Newsletter
2015 - 2016
Primary Edition 3 Term 2
This week in the Primary School
International Day Once again it was an incredible celebration of internationalism, diversity, cultural appreciation and community ...
Diary Dates Thursday March 10th
Primary Maths FOBISIA teams departs for China
Thursday March 10th Year 5 show to parents
Thursday March 17th Hey Bubblemaker! A group of 28 pupils from Years 4, 5 and 6 really helped put the ‘adventure’ into this year’s Primary Round Square Week, as they enjoyed three days of ...
last Extended Learning Programme session for Term 2
Week beginning Monday 21st March LAMDA exams take place
Week beginning Monday 21st March Years 4, 5 and 6 House Football Competition starts
Primary House Music Festival Singers, pianists, a violinist and a drummer were among the 16 students chosen to represent their Houses in our ...
Wednesday 30th March Year 3 show to parents
Wednesday 30th March Y5 Greek Day
Thursday 31st March Child Centred Conferences
Friday 1st April
Last day of Term 2, 12.30 finish for all students
Primary Sports Day Fun, smiles, medals and a splash of vibrant house colours consumed the oval as the Primary Sports Days took ...
Wednesday 20th April
First day of term 3 for all students
Children and competitions How everyone can benefit
We often associate competitions with events such as The World Cup, Wimbledon, The Olympic Games or even The X Factor. There is something compelling about watching human beings compete, and while on the one hand we base a lot of our teaching strategies on collaboration and cooperation we do at times like to expose our students to the drama and preparation involved in competitive participation.
need to overcome fear and a good deal of nervousness. The look of concentration on their faces and obvious relief as they finish tells us that such events really do build inner steel and self-control. It has to be said that competitions can be extremely fun from an audience’s point of view. Our pupils are wonderful at cheering their peers on and they really do appreciate a good performance just as much as any adult. It can be very amusing to watch the utter joy and thrill in students faces as results are announced and they realise they are indeed part of a winning team; I even saw 4 students give each other a group-hug after the winners of our House Music competition were announced – it meant as much to them as any athlete winning an Olympic Gold medal.
The benefits of taking part in a competition, especially one that is based around a team such as our recent House Music competition, is that it gives students: a chance to shine; teaches them how to be a winner; how to be gracious in defeat and of course it gives them the opportunity to build team spirit and to begin to understand all that that involves. As the traditional saying goes ‘winning isn’t everything’. When a student prepares his or herself for a competition and then actually competes, trying their hardest, this becomes a lesson and a growing experience in itself, regardless of whether they win or not. Some competitions involve individual performances in front of an audience. This obviously puts many pupils in Hannah Naowasuk Assistant Head of Primary a situation which is out of their comfort zone and where they
Hannah Naowasuk
Teachers go back to school to learn more about Numicon By Joanne Smith, Head of Year 3
Mathematics is neither easy nor hard; it is a journey of ever-increasingly complex and con-joined discoveries - Andrew Jeffrey Year 2 recently it is clear that Numicon has had a positive impact on teaching and learning. Miss Kate commented, “The children’s understanding of the relationships between numbers is soaring and all children show improved motivation for learning.”
Last January I wrote an article about the introduction of Numicon in Years 1 and 2 and since then the use of this fantastic resource has proven to be worth its weight in gold. It has had a positive impact on children’s learning and understanding of number and has allowed for greater independence and collaborative skills during investigative work. As a result of its successful introduction, a group of teachers were sent back to school in Bangkok in order to learn more about this innovative resource. We began the day by discussing the key factors that influence mathematical learning and came to the conclusion that, “Mathematics is like life itself. Every new thing is difficult only until I can do it fluently – and then it is easy” (Andrew Jeffrey, Workshop Facilitator). During the course of the day teachers were put through their paces and were introduced to a number of practical activities and approaches to take back into our classrooms in order to support children with their learning. After observing in
As a team of 6 teachers who attended the training, we were particularly inspired by the use of Numicon in Key Stage 2. Numicon is certainly a valuable resource for the whole Primary phase and we were provided with insights into supporting algebra, fractions, percentages and decimals as well as problem solving activities involving translations, rotations and symmetry. As a result of a very enjoyable and meaningful workshop we are now planning on rolling Numicon out in Key Stage 2 in the near future. A Parent Workshop on Numicon will be offered early in Term Three for parents who are interested in learning more about how this resource supports their child’s mathematical attainment in school.
