a few. The students truly showed their high level or critical thinking skills.

LIST OF PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS:

British International School Ho Chi Minh City

Bromsgrove International School, Thailand

St. Andrew's International School, Green Valley

Haileybury Almaty

Bangkok International Preparatory & Secondary School

The British School Yangon

Amnuay Silpa School

North London Collegiate School Jeju

Kolej Tuanku Ja’afar

Shenzhen College of International Education

Kellett School Hong Kong

Dover Court International School

Brighton College International School Bangkok

The British School of Tashkent

The British School Manila

Rugby School Thailand

The Alice Smith School, Kuala Lumpur

Garden International School

Eastern Seaboard Ban Chang

St. Joseph’s Institution International School Malaysia

The ABC International School

The British School in Tokyo

Some of the top products were:

. British International School Ho Chi Minh City - Lost and Found system

. Brighton College International School Bangkok - Lost and Found system

. The Alice Smith School, Kuala Lumpur - Waste segregator game

. The British School in Tokyo - Carbon footprint calculator extension for Google Chrome

. Kolej Tuanku Ja’afar - Carbon footprint calculator mobile application

The event was challenging and was well received by the FOBISIA community. The teacher leaders liked the student led nature of the event, how well the students collaborated and the independence that was demonstrated.

We are all looking forward to the next version of this event.

FOBISIA SECONDARY MATHS COMPETITION 2023

Mr. Banzragch Tulga IGCSE/IB Mathematics Teacher, The English School of Mongolia

The long awaited FOBISIA Secondary Maths Competition at long last took place during 13-16 April 2023 at the English School of Mongolia (ESM) after being delayed for three whole years. Our unique geographical location proved difficult for many interested schools as highly creative travel plans would be required to participate in the competition.

Ultimately Dulwich College Seoul, Seoul Foreign British School, The British School Kathmandu, and British School Manila made their way here to Ulaanbaatar enduring long flight hours and many transfers. The competition kicked off with a total of 10 teams!

Starting with a Welcome Dinner on the day of arrivals where students and teachers from different schools had a chance to formally meet and get acquainted with each other before the fierce and intense challenges on the following days. Challenges featured a variety of mathematical topics, with each focusing on a different set of mathematical skills and a heavy emphasis on teamwork! Impressive displays of teamwork were shown all around with some teams dividing up the workload, some working together to solve difficult questions conversely others overcame disagreements and conflicts with effective communication. Students developed and fostered their critical thinking skills in the Riddles round, expanded their horizons by trying Graph Theory and Combinatorics problems, demonstrated determination and resilience during the seemingly impossible puzzle rounds!

“The students, and us teachers, all had such an amazing time, and really appreciate all the time and effort you invested into making it such an enjoyable experience!”

After being overwhelmed with rigorous mathematics for three days we made our way to the countryside for a cultural trip, stopping by the largest equestrian statue in the world, the Chinggis Khaan Statue. We then tried exciting activities such as horse riding, camel riding, eagle handling, and traditional archery. The weather was not pleasant for such outdoor activities with strong gusts of wind and very low temperatures however students showed perseverance and their commendable attitudes and enjoyed the activities. Students were also delighted to experience snow in April!

We hope that this competition provided an opportunity for students to push the boundaries of their mathematical abilities by tackling problems and exploring topics that go beyond their regular curriculum in a timed and teamworkbased environment.

“The students and I had a blast and it was great to visit your school and Mongolia. Thank you for your hard work in organising it.” – Dulwich College Seoul

ESM would like to express their sincere and utmost gratitude to the teachers and schools for all efforts put in to enter the competition. We are very grateful for the tremendous amounts of patience and understanding shown by the teachers. Lastly and most importantly the unwavering enthusiasm and dedication towards the mathematics made this event a blistering success. It was a pleasure to finally host this live competition and we look forward to hosting many more!

– Seoul Foreign School

FOBISIA SHORT STORY COMPETITION

Ian Bosonnet Senior Leader Whole School, The ABC International School Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

This year’s FOBISIA Short Story Competition invited entries in four different age categories with different themes. Schools were encouraged to host their own internal short story competitions before submitting their best stories to us at the ABC International School. We were delighted to receive work from 67 FOBISIA Schools which made for a lengthy but enjoyable judging process organised by our student leadership team.

“We greatly enjoyed reading all of the entries and looking at the skill and creativity shown in each and every single one of the stories, submitted from all around Asia.” - Khue (Year 13) on behalf of the Student Leadership Group

The quality of entries was very close and I personally enjoyed reading so many high quality submissions and I know all of the judges did too. Congratulations to the winners, runners up and those that made the shortlist in each category.

