November 2013

Garden International School Eastern Seaboard, Ban Chang

NEWSLETTER Your choice. Their future. Our family.

โรงเรี ยนนานาชาติการ์ เด้ นอีสเทิร์นซีบอร์ ดบ้ านฉาง

November 2013

Inside this month's newsletter...

Find us at: Website: www.gardenrayong.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/gisrayong Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Garden-International-School-Rayong-Thailand/128699487157809

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From Dr Tasker: Principal

From the Principal Dear Parents, Students and Friends of GIS, The highlight of the past month has to have been the FOBISSEA Music Festival. A huge amount of time and effort was put in by so many people to make the event such a success and to try and thank them all would be an impossible task. But I think that everyone would agree that Mr Shiells does deserve a special mention, as he worked tirelessly for around 9 months to try and provide the best possible experience for the students involved. The festival itself was a huge success, the feedback from the visiting students, teachers and parents has been amazingly positive and supportive. A nice addition to our community friend-making has been the Friends of Garden Coffee Morning initiative. These will be held at the Canteen on the first Monday of the month (when during Term time) and we had the first on Monday November 4. The second one is a special meeting for the Thai parents to chat with the Library staff on December 2, which is being hosted in the Library. It was a fantastic opportunity for a group of students to travel with Mr Armstrong to Kanchanaburi for the Remembrance service on November 11 as part of the Royal British Legion awareness campaign and Poppy Appeal. At the Whole School Remembrance Day Assembly the following day they had the opportunity to report back on the experience. At the Friends of Garden PTA meeting on Wednesday November 13 it was a treat to have the Prefects attend and field questions from parents on issues from their perspective and comment on life as a young person here at GIS. Thanks to Sarah, Pam, Kunal, Taya, Trisha and Robert. Although it occurred during the mourning period for the Supreme Patriarch, we did recognise Loy Krathong with some low-key celebrations. Thanks must go to Kru Lalita, the Thai Department and our Teaching Assistants for the preparations, organisation and usual excellent creativity. Thank you also to the students who presented and performed. We were fortunate to have representatives from Amnesty International visit us on Monday November 25. They spoke at both Primary and Secondary assemblies and were around the Library during the day for students to talk to and offer support. Kind Regards,

Dr Stuart Tasker PhD (Ed), PGDipEd (Math Ed), PGCertEd (Ed Admin), PGDipTchg, BSc Principal Garden International School

Upcoming events Whole School Dec 5: HM the King’s Birthday: School closed Dec 6: House T-Shirt Day Dec 10: Constitution Day: School closed Dec 12: A Night at the Theatre: Midsummer Night’s Dream and Staff Pantomime Friday Dec 13 - End of Term 1 Monday Jan 6 – School Open: Term 2 starts Primary Dec 2: Foundation Report Cards go home Dec 3: Foundation Parent Conferences Dec 4: House Talent Show Heats Dec 9: Term 1 Awards Assembly Dec 11: Years 1 and 2 Christmas Show Dec 12: Key Stage 1 Christmas Play Dec 13: Last Day of Term – finish at 12pm Dec 13: Foundation Christmas Feast Secondary Dec 2-4: ELS Examinations Dec 2: Year 11 Science trip to Sriracha Dec 9: Grade Cards sent out Dec 11: Secondary Parents’ Evening, 6pm, Main Hall

See the Latest From GIS – Online You can catch up with the latest events and activities taking place at GIS by going online. We have our own Youtube channel, a Facebook page and a Twitter feed. To find us, just go to www.gardenrayong.com and click on the links to either ‘Media’, ‘Youtube’ or ‘Facebook’. Our Twitter feed is on the right-hand side.

