Head's Lines: Following in the footsteps of His Majesty the Late King Bhumibol

Head's Lines: Following in the footsteps of His Majesty the Late King Bhumibol The important dates of the ceremonies and activities remembering His Majesty the Late King Bhumibol… Developments emerging from the NAE Senior Leadership Team meeting in Switzerland … Information on parent ECAs … Last week’s heavy rains forced us to re-think our plans for campus development… Breakfast is now available at High School...Please join the International Day planning meeting organized by the PTG this Thursday.

With Deepest Respect from St Andrews International School Bangkok

For the Royal Cremation of

His Majesty the Late King Bhumibol Adulyadej

It has been almost one year since the passing of His Majesty the Late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, a great loss resonating in the hearts of Thai people throughout the world. The much-revered and beloved King passed away peacefully at the age of 89 on 13th October 2016 at Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok.  The Royal Cremation and merit-making activities are planned to last five days starting from 25th until 29th October 2017 at Sanamluang Royal Crematorium where the “Architecture of Heaven” – an elegant nine-spired funeral pyre for the late King has been built especially for this ceremony. On 26th October, the Royal Cremation Ceremony will take place between 17.30 hr and 22.00 hr. The actual cremation is scheduled for 22.00 hr.

To express the profound sense of mourning that we all feel from the loss of our beloved Majesty the late King Bhumibol, St Andrews International School Bangkok would like to encourage the entire school community to observe an appropriate dress code in respect to this great man. If possible, we ask that you wear black or dark clothing, or at the very least, tone down the colours of your shirts or dresses for the entire month of October. Students should still come to the school wearing their normal school uniforms. Furthermore, during October we will not be wearing House Colours until the mourning period and the royal cremation is finished.  

NAE Senior Leadership Meeting

Last weekend I went to the annual Nord Anglia Education (NAE) Senior Leadership Team meeting held at Les Martinet in Switzerland from Friday 29th- 2nd October 2017.  This meeting involved many members of the Global Team Management group who support the recruitment of staff and organize many training opportunities for teachers via the NAE University portal.  Informative seminars were presented to School Principals from all around the world about these areas, and we offered our own  feedback and suggested ideas for the future direction of educational development.  Global educational  initiatives such as Juilliard, MIT, the Global Goals UN project and various other exploration & adventure projects were discussed.

We are particularly excited about our involvement with the Juilliard School’s music and arts programme.  Our students and teachers have immensely benefited from the visits of the Juilliard specialist music teachers over the years.  To develop this relationship further, next year we will be introducing Juilliard dance programmes. This will be an electrifying development of creative expression through movement and dance across the school which I’m sure all ages will enjoy.  

Impressive as this Juilliard development is, this is just one avenue of educational development in the pipeline. Ultimately, this team meeting in Switzerland provided a ideal setting for school leaders from around the world to exchange ideas and discover new ways to improve the educational opportunities Nord Anglia can offer our children in the future, and I can’t wait to see them realised at St Andrews.

Parent Opportunities

There are now several activities running each day at school or in the surrounding area which parents can get involved in. Swimming, tennis, dance, yoga and “Thai language for Beginners” have all been organised by the PTG and use the school facilities whenever possible to allow parents to come together, learn and simply socialise.  Information about each day’s activities are available through Moodle, so please take a look and get involved if you can.  If you have any other suggestions for programmes you would like to see added, especially if you are willing to be involved  with their coordination and organization, please contact PTG representative Mr. Paul at polapatl@gmail.com

Last week’s Heavy Rains

Last week there were particularly heavy rain storms which affected both our Primary and High School.  The effects of these storms have been making us review future development plans for the walkways around the primary school, especially the area where Years 3, 4 and 5 currently line up in the mornings and afternoons.

At the High School campus the heavy rains did cause several areas to flood around the edges of the field and in the space between the gold and blue buildings. The High School has two large underground water pumps which direct flow into the main city drainage pipes along Sukhumvit Road.  Unfortunately one of these pumps was not operating correctly, thereby allowing water to accumulate in areas for longer periods than expected. This outcome did, however,  highlight the need for a raised walkway connecting the Gold and Blue Buildings. Even when both drainage pumps are working, it would be good to have this walkway in place as a contingency because, as we all have experienced, torrential rainfall in Bangkok comes quickly and without much warning. It would be best to be prepared for the possibility any resultant flooding . 

Expanded Canteen Offerings at High School

To meet the needs of students, teachers and other hungry members of the community who come to High School in the morning, Epicure is now serving breakfast sandwiches, fruits and juices. A good breakfast can provide the energy boost our bodies need for an active and productive day. I invite everyone to give these morning food options a try, and discover for yourself the difference a healthy breakfast can make in your day.
 

PTG International Day Country Representatives Meeting

The PTG will be conducting an International Day Country Representatives Meeting on Thursday, 5th October ​at ​8.30 am​ in the ​​Exam Hall located on the 7th floor of the Blue Building​​ at ​High School. This meeting will be the first opportunity parents will have to coordinate and organise International Day (10th of November in Primary School and 17th of November in High School).  I would like invite anyone who is available to participate in the planning of this important event in our academic calendar.

Just like last year, the PTG will be organizing the International Food Buffet, with the additional challenge of operating food stalls on both campuses. Last year, we had 25 countries represented and it would be great if we could top that, especially since we have families from 52 different nations around the world.

Contacts:

For parents who have any enquiries about Primary School, please contact officeps@standrews.ac.th or Tel: +66 2 381-2387-8

For parents with enquiries about High School, please contact officehs@standrews.ac.th or Tel: +66 2 056-9555