Actively involving parents in supporting their children’s learning By Karyn Walton and Sara Berenguer, Assistant Heads of Primary
Parent learning continues!
The Thursday morning workshops and ‘facilitated networking’ are now, for an increasing majority of Regents parents, an un-missable part of the week. As parental engagement in children’s education becomes consistently associated with children’s academic success, careful thought has been put into devising a programme of workshops to address the areas that parents tell us they would like to know more about, as well as those in which support at home is proven to have the most impact. Over 200 parents in total have so far have attended workshops on such areas as phonics, writing, the importance of the home language, the maths curriculum and many more. If English is not your first language we continue to warmly welcome you to attend our upcoming workshops in which we aim to have Thai, Korean, Japanese, Russian and Chinese ‘facilitators’ – who not only translate, but will help explain terminology in these home languages as well.
If parents miss a workshop which is of particular interest to them, the Primary Parent Learning Lab on Moodle continues to be updated weekly. Open Moodle, go to Quick Links and then ‘Primary Parent Learning Lab’ where parents will see all the areas of the curriculum needed with advice aimed to support parents in enhancing their child’s learning at home. Upcoming workshop foci include: ‘Encouraging my child’s independence,’ as well as workshops on ‘Makaton signing’ (specifically for children with English as an Additional Language), ‘Numicon’ (a maths resource) and our new online Encyclopaedia Britannica resource for home learning. Information will be sent through class blogs, weekly contact sheets and Monday Morning Memos so do keep an eye out for workshops of interest! If parents have any requests for future workshops please do contact either of us at: Karyn.Walton@regents-pattaya.co.th or Sara. Berenguer@regents-pattaya.co.th and we will be only too pleased to help.
International Day at Regents By Nonie Adams, Head of Primary
Flags, Food and Fun Regents celebrated its whole school International Day on Friday February 12th, right before the start of our halfterm break. Once again it was an incredible celebration of internationalism, diversity, cultural appreciation and community. When I speak to our Primary children about International Day and what they enjoyed their answers usually involve the words flags, food and fun – and I couldn’t agree more. The Parade of Nations is, quite simply, impressive; the array of food options delightful and delicious with lots of fun to be had watching the country performances and enjoying the country stalls. This really is a special day on our annual calendar and one which we all look forward to – teachers, students and parents.
Hey Bubblemaker! - Keep blowing bubbles! By Elizabeth Eaton, Head of Year 5 A group of 28 pupils from Years 4, 5 and 6 really helped put the ‘adventure’ into this year’s Primary Round Square Week, as they enjoyed three days of scuba diving and snorkeling with Mermaid’s Dive Centre. A fair number of the children also put the “eek!” into Round Square Week, as they first stood nervously in the school pool on day 1, scuba gear strapped to their body, but their anxiety soon diminished as they grew used to the demands that diving placed on them. By the end of the first day, even those who at first were too nervous to put their heads under water were beginning to enjoy the wonderful sensation of breathing under-water. Everyone passed their PADI Bubblemakers qualification and were proud to receive their certificates and special PADI Bubblemaker
Crew-Pak containing mementos of the experience. Days two and three gave all the students the opportunity to put their new found confidence into practice as they replaced the swimming pool for the open water off Sattahip. For some of our students, this was the first time they had swum in the sea. They saw marine life, learnt about ecosystems from Wayne and the rest of the Mermaid’s team, and even made it on to the shore of one uninhabited island to explore the mysterious ‘bat cave’. Miss Liz, Miss Jo and Miss Carolyn would like to thank everyone at Mermaids Dive Centre for making the three days so unforgettable and safe.
