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Helping your child to succeed at school and beyond
Alicia Warner
All children have the chance to become high achievers and empowered
learners. The Regent’s School Pattaya, now a proud member of the Nord Anglia
Education family of schools, is delighted to welcome Professor Deborah Eyre,
Education Director, for an exclusive event to discuss the role that parents
and schools play in helping their children thrive.
 Professor
Deborah Eyre.
Professor Eyre has pioneered many successful educational initiatives in the
UK and abroad, resulting in significant education reforms on a global scale.
A specialist in advanced cognitive performance, she will speak at the
Regent’s School Pattaya on September 13 on why and how we need to challenge
the traditional assumptions regarding education performance.
Education has always been acknowledged as the foundation that shapes our
path, our future and our opportunities. But dated learning structures had
always suggested that only some children will achieve high academic
standards at school. Professor Eyre suggests with the help of a good school
and a supportive family, many more children would achieve standards
previously only thought of as available to a few.
“There is a formula that you need: children need the right opportunities,
they have to have the right kind of support and they have to be motivated
themselves. In all three of those areas, parents play a really important
role.”
This introduction to Nord Anglia Education and Professor Eyre’s research on
September 13 will focus on the role that parents can play in supporting the
school and their child’s learning.
“What happens within a stimulating and an engaged school environment is just
one part of the puzzle, but Nord Anglia Education and The Regent’s School
Pattaya want our parents to understand how they can be active partners to
the learning and development of their children” adds Professor Eyre.
Excited by this new journey with the Nord Anglia Education, The Regent’s
School Pattaya plans to continue its already successful holistic education
programme whilst embracing new ideas and support from world leading experts
within Nord Anglia Education.
Mr Mike Walton, Principal of The Regent’s School Pattaya, explains that he
looks forward to the opportunities that this change will bring to the
school. “I think the opportunities with Nord Anglia Education will benefit
us greatly”, he says, “Professor Deborah Eyre epitomises what I’m most
excited about Nord Anglia Education - it’s putting further emphasis on the
focus on every child doing as well as they possibly can.”
According to Professor Eyre, using the old methods just does not prepare
students for the future well enough as we inhabit a world where the
definition of success is changing.
“Just having subject knowledge is not enough anymore,” she says. “You’ve got
to be able to use it because you’ve got to be able to solve problems, and
ones that you didn’t know were going to exist.”
Altering the traditional education conditions means that not only do the
children thought as gifted perform well, but so does everybody else. It’s a
matter of every adult figure present in their lives - teachers, parents,
carers - playing a role in motivating and nurturing each child as an
individual; meaning they create their own goals and targets to achieve.
This isn’t a case of trial and error; there is concrete evidence of success
with her methods as Professor Eyre has enabled educational institutes and
initiatives to raise their education standards from ‘good’ to ‘outstanding’.
By recognising the individual capabilities of each student it’s as close to
the bespoke opportunities that every parent wants for their child.
“Professor Eyre’s not just talking about ideas that will just help students
that are conventionally regarded as being the top of their class, they’ll
also help some children that could be traditionally overlooked as well,”
says Mr Walton, “that’s what I like about it.”
Joining Nord Anglia Education in 2010, Professor Eyre has been working
extensively with their premium schools across Asia, Europe and the Middle
East ever since. Her work as Director of the National Academy for Gifted and
Talented Youth (NAGTY) prior to this contributed to her breadth of knowledge
that has allowed her to recognise what works and what doesn’t to enable
children to flourish.
“We are really looking forward to welcoming our current parents, but also
parents who are thinking of joining The Regent’s School Pattaya to our
exclusive evening with Professor Eyre” says Mr Walton. “Everyone at the
Regent’s School Pattaya is thrilled by the opportunities that have opened up
for the students but also the teaching professionals as we learn more about
Nord Anglia Education. Professors Eyre’s presentation will be of interest to
anyone that cares about the future of international education, whether they
have children, are preparing for a family or generally want to see that all
children are given the opportunity to become the best learners they can be.”
