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Assumption students celebrate Sunthorn Phu
Mark Beales, English Program Coordinator
Assumption College Sriracha
Assumption students have been celebrating one of Thailand’s best-loved
poets.
 Many
of the costumes were made from recycled aluminium, newspapers and even
oyster shells.
Students put on a special show at St Louis’ Building on June 26 to honour
Sunthorn Phu. Many of the costumes were made from recycled aluminium,
newspapers and even oyster shells.
In the afternoon, EP Prathom students at St Mary’s Building held a talent
contest. Students impressed their classmates by dancing, doing magic tricks,
playing music and reciting poetry, in Thai and English.
Sunthorn Phu was born on June 26, 1786, in Rayong. He became a famous poet
who was loved by Kings and leaders. Sunthorn Phu is one of the greatest
poets ever from Thailand, and every year Thais remember him.
He wrote many poems, including Phra Abhai Mani, one of the greatest Thai
works ever written. He wrote from the heart, not the head. That is why Thai
people call him the “People’s Poet”.
Students from Assumption
perform plays and recite poems to remember Sunthorn Phu, one of Thailand’s
greatest poets.
Young Assumption students
dress up to remember Sunthorn Phu.
Round Square Week 08 at The Regent’s
Girish Kanna Balakrishnan (IB, Year 13)
The Regent’s School annual Round Square Week took place this
year from June 23 to 26. This week was designed to further promote and
educate students about the IDEALS (Internationalism, Democratic
principles, Environmental awareness, Adventurous pursuits, Leadership,
and Service to the community) taught by the philosophy of Round Square.
Every teacher led an activity that fell under one or more of the IDEALS,
and every student, primary and secondary, participated in several of
these activities.
 Mr.
Tasker and Rebecca plant a new tree in the RS Wood.
This year’s selection of activities was even more varied than last
year’s with a total of 30 different activities ranging from the major
earthquake relief service expedition in Peru to learning to sew at the
back of the Globe theatre. What made this year’s Round Square Week even
more appealing was the amount of expeditions that took place to several
other places in Thailand, such as the popular adventure trip to
Kanchanaburi and the environmental trip to Ranong’s Animal Welfare
Center.
Another major service project that was continued and developed this year
was the Koh Phi Phi Service Project. This year, the service project was
more focused on Laem Tong Bay where students helped to build a community
center for the local community (stage 2) with three other schools from
Asia (Malaysia, Japan and India). Like this, there were many other
service projects, from the Fountain of Life and the Pattaya Mercy Center
to trips to the Croston House up in Chiang Mai, which the Regent’s will
also be supporting on 5th September with a 15km compulsory sponsored
walk from the school to the new Plantation golf course at Siam Country
Club.
 Students
enjoy a rest whilst beach cleaning.
Other particularly noteworthy achievements during this week included the
7000 baht raised by the Round Square Olympics group through t-shirt
sales (this money will go to the school’s Burma-relief funds), and a
brand-new printer bought by the Student Guild and donated to the hill
tribe visited by the students on the Cavelodge trip in Pai to help
improve the education of the children there.
A change in this year’s events was that we sponsored several children
and staff from the Fountain of Life and our sister school, the Ban Koh
Phi Phi School, to join us and participate in this week. Two students
and one staff member from the Fountain of Life went along with our
students to Croston House and participated in the four day service
project there.
 The
Cavelodge students share a photo at the hill tribe school after
presenting the new printer.
The week culminated on Thursday the 26th, during which every class
planted a tree in The Regent’s School Round Square Wood as a method of
promoting environmental awareness, followed by a whole school assembly
where presentations were given from all the students giving a little
taste of the activities they had participated in during the week. Also,
several students received certificates for displaying outstanding Round
Square spirit and attitude.
Overall, it is no doubt that this year’s Round Square Week was a real
success. It presented students with the perfect way to end their school
year - challenging and educational. It is these kinds of special events
that make the experience of studying in The Regent’s School uniquely
special and highlights the well-roundedness of the students of this
school.
The UN group visits the
UNESCO building in Bangkok.
Mr. Walton helps out at
the Mercy Centre.
Selections begin for Pattaya Youth Ambassador
Sawittree Namwiwatsuk
The selection process is now underway for the 3rd Young Pattaya
PR Ambassador Training and Competition, with the number of contestants
whittled down from 175 to 60 during the first round.
