THE FOBISIAN (Term 2, Issue 23, February 2017)

February 2017 Term 2, Issue 23 www.fobisia.org

Inside this Issue: Leadership Conference Update Sports Roundup Arts Roundup

FOBISIA Executive Committee Simon Watson,

Chair simonwatson@ktj.edu.my

Stephen Holroyd,

Graeme Salt,

Barnaby Sandow,

John Moore,

Michael Farley,

Kathy Wood,

Secretary smh@shrewsbury.ac.th

Sports Heads’ Liaison barnaby.sandow@jis.edu.bn

CPD Heads’ Liaison m_farley@harrowschool.ac.th

Treasurer graeme.salt@dulwich-seoul.kr

Events Heads’ Liaison john@tbs.edu.np

Pastoral Heads’ Liaison head.hornbill@sceschools.org

FOBISIA HQ Tania Donoghue,

Siobhan Bland,

Daphne Wong,

Katrina George,

Executive Officer tania.donoghue@fobisia.org

CPD Coordinator daphne.wong@fobisia.org

Senior Administrator siobhan.bland@fobisia.org

Events Coordinator katrina.george@fobisia.org

39/4 Todsamon Clubhouse Building, M Fl, Soi Lasalle 39/1, Sukhumvit 105, Bangna, Bangkok, 10260, Thailand

1

THE FOBISIAN

February 2017, Term 2, Issue 23

Inside this issue...

3 4 5 8 9

Welcome from the Chair

12 13

Student Leadership Conference in Penang

Executive Officer’s Update Bursars’ & Business Managers’ Conference Leadership Conference Update British International School Initiative of the Year

Find us on social media

www.fobisia.org

FOBISIA

@FOBISIA1

#FOBISIA

Shrewsbury Hosts Heads of PE (HoPE) Conference

Publications

14 15 17 19

Under 15 Friendly Games in Bangkok

Membership Handook

22 23 25 26 27

Small Steps Towards Big Changes in Antarctica

THE FOBISIAN CPD Update

Under 15 Friendly Games in Beijing

CPD Handbook

Under 15 Friendly Games in Manila

Music Handbook

It's More Fun in the Philippines: A Student's Perspective

Tennis Invitational at Harrow Bangkok

Friendly Games Handbook Primary Maths Handbook Secondary Maths Handbook

8

Orchestral Festival in Hong Kong Harrow Bangkok Students' Musical Adventure

Harrow Bangkok Students Explore the 'Fibonacci Sequence'

15

28 Institute of Directors (I0D) Training

THE FOBISIAN

February 2017, Term 2, Issue 23

2

Welcome from the Chair Dear Colleagues, It is pleasure to welcome you to this edition of THE FOBISIAN. I hope the new school term has started well for all of you and that the promises of the future still hold your interest and excitement.

As some of you may know, the Heads of School agreed some time ago to undertake a ‘roots-and-branch’ review of FOBISIA, to ensure we continue to offer the best service to schools as the Federation continues to grow. This is in process and three candidates have been shortlisted for this role. By the time you are reading this edition, I expect one of them will have been appointed.

I am most appreciative of the support and dedication from the many contributors to FOBISIA. This is especially true of the people working on the new format of The Games as the wrinkles and creases are ironed out of the metaphorical playing field.

There will be a pilot of three competitions taking place this academic year at the venue in Phuket, with all games competitions taking place in Phuket from September 2017.

The initial contract with Sports Camp Australia will be for two years.

Since our last edition of THE FOBISIAN, we welcome to FOBISIA the schools Sri KDU and Prince of Wales Island International School in Malaysia, and British Vietnamese International School, Hanoi, and who are all very keen to participate fully in the organisation. Other schools are being visited with the aim to join the organisation soon. New affiliates include 2Simple, AFL Sports Berhad, Andy Barrow, Craig Barton, Educare Learning Ltd, Gapforce, Harlequin Floors Plc, Hart Sport, IINIZIO International Education Consultants, Interactive Schools, Life-Un Ltd, Mallory International, RSAcademics, S&B UK, Scottish Opera, Texthelp, and Unifrog Education Ltd. Congratulations to Tania Donoghue, the Executive Officer, who recently completed the Directorship Certificate Programme with the Thai Institute of Directors. No small feat under normal circumstances, but one of her major assignments was due for submission during the Leadership Conference in Bangkok in 2016, where she artfully demonstrated how to juggle complex governance questions while managing over 200 delegates!

Finally, I would like to thank my predecessor, Mr Gary Benfield, for his continued dedication to FOBISIA and for the time he has shared with me since I took over as Chair; he has been both supportive and encouraging, and has enabled me to quickly get up to speed.

With best wishes, Simon Watson FOBISIA Chair - 2016 to present Principal, Kolej Tuanku Ja’afar

3

THE FOBISIAN

February 2017, Term 2, Issue 23

Executive Officer’s Update Dear Members, Welcome to the Term 2 edition of THE FOBISIAN. As is customary for my updates, here is a quick summary of the events that have taken place since the beginning of the academic year.

There have been 15 Job Alike Workshops (JAWS) for our teachers, as well as the Bursar’s & Business Managers' Conference. All of the U15 Friendly Games have taken place. There has been an online maths challenge and a language competition. Several sporting invitational competitions have also taken place, these being FOBISIA Tennis at Harrow International School Bangkok, FOBISIA Swimming at the International School of Brunei, as well as FOBISIA Gymnastics, jointly hosted by British School Manila and Harrow International School Bangkok. There have been two successful music events and currently underway are the FOBISIA Short Story Competition, DT Competition and the Online Music Video collaboration.

In between all of these events was the Annual FOBISIA Leadership Conference. There will be more on this inside the issue.

As always, a huge thank you to the schools for taking on the logistical challenges of hosting our FOBISIA events. All of the feedback for the events held between September 2016 and now have been incredibly positive. Well done to all of our participants too, the high standards of sharing best practice, skills, friendship and sportsmanship prevail. You can see the experiences shared by students and teachers alike on the FOBISIA website – www.fobisia.org.

FOBISIA’s social media links continue to gain in popularity. Please like our Facebook page and enjoy photos and more on our wonderful FOBISIA events. We now have 1,228 followers on Twitter; it is a great medium for receiving a quick snapshot of FOBISIA’s activities.

