Federation of British International Schools in Asia eMagazine
February 2020 Term 2 Issue 32
Coronavirus
Board Members Anthony Rowlands
Nick Magnus
Principal British International School, HCMC anthony.rowlands@bisvietnam.com
Headmaster Dulwich College (Singapore) headmaster@dulwich-singapore.edu.sg
Graeme Salt
Dinah Hawtree
Head of College Dulwich College Seoul graeme.salt@dulwich-seoul.kr
Principal Garden International School Rayong principal@gardenrayong.com
Martin Towse
Roger Schultz
Principal St. Christopher's International Primary School, Penang martin.towse@scips.org.my
Head of School The Alice Smith School Kuala Lumpur hos@alice-smith.edu.my
Chair
Heads' Support
Vice Chair & Treasurer
CPD
Secretary & Membership
Sport
Vanita Uppal
Chris Short
Director The British School New Delhi v.uppal@british-school.org
Principal Dover Court International School Singapore christopher.short@dovercourt.edu.sg
Margaret Rafee
Matt Mills
Principal Sri KDU International School r.margaret@srikdu.edu.my
Head of School Bangkok Patana School mami@patana.ac.th
Safeguarding
Student Events
HQ Liaison
Communications
Headquarters John Gwyn Jones MBE
Siobhan Bland
ceo@fobisia.org
siobhan.bland@fobisia.org
Daphne Wong
Hannah Marshall
daphne.wong@fobisia.org
hannah.marshall@fobisia.org
Li-May Lim
Robyn Tait
limay.lim@fobisia.org
robyn.tait@fobisia.org
Executive Office Manager & PA to the CEO
Chief Executive Officer
CPD Executive
Events Executive
Communications Executive
Events Executive
Jitsaman Chan
Administrator of Accounts jitsaman.chan@fobisia.org
THAILAND Headquarters 39/4 Todsamon Clubhouse Building, Mezzanine Floor Soi LaSalle 39/1, Sukhumvit 105, Bangna, Bangkok 10260 THAILAND
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FORUM
FOBISIA COMMUNITY FORUM
CONTENTS 4
From Our Chair
5
From Our Chief
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Calendar Events
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Sports Invitationals
Netball at Dulwich College Singapore Netball: Wellington's College's Perspective Gymnastics at Bangkok Patana
18 Competitions Online Maths
Social Science Essay
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U15s Friendly Games Picture Collage
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Conferences
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Music Teachers' Conference
30 Features International School Awards
Coronavirus Brynaman teacher is recognised for service with MBE When crisis planning becomes more than a paper exercise
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Word quizes & factoid
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Keynote Excerpts
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Member Schools
40
Affiliate Members
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Universally Challenged
THE FOBISIAN: February 2020, Term 2, Issue 32
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from our
Chair
Dear Colleagues, I would like to offer you a warm welcome to this issue of THE FOBISIAN. We are certainly going through a very challenging time as a Federation at the present time with regards to the Coronavirus outbreak which sadly has had a significant impact on many of our events. This is all very unfortunate but I am extremely pleased with how our schools and our affiliates have responded in this crisis. Everybody has endeavoured to understand each other and we have taken on a shared responsibility to support each other in these difficult times. Indeed that is what makes FOBISIA a very special Federation. I am also grateful to the team at FOBISIA HQ led by John Gwyn Jones for steering us in the right direction during this crisis. We experienced two wonderful events in November. Firstly, the Leadership Conference in Macao was an outstanding success with wonderful presentations, workshops and social events. Great credit to our HQ team for pulling it all together. Secondly, the Teaching Community Conference held in Penang and hosted by St. Christopher's International Primary School, Penang was a very special event and it was an absolute pleasure to be there at the opening. We are grateful to Martin Towse, Tim Lamb and their team at SCIPS for organising such a successful event. In December we sadly said goodbye to Tania Donoghue after nine years of service to FOBISIA. We are grateful for her excellent contribution to the Federation over the years. In relation to this, HQ has now gone through some changes and I would like to wish Siobhan Bland well in her new role as Executive Office Manager & PA to the CEO. Additionally, I would like to welcome Robyn and Li-May to the HQ team and hope they enjoy the experience of being key members of FOBISIA. I would like to wish you a good second half of the school year and hope that we can get FOBISIA events back on track in the not too distant future. Best wishes, Anthony Rowlands FOBISIA Chair - March 2019 to present Principal, British International School Ho Chi Minh City
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from our
Chief