 Ms.
Kwansinee Chanpong from Muang Pattaya School 9 (Wat Photisamphan)
achieved the highest score in the first round.
Mayor Itthipol Khunplome presided over the opening ceremony of the
project on June 20, along with Deputy Mayor Verawat Khakhay.
Verawat said that the Young Pattaya PR Ambassador Training and
Competition was being held to find a Youth Ambassador to promote Pattaya
and Thailand tourism.
There were 25 schools that sent a total of 175 youngsters to take part,
of which 60 were selected in this first round.
The 60 selected youngsters will be given training about Pattaya’s
administration, tourism locations and other information, and will also
be given lessons in basic English and in speaking techniques.
The program also provides the youngsters with a visit to Pattaya tourism
locations, and they attended the Relationship Activity Camp for teamwork
training for five days. The next round will see the 60 participants
narrowed down to 20.
Itthipol said that the competition was much more than finding one
winner, it was designed to help eager youngsters learn more about
Pattaya and that even those who do not make it through to the finals
would find taking part to be an enriching experience.
Wimaepam Prompol, a teacher from Satit Udomsuksa School that produced
last year’s winner, said that this year the school had sent 11 children
to take part in the project, and that four of them had passed the
initial selection.
All of the children had good preparation before attending the training,
said Wimaepam, searching through Pattaya guides and websites and putting
in a lot of work during their free time after school.
Miss Kwansinee Chanpong, a student from Pattaya School No 9, Wat
Photisamphan, who had the highest score in the first round, said that
everyone had worked hard on the research, and that in addition to
reading up on website material the students had been able to go through
information brought into school by the teachers.
She said she was very excited to get this far into the contest, and that
competition amongst all those taking part had been intense. She said she
was prepared for disappointment, but would do her best.
“I don’t expect to pass the final selection to be a PR Youth Ambassador,
but I hope to get into the round with 20 students,” she said. “It is
very important for me making new friends and learning something new.”
Supporters of the 3rd
Young Pattaya PR Ambassador
Training present blazers to the 60 youth trainees.
Teachers, government
officials, sponsors and organizers pose for a group photo with the
students taking part in the program.
Students near finals of Youth Tourism Ambassador contest
Vimolrat Singnikorn
The finals for the 3rd Young Pattaya PR Ambassador competition
are scheduled for July 5, and will take place at Central Festival in
North Pattaya, starting at 4 p.m.
 Rungratree
Thongsai talks with the youngsters about what it might take to become
Pattaya’s next Youth PR Tourism Ambassador.
Sunday June 22 saw training for the remaining 60 competitors on the art
of speaking and presentation, with three experts handling the tuition,
namely Malee Paeseng, Jariya Ruamsawat, and Siriphan Suksrikaew.
They divided the 60 students into three groups, each group having the
same program in which information on Pattaya was gathered and then
presented to the group members and the instructor. The experts corrected
their accents, methods and delivery, and after the presentation was
completed there was a discussion.
In the afternoon on the same day, the students learned Basic English
concerning presentation, self-introduction, and tourism locations.
Suwanthep Malhotra, Promthep Malhotra, and Warissanan Puangwattanawong
were present to teach the youngsters about English usage.
On June 23, the 60 youngsters were taken on an educational visit to
various Pattaya tourism locations. In the morning they visited Horseshoe
Point and Three Kingdom Park, and then they went to Under Water World.
The students then went to Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Museum, followed by
a tour of the magnificent woodcarvings at the Sanctuary of Truth, before
ending at Mini Siam
Tony Malhotra converses
with the student ambassador
hopefuls about Pattaya’s tourist attractions.
Student trainees practice
their English language skills with Dave Malhotra (left).
Another page in the Jesters ‘Care For Kids’ diary
Youngsters take part in
the Wai Kru
(pay respect to their teacher) at the Blind School in Pattaya.
Lewis Underwood
As time races towards our fall events, starting with the Jesters
Children’s Fair and Family Day on Sunday, September 14th at Diana Garden
Resort and Driving Range, it seems like there is a myriad of things
going on and coming at us all at once. Through it all we find solace in
staying in touch with the children of our beneficiaries. After all they
are the very reason for the existence and impetus of our annual Jesters
Care for Kids Charity Drive.
