RIS AD ASTRA - GIVING MATTERS

4 Message from the School Chaplain 31 Vocal Technique Students Father Leo Travis

PUBLICATION INFORMATION:

5 Letter from the Editor

AD Astra is published four times a year by Ruamrudee International School. The objective of the publication is to report on and communicate happenings at Ruamrudee International School.

6 RIS Holds a Special Celebration

At least 1,200 copies are printed per issue to send directly to all students and their families. AD Astra is also distributed among our faculty and staff numbering over 500, and mailed to RIS alumni and friends. The RIS family is a large and growing community of international citizens.

AD ASTRA TEAM Editor: Sudha Maroli

Contributing Editor: Tam Fawcett

Graphics Design/Layout: Sornchai Pongheamwattana

Coordinator: Rajeepan Techapahaphong

Printed by T.K. PRINTING CO.,LTD.

RUAMRUDEE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL 6 Ramkhamhaeng 184, Minburi, Bangkok 10510 Tel: +66 (0) 2791 8900 Fax: +66 (0) 2791 8901-2 Website: www.rism.ac.th E-mail: info@rism.ac.th

Sudha Maroli in Honor of The Birthday of HRM King Bhumibol Adulyadej 7 RIS’s Father Apisit Reelected Provincial Superior 8 ES Halloween Performance Thrills RIS 10 ES and Service Learning in all Subjects Sr. Mary Rose and Emily Adams, 12 Grade Six Essays on Teen Activism Annie, Changnoi 14 Middle School Celebrates with ASEAN and Thai Days 16 Vivre en Francais à Horseshoe Point 18 MS Thai Field Trip 2014 19 Thai 9 Trip to Rajdamnoen Area & the Rattanakosin Exhibition Hall Pingpong Musikabhumma 20 Thai 12 Trip to The Golden Jubilee Museum of Agriculture, Patumtani Shirley Gamble 21 THIMUN-Singapore: A Conference to Remember Shirley Gamble 22 Parents Travel with Students to Taiwan... Virtually Speaking 24 HS Thai Day 2014 HS Students Reflections 26 High School Spirit Week Shirley Gamble 28 3D Modeling and Animation: Learning Together Kay Rambaud 29 RIS and the Carnegie Hall Connection 30 Dancing the Summer Away!

Kat Ritter

Unplug

32 FULL OF DRAMA! Shorna Shand

36 Secondary Choral Students Get Creative

38 Another Successful Season for RIS Sports Gerry Steiert 40 Vertical Marathon 2014 Shirley Gamble 41 RAH-RAH for Mr. Raha!!

42 IB ART Year 2 at St. Luke’s Gallery 43 Anti-Bullying Poster Contest 44 International Food Fair 46 RIS Gives with Heart, Head and Hands during Cancer Awareness Week 48 Ruamrudee “Thanks (For) Giving Fair” Shirley Gamble 49 Smart Southern Teen English Camp 2014 Shirley Gamble 50 RIS Student and Teacher Collaborate to Make the World a Better Place 52 All For One: National Honor Society for the Good Shepherd’s Orphanage Sasinat Chindapol (Patty), Methira Saksiriwatedul (Meg) and Linnea Anderson 54 Mama Two Being a Mother to 32 Teens Laura Axtell 56 A Principal’s Gratitude Antonia Bousch 57 Music to our Ears!!

58 PHOTO of the Day

Ad Astra Volume 12 December 2014

3

BELLS OF CHRISTMAS

Y

es!! Ring the Bells and tell the people! Christ is born in Bethlehem! May His Blessing reach each of us in one joyous, precious way or another this Christmas Day! As we begin to prepare for the “AD ASTRA” edition for Christmas, we also celebrate the Feast of Thanksgiving.

Pictures and stories presented to us in this edition bring back so many happy memories of programs, celebrations and school experiences for which we can be very thankful. In October the parents of RIS boosted our happiness with the International Food Fair. We also remember stage presentations of our students. We enjoy remembering the smiling faces of our singers and the determination and coordination of our star actors.

Thank-you students. And a full chorus of praise for all our RIS teachers, so dedicated, sharing their charisma, ability and love with the students. God bless all of you!!

Together, with you, we celebrate an atmosphere of happiness at RIS. And now, the Bells of Christmas are here and they begin to ring in our hearts!!! I pray that Christmas will have special meaning for each of you, with a time for prayer, a time to share and an appreciation in your heart that Jesus loves you.

finding a hiding spot out of reach to save for surprise.

On Christmas Eve the gifts started to appear under the Christmas tree. All were amazed how Mom and Dad knew exactly what we wanted to receive for Christmas !! Christmas was for giving gifts. Kids put their nickels and dimes together to get something for Mom and Dad too, who smiled and embraced each child, and then shared that box of candy with them! Christmas is a day for family joy.

Families often gather on Christmas Day at their parish church. They gather around the homemade Crib, a resemblance of the first resting place of the newly born Jesus. It is a holy moment for the family, praying for one another in thanksgiving to God for His Gift to mankind, the Infant Jesus. “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life.”

Christmas is a day for singing too. It’s the Christmas spirit! People around the world are good at this!

Generally, all people love to sing, or to listen to cheerful singing! We at RIS are good at this, with tremendous talent in singing and band, from Elementary to Middle to High, with choral groups, concert, so often joined with drama and dance. Music and song are part of our life at RIS especially as we prepare to celebrate Christmas!

Thank-you teachers and students. You make our day!

Although Christmas is eternal, each Christmas celebration might affect us in different ways. Christmas for children has always been a special day in Christian May the Christmas Spirit be in your hearts, bringing homes. Mom and Dad purchased gifts for their children peace, joy, love to your home. during the week or two before Christmas always May you have a very Merry Christmas! Share your joy with others!

God bless you.

Father Leo Travis, C.Ss.R. School Chaplain 4

Ad Astra Volume 12 December 2014

L

ove, friendship and the giving and sharing make the X’ mas season special and unique. My personal wishes for you include God’s abundant blessings and peace.

The cover page of this AD ASTRA is specially created to emphasize the spirit of generosity; the pages within capture this very essence.

“What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.”

- Nelson Mandela Best wishes,

Respectfully,

Sudha Maroli Deputy Head of School

Ad Astra Volume 12 December 2014

5

RIS Holds a Special Celebration in Honor of The Birthday of HRM King Bhumibol Adulyadej

6

Long Live the King

Ad Astra Volume 12 December 2014

RIS’s Father Apisit Reelected Provincial Superior

N

ovember 24th-27th was both a busy and an important week for the fifty-three Redemptorists of Thailand who met at RIS for their Official Elective Chapter. These “Chapters” are very important meetings where all members have both a voice and a right to vote in the deliberation of all major decisions. Decisions of great importance demand a 2/3 majority whereas matters of lighter importance call for an absolute majority. Falling under decisions of great importance was the election of the main authorities for the Redemptorists of Thailand.

RIS is proud to say that our Director, Fr. Apisit Kritsaralam,was reelected the Provincial Superior of the Ordinary Provincial Council (OPC) and will continue to oversee all major concerns of the Redemptorists in Thailand. Also elected members of the OPC with 2/3 majority vote were Fr. Pattarapong Srivorakul (vicar) and Fr. Sukhum Thanasing (2nd consultor).

the Extraordinary Provincial Council (EPC). The four Consultor selected by absolute majority were Fr. Chuchart Srivichairatana, Fr. Ekkapon Chaiyara, Fr. Picharn Jaisari, and Fr. Puwanai Tantikun.The full team of seven members is very important. Throughout the week much dialogue and prayer was held to form a group that would give leadership to theirmission work for the next four years.

The Redemptorists of Thailand have eight foundations, which include the Holy Redeemer Church in Bangkokand Ruamrudee International School. The work of the Redemptorists is centered on these eight foundations with members of each foundation appointed to parishes and areas of development and a Superior to regulate the mission of his community. The seven priests elected during this Chapter appoint Superiors of each foundation, and then keep in close contact with their development. As one of their foundations, RIS is in Another four Consultors join the OPC for meetings of good hands. The new Extraordinary Council leadership both general and important matters approximately four team is also Board of trustees of RIS and will continue times a year and together this group of seven forms to support our school as the priority of the province.

Ad Astra Volume 12 December 2014

7

H

alloween was a “Thrilling” event at RIS this year.

With the help and guidance of the ES PE department, (Mr. Sean, Mr. Daniel, and Ms. Sa) the first, second, and third graders performed Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”.

Performing once at the all-school morning assembly in Godbout Hall and once again on the ES playground, our cute little characters, zombies, superheroes, etc. danced to the beat and warmed the audience’s hearts. Following the performance on the playground, students in grades two and below trick or treated around campus. Special thanks to the PA for sponsoring one of the trick-or-treat stations and a special thanks to all the parents who came out to celebrate this event.

8

Ad Astra Volume 12 December 2014

Ad Astra Volume 12 December 2014

9

ES and Service Learning in all Subjects

By Sr. Mary Rose and Ms. Emily Adams, ES teachers

The Concept of Service Learning

S

ervice learning is defined by linking service to learning objectives. Students are engaged in the process of planning and implementing service activities in purposeful and meaningful ways through direct service, indirect service, advocacy, or research. Different classes and grade levels are responding to the challenge of making a connection between learning and serving community needs at the same time.

In Grade 2, Ms. Supen’s, Ms. Lisa’s and Mr. John’s classes learned about measurement in science. Before the unit, the teachers asked the children to bring supplies for donations to the poor. The children then weighed and measured the items they brought which will be donated to refugees and an orphanage. Here is what students had to say about their service learning experience.

