Term 2 - 6 January
Matters of Principal
Whole School News
COVID ISOLATION AND REFUNDS
In the Royal Gazette announcement at the end of September 2022, Covid-19 was changed from a "dangerous communicable disease" to a "communicable disease under surveillance". As such, it is now in the same category as Influenza, Hand, foot and mouth, Dengue, Diarrhoea, Tetanus and Rabies. If your child is suspected of having contracted any of these diseases, our policy is for the student to remain at home and seek further medical assistance and advice.
In line with this change of categorisation, we are removing the fee refunds that have been available when having to isolate after a positive Covid-19 test. From the start of this term, the term's fees are due in full even if your child is sick at home for a period of time as was our policy prior to the outbreak of Covid-19 in 2020.
SCRUMMY 2.0
An opportunity has arisen to partner with Rugby School Thailand to provide a Coffee Shop/Café onsite that would help cater for demand from our growing community.
Rugby School Thailand would therefore like to invite interested parties to submit their expressions of interest directly to our COO, Mr Gareth Tebbutt, via email (gtebbutt@rugbyschool.ac.th), who will then follow up with specific requirements and timelines.
Whole School Reminders
KEEPING YOUR CHILDREN SAFE
In order to keep our students safe, we require parents to wear their ID cards at all times when collecting child(ren).
All parents are expected to apply for a parent ID card (up to 3 cards, free of charge) from the first week of their enrolment. If parents forget to bring their ID badge on any particular day, you are required to show your photo ID and sign the visitor code of conduct form at the reception desk to receive a visitor badge before entering the School (black) gates.
Please note, without an ID badge or visitor pass, entry will not be permitted.
Senior News
Announcements & Reminders
WELCOME MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF SENIOR
It was a delight to welcome students back at the start of this term and to extend a warm welcome to the new students who joined our wonderful community. We also welcomed Mr Gilman to the School to teach Economics; Mr Gilman brings a wealth of educational experience with him and we wish him well.
In assembly at the start of term, I talked about being versatile, one of the characteristics of the Rugby Learner Profile. Being able to adapt to new situations or a changing world is a vital human skill for everyone. This term, we have many events in the calendar that students can participate in and step out of their comfort zones. It is only when we push at the edge of our comfort zones that we make the most progress.
HOUSE COMPETITIONS
We have an exciting array of House events during term two. The inter-House film festival was launched by Grahame (SH, XX), on Wednesday. Students are challenged to make a 5min film on the theme of love, to be premiered on 15th February.
We have an inter-House sports day on 19th January, followed by inter-House football and basketball in February and March. We also have inter-House poetry, art and drama taking place later in the term.
May the best House win!
Dates for your Diary
8th – 13th JANUARY: IGCSE mock exams continue
8th – 19th JANUARY: IAL exams continue
14th JANUARY: Saturday enrichment
17th JANUARY: F-Block Thai trip to Temple in Bangkok
20th JANUARY: Inter-House sports day
D Block Exam Preparation
As our D Block students continue with their mock examinations this coming week, parents and students are encouraged to use this exam slaying checklist to help maintain healthy mental and physical health during this intense period of the year.
Prep News
Announcements & Reminders
Welcome back and Happy New Year to all of our RST community! I would like to introduce you to a few new members of staff this term:
- Firstly, we are delighted that Gareth Ross has joined us as our new Head of Music. Gareth has come all the way from South Africa and has over 14 years of experience in teaching music across the different age ranges. He is also a concert pianist, who has won multiple awards and scholarships. His energy and enthusiasm will undoubtedly enable effective and inspiring learning in the music classroom.
- We also welcome Patrick McNally, a graduate from the UK, who has joined our Year 4 team as a Teaching Assistant. His interests include sport, cooking and wildlife.
- Finally, Jo Porras has joined us from the Philippines, where he was an elementary teacher for four years. He joins the Year 3 team as a Teaching Assistant. He hopes to bring his music and martial arts interests into our future activities programme.
