Term 3 - 3 May 2024

Matters of Principal

Whole School

RST SENIOR AND PREP TRIP TO CHINA, OCTOBER 2024
We intend to offer a trip to China over the October half term of 2024 and we are writing to ask for expressions of interest. The current plan is to depart on 17^th October and return on 22^nd October. 

With a civilisation spanning 4,500 years and a city history spanning 3,100 years, Chengdu is the only city in China whose name and location have never changed throughout the ages. This city is the starting point for the famous Silk Road in Southern China, and in ancient times, Chengdu was the centre of Chinese tea culture, painting, poetry, and music. Chengdu is also famous for pandas. We are confident that this trip will provide a wonderful cultural experience for all students attending and provide considerable exposure to the Mandarin language and Chinese culture, especially Bashu culture.

The trip will consist of 6 days and 5 nights, and students will be based in Chengdu, where they will have the opportunity to volunteer at the Panda Research Base, watch Sichuan opera face-changing, taste a traditional Chinese hotpot, and participate in cultural activities in the museums and Dujiangyan Water Conservancy Project,etc.

The trip will be open to students in Years 7-XX, even if they are not studying Mandarin. The approximate cost of the trip is 92,000 THB, but this number is likely to decrease depending on the number of students joining.

Please refer to the China trip parents' letter and trip itinerary for more information. 

If you would like to join our next cooking classes, they are as follows:

7^th May – Korean
4^th June – Japanese

We have a maximum of 24 places, so if you are interested, please reserve your place via QR code / irbis2002@bk.ru / Line: Helen Cool / 0907694661.

There will be a small fee of 300THB per session to cover the costs of ingredients, and you will need to bring some empty containers to take your food away.

ARENA THAILAND AGE GROUP SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS 2024
During the Songkran break, the Thailand Age Group Swimming Championships bore witness to an outstanding display of talent and effort from the RST Swim Team. With five of our top swimmers qualifying for this prestigious event, expectations were high, and they did not disappoint:

• Paul (Y6) and Pat (Y9) on their first ever participation at Nationals, were able to get a new PB in their events. This is what we called a 100% improvement. Pat was very close to making the finals in a couple of events, finishing in the top 15 too;
• Vincent (D Block) faced probably one of his biggest challenges during this meeting, as he got sick just before the first day. This did not make him give up, instead, he stepped up and tried his best to swim at his best time level;

• Despite starting the day facing significant challenges, Rebecca (LXX) managed to shift her mindset, overcome obstacles, and achieve a personal milestone by qualifying for the first time in her life for a final in the 50m fly. Despite qualifying with the 8^th best time, she showed remarkable resilience and determination, moving up two positions to finish 6^th in the final;

• Special recognition goes to Lilly (Y7). Although her performance in the freestyle events was not her best, she demonstrated that her remarkable dedication and hard work paid off in her breaststroke. Lilly competed in all distances in this challenging stroke, qualifying for the final in each. She secured Bronze medals in the 50 and 200 metres, setting high expectations for her last event after qualifying with the fastest time for the final. As I often say, dreams can come true, and Lilly earned the Gold medal in the 100m Breaststroke event!

Collectively, the RST Swim Team's performance was outstanding, making everyone in the team proud of them. Their achievements served as a testament to their effort, dedication, and unwavering commitment to excellence. Well done!

Senior

SPOTLIGHT ON HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE UK
The United Kingdom is often regarded as a beacon of academic excellence, drawing students from around the globe. Renowned for its prestigious institutions, multicultural environment, and abundant opportunities, the UK is often a popular university choice for RST students.

Click here to find out why studying in the UK could be a great fit for your child.

RST STUDENTS PRIMED FOR UNIVERSITY SUCCESS!
University offers for our XX students are coming in thick and fast! With more than 100 offers received from over 60 leading global universities, we are excited to follow the future successes of our current XX cohort with pride.

See this blog post to find out more.

