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Regent’s Regional Round Square Conference, Koh Chang
Theme: ‘Same Same But
Different’
An inspiring ‘Sawadee’ opening ceremony in the Globe
Theatre on the Friday night was followed by five intense days of adventure,
drama, service, culture, internationalism, leadership and reflection at the
IDEALS centre on Chang Island.
 Eline
prepares for her drama.
The first three days involved a rotation of IDEALS
activities. These included kayaking, cycling, snorkelling, drama workshops
and a very competitive Thai challenge. In the evenings guest speakers were
invited to share their thoughts and experiences on the theme “same same
but different.” The first evening Susan Race talked about the life of the
hill tribe people in Mae Hon Song province. The second evening Sister
Michelle, Sister Kanyanee and Khun Krue Wanee talked about their work at the
two Fountain of Life Centres in Pattaya. The fourth night Dr. Michael
Catalanello from the Asian University along with Liisa Toompuu (Head Girl at
the Regent’s) talked about prejudice and stereotypes.
Songkran
celebrations in the village on Koh Chang.
After activities on the third day, the eight gluums
(groups) visited the local village and had an evening meal with a Thai
family. This was a fantastic experience as the delegates were able to cook a
Thai meal and practice their new Thai vocabulary with the host family. After
the local dinner a documentary was shown about the Mercy Centre in Bangkok.
An auction was held immediately after to raise money for the centre and over
37,000 baht was raised in less than 30 minutes.
Regent’s
conference leaders prepare for the Sawadee (opening ceremony).
On the afternoon of the last day the whole delegation
wore their Songkran shirts in the colour of their gluums, made their way to
the nearby village and were ambushed by water throwing children on arrival.
Drenched but in full Songkran spirit, the 150 conference delegates arrived
at the village temple to be greeted by Thai music and a traditional Songkran
ceremony. Each student was invited to pour water on more than 50 monks and
older members of the village community in what was a very special
experience.
 Nahm
ngun compete in the Thai Challenge.
The finale to the conference was formed from the drama
pieces created by the respective eight ensembles formed by the conference
delegates. Each ensemble was led by a different drama teacher, which was
reflected in the diversity and excitement of the individual presentations.
Each group was initially provided with an object as a
means of beginning the drama process. These objects ranged from umbrellas
and onions to light bulbs and masks. The challenge was compounded by a time
constriction of one three-hour workshop for each ensemble to create their
devised piece. The ensembles were also encouraged to integrate ideas from
the visiting speakers into their presentations. For example, Sister
Michelle’s uncompromising questions to the individual delegates at the end
of her talk found expression in more than one ensemble group’s work.
Petch
shows how to make a krathong.
At the end of a very crowded week the delegates gathered
by the side of the pool to begin the ‘chokdee’ (farewell) ceremony. Who
can forget the spellbinding beginning with the parade of candles held by the
host delegates, preceded by a young local Thai boy banging the temple gong!
The barrage of thunder and lightening taking place on the horizon compounded
the already electric atmosphere! Highlights included a full-scale Maori
‘hakka’ chorus, a tsunami wave (made of knotted bed sheets) being pulled
across the swimming pool and a presentation, which perfectly contrasted the
terror of violence and the redemptive power of human compassion and
understanding.
The intrusion of a violent storm did nothing to daunt the performers who
achieved a remarkably high standard of performance in an event that provided
a memorably fitting conclusion to a superb week
The
conference delegates in front of the Globe Theatre.
“Blancanieves”
Sohini Goho
Year 7 at Garden International School has been learning
Spanish very seriously since September last year. Their hard work and
dedication in learning a new language was apparent when they got together
and decided to put up a play in Spanish.
Year 7
at Garden International School act out “Blancanieves” (Snow White).
“Blancanieves” (or Snow White in Spanish) was put up
by Year 7 under Mr. Llewellyn’s direction. The play, translated and
produced in Spanish, was not only enjoyable with all the colourful costumes
and the props but we could also see the hard work put in by the children
and their teacher Mr. Llewellyn, considering that they were all still new
to the language.
Year 7 students put across to the audience not only
their talent in acting but also that learning languages through plays,
etc., is a more interactive and effective way, and of course much more
enjoyable! I am sure the students learnt Spanish a lot better while they
were translating and practicing their dialogues, rather than if they had
only followed a particular curriculum aimed at teaching them Spanish only
through books.
Way to go Year 7! We wish you all the best in your endeavour.
Sunshine group awards scholarships
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
Thirty-nine children of Sunshine Hotel group employees
were recipients of scholarships awarded by the group at a ceremony presided
over on May 10 at Green Park Resort Hotel by managing director San
Supornsaharungsi.
The group includes Green Park Resort, Loma, Sunshine
Garden Resort, Sunshine Vista Service Apartments and the Sunshine Hotel.
San
Supornsaharungsi, managing director of the Sunshine Hotels group, presents
the 39 scholarships.
Scholarships are divided into three levels, kindergarten,
primary class and secondary class. Kindergarten children receive 1,000 baht
per scholarship, while primary class students receive 1,500 baht and
secondary class 2,000 baht. Total amount awarded this year was 50,000 baht.
