ISSUE 12 JANUARY 2015
WINTER
WEEK WITHOUT WALLS & SCHOOL BUILD FROM GRADE 6-11
ALUMNI UPDATE
FROM P’SUN & P’FONG
EY & PY WINTER CONCERT
SEAIS FOOTBALL FINALS
ISSUE
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VARNNEE CHEARAVANONT ROSS DIRECTOR / FOUNDER
พ่อหลวงแห่งแผ่นดินไทย แผ่นดินไทยโชคดีในวันนี้ ที่พระภูมีเป็นพ่อหลวง ธ ทรงเป็นผู้ให้ไทยทั้งปวง ทั้งฝนหลวงแก้มลิงสิ่งสำ�คัญ ทั้งผืนป่านาชุ่มอุดมน้ำ� ทุกเขตคามถิ่นไทยให้สุขสันต์ เศรษฐกิจพอเพียงเลี้ยงชีวัน ร่วมใจกันแซ่ซ้องถวายพระพร ขอพระองค์ทรงพระเกษมสุข ปลาตทุกข์กายใจคลายทุกข์ร้อน เพียงเท่านี้เหล่าข้าพสกนิกร ก็สุขใจที่อดิศรทรงพ้นภัย ขอสิ่งศักดิ์สิทธิ์ปกป้ององค์ภูมี ให้อยู่ครองผืนปฐพีทุกสมัย ขอพระองค์ทรงเป็นร่มโพธิ์ไทร ทรงปกป้องผองไทยได้เปรมปรีดิ์ เหล่านักเรียนนานาชาติคอนคอร์เดียน ขอน้อมเศียรยอกรแด่ทรงศรี ขอยึดมั่นกตัญญูองค์ภูมี ตลอดชีพชีวีนิรันดร CONCORDIAN
ประพันธ์โดย เด็กชายศรัณย์ เลิศสกุลเจริญ นักเรียนชั้นเกรด ๘
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*CONTENTS Editor’s Note Concordian’s Values Program
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EY
- Early Years : Building a Foundation 32 for Lifelong Learning
Concordian Showcase - Concordian Dragons Reach SEAIS Football Finals - An Interview with Coach Koki - Little Concordian Storyteller Wins Big Prize - Water, Water EveryWhere - Concordian High School Mathe maticians Excel at UKMT Challenge
Events & Activities 8 - The Role of China and Thailand in ASEAN 9 - Wai Khru : Respect and caring 10 - Concordian’s 2014 Loy Krathong Ceremony 11 - Thanksgiving Dinner 2014 12 - Ploenchit Fair : Fun, Food & Donations - Concordian’s HAHAHAHAlloween Alumni Pot Luck Party - Choices by Sun 14 - TISAC Orchestra Festival : A New - Moving to New York by Fong 15 Tradition - K2 Walkathon for charity 2014 Community Service and School Build - EYP Winter Concert - The Foundation for Child Development 16 - PYP Winter Concert - School Build @ Tak 17 Special Feature Trips & Expeditions - Everything I Need to Know - Week Without Walls China 2014 20 I Learned in KINDERGARTEN - Grade 8’s Community Service WWW 23 - Week Without Walls G6-7 26 MYP - Inquiry, Service and Action in the MYP
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PY - Primary Years : Extending the Learning 30 Journey
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14 A chrysanthemum is a cut flower that is widely grown . It has a beautiful shape, is colorful, easy to grow, and there are many varieties to choose from. It is considered to be a flower of royalty and brilliance. In some places the chrysanthemum is a symbol of the king or the royal family because the flower blooms for a long time before it dies.
