Panyaden International School observed Makha Bucha on the 5th of March, marking the Buddhist holiday that commemorates the spontaneous gathering of 1,250 enlightened monks to hear the Buddha’s teachings. The holiday itself fell on the 3rd, but students across all year groups took part in a full day of themed activities two days later.
The day’s most competitive event was the Mindful Math challenge, organized by Kru Benz, Kru David, and Pherm from Year 10. Students had nine minutes to complete one hundred arithmetic questions, a test of both speed and focus in the spirit of the occasion. Weiwen from Year 9 claimed gold, Grandy from Year 10 took silver, and bronze was shared among Namo (Year 12), Harry (Year 8), and Tienjin (Year 10).
Older students spent part of the day volunteering in the Early Years wing, where they led a range of hands-on activities with the younger children. The Fireflies tackled an obstacle course with limbo and a trampoline, the Caterpillars painted and played with Playdough, the Honey Bees enjoyed coloring and storytime, and the Busy Ants engaged in imaginative play with toy tools and action figures.
Across campus, the Fitness Center saw students playing Ping-Pong, indoor badminton, and lifting weights, while Room S401 became a workshop for Eco-brick making. Led by Kru Owen, students stuffed plastic bottles with trash to create a dense, durable building material. The bricks are part of Panyaden’s ongoing support for Piang Luang School, an institution serving Shan refugee communities near the Myanmar border.
Other activities on offer throughout the day included a sound bath, Qi Gong meditation, walking meditation, a Werewolf game, and drawing. A sitting still competition also proved a surprising highlight, with participants managing a full 25 minutes without flinching, no small feat given that jokes were being told throughout in an effort to break their composure.
The range of activities, contemplative, creative, and competitive alike, reflected the school’s effort to give the holiday meaning beyond a day off, offering students an opportunity to connect with its values in their own way.
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By Tate
The PYD Post 