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IB makes special visit
The school’s superintendent,
Dr Robert Brewitt, presides over the proceedings.
Paul Strachan
A ceremony took place at the International School Eastern Seaboard
(ISE) in the early hours of Thursday the 8th of February.
Teachers, students, engineers and members of the press were in attendance
for the official ground breaking ceremony of what will be the new fine arts
center for the school.
ISE was built back 1994 to provide schooling for the children of expatriates
who were working on the Eastern Seaboard. Back then the school had 75
students and over the years the faculty expanded and today has more than
three hundred students from twenty six countries studying at the ISE.
Student council president,
Krassawan (Viking) Khongkhaphet, is delighted that this dream is finally
becoming a reality.
The school adheres to the American Curriculum and
participates in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program. Last year
the school had an astounding 100% pass rate for students taking their IBDP
exams.
The new Fine Arts Center marks the final phase for the school and will
contain three hundred and six seats, a large music classroom, music
practice/rehearsal rooms, dance studio, drama green rooms, an art studio and
costume storage areas.
In addition it will be a venue for art exhibitions, conferences and a tea
garden and cafe area.
Dr Robert Brewitt, the school’s superintendent, presided over the
proceedings on the day and welcomed the guests, which included a team from
the Lifeimage Co. Ltd., (who were responsible for the architectural design)
and the Chuemmaitree construction company.
At the auspicious time of 9:09 a.m., teachers
and staff pull the rope attached to the huge machinery for driving in the
first pillion.
Dr Brewitt explained that the new center would provide a
vital hub, not just for the students but also for the community as well.
The president of the student council, Krassawan (Viking) Khongkhaphet said
that there had been talk about the fine arts center for many years and that
he was delighted that this dream was finally becoming a reality.
As the nuclear clock approached the auspicious time of 9:09 a.m., the
teachers and staff gathered round to pull the rope which was attached the
huge machinery for driving in the first pillion.
A model of the school’s new
fine arts center.
With a 5-4-3-2-1, the rope was pulled and the steel
chambers came racing down, firmly planting in the first concrete pillion and
marking the official beginning of the construction process.
The ISE prides itself in being a family school and with the completion of
the New Fine Arts Center in December this year will help provide another
stem of education to this highly accomplished and friendly establishment.
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Exam excellence at Garden International
Mark Beales
Two students from Garden International School (GIS) have achieved incredible
success in their examinations.Year 11 student Susanna Harms has just been to
Bangkok to collect a top award from Cambridge. Susanna passed her IGCSE in
German and gained such a good score she was given an Outstanding Cambridge
Learner Award for her performance in the June 2012 examination. Her score was
the best in Thailand for IGCSE German.
GIS star student Salena, who passed her IGCSE First
Language early - and gained an A grade!
Susanna was presented with her High Achievement award at a
special ceremony at the Anglo Singapore International School in Bangkok.
In addition, Year 11 student Salena Khanijou has already got her first IGCSE -
before this year’s main examination session even starts.
Salena took her IGCSE First Language examination last November at the British
Council in Bangkok. She has just received the result - and she was awarded an A
grade.
The prestigious IGCSE awards are recognised by employers and universities around
the world as proof of academic excellence.
Mr Chris Stokes, IGCSE
Coordinator at GIS, congratulates Susanna.
If you have a child who is set to start their IGCSEs, GIS is
holding a special evening to help your child make the right choices. On Tuesday
March 12, from 7pm, parents and students are invited to visit GIS for a special
information evening about IGCSEs. Parents will be able to learn more about the
wide variety of courses on offer at GIS and also discuss with specialist
teachers which options may be best for their child. GIS has been running IGCSEs
for many years and its average number of A*-C grades is consistently higher than
in the UK. IGCSEs are for students aged 14-16 (Mathayom 3/4).
GIS is based in Ban Chang, near Pattaya. For more, visit
www.gardenrayong.com.
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GIS welcomes Year of the Snake
What’s the answer? A GIS student tries the Mandarin
quiz.
Mark Beales
Students from Garden International School welcomed in the Chinese New Year
with a special Mandarin Night.
Mandarin teacher Amy Guan helped organise the event to welcome the Year of the
Snake. Many students, teachers and parents came along and joined in with a
series of fun games, which the International Baccalaureate (IB) students took
care of. On February 11, the day after the New Year, students and teachers came
to school dressed in red to honour the Chinese celebrations.
As well as helping with the Mandarin Night, the IB students are involved with
many community activities, such as visits to a special school and helping run a
recycling project in school.
GIS will be holding IB Information Evenings soon for parents or students who
would like to learn more about this internationally-recognised diploma.
Dressed in red, GIS students
tackle the Mandarin quiz.
These will be held on Tuesday February 26 from 7pm. This will
be aimed at Thai parents and presentations will be given in Thai.
The other information evening for all parents and students will be held on
Wednesday March 6, also from 7pm.
Starting from September, GIS will be offering Russian A as one of the IB
subjects.
For more on GIS, visit
www.gardenrayong.com.
GIS Principal Dr Stuart Tasker
with one of the Mandarin-style students.
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University student donates book to village children
Northern Thailand, February 12, 2013: Georgetown University
student Phantila Phataraprasit returned home to Thailand for the holidays and
got right to work putting smiles on the faces of children in the remote
hilltribe community of Kiew Karn village, in northern Thailand.
 Phantila
signs copies of her book.
Phantila, daughter of Asian Oasis founder, Chananya
Phataraparit, began writing the children’s book when she was a 16-year-old high
school student in America, collaborating with Yeoh Siew Hoon, editor and founder
of Web In Travel.
