PuBLICATION INFORMATION: 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. 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
4 Message from the School Chaplain 31 Museum Siam - Thai 10 Father Leo Travis 5 Letter from the Editor Sudha Maroli 6 Our Special Counselor Antonia Boush 7 Mentorship Crystal Connors 8 Small Moment Narratives: The Blue Sky Resort in Koa Kau Chane (Mr. John’s class) Riding a two wheel bike Nikki (Ms. Supen’s class) The Strange Restaurant and the Creepy Night Miles (Ms. Lisa’s class) 10 ES Science Show Case 2015 12 Pre-K GAMES DAY 13 ES GAMES DAY 14 Dr. Seuss Week 15 MS Summer School Descriptions 16 WaiKhru- A Special Day for Teachers and Students Alike! 18 Our German Exchange 20 MS Knowledge Bowl 22 MS Religion Retreat 2015 Denk, Athaphon Michael (Sani), Grade 8th 24 MS GAMES DAY 25 All Business in the Eighth Grade Anirudh Narula (Ani) 26 The World Scholar’s Cup 27 Juniors, you need to do the SAT! 28 Students Enjoyed Japanese New Year!! 30 HS Spirit Week
Historical Field Trip Anirudh Narula (Ani) 32 HS Knowledge Bowl 34 Cross Section Principal Portraits Kay Rambaud 35 IB Visual Arts – Year 1 Kelly Hou 36 42nd Street Shorna Shand 40 Chinese New Year Celebration 41 First RIS Language Trip to Spain 42 RIS Athletics Season 2 Gerry Steiert 44 Elementary Students Doing Good Together: Service Projects Sr. Mary Rose and Ms. Emily Adams, ES teachers 45 My Reflection on Service Learning Passara (Ink) Chanchotisatien, Grade 5-2 47 English Lessons for Thai Staff: Easing Communication with Foreign Teachers and Students Emily Adams, ES Art Teacher 48 Red Cross Internships 50 Congratulations to RIS teacher Richard Moore, recently published in the EARCOS Journal! Richard Moore 52 PHOTO of the Day 56 ES Summer School Descriptions
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RIS Develops Global Citizens
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D ASTRA comes to you today while the Christian World is preparing to celebrate the Feast of Easter. We begin this preparation for Easter with a spirit of personal moderation and emphasis of prayer. And then, when Easter arrives, we celebrate! We take a School holiday at this time to give our families the opportunity to celebrate the Risen Christ if they wish. There is a special meaning in this Easter Feast for Christians. Our Christian faith is that Jesus, after dying on the Cross on Good Friday, rose from death, fully alive and active on Easter Sunday morning. This is the Christian joy of Easter! This Christian joy and happiness is certainly deep in the tradition of RIS also. Ruamrudee International School is recognized to be rather special in some ways. Parents remark that their children seem to be happier with a spirit of confidence in themselves, more talkative and more cooperative in the family. Many of our students are outstanding in this area of human development! Parents also notice that their child is more self-confident with a maturity that is not selfish, but very wholesome. We rejoice that this is happening among our students! RIS intends to prepare children to be Global Citizens from an early age. This is one of the RIS Goals for our students. And again, we rejoice to see it happening.
Parents of all Faiths recognize that our school gives a special opportunity to their children. There is true reason for this recognition, for along with challenging courses of study, RIS has human dignity courses of Values and Religion for every student from youth to graduation.Catholic parents are thankful that their children study and participate in Catholic Faith while at RIS. Values classes that are respectful to all Faiths also are scheduled for all students of other Faiths. These courses are available at RIS from elementary to graduation. Ruamrudee International School pays very special attention to the Religion and Values courses for each student, recognizing the need of these courses that promote an understanding and appreciation of human dignity. These considerations are especially important for true maturity in life, and they also create a spirit of happiness and joy among our students. It is a goal of Ruamrudee International School to challenge our students and personnel to pursue personal excellence of intellect and moral conduct. It is our prayer that RIS inspires our students to be responsible global citizens, living and sharing in happiness and joy, professing truth, justice and peace. I pray each morning at the School Assembly that these treasures are also promoted by our spirit of Union of Hearts through Caring. God bless you.
Father Leo Travis, C.Ss.R. School Chaplain
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Best wishes,
Respectfully,
Sudha Maroli Deputy Head of School
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Our Special Counselor!
By Ms. Toni ial things The following are highlights of the spec to that Ms. Crystal has brought forward thise year make our ES Section an even better plac for our students. me She has helped us implement and tonselbeco Frog or Cou our is o acquainted with Kelso. Kels d choices that helps us all remember to make gooothe s. while playing on the playground and in es.r area Ask your children about Kelso Strategi They should be able to give you a response! ram Ms. Crystal has also started a mentorinseg prog students with some high school students. The on, to be icati mun com are helping our students with and ol scho with focused and to make connections friendships. stal is The Zen Den is a concept that Ms. forCrystud ents e developing which provides a calm spac It is a plac to come and have a moment to be quiet. e and chaoes for students to take time out from the nois break. of the playground during milk and lunch
s I watch Ms. Crystal working with studentsallyin, a small group, in a whole class or individu om I marvel at her professionalism, and heronwisd y and competence in dealing with students healman is levels. Her understanding of mentalents tothhelp impressive. She is able to work with stud tively to them both understand and to respond posi king the challenges of elementary school and toerwor is with their peers. She is a proactive lead towho assist helping us deliver a program and servicesemotion or Council is working with the Pre-K Juni The al and al soci both eve achi to ents our stud ents in developing strategies on how to play successes in school. I am grateful for her work here stud together nicely. at the ES.
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this unique relationship we hope to inspire and to connect students. Other important goals are to help the younger kids learn to play and to share with the older elementary students. And for the older elementary students, my hope is that they see something extraordinary about themselves.
Mentorship By Crystal Connors
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prah Winfery once said that a mentor allows one to see the hope they have inside of themselves. This quote resonates with me in my daily practice as school counselor. I immediately feel a deep sense of gratitude for the many teachers in my life that helped me to be the person that I am proud to be.
In addition to the playground connections through play, some very unique relationships are being developed with five of our students. Two high school students and three of our elementary students are engaged in peer mentoring through positive connections with the one and only goal to inspire hope in each of these students for a better today and a more beautiful tomorrow. “Mentoring is the cultivation of young adults, the tender caring for and nurturing of them so that they will grow, flourish, and be fruitful.� - Jeff Myers, Cultivate: Forming the Emerging Generation through Life-on-Life Mentoring
In my sixteenth year as an educator, I have not found a more remarkable group of children than the children of Ruamrudee. Our children are so well rounded, brilliant in mind and spirit and have a variety of interests that continue to make them shine. As a school community we are so very lucky that all of our students share the campus. There are many remarkable people in such a small space! Reflecting on the greatness of our students has inspired me to build mentoring relationships among the various ages of our students. In my previous work as a counselor, I ran mentor programs through my elementary with the local high school. When I came to RIS, I was surprised to learn that there was not such a program considering the excellent pool of students to choose from. So this semester, I launched two very different mentoring type programs here at the Elementary. The first is with our very own in house, Junior Council students and our Pre-Kindergarten students. Each day, three to four Junior Council students leave class ten minutes early to eat lunch and meet the young kids on the playground. Through Ad Astra Volume 13 March 2015
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Small Moment Narratives Lessons from the Masters
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he second grade just finished a unit on writing personal narratives about a small moment in their lives that they really remembered and could tell others about. The moment was to be something that was remembered because of an emotion it evoked. Over the course of the unit, we studied two master authors and their writing craft moves to help us stretch our stories with more attention to detail. We also worked on creating powerful beginnings to bring our readers in and concluding with satisfying endings. The two authors we studied were Jane Yolen and her book Owl Moon and
Angela Johnson and her book The Leaving Morning. We discussed what writing moves we could learn from these authors and how they went about crafting their stories. We learned to name what an author sees, hears, and feels, make comparisons, use actions and images that show how a character hopes for something, and to stretch the story out so that the big thing doesn’t happen right away. The stories you are about to read are samples of our end results. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do.