A Fabulous FOBISSEA Music Festival at GIS! Some of the finest young musicians in Southeast Asia have enjoyed a four-day music festival at Garden International School (GIS). A total of 15 schools and around 300 students took part in this year’s FOBISSEA Music Festival. FOBISSEA is the Federation of British International Schools in South East Asia and East Asia. Schools from Hong Kong, Vietnam, Singapore, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Taiwan and Hong Kong flew in to take part in a huge range of musical activities. Schools from Bangkok also attended, along with our own GIS students. Students and their teachers were based at the Royal Phala Cliff Resort in Ban Chang from November 15-18, where they took part in workshops, ensembles and rehearsals for two major concerts. After enjoying various workshops on Friday November 15, the visiting schools put on their own concert in the evening. On Saturday morning, students worked on minor ensembles before taking part in an impressive flashmob on their hotel’s beach deck. This was put together by West End star James Bennett, who has appeared in ‘Hairspray’ and ‘We Will Rock You’. On Saturday evening, the students went to see the excellent Alangkarn Cultural Show in Pattaya before having a fantastic buffet dinner at the Ravindra Resort. On Sunday, there were more musical workshops before the students were taken to GIS to take part in traditional Loy Krathong activities, including learning how to make their own krathong.

Following that there was a powerful rock concert in the newly-refurbished GIS main hall. Rock classics such as ‘Livin’ on a Prayer’ and modern pop songs like ‘Still Into You’ were among the favourites. The finale featured a special performance by former Hear’Say star Noel Sullivan, who sang Queen’s ‘We Are The Champions’, ‘I Want It All’ and ‘We Will Rock You’. Noel, who now runs the London International Theatrical Arts group, came to Thailand especially to help at the festival. Noel has starred in the West End musical ‘We Will Rock You’ so to have him singing the same songs at GIS was very special. Sound and lighting for the concerts were provided by Oakie and his team at Spectrum Audio, who have also worked on Lady Gaga concerts in Bangkok and the Brit Awards in London. After the concert was over, students returned to their hotel to float their krathongs in the sea. On Monday, some students went on a snorkeling trip to nearby Koh Samae San while others visited Pattaya Floating Market to pick up some bargains. The Gala Concert was held in the evening. GIS’s new-look hall sounded fantastic as the concert began with the orchestra and choir performing the Royal anthem of Thailand. This was followed by a mix of classical and modern pieces, including ‘World in Union’, the ‘Anvil Chorus’ and ‘Call Me Maybe’ by the choir and orchestra, ‘The Typewriter’ with help from soloist Ryan Fernandez and ‘Birdland’ by the Jazz Band. As a finale, the choir and orchestra performed a rousing version of ‘The Elder Scrolls’ from the computer game Skyrim. Afterwards, there was a Gala Dinner at the Purimas Beach Hotel and disco at Phala Cliff. Festival Director, and GIS’s Head of Arts, Paul Shiells said: “This was an awesome festival with something for everyone. All the students had an incredible time. It was great to see not only so many great collaborations musically, but also it was wonderful to see students making so many new friends. “We set a real challenge by choosing some tricky music for the students to learn in a short time, but they responded magnificently. None of this would have been possible without such great support from the teachers, admin staff and maintenance team at GIS – they were amazing.” To see more about the festival, follow us on Twitter #musicfobissea, visit http://fobisseamusic.gardenrayong.com or click on the Media link at www.gardenrayong.com.

The FOBISSEA Music Festival was kindly sponsored by: Platinum Sponsors  Yamaha Music  BQ Group Gold Sponsors • RMS Industrial Services Co. Ltd • Grand Caribbean Condo Resort Pattaya (Blue Sky) • Universal Plus (Seven Seas Resort) • United Relocations Silver Sponsor • The Hussana Family

FOBISSEA FRIENDS

Poppy Power at GIS boosts RBL funds A volunteer from the Royal British Legion came to GIS to talk to Year 9 students about why we wear poppies each November. He explained that the Royal British Legion collects donations each year, and this money is spent on helping families who have lost relatives in wars. Funds are also spent on helping soldiers who have been injured while fighting. In Thailand, 20 per cent of donations go to help local groups and families. A special whole school assembly was led by History teacher Mr Armstrong. Students recited poems, sang peace songs and held a minute’s silence.

Last year GIS raised more money than anyone else in this region – and we are hoping when the totals are counted up, we are number one again!

Remembrance Day Year 9 and 10 students took part in a special Remembrance Day ceremony at a WWII cemetery in Kanchanaburi. Berenice, Seren, Eve, Daseul, Sabrina F, Hannah and Tara, along with History teacher Mr Armstrong, went to the War Cemetery in Kanchanaburi on November 11, where they laid a wreath by the cenotaph and took part in the memorial service. They were also fortunate enough to meet the British Ambassador for Thailand, Mr Mark Kent. (pictured top left). For a video about our Remembrance Day activities, click on the Media link at www.gardenrayong.com.