We are currently working towards the Calendar of Events for next academic year, and bids are open for CPD, and many other events. If you have any questions, please contact FOBISIA HQ. In addition to the articles here in THE FOBISIAN, please keep up to date on the latest news and receive real-time updates on Twitter (#FOBISIA), message (@FOBISIA1) and like our Facebook page (Fobisia).

The biennial Teachers' Conference will be jointly hosted by the British Vietnamese International School Ho Chi Minh City as host and the British International School Hanoi assisting. The last Teachers' Conference was a great success and this one is already shaping up to be one not to miss! Please see details on the flyer in this issue of THE FOBISIAN. Very best wishes for the rest of Term 2, Tania Donoghue FOBISIA Executive Officer

THE FOBISIAN

February 2017, Term 2, Issue 23

4

Bursars’ & Business Managers’ Conference

By Leona Voon, Operations Manager, International School Brunei International School Brunei, long-standing member of FOBISIA, took great pride in hosting FOBISIA's 9th Annual Bursars' and Business Managers' Conference at their new campus between 26 and 28 October.

The tone of the conference was set at the opening dinner when International School Brunei’s Deputy Board Director, Mr Nick King, outlined the importance of Business Managers and associated roles in comprising the administrative back-bone of international school operations. He expressed a specific hope that the coming together of so many specialists from international schools in Asia promotes an air of openness and cooperation, enriching each delegate’s skillset and knowledgebase. International schools can help each other to showcase best practice in the myriad of operational processes associated with such complex and diverse organisations.

5

Over the three days, there was a wide range of issues discussed and debated in the open-forum round-table sessions. Each topic was introduced by a presentation on the strengths and weaknesses of their school’s own strategy in the topic areas of interest, requested in advance by the delegates.

The eight management issues tabled over the twoday conference were: Finance, Human Resources, Admissions and Marketing, ICT, Health and Safety, Facilities, Boarding, and Community Engagement.

There was also a special presentation on School Security and Crisis Management by Mr Lonny Muller, Regional Security Officer from the US Embassy in Brunei. He emphasised that good communication, planning and practice were the best ways to prepare for a crisis and concluded with a briefing on current trends in international school safety.

THE FOBISIAN

Volume 1, Issue 2

As well as the work involved with the conference, delegates were also encouraged to relax. Highlights included a visit to the Empire Hotel, one of the world’s most expensive hotels, and a trip down the Brunei River to see the rare Proboscis Monkey and the water village that was the first human habitation in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei’s capital city.

We look forward to new learning opportunities from the next FOBISIA school to host the 10th Bursars' and Business Managers' Conference in 2017!

THE FOBISIAN

Volume 1, Issue 2

6

Leadership Conference Update

By Michael Farley, FOBISIA Vice-Chair & CPD Heads' Liaison With the Christmas and Gregorian and Chinese New Year holidays well and truly behind us and our member schools fully immersed in Term 2, the 2016 Leadership Conference - FOBISIA Cares - held at the InterContinental Bangkok Hotel, already seems but a distant memory.

and Senior Leaders, and we are in talks with a range of presenters to ensure a mouth-watering range of topics are on offer again within an innovative programme format that provides for professional and personal growth, plus plenty of networking and Exhibitor access.

Feedback from conference delegates was extremely positive, despite the recent passing of His Majesty the King of Thailand and the fact that FOBISIA HQ was hosting for the first time. Exhibitors were generally pleased, though would like a little more exposure to potential clients in future conferences – something that can be improved upon next year.

Overall, we are pleased to conclude that FOBISIA's first conference to be brought 'in house' was an overwhelming success. The calibre of speakers and range of topics appealed to Heads and Senior Leaders alike. ​

We will keep you posted as the 2017 Health, Wealth & Self Conference Programme comes together over the coming months.

FOBISIA wishes to thank all of the wonderful presenters, David Begbie and the Crossroads team, Ben Walden, Tim Gerrish, Jonathan Taylor, David Weatherly and Adrian Ingham. Our Sponsors and Affiliate Members also provided some excellent workshops and we thank them for their contributions.

We also very much appreciate our fabulous Sponsors for the FOBISIA Cares Conference 2016: Platinum - Furnware; Gold - iSams and BridgeU; Silver - Cambridge International Examinations, Double First, Education Development Trust, Fieldwork Education, GL Education and Perrett Laver; Bronze - Interactive Schools, Planet eStream, TA College, TeachAnywhere and TIC Recruitment.

Planning is already under way for FOBISIA's 2017 Leadership Conference ​, to be held at the Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur Hotel in Malaysia. With the theme for this year's conference being Health, Wealth & Self, we're anticipating more groundbreaking professional development for our Heads

THE FOBISIAN

February 2017, Term 2, Issue 23

8

British International School Initiative of the Year

By Nancy Khetan, Marketing & Events Management Officer, The British School Kathmandu

"We cannot speak highly enough of all those who came together ... [including] colleagues in the Federation of British International Schools in Asia ..."

The British School Kathmandu has won the prestigious UK Times Educational Supplement (TES) ‘British International School Initiative of the Year’ Award - the only category open to international schools at the 2016 Independent School Awards.

The British School Kathmandu was established in 1966 to seek to develop healthy and happy, wellrounded individuals who are confident, thoughtful, and adaptable, able to embrace and influence an ever-changing world. TES is the preeminent weekly newspaper in the UK focussing on school-related news and features. This award complements The British School Kathmandu's excellence from the British school regulator Ofsted, and as quoted in the 2016 report - "The British School Kathmandu is an excellent school, it provides an outstanding quality of education and demonstrates an exceptional flexibility in meeting the learning and personal needs of its students."

"The school used long-standing relationships forged through a student-led development initiative to make a significant contribution in the aftermath of the April 2015 Nepal earthquake," says the TES website. "It reopened after just two days, providing a safe haven for students. The school also offered its hall as a base for Médecins Sans Frontières, it took in children from other international schools, and its grounds were used as a campsite for those without homes. Teachers expanded their timetables to cover for absent colleagues and taught outside in temporary classrooms."

"Public exams took place as normal. There was, however, a feeling that more could be done.

Each of three primary schools with which the

9

school partners had been severely damaged, one destroyed completely. The British School, Kathmandu raised £350,000 in a few months, and a year later all have been rebuilt. Despite serving the poorest communities, the partner schools have started their new academic year with some of the finest and safest facilities in the country."