The Blue Sky Resort in Koa Kau By Chane (Mr.John’s class)
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he hotel that my family stayed in is the Blue Sky Resort in Koa Kau. One part that was very, very, very interesting was that the closet went through to the bathroom! Isn’t that funny? I heard a medium noise when I was playing with my Ipad on the balcony. It was the machine factory under the floor. When it made a noise it made my body bounce. Later I found out it was a washing machine. The noise was so loud it made it difficult to hear my Ipad. The noise kept going away and then coming back! Chon and I were getting ready for bed. After that we argued about who would sleep on the sofa or on the floor. I got to sleep on the sofa first. In the morning, I went out on the balcony and saw a desert full of fog. I could feel the cold on my body. ate fried eggs, sausage, rainbow ice-cream and drank It made me shiver and shake. Soon, the sun came orange juice. That breakfast was delicious and made out and the temperature began to rise. At breakfast, I me smile!
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Riding a two wheel bike By Nikki (Ms. Supen’s class)
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hen I rode a two wheel bike for the first time, I fell down many times. It was like a thousand planes falling down from the sky. I hurt so much. I felt like I fell down a hill and landed on a hard rock. I had many wounds! In the end, I was not able to ride it. I felt hopeless and unhappy. I was still eager to keep trying. I was mad too so I kicked my bike. But I was still eager to keep trying to ride my bike until I knew how to balance myself. Now I can zoom easily on my two wheel bike.
The Strange Restaurant and the Creepy Night By Miles (Ms. Lisa’s class)
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ne creepy night, I went to a restaurant called Amp. I stepped inside. Inside, there were posters of skeletons. “This is scary,” I complained. “We’ll sit where we can’t see the skeletons,” my mom said. Near our booth, there was a rise that was a horse. I jumped off the seat of the booth and sat on it. It rocked. It wobbled. I decided to get off. The only thing I like about Amp is that they have awesome TV shows. The TV shows they have are either about a car or a motorcycle. It was far too noisy to read my book. I tried reading it, but I always ended up thinking “hey! What happened on that page?” Again, there was too much noise. I tried watching TV. But still, after some people left, I couldn’t concentrate. My dad paid the bill, and we left. That night, I lay in bed. The attic creaked above me. “Is there someone above me?” I thought. I would not dare to say a word. I was far too scared to do that. My light was so dim, it felt like it was pitch black. I wished the balcony’s light was on, just to make it a little brighter, because it was dark as a bat’s cave. I wished it was as bright as the surface of the sun. I shuddered. Then I covered myself with the blanket and went to sleep. Not for long, I woke when
my clock started making funny noises. Eventually, the clock did stop and I tried to fall asleep. After what seemed an hour but was only 5 minutes I was asleep… And before long it was morning. The End Ad Astra Volume 13 March 2015
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ES Science Show Case 2015
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he ES Science Showcase was held in Godbout Hall on Friday, February 27, 2015. It was an opportunity for elementary students to share their science work with an audience beyond the classroom. One highlight was young scientists sharing their thoughts about “Why science excites me”, “How does science make me smarter?” and “How do I use science in my everyday life?” Another crowd pleaser was Mr. John’s demonstration about making elephant toothpaste. The Science Showcase was a wonderful event that stimulated many a science conversation amongst the students and their guests. A special thanks and kudos to Dr. Jeff, and the Science Department and Ms. Jiab for the spectacular display of science learning to a packed Godbout Hall. The student effort in preparation and their excitement to share their experiments and knowledge was impressive indeed.
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Pre-K GAMES DAY
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ES GAMES DAY
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Dr. Seuss Week
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WaiKhru- A Special Day for Teachers and Students Alike!
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his was the day that meant so much to every teacher, especially in Thailand. Wan WaiKru, Teacher Appreciation Day, originated in Thailand, and is where everyone gives teachers flower garlands as an appreciation for all the time they used to teach us. Teachers are what Thai people call “Prakun Tee Sarm”, which means the third most important person in our life. Teachers are the ones who teach us, give us knowledge, and open a path to a bright future. Teacher Appreciation Day 2015, was celebrated at RIS Middle School during the morning assembly. Each of us stood in line, waited to hand our fresh garlands to our special homeroom teachers. On the stage would be the Fathers, administrators, and other important members of RIS. (Grace: 6-4)
is considered important in Thai culture. Teachers are considered as one of our parents and, with that, we love and care for them as much as we do to our real parents. The pathway our teachers lead us on is guaranteed to end in a successful destination, with the trail full of knowledge, passion, and hope. (TaTa: 6-4)
Teacher Appreciation Day is one of the most magical times of the year when we thank our teachers for their benevolence among us and their teachings that have lead us to success in life. Their teachings are so precious and we appreciate that. But we never thank them for their time and their kind hearts toward us. I’m sure at the bottom of everybody’s heart we want to say thank you or that you are my hero but some of us are shy and some don’t have time. So on this day we kneel down before Teacher Appreciation Day is an our teachers and thank them for all opportunity when students can of their hard work. show their gratitude and express (Eve: 7-5) our apologies towards our teachers on this very special day. Here, in Teachers are like our second this beautiful country, this event parents. Yet, we don’t have time to 16
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tell them that, but we can show it to them. On Teacher Appreciation Day, we had the chance to show them that we really appreciate what they are doing for us. We gave them flowers to show respect, and their smiles showed that they forgave us or they appreciate us for what we’d done. When we are down, and our heart feels nothing but sorrow, teachers help us, they understand us. Kneeing in front of them and watching their smiles grow wider is one of the happiest moments. When I gave the teachers flowers, I walked away with a smile on my face and knew that I had shown respect to the teacher. I would like to say that we are the happiest people in the world to get educated by you, but a student remains a student, and a teacher will always remain a teacher. (Opal: 7-3) Teacher Appreciation Day is a ceremony that the Thais have continued for generations. It is a special day to respect teachers that have taught us for a long period of time. According to the Thais, teachers are like our 2nd parents.