A Night at the Theatre Students and teachers are preparing for an epic night of drama at Garden International School (GIS). Students have been rehearsing for a performance of Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' - based in India. Meanwhile, teachers have been just as busy getting ready for their panto version of Hansel and Gretel. Both shows will be performed back-to-back on Thursday December 12, from 7pm in GIS's newlyrefurbished main hall. Doors open at 6.30pm; a bar and snacks will be available. Part 1 of the show will feature the students version of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' and after a brief intermission, the teachers will be providing the entertainment. It promises to be a great night out. If you would like to come along, tickets are 100 baht if bought in advance or 140 baht during the week of the show. GIS is based in Ban Chang, near Pattaya. For more details, visit www.gardenrayong.com. To reserve a seat, visit anightatthetheatre.fusionticket.com.

Loy Krathong at GIS (photos by Mr Edwards)

Garden International School celebrated Loy Krathong with hundreds of krathong, traditional Thai performances and some amazing costumes! The Thai department organised an afternoon of activities on November 15. After the Royal Anthem of HM the King was played, students sat down in groups to make their krathong. This year there were some intricate and complex creations. After the krathongs were made, students watched a performance of traditional Thai songs and games, including a fearsome display of Muay Thai boxing. At the end, parents, teachers and students danced around the Primary covered area. On November 17, the Thai department, admin staff, teachers and other helpers came in to do it all again for our visiting FOBISSEA Music Festival students. The guests enjoyed a huge range of food, from som tam to Mr Gordon’s burgers and were given help with making their own krathong. They then watched a rock concert in the Main Hall before going back to their hotel to float their krathong in the sea.

Photos by Hannah (Year 9)

Visits GIS

Amnesty International visited GIS to help students learn about human rights. Four workers from the international charity visited GIS on November 25. They took part in Primary and Secondary assemblies, encouraging students to be more aware about world issues. They also showed students how their own voices could be powerful and help bring about change. A special ‘post office’ was created in the Library where students could write or sign letters to various political prisoners around the world. The event was organised by Head of English Mr Beales. For more on Amnesty, visit www.amnesty.org.

Scratch Day Success Last month saw the first Scratch Day. We had many excited visitors, both parents and students. For some this was their first attempt at computing. After a few shaky starts all participants grasped the proverbial nettle and started to create their games and programmes. The energy inside the room was very positive and everyone went away having experienced something new or advanced their computing knowledge. We will be doing more computing events in the future so do watch this space and sign up. Many thanks to everyone who helped it is much appreciated.

Year 3 visit the weather station in Sattahip On November 19, Year 3 went to visit the weather station based in Sattahip. It was a great way to see how the data were collected and recorded. The children have been able to discover the different instruments used and even saw an old weather vane that was up a lighthouse in Sattahip. Then they went onto the field to observe the launch of a weather balloon; another way to measure the wind speed and wind direction.

From Ms Gordon: Head of Primary

Hello, December is now here and the first term nearly finished. In Primary we were all excited about our Christmas Fun Day on Saturday. The children and staff were busy making decorations to make the school feel festive and Khun Nid did a super job with our Teddy Bear Christmas Tree in the centre of the atrium. Eagle House must have hired a truck to bring all those soft toys in last week. Their teddy bear tally went from 6 to 96 in just a day!

Our Loy Krathong celebrations were lovely with children all dressed in their Thai costumes making Krathong in their House groups and enjoying the cultural show. Here’s a photo of some of our Primary students who have been rehearsing their dance for this performance in club time this term.

