Our Children
HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:

Pupils of Ban Suanpa Klongtaphetbon enjoy 2-day field trip

Painting Umbrellas for Peace at the Academy & Community Center

Thai music competitors will vie for Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Cup

Thai Garden Resort brings joy to underprivileged children

Assumption home coming success

Asian University engineering students visit Srinakarin Dam

ACS officially an examining centre

Pupils of Ban Suanpa Klongtaphetbon enjoy 2-day field trip

Yeah, we arrived at Khao Yai National Park!

The children take part in activities to clean up garbage in the area.

Narisa Nitikarn
Forty pupils from Ban Suanpa Klongtaphetbon School in Borthong District were taken on a field trip to Prachinburi and Nakhon Nayok from January 20 to 21, on a visit led by Tourism Authority of Thailand Central Region 3 Office director Chaiwat Charoensuk with the support of the Pattaya business community.
The field trip was part of the Share Happiness with Young People project, and in addition the project donated scholarships and educational supplies to the school.
Students from the 5th and 6th primary school classes at Ban Suanpa Klongtaphetbon were selected to go on the trip, and they visited Khao Yai National Park and Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy.
TAT Central Region Office Region 8 at Nakhon Nayok warmly welcomed the youngsters.
They visited the museum in Prachinburi, and went hiking at Khao Yai National Park, where they also took part in a project to clean up garbage left by visitors. In addition, they experienced some challenging activities at Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy, such as sliding down a rope from a tower, and ascending a wall using rope.
The children also had the opportunity to visit the Armed Forces Academy Preparatory School, which no doubt sparked interest in a future career for some.
The educational supplies donated included books, sports equipment and bicycles. Scholarships valued at 25,000 baht were presented to the school. Akkrawit Thapasit, assistant director of TAT Central Office Region 3, presented the donations to Ban Suanpa Klongtaphetbon director Potchanan Waitayanon.
Akkrawit, who had organized the field trip, said that most of the children had no opportunity to travel to other provinces, and that their pleasure and excitement was a great moment for everyone involved. The intention is to have a similar outing every month for the less privileged children, he added.


Painting Umbrellas for Peace at the Academy & Community Center

TGI-ITS (Thai Garden Resort - Innovation Technology Services) is operating the Academy & Community Center (ACC) project in Ban Pru Teaw village close to Takuapa Khao Lak. The project is to build and install a training center to provide new skills for relocated tsunami survivors. The construction phase of the center was also to be used to provide practical training for local people.

Ulrike Muerz has brought the “Painting Umbrellas for Peace” project to ACC as part of her volunteer activities.
The project was made possible through the kind donations of the staff of Siemens AG in Germany, BDI-APA and U.I. Lapp GmbH.
After the construction phase was finished, the training for the villagers started on August 8, 2006, supported by volunteers from Germany. Under these activities an additional project, “Painting Umbrellas for Peace”, was brought to the area by Ulrike Muerz as part of her volunteer activities at ACC on Saturday February 3, 2007.
The “Umbrella for Peace” project was originated after the tragic event of September 11, 2001, by Matt Lamp, a German Artist, who painted umbrellas with the orphans caused by the 11th September as a symbol of protection - a symbol of protection against anything like rain, sun, wind and more. Up to now, more than 400,000 umbrellas have been painted to express the need and wish for peace in the world.
The project is part of the activities of the Schengen Peace Foundation who promotes peace, tolerance, understanding, hope and love in the world. The foundation’s peace program reaches out to all people, regardless of their nationality, religion, race or background.
Some “Umbrellas for Peace” from Thailand will be displayed in Germany as part of an exhibition of Matt Lamp. The children of Pru Teaw village painted with great enthusiasm and produced wonderful results. The workshops will be continued in Pru Teaw and possibly also at other places.


Thai music competitors will vie for Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Cup

Ariyawat Nuamsawat
Banglamung Cultural Council is to organize a Thai music contest in which participants will compete for the HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Cup.
A meeting of organizers was held on January 30 at the Mike Shopping Mall’s conference room, with chairman of the Banglamung Cultural Council Surat Mekavarakul in the chair.
The HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Cup Thai Music Contest 2007 is to be held April 2 and 3 at the front of Mike’s Shopping Mall.
The contest is to be categorized into three classes, namely primary school, secondary school and the general public, and is being held in honor of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn’s 52nd birthday on April 2.
More than 30 groups are expected to enter the group category and another 10 in other categories.
Applications are now open at Mike’s Shopping Mall, telephone 038 412 035 and the office of the Banglamung Cultural Council, telephone 038 223 234 or 086 144 2774. Closing date is March 15.
The finals will be held April 2-3 and the winner will be awarded the Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Cup, while the 1st and 2nd runners up in the group category will receive trophies and certificates.


Thai Garden Resort brings joy to underprivileged children

Thai Garden Resort GM René Pisters, hotel employees and guests hand out toys and necessities to children at Sutthawas School.

Sutthawas School's Headmaster presents a certificate of thanks to René Pisters.

The children are very excited about receiving their gifts.