Some people ask why teachers are special. In my opinion, I think that teachers are special because they sacrifice their time and knowledge for us. Some of you may find teachers strict but actually there is more than what you think. Teachers want you to be able to spread your own wings and fly high up in the sky. In other words, they want you to have a great future and to be able to handle everything on your own. They want you to be in a great society and be a valuable person to others. This year, we have done simple things to respect our teachers by giving them flower garlands. But even though this ceremony isn’t the best one in the whole history, I am glad that I’ve shown some respect to my teachers. I want the teachers to know that we respect them and appreciate their sacrifice. Teachers, thank you for helping us find our own ways to a bright light that is waiting for us in the future. (Pim: 7-2) Teachers are important to us and to our education. No matter how harsh or strict they may seem, our teachers have continued to teach us. Like sunlight to a plant, teachers are essential if our knowledge is to grow. Teacher Appreciation Day is an important ceremony that tells our teachers that we appreciate them and what they do for us. Every year, the school organizes a teacher’s day and we give them flowers but this year, although we did the same little things as last year, I feel that my fellow students really appreciated their teachers and that really made the ceremony feel as well as look more symbolic. I think that this little ceremony will stay in their memories for a little long time. (Pat:7-2)
What’s teacher’s day? Why is it so important? Those are some of the common questions you may had heard, and a few common answers would be because teachers give us knowledge and we’re doing this and celebrating just in return for all that they’ve done, but is this enough after all they had done for us? Does it only have to be that one day that you show respect, say thank you or even say sorry to the teachers? If that is the purpose of celebrating, Teacher Day should be celebrated every single day. Even though we don’t show or say those things from our hearts everyday, we do feel it, but it’s just a chance to say it on Teacher Day. For me, the whole purpose of celebrating Teacher Day is to let them know that they’re special; we want to thank them for not just only giving us knowledge, but loving. If we go back to think about all the times that we did something wrong to them, it may be hard to forgive because we had made the same mistakes several times, but the teachers forgive us because they understand. There are a million words we want to express to the teachers so that’s why we take the chance to say it on this day. It might even be something we can’t explain. People often say teachers are our second parents which makes us feel like school is our second home, but no, they’re not just our second parents. They mean so much more than that for all of us, students, no matter if it’s the forgiver, friend, adviser, but if we’re only allowed
to use one word, I would use the “giver”. They give us and help lead us to a brighter path, a brighter future. A million thank you’s and sorry’s wouldn’t be enough after all the things they have done, making us who we are today and in the future. (Bouquet:7-3) Teacher Appreciation Day is one of the important traditional ceremonies in Thailand. It is the best day for all the teachers because they know how much we, the students, do appreciate them. Teachers not only give as education but they also give us advice and gladly help us with anything we need help with. We give flower garlands to teachers to show how much we respect them. Many teachers love that in Thailand we celebrate Teacher Day because not many countries do that. In Thailand we treat teachers as our second mother or father. This is the last year for all the 8th graders, which means we won’t be seeing any middle school teachers that taught us and I’m grateful to have all of them as my teachers. I am very glad that we celebrate Teacher Day at RIS because I get to see all teachers smiling and that makes me happy with all my heart. (Asma:8-2) Ad Astra Volume 13 March 2015
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Our German Exchange This February marked the welcoming of our German “brothers” through our Exchange Program with Collegium Josephinum Bonn, affectionately known as “CoJoBo”.
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oJoBo is an all boys Redemptorist School located in Bonn, Germany. Since the first exchange in 2012, Ms. Laura and Ms. ZM have coordinated this 8th grade program which matches 8 CoJoBo students with our very own families here at RIS. Then, in June, we bring our 8th grade students to stay with their German families in Bonn. Students on the exchange attend school and travel to learn about the culture and traditions of the visiting country. This year students came in February, just in time for Chinese New Year! From family dinners to group trips, here are our RIS host students’ favorite memories...
“This German Exchange was a great experience and I really enjoyed it. It gave me the opportunity to have new friends from another country. All the German kids were friendly and kind. We had lots of fun together. My favorite moments were when we went to the water park at Pattaya and when we went to the shopping centers.” (Passavudh Sabpisal 8-4) “To have new members of your family for two weeks meant a lot to me. Not only did we become friends but also family. I found it beautiful that two cultures from two different continents were living in the same house sharing the same experiences. Thank you for the opportunity to share wonderful moments together!” (Punnawat Vitoorapakorn 8-6) “This program gave me an opportunity to get to know new people and share happiness with them. We shared great memories and parted ways not just as friends, we are family. My best memory with Hendrik, my German brother, was hanging out at home playing Fifa 15 on PS4. We both love it!” (Mick unakul, 8-3)
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“I learned that there are a lot of things that we have in common and a lot of things that are different that I would not have known about before. They are all very friendly and have great manners. There were some difficulties in preparing food for them because they couldn’t eat spicy things! Still, they never had anything left on their plates. We had such a great time together. Our friendship will “The German exchange program was an amazing never end, even though we are far apart.” (Sirirat (PaoPao) Mateekusontan 8-2) experience that took place over 2 weeks. During the 2 weeks, we became close friends and shared our cultures and traditions. My best memory together was visiting “It was a nice change, even if it was for a just a few the Cartoon Network Waterpark in Pattaya and going days in a week. I had someone new to hang out with and to Paragon together. I am looking forward to being talk to. We definitely had fun! There were many new reunited with the Germans again, and can’t wait to visit things that I would never have been able to try out if they weren’t here! I really enjoyed hosting the German them in Germany very soon! “ (Krittanat Archjananun (Mek) 8-4) students and having fun with both RIS and CoJoBo! I’m looking forward to June so I can see everyone again!!!” (PichayaphaSabpisal (Amy) 8-3) “I really enjoyed having the Germans here. It was a great experience for all of us to be able to host them. At first, I felt really awkward when I met them, I didn’t really know what to talk to them about. But as time passed we became better friends and knew a lot more about each other. We were able to exchange our culture and traditions. For me the best memories were when we took the Germans to Siam Paragon, when we went to the Cartoon Network Water park, and when I took Quint (my German student) to celebrate Chinese New Year with my whole family. I look forward to meeting our German brothers again in July when we travel to Germany.” (Punthutchat Pawataungsunit (Angje) 8-7) “We had an amazing time together. During the two weeks, the Germans were like members of my family. We did lots of things together and we exchanged our ideas. It was really nice and fun having them in our house. I’m looking forward to meeting them again!” (Sirilak (PaePae) Mateekusontan 8-1)
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MS Knowledge Bowl
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MS Religion Retreat 2015 By Denk, Athaphon Michael (Sani), Grade 8th Throughout the trip I learned many things, about how to get closer to god, knowing that you need to let go of some things (like homework) to get closer to god and to knowing your inner self. I also learned that when we are in a group we need to always help each other and to work as a team, even though ii might be embarrassing we still need to fight through.
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he beginning of the trip was amazing because the bus kept breaking down but it was finally replaced with a better one (VIP). When we arrived at the “Green Corner” we were greeted by Ms. Danny who was wonderful. We went to our room, unpacked our bags, and got changed. I was in my basketball shirt because I didn’t have anything warm with me. When the whistle blew from Sr. Minhtuyet, we made our way to the meeting point. We were then told NOT to do our homework, so we didn’t. Our first team building activity was called “lean on me”, which required us to get in a circle, as tight as possible to each other, and then try to sit on each other without falling to the ground. After playing the “lean on me” game, we were assigned to our ‘family unit’. A family unit was where we spent the day and the evening together. The people in my family unit were: Sr. Theresa, Jett, FayFay, Cat, and Scott. We did many activities together and even did a role play. We then had dinner followed by a nice
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30 minute break before getting back on the bus to head over to the bonfire. At the bonfire, we had some marshmallows which I ended up stepping on. At the end of the first day, I had some time to relax and to listen to music before heading to bed at 00:00 feeling a little sick.
On the second day I woke up with Jumbo at 5:30AM but it was still too dark, so we went back to sleep and woke up an hour later and went for a run. People slowly woke up around 7:00AM and joined us running. At 7:50AM we had our standard breakfast of sausages with egg and bread. After breakfast we had the God and I (Trust Walk) activity and the Olympic games ran from started 12:10 PM until 1:00PM. After the fun games, we had some lunch, this time something different. We had Phad Thai, Som Tam and some other Thai food, and for dessert banana in coconut milk. At the same time, we did our reflection on the trip. At 2:15PM we made our way back to the bus and rolled back to school. Along the way we had some funny situations. When we did our rest stop our bus didn’t release the Parking Break so we needed to stop for around 45 minutes before getting rolling again. I started recognizing where we were and I got a bit over excited and started showing off my knowledge. We arrived at school at EXACTLY 5:30 and father Travis was saying, “5:29, 5:29, 5:30…
yay” and everyone laughed because my estimation and the driver’s estimations weren’t correct. When we got off the bus, we said goodbye to each other, took our bags out and went our separate ways home. I didn’t leave right away because I really wanted to say bye to everyone so I did.
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All Business in the Eighth Grade By Anirudh Narula (Ani) Who ever would have thought that the origins of business came from a philosopher during the Age of Enlightenment. Not only did the eighth grade students learn about Adam Smith, who is widely considered the father of modern day economics, but they learned how to put it into practice.
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orking in cooperative learning groups, the eighth grade classes formulated business ideas, calculated budgets, developed advertising plans and came up with original products in some cases. The project concluded with a large business conference where the students posed as actual business representatives and introduced their companies to each other. The students were very enthusiastic and found the activities a refreshing break from traditional academic studying.