YEAR 10-13 COMPETITION: 'COMING OF AGE'

49 entries were received for this competition

Winner: Jess, Garden Int. School Eastern Seaboard Ban Chang

Runner Up: Timothy, The International School of Penang (Uplands), Malaysia

Shortlis: Lee, HELP International School Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Shortlist: Jolene, The ABC International School, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Shortlist: Presiha, The International School at Park City, Malaysia

YEAR 7-9 COMPETITION: 'THE MYSTERY'

74 entries were received for this competition

Winner: Noyna, Garden International School, Sathorn, Bangkok

Runner Up: Niranjenna, Marlborough College Malaysia

Shortlist: Maria, The British School Manila, Phillippines

Shortlist: Jani, Denla British School Bangkok, Thailand

Shortlist: Caelia, Haileybury Almaty, Kazakhstan

Shortlist: Arun, The British School in Colombo,Sri Lanka

YEAR 5-6 COMPETITION: 'DREAMS'

78 entries were received for this competition

Winner: Emily, Shrewsbury Int. School Bangkok City Campus

Runner Up: Mariam, Tenby Setia Eco Park, Malaysia

Shortlist: Yiling, Dulwich College Seoul, Republic of Korea

Shortlist: Bento, The British Int. School, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Shortlist: Divyana, Repton International School, Johor Bahru, Malaysia

YEAR 3-4 COMPETITION: 'MAGIC'

58 entries were received for this competition

Winner: Buachompoo, Shrewsbury Int. School Bangkok City Campus

Runner Up: Muhil, Eaton Int. School, Malaysia

Shortlist: Napapat (Ally), Bangkok Int. Preparatory and Sec. School, Thailand

Shortlist: Halle, The British Int. School, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Shortlist: Kabir, Dulwich College (Singapore)

School’s Name: Shrewsbury Int. School, Bangkok Riverside

Student’s Name: Buachompoo

Category: Year 3 & 4

Theme: Magic

The Magic Girls

In the busy, crowded city of New York City, nobody knew that 7 magical girls wielding superpowers lived above the clouds. Meanwhile, things were not going smoothly in PowerSecret Castle. There was a power outage as a result of Thunderbolt’s electricity problem.

“Oh, dang it! I forgot to refresh the castle’s energy before putting in the new wires into the wire box! Now there’s a power outage!” she wailed as everyone was frantically running down to the secret electrical basement that they had built last month.

“Just keep running! We only have 1 minute left until the castle explodes!” Dark shouted. Once they got to the basement, they started untangling the wires and refreshing the energy. A few minutes later, the castle made a beeping noise and the power was restored. Relieved, everybody went back upstairs.

Once they had settled back into the futuristic kitchen, the 7 sisters started eating their specially prepared breakfast.

“Sorry, guys.” Thunderbolt said as she ate her electric salad and steel cheese.

“It’s okay, Bolt. Even I forget to freeze the fridge sometimes.” Frosty replied as she drank her ice cold slushie. A bit later, everyone finished eating and started choosing what they wanted to do today. Suddenly, a deafening roar disturbed their conversation.

“W-what was that?” Lava spluttered nervously as the castle began to shake.

“Look over there! It’s a cursed emerald dragon!”

Oceanic alerted her sisters.

“Guys, if we want to defeat that blasted creature we have to suit up!” Float said as the girls ran back into the castle. In no time, they reappeared on top of the castle's lookout tower wearing boots, armor and headsets to match their element.

“Phase 1 begins!” Wind exclaimed loudly as she used her finger to summon a tornado that made the dragon dizzy.

“Light Mode!” Dark shouted, and a bright, blinding beam of light shot out from her eyes, making the emerald foe back off due to the brightness.

Lava, Frosty and Thunderbolt formed a dark energy orb by combining their elemental powers together and threw it at the dragon, who was now gradually losing health.

Oceanic produced an awfully sharp spear made out of water and using Wind’s help, hurled it at the dragon’s diamond eye, which was extremely sensitive.

Suddenly, the giant creature made a shrieking noise and to the girls’ shock, regenerated its health.

“Oh no! Do we have to fight this guy over and over again?” Float complained.

“We should get our war machines from the secret lab on the 5th floor!” Oceanic suggested. The 7 friends dashed into the lab, which was loaded with dark energy lightsabers, cannons firing lava, ice swords and much, much more.