“I brought lots of snacks: a big box of cookies, prune juice, milk, and crackers. I only weighed the prune juice and crackers. I brought lots because I want to feed the whole family in need.”

Pearl 2-1 “I brought mama to weigh. It’s less than a kilo.

It’s yummy and I wanted to give it to the poor orphans. I feel happy.” Momo 2-2 “I bought a pack of pencils to weigh. It’s less than a kilo. I liked these pencils. I wanted to keep them for myself. But now, I want to give them to poor children to help them learn.” J.J. 2-2 “My mom and I decided to bring a rice bag to weigh and put in the donation because children need to eat. Rice is healthy. It’s about one kilo.”

Piano and Peach 2-2 “I brought mama for them to eat. Pencils, erasers and beads are for them to decorate their houses.”

Maera 2-3 “I bought ketchup and noodles because it’s my favorite. I am happy to share.” Dareen 2-3

10

Ad Astra Volume 12 December 2014

Grade Six Essays on Teen Activism

S

tudents in Ms. Erin’s grade six class are learning how to write expository essays. They researched and investigated a variety of teen activists, then set forth an opinion or thesis statement concerning what they found true about teen activism. The students then researched more to provide evidence for their thesis statements. Not only did they learn about writing, they also learned about teenagers who are standing up for important global issues and giving back to others. Here are two essays written by some talented sixth graders.

ANNIE

T

een activists have strong opinions about their causes. But before they could become influential, protesting is an effective way of spreading messages. they had to let people know. Teen activists have many ways of spreading their message: writing books, making Using social media is also another way of spreading speeches and protesting, along with using social media. messages. Zhan Haite also posted messages online.

Carrie Shade lost a friend to suicide. She started a One way of spreading messages that a teen activist uses Twitter, Against Suicide. A surprising fact is, 1 in is writing books. One teen activist, Craig Kielburger, 65,000 children between the ages of 10 to 14 die by visited South Asia. He saw how cruel child slavery suicide each year. It is also the second leading cause was and wrote a book called Free the Children about of death for young people (15-24 years old). She got what he saw there. One shocking fact that I learned is followers from all over the world, and won a Shorty that it is estimated 168 million children are involved in Award in Teen Activism in 2013. Eighteen-year-old child labor, 85 million of whom are in hazardous work. Gabby Frost started Buddy Project in Twitter, which Another teen activist, Rene Silva, from Brazil is trying to prevents suicide, self harm, and eating disorders by fight the negative stereotypes about his neighbourhood. pairing up people that have mutual interests, so that they To raise awareness, he created a newspaper that is called don’t harm themselves. Social media is a great way of Voz das Comunidades (Voice of the Community) and spreading messages. wrote a book, A Voz do Alemão. Writing books is a good way for teen activists to spread their messages.

Teen activists have many different ways of spreading their opinions. Whether it is with books, with protesting, Another way is making speeches or protesting to raise or with social media, they are all trying to make this awareness. Teen activist Zhan Haite fought against world a better place. the hukou system of Chinese society by organizing a protest in front of Shanghai’s education bureau.

Although her family was evicted for a short period and the local authorities put her father in jail, the protests worked. In September 17, 2014, a march took place. een activists are making the world a better place That was the founding of Adolescents Leading an and are changings the lives of millions of people.

Intense Fight Against Ebola, (A-LIFE). It was founded Teen activists around the world all have done many by some teens in Liberia to spread awareness and courageous and amazing things; they want to support educate people about Ebola. Liberia has 6878 Ebola other people who need our help. They have been cases and 2812 deaths, more than half of the total awarded and congratulated and praised throughout their cases and deaths in the world. Making speeches and life but it doesn’t matter to them, they have beliefs that

CHANGNOI

T

12

Ad Astra Volume 12 December 2014

changed the world. But what makes the teens special is that they put others before themselves; some teen activists speak out even their lives are in danger, some use most of their money, while others use most of their free time to help others.

Malala is an example of teen activists who speak out even when their lives are in danger. Malala, for example, is brave girl who didn’t care how hurt she was. Shot, stabbed, crushed, she was going to stand up and speak about her beliefs. Malala had a very strong belief that she carried throughout her life; her goal was to educate girls in the world that didn’t get a chance but that belief became a grave problem. She was threatened, and shot but still continued to speak to the people of the world that girls need to be educated. This shows that she cares about the 32 million girls who are uneducated. People started to hear her out and found out that this girl speaks for justice. The whole world supports her now as she fights the world with peace and teaches the world what is right and what is wrong, and this is the reason Malala is the teen activist that she is today.

his mom and dad for extra money and by 4 months he earned a total 70$, but that wasn’t enough for Ryan to build a well in Uganda. Ryan used up all his time and savings for making wells and solving the water problem in Uganda, and just because of this incident, Ryan’s Well Foundation was born. He spoke around the world about this water issue with his Uganda friend Jimmy Akana who helped him with many things about the water problem. Ryan’s advice is “In order to make a positive change in the world, you need to find something you are passionate about and then you need to take steps to act.” This told me that Ryan was passionate about the water problem and he did anything he could to support the people, which led him to the title of teen activist. “Water is essential to all life” -Ryan Hrelijac.

Teen activists spend most of their free time helping others. An example is Alexandra Scott who donated all her life to helping people with cancer. Alexandra Scott was a girl with tumors which would cost her life, but Alexandra Scott didn’t do what most people would do.

She raised money with a lemonade stand not for her own cause but for other people and for people with the same problems as she had. Alexandra Scott raised money for cancer and still came out to run her business even though her condition was getting worse everyday. Her expression showed that she didn’t mind the pain that was growing inside her. People in the entire world were in awe by how dedicated she was helping other people.

She donated thousands of dollars to doctors so that other people who got the virus wouldn’t have to go through what she had felt. Her tumors grew to the point where death was right around the corner. She died at a young age, but the helpfulness she granted was more helpful than one person’s lifetime. She had a life of courage, dedication, righteousness, and used up not only her time but her whole life, which everybody can agree qualifies to make her a teen/kid activist.

Another teen who spoke out even when his life was in danger was Iqbal Masih, a kid who knew all the risks of speaking out about the uneducated children but didn’t care about it at all. Iqbal Masih, a young boy born in Pakistan, was sold as a slave at the age of 4 to a carpet business for $12. His life in the carpet business was very painful; he was tortured, hungry, thirsty, and beaten with a whip if he made any mistakes. He escaped at the age of 10 and spoke to people about how every person has a right to be educated in life. He said that he wanted to be like Abraham Lincoln. He asked for twelve dollar donations and he spoke for his own rights in many different places. A person asked Iqbal where he was going next and he told the person, “I am going to finish what I had started”. He knew that going to Pakistan would cost him his life and it did. Young Iqbal got shot in the head and died in front of his grandmother’s Teen activists are putting other people before themselves house. He showed courage and strength and a passion of by dedicating their whole lives to the cause. We can helping other people which has made him a teen activist. all conclude that teen activists are people who use up everything they have to help the world become a better Teen activists use most of their money and time for their place. They use their lives, their money, their time, and causes. Ryan Hrelijac used up his earnings to build a their courage/dedication, just so that people’s lives can well for people in Uganda who drink dirty water. Ryan become more positive. These teens have put others Wells, a boy who learned that people in Africa were before themselves and they don’t care what happens to having water problems, was affected a lot because he them. They will jump back on track and help the people thought everybody in the world lived like him. This in need. little thought changed into a mission. He started asking Ad Astra Volume 12 December 2014

13

Middle School Celebrates with ASEAN and Thai Days

T

14

he Association of Southeast Asian Nations is a political and economic organization of ten countries located in Southeast Asia, which was formed on 8 August 1967 by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Since then, membership has expanded to include Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar (Burma) and Vietnam. Its aims include accelerating economic growth, social progress, sociocultural evolution among its members, protection of regional peace and stability, and opportunities for member countries to discuss differences peacefully.

Here is what the MS students had to say about ASEAN Day as recognized at RIS during multicultural Week.

“Today, we got to play many games about different countries in the ASEAN because today was ASEAN Day when students get to share information about the ASEAN country that they were assigned. It was a great learning and sharing experience. I loved g o i n g to the Singapore booth because it was very easy to get prizes. Some questions were hard but I learned many new things that I could apply on a regular basis.

Earth 8.7

“ASEAN Day was a day of learning and experiences. I learned so much about other countries in the ASEAN, as well as having a joyful time with my peers and other people who came and played games in my booth which was about every country in the ASEAN.” Kessupa (Gracie) Phopiboonsuk HR: 7-2

ASEAN Day was my favorite day. We created our own little booth. The Thai teachers assigned us one of the ASEAN countries, which we had to do a research paper on and also create games for the 6th graders with our group. When the 6th graders answered the questions correctly, they were rewarded with snacks.

Sonar 7.6

Ad Astra Volume 12 December 2014

On ASEAN Day, we made posters and questions to ask the sixth graders. It was very fun. Sixth, seventh and eighth graders came to play and they won a lot of presents and candies. I think that this event should happen every year. We enjoyed doing the project. People were helping each other and they worked hard to prepare for it. Our group made a poster and tons of questions to be asked. We gave out a lot of candies and prizes. Overall, we think that the event was very fun.

Pun 7-1 Thai Day was really fun and amusing because there were some elementary school kids that were playing “Khim”. First Khim was created in China. After Rama 4 brought them to Thailand it became the Thai national instrument. So..Let’s get back to the “elementary kids playing Khim.” The performance was stunning. As I watched the performance, goose bumps went all over my body as tears dropped from my little eyes. The music caught me from the bottom of my heart.

Nina C 7.2 On Thai day my parents participated in the fair.