“I really had to apply what I learned into a real old situation,” Elizabeth, a new student from New York, claimed. “I was nervous but it was really fun.” So as the eighth graders march forward towards high school, they are developing their business skills for real life challenges that lie ahead. And who knows? Maybe there is a Steve Jobs lurking among us with a business plan that will transform the world in the next generation.
“It felt like I was actually developing my own company,” Brux, a student who recently moved to Thailand from Finland, said.
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The World Scholar’s Cup Results From the Regional Round Bangkok held on March 21st and 22nd, 2015
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5 students from Middle School and High School participated in the Bangkok Regional Round of the World Scholar’s Cup on March 21 and 22. RIS students worked hard on the four competing competitions and won many individual awards. Jackie Wu and Malcolm Mitchell were top individual scorers for RIS in the Junior Division and Senior Division respectively. All 8 RIS teams qualified to attend the Global Round in KL, Malaysia in June. Congratulations to all scholars and well done!!!!!!!
The World Scholar’s Cup Results From the Regional Round Bangkok held on March 21st and 22nd, 2015 Full Name Team ID# Individual Awards Team Awards Kan Kanjanamahakul Toni Abishek James Pataipat Srivanich Jinjutha Liangwatthanakol Sirindhra Suepiantham Natt Towiwat Ravipa Burapachaisri Divi Maheshwari Pimlapus (Pim) Tanpisuth Fabiha Siddiquey Panpailin Jantarasombat Athaphon Michael Denk Alangkan Plangsastra Zehuan Wu
Sirapat Phunjamaneechot Korranit Khomin Malcolm Mitchell Piyapon Sineesirkul Chat Udomthaveedej Pornlapas Photisaro Lingyi Wu Natta Krislalam Thiti Khomin Namthai Hoang Drimik Roy Chowdhury 26
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Additional Qualifier for Global Round 6th Place: DaVinci Award
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Silver Medal: Collaborative Writing Silver Medal: Collaborative Writing Silver Medal: Scholar’s Challenge for Science Additional Qualifier for Global Round
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Top 20: Overall Scorers 14th Place: DaVinci Award
Additional Qualifier for Global Round
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Additional Qualifier for Global Round
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Silver Medal: Collaborative Writing Silver Medal: Collaborative Writing 6th Place DaVinci Award Top School Scorer: Junior Division; Silver Medal: Collaborative Writing; Silver Medal: Debate; Debate Showcase Selection Silver Medal: Scholar’s Challenge for History and Science; Top 10: Overall Scorers
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2nd Place: Collaborative Writing Top School Scorer: Senior Division; Silver Silver Medal: Team Debate; Medal: Debate; Silver Medal: Scholar’s Additional Qualifier for Global Round Challenge Special Area; Top 20: Overall Scorer
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2nd Place: DaVinci Award 4th Place: DaVinci Award 5th Place DaVinci Award
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2nd Place: Rookie Teams Junior Division; 4th Place: Team Collaborative Writing; Additional Qualifier for Global Round
Additional Qualifier for Global Round 3rd Place: Rookie Teams Senior Division; Additional Qualifier for Global Round
Silver Medal: Collaborative Writing Silver Medal: Collaborative Writing
Juniors, you need to do the
I
SAT!
n the late 1800s, a group of leading American universities was concerned about not having a universal way to determine if students were prepared for college-level course work. They formed the College Entrance Examination Board, and working together they administered the first standardized exam in 1901. For the first time, students could take one entrance exam for several universities instead of taking a separate exam for each university to which they applied.
but you will need to sharpen up your thinking skills. It’s not about learning more algebra; it’s about knowing how to approach a standardized test, developing strategies, learning the rules of the game and knowing the tips and tricks.
The SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test) is a globally recognized college admission test that lets you show colleges what you know and how well you can apply that knowledge. It tests your knowledge of reading, writing and math — subjects that are taught every day in high school classrooms. Most students take the SAT during their junior or senior year of high school, and many colleges and universities use the SAT to make admission decisions.
Many colleges use the SAT Subject Tests for admission, for course placement, and to advise students about course selection. Some colleges specify the SAT Subject Tests that they require for admission or placement; others allow applicants to choose which tests to take.
The SAT includes the Math reasoning test that will be a most helpful score when applying to colleges in your senior year, particularly Thai and American colleges. The SAT and other College Board tests are offered several times a year. Most students take the SAT for the first time during the spring of their junior year and a second time during the fall of their senior year.
The SAT Subject Tests offer you an additional opportunity to show colleges what you know and what you know you can do.
Want to know what the SAT is? Try http://en.wikipedia. org/wiki/SAT We have noticed that Thai universities prefer a score of 600+ on the math test and a student aiming for a course like engineering should be in the 700s.
The Math skills required for the SAT are of a basic RIS has a one semester SAT Math Prep class. Semester standard that should be within the reach of a tenth grade two of grade 11 is the ideal time to be taking this course. student. You don’t need to learn lots of new formulae Should you not be able to sit this class, most SAT courses recommend at least two months concentrated study before taking the exam. Here is the SAT’s homepage. http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/sat/prep_ one/math_review.html and here is a good page explaining the SAT for students http://www.studentmarket.com/aboutsat.html Ad Astra Volume 13 March 2015
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Students Enjoyed Japanese New Year!!
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s for the New Year, our Japanese classes learned about the Japanese culture. We were assigned 3 activities which consisted of the KAKIZOME, NENGAJO, and the HYAKUNINISSHU. KAKIZOME is a traditional Japanese calligraphy also known as the first fortune writing where it is done at the beginning of the year. This is to be burned during the Sagicho Festival with the belief that the handwriting of the writer is going to improve. NENGAJO are postcards sent as greetings for New Year used to express gratitude (similar to Christmas cards but there is no religious significance to it). The NENGAJO are stored in the post office until the late December and are delivered on the 1st of January all at once. The HYAKUNINISSHU is a card game of classical Japanese anthology which consists of 100 Japanese poems by 100 Japanese poets. I really enjoyed every activity even though there were some difficulties and pressures in some areas. Fern (Japanese 4)
The Japanese New Year activity that I enjoyed the most is HYAKUNINISSHU. From this activity, I got the opportunity to know more about Japanese traditional games, practice my reading skills, challenge myself while having fun with my friends, and hearing Megumi Sensei sing! Nad (Japanese 1) The Japanese New Year activity that I like most out of the three activities is the KAKIZOME. I never did Calligraphy before and this was a great new experience for me. Although it was pretty difficult for me at first since I am not really good at art, I think my final product was beautiful and I love it! Baipor (Japanese 3) I liked decorating the NENGAJO. The NENGAJO was fun to make because we had a choice to put whatever we wanted. It was also fun to draw a personal meme of a sheep. I think I didn’t do a really good job on decorating because the paper seems pretty blank. Jason (Japanese 3) Ad Astra Volume 13 March 2015
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HS Spirit Week
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Museum Siam Thai 10 Historical Field Trip By Nat Towiwat (Bill) Gr.10
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n Tuesday,February 29, 2015, 135 students from Ruamrudee International School attended a field trip to see the exhibitions in the famous “Museum Siam.” In general, this field trip allowed us to learn about Thai History since the ancient era. First, we went to see the “Origin of Bangkok” exhibition hall. This is where the meaning of Bangkok comes to life as the exhibition tells us how important Bangkok is and about its origin. We learned that all rural life, economy, and tradition in Bangkok came from the harbor of Ta Tien. From what we saw, Ta Tien was one of the many harbors in Bangkok, but because it is connected to the Chao Praya River, the trading of rice, seafood, fruits, and vegetable were accessible along this river for both the Europeans and Thais, as this river route leads to the sea. After seeing the exhibition we entered the hall where a short 10-minute film explained the “origin of Bangkok”.
