Wellington Week 20 October 2023

Friday 20 October 2023

Mon 23-Fri 27 Oct – Half Term Holiday

Sun 29-Mon 30 Oct - DofE Bronze Practice
w/c 30 Oct - Junior School Poetry Week
Tues 31 Oct – Junior School Parent Workshop - Years 1 to 6 – Assessment and Reporting
Tues 31 Oct – Halloween Dress Up Day
Wed 1 Nov – Poppy Appeal Launch

Weds 1 Nov – Senior School Parent Workshop – Music in Senior School
Weds 1 Nov - Fixture: GBAC Swim Meet at WCIB (all day)
Thurs 2 Nov – Year 7 Parents’ Social
Fri 3 Nov – Senior School Global Citizenship Day
Sat 4 Nov – Sixth Form Scholarship Day
Sun 5 Nov – Wellington Warrior Run (organized by Friends of Wellington)

Mon 6 Nov 8.15 – Senior School House Open Morning – Talbot Parents
Tues 7 Nov – Junior School Parent Workshop – How To Be Digitally Safe
Weds 8 Nov – Senior School Parent Workshop – Sport in Senior School
Weds 8 Nov – DofE Bronze Ceremony
Fri 10 Nov – Year 1 to 6 Curriculum leaflets to parents

Mon 13 Nov – World Kindness Day
Tues 14 Nov – Junior School Parent Workshop – Years 1 to 6 - Unveiling the Core Principles of the Maths Mastery Approach
Weds 15 Nov – Senior School Parent Workshop – Year 11 – Organising Revision
Sat 18 Nov – Festival of Education hosted at Wellington
Weds 22 Nov – Senior School Parent Workshop – Launch of the Sixth Form and Introduction to A-Levels

Sat 2 Dec – Christmas Fayre
Tues 5 Dec – School Closed – National Holiday
Fri 8 Dec - Senior School House Open Morning – Lynedoch Parents
Fri 15 December – Last Day of Term
Tues 9 January – First Day of Lent Term

PLEASE SEE EMAILS FOR DETAILS OF ALL SPORTS FIXTURES. DETAILS OF CHRISTMAS CONCERTS WILL BE SHARED VERY SOON!

Dear Parents

It’s Michaelmas Half Term holiday, which means we are almost a quarter of the way through the school year already!

A couple of weeks ago, we celebrated UNESCO’s World Teachers’ Day. It’s worth stopping for a moment and thinking about that. Because the teachers and ALTs who work with your children at Wellington are some of the most capable education professionals anywhere, and they deserve some celebrating.

It’s easy to forget that fact sometimes, in the middle of our own busy lives.

But imagine being an Early Years teacher, for example. We all know from experience how hard it can be when you’re with one crying toddler: if only they’d just calm down and see sense! But the teachers don’t just have one or two – they have a whole class. And they’re not only with their students: they’re also teaching them some of the most important things they will ever learn.

Even today, when AIs can deliver information instantly, teachers still have to know, and really understand, what they are teaching.

And teachers have to care, as well. All of them. About every one of their students. That’s the first part of the job: build relationships and care. Without that part, the other part (develop their knowledge, understanding and skills) will not work well at all.

That’s right: caring about each student is the most basic of a teacher’s many roles. Well, caring may sound easy enough, but – actually – there appear to be cognitive limits to how many people you actually can care about (Dunbar’s Number says the total is 150). Part of a teacher’s job is to push that boundary, for the benefit of your children :)

So I am taking this space today to say thank you to all our education staff at Wellington College Bangkok. They deserve more than I am able to give, but I trust that parents will join me in honest appreciation – not just for one day, but all year long! Have a great break – see you on Monday 30th October.

Have a wonderful week

Chris

Dear Parents

It has been an exhilarating – and yes, sometimes exhausting – first half of Michaelmas Term in the Skylight Building. I am genuinely thrilled by the huge amount that students and teachers have already achieved – and excited about everything that has been set in motion for the rest of this academic year.

It is good to see how well most of the new Year 10 students have taken to their new programmes of study. IGCSEs bring greater depth – and quite a lot more prep – and they are handling both with aplomb! At the same time, Year 11s have risen to the faster pace and intensity of study that becomes necessary as exams begin to loom larger on the horizon. There is work to do for everyone, and redoubled focus for some, but also a powerful feeling of movement and progress.

I have really enjoyed the opportunity to sit down with Year 11 students and parents to discuss their ideas and aspirations for Sixth Form. The formal launch of the Sixth Form programme of study is on Wednesday 22 November. The launch event will be an opportunity to learn more about the A Level programme and how it fits in with our extensive Sixth Form programme of service, extra-curricular activities, Global Citizenship, and preparation for university. Before the formal launch, I wanted to talk to every family to talk through the details of how we will put a bespoke programme together for each individual student. I look forward to catching up with more of you during the week after half term.