Primary House Music Festival By Kristen Callaway, Head of Primary Music
A first for Regents Singers, pianists, a violinist and a drummer were among the 16 students chosen to represent their Houses in our inaugural Primary House Music Festival this term. 114 students auditioned during their class music lessons in Week 3, entertaining their teachers and fellow students alike with a huge variety of musical performances. The Festival culminated in two ‘Finals’ assemblies on Friday 26 February. The atmosphere in the Globe was electric as students, colourfully dressed in their House T-Shirts, cheered on the finalists. All House Captains did a fantastic job hosting the event, and support for the performers (no matter which particular House they were in) was exceptional. Special mention must be made of Lucas, in Year 2, who overcame not one, not two, but three technical hitches to give a confident, capable and assured performance on the drum kit. Mr. Kaz had the unenviable task of adjudicating the event and commented on how impressed he was at the amount of students who contributed to the final scores, and how hard all the finalists had worked to prepare excellent performances on Friday. When taking into account all the
auditions and the final rankings of the finalists, Fire House were named as the winners and Zia accepted the beautiful new trophy (designed and made by the Secondary DT department) on behalf of her House. By the narrowest of margins, Earth and Air House drew in second place, followed by Water House with a respectable 3rd place. What was particularly evident was the importance the number of auditions for each House played in determining the final result. Fire House’s win was truly a team effort! But it doesn’t end here – several reserve Finalists, who also performed brilliantly during the auditions, will be entertaining us in the coming weeks at the start and end of regular assemblies. All Regents’ pupils can be congratulated on contributing to a fantastic ‘first’ at our school, and I challenge all students to be even more ambitious and get involved in future House Music events. As we see each week in class, music clubs, recitals and concerts, Regents’ students are certainly a hugely talented and musically enthusiastic bunch.
Regents Students take part in wildlife rehabilitation By Emelia Stapley & Stephanie Nelson, Year 4 Class Teachers
A trip to the Wildlife Rescue Centre for Round Square Week On February the 8Th 15 brave Year 4 and 5 students left for Phetchaburi for the start of an epic wildlife adventure. They arrived after a long bus journey, full of Justin Bieber songs and card games, to come face to face with an elephant beginning its daily walk. This filled the children with wonder at the prospect of what was to come! Next, they embarked on a long tour of the immense centre, learning about the species of animals, birds and reptiles that are kept there. Sadly, they learned that most of the animals were removed from the wild to be kept as pets or had their parents killed by poachers. Some were on their way to rehabilitation, but others would remain permanent residents of the centre, due to their reliance on humans or their injuries. We learnt that the centre could only exist because of the blood, sweat and tears of its many volunteers, like us!
Day one: After a sleepless night of dog howling, chicken crowing and gibbon singing, students were up before the sun rose in order to prepare hundreds of bowls of food for primates and other wildlife. Breakfasts made, they started their ‘meals on wheels’ delivery around the centre which involved being faster than the swinging gibbons, avoiding the ‘morning sprinkle’ of the langurs and escaping the grasp of macaques. After a long and arduous few hours, the students were ready for their own delicious breakfast. During the day the children had to clean the enclosures of animals such as the fishing cat and the bear; make enrichment toys for parrots and primates in order to develop their skills for the wild; and prepare dinner for the animals in their care.
In between work periods, the children had a chance to explore the centre and learn a little more about the personalities and relationships of each animal. One such relationship was a highly unusual pairing which, at first, incited alarm in the regular workers. A stray black cat had wandered into the sun bears’ enclosure and, after initial worry, it became clear that the bear was not going to hurt the moggy. Instead, they have become firm friends and can often be seen cuddling up to each. The children were lucky enough to experience a walk with one of the more senior residents (a 65 year old elephant) who cannot be released into the wild due to her age. She was used in the tourism industry and, therefore does not know how to socialise with other elephants. Walking with
the children provided her with enjoyment and exercise. Aside from all the hard work each day, the students had time to relax and play games in the evening. There were ghost stories, a talent show and the highlight was children acting out scenes from films for their friends to guess. By 8pm all of the children had taken themselves to bed and all were fast asleep by 8:30pm. The trip educated students about the effects human contact can have on wild animals. It was a rip-roaring success and there were lots of discussions and debates on the way home about what the children can do to help prevent animals being taken from the wild, showing the positive impact the centre had on these children’s lives.