Siam Army exhibition, where we learned the battle tactics and weapons during this medieval period of Thailand. The next zone, which is about Thailand during the Rattanakosin period, the house and dynasty of our current monarch, focuses on the influence of the world colonizing nations and the period of absolutism during the time of Rama I-IV. As we moved through the last section of the museum, the modern period has arrived, and Thailand has changed its government regime from absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy. One exhibition I liked was the Royal Thai Army Channel Later we entered the main building of Museum Siam. that exhibits the type of government propaganda of the Despite its beautiful Thai Boutique architecture this time. was, in fact, the Ministry of Finance during King Rama V the great. The third floor is where the tour As we finished the tour, we learned that the history begins with the very first Archaic Period of Thailand of Thailand is not just a common subject to learn and or “Suvarnabhumi.” This floor’s exhibition hall tells us forget about, but it’s a history that must be learned to that religion is, in fact, the main reason for a spark of make Thailand a better country in the future. And, as civilization in Thailand. Later we entered the 2nd floor we saw, Thailand has maintained its independence where the clashes between kingdoms and sovereign for approximately a millennium. As our ancestors nations in the Southeast Asian zone comes to life. One sacrificed blood and life to protect this very land, we of the most interesting exhibitions was the Ayutthaya should continue to love and protect this land. Ad Astra Volume 13 March 2015
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HS Knowledge Bowl
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Cross Section Principal Portraits By Ms. Kay Rambaud, HS Art Teacher
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SA-based graphic artist and illustrator Mica Angela Hendricks was our Muse for this intriguing project —an art collaboration with her 4 year old daughter. What started as her daughter discreetly scribbling some add-on bodies to the faces she drew became an organic project that combined beautifully the different styles of the parent and child.
Middle School - Whose job it was to add the embellishments; careful outlines and enhanced color. Not to mention Zentangle patterns and a touch of glitter.
Hendricks later added color and bodies to the drawings that they had created together, finishing their motherdaughter artworks. So across Elementary, Middle and High schools, we thought we’d give it ago.
More information can be found at Ms Kay’s Art World including plenty of instructions and tips on how to make your own portraits http://mskaysartworld.weebly.com/same-same-butdifferent---portraits.html
High School - Chose the subject matter (the principals) and asked for their favorite animals. Next, they mapped out the faces in pencil and applied tone with tiny cross hatching. Each lesson these 9 students were to work on a different Portrait adapting their style and to suite the previous marks on the paper. Elementary School - Drew in the outlines of the principals’ favourite animal bodies, so that they were nice and big and filled the paper. They used poster paint to fill some of the color. 34
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Then they were done and given as gifts to our beloved principals. They symbolize the love and passion these people put into their jobs and we salute them for it!
IB Visual Arts – Year 1 By Kelly Hou
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ark circles and worn out bodies, those are the we start to understand and discover the phases of most common characteristics of an IB Art student. ourselves that we are unaware of. In the end, we will not However, there is always a smile or an expression of only grow as artists but also as human beings. satisfaction on our faces. As people may know, IB Art is not an easy course; in fact, it’s suitable to be renamed as “taking your sleep away” course. Though we did lose some sleep over the first semester of this course, we don’t regret taking this course.To us, IB Art is not just another regular art class; it is a class combined with ethics, philosophy, and colors. Throughout the first semester, we were able to understand that art is not just an image that pleases the eye, it is a complex form of communication. Under the guidance of Ms. Cathy, we were able to create art pieces that reflect on our personal opinions and beliefs. Most of the topics of the assignments are complicated and open-ended. Often times, we will have to squeeze our brains just for a start of a rough sketch. The process of making an art piece is not an easy road. However, reflecting on the scenery at the end of the road and the tracks that took us to the end of the road allow us to say “It was worth the ride”. In addition to creating art pieces, Ms. Cathy constantly pushed the class in challenging different media. Though we do complain a lot, in our minds we all know how much we have grown as artists. IB Art is not just a regular course, it is a course that will cause an individual to understand more about themselves. During the process of art making, students gradually realize little pieces about themselves. Slowly, Ad Astra Volume 13 March 2015
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42ND STREET By Ms. Shorna Shand, Director 42nd Street, Head of Performing Arts
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n March 5th & 6th, 31 cast members, 22 musicians and over 50 ES performers alongside technicians, teachers and stage hands collaborated in four mammoth shows that were full of singing, acting and dancing. After a 7 year absence of a K-12 production, students took part in a gigantic seven week rehearsal process putting their heads, hands and hearts together to stage the musical 42nd Street. With the live music from the stage wind ensemble musicians, actors belted out their voices, rocked their dance steps and let the audience in with their characters’ journey. Congratulations to all the members of the musical. Students rose to each and every challenge set, producing nothing less than spectacular. The performers were rigorous, committed and stretched their potential throughout the process and performances. Finally thank you to all who weren’t on stage to take their bows; administration, parents, maintenance and secretaries for the support and assistance to make this experience such an enjoyable one. Ad Astra Volume 13 March 2015
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Cast
Dorothy Brock .................................Melanie Jarnson Peggy Sawyer..............................Maya Katrina Agana Julian Marsh ...................................... Julio Kaltenbach Billy Lawlor .............................................Rex Gamble Ann Reilly .......................................................Jan Jang Maggie Jones .....................................Katherine Spahr Bert Barry..........................................Tah Kijkornphan Andy Lee....................................Tayida Tania Landolt Mac ........................................... Alangkan Plangsastra Pat Denning................................................. Sani Denk Abner Dillion ............................... Cheetah Tiatananan Young Women ...............Khaimook Lorwatanapongsa Thug ..................................Mathilda Kajornkiatpanich Doctor .....................................Shana Annisa Purnama Chorus Girls
Phyllis Dale .........................................Aliya Chirapant Lorraine Flemmin ..................................Manaka Saito Gladys ................................................Emma Wooding Diane Lorimer ................................Prim Poshyanonda Ethel ...........................................Phakphisut Daengdej Dance Chorus:
Kathryar Ritter Tyra Tan Parichamon Promsit Vanachaya Vichitudomchock Nana Boonorm Mimi Komthongchusakul Emma Wooding 38
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Aliya Chirapant Manaka Saito Ensemble
Alita Anil Hannah Diopenes Dianne Fahey
Aparna Valluvan Prim Poshyanonda Prima Suntornwipart Pinky Pinkster
Natacha Chiddapol Chollada Charoenrat Asittha Mamanee Raisa Meyhoefer Vichita Palasak
ES Dancers
Ada Chunhavajira Alina Leelaporn Manyasiri Chotbunwong Praew Kedpradit Jamisa Bhumitrakul Netrsai Khemayodhin Prathirada Pianapitham Preme Warasittichai Varittha Manorotchaturong Phantharath Natnithikarat Preymika Premanond Nongnaphat Rawara Voraruthai Puengchanchaikul Chalisa Sanguanwongwan Unyakorn Patrathiranond Baiboun Sagulromvilas Onsarat Thanarithiporn Pichayapa Nilpakdee Napat Sirisaowaluk Dareen Laochinda Pornprapat Jirapojaporn Voranan Puengchanchaikul Sariya Angeles-Ahmed Salisa Chotbunwong Sara Ania Matei Pattarinee Umpujh