“We should get our strongest weapons so we’ll defeat the dragon really quickly.” Dark recommended.

Once they were done selecting their weapons, they continued battling the mighty dragon.

“Time for Phase 2!” Thunderbolt said with excitement. While Oceanic shooted the dragon with her Octopus arrows, Frosty summoned her Snowling ball and Wind used her signature attack, the Forest’s hurricane. Thunderbolt used her teleportation power to get onto the dragon’s body and electric - shock its mouth, which was very fragile and delicate. The dragon roared and burning, scorching fire shot out of its gigantic mouth! The fire hit Lava but luckily, she was immune to fire because it was her superpower.

“Invisibility!” Float shouted as she turned into an unseeable cloud. She stole the dragon’s emerald gem in his hands using her magnet hands. Without the emerald, the beast felt powerless. Thinking quickly, Oceanic formed several sharks made out of water.

“Find a shark and steer it!” she told the others as everybody scrambled to find a shark. 7 magical, mighty sharks burst into action and were swimming rapidly to the dragon. Once they had reached the dragon, the sharks bit the creature very hard.

After a few bites, the sharks swam back to their huge, decorated fish tank.

Everyone thanked them and went back to fighting. After 3 dark energy orbs, 5 shock arrows in the face, 9 water spears and a fire arrow in the eye, the dragon was going down. Suddenly, the dragon started roaring and malice shot out of body.

“What’s happening?!” Frosty asked.

“I don’t know!” Dark shouted. The dragon started shrinking and fading away. Soon, it was nothing but a speck of dirt.

“ Yes! ” The sisters cried joyfully as everyone started celebrating.

They had done it, they had finally defeated the emerald dragon. It was because of their excellent teamwork that made the dream come true. They knew they could do it.

Suddenly, a one eyed cyclops rose from the ground. Frosty sighed. “And here we go again.”

School’s Name: Shrewsbury Int. School Bangkok City Campus

Student’s Name: Emily

Category: Year 5 - 6

Theme: Dreams

Smile

I flicked the light switch and my bedroom lit up. I opened the door to my bathroom, and brushed my teeth, pulling on my pyjamas at the same time. Dad came into the room and sat down on my bed, turning on the lamp. He gave me a wink, and I leaped onto the bed. He picked up the book on my bedside table, and I burrowed into the covers, my head leant against his chest. The warm, comforting glow of the lamp shone on the book, and Dad started to read. I hadn’t realised how tired I was until then. My eyelids felt heavy. I tried so hard to keep myself awake, but it was no use. I fell into a deep sleep.

I woke up to the sound of birds chirping. The sunlight burst through my open curtains, and I yawned. Today was the weekend, and I couldn’t wait to do activities with my parents.

As I got out of bed, I felt that something was wrong. There was no clattering of dishes downstairs, as there usually was. I thought Mum and Dad must still be asleep, and giggled to myself.

I tiptoed down the landing, my mind set on waking them up. I managed to stifle another giggle before silently opening the door to my parents’ bedroom. But when I got inside, I found that their bed had been made, as if it had never been slept in. I frowned. They had to be downstairs. So I rushed down the stairs, and looked in the kitchen. There they were! Dad was sitting at the table, and Mum was standing at the counter. Neither of them were moving.

‘Mum? Dad?’ I said. Still no movement. I walked up to Dad. Slowly, his head turned to look at me. He was smiling. I took a step back, and bumped into something. I turned. It was Mum. And she was smiling. I started to back out of the room, my eyes still fixed on my parents. And as I started to move further away, they started to follow. Slowly. Beaming smiles spread across their faces.

‘Dad? Mum? You can stop now. This isn’t funny.’ I stammered. They didn’t stop.

I started to panic. They were advancing, still smiling. I didn’t know what to do, but I thought I should just run. So as quick as my eleven year old legs would carry me, I dashed out the front door and out into the street. It was chilly outside, and I started shivering. But I

sprinted down the pavement, not daring to look back. But as I reached the end of my road, I noticed it was… changing. I wasn’t in a town anymore, I was in a vast, humid jungle. That’s when all my troubles came flooding into me. I fell to my knees and wept. I remembered all the happy memories my parents and I had shared together, splashing in the sea, laughing and smiling. There was that word again. Smile. I thumped the ground and tears fell onto my fists. But then, I felt something. It was stroking my back. I looked up and saw the face of my mother. She wasn’t smiling. She was bent over, comforting me. I jumped up and hugged her, harder than I’ve ever hugged anyone.

‘Oh Mummy, oh Mummy!’

