Harrovian 20 January 2020

the

HARROVIAN

The Newsletter of Harrow International School Bangkok

新年快乐

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR Volume 23 Issue 4

30th January 2020

THIS ISSUE

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR

4-5

KEEPING UP WITH THE LOWER SCHOOL

6-11

UPPER SCHOOL AND BEYOND

12-25

STEP IN TO BOARDING LIFE

26-29

LATEST UPDATES

30-39

CATCHING UP WITH OUR COMMUNITY

40-42

Designer Nitipun Sorat Editor Richard Green Advertising Queries Richard Green richard_gr@harrowschool.ac.th facebook.com/harrowbangkok

instagram.com/harrowbangkok

This magazine is printed on recycled paper

2

twitter.com/HarrowBangkok?lang=en

FROM THE HEAD MASTER

Dear Parents I write this introduction to the Harrovian at a challenging time for our school community. There is understandable anxiety about the spread of Wuhan coronavirus. The senior team are meeting daily, making decisions in the best interests of our school community. I thank you for your understanding of difficult decisions, and for your support. By the time this issue of the Harrovian is published the issue will have developed still further, I will continue to write regularly.

In other news, our new access road has opened. This has been many years in the planning and execution, and it is a significant moment in the life of the school. I wish to congratulate our team for bringing the project to fruition and thank our parents for your patience.

I do hope you enjoy another colourful and action-packed edition of the Harrovian.

Sincerely

Jon Standen Head Master

3

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR 祝大家在鼠年中有 “鼠”不尽的收获、 “鼠”不尽的快乐、 “鼠”不尽的笑容、 “鼠”不尽的幸福、 “鼠”不尽的钞票、 “鼠”不尽的美满生活！

4

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR

5

KEEPING UP WITH THE LOWER SCHOOL

Early Years

Sports

DAY

At the start of term, children in Nursery and Reception had a wonderful day of physical activity and fun at the Early Years Sports Day. There was throwing, balancing, running and rolling to name a few of the many activities organised by the Lower School PE Department.

Physical Development is a Prime Area of Learning and Development within the Early Years curriculum and is essential for developing many skills necessary for future learning.

At the end of a busy morning, the children were treated to a refreshing chocolate ice cream. Nursery parents also challenged the teachers to a tug of war and were the clear winners! What a wonderful morning, enjoyed by all.

Ste Foster Assistant Head of Early Years

House Basketball and House Benchball The Year 5 House Basketball, coupled with the House Year 3 and 4 Benchball was another fantastic spectacle full of fun, passion and lots of excitement. Our budding Pre Prep athletes had been training for this day for many weeks and the thought of it finally arriving made the day such an exciting prospect. All teams played with passion and commitment and the final placings were testament to the skills of our players. In the girls and boys Basketball Tournament Sonakul and Suriyothai were victorious. Over in the Benchball competition Year 3 was won by Byron and Year 4 Nehru. The support from parents and teachers was fantastic and it was another great day for House sport.

Chris Rock Head of Lower School PE

6

KEEPING UP WITH THE LOWER SCHOOL

Lower School E-Safety Week Between 13-17th January, children in the Lower School were thinking about how to stay safe online. Internet safety is always on the agenda at school and is a key part of lessons throughout the year.

Mr Dobbing and Mrs Jones led an assembly with the whole of Pre Prep around the theme of ‘identity’. In assembly, children showed great understanding of what constitutes their own unique identity and which parts of this we should keep private online.

Through the week, children from Early Years to Year 5 were holding discussions in lessons about their online activity and how to stay safe. The whole school has shown great understanding about E-Safety. Nae Nae said, ‘You need to get parents to guide you as they are more experienced.’ Toby said, ‘Make sure you sign out of Google Drive if you are using a shared iPad and use the internet under supervision.’ Assistant Head of Pre Prep, Mr McKillop, said, ‘If you feel worried about something online, you should go and speak to an adult that you trust.’

formative week and teachers are proud of the determination shown by children to make the internet a safe and positive place.

Mr Dobbing and Mr Godwin also led a Parent Workshop with some useful tips about keeping children safe online.

Owen Dobbing Head of Lower School Computing and Digital Citizenship

Some of the activities that the children did include animating photographs using iPads, making E-Safety presentations and making animated movies using the Plotagon app. The children have also had discussions with their class teachers. Overall it was a fun and in

Lower School Libraries

We had over 600 entries for the bookmark competition in the Pullman library. It was a very difficult task for the library staff to choose the winners. After much discussion, we chose five winners – Army 1, Nicole 2K, Preme 3S, Prim 4S, Tiger 5S. The winners each received book tokens and will get their bookmark design professionally printed and they will be in the library shortly for everyone to use.

For Book Week, 24th – 28th February 2020, we have two visiting authors. For Years 1- 5 we have Paul Geraghty, who is one of the UK’s best known and most prolific author/illustrators of children’s picture books and novels. For Nursery and Reception students we have Janice Santikarn who is a Bangkok Author. Many of her books include the Little Blue Tuk Tuk and its adventures around Bangkok. Her other books include endangered animals of Thailand.

Jennifer Bell LS Teacher Librarian

7

KEEPING UP WITH THE LOWER SCHOOL Learning outcomes from Pre Prep topics are presented to parents by the students in our ‘Care and Share’ sessions and big topic expos. This gives students a real audience to share their learning with and the opportunity to use a range of mediums to aid their oral presentations, such as the use of technology, props, artwork, 3D models, drama and song.

Public Speaking in the Lower School ‘Speech is power: speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel.’ – Ralph Waldo Emerson (Philosopher and Poet) In the lower School at Harrow Bangkok, we recognise the importance of teaching students the skills of public speaking and give them ample opportunities to practise these skills in a range of situations and to a variety of audiences.

Productions and Shows Our Christmas shows ensure that not just Pre Prep students but of our all Early Years’ students as well have the opportunity to formally perform in front of parents, with all but our Little Lions memorising lines from a script!

From Nursery through to Year 5, our students also take part in their own class assembly/mini production in front of a large audience of children, staff and parents, with the older students planning the event themselves and even writing their own script.

Communication is the backbone of our society. It allows us to form connections between friends, family and colleagues, influence decisions and motivate change. Public speaking is one of the most important and feared forms of communication, but as students progress through their education and move into the working world, public speaking will have an enormous impact on their career path and future success.

The return of the Pre Prep Production last year inspired a new generation of budding young performers keen to audition for this year’s Beauty and the Beast Production.

Drama being the perfect vehicle for teaching students how to project their voice, vary its volume and tone, and understand the importance of body language in communicating a variety of emotions.

The greatest leaders in history, good and bad, were excellent public speakers. They had the ability to form emotional connections with their audience, inspire whole nations, unite people and bring about great change. In the present day, effective leadership and public speaking are more important than ever. Consider the recent impact of the 17-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg.

Her emotional and passionate speeches have inspired people across the world, young and old, to take immediate action to reverse the effects of climate change.

Pre Prep Leaders Pre Prep Student Leaders regularly present in a range of forums including: • Student Council/Global Leader meetings with both Lower School and Upper School students • Digital Leaders teaching both students and staff • Tour Leaders for prospective parents • Our Head and Deputy Head Boy/Girl leading Pre Prep Assemblies and presenting at special events across the year

Our aim at Harrow Bangkok is for our students to develop the skills required to become effective public speakers and through their leadership opportunities use these skills to create a better world for themselves and others.

