We welcomed the children back after half term with a celebration of the previous terms Stars of the week. The children always really look forward to celebrating each others successes and we think its a wonderful way to start the week!
Well done to the stars of the week for week 8 in school!
Key Stage 1
Key Stage 2
This week Year 2 traveled to ocean world to get a closer look at what lives under the sea! Whilst we we there we got our very own private tour around the tanks and also behind the tanks, where we were shown not only how the water is kept clean, but also how the food is prepared and how the sick fish are looked after in their very own fish tank hospital!
Our guide for the day was Khun B, who explained, in excellent English, all of the amazing facts and figures about the fish and the aquarium. Whilst we where there we also got to visit the 4D cinema, where we watched a short film, where the seats moved and sprayed us which some of the characters jumped out of the screen at us! It was very cool! The day was finished with us looking carefully through the 20cm glass at amazing sharks, which were all bigger than children!! What a fun learning day!
The children in Year 1 had a very exciting adventure this week, when they went on a school trip to Safari World! Whilst they were there they got to see lots of different wild animals, which will really help them with their science learning this term. As well looking at some of the animals they also got to up close to the giraffes! They did this by climbing onto the second floor of a specially constructed building, which enabled the amazing giraffes to lean their long necks over and take food from the children! Feeding the giraffes – what an experience an amazing experience!
After a long half term at school, our boarders had earned a well-deserved break. Our Year 11 students could not relax completely, however, and had to revise for their IGCSE Mathematics exams. They continued working hard in the first few days of the holiday and we wish them the best of luck in their exams.
Most of our boarders signed out with their families for the half term break but ten students remained and staff arranged a five day trip to Chiang Mai in northern Thailand to give them a change of scenery from city life.
Chiang Mai offers a wealth of opportunities and experiences that we hoped would give a good insight into Thai culture for our international students. After an afternoon flight and a relaxing evening spent in a local restaurant, we spent our first full day in Chiang Mai exploring Bhubing Palace and the famous Doi Suthep temple. The scenery up in the mountains was breathtaking, as was the climb up the temple steps! Everyone made it though, and despite the big crowds, there were still plenty of opportunities for scenic photos and the all important selfies. In the afternoon, we visited Sankhampeng, a local town famous for traditional umbrella making. We got a chance to see how these are skilfully made and beautifully decorated.
The next day was more relaxed, and students enjoyed the opportunity to explore the old town, inside the ancient city walls. They visited several temples and coffee shops, and were challenged to photograph as many temples as they could. Staff made the most of the opportunity to relax with a Thai massage from former female prisoners as part of a rehabilitation programme.
On the third day, we had an early start when we were picked up to be taken to Elephant Nature Park. This is a fantastic charity that rescues and cares for some of Thailand’s elephants. Elephant rides are prohibited, as the training process is extremely cruel, and mahouts are instead trained to build relationships with their elephants without using a metal hook. It was fantastic to see these rescued elephants in a more natural and peaceful environment after a heartbreaking start to their lives. We got the chance to feed the elephants, walk the park to meet and learn about their different stories, and to wash the elephants in the river – which was a real highlight of the trip. Despite a tiring day, our students were keen to visit the weekend night bazaar in the evening and put their bartering skills to the test as they shopped in the many market stalls.
We started our last day in Chiang Mai with a boat trip along the Ping River with a fruit and juice stop at a traditional Thai farmhouse. We stopped for lunch at a riverside restaurant, before heading back into town for foot massages – well deserved after all those days of walking! After collecting our bags we then made our way to the train station for the last leg of our journey – the sleeper train back to Bangkok. This was a new experience for all involved, sleeping overnight in little bunk beds as we travelled back to Bangkok. Everyone managed to get some sleep, although I think extra Sunday naps were required once we got back to the boarding house in preparation for school on Monday!
By Mr. Gavin Terry, Head of Boys’ Boarding
iPad Workshop for Parents
iPads in Upper Key Stage 2
In September 2013 we launched The Regent International School’s BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) initiative in Year 6. In August 2014 we extended BYOD to Year 5 with great success. At The Regent’s we strive to make learning as meaningful as possible for our students and by integrating technology into the classroom we are meeting the needs of learners in this digital age. This year we are installing Apple TV in the Year 5 and 6 classrooms to further enhance the use of iPads by allowing them to connect wirelessly to the projector, enabling learning to be shared from any iPad. We have also installed a new wireless printer so the students can print their work.
How are iPads used in the classroom?
Everyday use across the curriculum
English
Maths
CCS
Assessment
Google Classroom
Apple TV
If you would like to view the presentation again, please follow the following link:
This week Early Years, Key stage One and Key stage Two, have been studying religions. The big six are Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Judaism and Hinduism. Each year group focussed on a different faith.