Dear Colleagues, Unfortunately, we have all been faced with many challenges as a result of the Coronavirus outbreak in China. At HQ, we are working hard to support our membership with such challenges. I am pleased to see how much support and goodwill there is available when we are faced with having to make difficult decisions that may have organisational and financial implications. Many of our schools are currently closed and the uncertainty that surrounds the environment that we find ourselves in makes it extremely difficult to plan for the immediate future. However, we are only an email or telephone call away, so whatever support or assistance we can give, don’t hesitate to approach us, and we will do our very best to help you in whatever way we can. Although the majority of our events have had to be cancelled, we still have several activities that remain on track such as the Under 13s Pink Group Games, the Golf Invitational hosted by Sri KDU International School, the Drama Festival hosted by The Regents International School Bangkok and more. Please refer to our shared Google document for the latest status of events as we do update this information on a daily basis as situations do sometimes change. We would like to extend our appreciation to all the hosts of FOBISIA activities that have been affected by cancellations. We fully understand that you have all put so much effort and energy into hosting these events, and many have incurred financial losses. When we do eventually return to “normality”, schools that have had to cancel will be given priority to host next academic year – and we sincerely hope that you will take up these opportunities. To all our Member Schools that have had to withdraw from events, and manage the disappointment of your students, staff and parents, as well as issues of financial losses, we hope that does not affect your future commitments to FOBISIA events, as we are determined to make up for this setback as much as possible, and learn from these unforeseen circumstances. I would like to thank our team at HQ for their tireless support and responses to the numerous enquiries that we have had to manage over these past two months and we will continue to do whatever is necessary to see us through these challenging times as we will always act in the best interests of our membership. Finally, a warm welcome back to Hornbill School and welcome to Epsom College in Malaysia. Also a warm welcome to new Affiliate Members — CenturyTECH, Early Excellence, Independent Schools Inspectorate, Let's Think in English, SchoolHouse Creatives, Sunridge Associates, University of Warwick and Viristar. John Gwyn Jones MBE FOBISIA Chief Executive Officer
THE FOBISIAN: February 2020, Term 2, Issue 32
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editor's note Welcome to the 32nd issue of THE FOBISIAN eMagazine. On 31 December, the first case of Coronavirus was reported, little did we know how it would change the world of international education within Asia over the course of a few months. We have seen schools closing, quarantines, flight suspensions and everything in between. This issue features one Head of School's Coronavirus response that no doubt everyone can relate to. We share some memorable moments from our Member Schools' experiences at FOBISIA student events, including Sports Invitationals, academic competitions and the recent Music Teachers' Conference in Vietnam. Catch up on the 2020 International School Awards where Member Schools featured highly among the winners including the International School of the Year. We look forward to a more stable situation in the coming weeks, but in the mean time as the new editor, I hope THE FOBISIAN can continue to provide content that will appeal across our readership and benefit all of our members, and do have a go at our new quiz page. If you have any suggestions for content, we would be delighted to hear from you.
Best Regards, Li-May
F O B I S I A ' s T E R M LY e M A G A Z I N E PUBLISHER FOBISIA EDI TORS Siobhan Bland & Li-May Lim CON TRIBUTORS TO THIS ISSUE Anthony Rowlands British International School HCMC & FOBISIA Board John Gwyn Jones MBE FOBISIA HQ Kevin Shaw Dulwich College (Singapore) Jackie Saha Wellington College International Shanghai Cindy Adair Bangkok Patana School Neena Jain Gupta & Vandana Seoni The British School New Delhi Praveen D Traill International School Gareth Groves ABC International School HCMC David Rowlands Keynotes Excerpts CREDI TS & SOURCES Corona virus cover image: cdc.gov Full team netball image: Tanglin Trust Sport (Twitter) ISA image: ISC Research Viggo Stacey The Pie News Coronavirus who.int South Wales Guardian When crisis planning becomes more than a paper exercise tes.com sporcle.com: Quizes buzzfeed.com: Factoid Asia Map Travel vector created by freepik
ABOUT THE FOBISIAN A termly eMagazine for sharing events and news among membership & affiliates. Three issues are published each academic year — in September (June to August content), February (September to January content), and June (February to May content). If you would like to contribute, please email the Editor at: limay.lim@fobisia.org
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creating the world’s best learning spaces to inspire young minds. furnware.com
THE FOBISIAN: February 2020, Term 2, Issue 32
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Calendar Events
27-07 Feb 01-03 Feb 07-08 Feb 19-22 Feb 23-27 Feb 26-29 Feb 27-29 Feb 28-01 Mar 27-02 Mar
Creative Coding Online (TIS) ELDANC Swimming Invitational (SFBS) KS3/4 Student Leadership Workshops (ISPU) postponed Environmental Conference (Regents Pattaya) U13 Pink Group Games (SCA) Drama Festival KS3/4 + Year 9/10 Festival (REGB) Tennis Invitational (BISP) ELDANC ELDANC Squash Invitational (Jerudong Int'l School) ELDANC ELDANC ELDANC Games (Sports Camp Australia) U13 Blue Group
02-06 Mar 04-07 Mar 05-08 Mar 11-15 Mar 13-14 Mar 13-17 Mar 15-19 Mar 19-23 Mar 23-27 Mar 27-29 Mar
