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Blind students honor teachers at Redemptorist School
Vimolrat Singnikorn
Pattaya Redemptorist School for the Blind kicked off its 22nd
academic year with the traditional “wai khru” ceremony in which students pay
respect to their teachers for the upcoming term.
 Students
chant for the teachers.
The school’s 139 students and 69 teachers and assistants met June 18 - a
Thursday, as that is the day for Brihaspati, the Vedic god of wisdom and
teachers - to perform the wai khru, which is done in most Thai educational
institutes at the start of each year.
The ceremony began with a Buddhist prayer, followed by the students’
recitation of the wai khru chant, which expresses respect and gratitude for
the teachers and asks for their blessing of the students’ studies. A number
of students then presented teachers with a tray of candles, incense and
flowers symbolizing sharp wit and respect.
 Students
present trays of flowers to the teachers.
Following the presentation, teachers reciprocated by offering the students
guidance for their academic careers and presented awards to six students.
Duangporn Klaidangkum and Suwicha Pohket were cited for best behavior.
Pimpisa Chobreabroi and Wachira Pipatananukul were honored for best athletic
achievement. Marisa Kunamai and Pakpoom Choteraksa earned the kindness
award.
 Principal
Aurora Sribuaphan talks about the history of the school.
Founded by Father Raymond Brennan in May 1987, the school was renamed
Pattaya Redemptorist School for the Blind Under the Patronage of Her Royal
Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn in June 2004. Principal Aurora
Sribuaphan said the school serves students ages 3-20 with all degrees of
blindness. There are currently 35 teachers: 21 major teachers and 14
assistant teachers. Five are blind and one is physically challenged.
Aurora said the school is continuing to grow, with two new buildings under
construction and plans drawn for new sports facilities that should be open
next year. The school’s 12 million baht annual budget is funded by the
Education Ministry and private donors with staff contributions from area
hospitals and eye clinics.
Pattaya readies to name 3 young
tourist ambassadors
Vimolrat Singnikorn
Nearly 100 area students this week are vying to become the
city’s next young “tourist ambassadors” who will help promote Pattaya
while simultaneously earning scholarships to advance their own
educations.
 Current
Ambassador Pawinee “Ae” Kaewkerd addresses the gathering.
More than 235 students from Pattaya and Banglamung entered the 4th
annual Young PR Ambassador contest which, for the first time, will
select a team of three winning youths aged 9-17. After a June 17
knowledge test, the field was cut to 30 teams of three which will see
various city attractions through June 28 before competing in the finals
at Central Festival Pattaya Beach July 3.
“Three successful years showed us the abilities and readiness of
Pattaya’s youth to learn a variety of things, especially related to
tourism,” Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome said at the contest’s June 5 kickoff
press conference. “This year will see a twist to the contest with the
addition of a group activity, with three winners who show great
abilities to be Pattaya tourism ambassadors.”
Itthiphol lauded last year’s winner, Pawinee “Ae” Kaewkerd, for being an
active and knowledge-hungry ambassador.
Pattaya students vie to be
among the 30 finalist teams competing in next month’s Young PR
Ambassador contest.
“She’s very proud of her position. She can express
herself in Russian and is learning German,” the mayor said. “She
attended many important Pattaya city activities, such as the Pattaya
Marathon, Miss Teen Thailand, the Loy Krathong festival and more.”
A major selection criteria this year was that applicants had a solid
grasp of the area’s history. Last week’s quiz covered Pattaya’s economy,
politics, and tourism industry. The semifinalist teams - comprised of
two children 9-13 and one teen 13-17 - then embarked upon a week of
training with speakers such as Pattaya Chief Advisor Niran
Wattanasartsathorn and Umaporn Ratchatawattanakul, a Sophon cable
television host.
The youths will also visit tourist destinations such as Nong Nooch
Tropical Garden, the Four Regions Floating Market, Bottle Museum and
Horseshoe Point Resort & Country Club in Pattaya.
But the contest is about more than simply finding students who can help
the city. It’s also about the city helping children, Itthiphol
explained. The project emphasizes learning and developing communications
skills.
The first-place ambassador will receive an honorary certificate, a
trophy and a 25,000 baht scholarship. The first and second runners-up
will receive certificates, trophies and 15,000 baht and 10,000 baht
scholarships, respectively. There will also be Young Star, Best Talent
and Best Orator awards, with winners getting certificates and 2,000 baht
scholarships. All other finalists will also receive 2,000 baht each.
The contest is sponsored by Horseshoe Point Co. Ltd., the Pattaya
Mail-Mike Franklin Memorial Charity Golf Tournament and Central
Festival Pattaya Beach.
Jate Sopitpongstorn,
executive director of Horseshoe Point Co. Ltd., Bernie Tuppin of the
Pattaya Mail-Mike Franklin Memorial Charity Golf Tournament, Theeraporn
Jitnava, general manager of Central Festival Pattaya Beach, and Mayor
Itthiphol Kunplome gather with last year’s winners, this year’s hopefuls
and organizers during the program’s media launch.