John Moore, Principal at The British School Kathmandu since 2013, praised the support the school received from other organisations during the crisis. “We cannot speak highly enough of all those who came together to support the school ranging from the British agencies such as the Embassy and the British Gurkhas Nepal, to colleagues in the Federation of British International Schools in Asia (FOBISIA) or the Council of British International Schools (COBIS). When it came to rebuilding the Dhading schools we must thank the government of Nepal, the Ministry of Education and the Department of Education Sanothimi alongside the District Education Office Dhading for everything they did to support the children and young people in working so collaboratively on the five projects we have completed so far. It has been a genuine team effort reflective of the strength of the BritainNepal relationship”.

Chris Decker, Board of Governors Chair at The British School Kathmandu since 2016 said “Winning [this] is a great achievement for [the school]. It is wonderful to see the school recognized for its work in the community and reflects the school’s, and in particular the dedicated staff and students', commitment to the wider community in Nepal”.

THE FOBISIAN

February 2017, Term 2, Issue 23

THE FOBISIAN

February 2017, Term 2, Issue 23

10

Be a part of the second FOBISIA Teachers’ Conference in Asia excellent CPD & networking opportunities a great opportunity to visit Vietnam held at The British Vietnamese International School, HCMC

Key No Sp rs

BEN WALDEN - Ben is the founder and Artistic Director of Contender Charlie. His work with staff and students has received major acclaim around the world. He is an actor and presenter who has played a number of leading roles on television as well as at the Shakespeare’s Globe.

JONATHAN TAYLOR - Jonathan worked as a Covert Internet Investigator, within the Metropolitan

Police Child Abuse Investigation Command. He became the lead covert internet investigator within the UK as regards online activity. Jonathan continues to research and study online dangers to children whilst using the Internet and Apps on devices from the Mobile Phone to the Tablet, to the IPad. Jonathan also works as an Independent Child Safeguarding expert specialising in E-Safety.

Cо rence ta s: Total conference fee = US$240 Welcome cocktail reception on the Friday evening Full conference including coffee, snacks and lunch on both days Local transport costs from the recommended hotels A vespa tour of HCMC including drinks and food on the Saturday evening

11

FINAL REGISTRATION DATE TO JOIN THE CONFERENCE is

May 31st 2017

THE FOBISIAN Februarydocuments 2017, Term 2, Issue 23 email To receive further information and registration please

teacherconference@bvisvietnam.com

Student Leadership Conference in Penang

By Esha, Head Prefect, elc International School The ambience of the conference room increased my excitement to be at The International School of Penang (Uplands) with my two team members, Yelin and Sue. The keynote address put into perspective just how helpful prefectship is in helping to develop leadership skills. The icebreaker activity took away the awkwardness between the students and allowed for many fun conversations in a relatively short time. The quote that resonated with me from the workshop by two representatives from the Australian Army most was "the standard you walk past is the standard you accept". I now believe that I definitely will be making an effort to be more conscious about this. The second workshop, which revealed our top strengths surprised and pleased me as I had always regarded myself as quite humorous and optimistic, but I had never really

considered those as real strengths of mine. I was a little nervous when I had to present for my group, but that experience reaffirmed what I thought was another strength of mine, which is speaking in public.

The second day pushed us to challenge our open mindedness by placing us in hypothetical controversial current events. I found working with Prefects from different schools challenging but interesting, as it was sometimes hard to relate to their problems and thus give constructive feedback.

Overall, I came away from the conference having learned new leadership techniques and ideas, all of which I am very grateful for and some excited to put into practice.

THE FOBISIAN

February 2017, Term 2, Issue 23

12

Shrewsbury Hosts Heads of PE (HoPE) Conference

By Will Davies-Jenkins, Associate Director, Marketing & Communications, Shrewsbury International Schoool The FOBISIA Heads of PE (HoPE) Conference took place on 16-17 September here at Shrewsbury International School Bangkok. Seventy-one delegates came from all across the FOBISIA network including Singapore, Jakarta and Kathmandu.

The two days were a great success, and facilitated important discussions regarding FOBISIA’s competitive sports schedule, especially the future format of FOBISIA games competitions.

As part of the conference, Shrewsbury staff also led an extensive series of Continued Professional Development (CPD) workshops and courses focusing on themes such as performance, technology in sport, and for the first time at Shrewsbury, the National Pool Lifeguard Qualification (NPLQ) Trainer Assessor course, where there were 9 successful delegates. Alongside the conference itself, this was an important opportunity to raise awareness of safety and standards in swimming pools across the FOBISIA network; an area which Shrewsbury is committed to being at the very forefront of best practice.

Conference keynote speaker and paralympic star Andy Barrow's speech was just one element in a

13

busy week for Andy at Shrewsbury, in which he also delivered assemblies about nutrition for students throughout the school, several Q&A sessions, and led “Reading the World” classes. Student leaders and PE classes also got to experience what life is like in a wheelchair—both the difficulties getting around everyday obstacles, and the enjoyment of wheelchair sports such as wheelchair basketball, and Andy’s own specialism, wheelchair rugby.

Thanks to all of Shrewsbury’s staff and coaches who represented the school so well at at the conference and training sessions. We were very grateful to them and the excellent feedback received from attendees, and to Andy Barrow.

Andy Barrow Paralympian & Inspirational Speaker E: andy@andybarrow.co.uk W: www.andybarrow.co.uk Facebook: andybarrow2012 Twitter: @AndyBarrow2012

THE FOBISIAN

Volume 1, Issue 2

Under 15 Friendly Games in Bangkok

By Matthew Hammonds, Head of PE, The International School@ParkCity The International School@ParkCity, Malaysia, attended their first ever FOBISIA Games this academic year - Under 15 (U15) Games Conference B, Blue group. The games were hosted in Bangkok between 10 and 14 November 2016 by Traill International School. They were able to secure excellent venues to set the stage for the long anticipated competition including the Rajamangala National Stadium. There were five schools competing for the title, including Dulwich College Suzhou, Seoul Foreign British School, elc International School, The International School@ParkCity and Traill International School.

The games were a great introduction to the spirit of FOBISIA by providing a fantastic opportunity for students to broaden their sporting experiences.

