EDITION 5 Term 1 2014/2015

REGENTS’ NEWSLETTER SECONDARY THis Week in the secondary newsletter

CALENDAR DATES

Friday 14th Nov U15 FOBISIA Games – hosted by St Andrews School in Bangkok

Saturday 15th Nov LIVING HISTORY IN ACTION Senior Rugby Tournament in Lessons from the past …… Bangkok

Monday 17th Nov As you read this newsletter we will have concluded many find to learn, adapt our attitudes and change our behaviours Year 10 Outdoor Education Week of the student elections for this current academic year. as we move forward. These changes can be small and have The new Student Guild is now in post and just today, all an immediate impact upon; your next science lesson, your Wednesday 19th Nov students and staff voted for their new Head Students. Our desire to learn a new instrument, a challenge to attain that KS3 House Basketball nine candidates have given their speeches, campaigned higher grade, take a risk and run for a student leadership Competition hard and it is now time to count the votes. The quality of position or grow into having a clear vision of what career student leadership at Regents is something we are very you want to pursue for the rest of your life. We want all Monday 24th Nov NORD ANGLIA DEVELOPMENT AWARDS Year 10 Outdoor Education proud of and our democratic processes are engrained into our students to have a clear message that looking back Week our school culture and ethos. and learning from previous success and failure can only make you a more resilient and creative learner as well as a Democracy is a foundation pillar of our Round Square Thursday 27th Nov stronger person. Secondary School philosophy and is a privilege that we all enjoy and have Production – the right to express. This week found us looking back We are confident that all our students will leave Regents A Christmas Carol at our shared histories and having learned respect for the rights remembering the countless men and freedoms we enjoy today as Saturday 29th Nov Primary Christmas Fair and women who have given their well as knowing how to effectively life in conflict across the years use lessons from their past as a way to secure us the freedoms we of shaping and focusing their very enjoy today. Democracy remains bright futures. YEAR 12 - MODERN ART MUSEUM VISIT a powerful motivation for action I look forward to introducing our which should be protected, new Head Students to you all in our never taken for granted and we next newsletter but in the meantime, hope that our students know please enjoy this edition and thank and appreciate this as they move you for your continued support. towards adulthood.

Reflection and looking back has incredible personal and social value but only if we use what we PAUL McCONNEL, LOY KRATHONG CELEBRATIONS AT REGENTS DEPUTY Head of Secondary Regents’ students reflect on the Centenary commemoration of World War One With no time to spare, some of the students who alongside veterans of war. performed in the play during the assembly were ushered Following the main service, the Regents students who had Sarah Travis-Mulford, Assistant Head of Secondary into mini-buses, accompanied by Mr Mike Thomas, Mrs played the Last Post at the Secondary Assembly, played the Sarah Travis-Mulford and Mr Clarence Mansell, to travel of reflection during recent PSHE lessons. The Art After Last Post again - at a smaller, but very poignant location – to Kanchanaburi in order to take part in the Centenary School Activity group created an Art Exhibition entitled, the site of the first prisoner of war camp in Thailand during ‘When you go home, Remembrance Ceremony at the war cemetaries in ‘When you go home, ‘Red in a field of Black and White’. Furthermore, across WWII. The students played beautifully and made us all Tell them of us and say, Kanchanaburi on 11th November. It was an honour to be Tell them of us and say, the whole school, students got involved in many activities proud to be members of the Regents School. In return, For their tomorrow, invited to participate in this very important Remembrance For their tomorrow, run by the History Department on the theme of ‘Living the British Legion awarded the students of Regents School We gave our today. event, which was extremely moving. Poppy Mulford from We gave our today.’ History Week’, details of which will feature in the next with a Certificate of Appreciation for the contribution Year 9 was given the honour of laying a wreath for Regents newsletter. Student Guild members and Form Reps have that the school makes to the British Poppy Appeal: ‘Lest International School, Pattaya, walking up to the cross been selling poppies and Poppy bands around the school we forget’. This short epitaph, which relates to all wars – both past for the last week. and present – was a key message of reflection both during the whole school Secondary School Remembrance Assembly on 10th November and the Kanchanaburi Remembrance Ceremony on 11th November, to which a group of Regents’ students and staff attended.

