IMPACT 35 by Concordian International School

BACK TO SCHOOL ISSUE

BY CONCORDIAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL INTEGRITY - VISION - INTELLECT - COMPASSION

Table of Contents

Editor's Note Message from Admin

Message from the Founding Director

Welcome back from the Head of School Message from the Thai Principal Welcome Back from the Board of Trustees

School Updates

Welcome back from the Elementary Principals Back to School Week

Graduation

5 Graduation

(2021) Graduation Grade 5 (2021) Graduation

Meet Our PYP Coordinators

Greetings from PYP Guidance & Learning Inclusion Support

Wai Kru Ceremony (Elementary School)

Sports Day

Sports Day

Thai Classical Music at Concordian New Faculty 2022-2023

Message from the Secondary Principals

Welcome back from the Director of College Counseling MYP Counseling Update

Wai Kru Ceremony (Secondary School)

Moon Festival

Athletics News

G5U Boys and Girls Basketball

Boys and Girls Basketball

Boys and Girls Football

Boys and Girls Volleyball

Showcase

Student Life and Service

Special Feature

Spotlight

Editor's NOTE

Dear Impact Readers,

What a wonderful feeling it is to have our school halls filled with laughter and excitement again - our students eager to get back to school after the summer break and our faculty and staff so happy to welcome them back!

The new academic year is off to a roaring start with many events, trips and activities underway. As always, Impact is here to preserve and present to you a snapshot of the great learning that is taking place in our classrooms and Concordians bringing the mission and vision of our school to life.

In this issue, we give you a glimpse of some of the important events that took place at the end of the last academic year - the K3 and Grade 5 Graduation ceremonies, as well as the make-up Graduations for the K3 and Grade 5 Classes of 2021 who had their achievements celebrated, even with a year’s delay. We also present the EY and PY Sports Days from 2022 that marked the start of our return to normalcy at school.

Wai Kru was celebrated on September 29, 2022 throughout our school. This wonderful event pays respect to teachers and provides a glimpse into Thai culture and the appreciation it has for educators. It was a tremendous event that brought the school community together.

In addition, we celebrate some of the achievements of our talented students outside of the classroom and in the greater community, including two important events - Sornthong Thai Musical Contest and the National Solo Thai Instrument Competition. We also present the new faculty members joining us from within Thailand and from abroad for this exciting new academic year.

Dragon Athletics is also back this year and you can discover the accomplish ments of our teams in various sporting disciplines and events, including their victories over other schools’ teams.

Our Secondary School student life is also back to normal and we get a chance to learn what our students have been up to since the start of the year - an amazing array of bonding trips, service activities, events such as CIS Model United Nations and Moon Festival, as well as activities from our clubs and Middle and High School Student Governments.

CONCORDIANDRAGON

THECONCORDIANGRAGONS

Lastly, we share the impressions of two of our families who have chosen Concordian for the education of their children and discover more about one of our alumni and the lessons she has learned while running a business and the advice she would like to pass on to our current students.

Please enjoy this issue of our magazine! Dessy Delevaux Editor

Dessy Delevaux, Editor Wanlapha (Prinz) Sa-ardwong, Graphic Designer

Welcome Back from the Founding Director

Dear Concordians,

In the past years, we have been witnessing so many conflicts around the world as well as the continuation of the biggest pandemic of the century. Living through this difficult time of changes, tragedies and conflicts, we can view them as troubles and headaches or we can learn from them and prepare ourselves for what might come. In every crisis, there is always an opportunity for us to be a part of solving the problem or to act with compassion. Change is inevitable and we hope to be a part of the positive changes in this ever-evolving world. You all must question: In this seemingly chaotic and unsettled world, what can we do to make a positive difference? Well, even if we can’t change the bad to good, we can definitely do more good to better the world and to help people.

Don’t wait for anyone to come and change the world for you, you just have to make sure that everything you do and say in your everyday life is positive to yourselves, to those around you, and most important of all, to those you love and love you dearly. Show and act based on compassion, and pray that compassion spreads because the world is very much in need of it now.

Despite all the troubles, we also had wonderful news from our Graduating Class of 2022. Through all of the adversity of the past two years - the most important years of their high school lives, and the competition of overflowing universities applications around the world, the Class of 2022’s university acceptances have triumphed against all odds. Congratulations to all of our students from Class of 2022! Thank you so much for all the hard work over the past 16 years, including the input of all students, parents, teachers, support teachers, assistants and specialist teachers, administrators, and our college counselors who worked with every single one of our students to achieve the best university acceptances. Thank you to everyone at Concordian who has been a part of our students’ journey. I am so proud of every single one

of my graduating students, because I truly believe that each and every one of them will carry Concordian’s Mission in their heart and will one day lead with Dig nity, Integrity and, most importantly, with Compassion.

The new school year has begun and I am very pleased to welcome back those who return to Concordian and warmly welcome those who have just joined our Concordian family. It is important that all of usparents, teaching staff, administrators and operations staff - clearly understand and agree to Concordian’s Mission & Vision and the meaning of the name of our school, so that we will together help develop the next generation of young adults for a better and more peaceful world.

Thank you to all from the bottom of my heart for all of your trust, devotion and commitment to the learning of our students.

Sincerely, Varnnee Chearavanont Ross Founder / Director

Concordian : Agreement or harmony between people or groups.

Concordians : People who agree to work together harmony.

Mission : To foster academic excellence while nurturing moral and responsible young leaders with dignity, integrity, and compassion, who want to make a difference in the world.

Vision : Concordians will be compassionate, moral and visionary leaders who strive for excellence.

"Change is inevitable and we hope to be a part of the positive changes in this ever-evolving world."

Dear Concordian Community,

It is with great pleasure that we welcome you back to Concordian for an exciting new year that we believe will bring more normalcy and events back to our campus!

I would like to congratulate our students for being so brave and resilient, having faced changes and challenges on an almost daily basis for more than two years.

Learning in an IB school has definitely helped our students (and staff) to overcome challenges. It is not only about the knowledge content, it is more about how we face difficulties and how we work around new and unexpected adversities so that we can make the best out of any situation.

"Being ready to face anything is what makes IB students so resilient, and I could not be more proud of our IB community and how they exemplify their IB skills."

Message from the Head of School

When our students grow up, go to their dream university and then start working, will they always know what lies ahead? Will anyone tell them how to deal with challenges? Being ready to face anything is what makes IB students so resilient, and I could not be more proud of our IB community and how they exemplify their IB skills.

We are ready to move on from Covid in a safe and appropriate way -fast enough so that it is no longer at the forefront of everything we do but slow enough so that we continue to keep everyone safe.

Thank you for your care and love for Concordian, we are a big family and I have never felt as much care and compassion in our community than during this difficult time.

We are so proud of being DRAGONS!

Sincerely, Laurent Goetschmann Head of School

CONCORDIAN

Message from the Thai Principal

Concordian International School was established with the strong objectives and beliefs to foster young students to become good leaders who strive for academic excellence while being moral and compas sionate.

Therefore, to meet our school’s mission, our teaching and learning will focus on our students and support academic knowledge at the international level so they can grow up to be adults with virtues, ethics and knowledge of Thai traditional culture.

From the past until now, the school has successfully achieved our mission. Our Grade 12 students can enroll at the world’s top ranked universities, both in Thailand and aboard.

Also, those who have the special skills and talents in Thai Dance and Thai instruments have won the first win at the national level competition. All of these achievements bring honor and pride to our school.

Ajarn Vichitvong Chanarat Thai Principal

Dear Concordians,

I hope you had a wonderful summer break, and spent precious time with your family and loved ones, espe cially for those who had not returned home for several years due to travel restrictions.

It is with great pleasure that the school welcomes our students back to on-site classes so they no longer miss the face-to-face interactions with our teachers.

We also welcome back our parent and teacher community back to in-person interactions in various activities.

With everyone well rested and revitalised, the lively Concordian we are familiar with is back in full swing!

Message from the Board of Trustees

A school highlight that I have personally missed is the Week Without Walls where our students immerse in a valuable learning experience through overcoming the challenges they face and feeling the pride and fulfillment when seeing their hard work comes to fruition. We sincerely hope these memorable moments will help nurture their character to be compassionate, moral and visionary leaders in the future.

Concordian continues to provide the best environment for your children to strive for excellence and nurtured into compassionate, moral and visionary leaders. We thank you for your continued support to the school and wish everyone another fruitful academic year.

"We thank you for your continued support to the school and wish everyone another fruitful academic year."

Dr. Chawin Chantharasenawong Chairperson Concordian Board of Trustees

Welcome Back from Our Elementary School Principal

A warm greeting to all PYP students, teachers, parents and everyone in the Concordian family, welcome to the school year 2022-2023!

After two and half years of intermittent on-campus learning, this year we are confident to bring back the “normal” school life that we were unable to do so far due to various Covid related restrictions.

