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Free dance classes for children in need
Praw Dance School
is giving free dance lessons to underprivileged children.
Children from the Hand to Hand Center thank their
dance teachers for giving free lessons.
The underprivileged children from the Hand to Hand Center
in Pattaya have begun their free dance classes at the Praw Dance School in
Duck Square, South Pattaya.
The school is providing free dance classes for 18
children from the center every Monday - and the children are quickly
learning new steps and routines.
The dance classes are not only hugely enjoyable but also
help the children to develop many skills. The children wouldn’t normally
have a chance to have dance classes and the benefits have been obvious -
their coordination and ability to move to the beat of the music has already
improved significantly. Some children now ask every day, “Is it dance class
today?” hoping that it’s Monday again!
The Hand to Hand Center has also received many generous
donations. The Jester’s Club provided new chairs and a whiteboard for the
classroom while the International School of Chonburi donated a TV, printers
and a scanner for the center. The center is hugely appreciative of these
gifts, which help support these needy children.
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90 Rayong youths join refineries at
sea conservation camp
Students dig into the mud to plant mangrove
shoots as part of their sea conservation camp.
Patcharapol Panrak
Ninety Rayong students were given a three-day lesson in
marine ecology from the Royal Thai Navy and three area oil refineries.
The June 19 Thai Sea Conservation Youth Camp at the Royal
Thai Marine Corps battalion command center in Samae San saw students from
four Rayong schools gain awareness of homeland and natural-resource
conservation as well as an understanding of the eastern marine environment.
The camp, launched last July by the Royal Thai Navy and
IRPC Public Co., this year gained the participation of PTT Aromatics and
Refining Co and Star Petroleum Refining Co., as well as a Rayong committee
on oil-leak prevention.
IRPC President Pairin Chouchotthaworn said the camp was
aimed at increasing cooperation on the environment between refinery
employees, youth and local residents in Rayong. By giving kids more
education, they can spread their knowledge to family members and schoolmates
to create a better environment, he said.
Vice Adm. Kanat Thongpool, commander of the 1st Naval
Area Command, said the project also instills discipline, social awareness
and the need for balance in coastal ecosystems.
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Sattahip navy school kids perform ‘wai khru’ ceremony
Students recite a Buddhist prayer and wai
khru chant, which expresses respect and gratitude for the teachers and
asks for their blessing of the students’ studies.
The students present trays
of flowers, incense and candles to their teachers.
Patcharapol Panrak
Nearly 1,200 Sattahip students kicked off their 2011
academic year with a traditional “wai khru” ceremony in which students
pay respect to their teachers for the upcoming term.
The school’s 1,150 students met June 16 - a Thursday, as that is the day
for Brihaspati, the Vedic god of wisdom and teachers - to perform the
wai khru, which is done in most Thai educational institutes at the start
of each year. Capt. Bongkot Khayankarn, vice principal for the school
administered by the Royal Thai Fleet, represented teachers and
management at the annual ceremony.
The festivities featured students presenting trays of
flowers, incense and candles. The idea is that while the ixora, eggplant
and Bermuda grass may not be especially beautiful on their own, together
they comprise a lovely arrangement. The flowers also are symbols of
intellectuality, progression, and susceptible patience. Wai khru
ceremonies also see students recite a Buddhist prayer and wai khru
chant, which expresses respect and gratitude for the teachers and asks
for their blessing of the students’ studies.
Following the presentation, Bongkot and teachers
reciprocated by offering the students guidance for their academic
careers. He said expressing gratitude is a good deed that will create
good fortune.
“Parents intend to rely on you, a teacher intends to
create a reputation, the nation intends to use your proficiency, and you
are the prospect for it all,” Bongkot told the pupils.
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Science project explores water and energy
Students give a presentation following their
research.
Mark Beales
Water and energy were the themes of a science project at Garden
International School in Rayong.
The IB1 Group 4 Project for 2011 was held over two days on May 31 and
June 1, and included teams of four IB students who had a choice of
exploring ‘water at GIS’ or ‘Energy at GIS’.
Five teams worked tirelessly over the two days, brainstorming,
investigating and constructing PowerPoint presentations of their
findings on their chosen topic.
Collaborative teamwork is one of the most important components of the
Group 4 project and this was seen in abundance, whether it was students
calculating the volume and evaporation rate of swimming pool water,
investigating solar energy feasibility at GIS or even attempting to
measure the energy transformed in a student-constructed potato rocket!
Each team gave a short presentation of their findings on June 9 with two
teams choosing the “Water” option and three teams the “Energy” option.
There were some novel ideas investigated by the teams, from energy
expended by IB students in their daily walking to classes over the four
floors at GIS, electrical energy produced by a combination of limes from
the GIS canteen, and “damped” pendulum oscillations in the swimming
pool, through to thermal energy absorbed by various samples of water
around the school campus.