We are doing this to help pupils understand the differences and similarities between the religions, so that we can understand the practices and beliefs of the people in our community and abroad.
Early Years studied the religion closest to home for most; Buddhism. They went out of school to find out about the local Wat.
Year 1 studied Christianity, learning all about how Chrisitans worship and stories from the bible.
Year 2 explored Buddhism but went further, down to Wat Saket. Where the monks explained about the importance of living a good life. Pupils also learned about Buddhas birth.
Year 3 had an exciting time exploring the Gurdwara in Little India; a unique experience for them all. They learned that the core of Sikh belief is equality and sharing.
Year 4 Studied Judaism, focusing on the Festivals of Sukkhot and Rosh Hasannah.
Year 5 Learned about Islam, finding out how Moslems live and how their faith influences their lives.
Year 6 Studied Hinduism and warmly received a Hindu visitor , Miss Chinky, who demonstrated how a Hindu person practices their religion.
Pupils learned a great deal about the faiths present in Thailand, and we hope that it will promote inter-community understanding as well as developing our Internationalism; Pillar or Learning.
The week was rounded off with religious story telling and an interhouse quiz on all that has been studied this week.
Both Wat Saket and the Sikh Gurdwara representatives commented on how well behaved, respectful and polite our pupils were! They were a credit to their parents, teachers and school.
By Mr. Karl Perkins, Humanities Coordinator
Reception’s trip to the Rama 9 Wat
As part of RE week Reception visited the local Wat at Rama 9. We met a monk and he told us all about the history of the Wat. It is famous in Thailand as it was built after the King spoke to local people who expressed a wish for a Wat to be built in their community. It is the only Wat to have a statue of the King inside and one of the King’s dogs was from this temple. We enjoyed walking around the beautiful pond and could see lots of turtles and fish. Thank you to Kru Chaweewan organising the trip for us as we were able to learn more about Buddhism.
By Mrs. Helen Normoyle, Reception Teacher
Year 2 Visit Wat Saket
As part of the RE focus week, on Monday 5th October, the children of Year 2 visited Wat Saket. When the children arrived they were greeted by a monk who explained the importance and significance of Wat Saket to the Thai Buddhist community. The Wat is over 200 years old and and is one of the very auspicious temples in Thailand which has a relic of Buddha on site. In order to celebrate this the Wat (which is also known as the Golden Mount), was build on a artificial mound. The children climbed the 344 steps to the top in order to see the Chedi (and the view over Bangkok), where Buddhist children paid their respects, which others watched on respectfully. It was a fun and informative trip which we must thank Mr Perkins and Miss Usa for organising!
By Mr. Paul Ferrandino, Key Stage 2 Coordinator
The Whole School Choir are sounding fantastic. We had our 3rd rehearsal on Monday and it’s great to hear that we are mastering some challenging harmonies already!
Whole School Choir involves everyone from the school community! So why not give it a try next week!
Contact Mrs. Lyng on elizabeth.belcher@regents.ac.th or Ms. Teague on rachel.teague@regents.ac.th.
Last weekend we welcomed Bangkok Bobble Football to our boarding campus. Twelve of our students had great fun bumping into each other playing football inside giant inflatable bubbles. The staff were happy to get involved too, and students enjoyed trying to knock them over! Ichigo was the only girl, and did a great job taking on the boys, managing to knock some of them over. She did end up upside down a few times herself though!
The rain has hampered many of our outdoor activity plans. Most evenings sports activities on the grass have had to be changed to indoor ones, and one of weekend cycling trips had to be postponed in favour of a dry trip to the mall instead. With a miserable forecast for the coming week we have also had to postpone our hotly anticipated ‘Staff vs Boarders’ sports evening until after the half term break in November. Our boarders are disappointed, but it gives the staff more chance to practice so it can be a closer game!
We were also proud to present our new Captains and Vice Captains of Boarding with their badges in a Secondary assembly, deservedly recognising their achievements in front of the school. We hope they wear them with pride and continue to serve the Boarding House well.
By Mr Gavin Terry, Head of Boarding
The UKMT Junior Challenge certificates were handed out in assembly on Friday 2nd October. There was a Gold medal for Natasha (Year 9). She was best in her Year and also best in the school. Other winners were Khawpann and Plub with Silver Certificates and Marion, Na, LA, Sunny, Erwin, Baipat and Jessie with Bronze certificates. Congratulations to all of you!
By Mr. Mark Riddelsdell, Head of Mathematics
Regent's International School, Bangkok 
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