Samae San children get clean water thanks to 2 Rotary clubs
Peter Malhotra (back row,
3rd left), Rotary Club District 3340 governor,
and representatives from two Rotary clubs present the water-filtration
system
to Ban Chong Samae San Community School.
Sawittree Namwiwatsuk
Children at Ban Chong Samae San Community School now have clean
drinking water thanks to the donation of a 100,000 baht filtration
system by two District 3340 Rotary clubs.
 School
Principal Worawit Chamsai welcomes the Rotary Club representatives.
Members of the Plutaluang and Sattahip Rotary clubs presented the system
to Principal Worawit Chamsai and other school officials June 15.
“From now on, children should have clean and safe drinking water,” said
Chaweewan Adinon, president of the Plutaluang Rotary Club. “This is but
one way Rotary members can prevent impoverished children from dying.”
Chaweewan said that the two Rotary clubs joined with Thai Oil Tool
Machinery Services Co., Ltd. to provide the water-filtration system
after it was learned students at Ban Chong were drinking tap water.
Worawit explained that Ban Chong Samaesarn Community School is an
expansion school that serves 350 kindergarten through secondary school
students. Many, he said, are from poor families where parents are
fishermen that came to the area from elsewhere.
Parsert Pitakkorn (left),
chairman of the Chong Samae San Sub-district Administrative
Organization, thanks Chaweewan Adinon, president of the Plutaluang
Rotary Club.
Parsert Pitakkorn (left),
chairman of the Chong Samae San Sub-district Administrative
Organization, thanks Sanit Bunphuan, president of the Sattahip Rotary
Club.
Parsert Pitakkorn (left),
chairman of the Chong Samae San Sub-district Administrative Organization
thanks Klaharn Chaosilp, managing director
of Thai Oil Tool Machinery Services Co., Ltd.
Students are happy to have
clean water.
Regent’s Swimathon 09
hits 100,000 baht again
Mr Gibney
Friday May 15 at 4 p.m. the pool at the Regent’s School filled with
primary and secondary students along with staff and gap staff to mark
the start of the 3rd 24-hour swimathon. Swimmers worked in teams to keep
someone swimming or at least in the water for the entire 24 hours.
 Junior
boys take a rest after their session of swimming.
From the start the pool was filled with energetic students swimming
considerable distance at great speeds. There was music blasting out
across the pool and campus and there was food and drink on sale
including a delicious BBQ cooked by some fabulous parents.
By six hours in there had been some remarkable achievements in terms of
swimming distance. Our youngest swimmer, Charlie Junker, amazingly
managed to break 1 km. Some over primary swimmers, Jules and Benjamin,
had managed to reach 5km.
By 10 p.m. all the primary swimmers had gone home and it was the
secondary swimmers who had to keep someone in the water throughout the
long night. Mr. Pickles and Mr. Rawlings were on hand to provide some
entertainment and jokes on the microphone along with Miss Hartle
spinning some of her favorite tunes. It was a long night but Mr. Gibney
had some competitions and activities planned with various prizes and
inflatables in order to keep the students awake.
 Swimathon
09 t-shirt sponsored by the Secondary Student Guild.
Some students took it in turns and woke up in the middle of the night to
do their swimming shift, but others like Malina and Karina decided to
make it their mission to swim or at least float throughout the night.
The next morning arrived and swimmers were getting tired. Mr Crouch
arrived at 7.30 with bacon to cook on the BBQ. This breathed a new lease
of life into our swimmers and along with new primary swimmers arriving
and others who had been sleeping all night started to fill the pool back
up with moving bodies.
By mid morning things were in full swing although a quick downpour and a
little thunder added to the entertainment. The gap staff who had stayed
awake all night were still swimming strong along with our fantastic
teachers who had always maintained at least one person swimming in the
water all the time.
The afternoon was long, if only because we had to wait hours for the
arrival of the pizzas Fiona had ordered. But they arrived eventually and
we all had enough energy to continue through.
 Isabelle
and Patrizia prepare to swim for the gap staff team.
With the end in sight Mr Pickles and Mr Rawlings were back on the mic
and added to the final atmosphere by finishing with some fun
competitions.
4 p.m. came just in time as the thunder and lightning starting looming
in after the finish.
Overall it was a fantastic 24 hours of charity fundraising. Over 200
staff, gap staff and both secondary and primary students took part over
the 24 hours. The furthest distance achieved by one person was Nat in
year 6 who swam over 10 km, an amazing achievement for anyone let alone
a primary student.
The event of course couldn’t happen without the constant support and
supervision from staff throughout the day and the night. A big thanks
and well done to all those staff and parents who gave up there time.
100,000 baht was raised for Round Square special service projects such
as the Koh Phi Phi project and Mae Hong Son hill tribe project.
Jesters care for blind kids too
(L to R) Father Lawrence
Patin, Chonburi Education Commissioner Supamit Sirakanthamakul,
committee member Choocheep Saisawasdi, Aurora Sribuaphan, Sutham
Phanthusak, Ajarn Roy Phothisa director of Chuthamas Beauty School,
Father Worawut Saraphan, and Lewis Underwood.