Beginning at the start of the academic year, the theme of Remembrance was explored by the students of Regents in many ways, in the build up to the assembly. Many departments across the school explored the theme and in particular, World War One, such as the Drama Living History in action Department, the Art Department, the DT Department, the English Department, the Music The annual Remembrance Assembly is a perfect Department and the Science Department, to name a few. opportunity each year to reflect as a community on In addition, students have been involved in many activities the sacrifices which people make in times of war. The assembly featured a play entitled, ‘From Sakaoe to the Somme’, directed by Mr Michael Thomas, Drama Teacher and acted out by 9R. The theme of the play was the involvement of the Thai volunteer army in the last stages of World War One, based in France. It was a truly moving play, demonstrating how Thai people rose to the call of their King to help defend their homeland. The ashes of those Thai volunteers who died in the conflict can be found at a memorial in Sunam Luang Park in Bangkok. The choir followed the play with a beautiful rendition of ‘Adiemus’. To end the assembly, Mr. Clarence Mansell and a group of students performed the Last Post. Year 8 Geography fieldtrip to Sai Kaew beach Maths Workout – can you meet the challenge? By Jonathon, Year 8 student By Andrew Perrins, Head of Mathematics department

Congratulations to Mr Mulford in Primary school LAST WEEK’S PUZZLE who correctly worked out that for any pyramid with N edges on its base, the difference between the number of edges and the number of faces will be N – 1

To see this we must first realise that if the base of The base of a pyramid has the pyramid has N edges, n edges. there will also be another N edges to make the sides joining at the tip, giving us What is the difference 2N edges in total. There will between the number of be N + 1 faces in total, hence edges the pyramid has and the difference between the Hands-on experience of Geography outside the classroom the number of faces the number of edges and the pyramid has? number of faces will be : (2N) – (N + 1) = N – 1

The trip to Sai Kaew beach took about an hour but was well We also completed some questionnaires, asking people worth it! The Geography trip was very educational and lots questions about the beach and about themselves; this was of fun at the same time. to help us find out the type of people who go to the beach and how popular it is. During the day we completed 4 different activities: This next puzzle involves a little probability, and I hope to be able to give an honourable mention for the first three We completed bipolar surveys, looking at issues which We measured waves and how the long shore drift drags correct submissions to [email protected]. Enjoy! tourists bring to the beach, and we also completed a field along material from South West to North West of the sketch of the area. beach. The best part about this trip was that we got to bond with your friends even more and work together as a team. It was great After playing 500 games, my success rate at to experience Geography work Spider Solitaire is 49%. Assuming I win every game outside the classroom as we have from now on, how many extra games do I need been studying coasts in geography to play in order that my success rate increases lessons and to see in person for to 50%? ourselves what we have been learning was a great opportunity.

At break time we got to eat at Thanks to www.nrich.maths.org for their weekly puzzles the shops nearby - crisps, fruits, ice cream, but the best food was obviously chicken.

After the day ended we got back from the beach safely from the horrible storm. Nord Anglia Professional Development Awards regularly at our many recitals and concerts. All our teachers teach toward ABRSM or By Mark Loader, Professional Development Co-Ordinator London College of Music standards. We believe it is important that all our children For the second year running, our school has taken that dedication and drive to continually improve both are given internationally recognized the limelight at the Regional Nord Anglia University themselves and the school. standards of teaching and learning. Professional Development Awards. This is a showcase of We are exceptionally proud that 3 of the 6 awards available We aim for our students to be nurtured the most committed professionals and their outstanding to well over 1,000 professionals across the region have been and inspired through all the music teaching work in professional development, improving practice and awarded to our staff and here are some highlights of why in the school. We provide both challenges innovation from across all Nord Anglia Education schools. they have won: and scaffolds, confidence and support, All staff at our school are committed to their professional encouraging the students to step up, step development and these awards go towards recognising forward, persevere and work hard to achieve Tim Eaton highly.

Head of Marketing, Admissions and Communications The children are astounding and demonstrate daily that when given the Tim won the Nord Anglia University Leadership Award: opportunities they can achieve higher than laura butler & lucy lewis tim eaton At any level, in any part of the company, for people they ever thought they could. showing effective leadership of other professionals in line with Nord Anglia Education values. Laura Butler

It is often difficult to quantify the impact of individuals, Secondary English Teacher and HPL Champion though increased student numbers is an obvious indicator of success for Tim. What Tim does is work with people Laura won the award for Innovation in High Performance “I am very pleased that these three staff members have extremely effectively. He is not a ‘bolt-on’ leader; he Learning: for an individual or school who has made been recognised for the effort, perseverance and hard gets involved in operational and strategic discussions at a substantial contribution to the development and work they have displayed in three very different sections every level. One example is the development of the RISE implementation of High Performance Learning in of our school” Nonie Adams, Head of the Primary School programme at Regents which was born out of discussions their school. “This is a reflection of our school as a global leader in between Tim and the Secondary SMT. Laura volunteered to lead a whole-school focus group education and our relentless drive towards improvement” which had the challenging task of producing a proposal Garry Russell, Head of the Secondary School Lucy Lewis for embedding and embracing HPL across the school.