RST LECTURE SERIES: UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE

WE CARE WE BUILD
Our LXX students are making a difference in someone's life through their "We Care, We Build" project. They are joining forces with the Department of Children and Youth, Chonburi, on a 5-year project (2024-2029) under the Department of Social Development and Welfare. The aim is to enhance opportunities and increase quality of life, ensuring equal access to social services and housing for all individuals.

The objectives of this initiative are:

1. Set policies to measure social protection and develop social innovations, creating fairness and reducing inequalities.
2. Raise the level of social protection by providing basic welfare services and creating social security for people of all ages, recognising the rapid changes in society and the environment.
3. Create opportunities and increase the quality of life, especially for those living in difficult circumstances.
4. Strengthen access to stable, standardised housing and arable land, while building suitable environmental circumstances for all ages.

This year, the target is to build a house for an 8-year-old girl who lives with her grandmother. The authority and provincial team will construct the house by the end of June, while our ROTC students will volunteer to help with landscaping and ground area work.

If you would like to support this meaningful cause, please join Mei-Mei and Jeanie's fundraising project, "We Care, We Build 2024" ( Supervisor: Kru Natt)

Together, we can make a difference and improve lives.

AUSTRALIA UNIVERSITY VIRTUAL FAIR
Hosted by One Education, we are delighted to inform you about the forthcoming Australia University University Virtual Fair 

Headlining the event is a seminar featuring Professor Chang, renowned for his thought-provoking insights into labour market trends. Professor Chang will share how leveraging employer preferences data can illuminate undergraduate choices, offering a fresh perspective on career paths. With multiple breakout rooms available, participants can navigate between university booths and our seminar hall, engaging in one-on-one discussions with representatives from top Australian institutions. 

Seminar - "Careers and Employability in a Post-Pandemic AI-Driven World"
The world is changing rapidly, and in an AI-driven world, many jobs of the 20th Century will not exist by 2025 and the remaining industries will see massive changes according to a Gartner Report. In addition, new positions have also arisen in the last 5-10 years that have taken over as the most lucrative jobs around the world. The post-pandemic world brings new careers, opportunities and challenges for students and graduates.  Such changes have direct impacts on the future jobs of graduates, no matter which industry they want to be a part of. How do we prepare students for such a future?

Join this session to get ahead of the game; learn how students at the University of Melbourne might thrive in the future, through engaging with the opportunities offered by them. 

Bio - Dr Shanton Chang (PhD)
Dr Chang is a Professor of Information Behaviour and Information Systems at the School of Computing and Information Systems, The University of Melbourne, and Associate Dean (International) at the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology. He has extensive experience in understanding people's information needs and behaviours in society, business and health. Shanton works closely with the University’s industry partners to understand the skills that employers expect from graduates; he's also published papers on the behaviours of international students.

Please note pre-registration is required and the event zoom link will be sent via email a few days before the event date. 

STUDY IN JAPAN - Online Japanese College Fair: 21^st – 23^rd May
Japan stands at the forefront of global education, offering a myriad of programmes designed to welcome international students. 

From English-taught programmes and courses exclusively in English to flexible admission in the fall and generous scholarship opportunities, 

Japanese universities are committed to providing an inclusive and supportive environment for students from around the globe.

This online fair proudly features 14 distinguished universities that are eager to open their doors to international talent. 

This fair serves as an unparalleled platform for students to explore their academic futures, engage with university representatives, and learn more about the unique opportunities available to them in Japan.

Why Attend?
- Discover comprehensive programmes tailored for international students, including the "English Admission System" and "English Only Courses."
- Learn about "Fall Admission" processes and scholarship opportunities designed to support your academic journey.
- Engage directly with representatives from 14 leading Japanese universities.
- Equip yourself with all the information needed to make informed decisions about your higher education prospects in Japan.

Full details of the event and participating institutions can be found on the flyer below. Please note that timings are shown in US West Coast time (PDT)

EQUITY PARTNERSHIP FIELDTRIP - A PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT WEEKEND IN NORTHERN THAILAND 
Over the weekend, a group of LXX students who are part of the Equity Partnership programme visited their partner schools’ in Phrae and Chaing Rai in Northern Thailand. 

