Rugby School Thailand eNewsletter

Matters of Principal

Whole School

Announcements

ABSENCES FROM SCHOOL
Every moment in School counts, and days missed add up quickly. The higher a student's attendance, the more likely they are to learn and perform better at School. Therefore, please avoid taking your children out of School.

A reminder that absences due to visa, medical, or other urgent appointments and illnesses will be authorised. If your child will be absent from School due to these reasons, please email their Form Tutor and copy in the secretary from your School section.

Extended absences due to holidays or business trips should not take place during term time and therefore will not be authorised by the School. The Head of School needs to be informed of absences of this nature.

ANTIBIOTIC USE
Please see some more information from the World Health Organisation regarding the misuse and overuse of antibiotics:

Reminders

RST LIGHTNING LOGO
We're thrilled to announce that the stencils for our new RST Lightening logo are now ready at the School Shop.

If you'd like to add the stylish new logo to your previously purchased kit (although it's entirely optional), simply bring the kit to the School Shop. The team will be delighted to assist with the ironing process (for a small fee of 20THB), allowing you to refresh your kit without the need for new purchases.

WINTER GALA
This year's Winter Gala will be taking place on Thursday, 7^th December at 7pm in the Veraphan Theatre. The event will be a spectacular showcase of musical talent at RST and we hope to see many of you there.

Tickets are complimentary, but they are limited. They will be available for the families of performers on 23^rd and 24^th November, then on general release from Monday, 27^th November. We will send a reminder when the 'Box Office' opens nearer the time.

RSTPA CHRISTMAS FAIR
A big thank you to the FLS Group for sponsoring the Christmas Fair this year. The company's generous contribution will go a long way towards creating a wonderful event and raising money for Take Care Kids and cancer research.

We still have plenty of sponsorship opportunities available for the Christmas Fair and would like to appeal to the RST community to support this popular RSTPA event, which is raising money for two brilliant causes: Take Care Kids and cancer research.

Please take a look at our Christmas Fair sponsorship information to see how you can help us, and how we can help you or your business.

If you're interested in becoming a sponsor, simply complete this form: https://tinyurl.com/2hezv4wv. If you need any further information, please contact the RSTPA events team: christmasfair@rugbyschool.ac.th

Highlight of the Week

RSTPA COOKING CLASS
Our RSTPA Cooking Class travelled to India today to explore the wide range of spices. Many thanks to our Indian families for presenting the beauty of India and showing us their culinary delights.

Senior

Announcements

SPORTS DAY
Sports Day has been postponed for this term, and a date will be announced shortly.

BLOOD BROTHERS TICKETS
The Blood Brothers Ticket Office will open on Tuesday, 14th November. General release tickets are now available at the Senior Front Office. Students and parents, please collect your complimentary tickets starting Tuesday, 14th November. As seating is limited, ensure to secure yours promptly. Cast, Pit Band, and Crew members who didn't pre-book can approach Mr. Furness to do so.

28^th November 7pm (with Savannah playing Mrs. Johnstone and Nina as Linda)
29^th November 7pm (with Nina playing Mrs. Johnstone and Rin as Linda)
30^th November 7pm (with Nina playing Mrs. Johnstone and Rin as Linda)
1^st December 7pm (with Savannah playing Mrs. Johnstone and Nina as Linda)

RUGBY SCHOOL GROUP POETRY COMPETITION 2023
“Golden Shovels”

Calling all RST students and staff! The Rugby School Group Poetry Competition 2023 is now open (Thailand, Japan & UK).

What is a golden shovel poem? A golden shovel poem borrows a line from an existing poem or song and uses each word from that line as the last word of each line in a new poem.

More information on the competition, with examples of poems, can be found on the Virtual Notice Board at seniorstudents.rugbyschool.ac.th

Please submit your work by Friday, 1st December 2023 at poetry@rugbyschool.ac.th

The submitted works will be judged internally and externally, and prizes will be awarded for:

Best poem in F, E and D Block
Best poem in LXX – XX
Best staff poem
House with the most submissions
Each participant will earn a Try

Highlight of the Week

IAN MURPHY ART WORKSHOP
Our students follow a natural path of investigation, exploring how artists work in a range of processes and media. It is crucial that they then link the research of artists to their own artwork.

Last week, GCSE and A-Level art and design students had the wonderful opportunity to work alongside British mixed media artist Ian Murphy. During the full-day workshop, Ian taught them a number of techniques to layer tissue paper, graphite, and inks to create a number of refined outcomes using drawing techniques. Sandpaper was the essential material of the day, and the use of hair dryers efficiently dried layers of glue.

Ian's professionalism and warm delivery made the day hugely productive and successful.

MODEL UNITED NATIONS
On Saturday, 28 October, RST sent a delegation of thirteen sixth-formers to the Bangkok Model United Nations (MUN) at NIST International School. Joining twenty other schools and over one hundred students, this was RST MUN's first ever conference.

At this conference, students are given the challenging opportunity to role play as a nation and then, working with other student delegates, discuss and debate some of the world's most challenging political, economic, and social issues (for example, universal basic income, the situation in Niger, and the demilitarization of the Arctic), with the aim of producing a resolution detailing their solutions. Even though most other student delegates had considerable MUN experience, our delegation was superb, and played an important role in the debates and drafting of resolutions. They should all be very proud of their excellent performance, and we are already looking forward to our next MUN conference!

Prep

Announcements

PREP MAD REPRESENTATIVES
Meet our MAD representatives for Prep:

LOY KRATHONG
We will be celebrating Loy Krathong on Tuesday, 28^th November and we encourage all of the students to come into School wearing Thai traditional costume.

Through this link, you will find a list of places where costumes can be bought or hired as well as some images to give you an idea of what different costumes you can choose.

THINK BEFORE YOU POST
We teach our students to THINK before they communicate online to ensure their comments are appropriate at all times. As adults, we should also model good etiquette on our Line groups. Have a look at our poster and remember: Before you post, THINK!

PREP MAD CHRISTMAS GIFT COLLECTION
In the lead up to Christmas, we will hold a Christmas Gift Collection to support local children in need. We are working in partnership with 58:12 United, a local charity that runs weekly children’s groups in Pattaya. We hope that this activity will create a sense of community and giving in Prep this Christmas.

Dates for your Diary

13^th NOVEMBER: School Closed for Exeat

14^th NOVEMBER:
Golf ISGT
U13 / U15 Volleyball

15^th NOVEMBER: Full dress rehearsal for Moana - all costumes need to be in School

16^th NOVEMBER:
ESAC U11 Basketball v GIS (Away)
15:00-17:45: Year 6 Parent Teacher Meeting in the Senior Dining Hall

17^th NOVEMBER:
Deadline for Term 2 Activity Sign-up on SOCS
14:30-17:30: Year 6 Parent Teacher Meeting in the Senior Dining Hall

18^th NOVEMBER:
BISA U11 Boys Basketball @STA
BISA U11 Girls Basketball @Bangkok Prep
BISA U9 Basketball @King's
BISA U10 & U13 RISR Football Tournament
08:45-10:00 Session 1 of the Saturday Enrichment Programme (SEP) - Sign-up on SOCS
10:15-11:45 Session 2 SEP

Highlights of the Week

CITY WIDE SCIENCE COMPETITION
Eight of our best Y6 scientists were selected to represent Rugby School Thailand at the inaugural City Wide Science Competition, hosted by Shrewsbury, Riverside in Bangkok. In the morning, we got to know the competitors from other schools during some collaborative tasks and demonstrations. After a delicious lunch, the competition began, with general knowledge, a practical challenge, and some data analysis. The boys and girls in both teams put in a huge effort and worked fantastically well together. After tasty doughnuts, the results were announced, and our team from 6A and 6S was 2^nd out of 14 teams.

MANDARIN TRIP
Our Year 7 and 8 Language A Mandarin learners recently visited a local Chinese Hot Pot Restaurant as part of their language curriculum. They practised ordering food in Mandarin, gaining practical language experience. This outing also provided insights into Chinese food culture, leading to the creation of a Hot Pot Guide video. The students had a fantastic time, enjoying the cuisine and the immersive learning experience.

Pre-Prep

Announcements

PARENT WORKSHOP
Please find a link to the slides for this week's parent workshop on "Independence and Routines"

Independence and Routines

ODD SOCK DAY
On 20^th November, we will be celebrating Odd Sock Day at School, where the children can wear an odd pair of socks to celebrate our differences, and friendships. We will also focus on friendships at School.

We aim to inspire children to make a positive impact on the lives of others, particularly those different from our community at RST. Specifically, we want to support children who lack basic essentials like shoes or socks.

We invite Pre-Prep children to contribute by donating a pair of their gently-used shoes from home. These donated shoes will be given to children in Pattaya who currently lack proper footwear. Instead of monetary donations, we kindly ask for the donation of shoes to support those in need. A collection box will be placed outside the reception area on 20^th November for your contributions.

Please see the poster attached for more details. Also scan the QR code to watch our Odd Sock day video:

Dates for Your Diary

13^th NOVEMBER: School closed- EXEAT

14^th NOVEMBER: Parent Workshop 8:30am Key Stage One READING (Y1 and Y2)

20^th NOVEMBER: Odd Sock day- wear your odd socks as we talk about friendhsips and kindness (anti-bullying)

21^st NOVEMBER: Parent Workshop 8:30am Monster Phonics

24^th NOVEMBER: Year 1 Christmas Show - "Fe Fi Fo Fum a Jack and the Beanstalk Pantomime" 9am

28^th NOVEMBER: Loy Krathong Celebration 8:30am in The Oval (weather permitting)

Highlights of the Week

PRE-NURSERY
This half term, the Pre-Nursery children have started their new topic of 'People Who Help Us' and wow, what fun we have had! So far, we have been learning all about people who help us in an emergency: doctors, nurses, dentists, and firefighters. Here are some great action shots of our children getting into character and acting out as emergency helpers:

KEY STAGE 1
Last week, our Year 1 and 2 students enjoyed a morning of immersive learning at our Outdoor Education Centre (OEC). They participated in a variety of engaging activities, including games promoting teamwork and coordination, creative nature weaving and observational drawing, and even a bug-hunting adventure.

The highlight was discovering various insects and critters, fostering a sense of wonder, and understanding our local ecosystems. They also had the opportunity to build bird baths, enhancing their fine motor skills and environmental awareness. These experiences not only brought joy but also valuable life skills to our students, including teamwork and problem-solving. We look forward to their return for more immersive learning at the OEC.

Year 1

ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE (EAL)
In EAL classes so far this term targeted interventions have focused on building phonics knowledge and word meaning to support reading skills. The engaging group work activities are a fun way to develop speaking skills that in turn support emergent writing skills connected to the children’s lives. In Year 2 Intensive English we have been learning about prepositions of place and movement. During soft play lessons we create obstacle courses to demonstrate the prepositions we have learned. It is pleasing to see that Pre-Prep IE and EAL learners enjoy their learning activities while building their core academic skills at the same time.

Learner Profiles

Enrichment and Sport

Enrichment

JUNIOR SPORTS LEADERS
Our Junior Sports Leaders have been shining brightly as they progress through the Junior Sports Leaders Award. Their enthusiasm and dedication have been truly inspiring, and we couldn't be prouder of their growth as young leaders. Now, as they gear up to deliver engaging sessions to our Year 2 students, we're excited to see their knowledge and passion in action. With their guidance, the Year 2s are in for a fantastic learning experience. The future of leadership in sports looks exceptionally promising, thanks to our Junior Sports Leaders' outstanding efforts and commitment!

Sport

BASKETBALL
Last Saturday, the U13A team competed in their first BISA Basketball tournament. The girls displayed remarkable teamwork and camaraderie, with their hard work and effort shining through in the face of tough competition, resulting in several thrillingly close games. The girls found great joy in the tournament, and their admirable determination and positive mind set did not go unnoticed, putting 100% effort into each game.

Boarding

Boarding offers opportunities to work collaboratively, offline and online, to spend time on projects with friends and to work as a team with a diverse peer group. Our boarders tell us they value the leadership opportunities being part of our thriving community provides. For more information, please contact the Director of Boarding, Mr David Ennis-Billing.