But then she straightened up. The corners of her mouth pressed upwards. Her eyes were wide and unblinking. I jumped back in fright, and closed my eyes, huddled up into a ball. I could hear my Mum giggling. But it wasn’t a normal giggle. It was high pitched and sarcastic, as if she didn’t even care that she was frightening me out of my mind.

Then I started to spin. I opened my eyes, and gasped. I was turning at great speed, my mother nothing but a blur. I started to shrink - no, I was drilling into the ground. I started hyperventilating. Then I blacked out.

I was lying down. On something soft, and strangely familiar. I couldn’t hear creepy giggles. My eyes shot open. I looked around me, and I realised that I was back in my lovely old bedroom. I was sweating, and my heart was going crazy inside my chest, but I was back home. It had just been a silly old nightmare. I slid my legs off my bed, and ran down the stairs. I checked the kitchen. There they were! They were behaving normally too, my Mum washing up some plates, and my Dad was reading a book, his hand reaching out to turn the page a few times.

‘Mummy! Daddy!’

They both came forward and embraced me. My parents were back. Suddenly, they stiffened. I looked up, and screamed. They were smiling.

School’s Name: Garden International School, Sathorn, Bangkok

Student’s Name: Noyna

Category: Year 7 - 9

Theme: The Mystery

Ascend, mydear

The night was cold and dreary, a usual sight to behold on a November evening. The sun just lowered below the horizon and the city which lay before it stood silently. Not a car drove past, neither did a dog bark. It was usually time for them to make their rounds, on a pickup truck spewing nonsense buzzwords through loud megaphones, but nothing arrived. The people of the city started to get concerned. Even though it was extremely annoying to hear, so much so that they had to put on noise-cancelling headphones or turn the television to maximum volume to drown it out, it was a warm and fuzzy feeling of familiarity. Of normal. The emptiness and silence left them feeling cold and worried. One particular man who was less worried, but bothered nonetheless was a man named Oliver Langley. A detective that worked for the local police station just a few blocks away. He was familiar with them. He knew who and what they were, which is, he knew the background information his boss had told him:

Profile 12 – Cult organisation

Led by an unknown person(s), this group has been trying to recruit new members ever since they began their journey. Their ultimate goal is to “ascend” to a “new plane of existence”. Reports and insider testimonials say that they are losing many members quickly, as the rituals they need to perform to “ascend” require human sacrifices.

Oliver had noticed their recruitment efforts. Posters in alleyways, cryptic ads on the radio, and even some short, 30-second ads on television. Now, they weren’t as active. Actually, they weren’t being active at all. No more posters, no more radio or television ads. Oliver had heard rumours on local chat sites. Some said they lost all their members, others say that their main building was blown up and they were all killed, and even others say they just gave up recruiting. They had become somewhat of an urban legend in the area, so their absence was very disconcerting.

“Find them, Oliver,” bellowed the captain in his thick, New-York accent the next day. “Find them and figure out what happened to them.”

“Yes sir,” asserted Oliver, not one to look weak in front of superiors. After being excused by the captain, he left his office and walked out the building with a manila folder full of info:

YEARS 7-9 WINNER

A picture of their ceremonial robes from a mole that had recently lost contact with them, the profile sheet detailing the addresses where he should look and a transcript of an interview with an ex-member:

{Interviewer Reeves walks in}

Interviewer Reeves: Thanks for agreeing to this interview, [REDACTED].

[REDACTED]: Thank you for inviting me here, Mr. Reeves

Interviewer Reeves: So, you were a part of this group, correct?

[REDACTED]; Yes, that is right, I climbed to the rank of truth-speaker.

Interviewer Reeves: How long exactly were you in that group for?

[REDACTED]: 5 months and… three weeks.

Interviewer Reeves: You mentioned the rank “truthspeaker”. What exactly is that rank?

[REDACTED]: It is one of the highest ranks of the group. Their roles are to exact the rituals and share the commands of the higher being.

Interviewer Reeves: When you were a part of this group, or rather when you joined, did you know what happened during those rituals?

[REDACTED]: Nope, the higher-ups didn’t say anything about it.

Interviewer Reeves: When did they tell you?

{Silence}

[REDACTED]: They never really did. They probably just assumed I understood when the first person came to the chopping block.

{Silence}

Interviewer Reeves: If you don’t mind me asking, how exactly does this group sacrifice people?

[THE FOLLOWING RESPONSE HAS BEEN REDACTED]

Interviewer Reeves: Oh wow, okay.