MS celebrated Thai day on the same day as the food fair so we got to eat food we haven’t been able to eat at school, and listen to great music at the same time. I listened to the band as I bought some food. The music from the band echoed in the breezeway. After the band, there were countless other music performances, singing and instrumental songs. Ken was up there playing the clarinet, and my other friends were playing so many musical instruments that I never seen before.

Kenny 7.1

O

n Friday, November 14th, 38 MS and HS students and 4 faculty members headed to Pattaya to partake in the annual French weekend away organized by Mme Beatrice and M. Olivier. From all student accounts, combining learning more French with team building activities, games, swimming, visiting horses, riding bikes, learning how to play Petoncle, and free time with friends to the final Grand Spectacle was“très bien” (very good). But don’t take our word for it. The pictures and student quotes say it all!

M. Olivier’s students: “We met many new people and, even though it was only three days, it felt like we were spending some quality family time. Even though the trip is over now, we still manage to keep in touch with the other French-learners from time to time.”

Siddiquey, Rafeed “The talent show was great, but the 6th graders with their song stole the show. We recited a poem called “Le Cancre” by Jacques Prévert, and even though we forgot some lines, it was a relaxed atmosphere and we had a good laugh about it.”

Lee, Hyun Kyung (HK) “Our favorite part of the absolutely amazing trip was when we got the chance to play football during our free time. Luckily, Horseshoe Point had a beautiful football field and provided us with equipment. But sadly, Rafeed sprained a ligament, so we had to cut the game short. Despite that, we all had a great time.”

Nantavaropas, Nitipat (Nat)

16

Ad Astra Volume 12 December 2014

Mme Beatrice’s students: “On this trip I fell in love with French. Not only did it help me win games but it made me initiate friendship with others. The French Camp 20142015 will always have a special place in my heart.”

Namwan FR4 “This year, the French department went on a trip to Horseshoe Point at Pattaya. Overall the trip was enjoyable. We did some activities but the favorite for me was the show at the end of the second day. All French classes had to perform a song, poem, or any other type of performances.

It was definitely amusing and we all had a good laugh out of it. It was interesting to interact and meet with students studying in other French classes since in my class, there are only 4 people.

I really did enjoy the trip. It felt like a vacation for me, but in French of course”.

Cookie IB “As a junior, I was one of the older students there so I was assigned to be a group leader. This gave me a grand opportunity to step up and take lead in the planned activities. I had a chance to work with kids from various ages as they each showed off their own talents and personality. The team building games also gave us a chance to really work collaboratively as age difference became no barrier. Overall, this French camp was a wonderful experience.”

Lynn IB “This year’s French Camp was an awesome trip. I had so much fun and laughed my head off. Not only did we get to use and improve our French skills, we also had the chance to meet and collaborate with new friends of all ages.”

Babe IB “Although as Fifth block approached and I found myself unexcited to go on this trip, departure had me clinging on to the last couple days we spent there.” Ad Astra is certain that this complete change of heart is more than having“learned that the French word for spider is not spidaire” Nam FonFR4 Ad Astra Volume 12 December 2014

17

MS Thai Field Trip 2014

O

n Friday, November 28th, 2014, 6th Grade students went to The Rajvithi Home for Girls and Aksra Theatre as part of the Thai Field Trip. Students brought items such clothes, stationery, protein powder and a total of 11,000 Baht to donate to the home for girls.

Our Thai field trip to Aksara Theater and the Rajvithi Home for Girls was amazing! We got to donate items to girls and I felt very happy that all together we donated 11,000 baht to them. I also really enjoyed watching my classmates go up on stage and enjoy time in Aksara Theater. It really helped me learn more about Thai culture and why we need to save our beautiful traditions and culture. I also liked the time when the puppets in the show came down to the audience and we got to take pictures with them. At the same time, the lunch buffet was astounding! That tasty food really made me put a big smile on my face. The souvenirs were awesome too. We got to go shopping which made all of us really happy. Overall, I think that this trip was outstanding!

- Jeeda 6-1 In my opinion, this year’s Thai field trip to Aksara Theater for grade six went pretty well. The puppet show was nice, and looked very amazing and elegant.

Furthermore, the puppets themselves have a unique style representing Thai’s culture. There were various shows that were performed and many were based on Thai myths or traditions; others were a mixture of Thailand’s and other countries’ cultures. I enjoyed it a lot. My feedback for the lunch buffet would be that the food there was very great. My friends and I had ate dish after dish of food, especially the fondues for desserts.

The souvenir shop beside the entrance also had several interesting things. Most of us went home with gifts in our hands. I can predict that not only me, but the whole grade had a great time visiting Aksara Theater.

- Grace 6/4 When we went to Aksra Theater, I think the show was remarkable and very unique. The shows were all different and each had something special in them.

I think that the last show was my favorite because it looked liked they were having fun dancing around but I really liked that they were all smiling. I’m very proud to have this much culture and they did a magnificent

18

Ad Astra Volume 12 December 2014

job on creating a masterpiece. The food was stunning.

I thought that there was going to be at least one kind of food that was going to run out because there were many people at the buffet. The food just kept coming in.

Everyone was having fun and it’s always better having fun with your friends. I am probably going to go there again but I might go with my friends because I want them to have the most experiences whether it’s with themselves or with me. - Amy 6-5 I think this trip was fun, educational, inspiring and beautiful. I got to see into Thai culture, truly seeing a small part of our culture. While watching the puppets move and dance, I was feeling very proud in Thailand.

While the puppeteers leisurely strolled around the stage, controlling the puppets, their summery smiles lit up the room. What stunned me and actually creeped me out a little was the puppets. They moved as if they were alive! They incline their heads to the rhythm of the mellifluous music, while their feet walk and tap and stamp! I have never actually seen such awesomeness and gracefulness in one place, set together in such a majestic and unforgettable way. The performance was simply AMAZING. But wait...... I may have forgotten one thing. One of the main highlights of this trip for me (and many of my friends) was the buffet. The setting was great, with a slight modern feel. It was a bit crowded, because our sixth grade includes a whole bunch of people, but having lunch with friends is always a happy time. As we ate more and more, the food kept coming. Thai food, Japanese food, international food... it was great. It never ran out, as it was always refilled as the quantity lessened. The chocolate fondue was just fit for a king. Just as good as we predicted. All in all, this trip was a unique one, never to be forgotten, and, yeah, I will smile when I think about this day, the day when our

sixth grade class went to Aksara Theater.

- Lookchun 6-4 The Thai field trip to Aksara Theatre was very amazing and surprising. I was really surprised that it turned out to be a very friendly field trip. This is the best field trip so far! I got to learn more about the puppet show in Thailand and also part of Korean cultures. I like how

the puppet holders give examples and show ways “to puppet” for us. I got to have fun and take pictures with my friends too. We also had a magnificent buffet for lunch which I really enjoyed. I think I still have a lot to learn more about our myths and stories which I got to see how people express through puppets today. We also had time to see and buy souvenirs which was awesome!.

I learned and enjoyed this trip a lot. -Kate 6-6

Thai 9 Trip to Rajdamnoen Area & the Rattanakosin Exhibition Hall

By Pingpong Musikabhumma

O

n Nov 13, 115 freshmen boarded four full buses to explore downtown Bangkok Rajdamnoen area as part of their Thai 9 curriculum.The field trip was really fun and interesting! We started off with a bus tour, passing so many important landmarks such as the Democracy Monument, the Grand Palace, SanamLuang, and WatPhraKaew. Students got off the buses close to the Giant Swing where we went to see the giant buddhas in WatSuthat and visited WatRatchanadda, which was very unique because the building inside known as the LohaPrasart was made from metal and was actually a maze of hallways with lots of Thai history on all the walls.

We also visited WatSaket (the Golden Mountain Temple) and had to climb up the hill in order to get to the temple there. However, I didn’t feel tired because the view up there was extremely beautiful. We then spent 2 hours in the Exhibition Hall/Museum exploring

the different exhibition rooms. My favorite one was the elevator movie room. I called it the elevator movie room because it was like a small theater, but it was also an elevator. As we were watching the document, the room was lifting us up from the second floor to the third floor. I thought it was really cool. Overall, I really learned a lot of Bangkok history and had a lot of fun on the trip!

Ad Astra Volume 12 December 2014

19

Thai 12 Trip to The Golden Jubilee Museum of Agriculture, Patumtani

By Ms. Shirley Gamble

O

n Nov 11, 157 seniors filled four buses to explore the Thai way of life and the royal agricultural projects from His Majesty King Bhumibol’s Philosophy of the Sufficiency Economy as part of their Thai 12 curriculum. They will be displaying bulletin boards full of the King’s work to celebrate His Majesty’s birthday all through the month of December.

The indoor museum had three zones which were (1) 3D film on the King’s Philosophy of “Sufficiency Economy”, (2) the Innovation of Sufficiency Economy Zone, and (3) the Old Agricultural Market Zone which used such techniques as magic vision and light and visual models.

For outdoor activities the seniors toured the city farm zone, which included the vegetable and fruit plantation on cement, bio fermentation, plant nursery, and garden plants. They also had an opportunity to jump into the rice fields and actually learn to plant rice.