U13 Purple Group Games (SCA) ELDANC ELDANC Climbing Invitational (GISKL) ELDANC Primary Maths Competition (elc) Secondary MathsELDANC Competition (ESM) Volleyball Invitational (HISB) ELDANC Woodwind Cluster Primary Music Festival (TBSND) ELDANC U13 Green Group Games (SCA) ELDANC U13 Yellow Group Games (SCA) ELDANC U13 Red Group ELDANC Games (SCA) Basketball Invitational (BPREP) ELDANC
23-27 Apr 24-26 Apr 25-28 Apr 30-04 May
Intermediate Woodwind Festival (KLASS) Sing out Festival - KS3 Choral Festival (CHA) Golf Invitational (SKISS) Primary White Group Games (SCA)
04-08 May 08-12 May 12-16 May 13-16 May 15-17 May 30-03 June
Primary Pink Group Games (SCA) Primary Purple Group Games (SCA) Primary Blue Games (SCA Drama Festival KS3, Year 7&8 Festival (BSJ) Advanced Jazz ELDANC Festival (WCCSI) Primary Green Group Games (SCA)
03-07 June Primary Yellow Group Games (SCA)
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Netball
O
at Dulwich College Singapore
n Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 December, Dulwich College (Singapore) had the honour of hosting the inaugural FOBISIA netball invitational. The College welcomed 28 teams comprising 311 students who took part in 234 matches across multiple locations over the course of the weekend. With festivals for U13, U15 and U19 squads, it was a huge celebration of netball for students from all across South East Asia. Each age group's festival resulted in exciting cup and plate competitions and the standard of play was high. Also highly visible was the gracious spirit
in which all the matches were played. All 28 teams celebrated each other's successes which clearly reflected the coaches' dedication not only to performance but to the students' conduct and attitude. The atmosphere at the final was electric with over 400 spectators cheering on the teams. Despite their nerves the girls all played tremendously well and provided their supporters with an outstanding display of competitive netball. As well as multiple awards for plate and cup participants and
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winners, one student from each team was also given an award for their behaviour and attitude; for reflecting the values of Dulwich College (Singapore): Determined, Courageous, Skillful and Gracious. This first ever FOBISIA netball invitational at Dulwich College (Singapore) was a resounding success and the College will look forward to hosting this event in the coming years and helping grow the profile of netball across the region.
Article by: Kevin Shaw, Director of Sport Dulwich College (Singapore)
invitationals THE FOBISIAN: February 2020, Term 2, Issue 32
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W
ellington College teams participated in their first FOBISIA netball tournament between the 6 and 9 December, two U19 squads from Wellington College Shanghai joined teams from across China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia to compete in the FOBISIA Netball Invitational hosted by Dulwich College (Singapore). Captains, Coco of the A team, and Zehra of the B team, describe their preparation and participation in the tournament, as well as what they learned from the experience.
Preparation for FOBISIA Coco: This was a fantastic
tournament as it really gave us the chance to match ourselves against some of the best netball teams in our age bracket.
Zehra: Both teams trained really hard for this. We knew we would face tough competition from across the region.
We worked specifically on fitness throughout to improve on where we were last season. Also a lot of training time went into gameplay I think both teams can be very proud of their performance, as the and strategy – how we move on A team won the tournament plate the court, our positioning, making the best use of space to maximise while the B team came 3rd in the coverage, and so on. The A and plate. B teams also played each other Given the extremely high standard many times. This was very helpful in letting us get a feel for different of competition provided by the playstyles and often we would other schools at the tournament, pause the game to analyse tactics this was a big success for our first or mistakes to address. appearance in a FOBISIA event.
Hitting the Court Coco: We definitely discovered that the training was necessary when we arrived in Singapore! Watching the Singaporean teams was an education in of itself; their passing was just so clean, they made zero mistakes! It definitely gave us something to work towards, as their set play and general ball control was admirable and something we want to emulate. In this sport, even a couple of poor passes or mistakes can add up quickly and cost you the game. 12
Zehra: The heat and humidity
was a significant factor that gave us a bit of a shock initially, even though we were told to expect it. What really made the tournament enjoyable for everyone was the friendly and welcoming atmosphere.
In some cases we got the chance to observe our opponents in other games before playing them, which gave us opportunities to assess their strengths and weaknesses and adjust our tactics accordingly. Sometimes this helped, in other games the opposition were just too good!
There was a good competitive spirit overall and even though we were cheering on our own sides when the A team watched B team games and vice versa, the atmosphere was a very genial one.
Zehra: Going to a FOBISIA
Everyone was determined to do well and play their best game, but not at the expense of fair play; I think that was the attitude displayed by all the teams throughout the tournament.
The heat was a factor to overcome, but we managed pretty well after the initial shock of the first game.