English Speaking Board Examinations To formally recognise the outstanding public speaking skills our students possess and to promote the importance of these skills, the Lower School English Department have signed up to the English Speaking Board (ESB). The ESB is a well-established UK based organisation offering internationally recognised high-quality speaking and debating qualifications for students of all ages. Students with strong public speaking skills in Pre Prep have been selected to take part in our first cohort, where through our activities programme, they will learn a range of speaking, presenting and debating skills to prepare themselves for the examination towards the end of the year. External assessors from the UK will test students across a range of activities, including a presentation, poetry recital, reading and group discussion. We are excited to offer students the opportunity to gain such a prestigious qualification and hope that this encourages all students to recognise the importance public speaking plays in ensuring their future success in life.

Our Curriculum The teaching and practice of speaking skills is embedded throughout our curriculum in the Lower School. From an early age, our young Harrovians are given a platform to speak in front of an audience to develop their confidence and overcome the fear of speaking in public. In Early Years, role play areas, storytelling chairs, dress-up clothes and mini stages provide students with an audience and purpose for their speaking and performances on a daily basis throughout their play.

Drama and oracy lessons are not only an integral part of our English curriculum in the Lower School but these activities also run throughout all curriculum subjects.

Students take part in hot seating sessions, class debates, presentations and critical thinking discussions, speaking confidently and articulately to put forward a particular point of view, explain, describe, justify, ask and answer questions, etc.

8

Alexandra Costa Lower School Director of Studies/Deputy Head

KEEPING UP WITH THE LOWER SCHOOL

Year 1 Trip to

Safari World

This Term, Year 1 went on a trip to Safari World! During our journey there the children were curious as to which animals they might see, coming up with a huge variety. Once we arrived at our destination the children first went around the drive-through safari course. Upon seeing the first animal the children became ‘experts’ in the five animal kingdoms sharing lots of knowledge about many of the animals they saw.

The children were fortunate enough to see the tigers being fed during our safari drive which prompted many of the children to recall their scientific knowledge and correctly identify the tigers as carnivores.

As we began our on-foot tour of Safari World we made our way through many winding paths of animals to go to Egg World.

The children were able to experience what the life cycle of many birds looks like as well as seeing different types of eggs from many different species of bird.

Year 1’s favourite part of the Safari World trip was the up-close experience with the giraffes. They were incredibly tall and spotty. The children were able to feed them bananas but they had to be careful because they have very long, slimy tongues!

Marc Mitchell Year 1 Teacher

Year

2

Pirate Day

On Tuesday 3rd December, Year 2 was taken over by pirates - it was Pirate Day! The children enjoyed a day of fun with pirate-related activities that included a treasure hunt and baking pirate biscuits. At the end of the day, parents came to see all of the wonderful learning that the children have done this term. The children were proud to showcase all of their work and even performed a song and a dance at the end of the day. It was a very enjoyable day!

Louise Cove Year 2 Year Group Leader

9

KEEPING UP WITH THE LOWER SCHOOL

Year 3

Art Exhibition

On Wednesday 8th January, Year 3 held an Art Exhibition showcasing all their fantastic work from last term. They worked extremely hard exploring and investigating how historic events have influenced different styles of art and how the techniques and styles have changed over time. They used what they learnt to create their own examples of famous styles of art. Parents and teachers were invited in and shown around by our student tour guides. I am sure you will agree that our Year 3 artists are incredibly talented!

Suzanne Hunt Teacher LS

10

KEEPING UP WITH THE LOWER SCHOOL

Year Year

4

Fashion Fashion Design!

Design!

During Term 1, students in Year 4 spent time in Computing lessons creating designs for T-shirts.

This work was planned to complement the Fashion topic which they were studying in class. Over a series of weeks, they practised using coordinates and coding to create complex patterns in the programmes Scratch and Beetleblocks. They also investigated patterns which occur naturally in nature such as the Fibonacci sequence.

Creating patterns in Scratch required students to have a good understanding of x and y coordinates.

They then started to think in 3D by investigating and creating patterns in Beetleblocks using x, y and z coordinates. Once they had collected a range of patterns, they chose their favourites and saved them to the system. These patterns were then sent to a local T-shirt company for printing.

Here are some pictures of the T-Shirts which have arrived so far. As you can see, they are of a very professional standard which could easily be sold to the fashion industry! Amazing work Year 4!

Keep up the coding! www.scratch.mit.edu http://beetleblocks.com/ Emily Jones Lower School Computing Teacher

11

UPPER SCHOOL AND BEYOND

How can we get the very best for our students?

How to get the very best for the students under our care is central to the values of every teacher that we employ, and we frame this not just in terms of grades and university destinations but in their ability to live successful, happy lives filled with meaning.

As a school, we already have exceptional academic outcomes and our students take places at top universities but we must always ask ourselves the question,

how can we do better? One thing is for sure, any further improvements will come from careful evolutionary fine-tuning rather than revolutionary change.

For those of you who attended the Parents’ Workshop last term or the Upper School Parents’ Forum, you will be aware that we aim to further improve by adopting the High Performance Learning Framework. This is an exciting way of tailoring how we teach based on a philosophy that all students have the ability to get the very best outcomes and drawing upon the very latest research in cognitive science.

So far, teachers have been doing a great deal of experimentation with implementing key ideas and we have set up a working party which is planning for a full implementation with our students. Starting next week, we will begin to introduce the ideas with our students more formally beginning in assemblies and embark on a journey over 18 months where we will gradually begin to increase our emphasis on developing skills that show students not just how to effectively think but also the values and attributes that contribute to success. As parents, I look forward to working with you in supporting our students on this exciting journey.

Jonny Liddell Head of Upper School

Accelerated Readers This year, we are proud to be the first school in Thailand piloting an exciting new reading programme that brings together the Prep Phase students; their teachers and our state-of-the-art library facilities.

The Accelerated Reader allows students to track their reading ability by regularly quizzing on a large selection of fiction and non-fiction books. Upon completing a book, students are asked to do an online quiz. The computer programme then responds to the level of understanding shown, measures the reading time and can recommend a selection of books for the student to read next. As students demonstrate good understanding, the books become more difficult. Teachers are kept updated and we will link the number of books read, with awards and certificates.

Research has shown that this is a great incentive to encourage young people to read more, and we at Harrow Bangkok are very clear that independent reading improves the acquisition of English.

Accelerated Reader was launched in the Prep Phase on Tuesday, 7th January with an assembly, followed by a reading and quizzing session in tutorial time. Students enjoyed reading, quizzing and competing on the books they have read. Help us support it by ensuring that students read independently for at least 25 minutes a day.

Tyla Arabas Head of English Faculty

12

UPPER SCHOOL AND BEYOND

As we prepare to travel far and wide visiting family and friends for Christmas and the New Year, we warmly invite parents to join with us in a series of Christmas reflections and celebrations through music, readings and dance. There are performances throughout the final week of term for each phase of the school in the Recital Hall and the QE2. Let’s celebrate together, wish everyone a happy Christmas and perhaps sing along with some of your favourite Christmas carols.

Christopher Johnson Director of Music

13

UPPER SCHOOL AND BEYOND

Gold DoE

International Award Expedition

In December, a team of 6th Form students embarked on their Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Adventurous Journey, successfully paddle boarding 152km down the Khwae Noi River from Thong Pha Phum to Kanchanaburi in just five days. At times, the team faced strong winds, whirlpools and fast-flowing currents, all of which required determination, skill and strength to overcome. They also worked wonderfully well together when navigating between each checkpoint. Setting up camp in the evening offered time to reflect on the achievements of each day whilst enjoying student-led entertainment and cooking outdoors. Kingfishers frequently passed us by as we made our way downriver, and it was a pleasure to see such diverse landscape along the water’s edge. As we came closer to Kanchanaburi, we also felt some sadness because of the environmental impact of plastics and other debris caught on the banks of the river, and I commend our students for their passion and empathy for global challenges.