{Interviewer Reeves clears throat}

YEARS 7-9

Interviewer Reeves: Well, I have no further questions. Thanks again [REDACTED] for coming out here.

[REDACTED]: Thank you, sir.

{[REDACTED] and Interviewer Reeves leave the room}

On 33 Orange St. stood a derelict, old building. Oliver read in the information that that place was built 100 years ago to serve as an asylum. The most obvious place to start a demonic cult. The old oak doors squeaked loudly on its rusted hinges as Oliver struggled to pry it open. A musky, dank smell crept out from inside the building. Oliver shuddered slightly at what could be causing such a stink: Dust? Mould? Rotting flesh? Oliver shoved the thoughts to the back of his mind and blocked them out, trying his best not to breathe too much. The empty, dark hallways he roamed echoed his every footstep and the jarring drip of a distant leaking pipe. Suddenly, he found a room with light streaming from under the crack of the door, weaving through the hanging wires to reach it. The fallen paint of the ceiling crunched under his feet. The knob was an ornate golden eye, a spiral in the iris. It seemed… new. Newer than the rest of the building, but that wasn’t an especially high bar to reach. Oliver examined closer, not even a fingerprint. He formulated an idea in his mind and checked the image of their robes. Yup, gloves. This room led to where they were located, he was certain of it. He apprehensively turned the knob and peeped through the ajar door.

At first, Oliver thought the room had red walls. But it wasn’t paint. It was blood. The room was bathed in a ghastly, terrifyingly abhorrent amount of blood. Oliver held back the queasy feeling emerging from his stomach and crossed the threshold into that bloodbath. There were bodies strewn across the floor, each dressed in the ceremonial robes and each with a multitude of stab wounds ranging from minor cuts in the arms to half-a-meter long gashes across the chest and legs. He also saw scattered, disembodied body parts. Shakily, he counted them. 3 right legs, 2 left ones, 5 hands, 2 noses, 6 eyes in a multitude of colours and 15 fingers. Each and every one had looked to have been sawn off, with the jagged edges in the flesh, except the eyes which seemed to have been ripped out using a fire poker. Oliver struggled to hold back sick as he looked around more. Among the red shapes, one stood out to him. It seemed to be a podium, no, an altar. Oliver walked closer. A note had been taped to the surface. After Oliver had read it, his heart dropped. He ran through the asylum, back outside and fell to his knees and hands on the damp grass.

“What in the fresh hell was that?” He gasped to himself, knowing he couldn’t tell it to anyone. After a few shallow breaths, he recalled the words:

“Whoever finds this, ye hath failed us. Thou hath ignored our warnings of the calamity emerging from the dark depths of the abyss, now thou, which art liars and crooks, shall be hoisted down to hell by iiawqmw. He will grab a hold of thee and pull thee into the lake o’ fire in which thine sins will be punished. He will come. We have ascended. Who would notice that we were gone?”

School’s Name: Garden Int. School Eastern Seaboard Ban Chang

Student’s Name: Jess

Category: Year 10 - 13

Theme: Coming of Age

Rayong. In My Life

It dawns on me, as I sit crammed among jumbled bags and suitcases, pillows and duvets; this is truly it. The life that existed mere hours ago is over, all I have ever known. Gone. A chalk line has been drawn, delineating what was ‘then’ and what is ‘now’. Life has begun anew, a division created between everything I have ever known, and this strange unknown.

Future turned present, present turned past.

The ball of tension gnawing between my brows tightens at the thought. Thud. As the car turns, mountains of my luggage topple into me, pushing and shoving onto my shoulder and lap. I jostle the cases back into place despite their unwilling nature, and bundle myself up in the solace of my cosy quilt. It reminds me of home.

Faded after years of wear and tear, I brush my fingertips along its intricate butterfly pattern. Each butterfly, fluttering with its gossamer wings and curling antennae, is delicately sewn in bright, childlike colours; poppy red, pea green, daffodil yellow. I imagine what colour their cocoons would’ve been; would they have matched the vivid, joyful hues of their wings? Or, perhaps they began as humble, plain things before they hatched into their new, vibrant forms?

Pressing my nose into the soft cotton, I inhale the familiar scent. The intimate smell of cheap washing powder; of curling into my bed at night, and putting on my freshly-washed uniform in the morning; of hugging my mum tightly and not letting go; of hanging washing on the line in our tiny green garden. Home - my home.

Memories swarm me, threatening to swallow me whole. I can’t return. I feel strangely sick, as if the memories themselves are crawling out of my stomach, slithering into my chest, my throat. It gives me a strange taste in my mouth, bitter and nostalgic. My hands itch for a toothbrush to scrub it away and swallow it down.