Competing against and making friends with other students from across the Asia region allowed the chance to experience learning in new and unfamiliar contexts whilst raising awareness of cultural diversity. Since returning it has beenbecome clear that the tour gave the students an alluring target that has boosted motivation for future sporting events.

Following the sad loss of Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the opening ceremony was low key and the competitors wore a black ribbon on their sleeves as a sign of respect. On the first day students take part in athletics where competitors were trying their best to run faster, jump higher and throw further than their opponents. The day was full of great performances, even in the hot sun, with some very impressive times and distances recorded. Particular mention must go to elc International School for sweeping up the field events in spectacular fashion. Following lunch, schools transferred to the swimming pool close to the stadium for a full programme of races. Although students had been

competing in the morning they were still able to raise their game and produce some very spirited performances with some very close finishes.

By Eduardo De Luna, Head of PE, elc International School Athletes. Participants. Competitors. Ambassadors.

The Friendly Games experience offers an exciting blend of sports and skills. Having trained a team of committed and focused students who wanted to do well at the Games, I was impressed by their hard work, sense of responsibility and the sacrifices made. We went to Bangkok all set to conquer the world.

Upon our arrival, hosts Traill International School welcomed us warmly with a lovely dinner. We certainly enjoyed the range of dishes offered at mealtimes at the hotel, but more importantly the food fuelled us up for the various events to come.

Our team enjoyed the camaraderie and good sportsmanship displayed from the very start of the Games. We were delighted by the many medals won in different events, and were pronounced champions in athletics (boys and girls) and in swimming (boys).

Most importantly we took away valuable lessons of what it means to participate in the FOBISIA Games!

We left Bangkok with the feeling that we had not only won medals, but also friends with whom we will continue to keep in touch.

Many thanks to Traill International School for hosting the Friendly Games and making us feel part of a family.

THE FOBISIAN

February 2017, Term 2, Issue 23

14

Under 15 Friendly Games in Beijing

By Travis Washko, Director of Sport & PE, The British School of Beijing, Shunyi The British School of Beijing, Shunyi recently hosted the 2016 Under 15 (U15) B Red FOBISIA Games which were held from 9 to 11 November.

In addition to The British School of Beijing, Shunyi, the participating FOBISIA schools were The British School of Guangzhou and Kolej Tuanku Ja' afar.

Rounding out this year’s attending schools for the Games was also local Beijing school, Yew Chung International School of Beijing. The last time The British School of Beijing, Shunyi hosted a FOBISIA Games was at the Primary level back in May 2012, making it the first time the school has hosted the U15 Games. They are also scheduled to host the U13 Games between 22 and 24 March 2017.

The annual U15 FOBISIA Games consist of four sports played over three days, with swimming taking place in the morning of 9 November, followed by athletics in the afternoon. Football was played on 10 November, with basketball on 11 November. The closing Gala Dinner was held in the evening on the last day.

Though the Games did not feature the usual six teams, what a time was had by all, with some very balanced results for all sports played.

A special thank you goes out to all the attending schools for making the U15 Games a memorable event. It was a pleasure to host the games and we look forward to the upcoming U13 Games.

Swimming (Boys/Girls) 1st Place - The British School of Beijing, Shunyi 2nd Place - The British School of Guangzhou 3rd Place - Kolej Tuanku Ja Afar Athletics (Boys/Girls) 1st Place - The British School of Beijing, Shunyi 2nd Place - The British School of Guangzhou 3rd Place - Kolej Tuanku Ja Afar Football (Boys) 1st Place - The British School of Beijing, Shunyi 2nd Place - The British School of Guangzhou 3rd Place - Yew Chung International School of Beijing Football (Girls) 1st Place - The British School of Beijing, Shunyi 2nd Place - The British School of Guangzhou 3rd Place - Kolej Tuanku Ja Afar Basketball (Boys) 1st Place - Kolej Tuanku Ja Afar 2nd Place - The British School of Beijing, Shunyi 3rd Place - Yew Chung International School of Beijing Basketball (Girls) 1st Place-The British School of Beijing, Shunyi 2nd Place-The British School of Guangzhou 3rd Place-Yew Chung International School of Beijing

15

THE FOBISIAN

February 2017, Term 2, Issue 23

THE FOBISIAN

February 2017, Term 2, Issue 23

16

Under 15s Friendly Games in Manila

By Lewis Keens, Sports Director, British School Manila On Wednesday 9 November, British School Manila came alive with the launch of the scintillating Under 15 (U15) A FOBISIA Games. It really reminded us why we work so hard and come together as a community to host these events. It was wonderful to see the visiting schools have such a positive experience.

We welcomed Garden International School, Jerudong International School, The Alice Smith School, Kellett School, Nord Anglia International School Shanghai, Pudong and Taipei European School to The Philippines.

It was great to see the numbers of students out during break and lunchtime supporting our teams and watching our Year 9 and 10 students compete.

For us one of the most important aspects of the Games is the role-modeling that our older students provide to the current and potential sports-men and -women across the school. We strongly encourage and value our students getting involved in activities and sports and we have no doubt that our younger students experiencing these events first-hand helps motivate them to get involved.

This may be the last time we host the FOBISIA Games as they will be hosted from a single location from next academic year. We are very proud that we as a school have been involved in both the very first sporting event held between FOBISIA schools, a swimming and athletics event with Bangkok Patana School back in 1992, and now the last round of these events. It seems very fitting for our 40th year as a school.

Our team did a wonderful job organising and hosting the U15 Games. Every aspect of the Games, from welcoming the visiting families and schools to the actual events, can be credited to the hardworking members of our community. We made the ‘Friendly Games’ a real focus of our hosting and

17

the atmosphere lived up to expectations from the moment the students arrived. The feedback from the visiting schools and families was overwhelmingly positive and the way we worked as a community made us very proud.

This year we were entered into a stronger group than previous years including Garden International School and The Alice Smith School. It is fair to say, our teams were somewhat nervous about their prospects. They need not have been, as the hard work and training that they put in over the past few months saw all teams place in all competitions.

The level of performance in all sports was high, an indication of this was a great performance in the boys high jump event, eventually the winning reached 1.83m. So many medals came down to the longest reach for the wall in swimming, the dive for the line on the track and goals scored or conceded in the last few seconds of the very last game in basketball and football!

The message shared with all participants during the Gala Dinner was that ‘success, or lack of it, does not define you as an individual’. The colour of the medal isn’t the important detail, what is important and does define athletes is a willingness to work hard through every step of the journey, and taking the time to reflect and be ready to go again.