“I think that this trip teaches students in a very fun and interesting way about agriculture and the way King Rama IX has helped the people of Thailand. I was very inspired by the 3D movie that showed us how the King helped the local people.” - Ole “This trip was fun and exciting for most of us. My favorite part of this trip was the rice farming, as most of us have obviously never done this before. The indoor and outdoor museum was nice and it was a good opportunity to learn something new about our country.” - Pear

20

Ad Astra Volume 12 December 2014

THIMUN-Singapore

A Conference to Remember

By Ms. Shirley Gamble

T

his year’s THIMUN-Singapore Conference took place on November 17-21 and consisted of slightly over 1,000 delegates from dozens of schools all over the world. RIS was able to send two delegations of 10 students representing Columbia and Sri Lanka. One of our juniors, Mikey Hong, was fortunate enough to be selected as one of the Deputy Chairs for the Third Committee (GA3) dealing with Social, Humanitarian and Cultural issues.

and reasonable solutions to real world issues and was a great chance to meet a diverse group of new friends.” Nacha (Gr 9) said, “THIMUN-Singapore was an amazing experience for me. The conference, the debating, and the banquet at the Country Club with great entertainment ….the overall trip was a great learning experience for me and a lot of fun.”

The students underwent a two month rigorous preparation schedule under the supervision of Mr. Matt Morse and each student was prepped and primed to the best of their abilities for this very prestigious conference.

Over the next two days these 10 students spent hours debating the resolutions they wrote, each representing his/her country to the best of his/her ability. The chair, Mikey, had a challenging time overseeing his committee of 144 students from around the world as well.

Mikey stated that, “Attending this year’s THIMUNSingapore was definitely an unforgettable experience filled with enriching moments of collaboration with super smart delegates as they came up with intelligent Ad Astra Volume 12 December 2014

21

Parents Travel with Students to Taiwan... Virtually Speaking

F

rom October 1-4, 24 RIS MS and HS students travelled with their teacher chaperones Mr. Eric, Ms. Vivian and Ms. Emarin to Taipei to attend the Six Arts Academy. When Ms. Vivian, their Mandarin teacher, decided to communicate with the Taiwan trippers using Line, a Social Media App, to keep them up to date on travel requirements, little did she know what was about to happen virtually speaking.

and exploring venues like Ximending, Taipei 101, and shopping, and we all know that our kids can shop!!, made for an action packed day. Students occasionally appealed to their teachers for time to do homework but with so much to see, so much to do, and so much to learn there was little time remaining for that! Before calling it a night, students were, however, required to take 10 minutes to journal the highlights of their day.

From the initial teacher posts of landing at Taoyuan International, parents became involved in the excursion above and beyond all expectations. Given this immediate positive parental feedback from the “landed in Taipei” photo, photos of workshops, activities, and even of mealtime were posted enabling parents to be engaged in what their children were doing from morning to night. They began to follow the group’s every move online. Knowing that their children were safe and sound, that they were having fun while learning and, most importantly, that they were being well taken care of in the process created a sense of comfort among them.

Of the Six Arts Academies, each student selected one academy to follow from Human Relationships, Music, Archery, Chariot Riding, Liberal Arts and Cosmology.

All academies were taught in Mandarin and focused on the importance of language learning with culture. RIS had the largest group of students attend among international schools from Hong Kong, China, Singapore and the Philippines and had the chance to both learn from others and to share their own cultural diversity.

And what were they doing with their time? A 6:45 a.m. wake-up call to welcome the day with exercise, song and dance, morning workshops making mooncakes to jewellery, afternoon activities and museum visits, Then a 30 minute turn around before heading out for dinner 22

Ad Astra Volume 12 December 2014

Beside the creation of international friendships, one unexpected connection was that which developed between RIS high school and middle school students.

Teachers marveled at our Grade 10 students who naturally assumed leadership and caring roles with our grade 7s who could be overheard from time to time calling their new found grade 10 friends and caregivers “Mom” !

If the non-stop conversation about the trip during the recent Parent-Teacher conferences is any indication, the Six Arts Academy was a smashing success! Not only are students still in contact with new found international friends, they are asking if they can do it all over again, or maybe for a longer period of time or maybe for more than one trip a year! As a result of their online participation, parents were part of it all and, more importantly, were able to engage their children in meaningful conversation about their experiences both while away and when they came home. Parents have since created an online album of 300 photos for all to enjoy.

And one more positive outcome? Social media is not just for chatting with friends. Lesson learned!

Here is a sample of what students had to say about their experience: Pornpitra (Poupee) Laosirihongthong (Grade 7) from Ruamrudee a lot better too. I would really like to go there again next year.

The workshop I had signed up for was Archery and I learned about many physical activities on Chinese Pichayapha (Amy) Sabpisal (Grade 8) history. I learned how to play the Chinese drum based on the story where the characters were on a I had chosen to learn Mandarin of my own free will, journey to find a book. I also had the privilege to but found myself struggling. To be honest, I don’t learn about dancing and martial arts too. During the really know what drove me to go on a trip related to three days, I made many new friends from other the Chinese language. Maybe I wanted to experience schools and other countries. I experienced Mandarin a whole new level of learning Chinese, and hopefully in a different way and I hope that I will be able to find some motivation. The activities encouraged me have an opportunity like this again. to learn Chinese through singing and I found myself really enjoying the trip since the very first day there.

Pisa Leelapatana (Grade7) I would definitely go to the Six Arts Academy again if I get the chance to do so.

I went to Taiwan to go to the Six Arts Academy and I got to visit some museums to learn more Navin (Int) Nakwek (Grade 8) about the olden days and the culture of Taiwan. I joined the Cosmology workshop where we learned I thought that the trip was very eventful and exciting. about the daily lives and Chinese characters. I The places that we went were really engaging to really enjoyed the trip very much because we got to the students and even to the teachers as well. The experience the Taiwanese culture ourselves which “dance in the sunshine” activity really helped me get is way cooler than doing research. I learned more my nerves together and get ready for the morning.

Chinese characters and how the words were formed. In our groups I made new friends from other schools Because Taiwan and Bangkok are different in many and countries and exchanged information about each ways, I experienced things that I have not before. I others’ lives. All in all, I would say that the trip was made a lot of friends who helped me improve my engaging and worth it.

Mandarin skills. I also got to know other students Ad Astra Volume 12 December 2014

23

HS Students Reflections

O

ctober 16, 2014, marked Thai Day, with the theme of “A Walk Down Memory Lane.” The Thai department and several HS students had worked extremely hard to organize a fashion show and a traditional dance known as “RabumGhai” or the chicken dance. A round of applause roared from the crowd as the event started off with RabhumGhai, where Thai students from Khon traditional dance class performed after long practice hours. Next came the Thai fashion show. Students dressed according to each era in Thai history, showing different fashion styles from those eras. A poster display made by 10th grade Thai classes showed different aspects in Thai history before it came to be how it is today. Examples ranged from Thai theatre or Thai mail before the 21th century to demonstrations about how Khon masks are made. Thailand is a country with a long history, where generation after generation of people slowly contributed to different ideas and made numerous

24

Ad Astra Volume 12 December 2014

sacrifices for Thailand to be how it is today. Thai Day is a day for everyone, not just Thai students, to learn about and to appreciate Thai culture.

SupaveeKanjanakuha (Sandy) Gr.10

A Walk Down Memory Lane It was a wonderful and memorable experience being a part of Thai Day and participating in the fashion show event where each person dressed in Thai traditional costume to represent each time period. I know it was a difficult task for the Thai teachers to find people who were willing to take part, let alone find where to get all the dresses. As a result, the event was planned out months and months ahead of the show. Being a part of the fashion show not only taught me about different Thai traditional costumes, but it taught me about cooperation, and how each person can contribute to create something worth remembering like “A Walk Down Memory Lane”.

NonthachaThongjirachote (Ket) Gr.10

RabumGhai (Thai Chicken Dance) This year is the first year I joined a Cultural Dance class. I have always wanted to learn new cultures and dancing styles. I am delighted to be in Khon Thai Dance class. Our first performance was for my school’s Cultural Week. My classmates and I staged RabumGhai (Thai Chicken Dance). Practice was hard, but I want to thank KruLek for being so patient and sweet to everyone. Our main performance was for Loy Khrathong (Festival of Floating Leaf Cups). My classmates and I had to perform at Perfect Place in front of the beautiful lake. I really enjoyed performing in front of people and I hope that we will get to do more shows in the future.

PiyathidaMarcar (Rose Mary) Gr.12

be dressed in glamorous Thai cultural clothes. While others were enjoying their day, the Thai department was getting ready for an astonishing show. As a part of the event, I was assigned to do a live painting of ‘Hua-Khon,’ also known as ‘Khon masks’. These masks are realistically used as a part of the costume in a Thai traditional dance called, “Khon” where its significance is to distinguish between a variety of roles and characters in performances. When applying the colors and stripes on the Hua-Khon, it not only taught me patience and precision, but it also reflected the cultural aspect and tradition of Thailand. It was a pleasure for me to be a part of such a remarkable event.

PitchamonKarnchanapimolkul (Proud) Gr.12

Khon Mask Painting

Thai day was a wonderful experience for both performers It was Friday during Cultural Week. “Thai” was the and participants alike. theme of that day, where everyone was expected to Ad Astra Volume 12 December 2014

25

26

Ad Astra Volume 12 December 2014

T

his year’s High School Spirit Week activities included Games Day, RIS Pride Day, Club Day and our annual baht wars.

For Games Day the four grade levels wore their grade color t-shirts and competed in 8 different game stations, tug-ofwar, and capture-the-flag. Although the seniors won over-all that day, the sophomores and freshmen were ecstatic when they beat the upperclassmen in the tug-of-war and capturethe flag games. After lunch, everyone headed over to Phoenix Hall & Field for various exciting Teacher vs. Student games.

Teachers were successful in making a clean sweep winning 2 out 3 games for volleyball, 23-15 in basketball and 7-6 in soccer!

For School Pride Day, everyone was encouraged to wear anything representing RIS - red, white and blue outfits and of course lots of “ I Love RIS” and Phoenix t-shirts and uniforms were seen everywhere.