Yet, this feeling is no stranger. This suffocating, allconsuming sickness threatening to engulf me is almost dear to me, a time-old acquaintance. Again and again, the rapid rhythm of my heart drumming against my ribcage, the acute tightening of my chest. And then, the feeling of profound nausea slithering in. Anxiety, they told me.

Oftentimes, it would flare up at night. To soothe me, Mum would tell me it was just “butterflies in my stomach”. To me, it always felt more like cockroaches. But I still took her words to heart; I’d scrunch my eyes shut and imagine the beautiful spring-coloured creatures from my duvet, gracefully flitting about my stomach and chest, as if somehow it would lessen the vile feeling. It never did.

YEARS 10 -13

My stomach churns. I take deep breaths and count to ten; in and out, in and out. Resting my head against the cases, I stare out the window and watch the landscape pass by. The world outside is blurred, abundant bushes and trees quickly reduced to greenish streaks across my sight. I pretend I am at home, sitting in my comfy chair, and that the small window of scenery before me is merely the screen of a television. Slowly, the tension in my chest slackens a shade.

A short while passes and I start to feel drained, the stresses of the day settling in. My eyes flutter shut, and I drift along to the sound of my mother’s rhythmic tapping against the wheel; tap, tap, tap. I focus my ears on her soft voice as she hums to the song rattling quietly out of the car’s speakers.

“All these places have their moments With lovers and friends, I still can recall

My eyelids gradually drift shut little by little, lulled by the melody. It casts me back to a time abandoned. In my mind a picture forms- our old house, with its tattered, red-brick walls and crumbling fence. I think of the gentle sun warming my face as I sit splayed out on the deckchair of our overgrown garden, with its crooked washing line, and weeds and grass and flowers tumbling freely over the stone wall. I think of the battered red radio, which would only work after a few knocks on the head and a specific twist of the dial. I think of its tunes filling the air of a hot summer's day, joining the chirping of crickets and cicadas. I bid my farewells to the place of my childhood, where tears were shed and laughs shared.

Some are dead and some are living

In my life, I've loved them all”

The image fades. It’s replaced by a blurry depiction, brought to life by the thought of where I am headed. I envision my new college, the feeling of my feet clattering up its steps on my first day. Visions of my new uniform, perhaps a deep navy or a cool burgundy, the way it might feel as I wear it; soft or cosy or thick or itchy? All kinds of shifting shapes and forms dance behind my eyelids, burst forth. I contemplate my new home - would it have a garden, much like our old one?

Despite my efforts, I can’t seem to grasp a concrete image, an idea, of what it could look like, only a fluctuating array of possibilities. And yet, unlike earlier, the thought doesn’t spiral into fear. The unknown seems a touch more welcoming, something kinder. Taking the final step over that line, the step into a future of boundless opportunities. Emerging from my shell of adolescence, bringing to life a new self, a new me. Mere hours away from what I had vaguely marked “distant future”, I feel the heavy loss of a past self.

In a sense, I suppose, meaning lies in moving on, saying goodbye.

FOBISIA GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP 2023

Paul Rotherham Director of Sports and Activities, Shrewsbury International School, Bangkok Riverside

Shrewsbury International School, Riverside Bangkok was delighted to host the FOBISIA Golf Championship for 2023 at the wonderful Black Mountain Golf Resort in Hua Hin, Thailand.

Black Mountain had hosted the DP Asian tour event the previous week, so the course was in prime condition with lightning-fast greens. A previous winner of FOBISIA Golf and a current Shrewsbury Riverside student, TK Rachanon was competing in this event and finished 15 under par. Well done TK.

The Golf Championship has a long history within the FOBISIA sporting calendar with the inaugural event back in 2010. Shrewsbury Riverside has had the pleasure of hosting the Golf Championship twice previously and is well placed to understand the level and prestige expected from students, parents and visiting schools. The standard of Junior golf on display was simply outstanding. Many of the players involved will go on to be professional golfers - keep an eye out for the student winners listed below! Personally, I am always proud to host these events; to see the professional behaviour from students, but also see their camaraderie and willingness to support each other and make new friends from across the region, is wonderful.

The field comprised 122 golfers from 19 schools from Thailand, Malaysia, The Philippines and South Korea, and the standard over two days was of the highest quality, with seven golfers finishing under par. Something many adults struggle to do on the golf course. FOBISIA invitational events always offer a premium service with great success for students on and off the field and we are delighted to have hosted. Thank you to all the schools, staff, parents, and students who made the event a great success.

