Head of School Message

Dear Prem Community, 

I would like to thank everybody - students, teachers, all support and boarding staff for their hard work amid some difficult environmental conditions this term. Not only did everyone continue with fortitude despite the high AQI, we were also learning, teaching and working together in some very extreme temperatures. Therefore, particular thanks are due to our security, housekeeping and ground staff, who continue to work with pride even when it is uncomfortable to do so.

We are glad to welcome the coming Songkran break, a very important event in the Buddhist calendar, which heralds the start of the Thai New Year. New beginnings are always a gift: a chance to look back with gratitude; to reset our resolutions; to repair or renew relationships, to branch out and try new things and generally start afresh. In Thai tradition the festival starts with house-cleaning, includes precious family time and also provides for water-fun, a pertinent annual reminder that life should include more than a little glee and joyfulness amongst the difficulties and challenges that simply being alive entails. 

Taking the time to hold close to us all that we are grateful for is important. Any review of global news reminds us that those values inherent in our vision statement are not shared universally (That we educate global citizens who strive for excellence, live sustainably, lead responsibly, celebrate diversity, and whose integrity champions a just, more equitable and peaceful world). As we pause for this break, let’s keep in mind all those who are victims of injustice, inequity and war and acknowledge those who work in the service of others. 

Prem’s ‘service learning’ offerings were the subject of discussion and review with an educational consultant last week. We are proud of the way these service learning opportunities give rise to such important character attributes and competencies such as compassion, empathy, collaboration, open-mindedness and proactiveness. Reflection and action are two essential components of an IB education and you can read about many examples of both of these, in this week’s Community News.

I wish you a very safe and refreshing couple of weeks. 

With very best wishes, 

Rachel Keys M.A. (Oxon), M.Ed.
Head of School

Happy Songkran!

"Sawadee Pii Mai," which translates to "Happy New Year," are probably the words you'll hear the most all-around in Thailand during Songkran.

Songkran is a festival celebrating the Thai New Year, which takes place on 13-15 April every year. Water is an important element of Songkran, especially during more recent times when the throwing of water has become a huge part of the annual celebrations.

We celebrate Songkran to mark the beginning of the Buddhist New Year by visiting the temple on the morning of Songkran day and participating in the Bathing of the Buddha. This is an essential ceremony where devout Buddhists gently pour scented water over the Buddha images (Phra Phutharup) at home or at the temple, pour water on the hands of revered elders, and ask for blessings. They also splash water on their families and friends.

We do this because people believe that water will wash away bad luck, and splashing water during Songkran will bring New Year blessings. Traditionally, in Chiang Mai, the first day of Songkran is usually spent cleaning the house to remove accumulated bad luck. The second day is spent going to the temple to pray for good luck and bringing sand to the temple to prepare for the building of traditional sand castles. The third day is also spent at the temple for prayers for those who have passed away, and it is a day for Rod Nam Dam Hua, a way to honour elders and ask for their blessings. The third day is also the day when the traditional sand castles are built out of the sand that was brought to the temple the previous day.

How did we celebrate Songkran here at Prem? At Prem we celebrated Songkran by taking part in the Rod Nam Dam Hua Ceremony. During Rod Nam Dam Hua, we honour the elders, apologise for any wrongdoings and thank them for all they have done for us. We pour scented water on the hands of elders and ask for their blessings. Our community was encouraged to wear the Thai traditional dress during the Rod Nam Dam Hua ceremony. During Thai culture classes and in preparation for Songkran, students also learned how to make 'Tung Sai Moo,' the art of handmade paper cutting from Northern Thailand. I wish everyone a good experience during this Songkran holiday.

Happy Songkran!

Sukanya Charpentier (Boo)
Thai Principal

Happy Prem Songkran

Every year on the 13th, 14th, and 15th of April, Thailand celebrates Songkran Day, which is their New Year. It's a very important tradition that's been around for a long time, representing the essence of their culture. The word "Songkran" means "passing through" or "moving into," showing the transition of the sun between zodiac signs and marking the start of the New Year.

Today, in Junior School and Senior School, we celebrated Songkran, the Thai New Year, with lots of joy. At the beginning, we enjoyed music from the Lanna band "Lung Noi" and a lovely blessing performance from student called "Lao Siang Tian." We also did the traditional Rod Nam Dum Hua ceremony, pouring water over our teachers' hands to bless them. At the end, we all decorated sand pagodas with pretty flags which were made from students.

A big thank you to all the teachers and students who made this day special!

Let's keep spreading happiness and smiles as we celebrate Songkran! Wishing everyone a fantastic and joyful Songkran festival!