Something else to look forward to after the break is our first Global Citizenship Day, on Friday 3 November. Global Citizenship is about understanding one’s own and others’ cultures, recognising and respecting differences while at the same time being able to recognise the common, universal, values and principles that bind us together all around the world. We want our students to be inspired and empowered to make a positive impact in the world – in the local community, at national level, and internationally. This is why service is a key part of our Global Citizenship Day. Different year groups will engage in different activities on campus and off campus with our partner charities Scholars of Sustenance, Habitat for Humanity, and TerraCycle. (Please do look out for my separate letter giving further details about what each year group will be doing and how you can support their endeavours).

With so much already behind us, and such a lot to pack in as soon as we return to school, this does seem like a good time to take a break. Whatever you have planned over half term, have a wonderful time. I look forward to seeing you a week on Monday.

Best wishes,

Jim

Dear Parents

It is lovely to be writing to you all after such a busy half term in the Junior School.

When I compare the first days of the academic year to now, it is so wonderful to see how settled the children have become, adjusted to their new routines and having developed such strong relationships with their teachers and peers. This is true for all our students, but particular credit must be given to our Pre-Nursery children, many of whom had never spent time away from their parents before they started at school. How wonderful to see their developing independence and confidence, displaying so much enjoyment in coming to school each day.

Reading has remained a huge focus this term, with students in Years 1 to 6 exploring class authors, as well as immersing themselves into a range of exciting core texts (many linked with their Theme learning). Meanwhile, we have also launched our new phonics and Early Reading programme from Reception through to Year 2 (Read Write Inc) and it has been excellent seeing the focused learning of each child as they develop their knowledge and understanding of how to read.Another highlight of the half term has been our House events – both the impressive speeches of our Year 6s as they put themselves forward for election, as well as the enjoyment of our first House competition – with the creative designs of our paper airplanes. It was great to see student leadership in action as the House captains both supported the running of the competition, as well as helping teachers determine the winning plane in each heat.

Also, we have seen the start of our year group performances within assemblies, with Year 6 sharing their fantastic learning experiences so far about Mexico. Incorporating aspects of writing, student presentations around similarities and differences between Mexico and Thailand, as well as traditional Mexican dance, this really was a creative and highly successful performance. We can’t wait for the rest of our year group assemblies over the coming terms.

Students and teachers have very much valued having parents in school for our Michaelmas Open Classrooms – I know how much our students love sharing their learning experiences with you all, and it’s great to be able to showcase all the meaningful opportunities that the children have taken part in. From family trees to animation, reading sessions to Mayan Maths, the opportunities to get creative, collaborate with parents, and have lots of fun whilst doing so is incredibly valuable for all our children.

There have already been a number of sporting successes to celebrate this half term, with students taking part in basketball, football and swimming competitions against other international schools in Bangkok. It is so pleasing to see the increasing competitiveness of our students as their skills and confidence increase, and we are so proud of everyone who takes part. In addition, the friendly athletics tournament involving a large number of KS2 students was also a great success, with our students thoroughly enjoying the opportunity to compete.

Another highly enjoyable aspect of school life has been our Enrichment launch, with the largest range of choices available to students than ever before. The variety of exciting learning opportunities on offer is a credit to the ingenuity, creativity and commitment of our teachers; from frisbee to rock band, chess to Chinese dance, Tech Titians to newspaper – there really is something for everyone (and also so much more!)

And finally, another notable celebration of the half term has been the incredible Welly Walk that all students in the College took part in to raise money for Banpubon School in Kanchanaburi. The aim was to raise enough money to redo the school’s library, however the grand total far surpassed everyone’s expectations and so we now also look forward to helping to fill the library with books for all the children. Thank you so much for everyone’s extraordinary enthusiasm and generosity in this project, and a massive thank you to Ms McCraw for all her planning towards the event. What a wonderful success!

As you can tell, it really has been a bonanza half term, with so much to celebrate and enjoy. Now I wish you all a super break, and hope everyone gets the chance to relax and recharge their batteries as we look forward to an exciting and action-packed second half of Michaelmas term as we lead up to Christmas and the variety of opportunities that are afforded to our children.

Many thanks

Hannah

Exciting Developments at Wellington College Bangkok

During the summer recess and the first half of Michaelmas Term, we have continued to push forward with the capital development of the Campus. The new Senior sports pitch, South Field, opened on 9 October, and the exceptional grass surface will undoubtedly play host to many exciting sporting events, and Wellington victories, in the years ahead. Construction of the covered Tennis Courts is on schedule for opening at the start of Lent Term. There will be four new courts, using the same surface installed at the Australian Open, a roof for all-weather play, lighting so the courts can be used in the evenings, and seating for parents and visitors to watch both tennis matches and activities on the sports pitch.