My congratulations to May K13, Nikko S13, Sweety S13, Momo K13, Prae C13, Unun C13, Darren So12, Ig N12, Nami So12, Patrick K12, Un N12, Pat C12, Emmi So12, Yangyi S12.

Laura Taylor Teacher of Art and Design Gold Trip Leader

14

“I never knew I would be paddle boarding for 5 straight days - it's an eye-opening experience.

Also making friends was way easier by going to this expedition I can guarantee.”

Pat C12 “Excellent homestay, spectacular views, beautiful weather and sensational hiking experience.

Best trip of my life.”

Mosachi B10 “This DoE expedition was a unique experience that I will treasure for the rest of my life. During this expedition we encountered many challenging obstacles but we worked as a team and we pulled through in the end. DoE has taught me many things but the most precious things it has taught me is teamwork, to get out of your comfort zone and to always take on new challenges.”

Indy B11

UPPER SCHOOL AND BEYOND

Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Silver Adventurous Journey

In December, nineteen intrepid explorers set off on their Silver Adventurous Journey for the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award. After many weeks of training and planning, and many hours of travelling, students arrived in the stunning Hoang Lien National Park in Northern Vietnam. At the beautiful Nam Cang River Lodge, nestled in a traditional Red Dao village, students were greeted with a delicious Vietnamese meal - their final bit of luxury before the 3-day expedition began.

Early next morning under sunny and blue skies, students began their journey into the mountains of the Sapa region. Navigating using maps and GPS devices they wound their way through rice paddies, forests and some of the most magnificent landscapes and fascinating villages in the country. Through sheer determination and hard work, students hiked for up to 7 hours a day in the sun, rain and some unseasonably

cold weather. Self-sufficient throughout their journey, students carried all equipment and prepared all of their own meals. Heavy backpacks caused back pain and aching feet, but with excellent teamwork and motivation from friends, all remained positive and were able to overcome these challenges, to be finally rewarded at the end of the day with laughter, games and warming up around the campfire.

On the final day, an incredibly steep climb to the finish led us to a spectacular waterfall and the all-important bus, to return us on the long journey back to Hanoi.

With nineteen sleeping students it was clear they had all been worn out by this exhausting yet hugely rewarding experience.

A huge congratulations to Pat (N11), Indy (B11), Mac (C11), Danny (S11) and Sun (K11) for completing their Qualifying Adventurous Journey and Anya (N10), Perth (N10), Elaine (N10), Prim (K10), Moni (B10), Ray (S10), Mosachi (B10), Zuza (K10), Cosmo (C10), Ben (N10), Sean (K10), Leonardo (K10), Marc (N10) and Michael (K10) on completion of their Practice Journey.

Tom Watson Head of Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award

For more information about taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award at Harrow Bangkok, please contact Tom Watson or Paul Willis at the following email address: intaward@harrowschool.ac.th

15

UPPER SCHOOL AND BEYOND

Upper School

Harrow Bangkok Ocean Warriors Over 95 Upper School Harrow Bangkok Ocean Warriors undertook their first beach clean up of the year with students and staff travelling to Koh Kruk to participate in the event, led by the Mermaid Dive Centre. We snorkelled to the island from our boats, allowing us to observe the dead coral and debris littering the sea bed. At the beach, using gloves and pinchers, we picked up plastic bottles, straws, lids, and polystyrene containers which were strewn over the beach as well as removing lots of rope, fishing nets and glass. One determined and industrious group managed to rid the beach of a huge fishing net and large stretches of rope. One could only imagine the damage that these would have caused if marine life had become entangled. Overall, we removed 500kg of waste.

In the evening we learnt about the causes, effects and problems associated with the plastic pollution problem and were tasked with making board games about the topic. We were fully engaged on this challenge, working passionately, collaboratively and creatively.

On Sunday we got the opportunity to play each oth-

16

er’s board games and have a little free time. Wonderful to see!

Thank you to Ms Tum, Ms Ash, Mr McCarthy, Ms Arabas, Mr Pape, Mr Willis, Mr Herbert, Mrs Nicholson, Mrs Shannon, Ms Mahenthrarajah and Nurse Kae for giving up their weekend and contributing fully to the weekend’s HOW activities.

Kathryn Gavin Head of SR5 (Years 9, 10 and 11)

UPPER SCHOOL AND BEYOND

The Environment Committee driving forward positive change

i n

on

jects is to create a monthly poster that can be showcased around the school to raise awareness. We’ve also reduced the price of drinks the coffee shop by 5 baht if students bring and use their own reusable cup. Through whole school assemblies, we have introduced the implementation of Green Day which gave students the opportunity to reflect on their meat consumption. As a committee, we hope this continues to have an impact our school.

I n

The Environment Committee aims to improve the environment and specifically make Harrow Bangkok a more sustainable and environmentally friendly place.

Our committee in the Sixth Form consists of seven like-minded individuals: Unun (C13), Ploy (B13), Josh (K13), Joey (C12), Punpun (C12), Fah (K12), Yangyi (S12). We cooperate with both the Upper School and Lower School, and together as a collective student body, achieved the Silver level in the Eco-Schools qualification.

One of our main focuses this year was the implementation of a ‘Green Day’ which was initiated earlier this year. It works towards raising awareness for Harrow Bangkok students about the environmental consequences of meat consumption.

For instance, did you know one kilogram of beef requires approximately 15,500 litres of water to make, or enough to fill 50 bathtubs at once and 15% of greenhouse gas is produced by meat production?

Our committee would like to ask for the students’ and parents’ understanding and support in this venture, and if there are any suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact any of us.

As a committee, we have worked on many ways to promote sustainability and raise awareness of the harmful effects that humans give out. One of these pro-

the future, we will continue on our mission to raise awareness about the global environment, and how each individual can help and contribute to a positive change. The main initiatives we will be moving forward with and improving on are: working towards achieving the Green Flag Award from the Eco-Schools qualification and increasing the prominence of the Green Day as well as work towards making it a lifestyle change rather than a temporary adjustment. Other initiatives inside the school include increasing the effectiveness of the use of bins and producing a poster on global environmental issues, concerns, advancements, once a week to inform students of the latest news regarding such topics. This will not only be implemented this year but will also be passed on to the new environment committee members in the coming academic year to ensure the project’s sustainability.

Meat consumption has many harmful consequences, both towards the environment and towards people.

As mentioned before, meat production requires an immense amount of fresh water, most of which becomes polluted and can cause harm to fish. It’s also one of the leading producers of air pollution - producing 15% of the world’s greenhouse gases. A study in California alone also found that farms were producing up to 17 micrograms of PM2.5, which can lead to respiratory disease. Thus, we sincerely urge parents and students to try to reduce meat consumption and adopt a more healthy, plant-based diet.

The Environment Committee

17

UPPER SCHOOL AND BEYOND

Harrow Bangkok Model United Nations

MUN III

HISMUN III could easily be described as our first jampacked rollercoaster ride of the new decade. It was also definitely unlike any other conference we have experienced in our MUN careers so far.