In the classroom, more group discussions, hands-on activities and shared projects will be facilitated to support authentic inquiry learning. Outside the classroom, more on-campus events will be organized throughout the year such as assemblies and miniexhibitions, EY Musical Concerts, Festival of Love, in-person parent-teacher conferences, field trips, G5 Week Without Walls trip, Student-led Conference and so many more! An exciting and fruitful year is ahead of us!

This year is also a year for all of us to consolidate changes. Covid-19 and online learning have brought on a revolution in the whole education world. In the past two and half years when facing difficulties and challenges, Concordian has made various changes regarding student learning, wellbeing and safety, striving to adapt and continue to provide the best school experience. This year is a year for all of us to take a moment to reflect on all the changes implemented and continue to improve upon them.

Everything we do as a school to bring our Mission and Vision Statements alive sets us apart from any other international school with similar programs, and that is one of the most important reasons students enjoy learning in Concordian.

Last but not least, I would like to use a Chinese proverb to wish everyone an amazing school year:

plan of

year lies in the spring, the plan of a day is in the morning, and the plan of a lifetime lies in diligence.

Principal

Message from Our Elementary School Principal

As we embark on a new academic year, I am delighted to give a warm welcome to all of our returning students and parents back to school as well as to those families who have just joined us either in the Pre-K or in another grade level. Concordian Interna tional School is a place where you can feel comfortable knowing that you have made the right choice of a school for your child.

Over the summer break a lot of work has been done in many areas of the school campus to ensure our campus has the most updated systems in place for the safety and wellbeing of all of our students. One particular area to be mentioned is at the Early Years entrance of the school. Parents can feel that their child is safer while in school as we have installed new school ID entrance scanners and gates to ensure that everyone who is on campus is registered in the school system and has a school issued ID cards that are scanned to enter and exit the campus.

Early Years students are able to use their school ID card to enter through the gates but when exiting they will need to scan out by using their parent’s school ID card as an extra safety measure. The school spares no expense in order to provide the best learning spaces and safest learning environments for all of our students.

I would like to wish everyone a wonderful 2022-23 academic school year. A new school year gives you a chance to begin new and fresh. It is an opportunity to look ahead and work harder to make it a better and a brighter future. I wish you lots of luck as you begin a new year at academics, may you shine bright and happy with your efforts!

Sincerely, Tim Byrum Elementary School Principal / EY Dean of Students PYP English Faculty Affairs / Whole School Facilities Manager

In the week of September 19th to 23rd, Concordian successfully hosted its annual PYP Back to School Week Parent Sessions.

PYP Back to School Week offers an opportunity for teachers to introduce grade level curriculum and expectations to parents. Through informative sessions, parents gain a better understanding of our program and build a positive school-parents relationship.

In the past, during many years, Concordian had hosted Back to School Night, which was a one night event and all grade level sessions happened simultaneously in classrooms. Two years ago, we changed it to a one-week event. On each day of the week, two grade levels are presented, one session in the morning and one session in the afternoon. This change was implemented to allow parents who have children in multiple grade levels to be able to attend all sessions. We have received very positive feedback regarding the change.

All teachers, including homeroom teachers as well as single subject teachers, collaborated in preparing and presenting the session. In each 45 minute-long grade level presenta tion, useful information regarding the curriculum such as Units of Inquiry (UOI) introduction, Chinese/English language benchmarks and assessments, Math benchmark and assessments, and single subject areas learning were shared, clarifications on home learning were explained, followed by communication & useful reminders, ending with a Q&A session.

Back to School Week provides parents with useful information every year to support their child(ren)’s learning and development at home. Concordian values the relation ship and trust among teachers, students and parents and will continue to foster positive communication throughout the year.

Ms. Ariel Wang Elementary School Principal

It was wonderful to have the moment for us to celebrate the achieve ment of our Early Years graduates! We are delighted to witness our K3 students accomplish a significant milestone. This marks the beginning of another journey and we are certain that our graduates will continue to succeed in formal education. We wish all our graduates much success as they continue with their education.

Warmest Congratulations to our dear graduates for their first successful step of education!

Sincerely, Tim Byrum

Elementary School Principal

On 22nd June 2022, the graduation for the G5 class of 2022 was held. Below is the Principals’ address to the students.

Good afternoon students, parents and teachers,

Today is definitely a special day as we are celebrating the G5 graduation! We are extremely proud of your growth and achieve ments in the PYP. It is a collective effort of all of your teachers from Pre-K to G5, your family, your friends and those who care about you deeply to make you who you are today.

Hence, today is also a day to say “Thank You”.

The first “Thank you” goes to your parents and care-givers. They are your first teachers and have given you their love uncondition ally for the past 11 years. They laugh with your laughter, worry about your worries and cry for your sadness. They are your angels protecting you from any harm and always encouraging you to achieve your best. There has been no one and will never be anyone who cares about you more than your family.

The second “Thank you” goes to your teachers. Your teachers taught you knowledge, skills as well as prepared you with qualities to be successful. Sometimes they have to be tough with you, only to teach you discipline and build your resilience, because life is not always a fairy tale. Frustrations and failure will shift our perspectives and raise our horizons.

The last “Thank you” goes to you yourself. Thank you for working hard and doing your best for the past 9 years. Sometimes you’ve tried very hard, but you still don’t succeed. This is normal. We should learn to enjoy the process. Don’t be afraid that others will laugh at you. You are much better than those who don’t even dare to try.

Grade 5s, you hold a special spot in my heart. I watched all of you on your first day of school in PK, I taught half of you in G1, now I am attending your Primary Years Graduation ceremony and I will surely be there for your Grade 12 graduation in another 6 years. I witnessed your growth in the PYP and I know every single one of you has something special. All you need to do is to believe in yourself and bring it out.

Lastly, on behalf of all the Chinese teachers who have taught you, especially Ms. Nong and Ms. Yuming, I would like to say a few words in Chinese.

On 15th June 2022, we were fortunate enough to be able to hold a make-up graduation for the K3 class of 2021 who moved up to Grade 1 in 2021-22. Below is the Principals’ address to the students.

Dear G1 students, parents and teachers,

Today we are so excited that we could all go on a “time vessel” and go back to a year ago, which is your K3 Graduation Day! We are so glad we could make this special event happen for you.

Students, going from K3 to G1 means you are big girls and big boys now. And I’m sure you all know that because you already did so many great things this year in G1:

• You joined the Voice Singing Contest and Centerstage Talent show for the first time

• You had the Students Council Class Representative Election for the first time

• You had the Chinese Writing Contest for the first time

• In class, you had six UOIs instead of 4 as in the Early Years

• You built more confidence and independence

And so many more are coming!

I can assure you all the remaining 4 years of PYP will continue to be full of excitement and all of you will continue to grow into balanced, caring and principled PYP students. All you need to do is to try your best, no matter what happens, just try your best and you will be more confident, more independent, more respon sible and will discover more fun learning!

Finally, I would like to thank your Early Years teachers and your G1 teachers for everything you’ve done for the students. We truly appreciate every one of you. Parents, you are always your children’s first teacher and the best teacher and thank you for your support and putting your faith in Concordian.

Sincerely,

Ms. Ariel Wang Elementary Principal

On 15th June 2022, we were fortunate enough to be able to hold a make-up graduation for the Grade 5 class of 2021 who moved up to Grade 6 in 2021-22. Below is the Principals’ address to the students.

Dear G6 students, parents and teachers,

It is almost like a magic button being reset and we all returned to the time and place a year ago to celebrate your primary school graduation!

Students, there's no doubt you are going to be great. We’d like to congratulate you on your first year of middle school. You have been incredibly flexible and resilient because you started middle school with online learning, you managed to adapt to the middle school structure and on top of that, adapted to a few modes of learning throughout the year, which definitely was not easy.

Of course, we also would like to congratulate our parents! You’ve done tremendous work at home to support your children’s transition to the MYP. Students, as you enter your new chapter of life, you grow physically and mentally. You desire more inde pendence while realizing your responsibilities also grow bigger. Sometimes you might feel lost, please remember that your parents will always be there and waiting to listen to you. They always want to connect with you because they are the ones who care about you the most.

Academics are always extremely important for a student to be successful in the future. You’ve heard a lot from everyone asking you to work hard and try your best since you were little. Those who said this are absolutely right. Hard work means you make full use of the same amount of time as others but maximize the outcome of learning. And that makes you very capable of learning and almost everything.

There are also other things as important as academic achieve ments - and that is your character and reputation. Your character is who you are and your reputation is the opin ions that people hold about you, whether they are true or not! Therefore, you should always do and say the right things that make you proud of yourself and that make your teachers and parents proud of you.

Last but not least, on behalf of all of your primary teachers from PK to Grade 5, we wish all of you great success in secondary school!