Students showed their support for the 14 different clubs on the final day by wearing club t-shirts to show their pride and commitment for all their hard work. Outfits showed support ranging from playing chess, to a love of animals, to global issues and to lots of charity projects for the needy.

The four grade levels collected all their coins for charity that week in their annual “Baht Wars” and I am pleased to announce that this year they managed to raise 31,695 baht.

Sarnelli House will receive 20,000 baht when we go to visit them during spring break and the rest will be given to other RIS school projects as decided by the Student Council.

Ad Astra Volume 12 December 2014

27

3D Modeling and Animation: Learning Together

3

D Modeling was Brand new to me this year although I’d always had a passion for Animation, normally stop-frame. I took an online basics course over the summer for an introduction to the software ‘Autodesk Maya’ and desperately tried to get my head around all those buttons and overwhelming interface.

Six months later and after a first semester of teaching the course, the results have been phenomenal. Not just because of the final products the students made but because of the fantastic learning environment we’d created. Needless to say my knowledge has been fairly limited and, on many occasion, I simply didn’t have the answer. However, the students responded fantastically sharing ideas, problem-solving for each other, researching blogs, YouTube tutorials..and, in the end, usually come up with the answer...together! -Ms Kay Scan this code with a QR reader to see some animations

(WanaphaTanapol) Nick’s Self Reflection (Grade 9) What was the process used to make the same as what we needed to do in the model. Sometimes it just said to click on something like the Sampler Info model/animation?

In this model, we started by creating a sphere polygon and applying different textures and shading to it. Then we were assigned to create a glass, mirror, and also a light bulb. The goal was to make it as close as possible to the characteristic that the object contained. We needed to keep in mind things like shaders, textures, transparency, reflectivity, glow intensity, and many other things. Sometimes the image we saw on the screen was not the same as the result. To be able to see how it would turn out we needed to render the model which means that we turned our 3D modeling to a flat 2D image. We followed instructions on Ms.Kay’s website and applied the changes needed to create the glass, mirror, and light bulb. After that, we applied different material attributes to make it more realistic and to make it how we liked it. We kept on rendering and making changes and repeating the process again until it looked good enough to finalize and save.

Utility Node which we couldn’t find and were left to wonder where it was. Ms. Kay and my classmates were a great help when I struggled through the process. We worked together to try to figure out what the problem was and how to fix it.

Which parts have been the most successful?

Why? I think the glass ball is the most successful since I was able to make it transparent while also having a really nice reflection of the other balls and the overall surroundings. It is quite realistic and looks like a glass marble which is why it is one of the most successful parts of creating this model.

What would you improve? How?

I think I could improve on the mirror and the light bulb. I might need to change the position of the mirror because it was reflecting the more boring part of the background which is dark purple. For the light bulb, Which parts were tricky? Why? The tricky part was actually just following the maybe I just didn’t like it, but it seems a lot less directions from the internet. Since there were different interesting than the other two balls. I might need to versions of Maya, the instructions weren’t exactly the intensify the glow or maybe change the lighting.

28

Ad Astra Volume 12 December 2014

W

at Carnegie Hall two more times.

So how does one come to play Carnegie Hall at age nine?

Above and beyond talent, aptitude, and a great RIS alumna (1999) music teacher in Dr. Pornphan Banternghansa, it takes 1-2 hours a day of practice that becomes 4 or more during weekends and holidays. Weekends are also filled with group lessons and private lessons with a special teacher for advanced music.

Currently Kate is working on 10 songs totaling 30 minutes of solo repertoire and 3 movement piano concertos for the Virginia Waring Piano Competition to be held in California, March 2015. As Kate has been invited back to play Carnegie Hall, she is hoping to combine the two in one visit. The US is her favorite destination thus far.

When asked why the answer was just about everythingthe weather, the people, the culture, and the food.

hen Ad Astra met eleven-year-old Tarisa (Kate) Chanpong, already an internationally accomplished pianist, the first question we had for her was how she became so interested in music.

In Kate’s words “It was a long time ago” so she’s not really sure what it was other than she remembers her mom playing ballads when she was four. Along with her memory of enjoying listening to her mother play was being enrolled in the Yamaha School of Music around the same time. From this moment on her talent and skill grew exponentially when, at the age of five and a half years old, she was recruited to the school’s gifted and talented program.

Kate plays 4-5 competitions a year, most of which are international. Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, and America have been part of her world tour to date, and a string of firsts to show for it including Hong Kong International Piano Competition for Young Pianists 2014, Yamaha Thailand Music Festival 2013 Piano Duet / 2014 Piano Solo, debut Winner Concert at Weill Recital Hall - Carnegie Hall, and American Protégé International for Romantic Music 2014. Through subsequent tape recording submissions of her play, Kate has since won the opportunity to perform

Although Carnegie’s big hall made her nervous at first, she was soon able to block out all but her playing and found it to be a magical life experience. According to Kate, her hardest competition to date though was the Osaka International Music Competition 2014 where she faced tough competition and where the pieces were difficult. Even though the competitor Kate alluded to was eighteen years old, she garnered 2nd place for both Piano Solo and Concerto Course.

This is Kate’s second year at RIS and what she likes most is that teachers challenge her way of thinking. Reading develops her critical thinking skills and pushes her thinking in all areas. She believes this helps her to both better feel her music and to express her ideas through music, as well as better understand composers and why they wrote what they did.

And Kate’s career goal? No surprises there. A concert pianist of course.

Ad Astra Volume 12 December 2014

29

Dancing the Summer Away!

By Kat Ritter ummer for me wasn’t like for most people at RIS from what I have heard. I didn’t go to Paris, Italy, or Rome; what I did was dance, dance and dance.

Ever since I started dancing at the age of three, dance had never been so intense for me. For the two months that we had off from school, I danced in two competitions; one in Thailand and another in Perth. Though these weren’t my first competitions, because I had also competed in America, Philippines, and Singapore, these two definitely were the hardest. I had spent five months preparing nine dances for these two competitions four of which were solos: jazz, tap, lyrical, and Indian and the remaining five were group dances: two lyrical, one modern, and two national.

S

The first competition took place in Thailand. The real shocker that took place here was my lyrical solo. Being the youngest in this category, I hadn’t expected much.

So when I received the first prize trophy, I was truly surprised. I felt that all of the hard work that I had put into the dance finally paid off. All of the long hours and harsh critiques were worth it because of my victory.

also happy because this was one of my favorite dances. I liked this dance because it always makes me appreciate Indian culture.

Overall the competitions were a great learning experience for me. Through these competitions, I learned what it felt like to win and how it felt like to not get anything. My tap solo in Perth didn’t place at all as well as my lyrical solo. I learned that sometimes people love what you have to offer, and sometimes they don’t like your choreography or your feeling. I really had fun competing in these countries, and I look forward to competing again soon.

The second competition that took place was in Perth.

The most surprising thing about this competition is that my Indian solo got second place. I hadn’t expected to get anything from this competition because I was competing against people that danced eight hours a day everyday of the week. Compared to them I was an amateur. So when I was awarded second place I was really happy. I was Ad Astra knows that Kat is definitely going places!

30

Ad Astra Volume 12 December 2014

T

his semester’s coffee shop show, titled “Electronic Music Unplugged,” took place during the week of November 10th in Cocotte Cafe. Vocal Technique students selected electronic and techno music and unplugged it, singing with acoustic guitarists, and in some cases a violinist! A Vocal Technique tradition for the past five semesters, the high school guitar class was included in this event for the first time. The shows featured 15 singers and 16 guitarists and was a great success.

Ad Astra Volume 12 December 2014

31

FULL OF DRAMA!

By Shorna Shand MS & HS Drama Teacher and Head of Performing Arts

O

n Thursday, November 13, all High School and Middle School Drama and Theatre Technology students joined together for another moment of celebration, this semester’s Drama Day. From MS, HS Drama and IB Theatre, different styles were explored including Melodrama, Physical Theatre and Comedy.

The morning’s rehearsals gave all Drama students a sneak peak into what each class had been preparing for the afternoon of eight performances. From romance, to climate change, heartbreak and lots of peculiar creatures, the

32

Ad Astra Volume 12 December 2014

Performing Arts Centre was full of support for the actors and student technicians.

Ms.Shorna sends a thank you to the audience; peers, family, friends and staff who came and a special thank you to Mr Eric, Ms. Sara, Ms. Gretchen, Ms. Chompooh, Ms. April, RIS Technical Staff and RIS Maintenance for their support throughout the process. And finally, congratulations to the following students for bringing their characters to life through creativity, confidence and collaboration! See you all next semester!!!

MS DRAMA Where is the Moon?

Kate Carter, Wattanaporn (Nook) Kongcokegruad, Donchada (Kwang) Kunthamas, Tanatcha (Ink) Mitkasem, Kullaya (Amy) Petprao, Chanapat (Bam) Phootip, SantSumetpong, PhuwinTangsakyuen, Nattamon (TaTa) Tokaeo

Are You New Here?