The Lessons Learned Coco: Watching a range of other teams play is always a valuable experience, as is playing against them!
tournament and experiencing a completely different opposition and different playing conditions is very helpful in making us more versatile and resilient players.
Generally, I’d say it’s more valuable to face off against better quality opposition, as it pushes us to play our hardest and make every play count. If you continually face the same teams, it’s very easy for
overconfidence to set in, which generally tanks the quality of your game. Coco: Given the quality of the
opposition we faced, I think that all the teams involved in the tournament can be proud of their performance and overall attitude towards the competition.
It was a pleasure to compete against the region’s best and I hope that everyone involved learned a lot from the experience. Tournaments of this nature are invaluable for showing us the level of sporting performance to aspire to while giving us all the chance to show our true colours both on and off the court.
Article by: Jackie Saha, Marketing Manager Wellington College International Shanghai
THE FOBISIAN: February 2020, Term 2, Issue 32
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Gymnastics
O
at Bangkok Patana
n Saturday 30 November till Sunday 1 December, Bangkok Patana School hosted the annual FOBISIAGymnastics Invitational in association with the Ploenchit Fair. Up to 500 students, from 17 different international schools, representing five different countries across Asia, participated in this wonderful celebration of gymnastics. FOBISIA Gymnastics directly corresponds with Bangkok Patana School's Mission; to ensure that students of different nationalities grow to their full potential as independent learners in a caring British international community.
The routines on show were a testament to the hard work and
" There were many outstanding performances and the level of gymnastics has certainly improved over the past five years". dedication young gymnasts, their coaches and parents have put in. There were many outstanding
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performances and the level of gymnastics has certainly improved over the past five years. Particularly impressive is the growth in WAG (Women’s Artistic Gymnastics) Levels 5+ and all of the MAG (Men’s Artistic Gymnastics) levels. Bangkok Patana is also a notfor-profit school and put a big emphasis on being respectful contributors to our local communities, are inspired to improve global sustainability and promote active volunteerism among students and staff..
As a direct result of hosting FOBISIA Gymnastics, Bangkok Patana School and all the students involved we raised 137,400 baht in donations to for the British Community in Thailand Foundation for the Needy (BCTFN).
" We raised 137,400 baht in donations to the British Community in Thailand Foundation for the Needy (BCTFN)." Bangkok Patana School had the great honour of His Excellency, Brian Davidson, The British Ambassador to Thailand, alongside Carolyn Tarrant MBE & President of the BCTFN to visit the event and receive the donation on behalf of the BCTFN. Article by: Cindy Adair, Assistant Principal Extra Curricular Activities & Sport Bangkok Patana School
Carolyn Tarrant MBE with his His Excellency Brian Davidson, The British Ambassador to Thailand
THE FOBISIAN: February 2020, Term 2, Issue 32
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THE FOBISIAN: February 2020, Term 2, Issue 32
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Year 6 winners Amarra, Jiayun, Daksh, Meagan, Tejas, Arihant, Cameron, Nitya, Roma, Aadi, Dakshesh, Aadi, Aaryan
S
Maths Online
tudents from Year 5 to 8 participated in the Individual Challenge of the FOBISIA Online Maths Competition giving them a chance to compete with other Member Schools across Asia. The challenge that concluded on 25 November 2019 was designed to allow for the possibility of success for all students. There were four challenges–starter, bronze, silver, gold and platinum. Certificates awarded at the successful completion of each level encouraged excellence and improved confidence in students. The different challenges promoted inclusivity, gave all students a sense of belonging and increased self-esteem; there was something for all learners.
Year 7 & 8 winners Y7: Dahee, Mohammad, Anahi, Taiga, Nihal, Suhani, Darves, Ranveer, Y8: Mustafa, Shiva
Out of the 280 students in the competition, 26 Platinum winners were from The British School New Delhi itself–16 from Primary and 10 from Secondary. 15 of these 26 are from Years 5 and 6 and 11 are from Years 7 and 8. The names of all The British School, New Delhi, Platinum winners are published on the organiser’s website đ&#x;”—. Well done to all the students who have proved that we have a wealth of mathematical talent at our school. 18
Year 5 winners Aayaan, Gurman, Shaurya. Article by: Neena Jain Gupta, Numeracy Coordinator / Y2 teacher (Primary School) Vandana Seoni Curriculum Leader, Mathematics & ICT Teacher (Seconday School) The British School New Delhi, India
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The FOBISIA Social Science Essay Competition 2019-20 was arranged by Mr. Praveen D, Head of Humanities Faculty at Traill International School, Bangkok. Well done to all students who submitted their writing. All entrants were awarded certificates of participation with prize money for the top three essays: 5000 THB and a trophy for first place, 3000THB for second place and 2000 THB the third place.
