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St Andrews International School & Habitat for
Humanity Support Local Community Learning Center
Year 12 students working hard
to build the St Andrews International School & Habitat for Humanity Support
Local Community Learning Center.
Kerry-Anne Randall- Community Action Service
coordinator
As part of the IB, CAS plays an integral role in involving our St Andrews
students in community based projects. The CAS students have been working
hard raising funds to support many worthy causes during the past 10 months.
We have donated 60,000 baht to Habitat for Humanities ‘Rebuild the
Philippines’ Appeal following cyclone Haiyan and 120,000 baht to Operation
Smile, Thailand. We endeavor, when we can, to have a hands-on role in
helping others and encourage students to get involved, such as the Habitat
builds or Operation Smile Medical Missions.
One of our ongoing partnerships has been with Habitat for
Humanity, Thailand. Last year we built a new home for one of our local
residents who was struggling to maintain a home, suitable for her family.
This year we had a really exciting request from Habitat to assist in
establishing a Community Learning Centre in Ban Chang.
The build will took place on Friday 4th and Saturday 5th April in a small
village, near St Andrews.
The following is an excerpt from our mission:
Sumnakthorn sub-district is one of the 3 sub-districts in Ban Chang District
where originally the majority of the population were agriculturists. This
area gradually became a well-known industrial estate where most of the young
generation turned their backs to the traditional skills and values of the
community’s ways. We have found recently that the older generation stays
home, raises their grandchildren, while the working generation works in the
factories.
This has caused a lack of connection within families and the community.
The Administrative Office of Sumnakthorn Sub-district has been trying hard
to develop the efficiency of the local youth by seeking cooperation from 6
local schools to participate in the “Rice Cultural Center”. This is designed
to be a center which teaches youth about the importance of rice farming and
the traditional methods of farming.
At the moment, the community owns a piece of land which happens to have one
of the last rice fields in Ban Chang district and they would like to develop
it for the benefit of all generations for learning about community culture.
At the moment they have to use temporary shelters or tents to accommodate
students while they do the learning activities. Students in the community
could have a proper venue for learning and the community leaders could use
this facility to teach the young generation about how to grow rice and the
original ways of farming, but there are also no toilets or bathrooms.
Therefore, Habitat for Humanity Thailand and St Andrews International School
would like to co-operate with the local community in order to raise funds
and allocate volunteers to help build a Learning Center and the
toilet/bathroom facilities.
The students toiled in the searing heat for two days to dig an enormous pit
that measured approximately 5m long by 2m wide and 2m deep - that’s a
whopping 20m3 of dirt that was dug!
After two days of digging, mixing cement, bricklaying, building sewerage
tanks and lots and lots of sweat, we were finished and the Sumnakthorn
Community Center finally has a building where they can teach the invaluable
agricultural skills that have been neglected for so long.
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Muslim-outreach program for
southern youths opens in Chonburi
Twenty youths will experience Muslim life outside of
Southern Thailand’s three strife-ridden provinces during this year’s “Connecting
Thai Hearts to the South” program in Chonburi.
Privy Council head Prem Tinsulanonda opened this year’s
“Connecting Thai Hearts to the South” program in Chonburi, which will see 20
southern youths experience Muslim life outside of Thailand’s three strife-ridden
provinces.
The retired general and former prime minister presided over the April 23
ceremony sponsored by the Rakmuangthai Foundation, Foundation for Khao Yai
National Park Protection, government ministries, Thai Chamber of Commerce,
Federation of Thai Industries, Thai Bankers’ Association, and Federation of Thai
Capital Market Organizations.
This year youths stay with host families in Chonburi, study and take field
trips.
The program was begun by military leaders two decades ago to influence youths
attending Islamic schools in Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala provinces to embrace
Buddhist principles and teachings of HM the King in the name of expanding their
cultural understanding.
Officials claim it gives southern youths a chance to see the lifestyles and
living conditions of Muslims living peacefully in other areas of the country. In
Chonburi, 344 youths have stayed with 171 host families since the program began.
A Muslim insurgency opposed to Thailand’s Buddhist rule over the three provinces
has raged for decades. Since violence began in 2004, more than 7,000 residents
and military personnel have been killed. (CPRD)
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St Andrews International School host the Primary Invitational Games 2014
Mathew Dunn-P.E. Teacher
This year St Christopher’s International School (Penang), Garden
International School (Kuala Lumpur) and St Andrew’s (Bangkok) joined us in the
‘friendly’ games where teams of under-9, under-10 and under-11 year old students
compete in 4 sports over two days: Track and field, Football, Swimming and
T-ball.
St. Andrews Year 5 football teams
celebrate winning a medal.
This is one of Green Valley’s biggest and most anticipated
events on the sporting calendar and it proved to be - yet again - a fantastic
success due to the great unity and camaraderie shown by the students, staff and
school communities of each participating school.