Head of Primary Music She led 10 colleagues through a 2-term process, with over 16 meetings. The final document is fantastic and was Lucy won the award for Innovation as a result of Professional presented to the SLT at the end of last academic year. The Enquiry: “people who can demonstrate the impact of document is extremely well-considered and avoids the their research on the organisation.“ superficial approach to philosophy which so often occurs in schools. It sets out a 3-year time-frame and addresses Lucy Lewis manages our Instrumental tuition programme everything from changing mind-set to vertical curriculum which is interwoven with our performance, recital and to classroom practice. concert schedules. The research into music study and benefits of instrumental learning are well documented and embedding an instrumental programme into our weekly school life has had far reaching positive effects. A few quotes from the leadership team on their reaction to the news of these awards: We have a fantastic team of eleven instrumental teachers. We offer tuition in woodwind, brass, strings, vocal, guitar, piano and drums. The last three years has seen this instrumental programme grow radically from a starting point of 28 pupils to “This reflects the importance our school places on now over 270 students across Early Years, Primary and Secondary. staff development connected with world class teaching standards” Iain Blaikie, Principal The depth and breadth of musical talent, expertise and interest in our school is now quite astonishing and is displayed Staff Profile

Regents first ever Art Intern, Mona, in the spotlight… By Jenny Lundt, Gap Staff

For this, she will make a perfect lawyer. Because she cares so deeply about improving the condition of the world, she wants to work specifically in human rights law.

If you asked her a year ago that she would be in Thailand now, she would laugh incredulously. The idea that she would take a whole 14 months From MONA’S WORKSHOP off of school to move to a completely foreign city a lengthy 17-hour plane ride from her home was completely ludicrous. However, as her final year at the European School of Brussels drew to a close, she started to feel like there was something else missing in her life. Having worked so hard in school for her entire life, Mona was desperate for a new challenge.

Regents came as a miracle solution. She has thus found a job in one of the Mona Yapova most beautiful parts of the world where she could effectively combine her two I am sure that you could not help but notice the recent passions of traveling and art into every beautification of the Regents’ Secondary displays on campus! day life. A mere 5 months later, Mona became Regents first There is one person to thank for all of the new, wonderful ever Art Intern/Technician. displays - Mona Yapova. As featured on this page, her art is absolutely spectacular. She So, who is Mona and where does she come from? has even sold some of them in public auctions to support international humanitarian efforts such as relief for those At the age of 18, Mona has already lived in 5 (soon to be 6) victims affected by the earthquake in Haiti and support for countries. She was born in Sofia, Bulgaria and then moved impoverished Zambian schools. to France, then Switzerland, then Brussels, Belgium, and finally with us here in Thailand. As a result of her different If you ever are looking for her, you are sure to find her experiences, she is also fluent in 5 languages: Bulgarian, working away in the Art Department, or the Round Square English, French, Russian, and Spanish. Office. Mona has managed to place her heart and soul into making this campus a better place. Although she is mostly Next year Mona will add another country to her living list a behind the scenes worker, I think we can all agree that the as she pursues a double French/ English law degree for school continues to be a better, more pleasant place because two years first at the prestigious King’s College in London Mona is here. followed by another two in Sorbonne in Paris. Mona is not afraid to speak her mind in order to stand up for what is right. Year 12 Visit to The Museum of Modern Art Bangkok

By Katherine Perrins, Head of Art

We are now like proper Art students .....

..... talking about Art all day and drinking coffee!

Just before half term, the Year 12 Visual Arts IB students We had a wonderful day and we can highly recommend went to Bangkok for a day of culture and gallery hopping both venues for anyone interested in Thailand’s Art Scene. at MOCA (Museum of Modern Art) and The Bangkok Many thanks to Caroline Turner for coming with us on Cultural Institute. The students were truly wowed by this trip. the grand scale of the gallery spaces at MOCA; beautiful exhibitions rooms that were filled with some of the most exciting contemporary art in Thailand. The museum still seems to be a well-kept secret and the galleries were very quiet allowing the students plenty of space to explore, sketch, photograph the works and sneak off for iced cappuccinos in the excellent gallery café. To quote Danielle, “Miss! We are now like proper Art students; talking about Art all day and drinking coffee!”