Sincerely,

Ms. Ariel Wang Elementary Principal

Meet Ms. Kerrie Adams

PYP Coordinator

In this issue of Impact, we will get to know our PYP Coordinators a little bit better. Read more about Ms. Kerrie and Mr. Craig below.

Impact: Please tell us about yourself.

Kerrie Adams: I was born in England, where I spent the first 12 years of my life before moving to Shanghai with my family. Moving to Shanghai, I quickly became a ‘third culture kid’, finding myself blending aspects of both British and Chinese culture together to create my own beliefs and values. During my time in Shanghai, I developed a love of the language, culture and of course the food! After completing the IB programme at an international school, I continued on my journey as a lifelong learner, completing a B.A in Psychology, a Post-Graduate Certificate of Education and finally a Post Graduate Diploma in Special and Inclusive Education. In my spare time I enjoy traveling to new destinations, scuba diving and reading.

Impact: Why did you choose Thailand for your international career and what are some aspects that you enjoy most about living here?

Kerrie Adams: After moving to Thailand, Bangkok quickly became my home. After planning to live here for only a few short years…..18 years later i’m still here! Thailand is full of such incredible culture and history and is a great place to live for anyone who loves to travel and explore.

Impact: How has being at Concordian made you a better person and a better teacher?

Kerrie Adams: Having spent most of my life living overseas, Concordian’s trilingual programme was a perfect fit for my cultural identity, as well as my beliefs as a teacher. Concordian has a supportive community that really embodies a true sense of international-mindedness. With strong guiding statements, Concordian students really do have the ability to make a difference in the world.

Impact: What exactly does a PYP Coordinator do in an IB school such as ours?

Kerrie Adams: As one of our PYP Coordinators, I help to over see the implementation of the PYP Programme at Concordian and to ensure it aligns with IB Standards and Practices. This includes the review of our curriculum to ensure it is implement ed within the classroom, as well as support staff with continued professional development.

Impact: How do you make sure that at the end of PYP our students are well prepared to make the transition into the MYP programme?

Kerrie Adams: There are many different elements that go into preparing students for their transition into the MYP programme. Starting with our youngest learners in EY, we help to ensure our students are provided a safe learning environment where they have voice, choice and ownership in their learning journey, as well as opportunities to demonstrate and develop their approaches to learning. Our students are encouraged to be inquirers, understanding how to make sense of the world around them, as well as how to transfer and apply their learning to real life situations.

Impact: Thank you, Ms. Kerrie!

Meet Mr. Craig Martin

PYP Coordinator

Impact: Please tell us about yourself.

Craig Martin: I’m from Ontario, Canada. Growing up, I always enjoyed being outdoors and learning about the world around me. In my teens I became a camp counselor and this real ly solidified my love of teaching and sharing with others. My fascination with learning about who we are as humans and the way we think about the world around us is what led me to pursue a B.A (Hons) in Psychology and Philosophy and my de sire to share and help others led me to a B.Ed. After graduating university, I wanted to continue learning about the world and decided to pursue a career in international teaching. I moved to Taiwan where I discovered I loved collaborating, teaching, and learning with adults just as much as with children and this led me to become an IB workshop leader and visiting member as well as to acquire my degree in International Education Admin istration (M.Ed). When I am not working, I enjoy reading, outdoor activities and spending time with my family.

Impact: Why did you choose Thailand for your international career and what are some aspects that you enjoy most about living here?

Craig Martin: Prior to moving here, I had been to Thailand many times over the years and was enthralled by the diverse and beautiful landscape, friendly people, history, and the way it balanced its own culture with internationalism. Some former colleagues who worked at Concordian highly recommended the school and, as I have a bilingual family and have worked at bilingual schools in the past, the education at Concordian was a perfect fit for myself and my family.

Impact: How has being at Concordian made you a better person and a better teacher?

Craig Martin: Although I have previously worked in a bilingual setting, Concordian has provided me with a different educational model than I had worked with in the past. This has helped me gain new insights on different perspectives and allowed me to grow as an educator. Working with a diverse array of colleagues has provided me with opportunities to develop new understandings and appreciate different outlooks on education and the world in which we live.

Impact: What exactly does a PYP Coordinator do in an IB school such as ours?

Craig Martin: Some of the major elements involved in being PYP coordinator are to help the school’s mision, vision and strategy to develop and come alive, promote key pedagogical elements and support the implementation of curriculum. I am very lucky that at Concordian we have a team of PYP coordinators and we are able to collaborate with each other as well as teachers and other stakeholders to help to ensure that we have a dynamic and robust programme.

Impact: How do you make sure that at the end of PYP our students are well prepared to make the transition into the MYP programme?

Craig Martin: We have invested time in collaboration with members of the MYP and DP to ensure vertical articulation of our curriculum so that there is continuity of learning from PK to Grade 12. This means that what is learnt in Grade 6 is a natural progression from what is learnt in Grade 5. At the end of Grade 5 students also engage in a Transitions Unit of Inquiry where they have opportunities to learn about the MYP from MYP teachers and are able to engage in experiential learning with their homeroom teachers that is similar to what their MYP experience will be like.

Impact: Thank you, Mr. Craig!

Greetings from PYP Guidance Counselors

Welcome back to school to all students and all new students!

It is truly wonderful to see all students in their new grade levels.

As PYP Guidance Counselors, we provide professional support to the Early Years and Primary Years students to help them develop appropriate social and emotional skills and provide assistance during times of transition, critical change, heightened stress, or other situations impeding student success.

As part of our support:

• We teach bi-monthly Guidance lessons and Value lessons in classrooms to Pre-K to Grade 5 students.

Students learn about emotional intelligence skills, friend ship skills, social competence skills, problem-solving skills, conflict-resolution skills, coping strategies when dealing with stress, anxiety, and other strong feelings, health and wellbeing: body safety lessons, career paths, and school core values.

• We conduct individual and/or small group counseling sessions for students to help with issues related to social and emotional growth.

• We organize Career Day annually for students.

• We collaborate closely with teachers and parents to ensure each student’s success.

• We provide consultation to parents to ensure the students’ success.

If you have any concerns about your child regarding social, emotional, and/or learning issues at home, school, or any other concerns related to your child’s well-being, please stop by or email Ms. Luck at luck@concordian.ac.th.

Learning Inclusion Support

Our Learning Inclusion Support teachers:

From left to right: Ms. Peachi, Ms. Abie, Ms. Luck, Ms. May, and Ms. Jossie

Who do we have on our Teams?

Our PYP Guidance Counselors are here to support you:

Ms. Luck luck@concordian.ac.th - PYP Head of Counseling Department

Ms. Yatima yatima@concordian.ac.th - Grade 5 Counselor

Ms. Maria maria.j@concordian.ac.th - Grade 2, 3, and 4 Counselor

Ms. Tong ruentip.p@concordian.ac.th - K3, Grade 1 and 2 Counselor

Ms. Sze Wan szewan.h@concordian.ac.th - Pre-K, K1, and K2 Counselor

As PYP Learning Inclusion Support Teachers, we provide support to students, teachers, and parents. Learning support teachers work with students with diverse learning needs, iden tify their areas of need and provide in-class and one-on-one support with the goal of maximizing the students’ learning in an inclusive environment.

We also collaborate with relevant teams for the implementation of teaching strategies and learning materials to accommodate the student's needs.

• We provide support so students can access and fully participate in learning alongside their similar-aged peers.

• For teachers, we provide teaching strategies tailored to meet their students’ individual needs.

• For parents, we provide resources so that they can fully support their children at home.

We look forward to a successful academic year 2022-2023 for all of our students and teachers!

Wai Kru Ceremony 2022 Teacher Appreciation Day

The students have learned the mean ing and the importance of “Wai Kru Day” and the symbolic flowers. In each class, they also had a chance to decorate the pedestal tray (พานไหว้ครู) for their loved teachers.

Wai Kru Day is a good opportunity for the students to pay respect, show their gratitude and love to the teachers.

For EY Wai Kru this school year, we are able to have “Wai Kru Ceremony” at the Amphitheater for Kindergarten 3 students only according to the social distance rules.

For Kindergarten 1 & 2, they had a spe cial “Wai Kru Day” during the Thai class in which they proudly gave the flowers they brought from home to the teachers.

Kru Aim Head of EY Thai Department

Wai Kru ceremony is very formal and decorative and also a vital part of traditional Thai culture. It is where the students pay respect and express their appreciation and gratitude to their teachers.

As the situation is getting better, this year we proudly present the valued event under the safety policy. We started the ceremony with a Thai Classical dance named Chern-Pra-Kwan, which aims to invite the good moral back and bless everyone to start a wonderful academic year together.

Towards the end of the ceremony, the teachers gave students advice and blessed them to be successful in education. As Thai culture fosters a deep respect for educators, the Wai Kru cere mony is a brilliant way to start the academic year and formalize the student–teacher relationship.

