Rugby School Thailand eNewsletter

Matters of Principal

Whole School

Announcements

NO SHAVE NOVEMBER
Together, we managed to raise 34,298 THB during our 'No Shave November' campaign. This is a wonderful achievement that would not have been possible without all of your support and contributions. A very big thank you from me and Alison, Gareth Kelly's wife, who is incredibly appreciative of our efforts.

Mr Groucott

COMMUNITY OFFERS
The Siam Bayshore Resort in Pattaya is offering the RST community special rates. Please click below to find out more:

Siam Bayshore Offer

Courtyard by Marriott

Highlight of the Week

MAKE A DIFFERENCE (MAD)

MAD Juniors
The MAD Juniors and the whole of Pre-Prep had two major Christmas projects.

Our first event was ‘Secret Santa’ involving the Year 2 students and parents as well as the children and staff from Hand 2 Hand. Children made pictures of what they wanted for Christmas, and the Y2 parents and children bought them their gifts. Hand 2 Hand then paid Pre-Prep a visit, and we all celebrated Christmas together. Everyone received a gift, and we all sang We wish you a Merry Christmas!

Thank you to every one of the Year 2 parents and students that took part in this amazing day.

For our second project, we held a Christmas toiletry drive in which the entire Pre-Prep donated basic toiletries to Pattaya families in need. We handed everything to Hand 2 Hand, who will distribute it in Pattaya, and it was a big success.

Thank you to everyone who helped by donating toiletries.

Prep MAD
This term, the Prep MAD team has worked extremely hard. We are so proud of all of their achievements so far! See our Term 1 Review below:

Senior MAD
The Senior Make A Difference students have worked hard to make a difference through their charitable endeavours this term. Most notably, Aiko, Atom, Marwin, Pleng, Stella, Mischa, Khowhom, Fang, Jeanie and Mei-Mei volunteered by running the MAD Tuckshop for a period of six hours on Saturday, 2 December where they they raised a total of 32,967.50 THB in six hours.

Furthermore, the girls of Rupert Brooke, Southfield and Tudor house (Lily, Nonny and Stella) have been shopping for over 80 Christmas gifts for the children of the Baan Jing Jai Foundation. This was delivered yesterday and will be handed out to the children on Christmas day.

Alongside the donation of gifts our students also made two donations of 20,000THB to Hope for Strays and Falko Duwe respectively. These are two of the animal charities that the Senior students have continued to provide support to over the last three years.

Christmas Fair

Thank you to everyone who came to our Christmas Fair last weekend. It was a huge success, and we will announce how much money was raised when we have the final figure.

After many weeks of preparation, the business students finally had the chance to sell their products at the RSTPA Christmas fair. With over 30 students taking part, there was everything from slime to gingerbread and even the opportunity to throw water balloons at teachers! The students worked so hard and managed to raise a fantastic 32,767THB in total for charity. Crispy Corner was the overall highest with 8,532THB profit - a big well done to all that took part.

SPONSORS
Here are a few more "thank you" messages to sponsors who helped bring the event to life.

Kinji Omakase in Pattaya offers premium Japanese dishes that blend traditional and contemporary flavours, using carefully selected ingredients. The restaurant kindly sponsored our Christmas Fair.

Let’s Relax Onsen & Spa Pattaya offers a peaceful and soothing spa experience with dramatic sea views. Once again the spa sponsored our fair and provided onsen vouchers for the raffle. Thank you!

The Gems Mining Pool Villas was another generous sponsor of a fantastic one-night stay in the 'Emerald Villa' to the raffle.

One of the world's leading hospitals, Bumrungrad, sponsored our event with a health check worth
15k THB in the raffle.

Senior

Announcements

KEY DATES
A list of key dates for Term 2 can be found here.

LIBRARY NEWS

HIGHER EDUCATION UPDATE - SPOTLIGHT ON SUPRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
If you have attended any of our Higher Education workshops, you have no doubt heard about the importance of supra-curricular activities when preparing to apply to global universities. But what does this actually mean? And why are these activities so important? Click on this link for some examples of the most selective global universities, and to find out more about what they are looking for in future students.