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U15s football THE FOBISIAN: February 2020, Term 2, Issue 32
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U15s athletics THE FOBISIAN: February 2020, Term 2, Issue 32
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U15s swimming THE FOBISIAN: February 2020, Term 2, Issue 32
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U15s basketball THE FOBISIAN: February 2020, Term 2, Issue 32
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Music Teachers' Conference
T
he ABC International School (ABCIS), was the host of this year's annual FOBISIA Music Teachers' Conference in Vietnam. As FOBISIA continues to grow, so does the conference which ended up being one of the largest such gatherings to date welcoming over 85 delegates.
Run over three days the conference welcomed Lin Marsh as keynote speaker and practitioner. Lin is a prolific composer who is internationally recognised for her work with children and singing. She has composed for the BBC on both radio and TV, The National Youth Theatre of Great Britain and also the Shakespear’s Globe Theatre in London. She also frequently gives workshops across the UK and increasingly internationally. Lin also spent two days working with our students here at ABCIS across both the Primary and
Secondary Campuses. No matter the year group, Lin’s expertise and engaging personality soon had all students singing with passion and style. The whole community was left feeling very uplifted.
"Lin’s expertise and engaging personality soon had all our students singing with passion and style". We were also delighted to welcome Sing Up, which is a UK-based company who I have worked with from their inception in 2007, until I left the UK to join the ABCIS in 2011. Sing Up is now an international company that helps to deliver support and inspire young people through song. Many schools within our FOBISIA community are already lucky enough to be familiar with Sing Up and it was great to see and hear some of their exciting plans for the future. The conference also welcomed other renowned practitioners from companies such as Musical Futures International, Dawsons Music and
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Charanga. Some of the highlights to come from the conference for me were the chance to experience the fun of chair drumming to Toto’s 'Africa' as well as being one of the first groups of people in the world to perform this year's Sing Up Day Anthem, ‘There’s A Power In The Music’. The conference finished with a round up session for the following year which came from Executive Committee meetings held throughout the three days. It is great to see the determination amongst colleagues from all participating schools to not only see music continue to play such a strong part within our communities, but to see it continue to grow and evolve ensuring all FOBISIA Member Schools have access to world-class music opportunities. Gareth Groves Head of Visual & Performing Arts, ABCIS
A
s part of FOBISIA, our teachers often attend CPD events to keep us all up to date with new initiatives and innovations happening both back in the United Kingdom, but also across the world.
The ABC International School was delighted to give delegates the opportunity to experience 18 workshops ranging from Early Years and Primary specialisms right through to exploring Secondary curriculum topics including the increasing use of technology. Using a dedicated iMac Suite for
Music, workshops were run using GarageBand and Logic X. The day was packed full of lots of diverse training which was delivered by music professionals from our very own FOBISIA community coming from across Asia to spread the passion about their subject.
THE FOBISIAN: February 2020, Term 2, Issue 32
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Music Teachers' Conference
Music JAWS
International School Awards 2020
I
nternational schools from nine countries scooped up 13 awards at the International School Awards 2020. Hosted by ISC Research, the awards seek to “recognise outstanding initiatives being delivered in English-medium international schools around the world�. “All initiatives have to demonstrate to judges evidence of strategies that enable the initiative to be shared with other schools. Many congratulations to St. Andrew's International School Bangkok for its superb success this year, and to all the award winners.� St Andrews took home the top gong for its environmental initiative which brings about “collective and sustainable change through action plans led by students that address a range of environmental challenges�. The initiative has now grown beyond the school, and now includes 17 local schools and 14 local sustainability organisations. The school’s principal, Paul Schofield, was “delighted� that the hard work and dedication of everyone at the school had been recognised. “Being named as International School of the Year is a huge achievement and testament to our school community. We take huge pride in encouraging all our students to be
Geoff Mcgee for StAB, John Gwyn Jones MBE, Leigh Webb ISC CEO
global citizens and empower them to make meaningful change,� he said. Excerpt
đ&#x;”— from The Pie News
Five other FOBISIA member schools shortlisted for their respective categories were: Sri KDU International School for their community initiative Tanglin Trust School for their initiative to support students as future-thinking innovators The Alice Smith School Kuala Lumpur and Dulwich College Shanghai, Pudong for digital technology in learning initiative and The British School New Delhi for international impact. Sourced
đ&#x;”— from International School Leader
F O B I S I A
Community Forum A vibrant professional online community exclusively for FOBISIA Member Schools across Asia.
JOIN THE FOBISIA FAMILY! 30
Coronavirus
C
oronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans. Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted between animals and people. Detailed investigations found that SARS-CoV was transmitted from civet cats to humans and MERS-CoV from dromedary camels to humans.