เบญจมาศ เป็นไม้ตัดดอกอีกชนิดหนึ่งที่นิยมปลูกเลี้ยง มีรูปทรงสวยงาม สีสันสดใส ปลูกเลี้ยงง่าย และมีหลายพันธุ์ให้เลือก ถือว่าเป็นดอกไม้แห่ง ความสูงส่ง หลักแหลม บางแห่งใช้ดอกเบญจมาศแทนสัญลักษณ์ของ กษัตริย์หรือราชวงศ์ เพราะเป็นดอกไม้ที่บานเป็นเวลานานก่อนจะโรยรา
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Dear Impact Readers, It’s hard to believe that we are already into the 2nd semester of the school year. I hope you all had a restful winter break with your families and loved ones. We’ve just begun our season of New Years. Because of the unique nature of our program and the make-up of our student body and faculty, we get to celebrate three distinct and separate New Years. Of course the western New Year, Chinese New Year and Thai New Year all have different rituals and modes of celebration. The years have different numbering schemes. But they all share a common theme of looking forward with hope toward new opportunities and even better things to come in the future. So, Happy New Year, once, twice, three times. I wish you and your families a healthy, happy, and successful New Year. Take time to cherish those family members and friends that will make your New Year special. Happy Reading, Shelley Harris Editor
Ice at 083-049-1919, ice@concordian.ac.th
Wanlapha (Prinz) Sa-ardwong Thanachaporn (Ice) Chayasatit
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ice@concordian.ac.th
Values Program
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he Values Program was off and running in the first semester of the school year. The school counseling team has been integrating each Value of the Month into their guidance lessons across the whole school. Students have also presented on the Value of the Month during our Monday flag ceremonies. As a community of IB learners, we are hoping to push the Values Curriculum forward leading to more student-driven activities linking it to the IB Learner Profile in semester two with the support of our teachers and parent community. One of the best ways to become involved is to present during the Monday flag ceremonies. Interested students in the MYP/ DP can earn service learning/CAS hours. Parents and teachers are always welcome. If you would like to get involved, please do not hesitate to contact me at yvette@concordian.ac.th or call the school office. We will be focusing on the following Values in semester 2: January – Responsibility February – Friendship March – Integrity April – Compassion/Empathy May – The Golden Rule Important Events January - Values/Counseling parent meeting for EY/PYP and MYP/DP. Final dates and location TBD. Please be on the look out for the announcement.
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March
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By Ms. Yvette
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February
SCHOOL SHOP!! FOR DONATING
A very warm “Thank You” to everyone who bought a little colored Dragon. For each Dragon purchased, 100 Baht is donated to the School Build Project. There are more Dragons waiting for a good home at the School Spirit Shop!
E EM TAK UT !! O
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Concordian Showcase
by Mr. Robert and Dr. Lavina
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he Dragons finished #1 in their group at the South East Asia International Schools (SEAIS) U-16 6-a-side Football Tournament, with a tough 2-1 victory over Myanmar International School. “In the beginning we were concerned with only having 5 field players and a keeper, because we usually play 7-a-side, but with Kan and First at the back we had a solid defense. And with Mac in goal, it was tough for teams to score, “ commented Kram. “Then either Poom or Talay could help Shin and Tan.” After beating the local team, Botahtaung FC, 4-2, the Dragons faced BCIS in the finals. Kelvin said, “When we came back to tie it up 2-2 we thought we had it, but it was not meant to be. The light rain affected the astroturf surface and his shot slipped through.” The Dragons lost 3-2 in the closing minutes of the finals. Several coaches said that if there had been a Tournament Most Valuable Player they would have voted for Shin. Tan was the leading scorer of the SEAIS Tournament with 6 goals. Coach K was very satisfied with the teamwork displayed, the accomplishments in an international tournament, and how other teams and students from the host school appreciated the good sportsmanship of the Dragons on and off the field. Dr. Lavina is most proud of the way the Dragons carried themselves throughout the tournament in Yangon, representing Concordian with strength and compassion on the pitch. “They were the only team that offered other teams’ members a helping hand when they fell, in the beginning of the tournament. Later in the day, other teams started doing that too. The Dragons were a class act, and we taught the other players how to be gracious. We should all be very proud of these gentlemen.”
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Concordian Showcase
An Interview with Coach Koki When the U-15 boys basketball continued to win more and more games, teachers started “asking, “Who is this ‘Coach Koki’ that sends us emails about your games?” So we decided to interview him and share information about our outstanding coach and role model. How do you know how to speak Thai so well? I was born and raised in Thailand. My parents are Japanese. I can understand conversations and am always improving in basic communication. Where did you go to school? I started at the Japanese school on Rama IX and then moved to Ruamrudee and graduated from there. I attended the University of Melbourne in Australia and earned my B.S. in Physiology. How did you come to Concordian? Coach K was my coach in high school and then we became teammates with KAYA FC. Last year a football team was suddenly without a coach, so he asked me to come help. When I got to play with Mr. Laurent and the Grasshoppers the first time, I felt the spirit and wanted to be a part of the program. But you are coaching basketball and just won the TISAC League Championships with the U-15 boys? Mr. Robert knows that I lettered in 4 sports in school and was playing in BISAC and SEASAC. Basketball has always been one of my favorite sports and I already knew these boys from football last year, so it all worked out well. Now, we have to win the Tournament. Coach K told us that you were an outstanding IB student and still played sports year round and in one season played two sports! Can you give advice to our DP students on how to handle the load? It all comes down to time management. If a student in the DP program wants to continue playing sports, with all of the things that need to be done and many due dates, he or she must prioritize what needs to be done first, and attack it one step at a time. There is no reason that a good athlete should have to leave a team and say that it is because of the pressure of the IB program. Coach K also said that you will not be able to coach football next season because you are going back to school. Do you think you will ever come back or continue coaching? Yes, I will go for my Doctor of Physiotherapy and will definitely continue to coach. I love sports, helping students, and all that comes from being a part of a team.