The three days were a truly memorable experience for all and a wonderful way to demonstrate the friendly and supportive atmosphere within our school community.

The full results, photos and videos from the U15 FOBISIA Games are at: https://sites.google.com/a/britishschoolmanila.org/ u15-fobisia-games/results https://sites.google.com/a/britishschoolmanila.org/ u15-fobisia-games/photovideo

THE FOBISIAN

February 2017, Term 2, Issue 23

THE FOBISIAN

February 2017, Term 2, Issue 23

18

It’s More Fun in the Philippines: A Student's Perspective

By Brian, Year 10 student, Garden International School A four-hour flight later and the Garden International School contingent for the 2016 Under 15 (U15) FOBISIA Games made it. Manila, Philippines was a first for many FOBISIANs, but we were definitely welcomed in style.

After about fifteen minutes of standing in about six different immigration lanes, the authorities at the NAIA Airport thought it would be a good test of our fitness to send a large contingent of our group into a cell to ensure we weren't being brought into Manila by human traffickers.

When we finally made it out of the airport and were loaded onto the bus, there were mixed feelings of excitement and fatigue lingering in the air. As the bus made its way into the city, the mood of every single person was lifted by the pure shock and incredulity of how photogenic and picturesque the city of Manila really was. It was about five in the evening and the sun was beginning to set, the streetlights kept the city alive and the bustling cars and people really imbued a sense of almost being in New York. It is things like this that makes an event like the FOBISIA Games so great. It isn’t just about competing in sports but also the experience that comes with it and is like no other; one that undoubtedly needs to be cherished for life.

After a collective spark of energy and burst of exuberance, we managed to check into the hotel and make our way to our rooms. The surprises kept coming, as when myself and Ms Johnson first took a look into my room, we didn’t expect it to be as big as it was, and thought that there was mirror just making it seem so.

It is obviously customary that athletes require a healthy diet especially before a major competition.

Thus, the GIS Dragons Squad made it across the

19

street to Pizza Hut that night. After demolishing about twenty pizzas of varying sizes and other side dishes, it left us wondering if our 'inner Dragon' would fly the next day.

Well I can safely say that it certainly could. This was quite literal as one of the highlights from the athletics came from our human reincarnation of a pogo-stick, Harun, who jumped over 183cm, clinching gold. To put that into perspective, he can basically jump over anyone in our team. Whilst Harun was busy jumping, we had Christopher having the time of his life on the track, cruising through the 400m and narrowly missing another first in the 200m. Alongside him was Maya, who not only came second in the 100m, but was part of the girls' relay team which came first and not only did they smash their previous personal best, but their opponents' as well. There were also high expectations for Nikita in the 200m and they were duly met as she managed to get her hands on the silver medal with a time of 28 seconds. Overall, after a hot and competitive start to the day the Dragons finished third in the athletics.

For some, their first day came to a close with the wrap up of the athletics, whilst for others the swimming was about to begin, as was their day. This was apparent for our Sri Lankan national swimmer, Revan, who although already placed third in the 1500m was thirsty for more in the pool. He fired up the GIS stand by coming from behind to snatch the gold medal in the 200m invididual medley.

And then he went on to win again in the 100m breaststroke and earned second place in the 50m breastroke. We also had Joshua and Rapheal who played a pivotal role in the boys coming first in the swimming. For the girls, Toni, Jasmine and Carlotta led the girls side of things with massive races and an obscene amount personal bests being broken. With the likes of Adira and Merrisa being added to swim

THE FOBISIAN

February 2017, Term 2, Issue 23

as well, the girls finished fourth. The collected scores concluded with Garden International School yet again finishing third in the swimming.

Day two arose which meant that the boys were on football duties. Our team consisted of Harun between the sticks, Christopher and Milan, now collectively referred to as 'the Twin Towers' in defence, Jun and Jiang, on either wing, myself holding down the midfield, and Ali, aka 'Super Strika' terrorizing the defence. Mr Collins who took over from Mr Bygroves, had quality options on the bench, ranging from a more sophisticated pair of defenders if he wished in Viktor and Yan. He also had Enrique who could come on in midfield if needed and Raphael who is a good winger if he remembers that he’s not in a rugby match. After managing to salvage a 1-1 draw in our opening match against hosts, British School Manila, we moved on to our next game against The Alice Smith School in the hope of improving our performance.

Two early goals gave us a 2-1 win over our local rivals and a much-needed confidence boost. This proved true as we won our next three games 4-0, 5-0, and 4-1 against Taipei European School, Jerudong International School and Kellett School, respectively. This left us with our final game, one that could confirm a place in the top two. Our game against Nord Anglia International School Shanghai, Pudong was slow and both teams lacked the energy that they had at the start of the day. However, I kid you not, in the dying seconds of the game a strike from all the way in defence from Yan saw the ball bounce right in front of the keeper and between his legs, ending the game 1-0 to us. A draw between British School Manilla and The Alice Smith School meant that we held our position as the reigning U15 Boys Football Champions for a second year running!

The girls faced a well-trained Kellett School team in their opening match, and unfortunately lost 17-6. Straight after a tough start, the girls were tasked with playing Nord Anglia International School Shanghai, Pudong, but lost again. However they felt momentum beginning to build with an increase in confidence and strring decisions. The girls made their first breakthrough with a 9-9 draw against the evenly matched British School

Manilla Ballers. Unfortunately the girls were due to play a very loud and physical Taipei European School team next. With both teams having played solid defence, it was hapless for the girls to walk out with a 10-5 loss. In the opinion of Qadira, this game was where the girls really started to express their true basketball potential. Bearing in mind that the British School Manilla girls would go on to win the tournament, our girls played fantastically well, keeping the amount of shots taken low and the scoreline tight, right up to the end where they unfortunately lost 14-6. This newly found confidence helped the girls reach another achievement in their final game against The Alice Smith School, where they managed to put double-digits on the board.

However, they lost to the tough The Alice Smith School team 26-13. Ultimately, it didn’t matter where the girls ended up, because anyone’s biggest opponent is always themselves and it was evident that there were massive amounts of progress and improvement that had been made over the course of the tournament. This is most notable with Merisa as she managed to not pick up as many fouls as the girls expected.