We made a quick stop at the Bangkok Cultural Centre on our way home which is right in the heart of commercial Bangkok and next to the giant Siam Paragon Shopping mall. The layout of the space is similar to the snail-shell like design of the Guggenheim Art Gallery in New York and contains a range of cool and quirky art shops and cafes, a dedicated Art and Design library and a program of rotating exhibitions from both local and international artists. Cross Country Medal Winners

By Roslyn McConnell, Head of PE

ISE was the host of the recent Cross-Country event which students from as young as Year 3 all the way through to Year 13 participated in. From the 120 runners from Regents, we collected a bumper number of medals and certificates in each race despite the torrential rain and thunder storm!! Our students battled on through the mud and puddles with the determination of a Regents Lion to succeed and finish the race. A special mention needs to be made to Hermione, Chloe and Andrey who won both cross country events this year within their age group – well done. We are very proud of everyone who represented our school and know that if we keep working hard and aiming high, then we will find even greater success next year.

Year Results

Billy – 2nd Hearts of Lions U13 Girls Jamine – 8th Estelle – 9th

Chloe – 1st Mirabell – 4th U15 Girls Steph – 5th ValerIia – 6th Zoe – 8th

Senior Girls Hermione – 1st

Louis – 1st Maxim – 2nd U13 Boys Hugo – 3rd Eoin – 4tH Min Hyuk – 10th

Andrey – 1st Gian – 4th U15 Boys Nick – 5th Timote – 7th

Cliff – 3rd Senior Boys/Adults Ice – 4th Captain’s Perspective of the Phuket Tournament The hesitation from the night before, never showed one off the pitch and were able to win the silver medal against on that field. Every single player contributed to one of the all odds. By Erin Elms, YEAR 13 student best games we have ever played together as a team. We were Being the underdog team coming into the tournament, the strong and united and defeated the Phuket team with a 1-0 team was able to leave proud of the games that we played final score. The adrenaline and team pride was at an all- wearing the silver medal. Overall, the games were a huge time high after that game leading into the finals. We were success, as a Senior Girls Team, we placed the highest in determined to take home the gold medal. By the start of the Phuket Tournament than ever before. However, this the finals, everyone was mentally and physically prepared achievement would have never been possible without our to play Uplands, and keep our undefeated streak. fantastic coach, Mr. Hart and additional support from Ms. Sadly, Uplands had the upper hand by the final whistle, O’Conner and Mr. Dean. winning 0-1. However, the tournament was not a We are all now very determined to win the Gold Medal in disappointment. As a team, we grew much stronger on and February on our own turf at the Senior Games.

On November 6th, the Senior Football Teams packed up The rest of the day progressively got a lot better, everyone and headed off to Phuket, Thailand to compete in the BIS was more focused and determined to win the top of our Phuket Tournament. pool. Even with the slight distraction of the boys team’s games and all the other excitements of the tournament, we This was my second year attending this tournament and ended the day 2-2-0; without conceding a single goal. we all had high hopes for the outcome. As a team, we were still very new to each other, having only played for a couple We were all very proud and determined for the semi-finals, of weeks, however we were determined to continue our going in as the number two seed. By the end of the first undefeated record from the past games this year. And with day we were told that our next competition was against our excellent coach, Mr. Hart, were had all of the means BIS Phuket, a very strong competition; this caused some to have a successful tournament. We were all very excited hesitations for majority of the girls, recalling our past as we arrived to the hotel, especially having lots of time games against this team. However, after a few pep-talks and NEXT ? GOLD at the Senior Games to get to know each other and mentally prepare for the encouraging words during warm-up we were determined upcoming fixtures. to take on this team and come out with a victory.