Reports went out this month for Years 1 to 6 and we were pleased to see so many of you at the parent conferences. The class teachers really value parental support and interest in their child’s education. If you have any feedback or comments on the new report format please let me know. Foundations’ reports come out next week. We finally managed to squeeze our House football competition in between the heavy downpours of rain – we were beginning to think the competition was cursed. Our Year 5 and 6 school football teams have been playing almost every week and have achieved some great results. The standard of play at the recent ESAC tournament was excellent and I was very proud of them all. A big thank you to their coaches, Mr Amuchou, Mr Joe, Mr Turnbull and Mr Armstrong for helping the teams make so much progress over the term. It was great to see the computer programming Scratch Evening so well supported. It hopefully gave you an insight into how the Primary ICT curriculum is developing as we prepare our students for the future world of work. Year 3 and 4 have been out and about on trips to support their curriculum units. Year 3 went to visit the Weather Station at the Navy Base in Sattahip as part of their unit on climate and Year 4 went to the mangrove forest also in Sattahip where they helped plant trees and learnt about this vital habitat and how it is under threat.

Reception were not defeated by the rain either and got out on their trip to the Chinese Temple, Buddha Mountain and were able to feed some elephants. Years 5 and 6 were given food for thought when Amnesty International came to give a talk to them about their work and how people around the world are imprisoned for their beliefs or for standing up for what is right. They were inspired to gather lots of signatures to help support Amnesty’s work. The school has some new awards that we’ll be introducing and handing out next month. They cover 4 areas: Endeavour

Excellence

Progress

Nam Jai Ngam

Reminders Start of the school day – The Primary school day starts at 7.50am There is someone on duty from 7.30am. Please do not drop your children off before then as there is no-one to supervise them. Swimming kits – unless your child has a note in their communication book from the parent or doctor, your child will be expected to swim. We have spare swim kits in school that will be given to your child. House Talent heat – On December 4 we have the House heats for the Talent Show. These heats are for items such as magic, playing musical instruments, juggling, poetry recital or any other talent your child may have that is not singing or dancing.

Claire Gordon

Head of Primary [email protected]

From Mr Ball: Head of Secondary

Hello, I have to start by thanking everybody that was involved in the FOBISSEA Music Festival. It was a unanimous success on all levels. Feedback on the event is, I think, best left to the comments emailed to Mr Shiells after the event from the visiting teaching staff and students. “Wow! Great festival and really beautifully organised”. "It was the best trip ever!"

"Humbling experience"

"I'm so motivated!"

“Thank you so so much for all of your work on the Festival. It was a fantastic event which was very well organised. It was brilliant to see a team of people working together so well and making everything run so smoothly. Please pass on my thanks to all of your team.” “A big thank you from Tanglin for what was an unforgettable festival. All of our students had an amazing experience and are already talking about next year.” In December we have the Secondary Parents’ Evening which will be held on Wednesday December 11. It will offer the perfect opportunity to discuss the December Grade Card, which will be emailed to parents and students on Monday, December 9. The Parents’ Evening will be held in the Main Hall between 6pm and 8pm. We will start this year’s Parents Evening with a performance of ‘Mr Blue Sky’ by the students who attended FOBISSEA Music. This performance will run from 6pm to 6.10pm. Please note that a translation service will be available for Thai and Russian parents. The Parents’ Evening provides a wonderful opportunity to discuss your child's progress with their Form Tutor and their subject teachers. Our IB students will meet and greet you upon arrival. Mulled wine, snacks and other beverages will be provided. For students in examination years (Year 11 and IB2) this is an important opportunity for you to find out how they are doing, what they need to work on, and what revision they need to complete over the Christmas holidays in preparation for their mock examinations. Mr Beales organised for Amnesty International to come and give a presentation during the assembly on November 25 and it provided the students with a lot of food for thought. The Amnesty representatives fed back that they had found our students to be incredibly nice and commented specifically on the level of involvement provided by our students. Regards

Sage Ball

Head of Secondary [email protected]

Main Hall Gets a Makeover The FOBISSEA Music Festival was one of the first chances we have had to show off our incredible new Main Hall. Mr Martin and his maintenance team spent months designing and then building the newlook hall. Among the excellent new features are a new ceiling (which reflects sound much more clearly), new curtains, doors and fold-out seating (the seats even spell out the letters GIS!) Well done to the GIS maintenance team for creating such an excellent new venue. The hall has gone from this…

to this….

to this!

Students’ Excellence Recognised by Cambridge Two GIS students and their families went to Bangkok for the Cambridge Outstanding Learner Awards. IB1 students Yeen and Sarah went to the capital on November 28, along with IGCSE Coordinator Mr Stokes. Sarah was named Top in Thailand for IGCSE Combined Science and IGCSE Music. Yeen was Top in the World for IGCSE Thai, following the May examination sessions. They were presented with their special awards by the British Ambassador to Thailand, HE Mr Mark Kent (pictured below).