Brigitta Herkner
The Thai Garden Resort and its generous guests this year helped support the poorest children at Sutthawas School.
During Christmas time and New Year hotel guests and of course also the hotel itself made their donations for our charity project “Toy for Joy”. At the end we counted not less than 40,000 baht!
On February 5, we started our convoy towards Sutthawas School. Together with the general manager, René Pisters, and many colleagues we went in four big cars to meet the children at their school and hand over school uniforms, shoes, books and of course a lot of toys and chocolate.
On behalf of all the children: a big thank you!


Assumption home coming success

Last year’s Miss Thailand Universe Cham Osotarnukhlo was a guest of honour at ACS.

Assumption’s new golf centre will prove popular with students and local residents.

Mark Beales
Former students got into the swing of a school reunion - by having a look at the college’s new golf course.
Dozens of former students from Assumption College Sriracha took part in a raft of activities on Home Coming Day.
One of these was to view a new nine-hole golf training centre near to Assumption.
The ex-pupils attended a ceremony in the morning to remember former students and teachers who have died, and then made merit by giving food to monks from nearby temples.
In the evening a party was held at Assumption where guest of honour was Cham Osotarnukhlo, last year’s Miss Thailand Universe.

Former ACS students celebrate their Home Coming Day.


Asian University engineering students visit Srinakarin Dam

On the morning of Saturday 27 January, a group of students and engineering faculty lecturer, Ajarn Rajesh, visited the famous hydro power scheme in Kanchanaburi.
Virak Bol is a fourth year mechanical engineering student, and he writes:

(Left) Fishing at the reservoir
“We were a mix of engineers and our friends from other faculties, and the visit provided the opportunity to see a real hydro plant, gain physical knowledge of the system and its operation. We were also interested in seeing first hand the impact of the scheme on the environment; the knowledge that can not be learnt in the classroom.
On the way we stopped at Thailand-Burma Railway to have a look at this historic site. At the end of the afternoon, we reached the Srinakarin Dam and Hydropower plant. We went around the dam structure and saw how the plant was built. The atmosphere there is very nice and the air is very fresh. Early next morning we went on a boat to see the water reservoir and then went to the power plant.
Srinakarin dam is the first and biggest multipurpose dam developed under the Mae Klong River Basin Development project. This rockfill dam and the associated power plant of 720 MW power capacity has hugely contributed numerous benefits to the country’s rapid development, including irrigation, flood control, fishery, navigation, recreation and electricity.
The studies started in 1965 and the dam construction started in 1973, and was finished in 1980. In the hydropower plant there are four turbines. The power production rate depends on the power demand in various areas, such as Bangkok. Controlling the power production rate is controlling the volume of water passing the turbines. For 3.7 cubic metres of water, 1 MW of electricity can be produced.
Besides the impact on the local inhabitants, the dam and power plant project affects several aspects of the environment: water quality; killing animals, including fish; deforestation; archaeology and changing life cycles.
Srinakarin dam and hydropower plant has contributed enormously to Thailand’s development, providing sufficient water to irrigate 4,118 million rai; average annual energy production 1,250 million kWh; better flood control; salinity control; potential for fish breeding and one of the most famous tourist attractions in Kanchanaburi province.”
The students were especially grateful to staff of EGAT for permitting and assisting on the visit.

Students are dwarfed by the pipes leading to the turbines.

The turbine house looks modern and efficient.

Looking down into turbines.

Virak, 2nd left, with friends at the sundial.


ACS officially an examining centre

We did it! Students celebrate passing their Key English Test (KET) at Assumption College Sriracha.

Mark Beales
Star students at Assumption College Sriracha have passed Cambridge English-language tests with flying colours.
Several Mathayom students at Assumption College Sriracha took the Key English Test (KET) in December. They have just received their results - and more than 90 percent passed. Students in Assumption’s English Programme, which offers more lessons a week with native speakers, achieved a 100 percent pass rate.
Those who passed KET were: Napat Ravirujiphant, Donlawat Jantaramporn, Napath Chatrungrangsi, Mark Supamitpibool, Saranyu Mhadsri and Marthniti Chantaramongkol.
Also passing KET were: Thanakrit Phinyaphab, Thomas Victor Webb, Nattapong Permpoonsiri, Sorawis Virayodhin, Sorawee Virayodhin, Nutchapon Thanasathit, Napon Ravirujiphant and Piriyapong Prachumsuk.
Five students passed KET With Merit: Jakrin Jitwatanawilai, Nuttapoom Vongthaiwan, Vipu Ngamrattanakul, Anan Kunnajuk and Asanee Yuttasoontorn.
Three Mathayom 3 students passed the Preliminary English Test (PET) - normally aimed at Mathayom 6 students. They were: Panas Kaewnoom, Jittaporn Songprakob and Itthisak Chanpinphet. Head of Foreign Languages Department Ms Suda Mongkolsit passed PET With Merit.
The exams test reading, writing, speaking and listening skills.
Several of Assumption’s teachers are qualified oral examiners for Cambridge Young Learners Exams, KET and PET.
Assumption will be running special KET and PET summer camps soon, as well as a Young Learners’ Camp for Prathom students.
Assumption College Sriracha is now authorised as an Associate Examining Centre. This means any student from Chonburi can come to Assumption to take Young Learners’ Starters, Movers or Flyers, or the KET and PET exams.
For more details on taking the exams or summer camp call the school on 038-311055-6 or e-mail [email protected].