Update on Urn, a 7-year old girl with a terminal liver
problem
The latest and best news is that Urn and some of her family
members have now moved out of the slums and into a clean apartment for
the sake of her well being. You may remember that previously they were
living in a rundown shack in Central Pattaya exposed to the din, dust
and elements.
 Young
Urn and her family are happily moved into their new apartment.
After some heavy rain two weeks ago, Urn took a turn for the worse and
came down with fever and cough. We put her in hospital where she stayed
for 3 days. The doctor made it perfectly clear that if Urn was going to
endure she would have to live in a cleaner environment.
Her family relented and agreed to move into a furnished apartment that
we have provided. The apartment normally has a capacity of 3, but the
landlord made special allowances to accommodate Urn, her mother,
grandparents and younger sister. PILC provided extra bedding and
incidentals necessary to make them more comfortable.
Urn is doing much better now and the bonus is that the apartment is just
a 5-minute walk from the Fountain of Life Center, so Urn can still go
play, be with other kids and get nutritious meals as often as she likes.
Ban Jing Jai’s Playground Dilemma
For quite some time now various benefactors of Ban Jing Jai,
an orphanage for 55 children in Nong Prue, have been trying to figure
out what can be done about the dirt lot play area to make it better.
Presently it is a hard compacted area that is often dusty when dry, and
muddy when wet with rain. There is some playground equipment, but it is
rickety at best.
 This
little guy says thanks to his teachers at the Fountain of Life Center in
Pattaya on Wai Kru Day.
There has been talk of improving the lot by seeding it with grass or
turfing it, but then the area would be off limits until the growth was
established and then it would require high maintenance.
There was recent talk by a local company to cover the entire play lot
with a roof, but the area in question is too big to make that practical
and there would still be the dirt surface below.
We talked of putting up a free standing roofed structure over a smaller
portion of the area with some kind of flooring that would then offer a
cleaner play space, as well as respite from the sun and shelter from the
rain.
Meanwhile, the landlord will be consulted before any construction ensues
and our brainstorming will continue. Any input from our readers will be
appreciated.
Wai Kru Day at the Fountain of Life Center and School
for the Blind
Recently, both institutions staged their respective annual
teacher appreciation days.
Wai Kru Day, or Show Respect to Teachers Day, involves a delightful
ceremony where school children bow before their teachers and give them
offerings, mostly of flowers. The ceremonies are also accompanied with
song and dance.
On this day benefactors and volunteers also are recognized and are
invited to participate along with the teachers. Though we enjoy and
appreciate this immensely, we still regard the teachers as the real
honorees here.
Dentists visits
Fountain of Life Center to check
on the kids’ teeth
Dentists from Bangkok Hospital Pattaya visited the Center to
examine the teeth of the 100+ children there last month. This was a
preliminary check to determine which children needed specialized
treatment.
Dr. Tassanee is the dentist at the hospital, who, for several years now,
has graciously agreed to see and treat the children at reduced fees. As
a result she has qualified as a Gold Sponsor (50,000 baht) for her
generous and vital service to the kids.
More news about Dr. Tassanee and how the she treats the children with
bad teeth (and there are many) when the Tooth Fairy, Ingrid Cunliffe,
takes those in most need to the surgery. PMTV will be there to cover the
visit.
International School of the Eastern Seaboard High
School Student Council
The high school students have once again raised money for our
charity drive and handed over a cheque for 15,000 baht making them a
‘Bronze Plus’ sponsor. This is at least the 4th consecutive year that
they have contributed to our cause.
The ISE students and staff have always been supportive of local
charities and help us at the Children’s Fair. Our committee member
Linden Phanpho, who is also a teacher at ISE, is our liaison with the
international schools in the region, urging them to come out and
participate at our Fair. The students also provide stage entertainment
and help Linden organize the children’s games on the day.
As we previously mentioned it is good for young people to get involved
in charity events and helping other young people not as fortunate as
themselves.
New Event shirts
Our white event T-shirts this year will not be white. In an
effort to always keep it renewed and fresh we are featuring colored
shirts this year. Ladies and children shirts will be sky blue, while the
men’s shirts will be charcoal gray. So stay tuned for our new cool
shirts coming your way later this summer, with more news about this
year’s charity drive.
For more information and donation details, please visit our website at
www.care4kids .info or email us at JestersCD @care4kids.info.
This is where Urn and her
family used
to live - not much protection from the elements here.
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