IGCSE Success! Students have been given their IGCSE certificates following a bumper set of results. IGCSE Co-ordinator Mr Stokes and Principal Dr Tasker handed out the certificates at the Secondary assembly on November 25. Several Year 11 students were also given their IGCSE Mathematics certificate after taking the test a year early. GIS enjoyed a record set of IGCSE results this year, with 86 per cent of entries gaining an A*-C grade. See http://www.gardenrayong.com/images/IGCSE2.jpg for the full results.

House Competitions

Primary House football was fantastic, with lots of action and enjoyment from players and supporters! The final scores were very close with Gecko taking the lead by just one point from Cobra. Tiger and Eagle battled for 3rd and 4th places with again just one point difference. Well done to all players and staff who made the game possible. Christmas trees have been decorated in the Secondary school building, making the corridors look very festive. First place went to Gecko house (pictured below right), 2nd to Eagle, 3rd to Cobra and a good effort from Tiger in 4th. Primary children have been busy making Christmas decorations in preparation for the fair. These should look very festive around the building.

A huge thank you to all the children who brought in cuddly toys to build a Christmas tree; it looks fantastic as you walk into the Primary area. Thank you and well done to Khun Nid for all her efforts with this. The winning house for bringing toys in was Eagle and their mascot is now mounted proudly on top of the tree.

The Secondary Swimming Gala took place on November 27. Well done to all swimmers for a great team event. The Primary Gala will be held in May. The results, hot off the press, are as follows: Eagle Tiger Cobra Gecko

1st 2nd 3rd 4th

322 316 280 255

Final House Points for Term One: House Primary Secondary Total

Cobra 38 74 112

Eagle 36 100 136

Gecko 55 50 105

Tiger 49 84 133

Events coming up December 4: The Primary talent heat for children with another talent other than singing or dancing will take place. This could be playing an instrument, doing magic, telling jokes or even Tae Kwon Do or gymnastics. The event will be in the Primary House leaders’ rooms. December 6 We are going to try and hold a whole school inter house Conga. Time and details will be provided soon. This is also House T-shirt day.

IB News

Students Turn Teachers IB1 students are going to teach every week at a local Thai temple school. The students are learning how to teach English to the appreciative youngsters as part of their Creativity, Action, Service (CAS) work in IB.

Hot Dog Help Kind-hearted students raised more than 11,000 baht to help victims of the devastating typhoon in the Philippines. The Eagle Charity Service Committee organised a Hot Dog Friday and raised 11,459 baht. More fundraising events are to follow soon.

Students’ Work Foundation We’ve begun a new Unit called Festivals and Celebrations…kicking off with two big ones, Halloween and Diwali! For each holiday we read books and watched videos looking at the meanings and origins behind them and the different ways that we celebrate them. Halloween activities included learning a poem about a Halloween Cat and an accompanying craft. We learned another poem about ‘5 Little Pumpkins Sitting on a Gate’ and had to put the pumpkins in order from biggest to smallest. We made bats to fly around our class and decorated bags for our Trick or Treating class to class experience. We began our Diwali celebrations with dancing and the making of Diyas. We continued by making Rangoli art and having a special guest in to do Henna art on our hands!

Students had an exciting field trip to Buddha Mountain and the Chinese Temple and Museum! This fits in to our Unit Studies by looking at different cultures and cultural elements.

We also celebrated Loy Krathong by talking about it, painting a picture about it, watching videos, learning to dance Lam Wong, dressing in traditional Thai clothes, making krathong and floating them. Thank you so much to the parents the parents who came to join us.

Perfect Pizza! What is a whole, a half and a quarter? To investigate the concept of halves and quarters, we made pizza and then cut them up. Before the day we were going to make the pizzas we talked about what ingredients we would like to have on our pizzas and made a list. On the day we were able to assemble our own pizzas using the ingredients of our choice. In our classroom we also have a toy pizza which helps us to revisit the event, it too has different ingredients that can be used to make the pizza of our choice. It was a tasty way to begin to understand fractions.

