International Day at the Regent’s School highlighted the school’s internationalism with great success, celebrating all nationalities that make up the school. A colourful array of costumes, traditional national cuisine and performances that reflected each country created a real sense of multiculturalism. Arranged by the students for the students, Lindon Giuffrida, Lara Tshering and their team of organisers succeeded in putting together a day that accommodated students, parents and staff alike.
Though the event had previously been a weekend affair, holding it on a Wednesday did not hinder the day’s success; the turnout supporting both the Regent’s School and their community partners was equally impressive.
The colourful flag parade!
The main events kicked off with great excitement and hectic preparation. Each classroom, and any free space for that matter, was transformed into different countries. Food, traditions and achievements from each country were shared proudly with visitors but not void of the school’s competitive nature, however, as Bhutan was voted as having the best display winning the best country room award.
On stage performances kicked off with the Parade of Nations. As if the world had decided to unite on the school’s doorstep, flags were paraded around the oval which led into an exciting and vibrant international fashion show. The manic work effort of the internationalism team paid off; arranging a whole school parade would be a daunting task to most but they took it in their stride and the result was a parade that ran smoothly.
The performances that followed kept the crowd in high spirits with its offering of a variety of musical, dance-based and dramatic acts. From the infamous Armenian tower to a Korean Pop dance piece, there was a little (or big, in the case of the Armenian tower) something to keep everyone entertained. Even when the weather reared its bad side, the performers and supporters bravely persevered. It could be argued, without difficulty, that the Tiny Tim’s adorable songs and dance lured the sun back out, which seemed to make their visit from Triamsuksa School, Chantaburi, worth it.
Students in gorgeous Japanese dress.
This year’s International Day World Cup saw the emergence of an outstanding level of football skills. Nothing short of action packed fun, we saw last year’s champion’s fall in the second round and all-star contenders Armenia go on to be crowned champions for the first time.
The International Cafe remained popular the whole day as it served up a variety of national cuisines to suit every pallet. Choosing from the spoils of choice proved to be a difficult task. Strangely, it all became so natural for Sweden to sit beside Malaysia, and Thailand to be across from Japan. The little ones, not necessarily interested in food, were enticed instead by the bouncy castle or the dunk-a-person. This got the crowd cheering as the throw of a ball determined the victim’s fate of whether they were submerged into a barrel of water. Needless to say, it was an entertaining spectacle.
Artistic flare made an appearance with an Art Exhibition by local artist Ron Leeman. On display were pieces from two of his collections, the Art in Architecture and Tigers (Same, Same but Different). His style of sourcing images and manipulating them electronically then cutting and slicing made beautiful pieces. Students Joyce Tsai, Amber Bawden and YuJin Ahn helped Ron create an architectural piece using images of the school in an art workshop during the day.
In summary; there was something to please everyone, regardless of where they were from. The Regent’s International Day had covered all grounds.
Thai Tim’s performing their catchy songs.
A powerful performance of the Haka.
Our little primary children proudly singing on the World Stage.