As a captain, I wanted to use this time to have ‘team bonding,’ to get to know some of the girls better and therefore be better connected on the field. The bonding turned out to be a huge success, full of laughter and enjoyment of each other’s company. We were all fully prepared for the tournament ahead and anxious for it to begin as the first night came to a close. Due to the early morning arrival and anxiety of the games, the first game on Friday, was a little slow and definitely not the top of our game as a team, but we were able to come out with a tie. Loy Krathong was a great start to this year’s House Loy Krathong at Regents: Mixing celebration and competition! competition and the House Captains learned to plan and organize under pressure! The next competition, which By Jasmin Lestelin, Round Square Intern Assistant was supposed to be the Basketball Inter House, has been postponed in order to give full merit to the Head Boy and On Tuesday the 4th of Girl election events, but we will keep you posted of when November, Regents celebrated it will take place! the annual Loy Krathong festival. And what an event it was! This was much anticipated as it was the first House competition of the year and the first test for the newly elected House Captains. Students and staff, who had ‘Hit the can’ was extremely amusing to watch as Mr. all been encouraged to wear McConnell (the best commentator in the history of Thai costumes in order to Regents) entertained us with his emceeing skills while gain House points, roamed the dodging cans, inadvertently wacked his way. Pairs from the corridors all day, appreciating different Houses competed in order to try and hit the can each other’s efforts. at the fastest time possible. One was blind folded whilst the Lunchtime started the other gave instructions in Thai as to guide them towards celebrations off with the House the can. Many of the players were non-Thai speakers, so it was a great test of their Thai language skills. We also Krathong competition at the The festivities then moved to the Globe theatre for surprised our judges by getting them to come on stage and swimming pool. Our judges for the day were: Mr. Blaikie, KS3, where each house competed in Thai dancing, the try it out. Mr. Russell, Mrs. Travis-Mulford and Khun Anyanist. Noppamas beauty pageant and the very entertaining ‘Hit Beautiful, creative and colorful Krathongs had been made the can’. The afternoon in the Globe was so eventful that time flew by the Krathong committees to represent their respective fast. The ultimate winner of the House competition was A variety of styles of Thai dancing were offered by different Houses. They were judged on appearance, floatability and Thonburi with 423 points, followed closely by Krungthep Houses. Special recognition was given to Sukhothai House the link to a theme. Luckily, every Krathong remained with 412 points. Tied 3rd, we had Sukhothai and Ayutthaya for being the only one with male dancers in their crew. afloat even if we had a little sinking moment for Krungthep with an impressive 406 points. The next event, the Noppamas beauty pageant was also House. This event was then followed by a great rendition pretty amazing. All the contestants dazzled in their Thai of the Loy Krathong song from some Year 8 students. costumes and some donned very extravagant accessories and head pieces. In typical beauty pageant style, each student & staff couple were asked EVENTS a question. For example, “What would you do if you won 10 million THB?” The answers were great, making it ACCELLERATED READER YEAR 7 2 4 1 3 a difficult decision for judges. The Noppamas contest finished with all ACCELLERATED READER YEAR 8 4 1 3 2 contestants showing the judges their best ‘wai’ in true Thai fashion. It was a ACCELLERATED READER YEAR 9 4 2 3 1 tough competition but ultimately, our Noppamas Prince and Princess were TERM 1 COMMENDATIONS 9 8 7 9 Sascha Bickel and Esther Strafford from Krungthep and the coveted King LOY KRATHONG 412 406 406 423 and Queen prizes were won by Mr. TOTALS 432 421 420 438 Crush and Ms. Aina from Thonburi. I was then ushered into my chair on the beautiful Loy, Loy Krathong… a personal reflection on a rich cultural lawn of the University. The ceremony started tradition from the Land of Smiles ... Thank you, Loy Krathong with a blessing from one of the most respected monks in all of Thailand. The picturesque colors of the sun setting in the background made the By Jenny Lundt, Gap Staff moment even more surreal. Although there were a total of 5000 people in attendance, we all experience several central aspects sat perfectly still relishing in the tranquility of of Thai culture, centered on the the moment. Monks came through and passed holiday of Loy Krathong. the gift of fire to each row. After several hours in a bus (US The ceremony was focused on self-reflection Thanksgiving traffic has nothing and kindness with a capstone of the release of on Loy Krathong traffic), 15,000 glowing lanterns into the dark night sky. I found myself in the middle The release was a sheer moment of perfection. of Bangkok bustling with I sat in anticipation as the warmth of the fire festive spirit. Even in the most crept up my knuckles. I waited… 3… 2.. 1. congested areas of downtown, The moment of releasing my first Krathong into the unmistakable smell of incense the sky was unlike anything I had/ will ever from the thousands of Krathongs experience. The lantern scene from the Disney hung in the air. movie Tangled did not even compare to what I I spent several hours by the Chao experienced. The sight of thousands of glowing Phraya River in front of Wat wishes flying high up to the full moon brought Pho where hundreds of dazzling actual tears to my eyes. colored floats glided by. It was The whole three days I celebrated Loy Krathong truly endearing to see the plethora moved me remarkably. I was given lots of time of affectionate Thai couples place to sit and reflect not only on my life back in their illuminated Krathongs into the dark water. California, but also the three months I have been here at The combination of majestic Thai Regents School. In such a short music, the fireworks over Wat amount of time, I have learned so Arun, and the captivating trance many lessons about Thai culture, of the floating Krathongs as they teaching, and about myself. The rocked back and forth from the calmness and the appreciation wake of the boat is a memory I for simply being alive and the will never forget. smiles of all of the Thai people The next day, I flew up to Chiang I met put everything in my life Part of the reason I chose to come to Thailand for my Gap Mai in order to witness the back in perspective. year was to experience the rich cultural traditions that festivities in the North. When I go back to the US in surround the Land of Smiles. I knew very little about Thai I was brought to Mae Jo University for a lantern ceremony, a month, I will talk frequently culture (besides the fact that I absolutely adore Pad Thai). where I was served traditional Lanna food- many coconut about this past weekend and Experiencing the things we take for granted within dishes, purple fruit juice, and crispy crackers. I sat on what it meant to me. More than each of our cultures, such as the food, dances, music, colourful ground cushions and watched the beautiful anything, it made me realize how and celebrations are the things that make travelling to traditional Thai dances. much I have appreciated the foreign nations so incredible. Last weekend I was able to opportunity to be here. FESTIVALS AND TRADITIONS OF OTHER COUNTRIES Why should you go on an exchange?