RESULTS:

OVERALL FOBISIA CHAMPIONS

WELLINGTON COLLEGE, BANGKOK

FOBISIA FOOTBALL INVITATIONAL

Richard Molloy Cross Campus Head of Sport, Bangkok Patana School

Across the weekend of the 19th May, Bangkok Patana School played host to the inaugural FOBISIA 7’s Football tournament, welcoming more than 20 schools from across the region.

The tournament offered an exciting opportunity to reconnect with colleagues around the region and enjoy a feast of football across U12, U14 and U16 age groups. With more than 700 students on the grass across three days of action and more than 600 matches played, there was a strong sense of community present between all the schools involved. As we marched into knockout football, seeing teams stood on the halfway line, celebrating and consoling their peers during the inevitable penalty shoot outs, showed the returning camaraderie which is instilled across the FOBISIA family of schools and beyond.

Whilst all schools involved should be commended for the skill level on show throughout the weekend, there were several teams who truly shone in their age category and came out as champions:

U12 Girls – Rugby School, Thailand

U12 Boys – UWC-East, Singapore (Guest)

U14 Girls – Seoul Foreign School, South Korea

U14 Boys – Shrewsbury International School, Bangkok Riverside, Thailand

U16 Girls – Rugby School, Thailand

U16 Boys – Bangkok Patana School, Thailand

A big thank you to all the coaches who supported their students throughout, in the very ‘warm’ Bangkok weather. No dampened appetited anywhere, as teams pushed through to create a positive and boisterous atmosphere across the Sport Complex here at BPS.

We look forward to more fantastic sports events on the calendar in 2023-4.

FOBISIA INVITATIONAL BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS 2022-23

Matt Buck Director of Sport, Rugby School Thailand

FOBISIA U11 BASKETBALL, DEC 2ND/3RD 2022

Our first FOBISIA sports event to be held at Rugby School Thailand as a new member school saw 8 boys and 7 girls teams go head to head for the titles. Hua Hin had the longest journey with all the other schools travelling down from Bangkok.

After the boys group stages, RST, Shrewsbury Bangkok Riverside, Wells and Bangkok Prep contested the final 4 places with the hosts RST, being crowned champions after an exciting final vs Bangkok Prep.

The girls tournament had a similar pattern with RST, Shrewsbury Bangkok Riverside, Wells being joined by the American School Bangkok in the final 4. Shrewsbury this time taking the honours over RST in the girls Championship game.

FOBISIA U19 BASKETBALL, FEB 9TH/10TH 2023

The second invitational at Rugby School Thailand turned out to be the most popular of the year and welcomed Szu Wei and Tao-Yuan High Schools who travelled from Taiwan to complete. The British School Manila also made the trip and made the tournament truly international.

The standard in the boys final 4 matchups was extremely high, with Shrewsbury Bangkok Riverside and ASB Green Valley narrowly missing out on a final place. The Championship game was truly an epic encounter with Thakham School taking on Tao-Yuan, with the Taiwan boys taking the win in overtime!

In the girls bracket Szu Wei from Taiwan was the class act, breezing through the rounds and running away with the final in spectacular fashion. The rest of the games were very tight with ASB Green Valley beating Shrewsbury Bangkok Riverside for a place in the final but just 1 point. Across the tournament there were 19 games with 5 points of each other, 10 games with 2 points and 5 games won by just 1 point!

FOBISIA U15 BASKETBALL, MAR 31ST/APR 1ST 2023

Our last basketball invitational welcomed 8 boys and 6 girls teams from around Thailand, Panyathip School from Laos and British School New Delhi made the longest trip to join us this time.

There were 2 standout teams in the boys competition with Harrow Bangkok and Thakham Schools handling the rounds and the semi finals with ease. This set up a thrilling final matchup which went right down to the wire. At one stage down by 12, Harrow Bangkok fought back to win 46-44 in dramatic style.

Harrow Bangkok Girls dominated the opposition in the rounds and made quick work of the hosts RST with a 34-22 victory in the final securing the first double win for HIS.

SHOOTOUT CHAMPS GIRLS ALL TOURNAMENT

BOYS CHAMPIONS HARROW INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

GIRLS CHAMPS HARROW INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL BOYS ALL TOURNAMENT

FOBISIA CONNCET

FOBISIA Connect is a valuable resource for FOBISIA Member School Staff allowing you to connect with others in a similar role within the community. Use this platform as a go-to place to share insights, experiences, and support with others. See the latest FOBISIA events as well as news and updates!