EXPERIENCE A WORLD-CLASS EDUCATION IN SWITZERLAND WITH SWISS EDUCATION GROUP
Your opportunity to learn about our schools and courses at this event:

Date: Saturday, 16^th December 2023
Time: 09.00-16.30
Location: Eastin Grand Hotel Phaya Thai

Reminders

TERM 2
Term2 starts for Day students on Thursday, 4^th January

MOCK EXAMINATIONS
Mock Examinations start for D Block and LXX on Friday, 5^th January. Revision lists and examination timetables have been shared with students.

Highlights of the Week

VEX IQ COMPETITION
In an awesome achievement, RST students rocked the robotics scene by jumping into their very first VEX IQ competition in Bangkok. Their sheer hard work, dedication, and amazing teamwork not only set a new bar for our School but also earned them a cool spot at the National Championship happening in February 2024.

The team, composed of the students within the Robotics CCA, was co-led by Mrs Hammerton and Dr Pop. Students ranging from year 7 to year 9, including prep and senior levels, went head-to-head with 29 other teams from Thailand and Vietnam. It was quite the showdown!

So, what's this VEX IQ Challenge all about? It's like this super exciting robotics competition that gets students all hyped up about science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). They get to design and build robots using VEX IQ components and then dive into a game-based engineering challenge. And you know what's awesome? It's not just about technical skills; it's about teamwork, problem-solving, and thinking on your feet.

Cheers to our incredible robotics team; we can't wait to see them shine at the National Championship in February. Go team!

POLAR RACE4GOOD
A Senior School team from RST actively participated in the Polar Race4Good entrepreneurship and service competition, guided by humanitarian Linda Cruse. The competition focused on devising solutions for communities in the Arctic, Antarctica, and the Himalayas.

Progressing to the final at COP28 in Dubai, our students presented their innovative business plan, pitch, and video centered around the 'Penguin Paradise' app, gamifying recycling and raising awareness about penguins' struggles. Although securing a commendable second place, the team's accomplishments showcased resilience and creativity on a global stage. The competition united students and mentors from diverse backgrounds, addressing climate change threats in Polar Regions. Our team's dedication left an indelible mark, contributing to real-world initiatives in polar communities and fostering meaningful connections.

Congratulations to Chi, Chawin, Iysa, Lily, Sasha, Max, and Amara for their outstanding achievements, exemplifying a commitment to positive change and global impact. Well done!

Prep

Announcements

LIBRARY UPDATE
All Prep students are encouraged to borrow a good book (or two) to maintain their reading throughout the holidays. Please ensure that library books are returned or renewed to avoid financial charges for loss or damage. Please remember that the blue Reading Record books come back to School with the students everyday.

COFFEE MORNINGS
Our Coffee Mornings will be back next term. Please save the dates.

E-SPORT UPDATE
We're very proud to announce that both our boys and girls e-sports teams won their first league against Ascot International Bangkok!

A huge congratulations to Jade, Kaname, Siku, Singha, Tin Tin, Aya, Elisha, JaJa, Prang and Yuki!

Reminders

Please click here for some key dates for the first half of Term 2.

ANTI-BULLYING FORUM
Please find a link to the slides for the anti-bullying forum we ran last week, here

Highlights of the Week

KING RAMA IX ASSEMBLY
Last week, some of our Year 4 students delivered an inspiring assembly about King Rama IX. We also had singing from Year 4 and a duet from Khun Boom and Davie in Y8.

COMPUTING GOES OFFLINE
Computing goes offline with our Potato Pirates coding card game. Keeping things fresh and competitive to teach the essential coding principles and a chance to win our Tech Team mascot keychain in the process.

Pre-Prep

Announcements

KEY DATES FOR TERM 2
Please click on this link for some key dates for your diary in Term 2.

MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF PRE-PREP
This has been one of the busiest times, as is usual for Term 1. Looking back, we can see just how much we have done as a community and how far the children have come. In August we had many new students, particularly in Pre-Nursery and Nursery. There were tears and tantrums as everyone adjusted to School routines and, more importantly, got used to saying goodbye to Mummy and Daddy. It is a huge step starting School and it takes a big team around the child to help them settle in. Therefore, I thank the teaching teams and the parents for their hard work in ensuring their children settled.

Some of our main events this term included International Day, Loy Krathong, STEAM Day, of course, our wonderful Year 1 and 2 performances. There have been numerous parent workshops and coffee mornings and wonderful charity collections that we have run this term. Parent ‘Wake and Shake’ is becoming a regular thing now too, and we are extending our invitation to parents who wish to volunteer listening to children read, or take part in our native reading sessions.

I wish to say thank you to all parents for their support with our events and activities. Thank you too, to the RSTPA reps who have been super at spreading messages and news, as well as representing their year groups so well.

Moreover we have actually been learning! There have been some incredible lessons that Senior Management have observed and some outstanding support of our EAL development with every teacher ensuring that they are providing the best learning environment for their class.

Information now is sent out to parents through ISAMS or Schoolzine and other messages also are placed on TAPESTRY (EYFS) and DOJO (KS1). If you change your contact information, please do let us know.

Wishing you a lovely, safe holiday and a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I look forward to seeing you all in January for Term 2.

Mrs Sarah Shuttleworth
Head of Pre-Prep

Dates for Your Diary

4^th JANUARY: Term 2 starts- welcome back

9^th JANUARY: Parent Workshop – What is safeguarding and how do we keep your children safe?
Delivered in THAI.

10^th JANUARY: KS1 Coffee Morning with a Writing theme

12^th JANUARY: Children's Day – Hand to Hand Foundation visit

16^th JANUARY: Parent Workshop – Support For Learning: what is it and what do we offer at Pre-Prep?

Highlights of the Week

YEAR 2 CHRISTMAS SHOW
We are so proud of the children for their extraordinary performance in the recent School show, "No One Wraps Like an Elf"! The stage was set ablaze with talent, enthusiasm, and creativity as our young stars showcased their skills with confidence and grace.

The dedication and hard work of both students and teachers were evident in every moment of the show. It was a true testament to the collaborative spirit and the passion for the arts that thrive within our School community.

A standing ovation is in order for the Year 2 students who brought joy, laughter, and a touch of magic to the stage. Well done on a spectacular show! We are immensely proud of each and every one of you.

Here's to the bright future of our budding performers!

FATHER'S DAY
Happy Father's Day! This week, the Pre-Prep celebrated Father's Day with our traditional Father's Day breakfast; a huge thank you to all of the dads and family members who attended. We hope you had a lovely day.

It's a beautiful book where a boy imagines what snowmen get up to at night that causes them to be melted and misshapen the next morning. He concludes that lots of cocoa drinking and toboggan racing are to blame! Miss Jenna brought the story to life with her very own 'melted' snowman which the children helped to assemble, complete with carrot nose and scarf!

It was 'a most wonderful time' in the Pre-Prep Library.

PRE NURSERY
Wow, what an amazing first term our little Fishes and Rabbits have had. We have been so proud of all our little ones and how much they have learnt and achieved in just one term: we can now all say goodbye to our carers in the morning with a big smile; we can make our own choices during activity times; we can feed ourselves at snack time, and even take off our own shoes and socks. What fabulous independent Pre-Nursery children we are!

Wishing all the Pre-Nursery families a wonderful Christmas break, and we look forward to welcoming you all back in 2024. Love from all your Pre-Nursery Teachers.

NURSERY
As we approach the festive season, the Nursery Team would like to take a moment to express our warmest wishes to you and your little ones.

This term has been filled with growth, laughter, and countless unforgettable moments in our Nursery classrooms. Watching each child explore, learn, and develop their unique personality has been a true joy for all of us. Your trust and support have made our days brighter, and we are grateful for the privilege of being a part of your child's early years.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas filled with joy, love and the magic of the season.

RECEPTION
Our Reception classes have had an amazing start! It's been great to watch the children progress from Nursery into our Toucan, Lion, Fox, and Gecko classes. Each day has been a mix of fun, learning, and discovery. Seeing the kids become more independent and confident, enjoying their time with teachers and friends, has been fantastic. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all! Looking forward to even more thrills and adventures in Term 2.

YEAR 1
We have had a very busy start to our Year 1 learning journey, filled with lots of fun and new friendships. It has been a joy to get to know your children and we look forward to more adventures in term 2. Thank you for all of your kind Christmas wishes and gifts.

Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Stay safe and have fun with your families.

See you in the new year!

It has been great getting to know all the children in this first term in Year 2. They have a great attitude towards their learning and are real Caring Koalas. We hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year. Stay safe, enjoy your family time together and don't eat too many mince pies!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all.

Useful Links

Learner Profiles

Enrichment and Sport

Sport

SWIMMING
The RST Swim Team had a dynamic Term 1, engaging in three major swim meets in Bangkok and a training camp over the October break. The term is not yet concluded, with the team gearing up for participation in the ‘Feeding Frenzy’ on 8^th, 9^th and 10^th December 2023. This event is recognised as the fastest meet in Bangkok, attracting 21 schools from across Asia. We will keep you updated on the results, but for now, here is a roundup of swimming news for Term 1:

Puppy Cup at Bangkok Prep (7^th October):
In this meet, our youngest swimmers tested their swimming skills and put into practice all the work done at the RST pool during the previous weeks. All our swimmers got a personal best time in their event!

October Swimming Training Camp (13^th – 23^rd October):
20 swimmers showed their dedication and commitment to swimming during the half-term break. These swimmers enjoyed a successful camp full of learning experiences and outstanding training sessions.

Falcon Xtreme at NIST (28^th – 29^th October):
A remarkable turnout of 23 swimmers from the RST Team participated in this exceptional event, securing an impressive 3rd place in the Girls 15 & Over category. Special congratulations to Lilly (Y7) for clinching the FINA Highest Point Trophy. Kudos to our outstanding girls!

BMAC Winter Champs at NIST (25^th – 26^th November):
Our swimmers delivered an outstanding performance at this significant meet. A special acknowledgement goes to those swimmers who qualified for a final, bringing home an impressive total of 27 medals. The team's exemplary behaviour was on full display, with all swimmers cheering for each other and patiently waiting for everyone to complete their events.

Our swimmers exceeded their limits, experiencing both victories and challenges. Regardless of the outcome, we faced it together as a team. Your dedication, teamwork, and passion for the pool are evident in every stroke. Continue swimming with strength and representing the RST Swim Team with pride!

GOLF
In our rookie year competing in the International Schools' Golf Tour (ISGT), our golf team has made an impressive mark, currently holding 6^th position amongst 20 other international schools in Thailand. The team's commendable performance includes standout achievements from Putter, who showcased exceptional skill by securing 1^st place in the ASB Eagle Cup held at Thai Country Club. Makoto's prowess was evident as he clinched the NET Champion title at the King's College Invitational hosted at Thana City, while David showcased his talent by emerging as the Net Champion at the Brighton College Invitational.

As the season moves into the new year, anticipation mounts for upcoming competitions at Amata Springs as well as our own ISGT event scheduled for April.

Enrichment

ADVENTURE EXPLORE SURVIVE
This week saw the AES Advanced Students embark on an exhilarating end-of-term expedition in the challenging terrain of the Khao Mai Kaeo forest reserve. The students, working in small groups under the careful supervision of dedicated teachers, navigated themselves through a demanding 14-kilometre route. Their journey involved not only conquering steep slopes, gullies, and river crossings but also strategically selecting their own camping spots along the way.

The expedition served as a platform for the students to showcase their diverse skills and interests, pushing them to their limits and beyond. From demonstrating exceptional navigation abilities to exhibiting great outdoor proficiency, these students displayed a remarkable blend of independence and teamwork.

This immersive experience not only tested their mettle but also allowed them to hone crucial life skills such as resilience and adaptability. The AES Advanced Students have truly excelled in this outdoor challenge, proving that they are not just learners but adventurers ready to conquer any obstacle that comes their way.