Gareth Ross
Patrick McNally
Jo Porras
Dates for your Diary
7th JANUARY
08:30-10:15
U8, U10, U12 Football v Pattaya Inter @RST - Relevant parents have been emailed
08:30-11:45
Saturday Enrichment Programme - a reminder that the sign-up opens on Tuesdays through SOCS
14th JANUARY
08:30-11:45
Saturday Enrichment Programme - a reminder that the sign-up opens on Tuesdays through SOCS
House Lego Competition
Design Brief: Fantasy Castle Lego Competition
Objective: To create a unique, imaginative fantasy castle using Lego bricks.
Guidelines:
- Entries should be built entirely out of Lego bricks.
- Entries should be original designs and may not replicate existing castle models.
- Entries should incorporate elements of fantasy, such as mythical creatures, magic, or advanced technology.
- Entries may include figures, but they are not required.
- Entries should be no larger than 30cm (a standard ruler) in any direction.
Judging Criteria:
- Creativity: Based on the originality of the design, the innovative use of pieces, or the incorporation of unique building techniques that capture the theme.
- Attention to detail: Based on the accuracy of the model, the level of realism, or the overall polish of the finished product.
- Theme: Points are awarded for models that best fit the theme of "fantasy castle"
Good luck, and we can't wait to see your fantastic castle creations!
The deadline for entries is Monday 16th January
To enter, join the google classroom: https://classroom.google.com/c/NTgxMDM2MjA4NjM1?cjc=b7mebxa
Scan here to join the classroom
International Collaboration in Computing
In Year 7, students are learning to code a computer game for use on a handheld device known as a micro:bit. In Design & Technology, they are designing and building a handheld games console that the micro:bit will fit into and allow their games to be played and tested by each other.
Alongside this internal collaboration, we have also teamed up with Nord Anglia International School Hong Kong (NAISHK) who are also coding a similar project. Our students are watching their game pitches and learning how to provide feedback whilst NAISHK gives feedback to our students on their pitches. This is a fantastic opportunity to be globally minded and learn new skills in a real-world, target-audience scenario.
Pre-Prep News
Announcements and Reminders
WELCOME LETTER FROM THE HEAD OF PRE-PREP
Please click on the link below to read a welcome letter from Ms Sarah:
BIG TALK RETURNS
On Tuesday 10th January, our Parent Workshop is taking a BIG TALK format where parents will be invited to learn more about Food and Nutrition and discuss their own experiences and their child's issues.
BIG TALK is a chance to both learn and share experiences in a workshop setting. Open to all Pre-Prep parents.
CONGRATULATIONS
Congratulations to Yejin in Year 2 Hedgehogs who took the ABRSM violin Grade 1 exam and achieved a distinction score. An amazing achievement and we are all so proud of you- I hope you can play in assembly for us too!
SPECIAL VISITORS
We had special visitors popping into School this week in the form of Mr and Mrs Westlake and Herbert and Harry. Mr Westlake was the founding Head of RST and Mrs Westlake was the Pre-Prep music teacher and Director of Music in Prep.
It was lovely showing them around and for them to see the School again. I think they miss the warm weather after a cold winter in the UK!
CHILDREN'S DAY
As part of our Children's Day celebrations on the 13th, we are asking for any second-hand children's clothes and shoes. Many of the Hand to Hand children who visit us have little or no clothing or shoes and the families that the Foundation supports really do appreciate these items.
We are also collecting diapers/nappies for New Born XXXL in children’s and M in adults. We will leave a collection box at the entrance to Pre-Prep for any donations.
Thank you in advance for your kind donations.
Dates for Your Diary
9th JANUARY – Year 2 bikes and helmets to School; scooters welcome
10th JANUARY – Parent Workshop is a BIG TALK on Food and Nutrition for children - 8:30am
10th JANUARY – STEAM DAY
We will be having a Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics day at Pre-Prep for the children
13th JANUARY – CHILDREN'S DAY CELEBRATION
We invite Hand to Hand to join us for the morning and we collect items for donation
16th JANUARY – Year 1 bikes and helmets to School; scooters welcome
Welcome Back!
PRE-NURSERY
Wow, it has been absolutely amazing welcoming back all of our little Pre-Nursery children for term two. On our first day back we jumped straight into our 'Wake and Shake' which was a great way to start the term off...full of energy and excitement.