Day three has finally dawned and there was a sense of nostalgia for the Year 10s, as this was their last FOBISIA Games. All that had to be put aside was, as there was a job still to be done. The boys were lucky in the sense that we had basketballers who had patiently waited until the last day to get their piece of the action. This included the likes of Siddarth, Yi, Chan, Seung and Charles. However, the basketball team would be completed with Ali, Harun, Yan, Jun, Enrique and myself. The boys got off to a bright start with a 33-14 win over Kellett School, with dangerous drives from Yi and Seung, as well as some vital buckets from inside the paint by Harun. Our run of good form continued with a game straight after against Nord Anglia International School Shanghai, Pudong, where the power moves from Chan and efficient rebounding from Charles led us to a 34-3 win. Hoping to go into lunch with a three-game winning streak, nifty handling from Yan and Yi's experience on the court led the boys to a massive win over Jerudong (no clue what the score was).

We knew our hardest game was to come against Taipei European School, this was after they tried

THE FOBISIAN

February 2017, Term 2, Issue 23

20

setting screens in football the day before. After a hard-fought game, our boys were unfortunate to lose 43-23. Despite this and with a point to prove, we went in against the hosts looking for nothing short of a win. With circus shots from Ali and determined drives from Seung a nail-biting 14-12 win was had over the hosts. Our final game couldn’t have been more fitting, but against The Alice Smith School.

With the drive that it was our last ever participation in the FOBISIA Games, bossing plays from Siddarth at centre and overall fantastic team cohesion led to a 16-10 win and a solid second place.

The girls had a rough start to the day with competitive games against both our hosts and The Alice Smith School and losing both the games 1-0.

To prove how well the girls played, when asked to describe how the goals were conceded, team captain Ashley commented "we were playing so well, but some girl came out of nowhere and scored".

However, things took a turn for the better with two wins over Taipei and Manilla to counteract the losses. With goals that were hammered in from Gaya and Kristina, and great positioning from Maya, led to a 2-0 and 2-1 wins. The fatigue was really starting to the hit the girls and after a hard-fought match, it was an unjust scoreline against Kellett at 0-0. The day unfortunately ended in similar fashion to the way it started with a 3-0 loss agaisnt Nord Anglia International School Shanghai, Pudong. There were fantastic performances from the girls which included the magical feet and vision of Qadira and the fierce and brave defending from Kunda. Qadira

21

also had something to say about Merrisa when it came to her goal keeping and how she managed to save them from 'conceding 948,399,229 more goals' than they actually did. The girls managed to come away with a fifth place and a very proud Mr Collins.

With that, the FOBISIA Games came to a close.

Three competitive, gruelling and emotional days of physical activities...done. I remembered on the day we arrived we were given a 'goodie bag' and inside contained a shirt that read ‘It’s more fun in the Philippines’. Nobody gave it much thought at first, but as the myriad of unforgettable experiences, friendships and memories began to develop, it made us take a step back from reality to appreciate, revere and be mindful towards an indescribable opportunity which no one can really describe but only feel. Part of this has to do with the brilliant organisation from the host team and how efficient and fluent the three days went. I have never felt more safe in a city with as high a crime rate as Manila. The food was genuinely restaurant quality and sometimes better than what I get served at home (please don’t kill me mom <3) and the staff at hand were so helpful and kind.

On behalf of the whole FOBISIA team, we would like to say a massive thank you to all the staff from our school for supporting us, waking up at early hours and leaving late after school to train us, and keep us in check throughout the whole trip.

THE FOBISIAN

Volume 1, Issue 2

Small Steps Towards Big Changes in Antarctica

By Rebecca Meadows, Communications Coordinator, Bangkok Patana School

"...Head of School, Matt Mills, first heard Robert Swan speak at the FOBISIA Heads Conference in 2015, in Singapore. Mr Mills was so inspired by his speech that he knew Robert Swan had to come to Bangkok Patana".

It’s thirty degrees outside and the sun is shining, but as you walk through Bangkok Patana School you can’t help but feel a slight chill as you pass the many penguins, icebergs and snowy scenes adorning every display. You also can’t help but notice the buzz rippling through the campus as March 2017 approaches, the month that two members of this community are venturing off to Antarctica to accompany polar explorer, Robert Swan, in his 2041 mission.

Our Head of School, Matt Mills, first heard Robert Swan speak at the FOBISIA Leadership Conference in 2015, in Singapore. Mr Mills was so inspired by his speech that he knew Robert Swan had to come to Bangkok Patana.

For those unfamiliar with 2041, this is the year that the treaty that protects the last great wilderness on earth, Antarctica, expires leaving it vulnerable to exploitation. Robert Swan, the first man to walk to both poles unassisted, has dedicated his adult life to raising awareness of this plight and the terrible effect climate change is having on Antarctica whilst inspiring people to consider the small impact that they have on this faraway continent.

do your 1% – Bangkok Patana 2041 is our 1%".

And lastly, as Swan said, “If Antarctica continues to melt, we will swim.” And here in Bangkok we would be some of the first, making the Antarctic’s problem, our problem.

Our Antarctica expedition representatives, Rebecca, a Year 10 student, and Helen Thew, Assistant Secondary Principal, want to be the pebbles that start the ripples. They want to inspire and engage us with their journey and educate us about what they learn on it. Judging by the children queuing to have their photograph taken with the giant papier mache penguins in the library or the students spending their break time making their ‘penguin pledges’, the ripple has begun, we just need to ensure it turns into a wave.

For more information, please visit: www.bangkokpatana2041.com

Bangkok Patana School has joined Robert’s mission for a number of reasons. Firstly, as an already environmentally conscious school with students dedicated to taking small steps towards positive change, taking on such a gargantuan adventure felt natural. We pride ourselves on creating responsible global citizens, this project simply emphasises the global. Robert told us when he visited in October 2016 that “you can’t all do everything, but you can

THE FOBISIAN

February 2017, Term 2, Issue 23

22

Tennis Invitational at Harrow Bangkok

By Kate Richards, Head of Tennis, Harrow International School Bangkok Harrow International School Bangkok were proud hosts of the FOBISIA Tennis Invitational 2016, with the support of Bangkok Patana School, who contributed greatly towards the running of this competition.