Thanks to Ms John, Ms Wilson, Mr van den Berg and Ms Dava, we were able to organise this conference successfully despite a few challenges along the journey. With blesses of inspiration from our previous Secretary Generals of HISMUN, we designed the booklet and T-shirts for the conference which could not have been made without the support of Khun Kee and Ms Tum. We had also filmed an ambitious video which outlined the safety procedure of our school to the visiting delegates. We were glad that the delegates seemed to enjoy the video which we were dedicated to producing during the preparation for this conference.

As we turned the page to a new chapter of our MUN timeline, we decided on the theme ‘Through the Looking Glass’ to celebrate a rising era engulfed with unknown possibilities and an epoch in which we stride forward, acknowledging the past mistakes which our ancestors had made. Furthermore, we were extremely privileged to welcome Professor Vitit Muntabhorn as our guest speaker for HISMUN III, who enlightened us eloquently in a plethora of areas — ranging from

18

the prevalent flaws in the structure of the UN to current human rights issues. In each of the committee rooms, younger delegates were fostered by more experienced delegates and chairs who were keen to support the next generation of ‘MUN-ers’ to be the role models as they are in the MUN community. To end the conference with the General Assembly, we created an emergency issue which intertwined with the ongoing infamous scandal between Iran and the US which energised many delegates in the house. Overall, this conference was the reason behind the phrase ‘MUN is FUN’ and we are certain that the innovative minds of the delegates would secure a bright future ahead of us, a future glowing with peace and prosperity.

Gwen S12, Logic So12, Prim So11 and Andy N11

UPPER SCHOOL AND BEYOND

Upper School Chess Tournament

Last week the Upper School Chess Tournament took place during lunchtime on the walkway. Each House put forward 8 players for both the group round and finals. Strategy and tactical game play were strong throughout, as players tried to preempt, plan and outwit their opponent. With only 15 minutes on the clock for each game, the players felt the time pressure as their friends cheered them on. Tensions were high for the finals where every game and score mattered. Nehru and Sonakul made it to the final competition. Congratulations to Nehru who beat Sonakul 5 games to 3 to become House Chess Champions 2020.

Miss Matsushita Head of Churchill House

Demystifying Indian Music with Dr. Kuljit Bhamra

On December 11th we were privileged to welcome the British musician Dr Kuljit Bhamra to the school. He has distinguished himself as a tabla player, composer and broadcaster, and in 2009 was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II and was awarded an MBE. He is also an honorary Dr of Music at Exeter University.

During the day he worked with a variety of students from Year 8 to 11, our percussion players and, indeed, some staff. All were given the opportunity to learn the techniques of playing the tabla. He also explained aspects of how Indian music is constructed and students were given opportunities to improvise together.

Students thoroughly enjoyed Dr Kuljit’s company and expertise and, importantly, they all developed their skills of listening to each other and working as a team.

These skills are essential in becoming part of any musical ensemble and help make musical performance a collaborative team experience.

John Tasker Prep English Coordinator

19

UPPER SCHOOL AND BEYOND

2nd Year military training students’ field practice

On 17th- 19th January our 60 2nd year military training students took part in their field practice at the Military Training Students’ Field Practice Camp at Khao Chon Kai, Kanchanaburi Province. They undertook strenuous activities and gained wonderful experience. At the completion ceremony, four students, Poon K12, Farng So12, Beam B11 and Book So 12, received a certificate of Leading Role Contribution for having outstanding military characteristics from the Chief of State of Army Reserve Training Centre as they took a leading role in their camp. Congratulations to you all!

Khanitha Prawichen Thai Principal and Special Military Supervisor

Oxbridge and Ivy League success for Harrow Bangkok students Jaruvadee Thongyai Na Ayudhaya (Prance) has an offer from Cornell University (Dyson School of Business) Jaehwan and Brian have both benefited from a full boarding education in our world-class Boarding Village.

A massive congratulation for five students who have recently received offers for Oxford and Cambridge Universities and for US Ivy League universities: Finlay Prout (Finn), our Head Boy, has an offer for a place at the University of Oxford to read Human Sciences at Mansfield College Jaehwan Kim has received an offer to study Mathematics at the University of Cambridge (Sidney Sussex College) Hoon Chung (Brian) has an offer of a place at the University of Cambridge to read Mathematics at Corpus Christi College Panata Kiatanant (Bambi) has an Early Decision offer from the University of Pennsylvania (Sociology Major)

20

‘Congratulations Brian, Finn and Jaehwan for Oxbridge, Bambi and Prance for Ivy League. The application process for these prestigious institutions is extremely demanding and places are highly desirable.

These world-class university offers are a reflection of your balance of academic high achievement with leadership and extracurricular strengths and passions.

Our Sixth Formers are extremely well supported, especially in boarding. Academically they flourish through excellent teaching and personalized individual university mentoring backed up with exceptional pastoral guidance and support. The extra and super curriculum provide opportunities to broaden students’ skillsets as success in life is not measured by grades alone. Our graduates possess the skills and qualities to make a difference in the world whilst also enjoying personal fulfilment. Last year 98% of students went on to top universities in the world, more than one third to UK Russell Group universities.’

Jon Standen Head Master

UPPER SCHOOL AND BEYOND

Amnesty International charity event

The Creative and Performing Arts Faculty would like to offer sincere congratulations to our Year 11 IGCSE music students Amita Krich, Best Buppanimitr, Pat Jongrengpian and Areeya Kongsawangchai who recently performed a selection of songs from musicals at the Amnesty International (AI), charity event, ‘Rise of the Melodies’ on the 19th of December for a Thai and international audience of over 300 guests. UK-based Amnesty International are the world’s most well-known human rights movement and advocacy organisation.

The students were accompanied by the HIS World Orchestra and proceeds from the ticket sales are being used to publish 70,000 Universal Declaration of Human Rights booklets for schools, universities and communities throughout Thailand.

‘Your students demonstrated how the arts can help the world be a better place and how young people can be determined to speak out, apply pressure and push various boundaries through such a different form of advocacy.’

Khun Montira Narkvichien, Regional Communications Specialist, UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific at UN Women.

Amanda Woollam Head of Academic Music Department

Year 11 Sports Leaders teach the Year 4 Playmakers Course During Term 1, our Year 11 Sports Leaders, who are completing their Level 2 course, planned and delivered the Playmakers Course to Year 4 students. Two groups of Year 4 students were trained up by the Year 11 Sports Leaders in preparation for them to be able to run lunchtime playground activities to the Pre Prep students. The Playmakers learnt about P.A.C.E - ensuring that they plan and deliver their activities considering the Participants, Area, Communication and Equipment. Both the Playmakers and Sports Leaders self-reflected after each session to continually develop and improve on their leadership skills.

Congratulations to the successful Playmakers who received their certificates in assembly at the end of Term 1. We look forward to seeing some exciting and fun activities being led by them in the playground.

Miss Matsushita Sports Leaders Centre Course Manager and Head of Churchill House

21

UPPER SCHOOL AND BEYOND

Year 6

STEaM Challenge Day

This month the Creative and Performing Arts faculty turned the QEII into the biggest Design Technology Workshop in Bangkok with the return of the Year 6 STEaM Challenge Day. The Design Technology department planned a multi-step problem-solving event which challenged students, to think critically and creatively, finding connections from STEaM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Technology) subjects, whilst introducing them to development and testing through failure.

Taking inspiration with STEaM pioneers such as Leonardo Da Vinci, each group was challenged to research, test, analyse and manufacture, a working catapult and trebuchet that could launch a projectile, over the longest distance and as accurately at a target.

