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GIS stars shine during love-themed talent show
Music teacher Mr Shiells and
students kick off the talent show.
Arjit Verma (Year 10)
Photos by Michelle Peralta
Garden International School held a special talent show - with love
as the main theme.
With Valentine’s Day on everyone’s mind, it was an excellent way for the
school’s talented musicians to showcase their skills. An amazing show was
staged in the new-look Main Hall, which was decorated with items related to
‘Love’.
The musical performances included soloists, duets and bands. The flow of the
performances was excellent due to the work of the organisers - the IB1
students. MCs Pam and Yeshwant were good at keeping the audience entertained
in between performances while Teng came up with jokes.
In third place was Shilpi; runner-up was IB2’s Robert; and the winners were
Upside Down, who sang Taylor Swift’s ‘Love Story’.
This excellent show would not have been possible had it not been for Sarah -
who organised this event with the help of other IB students.
IB student Robert gives his final
performance at GIS before graduating.
Several bands played in the GIS
talent show.
Upside Down won the talent show
with their version of ‘Love Story’.
A Year 9 guitarist performs.
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134 Pattaya teachers observe international instruction on 3-country overseas trip
Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome takes to
the stage to pose with teachers before they left on a 3-country overseas trip to
observe international teaching techniques.
Warunya Thongrod
More than 130 Pattaya teachers visited China, Malaysia, and Singapore to
learn new international education techniques in preparation for 2015’s ASEAN
Economic Community.
Two Feb. 19-22 trips were organized. The first trip saw 62 public-school
teachers visit the Malaysia National Science Center, Sri Garden Primary School,
St. Francis Methodist School and National Library Building in Singapore. The
second group of 72 teachers visited China’s Yuantong Temple, College of Tourism
Vocation, Yunnan Museum of Minority Nationalities and Stone Forest School.
At a Feb. 13 preparation workshop, Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome said such
observational trips are important “to help develop teaching personnel and has
become an education tradition for productive results. I hope that this trip will
benefit Pattaya education system according to the words ‘Intellect powers will
lead local forces to global’.”
At the “New Vision to ASEAN + 3” workshop at the Diana Garden Resort, teachers
also heard from Phimphan Dechacupt, an expert on curriculum development and
teaching from Chulalongkorn University, who lectured on “Workface Development
Through Observational Trips.”
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Neon-lit Pattaya
draws students too
Saisuda Praicharoen (left) and
her friends are third year Business Computer students at Kingston Pattaya
Vocational College.
Nutsara Duangsri
While many Thais are drawn to Pattaya’s neon-lit streets with baht signs in
their eyes, some come simply for the area’s many educational opportunities.
There are several colleges around the area offering training in computers,
accounting, hospitality and more.
Saisuda Praicharoen, an 18-year-old business-computer student at Kingston
Pattaya Vocational College said that since Pattaya is a center for tourism,
shopping and industry, it’s a good place to learn to communicate with
foreigners.
She admitted she hates Pattaya’s traffic, however, and wishes there was a
pedestrian crossing across Sukhumvit Road near her school, or even an elevated
train.
Phiromporn Klangsena, a first-year accounting student at Pattaya Business
Administration College said she came from Loei with her mother three months ago.
She likes its beaches, luxurious hotels and that she can practice her English
for tourists.
“Everything is nice in Pattaya, except for all the nightlife-entertainment
venues,” the 18-year-old said.
Nittaya Jituafua, 19, thinks Pattaya is too dirty. A third-year student at PBAC,
she said she likes the city because there are many visitors from different parts
of the world, but there is too much garbage and litter. She thinks things are
improving, though, and also said she wishes there were a Bangkok-type “skytrain”
in Pattaya.
Phiromporn Klangsena (2nd left),
shown here with her friends, is a freshman studying Accounting at Pattaya
Business Administration College (PBAC).
Miss Nittaya Jituafua is a third
year student at Pattaya Business Administration College.
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IB Diploma remains the goal for ambitious Regents’ students
Assistant Head of Secondary Simon Miller answers
students and parents’ IB questions at Regents’ IB Options Evening.
Charlotte Summersby
In the build-up to the mid-semester vacation, Secondary School students
at Regents International School Pattaya remained focused on the International
Baccalaureate Diploma with two events: one aimed at those already on the Diploma
course, the other on those who hoped to join it in the future.
For those planning to join the IB Diploma course in August 2014 or 2015, the
week offered the school’s annual IB Diploma Options Evening. This gave students
and their parents a chance to learn more about the structure of the Diploma
course from the Assistant Head of Secondary, Simon Miller and discuss with
individual Heads of Department the more than twenty subject options on offer at
Regents.
For students already in Year 12 and studying Theatre as one of their six IB
Diploma options, the focus of the week was on performance, as they performed
pieces in the style of Bertolt Brecht, a German playwright who uses various
non-naturalistic techniques to distance the audience from ‘feeling’ for the
characters so that they focus on the real message of the play instead. Some of
these students are newcomers to performing and they have really taken to the
challenge and have been rehearsing for many hours outside lessons to achieve
their goal.
Assistant Head of Secondary, Simon Miller commented, “The IB Diploma is without
doubt the most academically rigorous and challenging pre-university course in
the world. Where other programmes might teach a syllabus focused on a body of
knowledge and narrow skills focused around a particular subject, the IB diploma
strives to help students understand how to learn.”
Head of English Tamara McKenna was on hand to offer
advice to eager students and their parents.
Regents students’ impress peers with their IB Theatre
performance.
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Students from Garden International School enjoy a dramatic trip to Vietnam
Students took part in several drama workshops.
Marcella Cooper
Photos by Adam Astley
Mr. Ken, Ms. Cooper, and 11 students from GIS traveled to the British
International School on Vietnam for a FOBISIA Drama Festival. The three-day
event included drama workshops, Vietnamese culture, fabulous food, and new
friendships.
“I already miss my new friends,” said Daseul, one of the students on the trip,
as she was boarding the plane. “I can’t wait to contact them on Facebook when I
get home.”
Students preparing for their final show, wearing
traditional Vietnamese hats.
They learned a lot of drama techniques and concepts that they were able to apply
in an awesome presentation. “I learned a lot about how to use silence in drama
to create suspense,” said Mara Dopp, another student on the trip. Amazingly,
with only one day to fully prepare, the presentations ranged from a creepy story
about dolls that come alive at night to a political piece about oppression and
the fight for freedom.
“Even though we were all exhausted by the end of the trip, it was all worth it.
I’m already looking forward to next year’s Drama FOBISIA,” said Mr. Ken.
It was an amazing time of learning about drama, socializing, eating great food,
and discovering Vietnam!
FOBISIA is the Federation of British International Schools in Asia. GIS is based
in Ban Chang, near Pattaya.
GIS students joined in with the workshops, learning new
dramatic skills.
GIS students and others at the Drama FOBISIA in
Vietnam.
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