ES Singers
Nicolas Llinas Daniel Haskanbancha Rawit Thamparanon Boonsiri Pornjalernchaisilp Tienanda Narongrit Natnicha Vichitudomchock Thanapat Yongvanich Voraruthai Puengchanchaikul Boonchanya Saicheua Ada Chunhavajira Alina Leelaporn Sirichada Wattanasiritanawong Manyasiri Chotbunwong Praew Kedpradit Supasinee Siripun Alysha Simic Suchita Thepkanjana Annika Trainer Kittitara Chunlakittiphan Kraipob Waengsothorn Norapat Vithawatpongsatip Hannahjulia Woodward Jane Pinto Daniel Nooranal Jariya Sae-Yang
Stage Wind Ensemble
Flute Miho Mochizuki Pisa Leelapatana Noopim Pongtornpipat Ramida Chayanupatkul Clarinet Mami Moriya Tanatat Poovapat Inha Choi Jeong Hyun Kim Alto Saxophone Kiritin Vongthongsri Tenor saxophone Dan Chunhavajira Baritone Saxophone Pat Boonsom Trumpet Hyun Jung Lee Theeraphat Wangpatanakul Trombone Natat Sombuntham Euphonium Kang Wei Jin
Percussion Niranat Pienvichit Voravit Vorapanyasakul Peerapol Chiaranunt Keyboard Tanapapas Horsuwan Pianists Nash Luxsuwong Pao Maneepairoj Pavis Bhuvanit Director
Shorna Shand Music Director
Cat Bennett Kim McDonald
Assisted by
Nina Boonorm Kathryar Ritter Costume Design Tui Utaisincharoen Set Design & Props
Pavla Poch Kay Rambaud Cathy Kemp Veeraya Phongkraikitti Dao Kangval Nana Boonorm Peach Leelachart Mimi Komthongchusakul Napol Worachat Harshita Patel Rose-Mary Marcar Canvas of Hearts Club
Technical Staff
Thawatchai Thummawong Sunate Promaruk Technical Students
Joshua Podlas Bleu Dorji Ashwin Valluvan Natthanich Panachaisricharoen Nutcha Anurakwongsri Joshua Chidchanok Podlas Punnawat Vitoorapakorn Pitithep Sanitsom Photography
Sornchai Ponghemwattana Video Recording
Krisda Sanlamai
Program Design Instrumental Director
Hyesun Chung
Chayadhorn Kitiyadisai Website Design
Assisted by
Becky Nudd
Sani Denk
Set Construction Dance Choreography
Cat Bennett Nimfa Moreto
RIS Maintenance
Special Thanks to
RIS Administration RIS Secretaries RIS Staff Shirley Gamble Kim Endel
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Chinese New Year Celebration
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RIS Athletics Season 2 By Gerry Steiert
BISAC Results: Our talented Ruamrudee student athletes, assisted by our dedicated coaching staff, finished once again with some top honors. At the recent BISAC U11–U17 events, RIS teams finished with 4 Championship Golds and 1 Bronze out of 7 tournaments held at the end of January within the Bangkok Community. Champions – U17 Girls Basketball coached by Onsa Saleenuan, U13 Girls Badminton coached by Joei Khaosa-ard, U13 Boys Badminton coached by Praphoj Unpudsa and U15 Boys Badminton coached by Jedsada Pongkamalas all earned Gold Medals. Bronze Medals - April Slagle and the U17 Girls Touch Rugby captured third place this year.
SEASAC Results
they will be joining the Division 1 Championships for 2015-16. Sean McMahon & his team earned Division 2 Touch Rugby Silver Medals this year.
Season 2 This season officially came to an end with another successful all school Spirit Recognition Assembly to formally thank our coaches and honor our athletes who have given up so much of their time throughout the season. Once again the approximately 1400 people present were treated to the musically talented sister act “Baipor & Fasai Phuathavornskul” who played their wonderful rendition of the Royal Anthem on Cello & Violin. Our young students were able to enjoy an appearance of our Phoenix Mascot during the opening ceremonies. We look forward to the final assembly of the year slated for Wednesday, April 29th. SEASAC February – RIS sent 19 students to attend MUN at UWC East in Singapore and 15 swimmers to Hong Kong for the Championships at CDNIS.
RIS hosted Division 2 Basketball & Touch Rugby Tournaments the end of January. 9 visiting schools plus 2 of our very own teams made up the 12 Basketball & 6 Touch Rugby teams that were here on campus Jan 30Feb 1, 2015 for the 2.5 day tournament. Word on the street is that the approximately 300+ athletes, coaches, parents & officials really enjoyed our wonderful campus facilities. Season 3 Coach Charoen and his team are the 2014-15 Division A full slate of 10 Softball teams, 4 Badminton teams, 4 2 Girls Basketball Champions which means that Volleyball teams, 2 Tennis teams as well as all our Golf 42
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& Swim teams make this another season filled with a variety of choices. RIS U19 Softball teams entered the Annual Falcon NIST Friendship Tournament mid February & were very successful. In Badminton Boys won Gold & Girls finished 4th coached by Chun Fen Lee & Joei Khaosa-ard. Both Softball teams finished with Bronze, Boys Coach Tim Pettine & Girls Coach April Slagle. RIS hosted the annual Phoenix Friendly u17 Badminton & Softball Tournament the first weekend in March and had 18 teams on our lovely campus. RIS Badminton teams both won Gold with Boys Coach Praphoj Unpudsa & Girls Coach Joseph Scott. The Boys 2nd team entry earned Bronze. Boys Softball earned Gold and Girls finished Silver coached by Richard Kemp & Jennifer Treinen respectively.
Division 2 Girls Basketball Champions
March SEASAC #3 – Softball is hosted by BPS right here in Bangkok and our Division 1 Badminton teams take to the air for the Championships at UWC East in Singapore. March BISAC – U19 Softball, Badminton, Golf and U15 Tennis occur. April BISAC All other U11-U17 BISAC Championships take place at the end of April. Stay tuned for Season 3 Results in the next edition of Ad Astra.
Division 2 Touch Rugby Silver Ad Astra Volume 13 March 2015
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Elementary Students Doing Good Together: Service Projects By Sr. Mary Rose and Ms. Emily Adams, ES teachers
The Concept of Service Learning
Investigation In Grade 5 Values and Religion classes, students are participating in a service learning activity after studying the unit on self-esteem/empathy. Ms. Heather, Mr. Ryan, and Sr. Mary Rose use service-learning pedagogy as a tool to help students experience service learning in a real life environment. We chose a local Thai school as our partnership to work with kindergarteners and grade two of SuraoLumnaiso Elementary. We help the school to develop an English literacy corner. Together we encourage the Thai children to learn English. We have continued to learn by planning and preparing our knowledge this year with the theme of kids making healthy choices.
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ervice learning is defined by linking service to Taking the five steps toward service learning: First, the learning objectives,through engaging students in students identify a common understanding of service the process of planning and implementing the service learning. Here are some examples of their definitions: activities purposefully and in meaningful ways through: direct service, indirect service, advocacy, or research. In the Elementary section, different classes and grade levels are responding to the challenge of making a connection of learning and serving the community needs. Ms. Emily’s Art classes are holding a Christmas Fundraiser to make cards to send to their family and friends. They have collected a total of 69,200 baht! The money collected will help refugee families from Pakistan that are in our community. Thank you to everyone who participated in supporting individuals in need through the arts! The Theatre Arts and Music classes have also collaborated with other classes in raising awareness of those in need that live around us. The theme for this year’s Christmas play: Giving and sharing. At the Christmas show on December 18, the Elementary School collected toys, clothes, and shoes for the handicapped children.
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Preparation Next, the students investigate and study about the topic on healthy choices. We invite three professional speakers to help us learn more about the topic in a mini workshop: Nurse Pim (self-grooming and hand washing), Mr. Daryl (importance of staying active and fit), and Ms. Lily (nutritionist and pharmacist – what food to eat to stay healthy). After the workshop, Manuele said, ”I’ve always washed my hands. After putting my hands on the laser machine I found that my hands still have lots of germs on them. I should follow the six steps to wash my hands next time.” We have continued our learning by planning and preparing our knowledge of health to share. We have also worked in groups according to our students talents and abilities. Grade five students have learned to collaborate on taking different tasks in groups, such as photographer, storyteller, making activity on IPAD, coaching outdoor activities, making a poster, and teaching an effective hand wash in 6 steps.
On December 3, 2014, we visited the local hydroponic farm to observe how the farmers plant fruits and vegetables organically. After that, we headed to the local Thai Elementary for a day of learning and experiencing English camp. Students, teachers, and parents are excited about our learning experience and the joy of making a difference. Our preparation time had come to an end.
Action The service day trip at SuraoLumnaiso Elementary was great. We had 66 students, 8 teachers, and 12 parents participate with us. The children learned for 2 hours and ate lunch together. After lunch, RIS students blended in with the students from other classes that they already had activities with during recess. Our students had to reach out to two other students and tie a friendship string. At the end, we took pictures with the students who we had worked with and all of our volunteer parents, teachers, and students. We will continue to do some other projects and activities with Suraolumnaiso, our neighboring school.
My Reflection on Service Learning By Passara (Ink) Chanchotisatien, Grade 5-2
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n the 3rd of December 2014, my classmates and I were given the opportunity to demonstrate being healthy citizens of our local communities by partaking in a “Service Learning” field trip. Service learning is a form of learning that provides us students to learn from our experience outside the classroom. During this trip, we visited a local Elementary School and taught English to the students, using the concepts of health. We also visited a local hydroponic project to observe and learn about the cultivation of healthy vegetables.
it into Thai. During the activity itself, all I thought of was how much fun it was to be able to work with my friends and spend time out of school with the little second grade kids. However, it was not until afterwards that I understood the significance behind this My classmates and I were put into different stations and field trip. we took turns teaching different groups of students. I was put into a group with two other students from class, both This trip made me realize how privileged and lucky of whom I tremendously enjoy working with. During I am, and how I often take that for granted. Not only the teaching session, each person had different jobs; do I have a nice home, but I also have the opportunity for instance, one person read the English version of the to be studying in a great school and receiving a great story to the students, while the rest helped to translate education, the fast train ticket to a successful life. I Ad Astra Volume 13 March 2015
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considered the matter a lot over the past few days, as I just couldn’t shake the faces of the little kids out of my memory. Ever since I left the school, there has been an itch at the bottom of my heart, calling for my attention, telling me to take action. The experience has touched me deeply, and has been etched in every inch of my heart. I have so many opportunities compared to those children just a short distance away from my school… I’ve got to do something about it. But, what can a little girl like me do? The truth is, I still do not have an answer to the question. Months after the service learning field trip, I still honestly don’t know what I will do to contribute to my community, to give them, even half of what I have. But what I know is that the experience which lasted merely half a day, has changed me and my perspective on things. I walked back into my house a different person than I was earlier that day, and someday, I can feel it in my heart, I will take action. I am very glad and grateful that Service Learning is part of our curriculum and I strongly feel that Service Learning should continue along the school year to enrich our learning as students. In the beginning half of that day, my friends and I visited the local farm to learn about its hydroponic project. From this visit, I received a lot of knowledge about healthy living and how vegetables can be grown without soil. I got to see how the crops were made, and also how the locals managed to make a living out of creative salad menus. In addition to learning about the theory itself, students were also taught how to grow their own hydroponic plants! I thought that the experience was really priceless and led me to question the health benefits of hydroponic vegetables over the normal soil-planted vegetables. After conversing with the locals at the farm, I realised that hydroponic vegetables are friendlier to
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the environment because they require less water usage and no pesticides, thereby making these organic leaves healthy for us to eat. After arriving home, I shared with my mother the experience I gained and found out that my family has been consuming hydroponic vegetables all along! :D In conclusion, the impact that this service learning activity has on me is beyond words. Although this field trip lasted merely over half a day, it has forever changed the way I see things. Not only did this trip teach me about being physically healthy (eating healthy food), but it also taught me how to care deeply for the needs of others. Spending time with the local children has encouraged me to reach out and contribute to my community. This activity required a lot of preparation, which made me realize that sometimes personal sacrifice has to be made for the benefit of others. Now, I can confidently say that I understand the significance of helping others and from now on I promise that I will be an active contributor wherever I am.
English Lessons for Thai Staff: Easing Communication with Foreign Teachers and Students By Emily Adams, ES Art Teacher
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ne of the biggest obstacles moving to a new country or having a large number of foreigners move to your own country, is language. We often rely on the most basic forms of communication, using our hands to gesture, exaggerating our facial expressions and even drawing out images to clarify understanding. An interest in learning English was voiced by some Thai staff at RIS to help ease communication with foreign teachers and students. In response, Sister Mary Rose Vu, Sister Minh Nguyen and I created an English class open to Thai staff. Every Monday from September to December of 2014 twenty-two Thai cooking, I.T., driver, janitor, and HR staff members attended English lessons after school. Topics covered ranged from the house, family, feelings, numbers, transportation, clothing and the body. Lessons were engaging and interactive, with many different activities ranging from vocabulary games to basic conversations. Sister Mary Rose Vu, Sister Minh Nguyen and I had a wonderful experience working with Thai staff! Some student feedback on the course includes:
“My friends and the teachers are friendly and make the classroom environment relaxing. I was listening and practicing the correct pronunciation with native speakers. I would like the school to have a good course like this again. The class applied to everyday life.” -Miss Janiya “I like to study in English class because we learn writing, speaking and conversation at the same time. We always learn with new vocabulary in every lesson. I really enjoy to study with my friends and co-workers. Our teachers are lovely and we want to say “THANK YOU VERY MUCH” for all of you to sacrifice your time for us.” (anonymous) “I feel so good. I learned so much. I learned a lot about vocabulary and correct pronunciation. I can practice to talk with students now. We should have this class forever!” -Mongkol We are grateful for the opportunity to help increase communication between foreign and Thai staff at RIS! We hope to provide this opportunity again in the future!
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Red Cross Internships Over the Christmas break, numerous members of the High School Red Cross Club witnessed first hand the tasks that medical professionals take on in order to aid those in need.
to do so, but it also taught me new information about the blood donation process, which is beneficial for me as a student who aspires to study medicine. I would like to thank the Thai Red Cross Society for not only trusting us, RIS students, to do the actual hands-on work but also for giving us a chance to figure out our pathway in life lub members served an internship at either and in choosing our future career. Sirindhorn Hospital, Bangkok Christian Hospital or Lynn, Class of 2016, Red Cross Internship the Thai Red Cross Society and here’s what they have to say about their (hands-on) experience: We were able to work in different sections of the hospital helping the the nurses (ex. checking blood pressures, From the internship at the Thai Red Cross Society, I calling the patients, getting materials, and taking care of enjoyed getting to do the actual work like sorting out the patients) and talking to the doctors, which is a really blood bags, separating plasma from red blood cells, and good opportunity to ask them about what you’re curious labelling the bags instead of just walking around and about. During the week all students worked together to observe what they’re doing. This experience not only build a sunshade for the patients who are suffering from helped me learn more about the medical field, which the heat of the sunlight that reflects off of the cement I’m interested in, but it also gave me a chance to help floor. This experience was unique, academically and other people that are sick and in need of blood. If there voluntarily (community service), benefiting us (the was another opportunity, I would definitely go for an students) as well as the hospital. internship at Red Cross again. Fern Leetanasak, Class of 2017, Sirindhorn Ket, Class of 2017, Red Cross Internship Hospital Internship
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We helped with different processes to prepare the blood I really enjoyed all the activities we got to do, and I am donation bags. Not only do I feel privileged being able very pleased to know that the patients whom we had 48
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taken care of were very happy and satisfied from the service we provided them. The hospital staff gave us a warm welcome. They recognised our enthusiasm and the effort that we put into each and every task we got to do. They were very willing to answer the questions we had about the work they do and gave us advice about what we should understand if we want to work in the field of medicine. Aum Phutinart, Class of 2017, Sirindhorn Hospital Internship The internship at the Bangkok Christian Hospital (BCH) was a great opportunity to test my level of interest in this career. It turned out to be very interesting and exciting. I enjoyed observing the work process of doctors and nurses in different departments. From this internship experience, one of the most memorable moments was in the nursery, where I saw the delicacy of how nurses took care of newborn babies. Nad Nutchanart, Class of 2018
Congratulations to RIS teacher Richard Moore, recently published in the EARCOS Journal! Action Research The effect of teaching virtual organizational strategies on student performance and attitude in Grade 9 Introduction to Chemistry and Physics Richard Moore, MS Education, High school Science Teacher
Summary
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orty-six grade 9 science students attending Ruamrudee International School in Bangkok, Thailand, participated in an action research study exploring the question, “What is the effect of teaching virtual organizational strategies on student performance and attitude in Grade 9 Introduction to Chemistry and Physics?� A two unit repeated measures design (same group -pre/post) measured student retention using an end of unit exam after each unit. Students were taught various organizational skills during the second unit. Student attitudes were measured with a pre-intervention survey at the beginning of the first unit, and a post-intervention survey at the end of the second unit. Results indicated that students gained a greater appreciation of the taught virtual organization strategy, that they organized their folders better; and they improved their test scores after implementing the strategy. This research was assisted by Mr. Henry J. Nicols, professor at Buffalo State, State University of New York.