Kru Nid Head of PY Thai Department

Last June 9th, 2022 was our EY Sports Day! The students were so excited to participate in the games and activities. Students showed great teamwork, good sportsmanship, and what they learned from PE class. Teachers and parents also participated in the games. They showed full support to the students by cheering and encouraging them. It was a day full of fun and energy!

Mr. Raymond Nieva K2-G2 PE Teacher

WOW! PY Sports Day 2022 was so amazing and all students were happy that the school still had this event for all of them to show their performance and sports skills. There were 8 stations for G1 & G2 and 12 stations for G3, G4 and G5 such as Handball, Basketball, Football, Hurdle Race, etc. These activities could help the students increase physical strength and body coordination. Although in almost all stations students had to wear the mask on their face, they could perfectly show their good skills, power and teamwork with their teammate.

Thank you very much to all parents for supporting this event by allowing all students to join and have fun with their friends during the Covid situation. And thank you so much to the admin team, PE team, teachers and all staff for your great support and making this event a big success!

Looking forward to the next PY Sports Day & hope we don't need to wear the mask on our face in this event again!!

Kru Tiew

Thai Classical Music at Concordian

From the seed to the blossom of culture

Thai classical music is one of the most significant symbolic aspects of Thai culture. It is taught widely in Thai schools but not all are aware of how important it is. For Concordian, Thai classical music is not only a subject but also the instruments to connect students and allow them to understand Thai culture more appreciatively.

Throwback to ten years ago, the first Thai music class was designed only for being an after school activity for PY students and to support the performance in Thai events throughout the year. Now, it has become an important unit of learning Thai culture in PY Value class. All PY students have experienced and learned Thai music as the culture, also along with Thai literature in Thai class with our Thai teachers and our Thai music specialist, Kru A. We have the wonderful Thai classical music band of Concordian and in the last two years we also have students participating and winning prestigious awards at national-level music competitions - Sornthong Thai music contest and the National Solo Thai instrument 2021-2022. Once again congratulations to Hui Hui (G12), Tiger (G7), Don (G5) and Dol (G5). Concordian is so proud of them!

Kru Nid

Ms. Abigail Enoc

Alvin Sexton

Andrew Zellmann

Callie Zellmann

Daniel Hahn

Drew (Andrew) Merchant

Fah (Warangkana) Porattanasuwan

Gladys (Fangqian) Guan

Ms. Hazel Power

Jo (Joherman) Galad

Ms. Julie Burke

June (Thitima) Sangkachan

Kathy (Kathryn) Kane

Kristy Nacionales

Concordian faculty this year.

Jamella Buynay

Jinhua (Louise) Liu

Laura (Ruobing) Guo

Laura (Yuhua) Bi

Megan Black

Mindy (Mingli) Xie

Morgan Anders

Murat Zeytcioglu

Pam (Sasipa) Joengjeerakul

Rose Anne Muron

Tang (Yaoyao) Tang

Tony (Anthony) McMullen

Vijay (Vijayranga) Tatachar

Wesley Fung

Mary Ann Pacis

Laurie Joynt

Mark Palombo

Sheila Salmasan

Message from the Secondary School Principal

Welcome Back! After the last couple of years where most of our school-related activities have had to be canceled, it is with great pleasure that I get to let you know how busy we’ve already been this school year. Our sports programs are up and running, we’ve completed bonding trips for G8-10, had an IB retreat for G11, and G12 went on a college readiness weekend.

Back to School Morning had one of the largest turnouts since I’ve been at the school and the first theatrical production has had its auditions and has started rehearsals for live performances in November!

It was so great to start school on campus this year instead of online like we did last year. We had the opportunity to have a full induction of our G6 students so the transition to the MYP would be a lot smoother.

Both the High and Middle School Student Governments have been actively advocating for the students and trying to improve student life on campus. Plus, we are planning the Week Without Walls field trips for our MYP students, as well as the G11 School Build Project.

We were fortunate enough to get some highly qualified new teachers for this school year. Please take some time to get acquainted with the newest members of our community. Also, please read through the student articles to see their perspective on starting the new school year.

I look forward to working with you all to ensure our students have a very successful year. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.

Sincerely, Mr. Bill Berry

Secondary School Principal MYP/DP Dean of Students MYP/DP Faculty Affairs

Welcome Back from the Secondary School Principal

Dear Concordians,

It’s been so exciting to see everyone back on campus and enjoy all kinds of fun learning engagements since the beginning of this school year. With most restrictions lifted, we have been able to have a more collaborative learning environment not only on campus but also reaching out to the larger community outside the school. Field trips, service trips, bonding trips, visiting speakers, sports, @SA activities are all back to student life.

To enrich students’ after-school life, Concordian has also launched its very first Creative Minds Academy which aims to support students above and beyond in their passion for science, art, music, technology, languages, etc. Collaboration is also one of the MYP goals this year. As a further step of teaching students how to learn, the Approaches to Learning (ATL) has developed to the phase of systematic practice across subjects and grade levels in the MYP. Secondary teachers will collaborate vertically and horizontally to support students’ ATL development. Service as Action will also be integrated into collaborative teaching and learning and its emphasis is on supporting students’ principled actions when facing authentic local and global issues and needs.

Student agency is another focus as we continue to nurture self-reflection and responsibility in our MYP students. This year, all students will work on their own individual learning diary folder in which they will document their learning achievements and highlights in subjects, ATLs, service, research, reading, as well as after-class events and activities throughout the year. Through this process students will select the learning milestones that best represent their learning outcomes and be more self-aware of their own learning journey. Students will use the learning diary when presenting at the student-led conference in April next year. In addition, the newly launched reading program in G6 to G9 will also provide a framework for students to actively pick up books to read and gradually to form a habit and culture of reading in the community.

There is a lot to accomplish this year as usual. I have no doubt that our all-star team will surely make another wonderful year!

Sincerely, Ms. Min Li Secondary School Principal MYP Curriculum MYP/DP Head of Languages

Message from the Secondary School Principal

Being an educator is the most rewarding job in the whole world! I have been firmly convinced of this belief with the past years of experience working with young people.

About a month ago we were able to open the campus and get back to “normal” as much as we can. Since the first day students return to campus many exciting things have happened daily. Students are working on science experiments inside renovated laboratories, in the field and around the campus. Discussion and collaborative group works are observed in all classrooms. Athletic activities such as running, jumping, throwing basketball, and matching games are filling the spacious gyms together with loud laughter. Role playing in the studio, instrumental practice music, noises of sketching on paper and canvases all invites students into amazing arty creativi ties. All the excitement around campus manifestes one single fact: the school is alive!

With the step-by-step facing-out of strict COVID regula tions, community members finally could participate in various learning activities with other’s presence. Education is for people and it could never be replaced totally by technology, though it is convenient in many aspects. We humans live for other humans, not for technology. Being able to be with other people and learn, grow together again is such a blessing. All the laughter generated from classrooms has provided a solid proof of this blessing, which prob ably has been neglected for quite a long time due to restrictions of the past two years.

It is amazing we can be together, despite our various ages and backgrounds, in the Concordian community and campus again. Looking forward to more and more exciting things to be revealed in the coming days!

Ms. Sally Wen Secondary School Principal DP Curriculum IB Continuum Coordinator

Welcome Back from the Director of College Counseling

Did you know that there are more than 70 synonyms for ‘Welcome Back’ such as ‘so glad to have you back’, ‘ happy to see you again’ and so forth. That says so much! It means that ‘Welcome Back’ is a special expression and one that people love to use due to the many variations that can be associated with it. So, when we say, ‘Welcome Back’, we really mean it and we are so happy to have you back on campus. Hopefully, you had a very relaxing summer and are feeling as excited as we are to start a new school year.

In the DP Counseling Department we are moving forward. Our department is getting a facelift. We added two more counseling offices plus a big study area. Why all the changes? We need more space! We are excited to welcome our new College Counselor, Mr. Tony McMullen. He hails from the United Kingdom and brings a wealth of knowledge on both sides of the desk - high school and university. Do stop by and welcome him into our Concordian community.

As our team grows (Special Advisor Khun Varnnee, two College Counselors, one Thai advisor, one Assistant and one Counseling secretary) so does our outreach. This year we will provide career counseling for Grades 9 and 10 in addition to our regular work with Grades 11 and 12. So just know, we have many things planned this year and we can’t wait to get started!

Best wishes for a fruitful, productive, happy year!

Dr. Tresa Virankabutra

Director of College Counseling DP Counselor

Emotional Counseling Advisor

Greetings from the Concordian MYP Counselors and welcome to the 2022-23 academic year! Ms. Yatima and Ms. Joy are pleased to be welcoming our new MYP Counselor to Concordian International School. Mr. Daniel Hahn joined our MYP Counseling Team in August and is from Bellingham, Washington. A trained Educational Psychologist, Mr. Daniel has previously worked as a Counselor, Psychologist and Student Services Coordinator at international schools in Jakarta, Tokyo, Shanghai, Moscow, Saigon and Brussels.