This visit followed a launch event and an initial workshop in Bangkok before Songkran, during which students from Equitable Education Fund (EEF) supported government schools travelled to Bangkok to meet their fellow team members. The visit to northern Thailand gave the RST students a chance to reciprocate, meet their peers, and learn more about the capacity and culture of these beautiful, rural and under-resourced communities. 

The aim of the Equity Partnership programme is to encourage cultural exchange, bridge educational gaps in Thailand, and build connections between students from affluent backgrounds and those from underprivileged communities.

Students work together to produce a sustainable product, developed from resources and expertise local to the EEF funded partner school. 

The hosts organised a fantastic programme, with both schools extending a warm welcome to the visiting students and showcasing their community's skills and crafts. During the visit, the teams continued brainstorming to refine the product, packaging, and branding for their collaborative project, which will be available for purchase on Shopee e-commerce platform in July.

Prep

TERM 3 PREP MUSIC RECITAL WEDNESDAY, 15^th MAY
This is the last week for you to be able to register your child for the final Prep Music recital.

This recital is open to all Prep students who learn an instrument and have a piece ready to perform. Signing up for a recital is a great motivator for students to practice and playing in front of an audience can help develop their confidence and performance skills.

Register your child by clicking this link or scanning the QR code below.

Registrations will close on Friday, 3^rd May.

4^th MAY: No Saturday Enrichment Programme due to exeat weekend

6^th MAY: School Closed for Exeat

7^th MAY:
08:15-10:30: RSTPA Cooking Class - Korea
15:25-17:15: U13/U15 Athletics @Regents

9^th MAY (08:00-09:00): Year 3 Coffee Morning & Transition Presentation in the Veraphan Theatre
Come and find out who will be teaching your children next year and what events will be coming up

10^th MAY:
08:10: BYOD Presentation and Q&A for parents of Y6-8
Chonburi Swimming Championships

11^th MAY:
08:45-10:15: Saturday Enrichment Programme (SEP) Session 1
10:30-11:45: Saturday Enrichment Programme (SEP) Session 2
Please sign up on SOCS. Meeting place is the entrance of the Senior Building (Setti Metha)
Chonburi Swimming Championships
U11 Tee Ball Tournament @NIST
U9 & 11 BISA Touch Rugby Tournament @DBS

EARTH DAY
We are thrilled to share the fantastic news that our first ever 'Earth Day' on 30^th March was a tremendous success! First of all, our RSTMAD representatives presented the importance of supporting Earth Day in Assembly. Then, thanks to the incredible generosity of our School community, we raised over 35,000THB for our chosen charities - The EcoThailand Foundation and Trash Hero Thailand!

The students proudly wore green in support of Earth Day, showing their dedication to environmental awareness and commitment to raising money for a worthy cause.

Pre-Prep

YEAR 1 BIKE TO SCHOOL
Cancelled due to the heatwave.

HOT WEATHER
The weather remains overly hot and so we are cancelling bikes to School this term. Outdoor activities remain reduced and follow our Heat Index Protocol:

6^th MAY: School closed

7^th MAY: EYFS Maths Workshop
Rescheduled from last week. 8:30 am Assembly Hall - for Pre-Nursery, Nursery and Reception parents 

8^th MAY: Come and See
School open to parents to see what their children are doing 8:00-8:45am. Wake and Shake (If outside) 8:30am for KS1 and 8:45am for EYFS

10^th MAY: Ducks and Sharks class assembly - parents welcome 8:40am

13^th MAY: Reception Bike to School likely to be cancelled due to heat                   

TEDDY BEARS’ PICNIC
On Tuesday, we had a fun day dressed in our pyjamas with our colourful cuddly bears/toys. We were encouraging children to speak about their bears and share information with their friends.

Pre-Nursery and Nursery had a super morning snack picnic and were joined by a giant Mrs Bear. They were so well behaved having their picnic and it was lovely to see them showing their friends their teddy bears.

Reception, Year 1 and 2 had a picnic lunch with Mrs Bear too. They were very excited to show Mrs Bear their cuddly toys and tell her about them. All the teachers joined in the fun with their pyjamas on, and a lovely day was had by all.