Two hundred and seventy players from 17 schools competed, with six different singles tournaments running at the same time – Under 11 (U11) Boys and Girls, Under 13 (U13) Boys and Girls and Under 15 (U15) Boys and Girls. Congratulations to the following Champions:

tournament and making new friends from schools across Asia.

In all winning at sport is great – but the most important thing for students was being on court, trying their hardest and being part of a very special event. We hope that all students, coaches, parents and family members had a thoroughly enjoyable tournament, and we look forward to the 2017 event.

U11 Boys – Vichi (British International School Phuket) U11 Girls – TT (Harrow International School Bangkok) U13 Boys – Eric (Shrewsbury) U13 Girls – Balloon (Bangkok Patana School) U15 Boys – Patorn (Shrewsbury) U15 Girls – Skia (Dulwich College Beijing) The FOBISIA Tennis Invitational was all about students trying their best and playing against new opponents, but most importantly enjoying the

23

THE FOBISIAN

February 2017, Term 2, Issue 23

THE FOBISIAN

February 2017, Term 2, Issue 23

24

Orchestral Festival in Hong Kong

By Clare Lambert, Music Coordinator, Discovery Bay International School An intensive weekend of rehearsals for gifted and talented musicians from across a number of FOBISIA schools was hosted by Discovery Bay International School from 23 to 27 September 2016 in Hong Kong.

a standing ovation at the end. An incredible weekend was had by all and the students displayed outstanding musicianship throughout the Festival.

Students from nine FOBISIA schools attended the event under the direction of professional conductor Ken Hseih from Vancouver. The music was challenging and the students had to be at a minimum of grade 5 to attend the Festival.

The repertoire included Sibeliusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Finlandia, Korean Folk Song by Barnes, Brandenburg Concerto 3 Movement 3, and Tchaikovskyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 5th Symphony Finale.

The weekend consisted of sectional rehearsals, chamber ensemble rehearsals and full orchestra practice. In the evenings the students enjoyed time at the Discovery Bay beach and plaza, visited the Hong Kong Peak and enjoyed a BBQ at school.

The culmination of the students' hard work was presented on the final evening in a formal concert at the Discovery Bay Community Centre. The concert hall was filled to the brim and the students received

25

THE FOBISIAN

February 2017, Term 2, Issue 23

Harrow Bangkok Students' Musical Adventure

By Gayle Van Den Berg, Communications Manager, Harrow International School Bangkok Seven talented students from Harrow International School Bangkok have been the proud stars of a musical adventure which brought them to Hong Kong this September - The FOBISIA Orchestra Festival for advanced musicians.

Challenged with a repertoire that included Tchaikovsky Symphony n.5, Bach Brandenburg Concerto n.3 and Sibelius Finlandia, they represented Harrow Bangkok with pride, competence and a sense of responsibility.

group of young musicians who excelled in their performances and were recognised as being outstanding.”

Lili, who took part in this trip, agrees: “We had a chance to work with people we never met before.

We felt great that we played beautiful pieces from Tchaikovsky, Bach and Sibelius - this trip was one of my best ever!”

Teacher of Upper School Music, Ms Constantina Pederzolli, commented: “They showed stamina and resilience when facing six hours of rehearsals a day, and I could not be more proud of this

THE FOBISIAN

February 2017, Term 2, Issue 23

26

Harrow Bangkok Students Explore the 'Fibonacci Sequence'

By Thomas Myerscough, Harrow International School Bangkok Throughout September and October 2016, four gifted and talented mathematicians from Harrow International School Bangkok (Charlie, Dukie, Phoebe and Paul) battled against other schools in the FOBISIA Maths Competition. Despite being the youngest competitors, they still managed to use logical problem solving techniques to work out the answers to a variety of higher-order questions.

Overall, the team came second out of all schools in Bangkok, fourth in Thailand and 15th place out of all the leading schools in Asia. They feel very proud of their achievements and are looking forward to their next opportunity to represent Harrow Bangkok in maths.

The team created their own video based on ‘The Fibonacci Sequence’ which explored the mathematical formulas of sequences and looked at how Fibonacci can be applied to nature, paintings and architecture. After completing the video challenge, they took an independent test, which tested the students’ knowledge on a wide range of mathematical concepts. During the group challenge, they raced to complete 20 challenges using their knowledge with trial and error techniques.

27

THE FOBISIAN

Volume 1, Issue 2

Institute of Directors (IoD) Training

By Tania Donoghue, Executive Officer, FOBISIA I recently had the privellage of completing The Institute of Directors', Directorship Certification Programme, which is designed for business leaders. This course would most definitely benefit school Governors, Heads of School and potentially Senior Leaders.

Strategy Areas of study in this module were like most Business Studies courses. Tools for formulating strategies include having a clear vision, the benefits of SWOT analyses, horizon scanning and PPESTT analyses.

The course highlights the relationship between the CEO and the Board and for organisations to meet its goals effectively and successfully. The course covers corporate governance, finance and strategy.

Risk and crisis management takes place when building your plan and important factors to consider are hazard risk (property/casualty, political, environmental, regulatory), financial risk (currency, interest rate, commodity price, credit), organisational risk (governance gaps, ineffective organisational structures, talent/morale, mergers and acquisitions integration), operational risk (inventory, supply chain, staff capacity, information systems), and strategy risk (technology, brand erosion/collapse, obsolete business design, new projects/investment).

Corporate Governance When looking at corporate governance, the questions raised were as follows. What makes up a Board and what structure is known to work best?

What is the role of a Board and what are the Board members' liabilities? What characteristics and experiences make up a great Board?

Finance All companies, and schools alike, rely on financial reporting to their Boards, shareholders and/ or parent communities. The course highlighted the need for diversity, that a Board cannot operate effectively if all members of the Board are accountants for example! The 'take-home' here was that spotting â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;red flagsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in financial reporting and ask questions when these red flags are indentified is key.

There were 27 of us in the class, that represented a diverse mix of companies. I found, on reflection, that the learning was equally beneficial to all organisations, whether they were listed on the stock exchange, family run or not-for-profit organisations like FOBISIA.

THE FOBISIAN

February 2017, Term 2, Issue 23

28

Thank you to our Affiliate Members...

1.

2 Simple www.2simple.com; www.2simple.com/au 2.

AFL Sports Berhad 3.

Ability Expeditions Snd Bnd www.abilityexpeditions.com 4.

