Interviewing the new principal at Regents.
By BB, year 10
Ms Amos Turner Wardell, has recently taken over as the new principal at Regents International School Pattaya. Since then many changes have been made to the school and many students and teachers alike have been wondering what changes to expect next, and the details of her new role. Ms Turner Wardell speaks with me in her first interview with the student record.
Who is Ms Turner Wardell?
My name is Amos Turner Wardell, I have been in regents for 7 year. I joined in 2017 as the head of secondary, and I have spent February this year, last academic year, as the school principal.
How has your new role been?
My new role has been great. I’ve loved it honestly so far. I think I was ready for the challenge, and I think because I know the school very well, I know the students, especially in secondary, very well, and I know the parents very very well, in many ways it’s been quite a smooth transition. I won’t lie, it was strange taking over on the first of February which was a Wednesday morning rather than the start of the academic year, so I think it had its challenges starting in mid year, but overall so far so good.
Has there been any new challenges that have come with your new role?
Yeah I mean yeah there have been a few new challenges. There are a lot of things I deal with a lot more now than I would’ve before. Things like working with the regional office and a lot more work with directly with Nord Anglia than I would’ve been doing as the Head of Secondary. Obviously Secondary school has been my baby. All the current year 13s joined when I joined the school, so I feel like I know every there is to know about the Secondary school, but now I’m working with the primary school, the admissions and marketing, the finance team, the HR team. Although I’ve always worked with those areas a little bit I’m now working with them a lot more.
What have you enjoyed about your new role so far?
I think I said this yesterday actually when I had Student Takeover day, and I had the Head boy, Vladimir, as the school principal. What I love about the job more than anything is the diversity of what I do in a day. I’d literally be having conversations about a leak in the toilet, and then I’ll be in a strategy meeting about projects we’ll be building next year, looking at curriculum and timetables for the students, having a parent meeting, going to a student event and watching a performance, going to early primary and spending time with the little ones whether that’s reading stories or seeing them delivering workshops, so no day is ever the same which I really really like. It’s a lot of work, and it’s very fast paced which I also enjoy because I’d be bored otherwise, so that’s what I’d say I enjoy most.
Have you been planning anything/ anything students should expect?
Yes. I’m always planning. I have a bit of a reputation amongst the staff as a bit of a planner. You may have noticed around campus there have been a few upgrades and things since I have taken over, so we’ve had a lot. We’ve had the refreshing of the roundhouse, we’ve had new painting around secondary school, the new track. We currently have planned new changing rooms around the swimming pool coming next summer. We are going to be having upgrades in the tuck shop area. In Primary school we are having upgrades in the globe and in the playground area. I’m looking at other areas at the ends of the school as well, where boarding and DT are there are lots of upgrades planned. The problem is I don’t have enough time, but there will be many big big projects.
Any advice for students reading this article?
One of the things I love about regents more than anything is the community feel in which we have. One of our biggest strengths are our student lead initiatives, when the students really get behind something. The Student Record has been amazing. I remember it starting with the now year 13s, they came to me when they were in year 11 and said we want to do a school newspaper and it’s only grown and grown and grown over that time and I think it’s an amazing experience for students to get into that kind of leadership. My call out to any students reading this, if you have any ideas or projects for something you would be really interested in running come talk to me because I’m probably going to say yes, unless it’s super crazy, like playing Fortnite in school which I’m not gonna allow, but I’m always exited to have new ideas. For me you guys are the most important people here and your ideas matter, so if you have any ideas please come talk to me and we can make it happen.
Note: That was ms Turner Wardell, the principal of Regents International School Pattaya. If you have any ideas or questions feel free to contact Ms Turner Wardell personally. If you are interested in participating in the Student Record as a member or a guest writer, please contact me (BB) or Rose, the editors of the student record. That was the interview with Principal Turner Wardell.
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