Mr Handley, Mr Sands, Mr Glenn and Ms Nicholson, supporting the student learning, knowledge and understanding, by hosting key demonstrations on health and safety, cutting timber correctly, transference of gravitational to kinetic energy, support structures and the science behind these ancient machines.

Winning Groups Longest distance – Mario N6, Nana C6, Nicha So6, Lola K6, Finn B6 and Tang S6 Most accurate – Dominic N6, In-in C6, Leon So6, Grace K6, Odin B6 and Focus S6 Creative design – Jan N6, Marc C6, Jay So6, Kat C6, Oliver B6 and Gimmie S6 Iain Sands Head of Creative and Performing Arts Faculty

22

UPPER SCHOOL AND BEYOND

Year 9 Challenge Day Thursday 21st January saw the start of the Foundation Business Administration Programme at Harrow Bangkok. Working with David Harkin from 7billionideas, our Director of Enterprise, our Year 9s participated in a day which helped them ‘Realise Potential’, the name given to the course they covered on the day. At the start of the day, the students were introduced to entrepreneurship, enterprise and business and were challenged to develop a new start-up company with a product which would help solve one of the current global issues. The focus was on sustainability both in terms of the concept and design.

Working with their House peers in small groups, the students researched problems, developed a product, made a prototype and planned their marketing strategy to include a logo, slogan and elevator pitch. Having planned and practised their presentation they performed in front of their peers with the winning ideas going headto-head with the other Houses. The day enabled students to be creative and have fun, whilst developing their enterprise, thinking and performing skills

Realising Potential

Kathryn Gavin Head of SR5

23

UPPER SCHOOL AND BEYOND

Year 7

Thai Trip On Friday 29th November 2019, the Upper School Thai Department took the Year 7 students out on a trip to the Ayutthaya Historical Study Centre and a sightseeing tour around Ayutthaya.

This trip was an excellent experience for them to learn about the history, the artistic legacies of the Ayutthaya Era and the meaning and story behind the name of this ancient city.

Saowanee Navakijpaitoon (Kru Ja) Upper School Thai Studies Trip Coordinator ‘The Thai trip to Ayutthaya was amazing! My favourite part of the trip was when we went to the museum where we greeted by the fantastic staff members.

When we got inside, we watched a film about the rise and fall of Ayutthaya in Thai history, and how people in the past travelled between cities. Later we went to look at some models of previous ancient temples which existed before the Burmese invaded Ayutthaya the second time. Additionally, the staff explained about how Ayutthaya was an important trade kingdom in the East as its ports connected with India and even London. It was such an amazing chapter in history. Then we learned about how life was in Ayutthaya and I even went into one of the houses in the museum. Overall, the trip was amazing. At the end, we got to buy ice cream and that was very good!’

Dom B7 ‘The Thai trip made me feel very proud of Thailand because I never knew we had such a long history and that Ayutthaya was an important place. The staff told us that Ayutthaya was an important trade kingdom and many people from different countries came to Ayutthaya. The staff member also told us about our trading history and showed us some models of how people lived their lives back in the day.’

Fahsai K7

24

‘When we arrived we watched a movie that told the story of the history of Ayutthaya. After that we were shown around the museum and had a close look at a model of the city. We learnt that Ayutthaya is an island which has lots of rivers flowing through it such as the Chao Praya, Pak Sa and Lopburi rivers. I enjoyed the ride on the tram the most because we got to pagodas and some elephants.’

Namtan S7 ‘I learnt that Ayutthaya people travelled in boats to go to other countries to trade items. Some didn’t come back alive because of the strong winds and the pirates.

I enjoyed the display of the things that they used in the Ayutthaya period such as the house. I liked the house because it showed how people lived at that time.I also liked the display of the weapons because it showed what they fought with. I also liked the display of the small Ayutthaya city because it showed where and how they lived.’

Willy K7

U UP PP PE ER R SS C CH HO OO O LL A AN ND D B BE EY YO ON ND D

The Thai programme for the Sixth Form

On 10th December, the Thai programme for the Sixth Form invited three Harrow Bangkok alumni, Mild, April and Ae, currently studying in year four at Chulabhorn International College of Medicine at Thammasat University, to join a discussion session with Sixth Form students. They shared many experiences as medical students and provided Sixth Form students with useful information about the course and university life. We appreciate them joining us and giving excellent advice to those students who wish to pursue a career in medicine.

‘It was great having our seniors to give advice about what we would realistically face in our future studies.

I really appreciate how they gave up their free time to share some great experiences of their exciting university life with us. Their advice and learning tips were very useful and significantly helped me with the interview. I feel more relaxed knowing the style of questions that will be asked.’

Prae C13

Saowanee Navakijpaitoon (Kru Ja) Thai Teacher ‘I am super thankful to have spent the afternoon with the medic seniors. The stories about their time on the wards were really inspirational, whether it was the relationship they built with the patient or how they coped with losses in the clinical setting. They also kindly shared their personal interview experiences and how they approached particular questions, allowing me to look at the questions from another perspective I have never thought of. With interviews coming up close, their advice cleared away many of my worries and I now have a much clearer idea of what to expect in the upcoming months and years. Thank you!’

UnUn C13

25

STEP IN TO BOARDING LIFE

And they’re On Saturday 29th November, the Boarding Village went go-karting.

Located a short distance away from Harrow Bangkok, the high octane outdoor track boasts demanding hairpins, s-shaped chicanes and super quick electric karts.

After a quick explanation of rules, the boys and girls of Year 7, 8 and 9 got suited up. Initially, Billy was rather confused with the mechanics of the car but after some guidance he managed to master the course. Up ahead, there were some intriguing exchanges between Christian, Eugene and Davi. After some titanic tussles, Eugene held off Davi to claim third, Christian drove majestically to claim second, however, it was Gannette’s driving that shone through as he raced to victory.

off!

Next up was the turn of the Year 10’s and 11’s. The West Acre girls gave The Grove boys a lesson in the art of driving. Muskan, ‘The Bhutanese Bullet’, drove with flair, guile and conviction and powered her way to victory. Just off her tail was ‘Tremendous Tracey’, whose risk-taking approach ensured the likes of Lawrence and co were left in her wake. Kritika, ‘The Kerb-hopping Queen’, rounded off things claiming a well-earned podium spot.

In the final race, ‘Jazzy Jadon’ got revenge from his 2018 defeat by holding off ‘Sun the Speedster’, while Lavik took the chequered flag ahead of Sunny and Angelina.

The boys and girls thoroughly enjoyed themselves and cannot wait to race again in Term 3, so until then…

George Redwood Bradbys Grad Intern

The Great Boarding

Bake Off

Last Sunday, the air was thick with the aroma of rich buttery fragrances as the boarding community of Harrow Bangkok took part in their annual Great Boarding Bake Off (GBBO).

Representatives from each boarding house competed for glory and the rights to call their bakes the best.

Bradbys were defending their title and this year were represented by Ong, West Acre had Zhiwa and Muskan, while The Grove had ‘JJ’, ‘so good they named him twice’.

The challenge was simple. Two rounds, a creative bake and a technical bake. The creative bake allowed our contestants to choose a recipe of their choice: a cake or a pie under the provision that it had to be baked. All three houses opted to follow their sweet tooth’s, with West Acre producing a luscious and velvety strawberry Swiss roll, Bradbys taking a homely approach with a Victoria sponge whilst The Grove produced a delicious baked cheesecake. The judges (Josh, Sweetie and Max) thought they were all delightful but appreciated the unique and silky Grove cheesecake the most.