Primary Tsering Sillanpaa in Year 6 joined us from Finland at the start of this year. Tsering started the term as with a fairly low level of English and, in the space of one short term, she has developed her writing ability to be able to comfortably pass a Cambridge PET writing test. This is no easy feat. The writing sample attached is original and unedited. She has made truly remarkable progress with her writing. Unfortunately, Tsering (and her sisters Tsekyi, Year 2, and Tseyang, Year 10) will be leaving us at the end of this term. We wish them the best of luck back in Finland and we are very sorry to see them go.

I woke up on Saturday and I was very surprised when I saw my family coming with a lovely breakfast, presents and singing ‘Happy Birthday to you…’ Then I remembered that I had a birthday! My family asked where I want to go on my special day and of course I wanted to go to the zoo. I love animals and my parents said that it’s a perfect idea. We went there and we had a perfect day. At morning we rode an elephant and then we are lunch. We got ice creams and then we went to see animals. At night I came home and I saw very lovely animals in my dreams. Secondary

This artwork was created by Year 10’s Tia as part of her IGCSE World Literature studies. Tia was asked to create something to reflect the

theme of insanity in the short story, The Yellow Wallpaper. The story is about a woman who is locked inside a room and slowly becomes

obsessed with the wallpaper that surrounds her. Great work, Tia!

Cycling Safety As part of the activities, students are being made aware of road safety and safe driving/riding. Mr Berry (a keen biker) introduced a realia session by allowing students to wear some of the protective apparel needed for safe biking. Together with the basics, a good quality helmet and leather gloves, other items included a full leather racing suit, a spine protector, body armour and high impact underwear. Once the students were dressed, they got a chance to start and rev a 1000cc motorbike before they were given a tour of the safety aspects of riding a motorbike on the road. Useful vocabulary was also touched upon in the form of a quick fire quiz with Mr Berry pointing at parts of the motorbike and students having to respond with the correct name. Words such as swing arm, throttle, brake calliper and rev limiter where all included in this most informative safety session. Hopefully, this activity will plant the seed of safe riding and driving for our future generations. Be safe: ALWAYS wear a good quality helmet!

Teacher of the Month

This month we talk to Business Studies teacher Mr Turnbull.

1 Tell us one amazing thing about yourself I was born on the same day in the same hospital as Mr Berry. 2 What's the best thing about working at GIS? Wonderful students, friendly staff and a warm family atmosphere. 3 What made you choose to live in Thailand? The rat-race is less frantic in Thailand. 4 What do you do when you're not teaching? Telling my kids - no! 5 Favourite singer/band? Radiohead 6 Favourite movie and why? Withnail & I (Reminds me of my student days) 7 If you weren't a teacher, what would you be doing? A Florist 8 What's the best place you've been to in the world? Moscow 9 Favourite football team GIS Under 11 Boys

Student of the Month

Student of the Month for November is Dan Andrew Generette Jr. 1 Where are you from?

South Carolina, USA

2 What's the coolest subject? I like PE, because I love sports, especially American Football.

3 Who is your favorite teacher? Why? Mr Garth, because he helps me with English and he is funny and bald.

4 What is your favorite activity in school? I like playing with my friends at break time. We usually throw my football to each other.

5 What do you like doing in your free-time? I like playing video games. My favourite is Call of Duty.

6 What's the best country you've visited (apart from Thailand)? America, I have been there five times and I like all of the restaurants and the food.

7 Favourite food? Barbecue. My mum makes great barbecued pork. 8 Do you prefer Lady Gaga or Justin Bieber? Justin Bieber because is still young and he sings very well. 9 How many languages can you speak? English and Thai but I am learning some Korean, Tagalog and German at home with my Dad. 10 Favourite animal.

Tigers, they are very fast and eat a lot.

Sport

ESAC Primary Football Tournament 2013-14 It was great to see all of our teams grow as the tournament progressed and play with such confidence in their own and each other’s ability. The results were obviously very good too, but I was particularly pleased with the way that each team played and conducted themselves throughout the tournament.

Girls Under 11s Coach: Mr Joe Squad: Inez, Galatte, Lily, Tessa, Mansha, Ann, Jessica Results: GIS 1 Regent’s 0, GIS 0 REPS 0, GIS 0 St Andrews 0

A great day of football and some wonderful sportsmanship on display!