The MYP Counselors have had a busy start to the school year with many academic and service activities. We have begun our Guidance Counseling class rotations with students in grades 6-10. The MYP Counselors met with students on Wednesdays to provide Counselor introductions and an overview of the MYP Counseling services. Grade 9 and 10 students have also been learning about developing a Wellness Toolbox to assist them in meeting the academic demands of the MYP program. Grade 6 and 7 students have been presented with information about Learning Styles. Grade 8 students will be receiving a lesson about Health and Body Image.

The MYP Counselors look forward to working with the students in grades 6-10 this year. We are here to support the students, teachers and parents. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us as follows: Ms. Yatima: yatima@concordian.ac.th Ms. Joy: joy@concordian.ac.th Mr. Daniel: daniel.h@concordian.ac.th

Ms. Yatima Ms. Joy Mr. Daniel

Wai Kru Ceremony 2022 Teacher Appreciation Day

Every year, we Concordian students, participate in a Wai Kru ceremony to pay respect to our teachers. Before and during the ceremony, students engage in different cultural activities: decorating flower trays, performing traditional Thai dances, pledg ing their honesty in education, etc.

The purpose of this yearly ceremonial event is based on Thai culture that is deeply ingrained in our school’s values. Wai Kru not only gives students an opportunity to express their gratitude to teachers but also reminds us all to be humble and respect those who give us knowledge.

I would like to thank the Thai department for organizing this special event again this year. Even though I am graduating this year, this will not be my last Wai Kru ceremony. I will always remember to be thankful for all the help that I have received these past years; it really shaped who I am today.

Raiwin Sae Zhang (Hui Hui)

A student representative from Grade 12

Moon Festival

Each year we have a Moon Festival day where we celebrate the festival by doing fun activities and games in Chinese class. Each year's activities are different from each other and unique in their own ways. This year's Chinese Moon Festival activities were folding an origami paper rabbit box, playing chinese guessing the phrase games, and eating moon cakes. All the activities were really fun and interesting, we enjoyed it very much and the moon cakes were also super delicious. We hope next year's moon festival will be as fun as this year's.

G7 Rita & Airi

The G5U Girls Basketball team showed an astounding performance during the league by winning 2nd Place. Despite being first timers and the height difference against their opponents, they played with teamwork and determination to win. Their positive and winning spirit brought smiles on their faces as they enjoyed the games, whether win or lose.

The G5U Boys Basketball Team played an exceptional performance by winning all 3 matches which made them undefeated and the AISAA League Champion for this year. Their hard work paid off. 1-2-3 DRAGONS!!! Mr. Raymond and Ms. Irish

Mr. Jared, Ms. Nico and Ms. Kathy

G7U boys put it all together in the AISAA Tournament

We did well in the pool play, but in the semifinal game with Berkeley, we faced a few challenges that tested the mental strength of our team. Each player on the court made a decision to unite through teamwork, and the boys came from behind, gathered momentum, and with the win, went to the finals. The only team to beat us this year (we actually beat ourselves that game) was Ekamai and they were between us and being crowned champions. Everything synthesized and we followed the game plan of defense first and were solid with swarming defense and grabbing the rebounds. We wanted to keep the good sportsmanship going that we are known for and win with class. And, that we did. It may have been our best game of the season, and the final score showed it, 26 - 5. Dragons, Champions!

The G7U Girls Basketball team has shown incredible strength and perseverance this season! Their dedication, communication and respect for each other has allowed them to shine as a successful team. The girls kept up a perfect record in league play and finished in first place, winning all 4 games! On October 6th the 7U Girls brought their talents to the AISAA tournament, where they fought hard and ended up taking 3rd place. Overall a successful season from the G7U Girls Team!

Go Dragons!

Mr. Kyle and Ms. Rosemary

The camaraderie of the boys was fantastic! Boys on the bench together with all the parents cheered and rallied the boys on the court all the way to win this AISAA Championship. It was awesome!

Coach Manny

This year, after a lengthy hiatus, Concordian welcomed back AISAA League football once more. The JV Boys football team was raring to go after two seasons of constant year-long training and drilling. Despite having a year and a half of no games, the boys practiced twice a week from September to June and this speaks volumes about both their love for the game and the camaraderie they have as a team.

The season was a short one due to the fact that many other schools could not get their teams up and running like Concordian. Still, the league results were very successful. It all began with an away game on the new pitch at EIS and we took a 1-0 lead through Patrick’s strike only to surrender a goal in the 6th minute of injury time (in a game with no injuries and in a league which normally does not have injury time). From there, we went to Berkeley and came away 5-2 winners, with Patrick, once again, in our lone striker formation, netting the goals…all of them. Finally, we came up against ASB Sukhumvit and this was our home debut. It was a rainy day, a soaked field and a delayed

kickoff but we came away 3-0 winners with a superb defen sive team effort led by our centerback Ken and our goalkeeper Burger (picking up his first clean sheet of the season), a hat trick by Patrick and some sublime assists by Ice and Pote.

That left us as co-champions of the league and now we embark on a few friendlies against other schools to prepare for a larger 8-team tournament on November 6th. I want to thank all the boys for their hard work and dedication: Burger, Pote, Kirk, Ken, Joe Joe, Ice, Patrick, K, Yong, Deen, Peppo, Pixels and Mase. I am honored to be able to coach this awesome group of guys.

A big thank you to Coach Toni and the girls in Grades 8-10 for continuing to train while waiting for other schools to come out of Covid challenges and rebuild their girls' football team. During a friendly game with a club team,,it was noticeable that the lady dragons have great potential. Coach Toni used a productive mix of players with his halftime strategy to guide the team to a fourth quarter victory. “It is always tough against a Club team, because they play all year, practice all the time, and have tournament experience,” said Coach Toni, “but the girls are already creating scoring opportunities and mistakes are fewer and fewer, so look for a good performance in the AISAA Tournament.”

Coach Neil

The Varsity volleyball season has come to a close with the AISAA tournament. We had a year of growth and development, with two new, young teams. It was great to see so many players come out and enjoy the game of volleyball. The tournaments were a positive experience and our Dragons even took a few sets away as wins! We look forward to growing throughout the year and look forward to our Invitational in February! Intramural practice will occur every Wednesday after school and we are always looking for new players.

Coach Vici

The Boys' Varsity team was in a development season this year, with many new players with minimal experience. However, the team quickly gelled and worked hard to master the skills necessary on the court in very little time. Although outings to play opposing teams were challenging, the boys raised their game and made exceptional progress through this abridged season. There was a fantastic win at home in the run-up to the AISAA tournament, and the boys showed real grit and determination on court throughout the season. With a little more practice throughout the rest of this year, we will get back where we belong, on top of the AISAA league. Well done, boys!

Coach Vici

Celebrating Our Dragons!

Red Maple Music Competition

Katie (G6C) entered the Red Maple Music Competition in July this year in the Vocal category by submitting her performance video.

She received the First Place award and was invited to perform at the Winners' Recital and the Award Ceremony that will be held in Toronto, Canada next year.

She also entered the American Protégé International Vocal Competition and received Honorable Mention award (Classical Repertoire Category, Age 11 to 14).

3 gold medals in Figure Skating

Kitty ( Kritiya Pisitset G3S ) received 3 gold medals in figure skating in Chiangmai Skate competition, July 2-3, 2022.

Horse Riding Competition

Lana, Natsa Thanapinyanun (G4S) attended a horse riding competition on August 27 at the Royal Guard Horse Riding Club.

She won the first prize in Show Jumping Thailand Championship #1 Pony Category A, Jumping level 80cm.

Swimming Championship at Royal Thai Army Club

Tate and Ty Jarupanich from G1C participat ed at the 2nd Rookie swimming champion ship at the Royal Thai Army Club on October 9th as representatives of the Royal Bangkok Sport Club. Tate won 2 silver medals and Ty won 5 medals in the 7-8 age group.

Rotax Max Challenge

Kevin (G5I) winner in Mini Max Rookies Rotax Max Challenge round 4 Place : 1st (out of 20 karts)

Class : Mini Max (Rookies)

Venue : Bira Kart Curcuit

Total : 20 karts

Date : 14 August 2022

Thailand Go League 2022

Leo (G6I) participated in the Thailand Go League 2022 (May 5 to August 21, 2022) and won the Group Championship together with his team.

RSL Music Competition and Pony Riding

Yumi (G2D) won a Gold Award in Children Voice From RSL Music Competition 2022 on 25th June 2022.

She was also 3rd Runner up in Walk trot (Pony riding) from Phoenix Thailand Championship Quality Round on 3rd August 2022.