Sports Days By David Collins, Head of Primary PE
A week of colour and smiles
Fun, smiles, medals and a splash of vibrant house colours consumed the oval as the Primary Sports Days took centre stage in our sporting calendar. The week of sport commenced with the Early Years fun sports morning on Tuesday 2nd February, when our little sports stars showcased their skills in a range of activities focusing on running, jumping and throwing. Smiles beamed across their faces throughout the morning and that was just the parents, who proudly followed their children around the oval to admire their efforts and see the results of their children’s work in PE lessons come to fruition. Next up on Wednesday 3rd February was the Key Stage 2 sports days. The day was split in to a morning session for Years 3 and 4 and an afternoon session for Years 5 and 6. Children competed for their houses in a bid to be crowned the overall House winners of Sports Day. The level of competition on show was impressive and again a hoard of
medals were presented to content children in what was a more formal sports day including track and field events. The final instalment of the week was the Key Stage 1 Sports Day which saw a large crowd of parents on the oval cheering on their children in a format similar to the Early Years fun morning. The whole week was a great celebration of sport and all of the children involved were superb. Congratulations to the Red House who were the overall House winners. Events such as these are a culmination of the hard work of many people, special mentions must go to the Regents Facilities Team who diligently set up the oval all week. Also a thank you to our wonderful Parents Representative Group who kindly donated fruit and ensured all the children were hydrated and provided with snacks and of course all the GAP staff, teachers and PE team.
In other news from the PE department we would like to formally welcome Khun Pu to our school. Khun Pu is our new Level 3 swimming coach. We are delighted to have him on board and are confident he will enjoy working with our Regents students.
Kathryn and us! By Nicole and Sima, Students in Year 6S
Not so long ago we had an amazing conversation with Kathryn Andersen, Regents curriculum specialist from Julliard, and so we want to share it with you! So let’s get this started! As she is a professional violin player we asked her why she chose violin above other instruments. She first said that her family is not a musical family, then she told us that when she was in Year 4 there was a lady that came and performed a piece of music on the violin. She truly enjoyed it. So after school she ran home and told her parents that she wanted to play the violin and so there it was, the story was about to begin! As we continued the conversation…Did she like her lesson? Well, as she explained, everyone has hard weeks or hard pieces to learn and it is sometimes a struggle. However she always left her lessons feeling motivated and having learnt something. We could understand what she was saying as everyone has hard times in their learning experiences. She told us that she had to compose music at her school and
that sometimes she enjoyed it and sometimes she found it quite hard. Since we all know that she is a really incredible violinist we asked her how many hours she practiced for every day (as we realised that she didn’t get ‘that good’ from only spending a few hours a week). She told us that when she was young she used to practice from 1 to 4 hours. Then we wondered how did she have time to study? Well, she surely she had to make time…and stay up late! A random fact for you - she has already played to Hillary Clinton! Did you know that Kathryn has not got a particular favourite type of music. We thought that she would love to play classical music as this is what she plays on her violin. We asked her if she had ever tried playing rock on her violin before…she hasn’t, but now we have asked her about it she is going to try!
Primary Round Square Week By Dale Farrington, Primary Round Square Coordinator
What a fantastic Round Square Week we have just had. The variety and quality of activities on offer to our children was truly outstanding. From camping to kite making, yachting to yoga, cycling to circus skills and much, much more, there was something for everyone to enjoy as the school once again threw itself into investigating the IDEALS. The more adventurous students and teachers headed off as far afield as Chiang Mai, Koh Tao, Koh Phi Phi and Petchaburi, to partake in a wide range of challenging adventure and service trips – of which you can read more in future newsletters. As always, an event of this magnitude requires a great team effort to make it a success. This year the Regents
family pulled out all the stops to ensure that the 15th annual Primary Round Square Week was the best yet. So I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved in making sure that everything went smoothly. The drivers, the maids, the admin staff, the chefs, the parents, the teachers (who went way and beyond their line of duty) and – last but certainly not least – the pupils. You were all terrific! If you haven’t already done so, please spend a few minutes chatting with your children about their Round Square Week experiences. I’m sure they’ll be bursting to tell you how much they enjoyed themselves, about the new friends they made, the new skills they learned and why this is such an important part of a Regents School education.
Another Adventure in Boarding By Fiona Smith, Primary Boarders Houseparent
On the last weekend in January day students were
returned, fairly exhausted, to St Andrew’s House and
invited to another “Adventure in Boarding”. This time
enjoyed pizza before being collected by parents.
the stayover started with Friday evening activities followed by a visit to Horseshoe Point on the Saturday. Day students from Year 3 to Year 6 joined Primary boarders on Friday evening for activities in the sports hall, an early dinner and then a film in house. A snack was then enjoyed by everybody before settling down for the night.
Rebecca, a Year 6 EAL student, writes her account of the weekend: “We had the coolest weekend. We went to the boarding house. After that we went to a sports hall. We played badminton. It was fun. The next day we went to Horse Shoe Point. We cleaned the horses’ feet and brushed them. It was fun so we all liked it.
On Saturday morning we set off for Horseshoe
Then we went swimming. We played with the bow
point with first stop at the stables where the ponies
and arrows. Everybody liked it. After lunch we went
appreciated the carrots that the students had brought
to the zip line and we decided that we didn’t want to
them. Everybody was then ready for a swim followed
do it again. After that we went back to the boarding
by a picnic lunch by the pool. The afternoon was spent
house. Then we played badminton again. And then
firstly on the zip wire where all the students swung
we played Frisbee. I liked it because it was cool.”
across the lake, then at the archery station. Everyone
Adventures in Boarding - Looking for a cool weekend activity? By Steve Rand, Head Of Boarding
We are pleased to be able to invite Primary day students from Years 3,4,5 and 6 to join us in boarding for an ‘inhouse’ movie evening on Friday 18 March and a trip to ‘Snowtown’ in Bangkok on Saturday 19 March. Your child’s stay with us will start on Friday after school, when parents can (if they wish) help to settle their child into their room from 3.15pm onwards. Alternatively, Boarding house parents can collect children from school at the end of the day. The children will then remain in our care until 6.30pm on Saturday at which time we would ask parents to collect them from our boarding house. The cost for this one night stay in boarding with an activities and movie evening and trip to ‘Snowtown’ is 3000 baht. This includes : •
One night’s accommodation in a comfortable and modern shared room (maximum 3 students per room)
•
Transport costs and entry fees
•
Friday dinner, Saturday breakfast, packed lunch and pizza dinner
•
24/7 care from our boarding team (including a duty nurse)
When parents bring their child to our boarding house, the following items should be included in their ‘weekend bag’: • Pyjamas •
Towel and toiletries
•
Casual clothes and shoes (trainers or similar)
•
A favourite soft toy
•
A little pocket money (200 baht maximum)
Numbers are strictly limited so if parents would like their child to join in this weekend event please reply by email by 9am on Thursday 11 March to Onuma.Webb@regentspattaya.co.th also including the completed attached health form. To confirm your place, please make payment to our Finance Office as soon as we inform you your child has been accepted on to the trip. This event follows the success of our Primary visits to the Science Museum and to Horseshoe Point which were hugely enjoyed by all who attended. With our future trips including Kidzania (14 May) and Cartoon Network (18 June) there are some great weekends ahead for Primary day students to have a taste of our Regents boarding experience.
Places are limited each weekend, so please contact me at steven.rand@regents-pattaya.co.th well in advance if you would like to join us. We look forward to seeing you soon in Boarding!
Primary Music Clubs at Regents Monday
Year 2 & 3 Choir at 12.00 – 12.30pm Miss Kristen and Miss Nicki / Primary Music Room
Tuesday
Rock Group at 12.40 – 1.20pm Mr Will / Practice Room Year 4 to 6 Choir at 12.30 – 1.00pm Miss Kristen and Miss Nicki / The Globe
Wednesday
String Ensemble at 12.40 – 1.10pm Mr Tony / Room 215C ( Mr Tony’s teaching room ) Girl’s Rock Group at 12.40 – 1.20pm Mr Will / Practice Room 120C ( Mr Will’s teaching room ) Percussion Ensemble at 12.40 – 1.10pm Mr Ting / Practice Room in Music Room ( Mr Tings’s teaching room ) Singing Club at 12.40 – 1.20pm Miss Namtarn / Practice Room 5 ( Miss Namtarns’s teaching room )
Thursday
Year 2 & 3 Music Group at 12.00 – 12.30pm Miss Maria and Miss Kristen / Dance Studio Year 4 to 6 Orchestra at 12.40 – 1.15pm Miss Maria and Miss Kristen / Music Room
Friday
free practice time / Chamber Ensembles Various Rooms
#regentspattayamusic
Connect: www.Regents-Pattaya.com /RegentsInternationalSchoolPattaya /RegentsSchool /RegentsPattaya /TheRegentsSchool