FOBISIA WEBINARS

FOBISIA offers a range of engaging webinars to its Members; recordings of past webinars are available on the FOBISIA website. Looking ahead we have an exciting lineup of webinars planned for the next academic year, covering diverse subjects and addressing emerging trends in education.

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We understand the importance of providing our School Members with support to enhance their educational journey. That's why we highly value our Affiliate Members, who play a vital role in offering valuable products and services to meet the unique needs of our Schools.

Our Affiliate Members encompass a diverse array of organisations and businesses that cater to the educational sector. From curriculum providers and technology companies to school furniture suppliers and professional development trainers, these members bring a wealth of expertise and offerings to our network.

As a Member School, if you are looking for specific products or services, we encourage you to explore the offerings of our Affiliate Members. Reach out to them and mention you are a FOBISIA Member School and many offer discounts or special deals.

See all of our Affiliate Members on the website here

FRIENDS OF FOBISIA

Our Friends of FOBISIA Membership is open for a limited number of British international schools located outside of Asia, in order to strengthen our connections beyond the region.

We are proud that we now have six members of Friends of FOBISIA; The British School of Brussels vzw, British International School of Stockholm, Nord Anglia International School Dubai, Rugby School, Wellington College and The English International School Baghdad

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INSPECTORATES & ACCREDIATATION SERVICES

EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT TRUST l PENTA INTERNATIONAL l INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS INSPECTORATE (ISI)

IT SERVICES, SOFTWARE & SYSTEMS

BLUESKY EDUCATION l BRITANNICA DIGITAL LEARNING l DERVENTIO EDUCATION l ENGAGE l FARIA EDUCATION GROUP l FINALSITE l FIREFLY LEARNING l ISAMS l OHBOT l ONLINE SAFETY & SOCIAL MEDIA CONSULTANT l RENAISSANCE LEARNING l SOCS l TENDERBOARD l UNIFROG EDUCATION l WCBS INTERNATIONAL

SCHOOLHOUSE CREATIVES MEDIA & PHOTOGRAPHY SERVICES

CHAMBERLAIN MUSIC MUSIC SUPPLIERS

25 categories, 100+ members...

PERFORMING ARTS RESOURCES & SERVICES

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

CHARANGA l DRUMS FOR SCHOOLS

PUBLISHERS & BOOK SUPPLIERS

RECRUITMENT SERVICES

BEST PRACTICE NETWORK l CHARTERED COLLEGE OF TEACHING l EDMENTUM l GRJ EDUCATION l DIVERSE EDUCATORS l EARLY EXCELLENCE l EDUCATOR IMPACT l EDUSPARK l LINDA CRUSE l MAKING STUFF BETTER l MANGAHIGH l MIND YOUR HEALTH l PERSYOU l PLATINUM TRAINING AND CONSULTANCY l REAL GROUP l SCHOOL LEADERS TRAINING l TEAM TEACH l TES GROBAL

APD BOOK SERVICES l COLLINS l DK

ANTHONY MILLARD CONSULTING l EDVECTUS l ETEACH l INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS SERVICES (ISS) l LSC EDUCATION l RSACADEMICS l SEARCH ASSOCIATES l TIC RECRUITMENT l TRUE TEACHING

RISK MANAGEMENT VIRISTAR l XCURSION RISK SERVICES

SAFEGUARDING SERVICES

SCHOOL ACTIVITIES & VISITS

SCHOOL SUPPLIES MALLORY INTERNATIONAL l TTS GROUP

SPORTS MANAGEMENT SERVICES

LEARNING JOURNEY SINGAPORE l HOLA SPANISH IMMERSION l JUNIOR DUKE AWARD l TEACH REX

SECURITY CONSULTANCY SERVICES SAFETYKNOT l WHITE CANVAS

Dawsons Music

SPORTS MANAGEMENT WORLDWIDE l SWIM ENGLAND l SWIM LIFE INTERNATIONAL l TEEMS

SUSTAINABILITY METANOIA l THE ALLIANCE FOR SUSTAINABLE SCHOOLS (TASS) l TUU

TEACHING & LEARNING RESOURCES

UNIVERSITY

BEDROCK LEARNING l EVERYBODY COUNTS l SCHOOLBOX l TODDLE new

BRITISH UNIVERSITY VIETNAM (BUV) l NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TEACHING AND EDUCATION l UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK, UK

INTERNATIONAL CHILD PROTECTION ADVISORS new new