Santa spotted in Soi Chayapruk

Fountain of Life organizes kids’ Christmas party

ISE students share happiness with children of the Tamar Center

Teaching the teachers in drive to upgrade educational standards

Santa spotted in Soi Chayapruk

Story & Photos by
Jan Olav Aamlid

When Santa arrived in Chiang Rai, his reindeers felt tired after the long way from the North Pole. So Santa agreed to let them have a rest in the mountains in Northern Thailand.

Santa arrived at in Jomtien on the back of Plai Geaw.

Santa, however, continued to deliver presents to all the children who had been nice during the year. He could continue to do this in Thailand because some nice local people let him borrow their 49-year-old elephant named Plai Geaw.

When Santa reached NPC Beach Club in Soi Chayapruk in Jomtien, he even let the children have a ride on the elephant before leaving to return to Chiang Rai to gather his reindeer and eventually return to the North Pole.

One of the children, Matthew Aamlid, was a little confused because he thought Santa had an Australian accent and sounded a little like Graeme Moore. But of course he that couldn’t be.

Graeme arrived later and he and his wife Phu hosted an excellent traditional Christmas Party.

Santa even let the children have a ride on the elephant.

Fountain of Life organizes kids’ Christmas party

Suchada Tupchai

Over 100 children were treated to a Christmas party on December 15 at the Fountain of Life Center. Sister Joan and volunteer teachers organized the party and invited parents, volunteers and members of helpful associations, including the PILC and Jesters Care for Kids.

The party got underway with Sister Joan giving an opening speech to welcome the children, parents and guests.

The party, aside from being a great Christmas treat for the kids, also presented an opportunity to say thanks to the many organizations that provided support in caring for the children over the years through moral and monetary means.

The party got underway with Sister Joan giving an opening speech to welcome the children, parents and guests. Then came shows and dances put on by the children. The surprise show put on by the volunteer Thais and foreigners made for lots of smiling and laughing from the spectators. This was followed by gift giving, a grand Christmas meal and more games. Everyone enjoyed themselves, children, parents and supporting organizations alike.

The youngsters certainly paid intention to the show.

The children’s show brought much warmth to the spectators.

The children performed magically.

Uncle Woody also distributed gifts to the children.

Volunteers from other countries put on a show that livened up the audience.

Jesters Care for Kids charity drive was well represented.

The volunteers posed for a photo with the children.

Santa arrived to distribute the gifts.

ISE students share happiness with children of the Tamar Center

Suchada Tupchai

Students and teachers from the International School of the Eastern Seaboard, led by Barbara D. Alexander, made the holiday season a bit better for underprivileged children when they brought gifts of toys, dolls, desserts and house wares to give to the children of the Tamar Center on Soi Buakao on December 16. Tamar leader Nella Davidse and volunteer workers were on hand to welcome them.

Barbara D. Alexander (left) and Nella Davidse (right) (head of the Tamar Center) pose with the ISE students and Tamar Center children.

Barbara said the school annually gives gifts to children around Christmas and New Year, and this year the school chose this center because they knew there were a lot of children here.

Tamar Center was established in August 1999 and spreads Christian help amongst women and children in Pattaya City. The main purpose is to create understanding with the bar girls or service girls on the beach by improving their English, training them for hobby work, and also taking care of the children of women who live at this center. At present they have seven children from six months to eight years old.

Teaching the teachers in drive to upgrade educational standards

Narisa Nitikarn

Pattaya administrators invited front line experts to train teachers and help them to adjust to the fast changing demands of the new generation, who are being brought up in a world of information technology that did not exist in its present form a generation ago.

Dr. Kowit Prawalapruk from the Institute of Academic Development (IAD) lectures about learning results and knowledge levels in accordance to students’ abilities.

Town in Town Hotel was the venue on December 12, with Mayor Niran Wattanasartsathorn opening the session. Dr Kowit Prawalapruk from the Institute of Academic Development was there to present a talk on learning results and knowledge levels according to a student’s ability. In attendance were 600 trainees, consisting of Pattaya City teachers and associated educational personnel.

Mayor Niran said that IQ (Intelligence Quotient) and EQ (Emotion Quotient) are important for everybody including teachers and students. Nowadays the new generation and older teachers should develop together, because the new generation students have changed so much from the previous generation.

Teachers need to update themselves and follow the news because data changes every hour, and they should also keep a continually open mind for all new things that they can relate to their students.

Dr Kowit said teachers need to find more support materials so that they can create variety in their lessons and continually engage and stimulate the interest of their students. Intelligence levels vary greatly amongst children and their teachers need to help the slower learners to keep up with their classmates.

Mayor Niran said that the next phase of the training, a visit to the North for 420 teachers and officials, will be beneficial for everyone as they can see the difference in educational style of another part of the country.

The purpose for training the teachers is so they will develop themselves and their professional standards in accordance with Education Act Section 42, in which the Teacher’s Assembly created a standard for teachers in response to the government’s directive.

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