The second round brought more dough-filled drama, as the technical bake saw the contestants follow the same recipe, a pineapple crumble, courtesy of Ms Harshida. An unfortunate lack of caramel, hard fruit

26

and robust crumble saw the West Acre team descend, with The Grove taking a similar drop with its dryness.

It was Bradbys’ gooey tropical heaven that soared to victory.

With the scores calculated and the pots washed, Bradbys claimed tops. Despite a shaky start, their gorgeously made crumble ensured victory for yet another year. At the end of the day though the real winners were the children who produced some scrumptious food which surpassed all our expectations.

Well done boys and girls and we look forward to GBBO 2021.

Max Harris Bradbys, Grad Intern

STEP IN TO BOARDING LIFE

Welcome Home

The The Grove Grove It was fantastic to see our Grove boys (or ‘Grovites’ as they are now known!), return after a well-deserved, restful Christmas holiday. Our boys clearly had a wonderful time reconnecting with their families and enjoying some rest and relaxation. It was a pleasure to hear about all the fantastic things they had got up to! As a House Master, I was filled with genuine joy and excitement as our home came to life once more; excited chatter and energy filled the halls again. The Grove had its atmosphere back!

Having wonderful, world-class buildings is great but most important is what goes on within our walls. A new layout of the ground and first floors will hopefully encourage our Grovites to get out of their rooms more often and socialise across year groups. It is great to see these changes in floor layout already having such a positive effect.

Boarding life has been action-packed over the past two weeks; we had a magical time out on the Harrow Lake as the boarders tried their hand at kayaking and windsurfing. A brilliant time was had by all and thanks to Mr Stainer, Miss Wilson and Mr van de Burgh for giving up their valuable time to allow us to do this.

This weekend we are celebrating Chinese New Year in style as we take the Chao Praya river ferry to visit Lhong 1919 Chinese cultural village. One of the most wonderful aspects of being part of Grove life is watching and being part of the various cultural practices and traditions. I am thoroughly looking forward to it.

Life in The Grove continues to evolve and positively move forward with our Grovites at the heart of everything we do. We are looking forward to a great term!

Richard Walter House Master The Grove

27

STEP IN TO BOARDING LIFE

Boarders community

weekend by the Lake The weekend began with our traditional Friday night challenge. This had a Mexican theme and all the students joined in heartily as the community came together to play a number of Mexican themed team games. There were no clear winners but everyone took part with great enthusiasm.

On Saturday 11th January all the boarding community spent the day down by the Harrow Bangkok lake. The boarders had an opportunity to develop their teamwork skills and get to know each other better.

Our weekly boarders were welcome to join in the fun too. Raft building, kayaking, windsurfing were all on offer to our students. Working in teams to create and test their raft building skills as well as learning to master new skills of windsurfing and kayaking they spent many hours messing about in boats and enjoying spending time together. The pictures speak for themselves they all had a lot of fun. We finished the day with a lakeside barbecue which was just delicious. This special day could not have happened without the generous time given by Mr van den Berg, Mrs Wilson, Mr Stainer and Dr Jefferis.

Jo Jefferis House Mistress West Acre

28

STEP IN TO BOARDING LIFE

How to

29

LATEST UPDATES

Raising Funds for

Australia Australia

Collectively a staggering 68,953 baht was raised in a single day. Thanks so much for your generosity and support. Fires are still burning and recovery will be a very long process.

All money raised will go to the NSW Rural Fire Service WIRES (Wildlife Rescue) The Red Cross Disaster Relief and Recovery Fund.

Jack (K10) & Alyssa (K7)

The devastating bush fires around Australia have dominated the media lately. Since November, 24 people have died, more than 63,000 sq km of bushland and 2500 homes have been destroyed along with over 1 million native animals.

Harrow Bangkok’s Aussie pupils rallied together on Monday 13 January to collect donations and run a bake sale. Rena (B11) and her friends managed a bubble tea stall.

The 9th edition of Harrow Bangkok’s fun run took place on the 12th of January 2020. Harrow Bangkok fun runners competed on 10k, 5k and 1 mile courses inside our campus and around Hyde Park. Notable performances came from Ben and Hannah John who successfully defended the men’s and women’s 10km titles. Pace, endurance and determination from Jade Ellis in K11 and Bill Howe in S11 saw them take the 5k titles. Finally, Bun and Lila in 5M showed off their super speed to win the boy’s and girl’s mile race. The runners from Lower School get faster and fitter every year!

A big thank you to Mr Edes and his team of volunteers who helped marshal the event so that the morning run ran so smoothly. Keep training everyone and keep an eye out for a bigger and better Harrow Bangkok Fun Run in 2021!

Yours in the long run Scott Howe Teacher US

30

LATEST UPDATES

The Gymnastics Academy

The Gymnastics Academy have started the year extremely well with gymnasts working hard towards their competitive routines and learning new skills! After a very successful start to competitions last year, the team are focused and working hard towards trying to get more medals in the upcoming competitions.

line with the Olympics that are happening in Japan in the summer.

January fitness testing The gymnasts have also completed fitness testing this month working towards bronze, silver, gold and platinum levels in different fitness components that are very important to gymnastics: - Muscular strength - Muscular endurance - Flexibility - Cardiovascular Endurance - Power - Speed We will retest the gymnasts in Season 3 to see if they can reach the next level or higher! The gymnastics coaching team are extremely proud of all the gymnasts and now look forward to continuing to push our talented team to reach their next goals.

Saturday Gymnastics Programme We offer a Saturday programme for any pupil at Harrow Bangkok who wishes to develop their gymnastics skills. There are beginners- advanced sessions available. Sign-ups for Programme 3 will be from February.

For more information, please visit the Gymnastics Academy website - https://www.harrowschool.ac.th/ leadership-in-action/sports/gymnastics-academy - or contact Natalie Greenidge, Head of Gymnastics.

Falcons Invitational Competition We want to wish all the gymnasts competing at Falcons on 8th February the best of luck!

Natalie Greenidge Head of Gymnastics

Gymnastics Show Preparation Day On Saturday 18th January, the Gymnastics Academy held their Gym Show Preparation Day and began rehearsing their routines for the Gym Show on 1st April 2020 – a date for your diary.. it’s not one to miss!

The theme for the Gym Show this year is ‘Countries’ in

31

LATEST UPDATES

Horse riding activity

In season 2, we saw six pupils sign up for the horse riding activity. The abilities of the six pupils varied from first-time riders, beginners to more advanced novice riders. The Horse Lover’s Club in Chaeng Wattana welcomed our pupils with open arms and have been catering to their different abilities. The first session was kept in-house with pupils learning more about the benefits of horse riding as a sport and for therapy, the dos and don’ts and the equipment and attire needed to enjoy the activity. The preceding sessions have seen these pupils grow in leaps and bounds in confidence, technique and coordination all whilst displaying huge smiles on their faces. All pupils are now able to control a horse or pony without a leader and have successfully mastered rising trot and had a go at a canter. The more advanced riders have been jumping, hacking and showing off their roundthe-world skills.

Horse riding will also be offered in season 3 but there are limited places.

Tania Shannon Teacher of Mathematics and horse riding activity specialist

32

LATEST UPDATES

Harrow Bangkok International 7s Football Tournament On January 17th and 18th we hosted our third international football tournament with over 1,100 students flying in from ten different destinations. The first day started off perfectly with all girl teams entering the pitches to the tune of the Champion’s League music.

