Dear Parents 

This week, the Senior School celebrated Wai Kru day in a rather splendid event in the Theatre. There were many flowers and it was great fun. The theme of Wai Kru is respect for teachers. Everyone in that ceremony could see that respect – in the careful way the students had prepared, and how they behaved, and the joy they expressed. Whilst I was giving my little speech, I was thinking about the way ‘good’ breeds more ‘good’. When people behave well, we respond well to them – and we respect them for it.   

This is true across all our values. Kind people engender kindness in others. Responsible people quickly generate a culture of responsibility.   

It also works the other way, sadly, if we do not take care. The complaining person can breed a whiny culture that benefits no-one. Angry people – naturally, we lose respect for them, but also they pull others with them into a vicious community of mistrust and resentment. 

As always, to guard against the bad, we adults must model the good, even when we don’t feel like it. Our students, staff and parents are pretty good at this, and I am very grateful for that.

And back to Wai Kru: thank you to every one of our teachers. They do a very difficult job with great passion, determination, commitment and sacrifice. In school all day, but also at home in the evenings and at weekends: the job rarely stops, and teachers almost never do! That deserves the respect of all of us. 

This is one of the peak times of the year for staff recruitment, so my weekend will involve a lot of interviews (of some really outstanding candidates). I hope yours will be as inspiring – if, perhaps, a little more family-orientated!  

With best wishes 

Chris 

Q: What is FoW and FoW Committee? 

A: FoW is everyone in the WCIB Community - parents, teachers, staff etc. You are automatically a member of FoW when you join WCIB. The FoW Committee is a group of volunteer parents who come together to work for the community focusing on organizing activities for community. There is no payment nor privilege for the FoW Committee except the joy we have when our activities are successful and we see the happiness of the students and our fellow FoW members. 

Q: What is the scope of work for FoW Committee? 

A: The work is mainly to manage and organize activities but another important element is to create a constructive environment and cordial relationship among the members. In some occasions when there is an issue of collective interest of the community, we can raise the issue with the school management in a friendly manner. We also manage  communications through various platforms such as the newsletter where the Chairman may write a message or through social media. When the occasion arises the Chairman speaks at events, representing the Committee.

Q: How long is term of the Committee? 

A: The term is 2 years but there are no limitations on the number of terms each Committee can serve. We choose 2 years in order to open the opportunities for other parents to join if they wish and we choose the nomination and election process so as to make sure it is open to everyone.

Q: Who can be nominated? And what is the process? 

A: You can nominate anyone you think suitable for the job regardless of whether you know that person personally. You can nominate yourself if you wish. Anyone can be nominated including the current Committee and any non-committee. When the nomination process is completed, a task force will approach each nominees to ask for their willingness to enter the election. If that person is being nominated more than one position then that person would need to choose just one position they wish to run for.

Q: Will there be any other positions apart from the 5 elected positions? 

A: Yes there will be. It is up to the Chairman to form the structure of the committee and invite other parents to join the committee. So there will still be the opportunity for anyone who wishes to be on a committee but doesn’t want to be in the elected position. There would also be a supporting team for parents that wish to be active but don’t want to take the official positions. There are no rules on the number of Committee Members but I would say it should not be too big or too small and it should be a diverse group. If you look at the current Committee Members, there are many nationalities, there are members from every year group, there are both dads and mums, and there are many occupations.

 Q: Is English compulsory?  

 A: We are international school so the main language we use is English as the Committee is from many nationalities. However, it doesn’t mean you have to be a native speaker. From my experience language is not a barrier and we manage to communicate. So don’t let the language hold you back !!

These are what I believe the are the main questions many people have. Please feel free to let me or any Committee Member know if you want any other information.  

Please nominate people you see fit. And don’t worry even though we are in the nomination and election process, the Committee is still working and planning activities. There is no dead air, please be sure about that! 

Please use the link HERE to apply.

Notachard Chintakanond (Noat) 

FoW Chair 

In our lessons, we have been learning about a chicken’s life cycle. We have learnt about how the embryo develops inside the egg, and we have ‘candled’ our eggs to see the veins inside the shell. 6 times a day, we check the temperature and humidity inside the incubator, and once a week we weigh the eggs to see if their weight is decreasing (which means they are growing!)

We’ll keep you updated when the chicks hatch! 

We are very excited about the upcoming Lunar New Year celebrations organized and coordinated by our wonderful Mandarin Chinese department. Head of Mandarin, Ms Chunzi (Tina) Tian tells us - 

In Chinese culture, the dragon symbolizes power, strength, and good fortune. We are eager to share the joy of this auspicious year with our students and community. The festivities will include captivating student performances and traditional dragon dances. Additionally, our students will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in various Chinese cultural activities, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation for the traditions. To add to the excitement, each student will receive a mystery gift as a token of our appreciation and best wishes for the Lunar New Year. 

May the coming year bring you prosperity, good fortune, and success. Wishing you a prosperous and auspicious Year of the Dragon! 

February Camp 

Please see details of our February Camp. Do get in touch if you’d like to know more.  

CAMP BEAUMONT - A LIMITED NUMBER OF PLACES HAVE NOW BEEN RELEASED FOR THE WEEK OF 19 FEBRUARY, 2024 ... 

Since the very first camp over 40 years ago, Camp Beaumont has inspired children of all ages to grow in self-confidence and independence. Programmes are developed with industry experts to encourage young people to get active, get outdoors, express themselves and so much more. With over 50 activities, from archery to junior yoga there really is something for everyone – and every day brings something new.

 Throughout the week, Camp Beaumont offers children the opportunity to learn new skills, discover new interests, try new things and have fun with new friends, all set within the fantastic facilities we have here at Wellington College. 

We're thrilled to announce that our website has been updated with all the exciting camps we have planned for 2024! Head over to www.campbeaumont.asia to explore the details and get a sneak peek of the incredible adventures awaiting your children. To obtain more information, don't hesitate to contact us at bookings@campbeaumont.asia or call us at (+60) 12 206 6095. Stay updated with the latest news by following our Facebook page and Instagram. We can't wait to provide your children with unforgettable experiences at our upcoming camps! 

Before Christmas we were proud of all our students who contributed to the Giving Tree. They filled bags with gifts for underprivileged children to ensure that they had something to make their lives special at Christmas. We are very happy to share that the gifts were received by the Karen children in Northern Thailand. Thank you so much to our very generous families.  

Thank you to Ms Tanisha McCraw for coordinating this activity and to all teachers who worked with the children on this. We look forward to many more activities across the School to benefit those less fortunate than ourselves. Our students are truly serving and helping shape a better world.  

We are super excited to let you know that the Yearbooks are now in School and will be sent home next week. Extra copies can be collected from Admissions and Marketing.  

Thank you all for checking the digital version and contacting us with your comments. We made all the amendments and additions we could. If you have any suggestions for the

23-24 Yearbook then we would love to hear from you. We will be using a slightly different format and hope that the Classbook sections will be with you at the end of Term 3. So not long to wait!