Ken and Kirk (G9D) participated in the Championship of Basket ball Junior NBA 5x5 Thailand 2022. The tournament competition has held during 20 - 28th August 2022.

Piano Competition

Kulapratra Prajakthip, Charlotte (G2D) joined the Honor of the 90th Birthday of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother by signing "You are the reason" song on the stage of Parc Paragon at SIAM PARAGON on August 14th, 2022.

She also got our Gold Medal (Piano Adventure Level 1-2) from the 2nd Bangkok International Performing Arts Piano Competition (BIPAC) 2022 on August 22nd, 2022.

Gulnar International Dance Competition

Organized by Embassy of Kazakhstan in Thailand

1st place Jazz dance solo 10-12 years

Parima Siriuvithtaya Proud G4S

1st place Jazz dance solo 7-9 years

Kanticha Pruksarnukul Koch G3I

Kantisa Pruksarnukul Kloy G3C

Championship of Basketball Junior NBA 5x5 Thailand

Concordian Model United Nations 2022

During the weekend of October 8th and 9th, Concordian hosted its first in-person Model United Nations conference since 2018. Eager to get back to debating and writing resolutions, our delegates were more excited than ever about the chance to finally be reunited under the banner of progress and cooperation.

With over 100 attendees, I can confidently say our first Concordian Model United Nations conference was a resound ing success. Students gathered to debate a range of topics from environmental disasters to historical crises, and into our current struggles with the global economy. The debates were lively, engaging and, most importantly, the delegates were safe and having a wonderful time while doing so.

One of our students, Prinn (G11), was in charge of keeping all of the delegates on their toes with his introduction of various histor ical crises, challenges, and curve-balls, which would change the decision making and course of debate in each committee. This ensured a dynamic, lively, and fun experience for all involved.

Additionally, several of our delegates received accolades due to their outstanding performances in their respective commit tees: Burger (G10) received an honorable mention for his work in UNSC, Grace (G11) received an honorable mention for her work in DISEC, Praew (G9) received an award for the best points of interest/ clarification in UNCSW, and Henry (G9) received an award for best points of interest/clarification in DISEC.

As some of our readers may know, Model United Nations conferences are quite complex endeavors. There are many variables to consider, a great deal of organization and communication, and a seemingly endless number of people to consult about different aspects of the event.

However, this is where our CISMUN leadership team truly shined. The hard work displayed by Melody, Poj, Kyla, and Anna through out the entire process were nothing short of incredible. The success of this conference is truly due to their efforts and unrelenting desire to host an event they could be proud of and leave the attendees with the desire to return next year. I cannot say enough about how well this group of students has done and I look forward to working with them throughout the year.

Once again, our first annual CISMUN conference proved to be a great success and it is one we look forward to building on and growing in the years to come.

Mr. Aaron Curmi

Middle School Student Government

Dear Concordians!

The Middle School Student Government (MSSG) welcomes you back for this new academic year and welcomes new teachers and students who are now part of our community. We have made it through another tough year, and have tackled the challenges Covid-19 presented with confidence and trust in our community. We are forever grateful to be surrounded by such supportive peers, faculty, and staff here.

As we are all back on campus this school year, we might face some challenges, but also get more opportunities. To help you reduce some stress, the MSSG would like to suggest you try some of the following strategies:

• Getting enough sleep can help with focusing more in class during the day.

• Exercising regularly can make you healthier and more energetic.

• Listening to music can make you feel relaxed and calm down.

• Build your support network. (Having emotional support can help a lot!)

• Ask your teachers if you need any help.

For the new sixth graders, we know you may feel quite hesitant in middle school, but you will get used to it in no time. We cannot wait to see your journey in middle school. Remember to be good to yourselves and allow some time to relax. This applies to anyone else reading this message too! Wake up every day ready for a new challenge, because challenges will come!

We have some ideas and initiatives we hope you will find both useful and interesting this year. For example, our Media Team wants to create a MSSG website that students will want to use and find helpful. Events will become possible again, and we are organizing committees to plan house competitions and whole school events. Now that we can run assemblies every week, our newly created Assemblies and Announce ments committee will be busy! There are some photographs included to give you an idea of what we mean. We hope that you will be able to create precious memories during your middle school years. If you have any thoughts or concerns, feel free to contact a representative. We will understand your thoughts as we are students here as well. We hope you have a wonderful school year!

Yours faithfully, The MSSG Meena (8C), President Kenta (7C), Vice-President Mr. Mike, MSSG Facilitator

High School Student Government

Dear All,

Welcome back to another exciting year at Concordian!

The High School Student Government (HSSG) would like to extend a warm welcome to the new and returning members of our high school community – students, teachers, and staff.

The HSSG is focused on improving student welfare. A large part of our high school culture comes from class competitions. In previous years, these activities included sports, trivias, online gaming, and more. Similarly this year, we have many exciting events planned, from class competitions to spirit weeks and sports days.

During the last day of the 2021-22 school year, we were given the opportunity to host a sports day after many years of delay due to Covid-19. The day was truly amazing: students and teachers, full of energy, celebrating our vibrant school spirit. How supportive we were as a community was showcased by fellow students cheering and supporting each other, each striving to bring out the best in each other. In this coming year, we will be organizing this and many activities that will ignite the enthusiasm in our community.

In addition to activities, the Student Government also plans to enhance your high school experience by advocating for students' needs, acting as a bridge between the student body and administration. We are here to represent the voices of you, the students, and implement changes that will benefit our school for years to come. For all of our fellow students out there, don’t hesitate to reach out to your class representative if you want to see your ideas brought to life.

On behalf of the High School Student Government, we hope the best for all members of our community! Let’s all work hard to make sure our first year back from online school is a great one!

Hui Hui

(President of the High School Student Government) Angie (Vice President of the High School Student Government)

Clubs

World Scholar’s Cup Global Rounds

World Scholar’s Cup covers six main topics focused on a yearly theme including: Science and Technology, Literature and Media, Art and Music, Social Studies, History, and a Special Area that changes each season. Students will apply these skills in four competitive events: debate, writing, Scholar’s Challenge (quiz), and the Scholar’s Bowl. The last two pandemic years have temporarily paused World Scholar’s Cup activities around the world. Luckily, our club restarted with great results earlier this calendar year with one of our teams winning second place overall at both the regional and global rounds which are attend ed by hundreds of teams from around the world. Other members also gained medals in all four categories and all six subjects. Some teams are even planning to attend the Tournament of Champions at Yale this year! This success can be attributed to our members’ dedication during training and self-study. Further more, the club also provided writing and debating workshops to improve member performance. To learn more about the WSC experience, let’s take a look at a few member testimonials:

To write a paragraph about the experience that is the World Scholar’s Cup is a hard task, as there are no words that can suitably describe the amazing experience. Admittedly, I joined at first only for the alpacas. But I quickly got hooked on the various subjects and challenges and fell in love with the staff, the humor, and the community overall. The regional rounds were fun, but the Global Rounds were an experience I’ll never forget.

Imboon

Although the competition is primarily based on studying the curriculum -- one which is full of convoluted anecdotes, in the end, I felt that overall the experience was a fun one. Not only was it denoted by sayings such as "If I'm wrong I'll lick the floor", and "Believe and you will achieve" (thanks Dhar Mann), but the overall energy was one of comradery and the rush of "clapping other schools"--as Sheen put it.

Burger

The WSC experience is a rather unique one. You’d expect a debating competition to be boring, dull, and a waste of time but WSC is different. Although there are boring aspects to it, at both the regional and the global rounds, WSC didn't feel like a competition but a fun event for me. Special thanks to Burger for dragging me into this mess. ?? (CAN WE KEEP THIS?!)

Miki

WSC is a challenging but fun experience for those interested in the humanities, social sciences, and liberal arts. One part of the experience is also meeting new friends and being intellectually stimulated. This experience is quite unique for sixth and seventh graders in particular as it is one of the few events in this area with a separate division for younger students. If you are a middle or high school student interested in competing, please feel free to contact us through email.

Poj (G10) World Scholars Cup Vice-President

Club Fair 2022-23

The 2022-2023 Concordian High School Club Fair is an event organized by the Student Life Coordinator with help from the High School Student Government which introduces exciting and passion-driven student-led clubs to all students from G9 to G12. The Club Fair is one of many events and activities Concordian offers as part of its commitment to giving students an encompassing academic and social experience that leads to the growth and refinement of their cultural, academic, sporting, and artistic interests. This year, more than 30 clubs participated in the Club Fair with a wide variety of focuses - from business-oriented clubs to sports-focused clubs, to those focusing on community service as well as those with a more academic focus.

With many club activities and events being postponed or canceled last academic year due to Covid restrictions, we are looking forward to a busy, active year for clubs this year, and the success of this year’s Club Fair bodes well for an exciting year ahead.