Lewis Underwood
Last Thursday, June 18 we were invited to attend the Pattaya
Redemptorist Blind School’s Teachers’ and Benefactors Day’, which is one
of our favorite functions there filled with ceremony and entertainment
from the kids.
 Woody
(left) presents Wayne Ogonoski (right) with a certificate of
appreciation for the help the Canadian Jackalope Open committee has
given the Jesters Care for Kids charity drive.
Aurora, director of the school, opened the ceremony with the following
introduction: “On behalf of the School for the Blind under the royal
patronage of her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, I
welcome you all here on the Teachers’ and Benefactors’ Day.
I would also like to express my many thanks and appreciation for
your generous support through financial aid, time, energy and knowledge
in order to help us develop these blind kids to become independent and
respectful persons amongst their societies.”
The Redemptorists claim that over 96% of the blind people in Thailand
have not been given the opportunity to get an education. The School for
the Blind in Naklua is one such institution that offers education,
vocational training, boarding and special care for blind and mentally
impaired children. Additionally, music, dance, sports and games are also
taught and prove to be popular meaningful activities for these special
children.
Aurora, who is also blind, has a master’s degree in special education
for the visually handicapped and helped initiate the School for the
Blind with the late Father Ray Brennan back in 1986. The school moved to
their present location in Naklua on Soi 16 about a half kilometer from
Wat Po off the Pattaya-Naklua Road in 1992.
Presently the School for the Blind is under the Father Ray Foundation
(www.fr-ray.org) which also includes the School for the Disabled,
Children’s Home, Outreach Work Center, Children’s Village and Day Care
Center.
Aurora makes it perfectly clear that their goal is to educate these kids
so that they are not ‘a burden on society’. While some blind students
aspire to go to university, many just want a high school education so
they can earn a basic living. When a student turns 18 he or she should
be ready for the next step, which hopefully is finding a niche in the
world of employment. It is important for the older students to move on
to make room for younger candidates awaiting admittance.
She adds that blind persons can work in the hotel industry answering
phones, making bookings, translating languages, etc., while partially
blind individuals can be porters, waiters/waitresses and/or work in
laundry. She acknowledges that one of the biggest demands for blind
people is in the capacity of masseurs or masseuses, who are also
qualified to diagnose ailments through this art of touch.
Presently, they are in the process of building a vocational training
school across the street from the school hoping to be finished a year
from now. They are still about 7 million baht short of realizing this
goal and are vigorously looking for financial assistance.
The Jesters Care for Kids Charity Drive has been assisting the Blind
School since 2002, and has helped them in many different ways, including
providing educational aids, desks, chairs and storage bins for
classrooms; bunk beds and mattresses for dormitories; sports equipment,
uniforms and musical instruments for local and national events; kitchen
appliances, tables, chairs and protein supplements for the kids’ diets;
as well as industrial water pumps, storage tanks, and plumbing for the
entire premises. We have also provided for many building and structure
repairs over the last 7 years.
On the back of the School for the Blind’s literature is a quote by Mark
Twain: “Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind
can see.”
If you would like to help us help the blind children have better lives
and futures, please visit our website at www.care4kids.info.
You will also be able to see the blind children performances at our
Children’s Fair this year on Sunday, September 13 at Diana Garden Resort
and Driving Range in north Pattaya.
Blind kids enjoying the
show.
Pattaya Sports Club donates over
THB 250,000 to Father Ray Foundation
Pattaya Sports Club is donating THB 255,360 to the
Father Ray Foundation to build a ‘sala’ at the Fr. Ray Children’s
Village which currently is home to 33 children who have been rescued
from streets of Pattaya.
 Bernie
Tuppin (left) presents the first installment to Fr. Lawrence Patin.
Bernie Tuppin, charity chairman of the Pattaya Sports Club presented the
first installment to Fr. Lawrence Patin, president of the Fr. Ray
Foundation on Saturday, June 6 at their clubhouse which is located on
Pattaya 3rd Road. Pattaya Sports Club makes substantial donations to
charities that house, feed, and take care of the essential needs of
orphans and so much more.
The ‘multi-purposed sala’ at the Village will provide the children with
a much needed facility for their evening activities when they return
from school. At weekends, groups of children will be able to develop
their skills in music and arts also they can use the sala for rehearsals
and meetings.
The sala is sited next to a range of new play equipment recently donated
by the Rotary Club of Jomtien Pattaya, and together this facility
provides exciting opportunity for the children very close to their
homes.
Fr. Ray Children’s Village opened its first four houses in 2008 and is
currently raising money to building another four houses later this year.
In the long term the Fr. Ray Foundation hopes to build a total of twenty
houses at the Village, which will eventually become home for around 160
children. Each house has its own ‘house mother’ and an ‘auntie’ who give
these very needy children love and a home of their own, often for the
first time in their short lives.
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