Several known coronaviruses are circulating in animals that have not yet infected humans. Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death. Standard recommendations to prevent infection spread include regular hand washing, covering mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, thoroughly cooking meat and eggs. Avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing. Article
đ&#x;”— from the World Health Organisation
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THE FOBISIAN: February 2020, Term 2, Issue 32
Brynaman teacher is recognised for service with MBE
A
Brynaman teacher has been named in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours list for his work in overseas education. John Gwyn Jones will collect an MBE for his services to British Overseas Education after spending the last 33 years teaching in south east Asia. Growing up in Brynaman as one of five siblings, John graduated from university in Carmarthen after studying teaching. He had previously worked as a banker, but opted to pursue his true passion, and in 1976 took up his first appointment as a teacher at Ammanford Junior School. In 1986, John was seconded by Dyfed County Council to take
up a three-year appointment as a Curriculum Advisor for the British Forces Schools in Hong Kong.
"A Brynaman teacher has been named in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours list for his work in overseas education". He was then asked to take up the appointment of Deputy Headmaster at Gun Clun Hill Barracks School in Kowloon, where he remained until December 1990.
He then served as headteacher at a school in Penang, Malaysia for 23 years before retiring. John came out of retirement just a few months later to work as a consultant for schools in Laos. In August 2019, John was successful in being appointed as the inaugural Chief Executive Officer of the Federationof British [International] Schools in Asia. Now, John has been recognised for his years of service, being granted an MBE on the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List.
Article
đ&#x;”— from South Wales Guardian
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31 December 2019
Universally Challenged K Country Consonants
Can you find the consonants of six countries begining with K? B
C
D
F
G
H
J
K
L
M
N
P
Q
R
S
T
V
W
X
Y
Z
Words ending in " VY "
Can you name six four letter words that end with " VY "?
vy vy vy
vy vy vy
Cryptic Countries
Can you name the countries from the clues given? CLUE
COUNTRY
CONTINENT
Stay where you are Upper legs everywhere
Europe
Thailand
Asia
It's really cold
South America
Grr, it's raining again
Middle East
Want food
Europe
Frozen place
Europe
I sprinted
Asia
Two on your chest
Asia
Definitely not!
Europe
Oil
Europe
Current factoid: In the first foreign language Oscar winning film 'Parasite', the word "ram-don" was created by the translator for the film and is a dish consisiting of two different types of instant noodles: black bean and spicy seafood flavor. The answers will be revealed in the next issue. Happy quizzing!
THE FOBISIAN: February 2020, Term 2, Issue 32
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When crisis planning becomes more than a paper exercise Street protests followed by the coronavirus outbreak have given this Hong Kong headteacher a lesson in crisis planning By Mark Steed 15 February 2020
Before I moved abroad, my knowledge of crisis management was restricted to what I now realise was some very limited paper exercise contingency planning, and every other year making decisions on whether or not to cancel school for a "snow day’" We had a very impressive risk register and an extensive business continuity plan but, in truth, never really expected to have to use either in anger. In short, there was nothing to prepare me for running an international school in a time of crisis. Fast-forward to my first six months in post as principal and CEO of Kellett, the British International School in Hong Kong. The first term was dominated by the antigovernment protests and now we face the challenge of mapping our response to the 2019-nCov
coronavirus. Fortunately, the location of the two Kellett schools meant the dramatic scenes of protest that were portrayed by the global media were not played out on our doorstep. However, in common with other school leaders across the city, the senior team at Kellett had to make decisions on a daily basis from August to midNovember to ensure the safety of our community travelling to and from school. At Kellett we received regular International SOS security updates, which, when incidents were developing, came through at hourly intervals. These were then discussed – as often as not on our WhatsApp group because they were out-of-hours – and a decision made. Our default was "business-as-usual" and to stay open, but occasionally we had to cancel sports fixtures or after-school activities so that students and staff could get home avoiding excessive travel delays. In November we were required to close by the Hong Kong
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Education Bureau for over a week, which entailed drawing on our extensive plans for "home learning" via our online learning platforms, which are in place in the event of closure in the typhoon season. Crisis management in this context takes on a different complexion: practising a lockdown drill or a school evacuation takes on a greater significance – there’s no “tick box” aspect to the scenario planning here.
The threat of coronavirus Recent weeks have brought the wholly different challenge of managing the 2019-nCov coronavirus. Here, Hong Kong has learned from the bitter experience of dealing with Sars in 2003, and the government has acted to put in place measures to limit exposure to this threat, including the decision to extend the Chinese New Year. This is understandable, but it does present a significant challenge for schools and families alike. The government initially announced
a suspension of two weeks, then four, and this week for six. The false summits are very frustating for the whole community. No school can afford to lose six weeks’ teaching, and this is especially true in the crucial GCSE and A-level years where the next couple of weeks were set aside for mock examinations.
months of supervising home learning whilst battening down the hatches in relatively small accommodation without the usual outlets of school and sports/other clubs is not an attractive one.