HSSG & Mr. Ben Student Life Coordinator

CIS Track & Cross Country Club

Running? Everyone who has been to PE class knows how important fitness is and for many, that is why they run, or at least, are forced to run. But for a small group of individuals within the CIS community, they choose to run; running is, well, fun! Our club, the CIS Track & Cross Country Club, as we are officially called, is a club for students to come together not just as CIS students, but as individuals who have a burning passion for running or see themselves possibly enjoying running.

Running has many sub-sports, whether it be trail running, track and field, cross country, or plain old road racing. Not everyone enjoys the same type of running, and understandably so. But, here at our club, we have members and advisors that can help individuals excel in any respect, whether just tips or training regimens, the CIS Track & Cross Country Club will be there. In contrast, you might be your average jogger, who runs for health. This club is also for this group of individuals because our club has weekly group runs for those who just want to improve their cardiovascular health, adding a community aspect to running. Along with that, we plan on hosting community runs and charity events in the future—so please stay tuned!

So far, our meetings have consisted of guided drills and warmups, easy runs, and a pretest. Each week, the captain and co-captain will plan meetings with unique activities, exciting exercises and crucial knowledge about running. Additionally, we have meetings on Monday afternoons and Wednesday mornings (if it doesn't rain), so feel free to drop by and have a look.

Henry (G9), CIS Track & Cross Country Club President

Operation Smile

Hello, we are Jinnie and Praew, co-presidents of the CIS Operation Smile 2022- 2023! The Concordian International School Operation Smile club aspires to reduce the number of young patients with cleft palate and burn conditions who are susceptible to eating, breathing and language difficulties by conducting fundraisers which will be donated to the Operation Smile Thailand organization.

In addition, the club also aims to participate in medical missions established by Operation Smile Thailand as student volunteers with the goal to assist in helping children born with cleft lip and cleft palate. In this academic year, we look forward to assisting the organization of medical missions and going on two medical missions in February and May 2023.

Jinnie & Praew (G11) - CIS Operation Smile Co-Presidents

“Using our expertise and with generous hearts, we operate to create smiles and transform lives for those born with cleft, facial deformities and suffering from burn wounds through safe surgery across Thailand.”

Canducare

In the past two years, we have raised ฿290,000 for our charity projects, including the Thai music concert and Father’s Day flower sale. Over the summer, our club members went to Wat Samatrattaram Hospital in Chachoengsao province to donate the dialysis machine we were able to acquire for them. Not only will this dialysis machine help improve the quality of living of many individuals who suffer from kidney diseases, but it will also improve the quality of healthcare in the Chachoengsao community. We would like to thank the Concordian community for supporting this cause: the adminis tration, parents, students, teachers, our club advisor, and most importantly, our club members!

Huihui & Jean (G12)

Canducare Club Co-Presidents

Operation Smile Thailand

G6 Service Program

We have an exciting year ahead for G6 Service. To start off, the students will complete their first mini service project in Bang Krachao as a class. They will get their hands dirty and help clean up the trash buildup along the Chao Phraya river. This guided project will prepare the students for their own independent team projects. During our first service meeting, the students showed true enthusiasm and eagerness to take action. They demon strated their prior knowledge of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) gained from the PYP Exhibition last year and they voiced their opinions on the goals they hope to contribute to in their future service projects. In preparation for our trip to Bang Krachao, the students shared which SDG goals ( #6 Clean Water & Sanitation, #12 Responsible Consumption and Production, and #14 Life Below Water) connect with our upcoming service project. Students are already making the connections between service learning and action. G6 Service presents students with the opportunity to take the skills they gain from the classroom and apply them to real-world situations that will make an impact on their community.

Ms. Tashia Mante G6 Service Program Leader

G7 Service Program

This year’s G7 students are eager to begin making an impact on local and global communities. The students entered their first session with a vast understanding of the importance of service learning as it relates to the sustainability of our future, and in what ways they play a role. Students are working thoughtfully together to develop ideas and plans for their first project for this school year. They are excited to make up for some lost time by collaborating to complete a diversity of projects throughout the coming months.

Ms. Chelsea Polanco G7 Service Program Leader

G8 Service Program

Service has always been an integral part of our school community at CIS and this year we have decided to make some changes to how Grade 8 approaches their service opportunities. These changes are designed to help students gain a greater level of understanding about what service is, what it means, and what it should look like in the real world. The biggest change for our students is that Grade 8 will now complete one group project per semester, rather than one year-long project.

The first semester will focus on incorporating three out of the four types of service. As such, students will be conducting research, raising awareness or advocating for their cause, and engaging with indirect service in order to meet the needs of their community. This will allow students to get hands-on experience with creating projects that require time and planning, as well as working with outside organizations in a professional, productive manner.

The second semester will focus on research, awareness and/or advocacy, and direct service. This means that students will need to physically be present to assist with their cause and to meet their goal. To go with this, students will be required to complete three instances of direct service in semester two. This could take the form of tree planting days, beach clean ups, working with other students in different settings, or even working to help beautify our campus here at CIS.

There are many different possibilities for our Grade 8 students to make a meaningful impact on their local communities this year and we are eager to see what direction they choose. With the easing of Covid restrictions come even more chances to help improve the world around them. It is shaping up to be an exciting year for our Grade 8 service program!

Mr. Aaron Curmi (G8 Service Program Leader)

G9 Service Program

After two years of unending restrictions and frustrating limitations, Concordian students will soon emerge, triumphantly, from their Covid confinement and venture out into the commu nity, to put all that they have learned here into practice. Service learning provides a tremendous opportunity for students to practice their thinking, research, communication, social and self management skills in service to the community and the environment.

This academic year, each Grade 9 student will undertake an independent service-learning project. Supervisors will, of course, offer structure, guidance and support to all our service learners but the focus, this year, will be on developing independence and self management. The projects will run for most of the school year, with students working towards a highly challenging and service oriented goal of their choosing.

Beginning in October and running through May 2023, the students will use what they have learned to tackle an issue they recognise in the community. They will use all the tools at their disposal to provide solutions to these problems through research, advocacy or by taking direct/indirect action in support of their cause. It promises to be a fantastic year and I can not wait to see what wonderful things our students can achieve out there in the world!

Mr. Brian Gannon (G9 Service Program Leader)

G10 Service Program

Grade 10 Service as Action (SA) Program acts as a lead into CAS where students, in small groups, develop a service project with a focus on one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals SDG and serve their local community. There are four distinct types of service:

1. Direct Service - directly affects the persons, animals or parks we want to impact.

2. Indirect Service - the type of service in which you are not in the presence of the person or thing you are impacting.

3. Advocacy - when you speak up for or against an issue or solution.

4. Research - finding out new information that informs or demands action. For this academic year, the Grade 10s will be encouraged to focus their service projects with an emphasis on ADVOCACY &/ or RESEARCH.

Grade 10 Students met for the first time in September, groups were formed, advisors appointed and many viable SA project ideas were generated which included raising funds and awareness for labor protection agencies, writing a textbook for middle school students to introduce basic economics, business, and financial concepts and self-publish the book on Amazon, making videos about stock trading on posting them on Youtube, raising awareness of overfishing through an infographic, and planting mangrove trees.

Mr. Luke Watson (G10 Service Program Leader)

Bonding Trips

G9 Bonding Trip - Pattaya

The Grade 9 weekend to Pattaya was the first Bonding Trip experience for the class of 2026. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic halting all travel for the past few years, this certainly made it a very exciting time for everyone. Aside from serving as a beneficial getaway for students, the trip also reiterated the importance of leadership, teamwork, and collab oration. It taught us how to complete tasks and solve problems logically, as well as opening up the opportunity for students to interact with classmates they may not get the chance to in school. In fact, a new degree of closeness was formed, and the bonds we had between said classmates were strengthened.

Though shortened, the trip was still action-packed. For me, the most memorable activity was when we visited the Blind

School and experienced only a fraction of what it was like to be void of sight, which reiterated the privileged position we at Concordian are in, but in terms of educational opportunities and physical well-being. Nevertheless, the students at the blind school do not let their physical shortcomings deter them and we should learn to adapt that same optimistic outlook they have on life. Through all the activities in various locations with different guests, I think we all took away one core lesson from this trip. It is that the hardships you encounter, whether it be a physical disability or bad experience, do not define who you are, or will become. We have the ability to determine our own destiny and outcome in life, so long as we persevere through the toughest of times. Because although you may not feel like it at the moment, they too, will eventually pass.

Sophia (G9)

G10 Bonding Trip - Pattaya

This year’s bonding trip is another experience where we got to create remarkable memories with our classmates. Despite not being able to truly create new bonds among us for two long years, those three days and two nights were one of the most memorable times we had together since the pandemic started to ease.