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Thank you, Coach Koki and we hope that when you come home, you’ll visit with our team. You are always a Dragon in our eyes.
Concordian Showcase
e are so proud to report that Sinanya Baiphowongse (Ing Ing), K2S, recently won 2nd prize in a story-telling competition! And she got a BIG prize certificate. In fact, that certificate is almost as big as she is. Concordian students, big and small, continue to make us proud of them and their accomplishments. Way to go Ing Ing, and keep telling stories!
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Concordian Showcase
arlier this year Mr. Bill’s Grade 10 class submitted photos for a photo competitionsponsored by the University of Melbourne. The theme for the competition was “Water, Water Everywhere”. They were so pleased to learn that Mei Kiengsiri was one of the runner-ups in the competition, and she won a $100 Amazon gift certificate.
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You can see all results of the competition at (http://futurestudents.unimelb.edu.au/info/international/photo_competition) We’ve reprinted Mei’s beautiful photo and thoughtful words for you to enjoy.
Congratulations Mei! Very well done.
In my life, I have used water daily; for washing, for cleaning, for drinking, for cooking, for gardening, and for several more actions that a decently affluent human being would naturally do everyday. For me, water is almost free. It is something that most people, including me, take for granted. But for some, just a glass of water could mean the difference between life and death or solvent and bankrupt. Many countries in the world are suffering because their lack of water, particularly in Africa. As for my own country, Thailand, there is plenty of water for the most part of a year, but there are some rural provinces that get really dry while some other provinces are flooded, both at the exact same time. So even though we are not a victim of either crisis, we should never take it for granted.
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Mei Kiengsiri Concordian Thailand
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Concordian Showcase
By Mr. Ravi
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lease join the Mathematics Department in congratulating the following students for their excellent achievement in the UKMT Senior Mathematical Challenge (SMC) organized by United Kingdom Mathematics Trust (UKMT), held in November 2014. This academic year our students in Grades 10-12 achieved 3 Gold, 5 Silver and 20 Bronze certificates.
Well done Concordian students!
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Alumni Class 2014
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“IB x 99” was my initial thought of In high school, when you think about
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what university education would be like. Reality? I can tell you that it is utterly different from what I perceived. I can never be more proud of being a Bruin, for being a tiny part of UCLA. Believe it or not, I feel that the amount of pressure I have right now as a first-year college student is much less than being a first-year IB student. Well, I’ve heard the same question asked to Concordian alumni almost my entire high school career. “Did IB help your college life?” My answer is (fill in your own blank). Yes. If you are able to keep up with studying 9 classes per semester in IB and maintaining good grades, 3 classes in college is a piece of cake. And no. If you spend your time chilling with your friends 24/7, your college academic life will probably be as miserable as your IB grades. When I was a high school freshmen, I used to ask upperclassmen “how did you survive IB when even 9th grade already asks so much from you?” That one answer is the key to my successful educational career, and will probably be for the key for the rest of my life. It’s time management. Manage your time well, and you will have time for everything you want to do in your life.
‘learning’, it is all about going to classes, completing your homework, writing your essays, acing the tests. In college, everything is learning. Every single thing you do counts as an invaluable experience that you will be equipped with for the rest of your life. Not that you can’t learn from things around you in high school, but just that the amount of freedom you get in college is almost infinite. There are hundreds of opportunities presented to you each day in college. But at the end of the day, it’s all about your decision in making the most out of those experiences. You can go to class or you can skip class. You can choose to study/research or you can choose to play Xbox360 in your dorm. You can choose to party every Thursday night or you can choose to do extra assignments that add 1% to your grade. I’m not saying that one choice is better than another. I’m comparing this to show the power of choices. Who knows, going out to party once in a while might allow you to make connections with future potential business partners? Last but not least, enjoy your high school life. It won’t be long until it’s over, and when you look back, jubilant memories will always warm your heart.
Alumni Class 2014
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ittersweet to say the least. I still recall vividly the week prior to my flight until that very day , for the first time in my life, moving away from home, away from my family and friends who I shared happiness, stresses and tears with. As soon as the plane landed, excitement and nervousness rushed through my veins and I couldn’t help but feel the need to be ready for this big move and change in my life. On August 24th 2014, New York University became my second home. I was pleasantly surprised: by the school, people and teachers. I met so many different people with lives so intriguing, that I now understand the whole deal about New York being such a diverse city. I luckily, very soon, got settled in and felt as comfortable as I could be with this move (although I try to stick to messaging my family instead of talking on the phone to avoid tears). The best part for me about coming to NYU is finally being able to be myself and study what I love and aspire to pursue in life: I am a social work major, with a recently declared minor in social entrepreneurship, and I have a part-time job as a teaching assistant for visually impaired and disabled children at the Lighthouse Guild. I believe the best thing about university in general, or NYU, is the range and diversity of not just the students and professors but also the courses, majors and minors available.