Podcharaphon (Alex) Anthony, Sukitta (SaengProh) Bhumapanich, Gunjeera (Famous) Chinpeerasatian, Pornpitra (Poupee) Laosirihongthong, Pachara (Simon) Niamloy, Phuwadej (Ong) Phetplai, Nasila (Zigma) Pichetnawin, Adina PutriPurnama, Sirapassorn (Nina) Sirichantaropas, Rawkeen (Keen) Waenalai

Bomber Command Shuma Hirata, Chun-Yi (Tony) Hou, ZeevPremer

The Jabberwocky PawanAgrawal, Thet Mon (Ping Ping) Aung, Scott Kemp, Hanna Marcella Kurniawan, Seamus Patrick Maher Ad Astra Volume 12 December 2014

33

34

Ad Astra Volume 12 December 2014

HS DRAMA Climate Man NamanKedia, Napat (Maek) Kongsawad, Pusint (Poom) Liamtrakoolpanich, Jiani (Vicki) Liu, Chamadorn (Alex) Madritsch,,Wannaporn (Aui) Pornngarm, Prim Poshyanonda, Patsorn (Pat) Sapsuwan, Kanokpon (Lena) Tanthiptham, Wimuttidej (Tri) Worachat

Star Tracks Anmol Bhatia, Hannah Faith (Hannah) Diopenes, Dianne Fahey, Sasipa (May) Jaruchanapongtorn, Natalie Jojo, RoopeshKrishnamoorthy, Chaniya (Nam Fon) Miller, Phunyawaj (Tarm) Niamtan, SureenaSachdev, Veechayut (Build) Sakulthamrak, Siyaporn (Shasha) Saosaovaphak, Roli Sharma, Sirinya (Pukpik) Somkaew, Kristapas (Ome) Supanpongs, Peeranat (ToTo) Tokaeo, Patranid (Alex) Treepongkaruna, Thachalin (Pear) Yip

The Music Box Tayida Tania (Tanya) Landolt, Piyathida (Rose Mary) Marcar, Poombordin (Pete) Thaitongsuk, Chawintorn (Cheetah) Tiratananan, Melanie Jarnson, Annisa Shana (Shana) Purnama, Poomipat (Pat) Thaitongsuk, PunPun

Know Your Place Annisa Shana (Shana) Purnama - Advanced Drama & IB

STUDENT TECHNICIANS Chanata (Im) Chaivaivid, , Bleu Dorji, Kittiphot (Big) Piriyathananukul, Joshua Chidchanok (Josh) Podlas, Sumalee (Pang) Sanitsom, Wuttipatra (Pao-Pao) Tankongchamruskul, Udomsilp, Sutatta (Punpun)

Ad Astra Volume 12 December 2014

35

O

n Tuesday, November 25th, the Middle School and High School choral students took part in two very creative performances in the PAC. The fall semester choir concert, “Creations,” included over 100 performers, featuring the advanced drama class, HS dance club and ES EDP dancers.

Preparations for the event began at the start of the semester, however the opening and closing numbers were rehearsed at choir camp in NakornNayok from November 14th – 16th. The concert included 13 songs, 11 of which were arranged or composed by Ms. Cat and the singers.

36

Ad Astra Volume 12 December 2014

Ad Astra Volume 12 December 2014

37

By Gerry Steiert hat better way to celebrate Season 1 and to pay tribute to athletes than with all sections present at another wonderfully led student Spirit Assembly in multi-purpose Godbout Hall. Wednesday, November 5, 2014, was also a day to honor RIS coaches hired to provide our athletes with the best sporting experience possible.

W

SEASAC

Volleyball – Boys Champions; Girls Bronze Division 2 Football – Boys & Girls Bronze Golf – Champions! Boys: Game, Now, Jom and Fourth & Girls: Jess and Beam. This year the tournament was hosted by Tanglin Trust School in Singapore Nov 1317. RIS Phoenix Golf team along with four parent supporters landed in Singapore then went on to Bintan The musically talented RIS sister act, Baipor & Fasai Island, Indonesia where the Championship was held.

Phuathavornskul, opened the Sports Recognition Assembly with a beautiful rendition of the Royal Asian Beach Games 2014 Anthem on cello and violin in front of the approximately Techin Nakajima – National Champ! Wake boarding 1400 people gathered to celebrate the day. It was truly a treat to hear this talented duo and to see the assembly officially end with an outstanding performance by the Cheerleaders.

Although a day to honor all athletes and their coaches, we have chosen to make particular mention of our teams who finished in the Medal categories in their respective sports.

BISAC U17 Girls Volleyball Champions; U15 & U13 Girls Basketball both Silver; U19 Boys Volleyball Bronze 38

Ad Astra Volume 12 December 2014

Go Phoenix!

Ad Astra Volume 12 December 2014

39

Vertical Marathon 2014

By Ms. Shirley Gamble

O

n November 9, 2014, 119 students and faculty representing RIS participated in the annual Vertical Marathon sponsored by the Banyan Tree Bangkok Hotel. Both professional and amateur runners ran either as individuals or teams from the ground level parking lot up the 61 floors (1,093 steps) to the finishing point at Vertigo Restaurant where everyone received a medal for crossing the finish line.

This is the fifth year that RIS has come together to support the HIV Formula Feeding Fund organized by the Thai Red Cross under the patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Soamsawali, donating a total of 41,650 baht in registration fees. This was our most exciting year yet with our students claiming five different trophies :first place (Tar Ratanaruengjumrune at 0:08:05) and second place (Art Worrawattanapreecha at 0:08:28) in M 5-17 yrs old category; second place (Tiger Sangaphunchai& Eye Sirison at 0:09:14) and third place (KinlayDorji&LinneaAndersson at 0:09:31) in the couples category; and third place in the Team Relay category (SupatiSaicheua, Steven Min, Mac Borirakpanich& Tae Harnpakdee at 0:06:15).

Congratulations to all participants!

40

Ad Astra Volume 12 December 2014

RAH-RAH for Mr. Raha!!

R

aha Mortel, RIS High School PE Teacher, or better known as Mr. Raha is also Coach Raha to basketball fanatics and to Thailand’s professional Men’s National Basketball Team which competes at both the SEAGAMES and Asian games. Coach Raha contributed to the making of the history in Thailand basketball when the team won the championships at the ASEAN Basketball League for the very first time in 2011.

History recently repeated itself when Coach Raha once again brought home gold to Thailand at the ASEAN Basketball League Season 5 finals, where the Bangkok City team faced the Malaysia Dragons.

The ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) is a professional sports association dedicated to the advancement of basketball throughout the region. By providing a platform for high-level competition, the ABL strives to develop the sport in terms of quality of play and as a premier form of entertainment. The league is sanctioned by the Southeast Asia Basketball Association (SEABA) and International Basketball Federation Asia (FIBA Asia), which are both part of the International Basketball Federation.

RIS’ Mr. Raha is also the President of the International Basketball Association, a premiere men’s basketball league in Thailand. During basketball off-season, Mr. Raha and his family spend time with less fortunate children at the orphanage and schools for the deaf and blind in Thailand. There he finds his peace and quiet, sharing the blessings he has received during the basketball season. Aside from being the head coach for RIS Varsity U19 basketball, Mr. Raha also holds basketball camps at his Coach Raha Basketball Academy, where he has professional basketball players and coaches helping him to develop the future of Basketball in Thailand.

Ad Astra Volume 12 December 2014

41

IB ART Year 2 at St. Luke’s Gallery

C

ongratulations to all RIS IB Year 2 Art students and to their teachers, Ms. Cathy and Ms. Kay, on their outstanding Exhibition entitled “Rupture”. As well as the visual experience, a QR code reader code next to each piece enabled the viewer to hear an explanation of the work directly from the artist. Brilliant all around!

42

Ad Astra Volume 12 December 2014

ES (Pre K-Grade 2)

ES (Grade 3-5)

1st 2nd 3rd Consolation

1st 2nd 3rd Consolation (Team Effort)

Siraphop Pitpreecha (Pan 2-2) Dhruv Prabhu (Dhruv 2-2) Piangtur Thamrongnawasawat (Pim 2-3) Maera Singh (Maera 2-3) Risa Pienvichit (Lisa 2-3)

Manyasiri Chatbunwong (Pear 4-2) Hannah Julia Woodward (Hannah 5-1) Thanapat Yongvanich (Promp 3-3) Soham Katewale (Soham 5-3) Pawanrat Quangkananurug (Palmie 5-3) Purisha Kulworasreth (Risha 5-3) Alanah Mae Adney (Alanah Mae 5-3)

MS (Grade 6-8) 1st (Team)

Tarisa Chanpong (Kate 6) Chanapat Phootip (Bam 6) Wanfahsai Iadsadapatipat (J.J 6) Wechapraan Srimanus (Poon 6) 2nd Wilawan Poltanawasit (Singhru 8) 3rd (Team) Chanya Thanglerdsumpan (Grace 6) Kullaya Petprao (Amy 6) Kate Carter (Kate 6) Nattamon Tokaeo (Tata 6) Consolation Matchamon Pianapitham (Ton Nam 6)

Ad Astra Volume 12 December 2014

43

INTERNATIONAL FOOD FAIR

44

Ad Astra Volume 12 December 2014

T

his year’s International Food Fair held on a warm and sunny October 15th and hosted by our wonderful Parents Auxiliary is to be remembered, yet again, for its festive dress, fabulous food and engaging entertainment.

And then, of course, there was the food - table after table of delicious dishes from a sea of vendors. As well as on site sampling, faculty, staff and families could be seen leaving with bags of “take-away” delights for that evening’s dinner or dessert.

After ribbon cutting by Father Apisit, as part of the official opening, Grade 6 students Kullaya (Amy) Petprao, Nayada (Noon) Suongsarath, and Nett (Nett) Khemayodh performed three pieces of Thai classical music known in Thai as “Tee Khim” using Thai classical instruments.

Their performances included “Krai Rung” composed by His Majesty the King Bhumibol Adulyadej. It was a day of performance by singers, dancers, the HS and MS bands and even parents to the delight of the crowd of spectators.

The members of the PA thank all who made the fair the success it was. Special recognition goes out to all the RIS parents who contributed both time and resources to raise funds before and during this event. As in previous years, all funds raised from this spectacular day go toward supporting school and student activities throughout the year.