One of our favorite activities was when we visited the Blind School in Pattaya. It was an amazing experience for many of us as we get to bond with new friends in that school. We learned new skills such as reading and writing the braille alphabet and walking around the school with our eyes covered. To us, walking with our eyes covered was tough, but we had to reflect on the experiences of the blind students who must walk around like this the whole time. It must be very difficult, which is why we all admire these students as they have such courage to overcome challenges and strive for every opportunity that comes by. They are such a great inspiration and they make us feel grateful.

As one of the year’s greatest highlights, our bonding trip also delivered a much needed interlude of rest. This year was particularly exciting since it was the first time we were able to fully play with our friends after several years of pandemic. Sand castles, swimming in the pool, a karaoke competition, and Uno were all on the activity menu, and it was nice not think of essays, solving absolute value inequalities with quadratics, radioactive isotopes, horatian satire, or 修辞方法 for a while. To conclude, it was truly heartwarming when we received two pages filled with letters, thanks, and compliments from those with whom we have spent more than a decade with on a daily basis. Time really does travel too quickly!

Mily, Im, Poj, and Pud (G10)

G11 IB Retreat - Pattaya

This G11 IB Retreat to Pattaya was an experience that was more valuable than I thought it would be. We learned how to help blind people at a school, write braille, and just enjoy the little things in life. I appreciated all the free time I had to hang out and just bond with friends. It was also the first time I realized how beautiful the sunset and the beach are when you are with friends. It finally hit me that I shouldn’t capture these meaningful scenes in my head; I should take photos to make this time last forever. After 16 years of my mother’s nagging, at last, I understood why photos were so important. Through this experience, not only did I fully understand the importance of photography, but I also learned to appreciate the little time I had left with my friends.

Grace (G11)

G12 Wham Bam College Application

Getaway - Pattaya

If our G12 trip could be compressed into one word that would be ‘purposeful’. First, we visited The Pattaya Redemptorist School for the Blind which is a brilliant school with people that have dedicated their lives to support students with visual impair ments. We got to interact with children, see how they live their lives and how they overcome those struggles with such bright smiles on their faces. One of my most memorable moments at the Blind School was when we had our question exchanging session. We tend to ask what they want to be in the future, and one of the students replied with: “I want to become an astronaut”. That moment shocked me, and for me to finally realize we too can have big dreams and the only way to achieve is to try. They are a reminder for us saying we have no excuse to be lazy from achieving our dreams. Despite the challenges, the students are still able to exude life, energy, and an aspiration to dream big and achieve whatever is it they desire.

After our arrival to the hotel, we entered the conference room that was the center of the college guidance we received that weekend. As high school seniors, we were reminded of the reality that this is our last year at Concordian and soon we will be looking forward to a new future in college. The activities that were conducted in the conference room helped us think further about our future as well as the next steps for college application. And due to this, we greatly appreciate the hard work and dedication from the counselors, Dr. Tresa and Mr. Tony, along with every other teacher and staff that contributed to giving us an awakening into our future and organized this trip. To say that the college consulting sessions were trivial would be a disservice to their work.

In the end, this reality that we faced was bittersweet. Bitter that we would have to spend our precious weekend away. Bitter that we would have to spend our bonding time at meetings. Bitter for facing the reality of being a senior and this is our last opportu nity of a class trip. But it is sweet that we got to meet and bond with the blind kids. Sweet that we got to bond and play games. And sweet that our walks, volleyball games, and banana boat rides on the beach made this time a light and resting station within the tunnel of the DP and road to university. And with that we realize that the sweet must come with the bitter. A cake with just sugar and cream is just a blob of sugar, it is tasteless. It is the mix of sugar and spice that makes everything nice. The bittersweetness that we experience here on this trip is what makes our life and experiences truly memorable.

William & Deno (G12)

Interview with Ken, Kean & Kade Luesukprasert's Family

I recall 9 years ago when we were choosing a school for our eldest child, the thing we considered most at that time was the IB curriculum and the fact that Concordian International School is a trilingual school teaching in English, Thai and Chinese. This was especially important because we wanted our children to be able to communicate well in all 3 languages. English and Chinese are the main languages of the future so it would be a big advantage if they are fluent coming out of high school.

From that day until now, we have enrolled our 3 boys and the youngest has just joined the Primary Years. We have seen the school improve in many aspects and appreciate the attention to detail of all teachers and staff. The team has a positive approach to assist our children in the way that they can learn.

In addition CIS also offers skills training and development in various fields, organizing children to work on many group projects and presentation skills. The children learn to express their opinions constructively from a young age. In the school community there are people who come from various ethnic backgrounds and the school ensures that the children understand this and accept each other's differences. Group work and learning to work with others allow the children to see from others’ perspective.

The school also holds sporting events, dance, music and singing competitions for the children to develop their confidence and hone their skills. The children can pursue their passion and also learn great sportsmanship.

I'm very happy to see my children improve in academics as they learn to put what they have learnt into practice. The children have positive relationships with friends and teachers and enjoy going to school every day.

Finally, I would like to thank the management team and all the school staff in the school for caring about all aspects and continually developing the school. I believe that the children will grow up to be well rounded and socially responsible.

Khun Ging

Interview with Lodrel Wangchuk's Family

Over the 4 years that our son has been at Concordian, we have seen him develop emotionally, personally and academically. Especially, being a dorm student the school has been like his “first home” and with the continuous guidance of the school and the dorm parents we have seen our son become an independent, moral and responsible young man.

When we first sent our child to Concordian, we were worried that he would feel homesick but to our surprise he never complained about wanting to come back home. The one thing he would complain about was how challenging school is once in a while or how he missed home food. Nonetheless, we believe that the school has taught him to adapt and overcome challenges to the constantly changing world, while also being compassionate to people around him.

Knowing how hard it had been for everyone during the Covid times, the school went beyond their responsibilities to help arrange accommodations over the break when he could not come back home. For this, we are truly grateful.

Finally, we would like to thank Concordian, for nurturing our child to become what he is today! A responsible young man with the values of life and a leader with dignity, integrity, and compassion, who wants to make a difference in the world. We as a parent are immensely grateful to the Concordian faculty for educating our son and are fully satisfied with his overall personality development. Kadrinchela!

Warms regards, Cheni

Alumni Spotlight: Beauty Meets Well-Being

Please share your business background.

Siamkoosuel is an importer, exporter and distributor of beauty and healthcare products both domestically and internationally. We provide an array of nature-centric beauty and healthcare products with a focus on quality and safety. It is our belief that that longterm beauty derives from the foundation of natural balance.

What motivated you to start your own business?

Aside from the entrepreneurial mindset, I was inspired by the potential of an agricultural commodity - coconut. More specifically, I was inspired by an age-old technique called “coconut oil pulling.” This method involves swishing a tablespoon of coconut oil in one’s mouth to draw out toxins and improve one’s oral health. However, “oil pulling” is an intricate and time-consuming method. Addressing this pain-point gave birth to Siamkoosuel’s oral care brand, Pearlya. By combining the antioxidant and anti-bacterial properties of coconut oil and other beneficial components, Pearlya has enabled the experience of “oil pulling,” less the effort. Upon undertaking this task, I have also discovered the high demand of coconuts in China. Given the novelty of “oil pulling” in the Chinese oral care sector, I saw an opportunity to bring Thai goods to an international stage and improve oral hygiene in a new market.

What has been the most surprising thing about becoming an entrepreneur?

In today’s ever dynamic digital era, most things taught in university cannot be applied in the real world. Undertaking the path of entrepreneurship can sometimes mean starting from scratch and faltering due to oblivion. To my surprise, the reward came not from repetition of skills but instead developing our new skill, a.k.a. “learning while doing.” From experience, some new ideas that have been tested with criticisms and skepticisms can jumpstart unbe lievable results.

How did Concordian prepare you for your real-world life after school?

Napassorn

At Concordian, we have been taught to strive for excellence both academically and in all facets of life; exercise resilience when facing challenges; and cherish every little moment and faces because these are the things that will shape your future and character. I vividly remember Concordian’s mandatory CSR project as one example that has had tremendous impact on how I live my life and how I carry myself as a person. In retrospect, I now understand the importance of giving back, however big or small the gesture.

Compassion toward others can go a long way - one may never know what kind of life-altering miracles are created when lives are touched. Right now, our country is starved not of capable men and women, but of those with compassion. I am a strong believer that smarts alone cannot change the world; it is through the com bination of smart ideas inspired by compassion that leaders can make a difference.

What advice would you give to the graduating class of 2022?

View failure not as a deterrent, but as an opportunity to

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Consistency is key.

If you have found a great goal that is worth your passion, then stick to it and don’t let the voices chain you from becoming your best

Have faith in yourself but be open to

Dreams don’t realize

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Remember to look back and appreciate how far you have

Lastly, I would like to leave you with one of my favorite quotes from Brian Tracy: “Never settle for anything less than your

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