By Yolanda Homs Martínez, Head of Modern Foreighn Languages By Victoria Macfie, Year 12 Exchange Student from South Africa

1st November:

El día de los muertos en México (Day of the dead)

El día de todos los santos en

Two very different celebrations that have one thing in common: the dead.

What is the Day of the Dead?

The Day of the Dead is a Mexican holiday that is celebrated on October 31st - November 2nd of each year. On the changing Unimaginable opportunities which build character Day of the Dead or El día de los muertos, in Spanish, the event, Día de Muertos provides people with the opportunity boundaries between life and death begin to blur. to rejoice in the living memories of their loved ones. Men, women and children of all ages honour and celebrate What is All Saints’ Day? How do we celebrate it? During my time on exchange here at Regents International part of Thailand no tourist would ever see. their loved ones who have passed away, participating School, Pattaya, I have experienced many things: zip wire joyously in a festival that has roots from around 4000 years All Saints’ Day is observed by Christians in many countries The Regents’ Exchange Programme has given me the adventures flying through the treetops, I have swum ago. I have always heard people talking about this Mexican around the world. In my country, Spain, offerings are made opportunity to see a country from a very different in coral reefs and hiked through tropical rainforests, festival. Unfortunately, I have never been there to take part on this day. People bring flowers to the graves of dead perspective and not just as a tourist. I would recommend multiple times. I have had a great time with unimaginable in it. relatives and they also light candles on top of graves. Some exchange for anyone ready for an adventure and ready to opportunities. people, particularly in the centre and south of Spain clean see a whole new way of life in a very different part of the Why is Día de los Muertos such a fascinating holiday? or repair the graves on this particular day. There are also world. Through your school I have been able to interact First of all, Día de los Muertos is a time of celebration. church services in memory of all the saints and these are with charities I would never have had the opportunity Although losing someone is undeniably a sad and life- held on November the 1st. to help before. Exchange is a real character building experience that helps bring you closer to your friends and closer to discovering yourself and what you can achieve Cleaning and decorating graves for “El día de todos los santos” yourself. You step way out of comfort zone by experiencing a whole new country, embracing it and living with new friends, facingyour fears and overcoming them.

I wish I could have seen everything Thailand had to offer but that is difficult with such a short stay. However, this exchange has shown me the culture and tradition of a country I would never have experienced this way if I hadn’t gone on exchange. On this exchange I have seen far-away places and met new and wonderful people who have helped me through the language barriers El día de todos los santos is a and helped show me all that the school has to offer me. Christian celebration While in Thailand I have even learnt some Thai and seen a Please help your tutor Run by Year 12 students: group get their box ready Anna, Caria, Kenny and Sirinan by Monday 8th December. with the support of the Student Guild.

. . THE MERCY CENTRE CHRISTMAS SHOBOX APPEAL

Christmas in a Shoebox:

Every tutor group in the Secondary School is making a shoebox of little Christmas presents for a child living at the Mercy Centre. Please support this appeal by bringing in one suitable contribution to donate to your tutor group’s shoebox by Monday 8th December. Thank you! REMEMBER: the best decorated shoeboxes wins points for your House!