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ART WEEK
Last week, we celebrated Art in Pre-Prep that culminated in an exhibition for our parents. This year's theme was 'Amazing Colours' and as you can see in the photos, our students and teachers worked very hard on creating these beautiful and colourful artpieces.

Each year group designs a selfie wall every year which is always popular with our parents and children.

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In this collage video you can enjoy a range of art pieces done by our Pre-Prep students over the first 2 terms this academic year. Next week, we will we will add the Pre-Prep art competition winners as the Prep jury will cast their votes today:

Learner Profiles

Enrichment & Sport

ADVENTURE EXPLORE SURVIVE ACTIVITY
At the end of last term, our AES Students embarked on their much-anticipated hiking expeditions around the Khao Mai Keao forest. 

The end-of-term hiking adventures allow the students to explore our local countryside and put all their new skills to the test. Working in small groups, they have to navigate their way around the forest with their group leads, Mr Douglas, Mr Kahumbu, Mr Jo, and Mrs Jom. 

Each group is completely self-supported, meaning they carry all their camp gear, food, and supplies. Our younger Year 3-6 students complete a half-day 4km hike, while our Year 7 and 8 Advanced AES students complete a 14km all-day expedition. 

This year we invited our CEO Khun Eve Teepsuwan to join our Advanced AES Expedition. She hiked over 14km to join the students for lunch deep in the forest. 

We are incredibly proud of all our AES Students who showed great resilience and teamwork to complete their hikes. It was difficult in some places and exhausting in the heat, but they all came away with amazing new memories, full of excitement and a huge sense of achievement.

For all the photos from their hikes, click on the AES Gallery below.
https://andrewkahumbuphotography.pic-time.com/-aes202324term1/gallery

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NEWSPAPER CLUB
For term 3, RST has started a newspaper club named 'RST Chronicle'. Our four reporters (Liphao, Axel, Siku and Skyler) will be releasing an edition every two weeks, delving into our students' accomplishments, reporting on world-wide news, and offering daily insights into School life. We have included our very first copy and have printed some more, which we have placed in the Prep Library.

Enjoy reading and be on the lookout for later editions.

ECO GARDEN & ZERO WASTE ACTIVITY
The Eco Garden & Zero Waste Team has been working hard to grow vegetables and flowers for our community. However, the recent heat wave has posed a challenge, and many of the plants couldn't survive the extreme temperatures. This situation has reminded us of the importance of addressing climate change and its impact on our environment.

This week, the team is launching a campaign to encourage our community members to reduce energy consumption when not in use, recycle and reduce plastic waste, promote food waste reduction, and share unused items with others.

As the weather continues to get hotter, it's crucial that we take steps to reduce our carbon footprint and live more sustainably. By collectively making small changes in our daily lives, we can contribute to a greener and more supportive community.

Together, let's work towards preserving our planet and creating a better future for generations to come.

SWIMMING

Puppy Dash Swim Meet 2024
The RST Swim Team at Puppy Dash 2024 saw an impressive turnout, with 26 swimmers from the Nemo and Junior Bronze squads taking to the water. It was a fantastic opportunity for these young athletes to engage with the sport and the team culture.

The meet provided invaluable learning experiences for the swimmers, helping them gauge their progress and refine their techniques. Overall, it was a successful event that highlighted the dedication and progress of the participants.

RST LIGHTNING SWIM MEET SHINES AT RUGBY SCHOOL THAILAND
Last Saturday, RST buzzed with aquatic excitement as it hosted the RST Lightning Swim Meet, open to swimmers aged 7 to 14. Thirteen teams, including local and Bangkok-based, participated, totalling over 300 swimmers. Spectators enjoyed a spectacle of speed and endurance in butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle races.

The relay races were a highlight, showcasing teamwork and synchronised swimming prowess. The event also fostered friendships among swimmers. As the sun set on the picturesque campus, cheers rose for the final races. The meet concluded with an awards ceremony, celebrating participants' achievements.

Congratulations to all swimmers for their passion and dedication!

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