Pattaya Sports Club President Pratheep ‘Peter’ Malhotra, together with Noi Emmerson, Charity & Social Chair and GM Ingkarat Chaimongkon, visited the Sotpattana School for the Deaf August 29 to make a presentation of various necessary items in support of the school.
On arrival they were welcomed by Rev. Fr. Michael Weera Pangrak, Executive Director of the Pattaya Orphanage who invited the guests to watch a special performance by the deaf children entitled ‘Telling stories with signs’.
Teacher Chotiwan Suksamran was especially proud of the six story tellers who presented fables in sign language using hand and facial gestures in front of all the students and teachers as well as their special guests from the Pattaya Sports Club.
They took turns to tell stories of, “The farmer and the viper”, “The tortoise and the hare”, “The crow and the pitcher”, “The snake and the crab”, “The Raven and the serpent”, and “The Lion and the ants”. Each story had a meaning and exuded a powerful moral message.
Chotiwan said, “While the students’ sign language skills have continued to improve and their confidence boosts, the participants had a lot of fun and learned many lessons from them.”
After a most impressive and emotional performance, Fr. Weera led his guests on a tour of the school showing them the educational and recreational facilities.
The PSC has for many years set a budget to help and support the Pattaya Orphanage with their needs and on this day the team came to make an official presentation of stainless steel railings installed along 3 flights of stairs which were urgently needed to ensure the children’s safety as they climb up and down the stairs.
The guests also visited the dormitory to look at the 30 brand new bedding sets, including 60 sets of pajamas (2 per child) donated by the PSC.
Sotpattana School for the Deaf is a private charity school affiliated with the Office of the Private Education Commission, Ministry of Education of Thailand, providing free-of-charge instructions based on the national standard pre-elementary education curriculum.
The School was officially set up on 6 October 1982 by Rev. Fr. Raymond Allyn Brennan, an American Redemptorist priest.
Situated in the same compound as the Pattaya Orphanage, the school has a two-storey building with classrooms for day students in kindergarten levels 1 and 2. In 2001, the School expanded its services to cover children in kindergarten level 3. The School opens on weekdays from 8:30 to 15:30. Male and female children aged 3-9 years old are accepted. They can be either day students or boarders. Supporting funds for the overall administration come from the Pattaya Orphanage, government subsidy to disabled students, including contributions from the children’s parents and charity organisations in the community.