Sometimes in the past six months I have thought that I’m in one of those leadership training scenarios where every time you Once again, we will be calling on think that you’ve worked out a our home-learning programmes response and have an agreed with teachers setting and marking consensus on what is the best work through our online platform. thing to do, someone throws in In the senior school, we are another carefully selected piece endeavouring to deliver a normal of information that changes timetable using a combination of everything and prompts further Google classroom, screencasts, review. vodcasts and video-conferenced lessons. Thank goodness for The most difficult aspect of crisis technology. management is uncertainty. In many ways, it is much easier When there is a closure because to plan for a month-long of risk to health, such as the closure than to go from day to coronavirus, the most difficult day responding to a dynamic decisions for school leaders relate situation with no prospect of an to whether to allow staff to work end in sight. It is draining for all from home or to require them to concerned. Ensuring the mental come into work. Levels of anxiety wellbeing of staff and students, not are understandably high even if to mention the senior team, is of the practical risk is low. Remote paramount importance. working can be effective for a few days, but, for a longer suspension, At times like these, networks the question is whether it is are very important for school better to establish a "new normal" leaders. During this time the professional routine in school school principals of British where teachers can collaborate curriculum schools are in regular with colleagues and have access communication comparing notes to the full range of school support and also drawing on support and resources. It is a difficult, if and advice from the British not impossible, call to make. Consulate in Hong Kong. It is also For parents, there is anxiety not comforting to draw strength from only about lack of continuity of school leaders in other countries learning, but also that prolonged who have faced similar challenges, confinement will lead to acute such as colleagues in Bangkok cabin fever. The prospect of six who faced civil unrest in 2011 and
2014. All schools play an important role as a focus for their communities. This is all the more important in the case in international schools where parents and children are dislocated from their family support network, and this is magnified still further when that community is facing a threat. This means that a significant part of managing any crisis in an international school is handing the anxieties and fears of the community. In dealing with the crises in Hong Kong, the senior management team at Kellett has had earnest internal debates as we grapple to make tough decisions in fast-changing, even volatile, circumstances. Decision made, we then agonise over every word we write, conscious that it is important to strike the right tone in our communication to parents in order to carry the community with us. I suspect that we will only know if we have managed to do and say the right thing when it’s firmly in the rear-view mirror, and that may not be for a few months yet. Mark S Steed is the principal and CEO of Kellett School, the British International School in Hong Kong; and previously ran schools in Devon, Hertfordshire and Dubai. He tweets @independenthead
This article is featured in The FOBISIAN with permission from tes.com
THE FOBISIAN: February 2020, Term 2, Issue 32
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Keynotes Edition 50 February 2020
KS 2 Grammar, Punctuation & Spelling test: - six years on
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he GPS test was introduced in 2013 in an attempt to improve grammar and its usage. Advocates of the test (there are some) believe it important that pupils can identify the key features of a sentence and select appropriate punctuation to convey the required meaning - but no one would argue with this. Teachers have always given children discreet exercises as a means of practising specific grammatical points learning when to use ‘to, too and two’ for example, or where to place the apostrophes in possessive adjectives and abbreviations.
subject. “Grammar rules, OK?” Ian Cushing, TES 6th December
The report acknowledges that the GCSE might not be appropriate MFL GCSE grades for all students, so recommends less academic alternatives be fter years of lobbying, Ofqual provided, such as vocational has acknowledged that it is language courses. The report more difficult to achieve good also recognises that one limiting grades in GCSE French and factor is the shortage of language German than in other subjects. As teachers, so recommends that all a consequence, the exam boards MFL subject specialists should be are being instructed to ‘review’ the on the shortage occupation list. grade boundaries and make them Currently, only Mandarin teachers more in line with Spanish, which are included. is perceived as easier. The changes will take effect from this summer. “Learning foreign languages should be
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Where opinions differ, is the requirement for pupils to understand, and use, the vocabulary and terminology associated with written English. Is it really necessary for a ten year to be familiar with “modal verbs”, or to know that an additional explanatory phrase in a sentence, demarcated by commas, is a parenthesis?
Quite apart from the statistical evidence, the numbers of students taking French and German have continued to decline – both have dropped by over 30% since 2014. This is due, at least in part, to the perception of them being more difficult than other subjects. It is hoped that this realignment will encourage more students to study a language.
Teachers dislike the dogmatic nature of the test because it requires them to focus on test strategies and the terminology. It is evident that teachers don’t teach like this out of choice, but because they are compelled to.