Cheers,
CONCORDIAN
As for how IB helped me with university classes – because my classes do not really relate to the subjects I took in IB, it was more drawing from specific topics and papers I did. For example, in my Family Violence class I used my past knowledge and information from my Economic Development IA and notes to explain how the economy can affect the wellbeing and education of families in lower income communities. As for my Writing The Essay class (incomparable to IB Literature – In a bad way, the only course I dislike), my past essays were all useful in writing my papers, from works on masculinity to Jane Eyre. I feel as though the work here may be not as challenging as the IB courses as a whole but the work load is much heavier and time management and discipline is very important. I wish this year’s seniors all the best of luck for getting into the university of their dreams and 15 pursuing what they love. University life is definitely something to look forward to!
Community Service & School Build
On September 9th, we visited the Foundation for Child Development for the first time, accompanied by Khun Zoe and Ms. Milichu. Established in 1982, FCD is committed to ensuring the present and future wellbeing of children. It works closely with NGOs, government agencies, community leaders, parents and, most importantly, with children themselves. It is at this level is where my 10th grade friends and I can get involved with the educational activities. On September 21st, accompanied by Kru Juab, Ms. Milichu, my grandmother, and my mother, we visited their center in Samutprakarn, not far from Concordian International School. It was an enjoyable time. We met with Khun Ta and other members of the organization. In the course of our visit we were joined by six young girls in their teens. They are under the care and training of FCD, which makes sure that they can learn some skills to integrate later into society. My mom and grandma brought some food and drinks, which we shared with them. We learned that they have an educational centere in a different location from the facility that we visited. We were invited to help with their ongoing Thai program from January 2015 onward, as Thai teachers. We were invited to visit their educational center whenever we can help. It will have to be on Sundays afternoons, the only time that we are free from school or other obligations. We are looking forward to being able to contribute to their educational program. I am sure that next year under the care of the Thai teachers, we could be very useful to them.
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Community Service & School Build
Mae Ramueng School by the Class of TR16E irt, grit, and lots of love. This year’s School Build Project focused on a tiny village in Tak Province, at the MaeRamueng School. For us, this unique experience has had its ups and downs, but without pain there can be no gain. The six-day trip provided knowledge that no walled classroom could, for it was the interaction with the Karen villagers that truly gave way to understanding a new perspective on the Thai life. In the beginning, as Bangkokians, our knowledge was limited to the rush of city business, and upon arrival in the countryside, it was an uncomfortable setting. The lifestyle differences were surprising, shocking almost. At first we arrived confused and unadapted to nature, but after the second day we adapted and it turns out it wasn’t as bad as the car journey getting there.
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When we first saw the little kids, the students, they stared back at us the same way we did at them. It was difficult communicating by speaking, since they spoke little Thai and we didn’t speak their local Karen dialect. But we found other ways we interact with the students, somewhat through our body language and facial expressions. Especially the
one time we built a dam together. It turned out that the size didn’t matter to them when it came to lifting heavy rocks. As for building the school itself, besides the afternoon Bangkok heat (compared to the chilly 12 degrees celsius in the evening), the process was a smooth, fun and special learning experience. The artists of the class left their creative handiwork on the walls of five different rooms, dedicated to teaching children for years to come. Some of the walls included learning material like the Thai alphabet and multiplication tables, while others included the maps and flags of the Southeast Asian countries. The students themselves lent a helping hand, so at the end we realized that we hadn’t just built a school, but we’d also built collaboration, and we left with sharp images of the difficulties of rural life.
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Community Service & School Build
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Community Service & School Build
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Trips & Expeditions
Week Without Walls:
China 2014
by Eliz, G10
he year’s memorable and unforgettable Week Without Walls trip for grads 9 and 10 was spent in the vast country of China. There were 71 of us students in all and 7 teachers and staff: Dr. Lavina, Mr. Kim, Mr. George, Ms. Brook, Ms. Laura, Ms. Min and Khun Jamie. The main focus of our trip this year was not only to recognize the Chinese heritage or apply our verbal skills in Chinese, but also unity within our classes and an inter-class friendship.
