Kids caring for kids

YWCA and Pattaya Sports Club serve ice cream to the kids at Wat Boonsamphan School

Pattaya Redemptorist Center hosts annual ‘Wai Kru’ ceremonies

St. Andrews International School shows well at FOBISSEA Primary Games - Penang 2004

Kids caring for kids

Karyn Walker

Every year the Jesters ‘Care for Kids’ campaign brings to light the plight of poor and underprivileged children in our community, and students throughout the area have responded with incredible enthusiasm, organizing all sorts of activities to fundraise and help out.

Lewis ‘Woody’ Underwood, chairman of the ‘Care for Kids’ Charity Drive Committee is pictured here with the Regent’s Student Guild as they confirmed their place as Bronze sponsors with the presentation of 10,000 Baht after a busy year of fundraising.

Lewis ‘Woody’ Underwood, chairman of the Jesters ‘Care for Kids’ Charity Drive committee, recently visited the International School of the Regent’s to receive 10,000 baht from the Student Guild.

Care for Kids support means the children receive enough milk and meals with protein.

Liisa Toompuu, chairperson, said the Guild was very pleased to become a Bronze sponsor and contribute towards the ‘Care for Kids’ campaign. The money was raised through events the students had organised, including bake sales, mufti days, discos and Valentines flower sales.

Woody shared with the students some of the reasons for the charity drive and outlined the projects which would help poor children experience many of the things we all take for granted – like nutritious meals, basic dental and medical care and the opportunity to go to school.

Advice from Unicef has helped the staff to plan meals which will help the children to stay healthy.

Garden International School has also been a hive of activity with students finishing off their school year with a special ‘Charity Week’ aimed at raising enough money to reach the Bronze sponsorship level. The whole school has been involved with daily events like competitions, bake sales, sandwich sales and a car wash.

Helping ‘Care for Kids’ is not just about raising money – giving time is also important and the students at St Andrews International School have done just that by inviting children from the Fountain of Life Center to visit their school to join in a fun afternoon of activities including basketball and football. Students will also be out energetically finding sponsors for their forthcoming walkathon and runathon, one of the final events for the school year.

Children truly enjoy their lunch.

Energetic activity has also featured strongly at the International School of the Eastern Seaboard (ISE) where the Student Council raised money for the Fountain of Life by holding a walkathon earlier this year.

Your help provides 150 kids with over 112,000 meals each year!

Ask any student and they will agree that it is a lot of fun having a bake sale at school – everyone enjoys the baked goodies and it is a great way to raise money for their charity projects. But imagine providing three meals (breakfast, lunch and an afternoon snack) every day, 5 days a week, 50 weeks a year – for around 150 children – that’s more than 112,000 meals each year!

That’s exactly what ‘Care for Kids’ is able to do by covering the running costs at the Fountain of Life Center. Most of us are lucky enough to have good food to eat every day, but for some children, a nutritious meal or even regular food is a rare occurrence. Advice from Unicef has helped the staff to plan meals which will help the children to stay healthy and Care for Kids support means the children receive enough milk and meals with protein.

The ‘Care for Kids’ committee would like to send a big thank you to all the schools, their students, parents and staff for taking the time to organise activities and support the charity drive.

Lewis Underwood said, "It is just great to see ‘kids helping kids’ and the support from the international schools has been tremendous - we really appreciate it – and look forward to seeing everyone at the Children’s Fair on Sunday September 12 at the Diana Garden Resort & Driving Range."

YWCA and Pattaya Sports Club serve ice cream to the kids at Wat Boonsamphan School

Suchada Tupchai

What is most kids’ favorite way to cool off from the heat? Ice cream, of course, and the 702 pupils of Wat Boonsamphan School were thrilled when the members of YWCA Bangkok-Pattaya and Pattaya Sports Club brought a virtual mountain of ice cream to top off the free lunch they served at the school.

Hooray! The ice cream is ready!

Aram Suwannakul, the school director, welcomed the group and thanked the members for their support. A water cooler, iron, and computer set were also presented to the school.

Thank you, this looks great, and I’m sure it will taste even better.

Wat Boonsamphan, or Baan Charknork School, provides education to 702 kids at nursery level up to Prathom 6. The director said most of the kids are unfortunate and lack financial support. He said with the help of various clubs and organizations in society, the school will be able to grow and offer education to his students more effectively.