There are arguments for the same exercise to be carried out on A-level French and German courses, since students are apt to avoid A-level MFLs because of a perceived unpredictability in the results, particularly where top grades are concerned. “Ofqual
Has introducing the GPS paper improved overall standards of English writing at KS2 and beyond? The government believes it has, but the results are far from convincing. Meanwhile many pupils, lower attainers in particular, glaze over and become yet more disenchanted with English as a
strongly recommends that the study of an MFL should be made compulsory again, up to the age of 16.
to make it easier to get top grades in GCSE French and German” Schoolsweek Nov 5th, 2019 Pippa Allen-Kinross
A report by the Higher Education Policy Institute has noted the decline in the numbers studying a modern foreign language since they were made optional at Key Stage 4, in 2004. The report
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compulsory, says report.” Richard Adams The Guardian, 9th Jan 2020
Importance of oracy Nicky Pear, writing in the TES, makes a case for a greater focus on oracy in schools Ms Pear points out that there is plenty of research to suggest a direct link between oral skills and academic outcomes - the Educational Endowment Foundation states that “oral language interventions consistently show positive impact on learning”. Yet the government’s standardised tests at primary school level only focus on reading comprehension, writing and mathematics. As a consequence, the development of oral skills in the classroom tends to be marginalised. Nicky Pear also notes that employers now prioritise communication skills when
One year on and the children are now talking with more purpose and awareness of their audience, not only within the classroom, but in assemblies and in debates. Their confidence in speaking is growing. At the start of the year 25% of pupils said they lacked confidence in sharing their ideas. This dropped to 5% by the end of the year. Ofsted commented on the children’s impressive spoken language skills. Nicky Pear believes it is too early to say definitively whether the change has led to a significant improvement in educational outcomes, but there are positive signs. “Why children should be seen to be heard" Nicky Pear, TES 3rd January 2020
Books or digital texts. Which are better for learning?
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The digital alternative involves scrolling through quantities of text. The words have no physical location so it is not possible to use spatial factors to aid recall. So, for the purposes of memorising, a physical book has the advantage. However, digital text has numerous benefits. It can be made more “attractive” to engage the reader. Hyperlinks can be inserted to provide breadth and depth to a subject, possibly introducing clips of video footage to illustrate a point. Text size and colours can be altered to suit individuals, something that is particularly useful for SEND pupils. Dr Horvath believes teachers should mix and match; decide on the learning objectives, then choose the medium best suited to the activity. “Are print books better for learning than digital texts?” Dr Jared Cooney Horvath, TES 6th September, 2019
Teacher incentives
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Teachers' pension contributions
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his year, the government increased employer’s contributions from 16.48% of a teacher’s salary to 23.6% (plus a 0.08% “administration fee”). This represents an increase in excess of 40%. The DfE pledged to fund the increase for state schools for this current year – at a cost of £880 million - but independent schools are on their own. As a consequence of the steep increase, approximately 100 independent schools plan to withdraw from the scheme, on the grounds that they can no longer afford it. Some teachers are threatening strike action and the NEU is offering its support. Quite how this will be resolved, remains to be seen.
Teachers' salaries
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he latest OECD education report highlights the variation in salaries between teachers and headteachers across developed nations. It is notable that, in England, the maximum salary for a headteacher is 180% higher than that of a teacher at the top of the upper pay range. This is a significantly bigger differential than any other country in the OECD survey where, on average, heads are paid 52% more than their teachers.
ast October, the DfE announced that newly qualified teachers in Physics, Chemistry and MFL would be offered a financial incentive to remain in the profession. From 2020/21, they will receive a bonus of £1500 each year, for four years. Those willing to work in areas The report also noted that, where there are significant teacher of all the countries surveyed, shortages, will receive rather more. headteachers in England have the highest maximum salary. These cash incentives are in Moreover, the starting salary for addition to the £26,000 bursaries primary teachers in England is some subject teachers receive currently 14% below the OECD during their training. The DfE average and for secondary revealed that approximately 20% teachers, 20% below the OECD of newly qualified teachers eligible average. for bursaries are not working in a state school beyond their first year “The week in stats”. which, in the DfE’s eyes, is a very TES 13th September, 2019 poor return on its investment.
ccording to Dr Jared Cooney Horvath, there are advantages to both. Spatial layout is integral to the memory process, so for long passages or whole texts, the physical nature of a book seems to aid recall. Having read a topic or chapter in a book, pupils will have some idea of whereabouts they can find a particular passage or piece “Teachers are offered extra £6000 to stay” of information. The Times, 5th October, 2019
Excerpts selected from Keynotes by David Rowlands
THE FOBISIAN: February 2020, Term 2, Issue 32
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keynotes
interviewing candidates. Ms Pear’s school, Cubitt Town Junior School, has been (and still is) successful in terms of SATS results, but the children were passive in class, being reticent to answer questions or engage in discussions. So the school set out to modify its teaching to encourage constructive dialogue – not just within the classroom, but in the wider school environment. All lessons now included an oracy outcome and sometimes only an oracy outcome. Ms Pear points out that teachers required considerable support (dedicated staff meetings, INSET, assistance with planning etc) to bring about this significant change.
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2020
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