Her book, “The Story of Baitong and Boon” tells the story of a special
friendship between an elephant and a boy deep in the forests of Northern
Thailand. Baitong and Boon become friends and learn to make music together.
Until the boy, Boon, has to leave for school in the city. Baitong, heartbroken,
wanders off in search of his human friend and ends up lost and captive in
Bangkok. You’ll have to read the book to find out how a dog and music saved the
day.
Proceeds from the sale of The Story of Baitong & Boon go towards the Himmapaan
Foundation (Thailand) whose purpose is to encourage travellers and the travel
industry to take part in activities to restore or improve the quality of life of
local people, either through environmental and community work or educational
projects.
Phantila Phataraprasit donates
copies of her book “The Story of Baitong & Boon” to children in Kiew Karn
Village.
Asian Oasis is coordinating the distribution of the book to
children throughout Northern Thailand with the help of guests and team members
from Lisu Lodge, Khum Lanna Lodge and Lanjia Lodge with a “Buy One-Give One”
project
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St Andrews International School Science Fair 2013
Sue from Pattaya Mail TV interviews Sreeharine
Govindaraj, the winner of this year’s PFS International science fair award and
the Best in Show (that’s 2 in a row for year 7).
Nick Frost, HOD Science
“Science is a way of thinking much more then it is a body of knowledge,” Plato
“Imagination is more important than knowledge,” Einstein
Apparently great minds think alike.
On Thursday, February 7th the 2nd Eastern Seaboard Science Fair was held at St
Andrews International School, Green Valley with students from 3 other schools
(ISE, Garden International and Satit Udomseuksa) competing for a bunch of great
prizes.
Students from all 4 schools amazed us with the variety of their investigations
and proved that there is no limit to their scientific imagination if they are
free to explore.
Some of the ideas were extraordinary:
* Have you ever seen a face and thought it was more attractive to you than
others? Now we know it’s all down to the symmetry of the face.
* Have you ever worried that all that hair colouring and bleaching would weaken
your hair? You should, if Mai Tai’s results are any indication.
* How can we use all those empty 1.25 liter coke bottles? Make a light maybe!
* How can we keep our food for longer? Talk nicely to it, of course, according
to the “Nice to Rice” exhibit.
The students were entertained during the day by competing in a ‘Science
Olympiad’ that tested a range of skills in fun and exciting ways. The
‘Catch-a-catapult’ and ‘Parachute Air Cannon’ were particular favourites!
Harry enjoying the magic put on by Hanky Panky Toys
There was of course a spectacular science show organised by the St Andrews
Science Department (or the ‘Awesome Foursome’ as they have become to be known).
Ed Thorp, Charlotte Harris and Kerry-Anne Randall, who with the help of IB
Chemistry students wowed the guests with flashes of colour, plumes of smoke and
more than a few explosive sounds.
The early evening saw the best exhibits displayed in St Andrews’ new canteen
where parents and teacher were able to look in awe at the science produced by
the next generation.
It is not possible to run an event like this without the generous support from
the following companies who have invested in the young people from the area and
sponsored prizes in the different categories.
Preparing elephants’ toothpaste. Now we just need
the elephant!
A great deal of thanks goes to: PFS International, Caterpillar, Crown World
Relocations, Hanky Panky Toys and PTT chemical for sponsoring different
categories. Kaokong petroleum for once again sponsoring the best in show. Rayong
Marriot Resort and Spa for awarding accommodation packages to lucky parents in a
draw and finally COGNITA for supplying a great lunch and refreshments to
visitors to the event. Pattaya Mail TV once again gave us great support with
their team covering the event again.
Next year will be a bigger event with a school from China already displaying an
interest in attending and schools from Bangkok coming to try their best to take
away awards.
St Andrews would like to thank those schools that did participate and look
forward to the competition next year.
List of winners
Students trying to solve puzzles from Crown World
Relocations.
Highly commended: Anvita Chebroly, Vidooshi Singh, Harhita Chowdary, Anushka
Onkar, Natasha Sethi, Eng Vorrasanpisut, Iva Nalinrat Wattanasatsaton, Karen
Tam, Sydney Naro, Jen Ko, Katya Lobanova, Dong-gun Oh, Henry Barker-Bennett, Ty
Kerr, and Kenny Sorralump (Barker).
Major awards
Year 7 PFS International science award for excellence:
1st Sreeharine Govindaraj (St Andrews)
2nd Jiwon Hwang (St Andrews)
3rd Neel Overacker, Aditya Bag, Bee Limpotong (ISE)
Year 8 Caterpillar science awards for excellence:
1st Mild Trakarnsakdikul (St Andrews)
2nd Justin Potisit, TJ Kim, Roberto Cardano (ISE)
3rd Jordan Hickox, Bella Hickox, Kamola Khaitova (St Andrews)
Year 9 Crown World relocations:
1st MaiTai de Rijk (St Andrews)
2nd Arjit Verma (Garden)
3rd Liza Burdz (St Andrews)
Year 10 Hanky Panky Toys science awards for excellence:
1st Edward Varnes (St Andrews)
2nd Choé May, Élizabeth Cordeau (ISE)
3rd Ji Ji Sonkom, Reshmi Rajesh, Da Jeong Jung (ISE)
IB PTT global chemical public company science awards for excellence:
1st Becky Lanyon, Sean Hamilton (St Andrews)
2nd Miji Lee, Minhuyk Lee (St Andrews)
3rd David McHardy, Tee Nantiyukul, Chey Tangtannapaiboon (St Andrews)
Kaokong Petroleum Best in Fair:
Sreeharine Govindaraj (St Andrews)
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