The interior decoration of Floors Four and Five of the Senior School is well-advanced, for handover by the end of January and access to students after the February half-term break. The Fourth Floor will house five new Science Labs and further classrooms. The Fifth Floor will have outstanding Art facilities, as well as being the home of the new Sixth Form from the start of the 2024/25 academic year.

Construction of the Crowthorne Building will start in January 2024, after the foundation piling was completed over the summer. The building is scheduled for opening in August 2025 and will complete the School’s teaching and learning facilities for Years 5 and 6, and Senior students, including world-class facilities for Music, Design Technology, Digital Technology, and Drama.

We are also accelerating the rolling refurbishment of our existing facilities, with a significant amount of repainting and maintenance work taking place during the summer break. The Junior Playground has now been resurfaced, and we are sourcing the highest quality of playground equipment from international specialists for installation in mid-2024.

Dr Peter Church – Bursar

Sports Half Term Round Up

As we wrap up an exhilarating half-term of sports, our basketball season has been a resounding success thus far with seven competitive teams in action. Introducing B-team basketball has expanded the playing field, engaging 104 students into competitive basketball from Year 6 to Year 11—representing an impressive 32% of our student community. This achievement is one we proudly celebrate, anticipating exponential growth in the near future.

Over the past seven weeks, our basketball enthusiasts have participated in 29 thrilling games. Noteworthy triumphs include our U11 boys, U13 girls, and U15 girls who remain undefeated in their league games so far. We are excited to see the remainder of their league games played and how our teams finish their season. Looking ahead, all our teams, both A and B, are gearing up for GBAC basketball tournaments in the next half term. This presents a fantastic opportunity for them to showcase their skills and compete against teams from across Bangkok.

Mark your calendars for the upcoming basketball tournaments:

1. 8 November: U13 Basketball Tournament

2. 10 November: U18 Basketball Tournament

3. 16 November: U11 Basketball Tournament

4. 22 November: U15 Basketball Tournament

5. 12 January: U13B Basketball Tournament

6. 27 January: U11B Basketball Tournament

7. 2 March: U15 and U18 All Star Basketball Game

Cricket: Cricket continues to flourish, attracting a record number of participants, with the focus in Michaelmas Term on the preparation of our Under 12 teams for the inaugural GBAC competition to be hosted at Wellington on Wednesday 6 December.

Table Tennis: This term has seen the launch of the new competition squad, with weekly training by Coach Pla, Thailand’s leading female table tennis player, which has been created to support students in accessing pathways to compete in regional and national tournaments.

Swimming: This new school year has seen the new learn to swim scheme launched with 9 levels for our students to try and achieve to help all aspects of their swimming experience.

Swim squad now has over 60 swimmers and we have been amazed with how well they have done in training and in competition. Recently our Juniors attended the Bangkok Prep Puppy Cup . With lots of medals won and personal best times the swimmers had a great time . The Wellington Junior Swim Team finished a very respectable 4th place and I have a big belief that we can go even higher next year. Our senior Wellington Senior swimmers attended the Suphanburi 100+ Region 2 Swimming Competition which saw some of the best swimmers in Thailand compete . It was amazing to see our swimmers not only compete but win gold, silver and bronze medals. Klarnissa won top girl trophy for the 12–13 girls and Baikao won the top girl trophy for the 15-18 girls.

It’s great to see so many students excited about swimming at Wellington and we can't wait to make swimming here bigger and better.

Golf at Wellington College Bangkok is off to an exciting start this half-term! With numerous individual successes, personal best scores, and a strong performance from our team, we're currently ranked 3rd in the inter-school’s league. Expect us to keep climbing the leaderboard throughout the year. We're also thrilled to have our junior team in action a few weeks ago, and they'll be representing the school again in November. Giving opportunity to everyone is something I am striving for here at Wellington. Follow our journey on Instagram @wellingtonbangkokgolf for more updates. Stay tuned for exciting news and updates as we finalise our plans! #WellingtonGolfSuccess #WellingtonBangkokGolf

Many thanks,

Helen

Dear Parents,

And the half-term break is coming!! So fast, isn’t it?

A lot has been done in the first half of the Michaelmas Term - including a special seminar which was timely and a big success, and two coffee mornings with FoW where we got to welcome many new volunteers who come with many new interesting ideas. Throughout the Half Term we have held a series of FoW meetings to lay out a plan for a series of fun and constructive activities.

For the second half of the Michaelmas Term, we have in store for you two huge and exciting activities: the Warrior run on Sunday 5 November, and a Christmas Fayre on Saturday 2 December.