From there we were treated to the Thai and English national anthems, lead by Minnie Y11 Josh Y13. The tournament format was made up of twelve teams split into two groups of six. After the first day of matches, the top three teams would make their way to Saturdays Champions League, the bottom three teams would enter the Premier League. By splitting the teams after day one of action, this would ensure all teams would be evenly matched going into the last day of combat. Our girls teams did exceptionally well, making everyone involved tremendously proud as every team reached the Champions League. U9’s finished second overall, U11’s narrowly missed out on a medal by finishing fourth, U13’s were crowned Champions! U15’s finished third, which is an amazing feat as they hadn’t trained for the tournament, they were only put together for this one-off event.

Our boys had a mixed first day of emotions with our U9s finishing top of their league and looking forward to the Champions League on Saturday. The U11s ended up with a place in the Premier League, U13’s finished top of their group and, like our U9s, were looking forward to the Champions League. U15’s were involved in what ended up being called the ‘group of death’ whereby all teams were high calibre. After encountering five tough games they were to go into the Premier League.

safe enough to play in. Luckily for us, the AQI dropped down at 9:30 am, allowing proceedings to continue at 10:00 am. The games were shortened to a straight twelve minute game instead of two halves of ten minutes. After winning all their fixtures the day before, our U9’s found things a little different the next day. too may 0-0 draws ended them finishing in sixth place.

The U11 managed to secure a medal in third place in the Premier League. The U13s, like our U9s, found life tough in the Champions League with us finishing 6th place. However our U15’s restored our joy by winning every game in the Premier League; Champions!

I have been involved in tournaments for the past twenty years and I can honestly say the Harrow Bangkok International 7s was by far the best tournament to date.

This is mainly down to our dedicated PE Department and the support we received from the school. The feedback we continue to receive is extremely gratifying and something our community should feel proud in knowing Harrow Bangkok can put on one of the best football tournaments in Thailand. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our Football Academy parents for their overwhelming support throughout this season.

Our attention will now focus on BISAC which will take place on February 1st.

Wear your Lion with Pride!

Darren Jackson Head of Football

In terms of wishing for a perfect start we couldn’t have asked for a better one; everything went to plan and parents enjoyed a wide range of popular brands, ranging from Oakley to Decathlon and there were trips on offer such as going to the Tokyo Olympics.

Day two didn’t start so well as we had to delay the opening games due to poor air quality, fortunately we had several backup plans in case of such disruptions. All students were gathered inside the Sports Hall until the air become

33

LATEST UPDATES

Hong Kong International Youth Performance Arts Festival, Thailand On Sunday 24th of November, Jenny (5C) took part in the 7th Hong Kong International Youth Performance Arts Festival, Thailand Regional Preliminary Round.

Kru Nun (a Harrow Bangkok piano teacher) accompanied her beautifully during the competition. Jenny was awarded First Place for Violin ABRSM G.5 category taking her to the Final Round in Hong Kong which will take place in January 2020!

Chris Johnson Director of Music

ABRSM Cello Grade 3 Proad in Y5P has recently been awarded the highest score in Thailand for ABRSM Cello Grade 3.

Last year he also gained the highest score in Thailand. For these achievements he has been invited to perform at the ABRSM High Scorers’ Concert on March 28th at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre and he’ll receive a certificate from ABRSM board and directors from England.

Chris Johnson Director of Music

34

LATEST UPDATES

LAZER TAG feature on

Mellow 97.5 FM On 10 Dec 2019, LAZER TAG Band, whose members include Petit, Tungta, Fleur, Bai-Bua, Tyme and Jaokun (Y5M) was given a great opportunity to be on a live radio broadcast show called the ‘Sincharoen Mellow Show Chao Talai Jone’ at MCOT, a famous local broadcasting channel. The band members gave a friendly interview together and talentedly performed 4 songs – ‘My Ambulance’, ‘Rolling in the Deep’, ‘It’s My Life’ and ‘Livin’ on a Prayer’ (mashed up) which highly impressed the listeners. The radio programmers also praised how Harrow Bangkok has given young students such an opportunity to showcase their potential as well as wholeheartedly support the band every step of the way.

The band members expressed that this experience has truly inspired them and will push them forward with strong determination that will definitely further the development of LAZER TAG Band.

Chris Johnson Director of Music Penguin in C10 won the Girls U16 Faldo Series Thailand golf tournament in Hua Hin, 5-7th December 2019.

35

LATEST UPDATES LATEST UPDATES

Nehru House

charity visit ‘On Monday 2nd December 2019, I had the opportunity to return to Baan Rachawadee Ying to visit the girls there for the second time. My friends and I brought with us some supplies to donate alongside colour pencils and other equipment required for our drawing session with the girls. Looking back, I must say that I really enjoyed my time there as the girls were really sweet and fun to talk to. To me, the friendships formed as well as seeing the positive impact we had made during our visit was what made this such a memorable experience at which I am proud to have been a part of.’

Nina N12 ‘This experience had taught me to be more grateful for life. The girls at Baan Rachawadee are able to find joy in the smallest of things such as drawing for them or writing their names for them. They taught me that there is more to life than just academic success. We should be grateful for everything because we are truly lucky to be who we are today.

Thep N12

36

LATEST UPDATES LATEST UPDATES

The Prometheus Society and

Reading for the Blind trip

‘It was great to see students from all year groups showing leadership during the trip. The Sixth Formers were running the trip, and the SR5 and Prep students were leading the activities at the school. Although our visit to Dialogue in the Dark would be our last, as they will no longer be available in Bangkok, we were able to form a strong connection between Harrow Bangkok and the Bangkok School for the Blind and was a great opportunity for Harrovians to bond with and understand students.’

‘This trip was so much more than meeting and providing activities for students with visual imparities, as before we went to visit the students, I had the chance to go to Dialogue In The Dark. This was my highlight because not only have I wanted to empathise what it is like being blind, but it was enjoyable going through different lessons. I had the opportunity to experience what it feels like to be blind in everyday situations. This allowed me to fully acknowledge how fortunate I am and experience how people with visual imparities can live their lives with no regrets or pity for themselves.

Once we arrived at the school where we provided activities for the students, I felt so grateful and happy that the students did not treat me any different. They laughed and joked with me like there are no barriers between us and that we are no different. At this point, I was able to fully understand what the guide from Dialogue In The Dark meant when he said, “happiness isn’t about how much you have” because the children I’ve met have proven to me that if we have the right mindset and thrive on being a better version of ourselves, there are no possible barriers not even physical ones.’

Nikko S13 and Logic So12

Erika K13

The Prometheus Society aims to increase and promote accessibility for people with disabilities within our community. This is our second year running this society and we partnered with Reading for the Blind school activity, to plan a trip to Dialogue in the Dark and Bangkok School for the Blind on 8th December 2019.

37

LATEST UPDATES

erall which achieved 6th place ov the boys’ team also achieved a . The swimmers also was a fantastic result total of 21 medals: • 11 gold medals • 1 silver medal • 9 Bronze medals swimmer, on goes to our junior A further special menti re catsco ll the 9-10 boys overa Thi, who finished 1st in egory. ults could ember that all these res It is important to rem nk you to mwork, so an extra tha not happen without tea ed in this olv inv Lion swimmers coaches, parents and all rpe ns Lio k ko top Harrow Bang n.

