Farewell Messages to the Concordian Community

My dearest choupettes and chatons,

This should be the moment for me to tell you that a farewell is a new beginning, not the time to be sad, and to write motivational quotes taken from internet and supposedly created by inspiring philosophers, celebrities, or ChatGPT.

I tried to find one but honestly, they were all so boring, and the truth is, I don’t want to say goodbye. I had a lot of fun, and so much more with all of you, so please keep this in mind: you are great the way you are. My wonderful students, I am going to miss you, period. I wish you all the joy and fun you deserve.

Jeanne

Dear Concordian Community, I am trying to find words that express my deepest gratitude to the Concordian community, to Thailand, and to each and every person I had the privilege to meet during my years in this beautiful country.

You have been and will always be an important part of my lifelong learning journey. I truly hope our paths cross and when that happens we celebrate life, love, and friendship.

Take care and pursue your dreams,

Ms. Carolina

Dear Concordian Friends,

It’s hard to leave this school, which after 4 years has truly entered my heart & become a part of me.

My wife Veronika & I will miss so many things about our community, and we have absolutely loved our experiences here with you.

We are headed to Prague, Czechia, to be with our elderly parents and other loved ones who have simply been too far away for too long now, and hope you will remember us and stop by for a visit when you are in Central Europe. We would stay with you longer if we could, but family calls. As we prepare to move on, two quotes come to mind that I first encountered when I was a student in HS. They are from author Richard Bach:

• “It is easy to forget our times of knowing, to think they’ve been dreams, or old miracles, just one time. Nothing good is a miracle, nothing lovely is just a dream. The image may fade, but the beauty is real.”

• “Do not be dismayed at goodbyes, for a farewell is necessary before you can meet again. And meeting again, after moments, or after lifetimes, is certain for those who are friends.”

I find comfort in ideas like that, especially during times of transition & change, and these past several years have been full of transitions & changes, haven’t they? We all lived through the global pandemic together, and we will think back on this unusual time a great deal in the future, marveling at what happened and how we dealt with it. That is a special bond among us all.

You have a wonderful school and community here at Concordian, so please cherish it, and make the most of it. We look forward to hearing what will come next for you soon.

Sincerely,

Jamie Martindale

Dear students,

This July marks the end of my seven years at Concordian. I have taught some of you two or three times, others once, and seen many turn into capable young adults. Although I will no longer be bodily present for our spirited classroom discussions and hallway chats, I will value these years and what a special group of kids I got to know. As you continue learning and growing, remember that the connectedness between students and teachers is what transforms good schools into great schools.

Take care, Luke Fiander

To all of my Little Ponies, Corn Children, Spring Chickens, and Homies:

It has been such a pleasure having you in my English classes throughout the years. I will always treasure our time spent together in the Rotunda sweating in front of “Linda”, deciphering desk graffiti, and jamming to Pakistani Pop.

You are all very special human beings and I feel lucky to have been a small part of your life. I am excited to learn what you choose to do with your knowledge, energy, and empathy in the future; I am sure you will be great wherever your lives take you! If there is one thing that I hope you take from my class and carry it with you on your journeys forward, it is of course, you cannot use a comma between two independent clauses— JUST KIDDING!

When life becomes tough, always remember to look at the bigger picture and rest assured that you are enough just as you are. You have so much to look forward to and luckily, most of it does not include your favorite acronyms ACES or TPIVOT.

Thank you for making me laugh on a daily basis and I hope we can stay in touch!

<3 Ms. Lynch-y

P.s. “Spicy Wind”

Queridos:

Moving on is never easy. I have never been good at separating from where I am and from who I share my time with. No matter the scale of the place, the amount of people or the distance I will be moving to. It has never been easy for me to move on.

However, life can be challenging and funny at times because I chose to be an international teacher. And as such, getting to know many cultures around the world can be a strong asset. So moving is not easy, but it can be a big part of my role.

So with my heart in one hand, I can not say goodbye because you are and will always be part of me. I truly hope that some of our many experiences shared together here at Concordian remain with you as well.

This is how I have learned to cope with the paradox of moving on. I will take you with me.

Hasta muy pronto, Ms. Caro

Mast CEO

Elia Wen Peña (Elia), G12

Co-CEOs

Elizabeth Rose Chiang (Rose), G12

Paradee Arkarattanakul (Meepoo), G11

Layout

Warutch Ingwattanapoka (Pun Pun), G12

Chuntaput Ruayjirawat (Tiro), G12

Dear Perada Watanadilokkul (Dear), G11

Cover Page

Warutch Ingwattanapoka (Pun Pun), G12

Chuntaput Ruayjirawat (Tiro), G12

Chotchanit Lohachitpitaks (Jenny), G12

Editors

Anna Binabdullah (Anna), G12

Thanyalak Loo (Temmy), G12

Elia Wen Peña (Elia), G12

Elizabeth Rose Chiang (Rose), G12

Tsheyang Wangchuk Tsering (Tsheyang), G11

Kyla Abigail Jayapurna (Kyla), G11

Paradee Arkarattanakul (Meepoo), G11

Advisors

Ms. Kathleen Baertschy

Mr. Luke Fiander