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The itinerary of our trip had us hopping from 3 cities within the 5 days of our trip: Zheng Zhou, Luo Yang and Xi’an. Our days in China were mostly spent inside the bus touring around the different spots, only getting off when we needed to eat, sleep or walk around certain places. Yes, it was tiring, but the bus rides proved to be an advantage when we wanted to rest and take a nap. There were many different sights to see in those three cities. For example, In Zheng Zhou we toured around the Shaolin temple seeing kids of different ages as well as adults training and showing off their sensational abilities. Not far from there we also visited the Pagoda Forests and the Guan Lin temple, taking a huge number of “selfies” and photos. In Luo Yang (one of the Four Ancient Capitals of China) we walked around the Longmen grottoes, looking at the cave wall carvings of the Chinese Buddha and his disciples. The Luo Yang Museum was also a very good place to go to if you want to see traditional Chinese art and preserved items from
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long ago. Last but not least, Xi’an. Xi’an, or Chang’an, used to be one of the Four Ancient Capitals of China as well as the home of the astounding Terracotta Warriors sculptures. This site contains hundreds of sculptures of Qin Shi Huang’s army along with horses and chariots. Not only that, Da Ming palace and the Tang Dynasty show also proved to be a site worth seeing. It taught us about how China flourished during the Tang dynasty not only through their economy but also their culture. Walking around the streets, buying food, and shopping for some souvenirs at good prices in downtown Xi’an was also enjoyable.
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Trips & Expeditions
We had lots of bonding time as a class, and also with the other class accompanying us on this trip. Lots of memories, selfies, photos and laughter were shared. New friendships were made while some of us got even closer. We didn’t really have many activities on bonding with each other but nevertheless we still came home more united. We ended our trip with the talent show before going downtown where our fellow classmates and friends surprised us with their hidden talents. There were a variety of talents: singing, dancing, and lots of acting (mainly about toilets, I wouldn’t be surprised, but let’s not get into too much detail about that). Most of us practiced only a day before or in some cases 5 minutes before the actual performance but it turned out to be a fun and engaging activity. Most of the sites mentioned above were outdoor sites, and the weather was good. It was a bit cold and windy compared to the heat of Thailand, but it was really good and refreshing. In some restaurants the food was a bit cold, but it was yummy, and a great way to taste Chinese delicacies. During our trip I noticed that they usually served fish, chicken, soup and for dessert, watermelons. These foods were served in almost all of our meals, which makes me conclude that they have a significant meaning to the Chinese people.
Our Week Without Walls trip to China 2014 was a trip that will be remembered even after a decade or so. Unforgettable memories and laughter were shared among classes. We visited many interesting and significant places that portray the Chinese culture and legacy. We got to learn many new things about each other and had lots of time to bond with each other. Our friendships with each other got stronger and together we learned and appreciated the outstanding culture and history of China. Even though we have left China and the memories we had there, the friendship between all of us has just started to grow even more, so let’s make more memories together! Thank you to the class of 2017, class of 2018, and the teachers and staff who organized this trip for making it an unforgettable one.
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Trips & Expeditions
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Trips & Expeditions
GRADE 8’s COMMUNITY SERVICE A
s you all have heard, the 6th grade, 7th grade, and 8th grade classes go on a long-awaited Week Without Walls overnight field trip for 5 whole days every year during the last week of November. However, this year the class of 2019 was the first class to go on a separate Week Without Walls just for the grade 8’s Community Service Project. On November 24-28, the eighth graders traveled to Petchburi with “Community Service” as their theme of action. The first day of our adventure started off by touring the wonderful environment of Petchburi’s national park and learng many things about wildlife and how to survive in the woods. We were separated into teams and learnt how to cook our own dinner, sleep in tents, and practice teamwork in many different activities such as interviewing market vendors about their careers. On the second day of our trip we trekked through the wilderness at Ban Grang Camp and the national park staff taught us how to cook our own food if we were lost in the woods, how to bird/butterfly watch, and how to make a simulation of salt licks where wild animals come to get their nutrients. Even though everyone was tired and worn out after the first two days of our journey, it was one of our best lifetime experiences. On the third day of our Week Without Walls, we cleaned our campsite and packed away those gigantic tents. We left for the Chang Hua Mun Royal Initiative Project which shows how His Majesty the King created an organization that involves farming and stabilizing
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local farmers’ incomes. We toured the farmland after the staff gave a detailed presentation about the origin of their project. Later, we finally departed for our next destination: Nana Resort. Time flies by like a rocket, and it was already the fourth day of our trip! Most of us eighth graders liked the fourth day the most since we spent the entire morning helping out at a local school called Ban Khao Gling. This was one of the greatest experiences for most of us because of the beaming smiles of the children which made us feel like we had known them forever. It was difficult for some of us to say our farewells to the kids, but we promised we’d meet again someday. During the evening we had one of the best events ever held: the Talent Show. The talent show was spectacular; everyone took their time to carefully plan out their performances and we all succeeded in giving our best. The night ended with laughter, shouting, and tears as many of us had a great time partying and reflecting on the past week. Last but not least, the fifth day was the day we toured the Kraeng Krachan Dam and power plant. Although, it might sound tiring or uninteresting, no one regretted they went on this Week Without Walls trip because we won’t soon forget the time we spent together there.
by: Li G8JL
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Trips & Expeditions
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Trips & Expeditions
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Trips & Expeditions
This
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organized The
a Week Without Walls trip to Kanchanaburi from November 24-28 for the 6th and 7th graders. In Kanchanaburi the surroundings were very different from the hectic city life in Bangkok. The view was spectacular and natural, and the atmosphere was tranquil. When we were there we did many recreational, educational, and interesting activities such as exploring the dam, trekking in the forest, and doing team building activities.