Natayathon Intarakumhang (Jang) and Suchaya Santivarakom (Ni)
Thai Teachers

Grade 2 Students Shine as Storytellers

Last week was really exciting for our Grade 2 students! After six weeks of learning all about storytelling, the students in Grade 2G and Grade 2L finally got to share their own stories with the younger kids in EY2 and EY3.



The Grade 2 students picked out their very best stories that they had been working so hard on. With big smiles, they practised reading the stories out loud to make sure they sounded fun and engaging.



When they visited the EY2 and EY3 classes, you could see the younger students' faces light up with excitement and curiosity. The Grade 2 students started reading their stories right away, and it was clear their friends were hooked! With each sentence, the Grade 2 storytellers painted pictures of amazing adventures and funny characters.



The younger kids absolutely loved hearing the creative tales. They listened so carefully, their eyes wide with wonder at all the exciting twists and turns. The Grade 2 students did an amazing job bringing their stories to life, and everyone was amazed by their imagination.  



Teachers were really impressed by how confidently and clearly the Grade 2 students read their stories too. It was such a proud moment!



After the storytelling was done, the classrooms were buzzing with happiness and energy. The Grade 2 students had made a big impact, showing their younger friends just how enjoyable and special storytelling can be.

The day was a great reminder about the importance of sharing stories and being kind to one another. It was a wonderful time of fun, friendship and celebrating the fantastic Grade 2 storytellers and leaders.

Grace Gedrich & Lara Walsh
Grade 2 Teachers

How We Organise Ourselves in Grade 3

Grade 3 students became action minded catalysts for change during their unit, How we organise ourselves. With the central idea, “Communities develop systems to manage adversity,” students thought carefully about the types of adversity that affect them, and they considered appropriate action that they could take to solve the problem. 

By creating procedural texts, students sharpened their writing skills and developed practical guides to reach others about their chosen adversity. Guides ranged from suggesting breathing techniques when you encounter non-sportsmanship, steps you should take if you get caught in a lightning storm or tornado and what you should do if you are bitten by a snake. 

Students were keen to take their understanding further and take action in various ways. A few students decided to collect data in order to find out which adversity people were most afraid of, then chose to make instructional manuals on how to survive if they were ever faced with that disaster. One student made a presentation on tornadoes and hurricanes as she was affected by them personally in America. Along with her mother, Charlotte presented to our class about what to do in case of a hurricane or tornadoes and highlighted systems in place in American schools in order to respond. She also demonstrated how communities come together to take action after major adversities happen in communities.

Jeremy Gaysek
Grade 3 Teacher

Grade 4 Trip to MAIIAM Art Gallery

School trips are a great way to kick off a new unit and really get students engaged in their Units of Inquiry. Grade 4 started their new unit on Dialectical Thinking by taking a trip to MAIIAM Contemporary Art Museum in the city. 

MAIIAM is a newly opened private museum of Contemporary Art in Chiang Mai, initiated by Jean Michel Beurdeley and his late wife Patrsi Bunnag, together with their son Eric Bunnag Booth. Built in memory of Eric Bunnag Booth’s Great Great Aunt Chao Chom Iam, a royal consort to King Rama V, the museum houses the family’s private collection, gathered together over the last 30 years. The museum houses paintings, interactive displays, sculptures, textiles and digital art works.

Dialectical thinking is all about looking at things from different perspectives and sharing and listening to different opinions. The Grade 4 students worked in pairs to find pieces of art that they liked and pieces they disliked. They took photos of the pieces and made notes about their opinions for each. This was a great way for them to experience a wide range of art and think about how the art works made them feel.

Back at school we explored the different perspectives students had about the same pieces of art. They then commented on their friends' opinions to see if they were able to see a different point of view.

This is a great unit for thinking skills and open mindedness. It allows students to share differing opinions and gives them the opportunity to learn from the thoughts and perspectives of others. 

Moving forward we will be linking this type of thinking to our previous unit on Influential People. Students will go back and look at the topical issue they researched and see if they can see it from a different perspective. 

Vicki Jagger
Grade 4 Teacher

Grade 5 Poetry Café!

Grade 5 students showcased their poetic talents during the Poetry Café event held on Tuesday. Parents and fellow students were treated to a delightful array of poems, each demonstrating the creative prowess of these young wordsmiths. From free verse to acrostics, diamantés to odes, the audience was captivated by the diverse range of poetic forms on display.

Throughout the 3rd term, these budding poets have been immersed in the rich world of figurative language and poetic devices. They have explored similes, metaphors, alliteration, onomatopoeia, repetition, and rhyming, mastering these tools to craft evocative and expressive verses.

But the Poetry Café was more than just a showcase of artistic talent. It was also an opportunity for the students to take meaningful action. In alignment with their unit of inquiry on migration and refugee issues, the Grade 5 students organized a cookie sale and raised 400 Baht for the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees). Through their initiative, they not only demonstrated compassion and empathy but also actively contributed to addressing real-world challenges.