Before Christmas, the Frenzy’ competitio attended the ‘Feeding rs me in this w formance swim rro Ha The mers who competed n at Bangkok Patana. done to all the swim ll on, We Jiw , el an ev swimming competitio Se h-l y, hig Aja s t, ged to attend thi Ami, Trey, Yach vile m, pri Ba , re da we An m t: i, en tea Th k ev ko m, Bang were conmei, Melody, Pri tion as the attendees , Nicky, Mya, Mario, Re ey Jo d y, an Ra i Mik in k, performance competi ms tea Nammon, Tang, Patric of the strongest swim TJ, Mack, Bebee, Pak, sidered to be some Emma.

South East Asia.

Deeply proud of you, t ou rmances through rfo pe at gre d ere off 26 swimmers were very mpetition. The results te Swimming the tough 3 days of co in overall Head of Eli ce pla 9th ing iev ach m vid positive, with the tea ll placing, Coach Da to an excellent overa team score. In addition

Feeding Frenzy

Swi mMeet

38

LATEST UPDATES

39

CATCHING UP WITH OUR COMMUNITY

HARROW BANGKOK

Janry Class of 2013, was at Harrow Bangkok for 10 years

AL UM NI

ALUMNI

What was Harrow Bangkok like for you?

The place that created who I am today. I learned many different aspects of life as a human via the trips and expeditions that took me out of my comfort zones. The time spent with friends was unforgettable and irreplaceable. The international community has always been the base of my global vision and most of all, enhanced my career opportunities.

What did you do after graduating from Harrow Bangkok?

London College of Fashion, UK. Bunka college of Fashion, Tokyo Japan What are you doing now?

Working as an activewear designer in Tokyo Are there any other things you’d like to share with the Harrow Bangkok community?

It’s the best time of your life. The place that gets the most out of you. Work hard but don’t forget to play harder!

Khaitoon

Class of 2013, was at Harrow Bangkok for 5 years What was Harrow Bangkok like for you?

Loved Harrow Bangkok. Great teachers/mentors. The boarding house experience was my favourite part of it all. I was there back during Ms Liz’s time. Being a boarder allowed me to be at school for longer in the evening if I needed tutoring, or work on an art project at the art block, or needed access to the library etc.

What did you do after graduating from Harrow Bangkok?

Went to university for a bit and decided it wasn’t really for me so I went to culinary school instead. I am now working as a cook. Having a degree doesn’t mean much in the kitchen. It is all about experience and climbing up ranks with those experiences.

Are there any other things you’d like to share with the Harrow Bangkok community?

To anyone who is not appreciative of their time at Harrow Bangkok currently, you should be. Because when I graduated there were so much I more I wish I did as a high school student especially at Harrow Bangkok where the opportunities are right there for you. Join a band, perform at the Benefit Bash (I don’t know if it is still called that), join an after school activity that you think may be fun, take advantage of all the resources available to you and the knowledge your teachers can impart upon you. Ask lots of questions. The teachers I knew at Harrow Bangkok were always prepared to teach you things even out of class times. And if you’re ever sick? Tired? Visit sick bay. The beds are comfortable. Have a creative idea for something related to House activities? Talk to your Head of House! There are so many things for you to do in Harrow Bangkok that you won’t have a chance to do again once you’ve left. So take advantage of your time there fully.

40

Sea Class of 2019, was at Harrow Bangkok for 5 years What was Harrow Bangkok like for you?

I think there was a lot of great support from the teachers, all of my teachers (tutors, Ms Sapphira, English, history, psychology, university counselors, and Sixth Form teachers) were all amazing. I probably wouldn’t have gotten through Sixth Form as successfully as i did without them. a lot of them became my parents away from home.

Harrow itself is very forward thinking, for example, allowing girls to year trousers (thanks to the student diversity team, CHROMA), the sexual harassment workshops, etc. which is something I really appreciate especially as someone who is openly LGBT in the school.

Are there any other things you’d like to share with the Harrow Bangkok community?

High school is tiny. It’s a minuscule part of your life, the drama you’re wrapped up in will seem like nothing in the future. Sometimes it’s better to just drop it and let it go - it’s not a loss. Nobody will care.

CATCHING UP WITH OUR COMMUNITY

Check

(left in the picture), Class of 2008, boarded at Harrow Bangkok for 3 years.

Alumni Check (left in the picture), Class of 2008, boarded at Harrow Bangkok for 3 years. After there, he studied Business at UK’s University of East Anglia. Nowadays, alongside his successful property consultancy, Check and his sister Roselyn and brother Bank have a popular Thai restaurant - Kin + Deum - 3 minutes’ walk from London Bridge tube station in Central London! There you’d find your favourite Bangkok dishes freshly and wholesomely made.

Saneh

Class of 2005, was at Harrow Bangkok for 2 years What was Harrow Bangkok like for you?

Even though I only spent two years at Harrow Bangkok, my time spent there has had a profound impact on my development. I particularly enjoyed my lessons with Mr Noble and Mr Grout. I was not very good at mathematics and they were patient with me. MUN was a great experience as well.

What did you do after graduating from Harrow Bangkok?

I went to Chulalongkorn University where I completed a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. After graduation, I joined my family’s business in the food and beverage retail space. We owned and operated 6 Subway stores until 2018.

What are you doing now?

Currently, as part of a joint venture operation, we (my family) own and run the Cali-Mex chain of restaurants in Thailand. We currently have 4 outlets in Bangkok (Sukhumvit and Silom). We also are partners in ventures in Singapore and Malaysia, set up to bring Japanese dessert brands to these countries.

What would you like to share with the Harrow Bangkok community?

I am still learning every day and by no means do I have it made (I don’t think anyone has). So I can only share what I think works for me today. I believe in being humble, living in the present and understanding that success is as much the destination as it is the journey itself.

Every day we work towards our goals and making progress is a success.

Khim

Class of 2019, was at Harrow Bangkok for 6 years What was Harrow Bangkok like for you?

I had a lot of great times at Harrow Bangkok! Teachers are very approachable and supportive. Also, there are many activities available for students to participate in which are very good opportunities for every student to shine in their own ways.

What did you do after graduating from Harrow Bangkok?

University of Bath, studying Accounting and Finance What would you like to share with the Harrow Bangkok community?

Sixth Formers’ kitchen is a very good place to spend time at…

Paul

Class of 2019, was at Harrow Bangkok for 8 Years What was Harrow Bangkok like for you?

Harrow Bangkok to me felt like my second home, especially during my Sixth Form life with Mrs Prout, Ms Brinn, and Khun Bee always there and supporting me whenever I needed help. Luckily, the Harrow Bangkok community were overwhelmingly nice to me during my 8 years here resulting in priceless moments and amazing opportunities which many could only dream of.

What did you do after graduating from Harrow Bangkok?

I am studying Mechanical Engineering at the University of British Columbia, known as UBC Are there any other things you’d like to share with the Harrow Bangkok community?

Always keep pushing yourself even in the darkest times, it will pay off at the end with no regrets. Nothing is Impossible.

41

CATCHING UP WITH OUR COMMUNITY

Keeping Connections Lovely to see a small group of Alumni join for a gathering in the last week of term.

Each ex-student had so much to tell us about what they have been up too. Alumni from 1998 through to 2018 chatted and laughed with us reminiscing about their Harrow Bangkok stories, naughtiness as well as success!

Liz Hammond Director of Development

42

n u d e n o tp s Po

a l l ti

in r te

y e th

r a e

43

44