Boys Under 11s

Coach: Mr Turnbull and Mr Armstrong

Squad: Alex, Peet, Vedant, Austin, Kenjung, Arun, Ben, Direk Results: GIS 1 St Andrews 0, GIS 1 REPS 1, GIS 0 Regent’s 1 Well done to all who played in the Year 6 Boys team on Saturday it was a great effort by all.

Girls Under 10s

Coach: Mr Gordon

Squad: Fiona, Ella, Shireen, Rida, Rebeka, Chloe Results: GIS 2 REPS 0, GIS 0 St Andrews 1, GIS 1 REPS 0, GIS 0 St Andrews 1 All the girls played really well, improving as a team unit with each game they played, as well as showing great sportsmanship throughout.

Boys Under 10s Coach: Mr Amuchou Squad: Nick, Lee, Pat, DJ, Felix, Danai, Kartik, Sofiane Results: GIS 3 St Andrews 0, GIS 0 REPS 1, GIS 0 Regent’s 2, GIS 1 St Andrews 2

I was very proud of how we played and the spirit of good sportsmanship the Under 11 boys played it in, the team can certainly be proud of their performances. A massive well done from me and on behalf of coaches for all the footballers who took part in the event at St Andrews on November 23 and an even bigger thank you for all the parents that gave their support on the day. Mr Amuchou Primary PE teacher

The Season So Far… With the first season coming to an end, we can report on the excellent work of the sports teams - and their coaching staff. Many thanks to all those teachers who gave up their time to coach our students to their full potential of performance. The Under 13 Boys Basketball got off to good a start at the Regent’s, Pattaya with a fine win. With only 3 seconds left on the clock, Oliver (Year 7) took a 3-point shot that went straight through the hoop to win the game by 1 point. Their last game of the season takes place next week at St Andrews. With many highlights to mention, the one that stands out the most was the victory in the Under 15 Boys ESAC Basketball Tournament. Our boys went through to the final undefeated and continued this great performance to beat Regent’s. Well done to the boys and their coach Mr Coleman. The Under 15 Girls Basketball team improved throughout the season and was unlucky not to take victory in a number of games. The Primary Football teams have played very entertaining football throughout the season. The Year 5 boys started out slowly but have developed in to a very strong team with several victories against formidable opposition. The Year 6 girls have proved very strong beat the Year 5 boy’s team from ISE, to add to their victories. Both the Year Girls and Year Boys have also improved and the future looks good for these squads. The Senior Boys football has been very unlucky this season with postponements due to changing weather patterns. However, their season continues into Term 2.

Our Senior Volleyball teams, as always, were excellent in their approach to training and games. The boys’ final game against ISE was fantastic to watch and took the game by 2 sets to 0. The girls played ISE and came back to take the game to a final set, but were unlucky to lose out in third set. Many thanks to the coaches for their support throughout the season. Looking forward to next season! On the domestic front, the Secondary Swimming Gala took place on November 27 and the students participated in a number of strokes and fun events, with the end event being the Biathlon. In this event the students had to swim 16 lengths and run 800m. It is hoped that a House event will take place at a later. Watch this space! Winners of the event were Eagle - congratulations to the teams on a great effort. Mr Edwards, Head of Physical Education

Get in touch! If you have any articles for the newsletter, please send them to [email protected] before the end of each month for inclusion in the following month’s newsletter.

Garden International School Your choice. Their future. Our family. Find us at: Website: www.gardenrayong.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/gisrayong Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Garden-International-School-Rayong-Thailand/128699487157809

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Rayong Campus : 188/24 Moo 4 Pala-Banchang Road, Tambol Pala, Amphur Ban Chang, Rayong, Thailand 21130. Tel. +66 (0)38 880360-3 Fax. +66 (0)38 030805 Bangkok Campus : 2/1 Yen Akart Soi 2,Yen Akart Road, Bangkok, Thailand 10120. Website : www.gardenbangkok.com REPS Campus : 188/46 Moo 4 Pala-Banchang Road, Tambol Pala, Amphur Ban Chang, Rayong, Thailand 21130. Website : www.repsrayong.com