Pattaya Redemptorist Center hosts annual ‘Wai Kru’ ceremonies

Students pay respect to teachers and mentors

Ariyawat Nuamsawat

Last Thursday the Pattaya Redemptorist Vocational college held their annual ‘wai kru’ ceremonies giving students the opportunity to pay respect to educators and mentors within the school’s function room.

Some of the students performed the ‘Rum Auyporn’, dance of blessings.

During a deeply respectful ceremony students presented offerings and flowers to their teachers for imparting their knowledge and improving their chances in society once they complete their studies. A variety of religious rituals were also performed.

Students pay respects to their teachers.

Father Bunjong Chaiyara, who presided over the ceremonies, announced that the school’s teachers were very special individuals who gave students, mostly disabled, the opportunity to improve their quality of life.

The flower presentation pageant was a sight to behold.

Distinctive activities were also held including a flower presentation pageant and extra curricular lectures. The day was carried out in the manner of warmth and respect.

St. Andrews International School shows well at FOBISSEA Primary Games - Penang 2004

David Lowder
Head of School
St. Andrews

St. Andrews International School took part in their first FOBISSEA (Federation of British International Schools South East Asia) Primary Games last month in Penang, Malaysia. St. Christopher’s International School hosted the event, which saw 18 regional international schools and nearly 700 pupils all come together to compete at football, swimming, tee-ball and athletics.

The whole team celebrates the tee ball bonze medals.

St. Andrews took 19 pupils, whereas most other schools were able to field the maximum 36. The children had been practicing since November nearly two to three times a week. We were really unsure as to how well we would perform but the main reason for taking part in the Games was for experience.

At the starting line...

The children more than did themselves justice, both in individual and team performances and gained a healthy range of individual 1st, 2nd and 3rd places. We were very proud of the children because the Games were both physically and mentally demanding for the children and a real test of individual temperament. Everybody gave 100% in everything they took part in - whether they had a chance to win or not.

Finally, well done to all the St. Andrews children who took part in the FOBISSEA Games; you were brilliant.

Please enjoy reading some of the children’s own accounts:

FOBISSEA Girls Football

By Tanya Lowder Year 6

Wednesday morning we all woke up and got on the bus, and travelled to the football stadium. We arrived at the stadium and found our base. First we played St Christopher’s International Primary School, we drew nil nil.

Shortly after that we played British International School of Vietnam, and we drew once more.

After a short break, we played the British School of Kathmandu and we won 1-0.

Later on this busy day we played Garden International School and drew again.

Luckily we got into the finals and drew against TES so the game went into extra time. We still had a draw at the end of extra time. We were so nervous when they decided to take the game to penalties.

The people we chose to take our penalty kicks were Eline Verhoeven, Tanya Lowder and Kwan Ahearn. They all scored. Next TES had their penalty kicks and Mind Techahongsa our goal keeper saved all their shots.

The final result was that we came in in 3rd place and we won a bronze medal, and we were all pleased and proud of the way we played.

FOBISSEA Swimming

Written by Luis Pahl and Thai Youngvanich

All the FOBISSEA games started of with the swimming on 7\06\04.

To open the FOBISSEA games we had an opening ceremony where all the schools marched around the pool with flags. After the march we all returned to our seats and waited for our races.

The girls are ready for action in the tyre relay.

A lady from the government smashed a gong to let the races get on their way. Everyone was nervous. The first races were the medleys from the Year 4’s girls and after that the Year 4 boys. It was then the turn of the Year 5 boys and girls. When it came to the Year 6 girls Tanya Lowder represented St. Andrews and unfortunately didn’t get in the top 3.

After all the medleys came the breaststroke for all the years. While the races were going on the children were cheering so hard for their schools.

In the Year 6 boys breaststroke race Kym Preston got 2nd place. After the breaststroke races we had the butterfly session. In the year 5 boys group our Nicolai Neufeld went in for it and just missed a medal position. In the year 5 girls we had Lucie Lefevre and she also unfortunately did not make it. Then it came to the year 6 boys group, Luis Pahl entered. Ending his race with a great 3rd place.

Soon after we had the backstroke races and for the Year 6 boys Arthur Bijl picked up a magnificent 2nd place.

Then we had the front crawl races and lots of children from S.A.I.S. entered end the races. For the Year 6 girls we had Tanya Lowder who won 3rd this time and for the 25m-Year 6 boys Luis Pahl (the captain of the team) who got a fantastic 3rd place.

Then the tyre races took place for the girls, boys and at the end, it was mixed. Since these were the last races the crowd went wild.

Even those children who were not successful in gaining a medal really enjoyed their races and competing against such strong swimmers from other schools.