Employees eligible to apply for scholarships must have
worked with the company not less than two years, and can apply for two
scholarships per family.
San said that these are children who are good in class but whose families
lack the money to continue developing their abilities. The Sunshine Hotel
group is anxious to improve the welfare of the children so that employees
can improve their lives, ultimately to the benefit of Pattaya and the
nation.
Children from St. Andrews International School shine at Horseshoe Point Equestrian Event
On the weekend of 6th, 7th, & 8th May seven children
from St. Andrews International School had a busy, nerve raking and exciting
weekend. They were all participating in show jumping and/or dressage events
at Horseshoe Point.
 Jodie,
Tanya and Anna confident and happy to show off their rosettes.
The youngest participant was Cara Comperat, who is only
eight years old, and the oldest was Tanya Lowder, aged twelve. Other riders
were Sean Longstreath (9) Jodie Comperat (12) Michelle Class (9) and Anna
Chriten (11).
These children had been preparing for this event for some
time; Tanya training at Orchard Park on a beautiful Apolusia called Ono;
Sean at Horseshoe Point on a fiery little pony and the remainder of the
children riding different ponies from St. Andrews Equestrian Centre. All the
children rode with stamina and guts.
 Sean,
Michelle and Cara at school on Monday proudly displaying their awards.
There were some close calls. Anna beat Tanya by less than
2 seconds in the 70cms on Friday! Lots of nervous mums watched with their
hearts in their mouths... or in some cases hardly daring to watch.
Coaches tried to remain calm as they paced the course and
gave their expert advice. The events were action packed and nail biting
stuff. Everyone went home feeling tired, but clutching their rosettes (too
many to list) and happy memories that they will never forget.
On the Sunday Sean and Anna each won 1000TB.
Singburi governor backs a winner at Asian U
Training the trainers in English teaching
Asian University’s Faculty of Liberal Arts ran a
three-day residential English Language Training workshop for 30 Thai primary
and secondary teachers of English from May 9 - 12.
The workshop, which was titled ‘Back to Basics:
Effective English Language Teaching’, was initiated by the governor of
Singburi Province, who is keen to raise the level of English language
teaching and learning throughout her province.
The
teachers gained some valuable experience with native English language
speakers during small group sessions.
The participants, who were selected on the basis of their
English language proficiency, came from urban and rural areas throughout the
province. In the future, it is the intention of the Office of Education
Service Area of Singburi, who sent 2 observers to the workshop, to organize
training for a further 200 Thai English language teachers. The purpose of
the workshop was, therefore, to help the participants become effective
English language teacher trainers.
The
university president, Dr. Viphandh Roengpithya talks with the teachers.
The workshop focused on the basics of good, communicative
English language teaching practice. Sessions were devoted to how the four
language skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing can be activated
in the classroom.
Teachers
teaching the teachers during the ‘Back to Basics: Effective English
Language Teaching’ workshop.
There were also sessions on teacher training, in order to
help the participants in their future role as teacher educators, and
teaching English through community service, in order to demonstrate how
English can be practiced outside the classroom.
Three days does not, of course, provide much time to
present, discuss and practice the basics of effective English practice and
some of the participants indicated that they would have liked a longer
workshop, one suggesting that 2 or 3 weeks would have been more suitable.
The days
began with morning exercise.
Emphasis was placed on participation, especially as this
is one of the characteristics of communicative English language teaching.
This, however, was not always easy for those participants who were not used
to participating, especially in English.
An evaluation of the workshop revealed, however, that activities which
demanded the most participation, like the drama and ‘Singing Songs in
English’ sessions, were the most popular. More generally, the evaluation
showed that nobody thought that any of the sessions were less than good,
whilst 50% of the participants thought that the workshop had been ‘very
good’.
Gang of Four plus: Dulwich International College Art Exhibition 2005
Joe Mulleague
Head of Art
Dulwich International College is proudly hosting “Gang
of Four” - an exhibition of artwork produced by the four graduating Year
13 Visual Arts students. This powerful and eclectic collection of artwork
can be viewed in the college’s Main Teaching Block entrance.
Gang of
Four (L to R) Mikio Cochrane, Young Tae Park, Jaturont Jamigranont, and
Wanlop Rerksantia.
The work is diverse and ambitious in terms of technique,
media and meaning. Jaturont Jamigranont’s multi-media pieces explore the
psyche of Bangkok and its inhabitants, while dark warnings on the perils of
smoking are expressed in many of Young Tae Park’s pieces. Mikio
Cochrane’s work includes powerful paintings and sculptures inspired by the
Balinese bomb atrocity. Foreboding images that comment on American foreign
policy dominate Wanlop Rerksantia’s work. The exhibition represents the
fruits of nearly two years’ labour and creativity on the International
Baccalaureate Visual Arts course.
For the first time, this year’s IB show is supported by a collection
titled ‘The Best of D.I.C. Art’, an exhibition featuring work from
students as young as 18 months old from the college’s Little Ducks all the
way through to the IB students in Year 12. There are 47 pieces in total and
the work highlights the creativity, skill and variety of art being produced
right through Dulwich International College.
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