[For more information and to apply for tickets call 038 418777 Ext. 222 or
e-mail [email protected] Complementary refreshments served from
6pm, presentation begins at 6.30pm. Admission is free]
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YWCA awards 300 scholarships
Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome
(center, left) sits for a photo with Nittaya Patimasongkroh (left),
president of the Warm Family project, Tami Kojima (2nd left), wife of the
Ambassador of Japan, Rosa Pena Perez Rea (3rd right), wife of the Ambassador
of Mexico, Teresa Wise (2nd right), wife of the Ambassador of Australia, and
Sopin Thappajug (right), former president of the YWCA Bangkok-Pattaya
Center, with youths that have received scholarships from Warm Family
project.
Warunya Thongrod
About 300 students from 57 schools and colleges received scholarships from
the YWCA Bangkok-Pattaya Center.
Praichit Jetpai, chairwoman of the YWCA Bangkok-Pattaya Center, handed out
the scholarships along with Pattaya Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome Aug. 28. Also
attending were wives of the ambassadors from Australia, Japan and Mexico.
The YWCA’s Happy Family program attracted 86 sponsors for its 23rd annual
scholarship presentation. Funds were raised, in part, by the ambassadors
wives’ bazaar.
Itthiphol thanked sponsors “for believing in the importance of education
since there is nothing more valuable than knowledge. I believe that the
children receiving the scholarships will become the future of the nation.”
“Even though the government has increased its years of free education to 15,
there are still many youths requiring help,” Jetpai said. “Therefore, the
YWCA Bangkok-Pattaya Center decided to play a part in sponsoring these
youths to have an opportunity at education.”
Scholarships were made to students at Pattaya’s 11 public schools, 33 in
Chonburi, the Banglamung Vocational College, Thammasat University and
Ramkhamhaeng University.
William Macey (left), charity
chairman and Tony Oakes (right), president of the Pattaya Sports Club,
present scholarships to youths.
(L to R) Prof. Phulsukh
Sethsophonkul, secretary to YWCA Bangkok, Graham Hunt-Crowley, Brendan
Kelly, and Dennis Stark from the Rotary Club of Jomtien Pattaya, and Usna
Sukhonzup, vice senior secretary to YWCA Bangkok, present scholarships to
youths.
Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome and
sponsors of the Warm Family project pose for a commemorative photo with
youths accepting scholarships from YWCA Bangkok-Pattaya Center.
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School No. 7 dominates Pattaya School Sports Day
Pattaya School No. 11 marching
band performs in the opening parade.
Warunya Thongrod
Pattaya School No. 7 won top honors as more than 500 students completed in
Pattaya School Sports Day.
Deputy Mayor Wattana Chantanawaranon, education office officials and city
council members celebrated the opening of the games Aug. 24 at School No. 7.
Officials, athletes and parents marched in a parade before the first event
and students from Pattaya School No. 9 put on a stage performance.
Students completed in three age brackets and the afternoon’s competition saw
a mix of wins, losses, tears, cheers and injuries. When the dust settled,
School No. 7 took back trophies for the junior- and senior-high school
brackets. Schools No. 8 and No. 9 split the grade school competition.
“Sports is something that Pattaya has clear policies to support since sports
reap benefits for youths acting as an immunity against drugs,” Wattana said.
“It also teaches sportsmanship and confidence and helps stimulate youths to
train themselves to expert levels to compete with others.”
Manas Khongwattana, principal of School No. 7, said he was proud of his
student athletes, who had trained vigorously for the competition. “I am
proud of their perseverance and determination and I want all the athletes to
continue practicing to continue feeling proud like this sports day.”
Teachers and athletes from
Pattaya School No. 7 take a championship photo to celebrate the most wins
during the Pattaya Schools Sports Day 2012.
Theerangkanul Naiyathet from
Pattaya School No. 11 wins the 100 meter Under-14 male race with a time of
12. 49 seconds.
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GIS Students interview new Principal
Yr 7 students get to meet Dr
Tasker, new principal at GIS.
Mark Beales
Garden International School Rayong has a new Principal, Dr Stuart
Tasker.
To help get to know him better, several students from the school, which is
based in Ban Chang, Rayong, wrote some questions and then had the chance to
interview him. This is what they found out.