Overall, I think that this was a very enjoyable and educational trip. We had fun while learning and gained valuable experience and knowledge. The time spent together with our friends and teammates strengthened our friendships. On the lighter side, we had no homework for 5 days; therefore I look forward to more trips like this!
by Andra, G6
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During the 5 days there, we did a challenge course which includes completing obstacles and doing indoor team building activities such as rock paper scissors, and outdoor games such as treasure hunting and shopper’s choice. By completing this challenge course and activities we built better self-confidence and also improved our interpersonal and bonding skills among our team members. These skills can only be achieved through experiences and activities, not possible by reading only. Another highlight of this trip was trekking through the forest and enjoying the beauty of nature. We were surrounded by trees, plants and a small crystal clear lake. The crispy clean air was a delight compared to the city’s pollution.
most important activity that we did during this trip was the Community Service. We were separated into two groups to visit two different schools on the mountain, one large and the other smaller. Donations of toys, snacks and stationary were brought along to be given to the children. We played games with the children, made “goodie bags” and made light snacks of sandwiches for them. This community service has taught us to be grateful and appreciative of the life we have and to be compassionate to the less fortunate people around us. This small amount of time spent with the children was very meaningful to us.
Trips & Expeditions
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MYP
By Mr.Gabe
Inquiry - PTA Career Day - Lance G King - Authentic Data and Predictions - Math 8
Service - G6-7 Bake and Snack Sale for Local Kanchanaburi School - G8 Fundraising for Klao Gling School - G9 Into the Community - Ploenchit fair - Thanksgiving dinner
Action - Personal project - Love and Information- G9-10 - Change in the 60’s- G10 - Chinese cooking
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Teachers who L Teach child Learning (au
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To our dedicated Pr For providing challen Activities, nurturing Young explorers and To become lifelong Everyday‌ the school com
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rimary Years Team‌ nging and engaging g the minds of our d empowering them g learners each and mmunity appreciates you.
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Children learn Most importa Children learn (O.Fred Do
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To our passionate E for your dedication, enth care you give to our yo each and every day‌ the schoo
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Early Years Team‌ husiasm and above all, oungest Concordians ol community appreciates you.
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Events & Activities
The Role of
China and Thailand
in ASEAN
By Ms. Min Li MYP/DP Chinese Team Leader
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n October 29th, Concordian International School organized a seminar for school parents centered around ASEAN business. The speaker was Professor Zhimin Tang. MYP Principal and Director of Curriculum and Instruction Dr. Aloha Lavina gave the welcome speech for the seminar. School Founder/Director Mrs. Varnnee Chearavanont Ross further introduced the school philosophy and the importance of learning Chinese, which resonated with parents’ interest in education. Under the topic of The Role of China and Thailand in ASEAN, Professor Tang introduced the interrelationship between China and Thailand within ASEAN. He shared his research findings in this domain and answered parents’ questions regarding the economic trends in China and Thailand. The seminar was well received by parents. Professor Tang came to Concordian again on November 4th,delivering another seminar to students in grade nine through twelve. Director of Academics and DP Principal Dr. James Leung gave the welcome remarks. Professor Tang explained the different business models in an easy and interesting way in consideration of the learning characteristics of high school students. Students actively participated in the discussion and enthusiastically answered questions. Professor Tang also highly praised students’ answers to the questions. Concordian International School has been focusing on Chinese teaching and learning ever since its opening and is committed to providing students with the best Chinese learning environment. From kindergarten to fourth grade, about forty percent of students’ learning is conducted in the Chinese immersion classrooms; from fifth grade through tenth grade, Chinese is one compulsory language course; in eleventh and twelfth grade, Chinese language is one of the elective courses. The two seminars brought the latest Chinese and Thai economic and cultural dynamics to school. This allows students to broaden their horizons and enhance their interest in learning Chinese language and culture. It also makes parents better understand and support the Chinese curriculum and instruction at Concordian. Professor Tang Zhimin received his Ph.D. from the U. of Cambridage and has worked internationally for the past 20 years. Recently he has been working as the Director of China ASEAN Studies with CP ALL and is Dean of the International College, Panyapiwat Institute of Management (PIM). He is a research fellow at the institute of East Asia Political Economy, a government think tank in Singapore.