The Warrior Run is an action-filled event where the runners will get to run through various obstacle courses in the beautiful Wellington campus. This certainly is an event where fitness and fun come together.

For our signature Christmas Fayre, those who joined last year Christmas Fayre will know how much fun it is. Last year’s Fayre was very spectacular but please wait and see this year’s Fayre! More extravaganza and more surprises are awaiting you. The FoW Committee has already planned the event in detail and all the committees are extremely excited.

I wish you all a great half term break and please make sure that you are ready for these two super fun events when the term restarts!

Notachard Chintakanond (Noat)

Christmas Fayre Update

We are getting very excited about our biggest, best Christmas Fayre. Our Friends of Wellington are meeting daily with all of us here in School and plans are well underway! This year we have so many exciting stalls, games, new areas and old favourites. Santa will be joining us and there will be singing, performances on several stages and lots of dressing up! There will be a SURPRISE performance at the end of the event! Tickets go on sale on 9-10 November in both lobbies.

Wellington Warrior Run Update

🥁Our Warrior Run is coming soon🥁 Wellingtonians, if you don't have your running tickets yet, there’s plenty of time to join this fun family event! Wellington Warrior Run 2023 🏃‍♀️🏃🏃‍♂️🏃‍♀️🏃🏃‍♂️🏃‍♀️🏃 📍 takes place on Sunday, November 5📍 Let's come together to promote a healthy fitness culture with WCIB Warrior Run!!! ☢️

What is Warrior Run?

1. It's an obstacle course run within the school premises.

2. Everyone gathers on Sunday morning to exercise together.

3. Delicious food stalls available after the run.

4. Everyone who completes the run gets a medal.

The run is divided into categories for kids, teenagers, and adults. "The Movement Playground" team organizes the run as follows: *💙Early years (run with a parent, 8:30-9:30 am) *🧡Year 1 - 6 (9:30-10:30 am) *❤️Year 7 and above, and adults (10:30-11:30 am) ⭐️ Event gates open at 8:00 am ⭐️ Buy your running tickets here: Link

✅Pre-order the latest running shirts today: Link

🎟️ You can also order running tickets and shirts via Line@: @fow_wcib See you on Sunday, November 5, 2566. You can arrive from 8:00

Our Year 7 and 8 girls have had a great opportunity this term to dedicate time to Dance during Games afternoons. And over just 5 sessions they have learned so much under the direction of Ms Helen Matthews. They performed Revolting Children from Matilda for a small, but very appreciative audience this week.

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At Wellington College Bangkok, we ensure that we offer many opportunities for our students to challenge themselves academically by entering competitions, taking leadership positions and participating in many different initiatives. Our Lunchtime Lecture series is a wonderful way for students to listen and learn and challenge previous ways of thinking.

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Earlier this week we were delighted to invite parents in for the first of our Senior School Open Mornings. Anglesey students welcomed their parents to join them in lessons to see what School is really like! Parents were greeted by Ms Katy Patchwood and Ms Milla Nakkeeran, House Tutors and Mr Stewart Findlay, Assistant Head of School, before hearing from Head of School, Dr Jim Panton.

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There is always something different going on in the Sports Hall. Yesterday our Junior School students were learning the basic skills of parkour as they watched their teachers demonstrate how to navigate the obstacles - then tackled the course themselves.

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It was an exciting and very busy afternoon for our Year 4 students yesterday as they prepared for our Food Fair. Our parents supported this event by working with their children to make delicacies from a number of countries including Spain, France, Greece and Germany. Lots of dressing up and some beautiful prints created by the students, based on European city maps added to the atmosphere.

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Yearbook

Our bumper 2022-23 Yearbook is now at the printers. We will be sending copies home in late November. Here’s a sneaky peek at what’s inside in the digital copy. We’d love to have your feedback on both this and the printed version. Believe it or not, we’re already thinking about the 2023-24 edition.

LINK

Reading Workshop – Presentation Link

If you enjoyed Gary Pidgeon’s workshop this week – please see the slides HERE.

Sansiri Halloween Activities

There are lots of Halloween activities going on straight after Half Term break. Our friends at Sansiri would like to share some details with you.

Connecting with your child during the holiday:

Quality time with your child is essential for their emotional and mental wellbeing. It also lays the foundation for a strong and everlasting parent - child bond. Try these tips during the holiday -

Build one-on-one time into your daily schedule - 10-15 minutes with your child or teen to play a game, talk, or go for a walk. It can be your personal time to connect.
Slow down – Every interaction is important, let your child or teen feel your presence when spending time with you. Listen to them, look them in the eye when talking to them – this will demonstrate care and attention.

Connecting with your child brings trust, security and beautiful lifelong memories.

It’s been another wonderful week for all our Wellington Stars! We love hearing all the news and we share many of the stories here each week.

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