Ad Astra Volume 12 December 2014

45

RIS Gives with Heart, Head and Hands during Cancer Awareness Week

E

very year the Red Cross Club raises cancer awareness in the RIS community. This year, awareness was raised for leukemia, lung cancer and breast cancer during the week of November 17 20. In collaboration with the LEO Club, the Red Cross Club organized cancer-themed activities including a bake sale and a cancer-themed photo booth. Cancer awareness designed t-shirts, showing the “Believe, Fight, Conquer� quote (sending a supportive message of moral support to cancer patients), were also sold throughout the week. All proceeds were donated to the National Cancer Institution and the Queen Sirikit Breast Cancer Foundation.

One of the highlights of the week was the Give Hair, Give Care event that took place on November 20th, where 40 individuals from the Elementary, Middle school, and High school sections donated their hair for making wigs for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment.

Of the 40 donors, 16 of these ladies (young and old) had their hair cut in front of a live audience. It was fortunate that some teachers were willing to take time off from

46

Ad Astra Volume 12 December 2014

their instruction period, and bring their students to come watch the session. The crowd of students and teachers was a sign of great encouragement. This event was life changing, not only for the women who were willing to cut 10 inches of their hair, but also for the cancer patients who will be receiving the wigs made from our students’, teachers’, and staff’s hair.

Furthermore, each day of the week was a “dress up day” according to the color that represented the cancer of the day. Students, teachers, staff and parents participated actively by dressing up in the color of the day. A sea of orange (for leukemia awareness), white (for lung cancer awareness) and pink (for breast cancer awareness) was seen throughout the week.

Whether buying a t-shirt or donating hair, every gesture helped increase the level of cancer awareness among the RIS community. It is with hope that these small, yet meaningful contributions will benefit a greater cause and that is to provide moral support to cancer victims and to help advance the research in finding a cure for cancer. As author Dave Pelzer said, “You can be a victim of cancer, or a survivor of cancer. It’s a mindset.”

Written by: OlieRongwaree Edited by: Ms. Sabrena

Ad Astra Volume 12 December 2014

47

Ruamrudee “Thanks (For) Giving Fair”

By Ms. Shirley Gamble

O

n November 22, the Ruamrudee Thanks (For) Giving Fair was held at the Holy Redeemer Church, which is the historical founding place of the Redemptorist Fathers Foundation more than 65 years ago. This charitable event allowed the Foundation to present its works by various united and diverse services, and also provided an opportunity for fund-raising venues for the program.

Over 300,000 baht was raised that day and will be used to support the work of the Redemptorist mission and other foundations within such as: Human Development Foundation (Mercy Centre) Father Ray Foundation in Pattaya Sanelli House of Children with HIV in Nongkhai Mission with Hill Tribes in the North Ruamrudee International School Community Service Programs The fair featured enticing international cuisine; fun children’s games and prizes; an exclusive shopping arena; kid’s play zone; live band and other music; and spectacular performances by the Holy Redeemer Church community, Ruamrudee International School students and other invited guests.

A big thank you to the 8 high school clubs who volunteered to run all the games booths that day, the PA and Dr. Peter who donated all the prizes, and to all those who performed that day. Our students managed to raise 28,810 baht for charity and the Foundation then donated 16,000 baht back to our individual clubs’ projects.

48

Ad Astra Volume 12 December 2014

Smart Southern Teen English Camp 2014

By Ms. Shirley Gamble

O

n Saturday, October 18, RIS hosted 95 Muslim students from three provinces in the Deep South of Thailand (Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani). It was an opportunity for many of our grade 9 students who were studying a unit on our local Muslim community to volunteer for the day. The HS was able to raise enough money to sponsor 5,000 word ThaiEnglish Picture Dictionaries for each visitor. Eighteen freshmen and one senior (thank you Patty!) volunteered to assist with various fun activities such as Thai arts & crafts, English Games, and singing “It’s a Small World After All”.

During the October Break, nine of our IB Year 1 students volunteered an extra full four days at the old school campus to assist with the 95 visiting Muslim students who were attending their English Camp sponsored by Bangkok Post Foundation and SCG. Tiffany, Junmin, Jan, Tid, Chat, Army, Tyni, Chnon& HK diligently assisted the four instructors to arrange enjoyable, educational activities.

“Every student was optimistic and enthusiastic, which made it easier for us to collaborate with them. On the last day of the camp, we participated in these students’ graduation ceremony with delight”. - HK Ad Astra Volume 12 December 2014

49

A

d Astra recently had the pleasure of catching up with Prin, a RIS senior, who in collaboration with Mr. Lee, his Computer Programming teacher, created a mobile application to improve the lives of handicapped children and adults. We had a few questions about what he has been up to and how all this came about.

Can you explain the app and its purpose from the beginning?

I started this project in hopes of both raising awareness for and helping people with disabilities. Due to the portable nature of mobile phones, I decided to create a mobile application that is helpful to people with disabilities. The primary concept of this “1479 Hotline” mobile application is to provide useful information for disabled people in a fast and efficient manner.

In addition, the mobile application offers a fast way for people to connect to the 1479 hotline. The mobile application will always be free to serve disabled people.

50

Ad Astra Volume 12 December 2014

The mobile application, “1479 Hotline,” consists of four main tabs: news, media, services, and volunteer.

With the news tab, people can keep up with the latest news that is posted on the disabled people section on Father Ray Foundation’s 1479 website. The media tab contains YouTube videos for people with disabilities that are directly embedded into the mobile application so users do not have to leave the application to watch the videos. The services tab provides disabled people with information on various topics. Specifically, the tab will contain answers to frequently asked questions. As of now, the mobile application provides information on the rights of disabled people so that they will know the rights that are theirs to claim. The last tab, which is the volunteer tab, contains information for people who would like to volunteer at Father Ray Foundation. The volunteer tab also has a button for calling 1479. The call button makes it convenient for people with disabilities to call the hotline 1479. Although the mobile application is completely functional as of now, we will still constantly update the application as well as add more functions to the application in the future.

What gave you the idea?

As a Ruamrudee International School student, I feel very connected to and familiar with Father Ray Foundation and I have heard many things about people with disabilities. I have always known that people often neglect disabled people. For example, I often see people, who are not disabled, park their cars in the disabled people’s parking spaces. I strongly believe that disabled people should have the same rights as people who are not disabled. Therefore, I decided to create this “1479 Hotline” mobile application to raise awareness for people with disabilities and to provide useful information for disabled people.

What do you hope to be the results of your work?

I hope that disabled people will enjoy using the mobile application that Mr. Lee and I have made. I also hope that people will use the mobile application to improve their standard of living by accessing the news and information in the app. In addition, I hope that disabled people will see the app as another means of online communication or social networking.

Have you made any others apps?

Do you have any future apps in mind?

No, I have not made any mobile applications previously but I do want to create more applications in the future. I How long has it been in the making? would like to create a mobile application that can be used Mr. Lee and I started working on the project mid-June as an everyday medical examination tool. For instance, I of 2014. really want to work on a mobile application that allows users to measure their own degrees of nearsightedness What are difficulties you have encountered or farsightedness.

along the way?

What was the biggest challenge?

The biggest challenge for me was to learn how to code. I had to learn multiple computer programming languages such as Java and Objective-C. I used Java to create a mobile application for the Android platform and I used Objective-C to create a mobile application for the iOS platform. Apart from having to learn multiple computer programming languages, I also had to adapt to different software for programming. The interfaces of Xcode and Eclipse are entirely different.

I understand that your group went to Father Ray Foundation in Pattaya to present your app. What was that experience like for you?

I was actually pretty nervous while presenting my app.

But as soon as I started speaking, my anxiety and stage fright seemed to go away pretty quickly.

Mr. Lee, my younger brother, Fr. Peter Pattarapong Srivorakul, Fr. Dr. Michael Picharn Jaiseri, Fr. John Yuthana Sriprapha, and I, along with disabled people at Father Ray Foundation, attended the presentation.

The audience seemed to like the application a lot. I saw smiles on many faces and I even heard laughter when I accidentally pressed the wrong button on my phone while trying to return to the previous page of the app.

You obviously have an aptitude and a sincere interest in programming. What are your future educational plans and career goals?

I would like to major in computer science. Specifically, I want to specialize in software development and/or medical technology. As for career goals, my dream job is to work at Google, Buzzfeed, or work as a software programmer at a hospital. Ultimately, I want to have a job where I can improve people’s quality of life through the creation of software or applications.

Ad Astra would like to thank Prin and Mr. Lee for their compassionate concern for the lives of those around him. Not only did Prin devote his time and energy to this project, he used approximately 3000 Baht of his own funds to purchase the web domain as well as an equal amount to purchase a one-year license for Apple’s Xcode to program the iOS version of the app. He is a true reflection of Ruamrudee’s Essential Student Learner Outcomes of Head, Hands and Heart at work.

And by the way Prin, we think Google will be happy to have you!