There were many individual successes over the tournament, but the most
interesting result was that each school won one of the four sporting events
making the final results very balanced. The T-ball was won by St Christopher’s,
although they were pushed hard by St Andrews Green Valley all the way. Track and
Field was won convincingly by Garden KL. The swim meet was a splash for St
Andrew’s Bangkok who were clear winners. The football competition was won with
brutal efficiency by St Andrews Green Valley - all six teams made the finals
with three age-group victories!
We would like to thank the school community for their great support throughout
this event and all the participants from all four schools for competing hard and
showing great sportsmanship.
Students from all four schools
assemble at the end of two days of competitions.
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Back to school with Jesters’ help
Jesters Care for Kids Charity Drive 2014
Bernie Tuppin and Lewis Underwood
pose with a very happy mother and child after receiving the youngster’s school
uniform and other school supplies.
Bernie Tuppin
It is that time of year again when children prepare to return to school, which,
of course, generally means purchasing new uniforms, new shoes, etc. For many
families this puts an increased burden on resources that are already stretched
to the limit and, in some severe cases, it could mean that the children simply
don’t return.
In the Ban Chang area these families are identified by Mart, the social worker
in charge of the Ban Chang Hospital’s outreach programme, and for the last 3
years PILC and Jesters have given their support to many of these families. After
all, the core of Jesters Care for Kids’ principles is to provide opportunity for
disadvantaged children and, most important, along with health and shelter, is
education. So it was with great pleasure that Jesters were able to help 43
children purchase their school needs recently.
The entourage poses for a
commemorative group photo outside the bookstore. Mart is kneeling in the front
on the right and Porn is in the very back with the white blouse.
The returns from this small investment are considerable and
the immediate gain is to see the many young smiling faces and the genuine
gratitude from the parents. In the longer term, the children gaining knowledge
can improve their future prospects in life.
Jesters Care for Kids supplied the funding for these kids but thanks should go
to Mart, Porn and PILC members for their efforts in identifying these needy
families and helping them throughout the year in many other ways. Our thanks
also go to the staff at Prasert Bookshop, who once again handled the
requirements of all these children in a patient and orderly fashion and allowed
Jesters a generous discount on the total cost.
We wish all these children a brighter future as they continue their journey
through schooling. For more info about Jesters Care for Kids, please visit
www.care4kids. info and www.facebook. com/jesterscare.kids.
Events: Children’s Fair is Sunday, September 7th at Regents School
Pattaya and GPN is Saturday, September 20th at Amari Orchid Pattaya.
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It’s a small world at Mini Siam
Walking like Egyptians at Mini
Siam.
Mark Beales
Students from Garden International School (GIS) have taken a trip around
the world. They didn’t have to go too far though, as they saw a range of
world-famous landmarks at Mini Siam in Pattaya.
Year 1 students completed their unit on ‘Our Wonderful World’ by looking at a
range of well-known buildings. Students played music in Vienna, made wishes in
the Trevi fountain in Rome, played under the Eiffel Tower in Paris and walked
like Egyptians by the pyramids.
Year 1 students appreciate a
statue of Strauss.
Students take a look at the Eiffel
Tower.
GIS students make a wish at the
Trevi Fountain.
Hand to Hand Foundation finds new home
The children and Hand to Hand
faculty members are extremely excited to move into their new home.
Yerin Yoon
Pattaya’s Hand to Hand Foundation will relocate to a small street located among
three slum villages that can benefit most from the group’s charity work.
Foundation directors selected a site on Soi Kophai 10, which connects South and
Thepprasit roads. Its location is set among slums on Soi Kophai 1, Thepprasit
Soi 5 and Thepprasit Soi 7.
The foundation’s new building offers 336 sq. meters of space and almost one rai
of land. A large living room is located downstairs, allowing the youngest of the
children to learn and play in an open environment.
Upstairs, a large classroom for the older children will be set up so that
students can learn in a more-formal classroom environment. On the second floor,
there also will be an office.
In addition, there will be a playground area outside for students to enjoy at
various times of the day.
Moving out of the current location on Sukhumvit Road will be a beneficial change
for the children, officials said. Kids will be able to experience a
more-luxurious place to study and play in. The children will no longer have to
run barefoot on the road, breath extensive amounts of pollution, and for the
first time can enjoy air conditioning.
They will be able to have more learning-filled, enjoyable experiences in the new
and clean environment. The increased amount of space will allow them to play
much more freely, and have the opportunity to spend a day in a comfortable,
indoor area which differs much from their destitute homes.
The main purpose of the building will be to provide a place for the free
pre-school program weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. With its location in the
middle of three major slum areas, children can quickly and safely get to the
center. The new building will also be the new center of the Hand to Hand
Foundation, out of which various projects like the prison, slum, and hospital
visits will be made.
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