The Poetry Café not only celebrated creativity but also highlighted the students' commitment to making a positive difference in the world around them. It was a testament to their growth as both poets and global citizens. 

Alison Thompson
Grade 5 Teacher

Senior Art Exhibition

This Monday our Senior School art students opened their IB art exhibition “Flourish and Wither, Bloom and Doom.” The exhibition had been two years in the making, with all middle and senior school students being invited to attend.

The event was a great success, showing pieces ranging from 3D models to sculptures to paintings and even silkscreen printing. A diverse set of art styles were on show, as were themes of love, animal cruelty, and grief, with each student exploring a focused topic of their choosing in their own curated spaces. Highlights include a tattooed kombucha skin about Thai heritage and custom made PEZ dispensers about growing up in society. Pieces showed both skill in artistic aptitude and the consideration of ideas, bringing complex concepts to life through a visual narrative.

“Flourish and Wither, Bloom and Doom” counts towards our students’ final art grades, which will soon be assessed externally by the IB examination Board. We hope to see even more exciting artwork being displayed from our Grade 11 students next year.

Zhifang L.
Grade 12 IB Student

ISTA Festival G11 IBDP Theatre Students travel to SAIGON!

Our G11 theatre makers went to Saigon last week to participate in an ISTA Festival ( International Schools Theatre Association). PREM is proud to be ISTA Global Patrons and partners.

ISTA holds around 70 festival events all over the planet every year and the theme of the Saigon festival was 'Confluences.' Students spent three days exploring the theme and traditional Vietnamese legends and stories with professional theatre artists. Learners also got to experience a thrilling ride by speedboat along the mighty Mekong river and a cultural experience seeing Vietnamese Water Puppetry. The festival culminated in a showing of work and then we went into Ho Chi Minh City and saw the amazing A O show - a true theatrical feast!

We have more ISTA festivals programmed for Middle School and High School as well as our very own Chiang Mai Environmental Symposium! Stay tuned! 

Ian Johnston
Director of Drama

Homemade Games Day!

Grade 8 Product Designers recently hosted Grade 4 for a Games Day! The twist? Grade 8 designed and made the board games themselves! Grade 8 has been busy unleashing their creativity and honing their collaboration skills in Product Design with teachers Erica and Mark. They have ventured into the world of board games, crafting their own original concepts from scratch, then using a full array of materials and equipment in the Product Design workshop to make their ideas into reality. Each team member embraced a distinct role, fostering teamwork and division of tasks.

Through this process, Grade 8 students have learned invaluable project management skills, mastering the art of maintaining schedules and coordinating diverse components. But here's where the real fun begins – testing their games for success! They set out to see if their creations achieved their intended goals and conducted authentic field testing by inviting Grade 4 students to play their games. Grade 4 delivered much appreciated feedback for their older peers to analyse. Grade 4 liked the games so much they didn't want to stop playing!

Erica Denison, Theory Of Knowledge Coordinator
Mark Bosworth, Curriculum Leader for Design, International Award Coordinator

Grade 9 and IEP Forum Theatre

A group of Grade 9 Prem Drama and Theatre students led workshops on Brazilian Theatre Maker Augusto Boal's 'Theatre of the Oppressed' using Forum Theatre as a tool for discussion and promoting change.

The Grade 9 students worked with a cross-section from grade 3 to Grade 5 students from Prem's Intensive English Programme (IEP) by presenting a series of scenes of oppression or injustice and asking the IEP students to come on stage, take a role and solve the problems!

It was a hugely enjoyable 80 minute session for all involved featuring debate, critical thinking, much laughter and of course Drama! Our drama students were amazing independent workshop leaders and our IEP cohort were enthusiastic and original in how they approached the problems presented.

Ian Johnston
Director of Drama

Language through lenses

Elisa Cuccinelli, a French-Italian filmmaker and art director known for her work with brands like Gucci and Nike, recently took her creative talents into our Intensive English Program department. As part of the Artist Residency Thailand program, she engaged with students to ignite innovation and storytelling, through film and audio recording. Elisa’s residency was another powerful example of the quality of engagement and agency that can come through integrating arts focused lenses into the teaching and learning that takes place at Prem. We were particularly proud of how our IEP students connected their learning to the environments around them and at the confidence they displayed in using skills and media-focused techniques, visual storytelling and poetry to enhance their English-language skills. 

You can look at the result of the main project outcome through video link. We look forward to sharing some of the individual group videos in the IEP department, after the Songkran break.