on Google Drive, and most notes and paper replaced by copied or shared Google Docs, or some other sources such as emails and web assignments. This presents new challenges for students organizing their course resources. If a positive relationship is determined between how well a student organizes their virtual folder and their assessmerrt performance, then it would be highly pertinent for me to facilitate their folder organization and encourage them regarding that task. Furthermore, I would like to be informed regarding student opinions concerning my organization ideas; was the organization intervention strategy appreciated and helpful to them?
The study occurred during two units taught to three classes. Each unit was a link on the Goode Sites page for their course, and when students clicked the unit link it opened a single Gdoc with their lesson plans for the unit. Lessons were numbered, and within each lesson were links to various documents and other activities for that day. Almost everything was made public, so students had to make copies of the presentations, notes, activities, etc. and then move them into their science Study unit folder in their Google Drive. I titled and organized Like a growing number of current educatees, rny classes docs by numbering them to match the lesson number. are taught almost entirely using a paperless classroom As an example; lesson one had docs 0 | a,0 | b, 0 | c, and format. Student binders are replaced by virtual folders lesson two 02a, O2b, etc. 50
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The intervention was applied during the second unit. The following strategies were taught and emphasized consistently throughout the unit: • How to create, number; and name their unit folders and sub folders • Choosing the option to sort unit folders by title • How to copy documents by replacing “Copy of” with their name, and leaving the rest of the title in place • How to create documents and title them so they would be consistent with the organization strategy, and move them into the appropriate folder • How to share documents with their partners and groups and title them so they would be consistent with the organization strategy, and move them into the appropriate folder • How to create personal and miscellaneous notes docs and title them so they would be consistent with the organization strategy, and move them into appropriate folder. First, at the beginning of unit one all students answered a Lickert Scale attitude survey, and this same survey was given at the end of the second unit. This survey consisted of ten questions with four possible responses. It was given to indicate if there were changing student attitudes regarding the significance and appreciation of being organized within a technology driven learning environment. There was no statistical significance when comparing the pre and post Lickert survey scores. However; one or the most pertinent questions to reflect student attitude toward the intervention did result in significance. Question #9 stated: “I think it is important to have every document and activity in my folder in lesson order.” Realizing the importance of having every document and activity in their folder; and having them in lesson order, is the core of the organizational strategy. However; believing it is important and actually doing it are two different matters. Fortunately, the study found that the majority of the students were able to successfully apply the strategy to their folder. After learning the strategy, 100% of the students either improved or maintained their levels of folder organization, and 76% contributed to statistically
significant improvement. This effort was accomplished by students even when knowing that their folder organization would not be a part of their class grade. Nonetheless, students gaining a greater appreciation of folder organization and actually organizing their folders better are nice, but would this improve their assessment performance? At the conclusion of the both units, all students were given an end of unit assessment. Each assessment contained a variety of question types such as multiple choice, short answer, and graphing. The unit one assessment and the unit two assessment were each worth 33 marks. Even more encouraging is that the study found student performance on their end of unit tests improved after they implemented the taught organization strategy, 74% of students in the study improved their tests scores, and their average individual improvement was 5%,which equates to half a letter grade with most standard grading scales. Looking ahead, I can now confidently state to my students and their parents that there is a relationship between organizing their virtual folders according to my organizational strategy and their test performance. It will be worth my time and effort to teach them the strategy, which is rather simple and easily applied by students who make the effort. That the strategy has proven to be effective using computerized instruction primarily within an online platform bodes well for the practicality of this research in the future. Ad Astra Volume 13 March 2015
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PHOTO of the Day RIS: Photo of the Day: 23/03/2015 Miss Pavla’s Art 1 students, along with our artists in residence, held a parade and a performance at the canteen using plastic bottles to raise awareness about the usage of plastic in Bangkok and at the school. It’s all part of a film the students are making that will be out next month. Students involved were: Noor, Dianne, Naam, Nad, Omark, Tiger, Nancy, Piper, Taka, Saumya, Yien, Jenny, Ryan and Winner.
RIS: Photo of the Day: 19/03/2015 We are proud to highlight the accomplishments of the following four seniors who were recognized at this week’s HS assembly. Shintaro Kubota (Shin) is graduating early to attend university in Japan. Bambie, Fah and Trium have been accepted to a joint medical program with the University of Nottingham. They will study in England for three years, and then do their residency back in Thailand for the final three years of their program. This is a very prestigious program, and only 12 students from Thailand are accepted each year. In the past 4 years, we have had 16 RIS graduates accepted out of 48 possible spots in the whole country!!!! Academic Excellence is both an attitude and a tradition at RIS.
RIS: Photo of the Day: 12/03/2015 Recently, Brazilian filmmakers Mr. Patrick Belem and Ms. Lara Jacoski visited Mr. Eric Jacklich and his Middle School Technology class. They talked about their filmmaking process, showed films, and answered questions from our great students. The students are learning about storytelling and animated moviemaking. Mr. Patrick and Ms. Lara are RIS’s artists in residence for the month of March! Website: http://bemteviproducoes.com.br/ 52
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PHOTO of the Day RIS: Photo of the Day: 25/02/2015 The RIS Visual Arts Department welcomes our Artists in Residence, Brazilian Filmmakers, Lara Jacoski and Patrick Belem. Ms. Lara and Mr. Patrick will be working with the High School and Elementary students for 6 weeks to create short films. Their work aims to connect real life with art. Visit Ms. Lara’s and Mr. Patrick’s film creations at http://www. bemteviproducoes.com.br bem te vi produções
RIS: Photo of the Day: 18/02/2015 The season of Lent begins with Ash Wednesday. RIS Catholic Administrators, Faculty, students and staff began the season of Lent by receiving ashes at this morning’s mass held in the campus chapel, St. Luke’s Church.
RIS: Photo of the Day: 16/02/2015 Thank-you to Mr. Matthew, RIS Model United Nation’s advisor, and a big RIS congratulations to all of our Model UN students who did RIS proud representing themselves, RIS, and their countries at the Model UN hosted here over the weekend.
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PHOTO of the Day
RIS: Photo of the Day: 13/02/2015 RIS celebrates Chinese New Year at a full school assembly in Godbout Hall. Thank-you and congratulations to Miss Vivian, her team, and all the performers for such a wonderful show. Many thanks as well to Mr. Walter and his MS students for their art display celebrating the New Year, as well as the Leo Club and parents for such delicious lunch options today : ) Happy Chinese New Year!!
RIS: Photo of the Day: 22/01/2015 The High School Curriculum Marketplace was a big success with all students and parents who stopped to check out the many courses available at RIS for the 2015-16 school year.