We have already started exploring our new topic of 'Down in the Jungle' and the children eagerly named all the different animals we can find in the jungle.
Pre-Nursery also have some new friends joining us, the Panda Class! They have all been so very brave learning how to say goodbye to their family members and explore their new and exciting classrooms. This is definitely looking to be a fun-filled and amazing second term.
NURSERY
The Nursery children came back to school with such enthusiasm and excitement this week. They were so happy to see each other and got straight to the important business of playing. Great job Parrot, Bear and Owl classes. We are super proud of you.
RECEPTION
Welcome back to all of our Reception families and happy New Year! It's been wonderful to see the children so excited to be back in class and eager to learn.
We have already started learning our new topic, 'Our World', with a helping hand from the children. It has been great to listen to the 'Show and Tell' stories about their recent holidays. We have already learnt so much about all of the different places that have been visited, from jungles and waterfalls to icy mountains.
We look forward to learning more this half term.
YEAR 1
We have had an exciting start to our term 2 and it was great to welcome everyone back after the Christmas and New Year holidays. Lots of smiles, hugs and learning as we embark on the adventure that is term 2.
We can't wait to continue our learning journey and look forward to many new experiences.
YEAR 2
It was great to welcome back our Year 2 students into Pre-Prep this week. The children enjoyed sharing their stories of the fun trips and amazing activities they did during the holidays. We are really looking forward to a fun-filled term 2!
Intensive English
In Mr. Roger's Intensive English class we enjoyed using Fruit Loops to make words with the long and short 'oo' sounds. Yum! Yum!
Spanish
In Spanish, both Year 1 and Year 2 have been tremendous 'Exploring Eagles' learning about some important New Year's traditions in Spain. We have been talking about traditional food, what are "las campanadas" and who brings gifts to children in Spain. We also enjoyed playing some fun games.
Useful Links
Enrichment & Sport
YEAR 3 ART AND CRAFT
The Year 3s have started the year with a practical craft activity which allowed them to express their creativity, as well as practise their fine motor skills. This week, they made bookmarks which they are excited to use straight away!
LEGO LEAGUE CHALLENGE
Our first Lego League Challenge team has begun its journey following this year's theme: Superpowered. The focus is on energy sources and will require them to apply their STEM skills, think critically and work within a team.
In their first activity session this week, the team started building their Mission Models for their robot game table proving themselves to be an excellent team week one! Looking forward to seeing what they achieve this term.
Boarding Life
The School House E Block love celebrating birthdays together - they are a tight-knit group who support each other and enjoy the real friendships they have made as a result of living together in our amazing boys' boarding house.
At the end of last term, Senior Boarders had their annual Boarding Christmas Party down at Wisdom Valley, one of our favourite events of the year!
The students dressed to impress as we shared a festive meal and watched some brilliant (and very funny) student-led music and drama performances. Here are some snapshots of the evening.
Secret Santa is an annual tradition in School House. We had a lot of fun buying and opening presents for each other just before the end of last term. It was a lovely way to celebrate the festive period together and say goodbye before heading off for the holiday.
RSTeam Spotlight
Get to know the people who make RST great by learning more about them and their roles.
This week's spotlight is on Tom Fogden, Prep PE Teacher and Marshall House duty staff:
Community Offers & Events
HOLIDAY INN- RST COMMUNITY DISCOUNTS
We’d like to thank our friends from the Holiday Inn, who are offering our RST Community preferential hotel rates and discounts in their restaurants for 2023:
WISDOM SWIM RACE PERFORMANCE COURSE
Wisdom Fit will host another Swim Race Performance Training Programme at the Webb Ellis Centre this term, and the RST community is invited to join!
Dates: 9th Jan – 29th Apr 2023 (excluding 6 Apr - 23 Apr)
Times: Mon – Fri at 6:00 - 8:00pm / Sat at 6:30-9:00 am
The programme has limited places (20 max.) and costs 20,000 THB for 4 months. Please scan the QR code if you would like to find out more or register.