Alex Soulsby FRSA
Creative Director

Boarding Weekend Activities

During the first weekend after the April break, our boarding community started with a peaceful Friday, offering our boarders a chance to unpack their belongings and make themselves back at home. On Saturday, while some of our boarders accompanied staff on a trip to procure essential groceries, others enjoyed a film at the cinema. Meanwhile, back on campus, the aroma of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies attracted people to the boarding lounge kitchen, where eager hands worked together to create sweet treats for all to enjoy. On Sunday, the hot weather inspired our boarding team to plan an exciting trip to Chiang Mai's famous Tube Trek Water Park. With excitement building up, students eagerly seized the chance to enjoy splashing around, sliding on the large artificial beach, and riding the spiralling slides (a top pick among boarders) while patiently waiting in line to go again. It truly was a weekend packed with laughter, adventure, and the sense of community within our boarding family.

Renuka Suayan (Noina)
Thai Teacher / Boarding Parent

The Prem Music Academy

The Music Academy is open to all members of the Prem Community - students, staff and parents. Also, we cater to absolute beginners or more advanced musicians. Trial lessons are possible on any instrument and this first trial lesson is free of charge. Our team of visiting professional musicians will give students constructive feedback within a structured framework of continual improvement – step by step. Check out the video to get a closer look!

Christopher Johnson
Director of Prem Music Academy

Stellar Performance at the Big 5 South African Open!

Hats off to T.J. Fisher for his stellar performance at the Big 5 South African Open!  Not only did he secure a top 5 finish at Magalies Park Golf Resort, but he also earned a spot on the International Team for the Geert’s Cup. Out of 130 players from 23 countries, T.J. represented Thailand brilliantly as the sole Thai competitor.

With drives exceeding 350 yards, T.J.'s power on the course was truly impressive, especially at 3800 feet above sea level. His longest recorded drive reached an incredible 360 yards! Despite the challenging course and undulating greens, T.J. rose to the occasion.

Selected as one of the top two International players, T.J. will continue his golf journey at the upcoming Thailand Championship in Hua Hin, followed by the Australian Masters at Hunter Valley Resort.

Beyond his remarkable achievements, T.J. remains dedicated to giving back, joining Coach Sid in supporting the Golf Exploria program. Thank you, T.J., for your inspiring dedication and congratulations from all of us at Prem!

Siddhart Nag
Director of Golf Academy & Boarding Parent

Introducing Our Panthers Coaching Community 

The PREM Panthers are fortunate to have coaches from all corners of our PREM community. Our U8-U20 coaches are SS Teachers, JS Teachers, PREM Parents, Youth Assistant Coaches, & Alumni. In International schools community members like teachers, parents, & alumni, make the best sports coaches-- for reasons too numerous to mention here.

When someone in our community shares their passion for a particular sport with a group of young student-athletes the whole community is strengthened in ways easily, and not so easily, seen-- immediately and in the long term. I personally think young people have never needed connection & community more than they do right now in our post-pandemic technology-obsessed world. Sports are one pathway to connection & community-- perhaps the best. So much of youth sports is really not about the sports!

Over the course of the coming months, I will be sharing a little sports-focused biography of each of our Panthers coaches in order to increase community awareness of who our coaches are, which teams they have coached this year, & what they believe in. If you would like to join our Panthers coaching community, please don't hesitate to contact myself or Lee Stevens. 

Adam Copus 
Co-Athletics Director

RETURN OF THE ANNUAL PANTHERS BANQUET

It is with great excitement that we announce the return of the annual Panthers Banquet, for U12-U20 players, coaches, & Senior School SLT, this year on Friday, 17 May, 2024. From now until then members of the Middle School & High School Athletics Council will meet with A. Adam & A. Lee to co-construct this celebration of all things PREM Panthers. We will have trivia & other table games, a key-note speaker, photos of our dear coaches from their High School days, formal awards- as voted by team members and coaches-, "Most Valuable Player," "Rookie of the Year," (etc.) and some light-hearted team-specific award categories chosen by the team captains, "Loudest Player," "Least Likely to Run Extra Laps," etc, as well as "Coach of the Year," and our most prestigious awards: "Female Athlete of the Year" & "Male Athlete of the Year." This event will be co-hosted by two senior Panthers players. It takes a village to make youth sports work and we will be showing gratitude to everyone from senior leaders, coaches, subject teachers, parents, photographers, to PREM Transport. If you wore a Panthers uniform this year, and competed in any U12-U20 sport, you will be invited! More information to follow in due course.

On behalf of the team,

Adam Copus
Co-Athletics Director

Literacy week will be happening as soon as we come back from Songkran break. It will be an exciting week with a collection of literacy activities all presented here. 

Come join us! Every week, we sit together to explore family wellbeing through mindfulness, Positive Psychology, and understanding social-emotional skills for your children. 

Tell us what’s going on in your corner of Prem. Submit your article by noon on Thursday of each week here: https://forms.gle/xCKe9GLgqQqgPjMz9. Your article will be published on these dates: