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Generous GIS students help Pattaya library
Year 8 students were among
many who gave up their old books to help other children.
Mark Beales
Photos by Ritche Guisona
Big-hearted students from Garden International School have helped
less-fortunate Pattaya children by donating their old books.
To mark International Literacy Day, GIS Prefect John Caules organised
several events. One was to encourage students to donate their old books,
which were still in good condition, to give to charity.
Dozens of books were handed in to the school library, and these will be
passed on to the North Star Library in Pattaya.
John, who is studying for the International Baccalaureate Diploma at GIS,
also made a PowerPoint presentation to show every class the importance of
literacy around the world.
John said he was pleased with how many books had been donated, and added,
“It was great to see generous GIS students donating their books to help
other children in Pattaya. Not everyone has access to the excellent library
and facilities that we have at GIS, so it was great to be able to help
others.”
The North Star Library is a non-profit making project that is run under the
umbrella of the Father Ray Foundation.
Dozens of books were donated
by GIS students.
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Teachers upgrade science-teaching knowledge at Pattaya seminar
Teachers from all over Thailand attended the
“Inspiring Science” workshop to develop teaching strategies in science topics.
Jetsada Homklin
Teachers from across Thailand upgraded their science-teaching skills at
a Pattaya forum hosted by the Office of Basic Education Commission.
Sarita Suwanrat, educational manager at the British Council of Thailand,
presided over the “Inspiring Science” workshop with instructors from 70
institutions. The goal was to develop teaching strategies in science topics
including biology, physics, chemistry, astronomy, geography and oceanography.
After attending the seminar, teachers were expected to spread their knowledge to
at least 10 other teachers to help boost the quality of Thai education.
During the Sept. 9 seminar at the Welcome Hotel Jomtien, teachers covered the
nature of science and technology, use multimedia tolls in teaching classes,
testing and teaching guides.
Inspiring Science was developed in tandem with the Science Institute, Bureau of
Academic Affairs and Education Standards, OBEC, with the British Council and
Centre for Science Education, Sheffield Hallam University, United Kingdom and
was sponsored by BG Group (Thailand).
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Father Ray students limited in body, but not mind
Sakulthip Chairam (left) and
Yuwadee Saelee (right) may have been limited in physical ability, but not in
spirit.
Urasin Khantaraphan
When contestants from the Miss New Zealand beauty pageant recently
visited the Redemptorist School for Persons with Disabilities, they saw that
children under the care of the Father Ray Foundation may have been limited in
physical ability, but not in spirit.
Yuwadee Saelee, 20, brought home that message to the contestants with her story.
She said she was not born disabled, but developed disabilities with all four
limbs through poverty and parental neglect.
She said her limbs atrophied progressively until she was two. “But my family was
poor and I was left alone a lot. My family didn’t have money for treatment and I
was the ninth child in the family,” the Phitsanulok native said, noting a
younger sibling - the family’s 10th child - had died.
Her parents sent her to the Father Ray Foundation when she was 18 to care for
her, which she welcomed. Yuwadee said she didn’t want to be a burden. Her goal
now is to become a teacher.
Yuwadee said she loves the foundation because she has shelter, friends and is
getting an education.
“If I could have chosen how I would be born, I would not have chosen this,” she
said. But she said she’s intent on making the best of the hand she has been
dealt.
Sakulthip Chairam, 19, likewise is disabled, the daughter of a Buriram farmer
with two siblings.
She was brought to the foundation by her parents after neighbors informed them
about its services in Pattaya. She has been disabled since birth, but feels she
now has many opportunities.
Sakulthip said she misses her family, though, and wishes they’d move closer.
But, she notes, Pattaya is not Buriram, so adjustment would be difficult.
For her future, she sees education is key. “It has widened my world,” Sakulthip
said. “This foundation gives and gives, which is a feeling I has never
experienced before.”
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St. Andrews IGCSE music students compose collaboratively
St. Andrew students and teachers
work collaboratively on their music compositions.
Mr. M Müller - Head of Music
On Friday, 5 September 2014, all the IGCSE Music students had the unique
opportunity to attend a composition workshop, focusing on their current their
music compositions for their IGCSE course. The main objective was for students
from both campuses - St. Andrews Sukhumvit 107 and Green Valley - to create
their own inspirational compositions within a certain time limit, focusing on
the areas of studies covered in class such as: Minimalism, 12 Bar Blues -
Jazz/Fusion and African Drumming.
Students from both schools worked collaboratively and benefitted greatly from
various workshops offered by Mr. M Müller and Ms. Sian Jones, the music teachers
from both schools.
Mr. Muller, Head of Music at St. Andrews Green Valley explained, “The biggest
challenge was for the students to make independent decisions through project
managing various tasks in preparation for an informal concert at the end of the
day, during which their new skills were showcased. These skills are extremely
valuable and reinforce the qualities of the IB Learner Profile.”
All the students enjoyed this day of musical creativity immensely and both
campuses look forward to more musical collaboration throughout the year.
Music students enjoying the
workshops during the day.
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