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Events & Activities
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by Kru Pat
he Wai Kru ceremony is always held during the beginning of the new academic year in every school in Thailand. ‘Wai’ means ‘to show respect’ and ‘Kru’ means ‘teachers’. Thus, ‘Wai Kru’ can be defined as ‘to show respect to the teachers’. Why the showing of respect? In traditional Thai culture, before students can start studying with the teachers, they need to be initially accepted. ‘Wai Kru’ therefore is a ceremony for students to ask permission from the teacher to study. Moreover, showing respect to teachers is to demonstrate their willingness not only to accept the knowledge that teachers provide them, but also the advice and other help from the teacher. At Concordian this year, the Wai Kru ceremony was held on 21st August in the Grand Theatre. All teachers were seated on the stage and students gave them flowers or garlands. In return, teachers then blessed them with wit, intelligence and a successful year of studying. The most popular flower that students gave their teachers was the Ixora due to the fact that its appearance is similar to needles. It is believed that their knowledge and skills will be sharpened, just like the needles. The Wai Kru ceremony at Concordian is an opportunity for teachers to welcome their students, both returning and new. The students are under their care and responsibility, and it begins the the new academic year with love and caring.
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Events & Activities
By Kru Lek
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his year’s MYP Loy Krathong ceremony was held on the 6th of November at the Grand Theater. The MYP/DP Thai Department presented a performance called “The Lantern of Sukhothai ”. This performance allowed everyone to imagine that they had traveled back in time 800 years to the Sukothai era. They witnessed the origin of Loy Krathong in Sukothai.
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Events & Activities
*THANKS GIVING DINNER 2014
It is with great pleasure that I share with you the news of our Fifth Giving Thanks dinner at Concordian. It took place on November 20th in the Function Room in the SAT Building. With nostalgia we looked back to our previous dinner’s celebrations in the canteen…but our school population has grown so large that we can no longer accommodate more than 160 people in the old location. Our inspiration for this celebration comes from the American Thanksgiving festival – an occasion where families and friends gather to celebrate friendship, unity, love for their families and friends, and to reflect on all that they are thankful for.
In this way, we extended our deep appreciation to the institutions that open their doors to us, so that we can carry out the programs of service into the community. Of the ten institutions that we work with, seven of them accepted our invitation to attend, and four of them participated in our show. Our juniors and seniors took care of our guests. Seniors T. and Chelsea were the MCs. The Thai Department did the exquisite decorations in the function room. Faculty, staff, teacher assistants, and janitors all participated in the potluck dinner. Sodexho and Dr. James donated the turkeys, and Sodexho took care of the buffet service. The soft drinks were provided by Kuhn Varnnee. Kuhn Varnnee, Mr. Laurent, Dr. Lavina, and Dr. James also generously contributed prizes for the raffle drawing. As always, it was a memorable occasion! My very deep wish is that this celebration will become a tradition at Concordian for years to come.
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Love and thanks to all of you, Milichu S. Keats Community Service Advisor-Coordinator
Events & Activities
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he Ploenchit Fair is organized every year by the Thai-British Community to collect donations for needy people in Thailand. This year, although the fair was held amid heavy rain, organizations and students from different schools, including Concordian, participated in the fair to provide food and fun for people and to help in collecting donations. Students wearing their school uniforms organized different food booths, cold drink booths, raffle tickets and a book stall. The
By Ali
Fun, Food and Donations organizers were delighted and the participants and children were enthusiastic. It was great fun for children, and both adults and children met up with friends, and everyone enjoyed the games and food. Although the rain made the process a bit late, conditions soon returned to normal. Concordian student volunteers from Grades 9 to 11 worked with the school staff at the fair. We collected a total of at least 12,000 Baht. Concordian volunteers helped the children to make slimes and play the planet rockets game. The amazing part of this fair was that volunteers from different schools gathered to support a worthwhile endeavor and have fun as well.
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Events & Activities
Concordian s By Mr Joe
Happy HaHaHaHalloween Pot Luck Party
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n North America, Halloween has become simply a celebration of fun, and is planned with just that -- fun -- as the primary focus and intent. It is a holiday that people of all social and religious backgrounds can enjoy together. It has been a pleasure to work with the class parents year after year to try and bring some of the fun from this great holiday to our school here at Concordian. We all know that the hard-working students of Concordian International School deserve a day dedicated to the pursuit of fun.
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This year for our Concordian Halloween celebration, we decided to try and make it even bigger than last year. With help from the hard-working EY and PY class parents, Concordian held two very large outdoor community pot luck
parties and had an extremely well decorated amphitheater for our annual “scary” story and “scary” movie. Most of the credit for our celebration this year should be given to the class parents. The class parents organized the food and most of the decorations for the event. The children enjoyed trick-or-treating through the school and a fun outdoor community picnic. The children benefit when teachers and parents work closely together. A big heart-felt thank you goes out to the wonderful class parents of Concordian. Without you the Concordian Community Happy HaHaHaHalloween Potluck Party could not have happened.