American Athletic Scholarships Pty Ltd www.americanathleticscholarships.com.au 5.

AndAli Communications Ltd (Andy Barrow) www.andybarrow.co.uk 6.

Anthony Millard Consulting www.anthonymillard.co.uk 7.

APD Singapore Pte Ltd (Malaysia) www.apdsing.com 8.

Baker Books www.bakerbooks.co.uk 9.

BrainPop UK Ltd www.brainpop.co.uk 10.

Buckinghamshire Learning Trust www.learningtrust.net 11.

Cambridge International Examinations www.cambridgeassessment.org.uk/singapore 12.

Capita SIMS International www.capita-independent.co.uk/international 13.

CHQ Group Ltd www.chqgroup.co.uk 14.

ClickView www.clickview.com.au 15.

Consilium Education Ltd www.consiliumeducation.com 16.

Dawsons Music www.dawsons.co.uk 17.

Drums for Schools Ltd www.drumsforschools.com 18.

Educare Learning Ltd www.educare.co.uk 19.

Education Development Trust (CFBT) www.educationdevelopmenttrust.org 20.

Educational Travel Asia (by Buffalo Tours) www.educationaltravelasia.com 21.

Edvectus www.edvectus.com 22.

EquipMySchool www.equipmyschool.com 23.

Faria Systems Inc (ManageBac) www.managebac.com 24.

Furnware Singapore Pte Ltd www.furnware.co.nz 25.

Gapforce www.gapforce.org 26.

GL Education www.gl-education.com 27.

Global Investors Group Ltd www.globalinvestors.biz 28.

Harlequin Floors Plc www.harlequinfloors.com 29.

Hart Sport www.hartsport.com.au 30.

Hussey Seating Company www.husseyasiapacific.com 31.

IINIZIO International Education Consultants www.iinizio.com 32.

Integrated Education Software Ltd www.ies.co.nz 33.

Interactive Schools www.interactive-schools.co.uk 34.

International Child Protection Advisors Ltd www.icpa.co.uk 35. iSAMS www.isams.co.uk 36.

ISC Research Ltd www.iscresearch.com 37.

Kidscape www.kidscape.org.uk 38.

Life-Un Ltd www.lifeunltd.net 39.

LSC Education Ltd www.lsceducation.com 40.

Mallory International www.malloryint.co.uk

31

THE FOBISIAN

February 2017, Term 2, Issue 23

Thank you to our Affiliate Members...

41.

Michael Lynes 42.

North Star Tourism www.northstaruae.com 43.

Penta International

www.penta.co.uk 44.

Perrett Laver www.perrettlaver.com 45.

Planet eStream www.planetstream.co.uk 46.

Protocol Education Ltd www.protocol-education.com 47.

Rift Valley Adventures www.riftvalleyadventures.com 48.

RSAcademics www.rsacademics.co.uk 49.

S&B UK www.splusb.co.uk 50.

Sarah Whyte Consulting www.sarahwhyte.com.sg 51.

Scanning Pens Ltd www.scanningpens.co.uk 52.

Search Associates www.searchassociates.com 53.

Teachersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Wealth www.teacherswealth.com 54.

Texthelp Ltd www.texthelp.com 55.

TIC Recruitment Ltd www.ticrecruitment.com 56.

Titus Learning Ltd www.tituslearning.com 57.

Trinity Holdings International Ltd www.trinityhi.com 58.

True Teaching Pte Co Ltd www.trueteaching.com 59.

TTS Group Ltd www.tts-group.co.uk 60.

Unifrog Education Ltd www.unifrog.org 61.

Warwick Mann International Ltd www.warwickmann.com 62.

Winter's School Finder www.wintersschoolfinder.com

THE FOBISIAN

February 2017, Term 2, Issue 23

32

Contributions to THE FOBISIAN THE FOBISIAN is FOBISIAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s e-newsletter for Member Schools and Affiliates which aims to share events and other FOBISIA news among its membership.

Three issues are produced each academic year - in February (September to January content), in June (February to May content) and in September (June to August content).

THE FOBISIAN Contribution Guidelines inform member schools on the requirements for contributing content for THE FOBISIAN. They are available upon request from FOBISIA HQ. Shortly, THE FOBISIAN will be available via the FOBISIA website - watch this space!

For enquiries about and contributions to THE FOBISIAN, please email FOBISIA HQ (To: Siobhan Bland, Senior Administator: siobhan.bland@fobisia.org; Cc: Tania Donoghue, Executive Officer: tania.donoghue@fobisia.org).

Promoting excellence, high achievement and good practice; and consistent British-style education through shared programmes, cooperative initiatives and inter-school enrichment activities within the Asia region.

Visit our website www.fobisia.org for more information.

THE 2017 FOBISIA GAMES ARE COMING

The FOBISIA Friendly Games are embarking on an exciting new journey, with the skillful services of Sports Camps Australia, to give students from our FOBISIA member schools a sporting experience that they will never forget.

The unique style of the FOBISIA Friendly Games will remain at the core of this new approach to our sports, where all events from Primary through to Under 15 will follow the established and successful formats that have made FOBISIA sports synonymous with FOBISIA itself.

SCA is well established in Australia and across South East Asia where sporting camps and events are held and run by experienced

OBJECTIVES OF THE FOBISIA GAMES:

and accredited coaches every month for sports ranging from swimming, tennis and football to surfing and BMX riding just to name a few.

Make the Games accessible to children from Year 5 upwards To ensure the Games provide a learning experience in sportmanship and in the value of healthy competition.

SCA have secured an amazing facility with an Olympic village feel at Thanyapura, Phuket, Thailand. Thanyapura is a private sports facility based in one location so there is no need to travel between

To understand the value of the benefits of training in preparation for competition.

venues, it features two Olympic swimming pools, an athletics track, outdoor and indoor tennis courts, a hotel resort providing convenient accommodation near by for parents, restaurants and a

Thanyapura Sports and Leisure Club Phuket

specialised medical centre.

To enable students to specialise in sports appropriate to their age group.

To ensure equal opportunity and participation to both boys and girls

PLEASE CONTACT: Katrina George - FOBISIA Events Coordinator katrina.george@fobisia.org www.fobisia.org

SERIOUS.FUN

www.sportscampsaustralia.com sportscampsaustralia.com.au

Thank you to our 2016 Leadership Conference sponsors...

And our website supporter...