All students agreed that it had been a successful two days of teamwork
and each team member will now be assessed by the GIS IB Science teachers
under the criteria of “personal skills” in the Group 4 project.
This assessment will contribute a percentage towards student’s final
grades for IB Sciences that will be determined in 2012.
After all the hard work that was put in by the students over two days we
hope that there may be a few future science Nobel laureates amongst the
graduating IB class of 2012 - watch this space!
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Equine Assisted Therapy - volunteers needed
Derek Franklin
Two days each week a small group of children travel
to Horseshoe Point and spend the morning in the company of horses. These
children are not from rich families whose parents brought them a pony
for their birthday, nor are they able to afford the cost of riding
lessons.
Lunch time.
The children come from the Father Ray Center for
Children with Special Needs, a project managed by the Father Ray
Foundation. The Center welcomes children with cerebral palsy, Down’s
syndrome, autism and learning difficulties. It is the only center in the
Pattaya area that offers an education, therapy and support to these
children and their families.
The use of horses in therapy, or equine assisted
therapy, was first written about by the Greeks in the 5th century as a
way of rehabilitating wounded soldiers. In the early part of the last
century the British were using horses and it became popular in the 1950s
when treating soldiers injured in World War II.
Danish polio victim Liz Hartnell spent several years
receiving this type of therapy, and went on to win a silver medal in the
dressage competition at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics.
Sandra Cooper with one of
her charges.
The children who attend the weekly sessions at
Horseshoe Point are unlikely to ever win an Olympic medal, but the
therapy they have received has greatly improved their lives.
The Able the Disabled Foundation was founded at
Horseshoe Point in 2005. One of its members, Sandra Cooper, a qualified
equine assisted therapist and formerly of the Riding for the Disabled
Association in Malaysia, is the driving force behind the therapy
sessions for children with special needs.
For a child who spends his or her life sitting in a
wheelchair, approaching a large horse for the first time is a daunting
experience. Climbing on to one is terrifying. But the support the
children receive from Sandra, the volunteers and the local Thai grooms
is invaluable in calming down a stressed child.
With help from the
volunteers the youngsters are using their motor skills more efficiently.
The benefits for the children attending these
sessions are numerous. The children who regularly attend have shown
improvements in their balance and posture.
Their confidence grows as they become more used to
their new environment, and they have overcome their phobias towards
heights and animals.
The organised activities whilst they are on the horse
means they are multi-tasking; keeping their balance whilst using their
motor skills, listening to commands, following orders and achieving
goals gives the children a sense of accomplishment.
Making sure the riding
hat is secure.
Volunteers, Thai and foreign, are needed. You do not
have to have experience with children with special needs or horses. You
do not need to be a qualified equine assisted therapist, just an
enthusiasm to want to help others and to ensure they are safe. Sandra
will instruct the volunteers in everything they need to know.
Potential volunteers, Thai and foreign, should
contact Sandra Cooper at sandrackl @gmail.com or Horseshoe Point on
038051676. More information on the Father Ray Foundation can be found at
www.fr-ray.org or email [email protected]
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Jesters build First Aid Room
Students
perform traditional Thai dance as their way of saying thank you.
Bernie Tuppin
Friday, June 24th at Baan Amphur Primary School, the
Jesters Care for Kids Committee and members were the guests of School
Director Parichat to celebrate the opening of their brand new first aid
room.
Also in attendance were local government members
headed by Somchak Paraksa, District 3 education director Ausanee Srisuk,
some local monks and a large gathering of parents and teachers.
Jesters and friends tour
the new facilities.
The guests were entertained before and after the
speeches by the school band and the delightful dancers. With the
ribbon-cutting ceremony complete, Jesters Care for Kids chairman Woody
Underwood was presented with a large framed picture of the first aid
room and a plaque of appreciation.
After a tour of the new building, guests were invited
to join the school staff for a delicious lunch.
The school band
performs for the honored guests.
Baan Amphur Primary School is located some 12
kilometers from Pattaya on Sukhumvit Highway and has around 330
students. Earlier this year, the Jesters built a new kindergarten at
this school and were asked about the possibility of funding a first aid
facility.
With the committee’s approval, work commenced and the
building was erected during the school holiday period last spring. The
building houses modern toilets and showers for boys and girls, as well
as a small kitchen area.
Beds, linen, mattresses and pillows were supplied
along with storage units and cupboards for medical supplies. The
facility is a valuable addition to the school and assures that
accidental injuries and sicknesses can be attended to in a safe
environment.
The total cost of the building including security
screening of all doors and windows was B550,000 with approximately
another B30,000 spent on beds and cupboards, etc.
Jesters Care for Kids are committed to improving the
well being of children and their schools in the locality, and this is
just one more example of their efforts. Of course, none of this would be
possible without the support of their many corporate and individual
sponsors.
For more information on Jesters events and projects
please visit our website at www.care4kids.info and
www.facebook.com/care4kids.
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