Dr Tasker, who is from New Zealand, spent two years at Dulwich College,
Shanghai as Head of Senior School, and before that spent three years as Head
of Secondary at The Regent’s School, Pattaya. Before moving to Asia he was
Headmaster of Pinehurst College in New Zealand for six years.’
Stefanie (Year 7): Are you going to change the school?
Principal Tasker: Yes - I hope so! But initially I need to get a deeper
understanding of how things work and what the bigger issues are. Any changes
I can help make must be beneficial to the students of GIS.
John (Year 7): How many schools have you worked in?
Principal Tasker: This is my 8th school.
Mary (Year 7): Why did you want to come to Thailand?
Principal Tasker: To be Principal of GIS is a great opportunity for me and
it was an easy decision, Thailand is a wonderful place.
Pop (Year 7): What festivals do you like in Thailand?
Principal Tasker: I like the concept of Songkran - showing appreciation and
respect for our older relatives. The water on the hands is a wonderful way
of showing this. But of course there is also the full-on water fight which
everybody enjoys throughout the country!
Kam (Year 7): What are your first impressions of GIS?
Principal Tasker: Very good. Everyone has been kind and welcoming. The
teachers are all committed professionals and very much student-focused. The
parents I have met have been nice and the students I have met so far are
fantastic!
Dhriti (Year 6): What did you do before coming to this school?
Principal Tasker: I was the Head of a Secondary school, but in China.
Miriam (Year 6): Do you have any children?
Principal Tasker: I have two children, a son and a daughter. My son is 20
and my daughter is 18.
Liyana (Year 6): Do you have any pets?
Principal Tasker: I bought a hamster for my children, but they wanted a dog,
so we called the hamster “Dog”. Then we bought another hamster called
“Snoop” - so we had “Snoop Dog”.
Kavisha (Year 6): When did you start studying martial arts?
Principal Tasker: I started when my daughter began to learn sports. She
found karate interesting so I joined her.
Jessica (Year 6): Can you break wood with your hands?
Principal Tasker: I can, but we normally don’t do this in karate. (Dr Tasker
then showed Jessica how to punch near a candle so the flame would go out).
The students enjoyed writing their questions and having the chance to meet
Dr Tasker. For more on GIS, visit
www.gardenrayong.com.
Yr 6 students had the chance
to interview Dr Tasker, the new GIS principal.
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Pattaya Sports Club go shopping with Tracy Cosgrove
Welcome to Sanuk.
William Macey
The building of hotels, condos and shop houses never stop, not only
around Pattaya but in every tourist area of Thailand, and driving past,
seeing the tin huts that are on every site, it is not difficult to imagine
the conditions in which the workers are living. Even worse for those
children who, for one reason or another, are unable to attend school and are
left to fend for themselves, passing the day the best they can. That is the
situation that troubled Tracy Cosgrove. So she decided to do something about
it.
Tracy started the non-profit Melissa Cosgrove Foundation in 2003 to raise
awareness of the plight of young children and, as a consequence, has
provided help and hope to thousands of children throughout Thailand. In the
past she has worked mainly in Bangkok helping children in orphanages, street
children’s projects, the disabled and those with HIV.
She has now rented a house in Jomtien and has started the Sanuk Day Nursery.
Working alongside the ever increasing construction industry, trying to
improve the lives of children living in squalid conditions. Children, as
young as 2 years, are collected from the building site at 7.30 a.m. for an 8
a.m. start to the day and returned at 5.30 p.m. During this time, they are
encouraged to learn to read and write in both Thai and English, they are
provided with food and refreshments and have facilities to allow them to
paint and draw. She is collecting some toys - where children are concerned
you can never have too many toys - and children, who have never had the
opportunity before, have no difficulty finding ways to have fun. Her main
problem is funding. She has 25 children at the moment but if she could find
more staff, which requires funding, this number could increase to 60 or 70
very quickly.
Pattaya Sports Club is helping to purchase many of the basic items to make
the days easier for the staff but more help is required. If you feel that
you would like to contribute by donating items that are needed or to donate
some funds, please contact William at PSC 0871527754 or Tracy on 0847785476.
Everything stops at lunch
time.
Children find ways to have
fun.
Budding artists learn their
trade.
One of the youngest in the
centre.
Melissa, William and children
inspect the goods.
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