Events & Activities
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TISAC
Events & Activities
Orchestra Festival by Mr. George
A New Tradition
n October 15th the TISAC Orchestra Festival was hosted at Concondian International School. Two 50-piece orchestras were formed with the student musicians, specialists, and music directors from 7 TISAC school music departments. This year’s participating schools were Regent’s, St. Andrew’s 71, St. Andrew’s 107, St. Stephen’s, Charter, Heathfield, and Concordian.
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Participants were provided the 9 performance pieces for rehearsal within their own school’s music program. On Wednesday, all of the schools rehearsed together from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. String and full orchestral selections from the great masters, which spanned over 350 years, were performed at 2:15 p.m. in the Grand Theater. Concordian was proud to have hosted another successful collaborative festival; now in its second year. Thank you to all who support the arts within our district. We hope to provide this outstanding festival for all of our young musicians, for years to come.
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nother year has gone by and once again a wonderful new group of K2 children and their supportive parents and family members have participated in joining the K2 teachers to help our children understand the true meaning of “compassion, caring and generosity”. As our Concordian School Community excitedly cheered us on, we proudly walked around the soccer field in hopes of collecting funds for another worthy cause: to give to those children who have much less than we do. This year the fortunate recipient was the Small Slum Foundation, which received a generous pledge of almost 200,000 baht that our children earned from their hard work and their very supportive sponsors. At a welcoming ceremony at our school, the Small Slum Foundation was presented with our children’s donation. They kindly thanked us for our financial support towards their new care centre and playground. On behalf of our K2 Teachers and Concordian School community, we extend our warmest and heartfelt “Thanks” to all our K2 children and their families in bringing joy to those much less fortunate.
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Children helping Children
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By Ms. Valerane
Events & Activities
December 11 & 12, 2014 howcasing spectacular festivals and celebrations from different countries, A Super Celebration, is an early multi-cultural holiday treat to the entire school community. A reflection of diversity, jolly songs, and dances were vibrantly performed by our EY students in their cute, colorful and adorable costumes.
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Events & Activities
PYP Winter Concert
Around the World in an Hour or Two December 18, 2014
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he story is a sequel to last year’s “Little Stazia’s Storybook”.
“To all of you out there, keep on dreaming…”Give up?” Never! For one day in your dream, your wish will be a real thing.” A girl named Annie has one wish…”to go Around the World in an Hour or Two”. It became a reality when she dreamt of a magical journey along with Stazia and friends. With the help of a Supreme Lord Naid-Roc-Noc from the constellation of stars called Concordian, who sent a Morph named Wii-Lee-4, leading them to travel from one country to another through magical doors, Annie, and her friends, experienced a wondrous array of performances from historic, mystic, and exotic countries.
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Special Feature
*Everything I Need to Know I Learned in KINDERGARTEN Source: All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten , by Robert Fulghum, a #1 New York Times bestseller first published 25 years ago. For more information visit the author’s website, www.robertfulghum.com
ost of what I really need to know about how to live and what to do, and how to be, I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate school mountain, but there in the sandbox at nursery school.
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These are the things I learned:
Wash your hands before you eat.
Share everything.
Flush.
Play fair.
Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
Don’t hit people.
Live a balanced life.
Put things back where you found them.
Learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.
Clean up your own mess.
Take a nap every afternoon.
Don’t take things that aren’t yours. Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody.
When you go out into the world, watch for traffic, hold hands and stick together. Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the plastic cup? The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that. Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the plastic cup -- they all die. So do we.
And then remember the book about Dick and Jane and the first word you learned, the biggest word of all: look. Everything you need to know is in there somewhere. The Golden Rule and love and basic sanitation. Ecology and politics and sane living. Think what a better world it would be if we all -- the whole world -- had cookies and milk about 3 o’clock every afternoon and then lay down with our blankets for a nap. Or if we had a basic policy in our nation and other nations to always put things back where we found them and cleaned up our own messes. And it is still true, no matter how old you are, when you go out into the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together.
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@ CONCORDIAN for G7 - 12 Boys 19 January - 5 June, 2015 A Structured Environment leads to Improved Performance.
Make the connection.
• 19 January - 5 june, 2015 • Supervised study week day program • A cost of 69,900 Baht* • Improve grades and exam scores.
• Research based Schedule • Designated Study Time • Quality Sleep • Foundation for Independent Living • Proofreading of Assignments • Fitness and Leisure Opportunities • Weekends with Family 51
* Program fee excludes security deposit (B20,000)
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For more information, contact Mr. Robert at robert@concordian.ac.th or Khun Alisa at 02-706-9000 ext. 501 or alisa@concordian.ac.th