More information on Prin’s presentation may be found at the following link. http://www.pattayapeople.com/ Community-News/AID-HOTLINE-FOR-DISABLEDPEOPLE_1511201402 Ad Astra Volume 12 December 2014

51

All For One: National Honor Society for the Good Shepherd’s Orphanage

By Sasinat Chindapol (Patty), Methira Saksiriwatedul (Meg) and Linnea Anderson n November 8th, a group of students from that involved movement and music to keep them Ruamrudee International School who were active. We played all sorts of games, such as charades, recently selected to be part of the National Bang!, musical chairs, and Mhon Son Pa, a traditional Honor Society met up and spent the day volunteering Thai classic. Our last activity was friendship bracelet at the Good Shepherd’s Orphanage in Din Daeng, making, which provided a perfect opportunity for Bangkok. The mission of the home is to “provide RIS students to socialize and strengthen friendships opportunities to women and young girls at risk in the with Good Shepherd’s girls. It was rewarding to community and to break out of the unending cycle of see everyone having a great time, sharing laughter poverty.” The home’s Sisters work towards building and smiles. The girls partook in every activity with compassionate and healing relationships integral to enthusiasm, ‘breaking the ice’ within the first few their mission. By nurturing the social and spiritual games. development of the women and girls, Good Shepherd’s orphanage is able to help establish their dignity and A couple of stories above the giggly bursts of joy self-sufficiency, which integrates them into the society from the younger girls, a large group of older girls sat, that has excluded them from its benefits. The students whispering to each other amidst the strange, new faces from RIS planned a lighthearted, exciting day that left of the RIS National Honor Society members. The the girls with enormous smiles and sopping clothes nervousness from both sides resonated throughout, after a thrilling water-balloon fight! but thankfully the abruptness of the introduction from the NHS members marked the end of the silence for NHS members were divided into two groups according the rest of our day. to age. For the younger girls we incorporated activities

O

52

Ad Astra Volume 12 December 2014

With some laughs here and there, our NHS activity leaders promptly took their positions and ran through the program we had planned. However, we weren’t just mechanically teaching the games and adhering to the time limit.

We found ourselves playing all the games with the girls, be it testing our reflexes with them in the game Bang!, playing the cops in Wink Murderer, running around in the game of Cutting the Landline or Duck, Duck, Goose, or even alleviating their outrageous enthusiasm in a charades competition.

Throughout the many years of visiting the orphanage, we have yet to see such a unique activity for the older girls as a self-defense lesson. Sai, a classmate, fellow senior and member of the NHS since sophomore year, took the initiative one step further by educating the girls about Aikido, a form of martial arts that uses an attacker’s force against him or her. Sai demonstrated various moves to free oneself from the grasp of another and the girls proved themselves to be quick learners.

Since this is an all-girls orphanage, it is of great importance to educate them to fend for themselves and to realize the strength they already possess, even though they may not recognize it yet.

fundraisers, and we also welcome donations from any generous souls who are willing to invest in these girls’ futures. To us, the bond between the NHS and the orphanage is one of a kind indeed.

There are many individuals to thank for this success, including our advisors and chaperones, the orphanage sisters and girls and the NHS members who contributed dearly to a short but memorable Saturday afternoon.

It did not merely decorate the girls’ day with a little entertainment, but brought out the inner child in us all. It made us realize that we are all young at heart and, as long as the fires of passion are still burning for us, we will continue to carry the spirits of leadership, It might sound like things went smoothly, but we character, service, and scholarship to our communities must also commend our leaders for their outstanding and beyond. improvisation skills because things did not. With time constraints upon us, some activities had to be replaced, but we did not freeze in confusion. Instead, we sang, danced, and invented more activities until it was time to reunite with the rest of the girls and the NHS team.

NHS: Scholarship Initiative

After a brief water balloon fight and the group picture, along with exchanges of thank you and see-you-again, the NHS members and the girls parted ways. However, this is only temporary as the NHS is currently planning more exchanges and visits. It is also implementing a scholarship fundraising plan in order to financially support members of this orphanage through postsecondary education. To carry out this initiative, the NHS has already organized a successful bake sale alongside its annual book sale. We are, however, a long way from our goal. We look to organize more

To date, the NHS has raised approx. 50,000B over 1.5 years. Their goal is to support between 1-3 girls who choose to pursue post secondary education; however, the number of girls they support will depend on funds raised. If you are interested in helping the NHS reach their goal, please contact Ms. Nicole Sabet of the High School Section for details.

Ad Astra Volume 12 December 2014

53

Mama Two

Being a Mother to 32 Teens

I

n two short years Laura Axtell has filled Seelos Hall, The Residence@ RIS, In the process, by encouraging enrolment of students from unrepresented and underrepresented nations, Ms. Laura has fostered inter-culturalism and has helped RIS to remain true to our vision of global citizenship and to our branding as an international school. Ad Astra caught up with Laura and is honored to have her in an edition that highlights the spirit of giving.

founded in 1957, it did not have a boarding program.

Three years ago, we developed The Residence so that international students could live on campus while attending RIS.

3. What are the key skills and responsibilities of this role?

I think that there are two sets of skills and responsibilities.

The first and most important is that of a parent. I am 1. What is your nationality and responsible for the safety and security of 32 teenagers background? as well as their emotional wellbeing. The second set of skills is that of a teacher: assisting students I’m an American who has lived in Bangkok for three with homework, developing life skills, applying for years. My first career was as a social worker and I university, and everything in between. transitioned to education after working with teenagers. I served as a teacher and Principal in a high school while 4. How did you get involved in your profession? obtaining a second Master’s degree in counseling. I also owned an assessment and tutoring center for six years. I have been working in schools and programs for I worked as a camp counsellor for 5 years during college and knew that I loved working with young people. I adolescents for almost 25 years. was also a foster parent for two girls who are now in 2. What is your current role at RIS? their thirties. In my role as an administrator with youth programs, I gained experience in residential programs.

I am currently the Resident Coordinator. Although RIS My role at RIS combines all of my experiences as is the second oldest international school in Bangkok, mother, teacher and counsellor.

54

Ad Astra Volume 12 December 2014

5. How does your role enhance the wellbeing or experience of children?

My nickname is “Mama Two” because I am the students’ guardian while they are away from home.

I would like to think that everything we do at The Residence enhances our students’ lives. We have the very important role of assisting with physical, social, academic, and emotional development during a critical time period. It is essential to listen to students and help them to find their way to a balanced and meaningful life.

6. What challenges do your face in this role?

Young adults have a lot going on in their lives and it is challenging to make sure that every student gets what they need. I think the greatest challenge is finding enough time to accommodate everyone’s requests and still have time for fun. My role is 24 hours a day, just like a parent, so when a child is not feeling well or is upset about something I, along with my team, are there to help.

7. What do you hope to achieve within your industry?

I think that most teachers and counsellors want to provide the most positive experiences for students as they grow up. I hope to achieve a very successful and sustainable program that will serve as a model for boarding at international schools.

8. Who or what inspires you?

My mom has always been my biggest inspiration; my work ethic and capacity for nurturing comes from her. I am also inspired by the hundreds of young adults who I have been fortunate to work with over the years.

9. Only a Bangkok local would know …

I love all the restaurants along Sukumvit Soi 11 and the Alley. There is everything from an American diner to Australian, Irish, Italian. There is also a Peruvian sky bar at Above 11 which offers a great view.

Ad Astra Volume 12 December 2014

55

A Principal’s Gratitude - Antonia Bousch

F

or the many of our ES faculty fortunate to attend the Earcos Foundations in Math Workshop held at RIS November 15-16, 2014, we were inspired to think about math deeply and mindfully for the benefit of the beautiful young minds that we encounter everyday.

Sara Garrett, a skilled RIS practitioner and presenter, shared her wealth of pedagogical knowledge with us in an engaging and thought provoking presentation.

As a principal of 17 years, it is moments like these that I realize I am working with an amazing educator. I marvel at the preparation, content, delivery and passion that went into this workshop, and that she shares both her knowledge and love of teaching with others in an authentic and selfless act fills me with gratitudegratitude that fills my heart and gratitude that nourishes real self-growth and expansion.

“This is one of the very best workshops that I have been to in a long time. I was happy to have an actual classroom teacher present. The immediate connection to actual lives of kids matters a lot.”

Sarah’s skill as a presenter and her deep content knowledge of math did not go unnoticed by those in attendance from Malaysia, China, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam. Participants embraced her wholeheartedly and here is what some of them had to say:

“Sara’s presentation was engaging and a lovely refresher that learning is never ending as an educator. I was inspired to reflect on the way I teach math to young children.”

“The workshop was relevant, organized and well done!”

What a gift we have right here at RIS. 56

Ad Astra Volume 12 December 2014

M

s. Hyesun and her Stage Wind Ensemble and Chamber Orchestra and Dr. Kim and her Jazz band rang in December in style. Many thanks to our talented faculty members and our students for their seasonal serenades!

Ad Astra Volume 12 December 2014

57

PHOTO of the Day RIS: Photo of the Day: 10/11/2014 -LITERACY and SERVICE LEARNING ALL AROUND!! As students from Religion 10 finished their study on Parables, they were given the opportunity to share the wonderful parables they created with Ms. Sara’s first grade students. These parables, as well as other children’s books created by our Values 9 students and by inmates being taught English by RIS Faculty and Staff at MRI, will be donated during Christmas to the village children in Chiang Mai. Promoting literacy and service learning at RIS is the name of the game!!

RIS: Photo of the Day: 06/10/2014 -A shout out to our Middle School Council officers and their advisors who had a great time over the weekend at the Camillion Home to support children with disabilities. RIS had a booth where the MS students offered free tattoos and also where the participants could learn to make their own Loom band and decorate a cupcake. Great Sunday supporting a great cause RIS! MSC you rock!!!

RIS: Photo of the Day: 09/10/2014 -Students in PS are learning about buildings and all the people involved in the construction of them. Here you see our PS-ers hard at “work” using their safety equipment and building their own structures.

58

Ad Astra Volume 12 December 2014

PHOTO of the Day RIS: Photo of the Day: 11/12/2014 -Nearly 6 decades ago RIS was founded by Redemptorist Fathers. Our Catholic roots remain in lessons and celebrations while we encourage the diverse beliefs of our entire community.

In celebration of the season of Advent, RIS’s Catholic students celebrated Christmas Mass today in our St. Thomas Church with Fathers Travis and Yuthana whose hopes are to bring the spirit of Christmas to the children and for them to prepare well for the season.