Secondary School Update (3/2017-2018)

Showcase

By: Coach K

"We play for our children and our community," said Khun Aek about Dragons Family Football. Parents, administrators, teachers, staff, and students from all grade levels play football together and have a great time. Sometimes the sun has already set and no one wants to stop playing. Thank you, Concordian community.

Basketball is better when you're laughing and having fun!

Shooting for the extra point!

Working as a team to achieve our best!

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Showcase

Dragons Cup Champion - Puthip Junior Dragons Cup Champion – Zoe Most Improved - Matthew (an incredible 27 strokes from last year) Medal Earning Players – Puthip, Matthew, Zoe, Pei Pei, Kirk By: Coach Michael Wilson

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hey have a big heart and never give up.

They started slow but they finished the basketball season strong!

Congratulations Dragon boys varsity team! AISSA Basketball tournament 3rd place.

Showcase

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ur first year as a Tennis team is off to a great start. The team has joined a couple of international school tournaments. In February the first AISAA Mixed Tennis Tournament was held at Berkeley. Our top players from middle years, Mammoth (Grade 10), Putter (Grade 6), and Jade (Grade 6), joined the tournament playing against much older competitors.

Putter advanced to the semi-finals playing against the top ranked players of Thailand.

A Tournament was also held in March at Spin and Slice Tennis Academy. Finn (Grade 3), Edward (Grade 5), Titan (Grade 5), Tonchok (Grade 5), Ty (Grade 5), Jade (Grade 6), and Putter (Grade 6) brought their best game in each of their matches. Jade won 3rd place after a tough and exciting tiebreaker game. Putter, who won all four of his matches, earned 1st place from his group.

All players showed great sportsmanship and enthusiasm through their last match of the day.

We look forward to our own new courts and more players next year.

Coach Peachi and Coach Tiew

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hat an incredible season of growth and success for the Dragon Football Players! The UG3 Girls hit the field in October, full of energy and determination to develop their athletic skills and attitudes throughout every practice and game. These twelve girls across grades one, two, and three, loved coming to before and after school sessions. Each player committed themselves to becoming the best player that she could be by practicing... teamwork: cooperating with teammates and making choices that benefit the whole team resilence: both mentally and physically when facing football challenges enthusiasm: finding joy in the learning process and looking forward to the future of a football career.compassion: becoming more caring toward the community of football players in our area, and inquiring into how we might work together to make football more accessible to all kids.

What do they have to show for this amazing hard work and growth? League Chamions!

The Concordian Dragon Football team walked away from the AISAA UG3 Tournament with a First Place trophy and pride in their hearts. We cannot wait to see what next season brings this group of fierce athletes!

Well done! We are so proud of you!

Love, Coach Jen and Coach Heather

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he Varsity Dragons were a defensive team this year and each of our opponents knew that they had played us when the final whistle blew. Next year we have upcoming underclasmen that will really help the team.

Good luck, ladies!

Coach Mari and Coach Dr. Tresa

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he Concordian Varsity Badminton team played well at the AISAA Tournament this year.

Great FORM & Excellent SPORTSMANSHIP Looking forward to seeing you all next school year.

Most importantly, Dragons did their best and showed excellent sportsmanship.

By: Coach Tiew and Coach Yatima

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Boys doubles : Shin&Leng - Gold medal Girls doubles : Eye&Cherry - Gold medal Boys singles : Max-Bronze medal Girls singles : TooTee-Bronze medal

We tried enthusiastically during the tournament to be the Champions but were challenged by 4 Thailand nationalranking youth players from Mahidol. We almost overcame them in final total scores. We came in 2nd place by only 5 points.

Results:

Showcase

Varsity, G10-U & G7-U table tennis teams had the opportunity to fully participate in AISAA Table Tennis tournaments this year.

Our table tennis teams for Varsity & G10-U earned the 2nd place (team trophy).

Their efforts and tremendous team spirit were rewarded.

For G7-U, their performance in this tournament was amazing. Spectators were treated to a real demonstration of super table tennis rallying.

G7-U Dragons are the CHAMPIONS of AISAA and all medals for individual boys singles & girls singles went to our players.

RESULTS: G7-U team CHAMPIONS -1ST PLACE TEAM TROPHY boys singles : Mon - Gold medal Jaden - Silver medal Matthew - Bronze medal girls singles : Grace - Gold medal Hui Hui - Silver medal Elia - Bronze medal G10-U team - 2nd place

(team trophy) boys singles : Man - Gold medal Poom - Bronze medal Varsity team - 2nd place (team trophy) boys singles : Kor - Gold medal girls singles : May - Silver medal Almond - Bronze medal By: Coaches Tiew, Yatima, and Kathy

The results of AISAA Table Tennis Tournament (G5-U).

Singles Boys; Zen (G5) - Silver Medal Gumlaap and Suu Suu (G5) - Bronze Medal Singles Girls; Grand (G4) - Gold Medal Im (G5) - Bronze Medal 12

***G5-U Team on taking 1st place in the tournament***

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By: Coaches Tiew and A

Showcase

By: Coach Joe

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e had a talented team, but a tough year. We had a lot of raw and highly trained talent on the team this year. We had depth, skill and strength. We had plans, plays and procedures. We had an active and highly motivated parent fan and support base.

We were better trained and skilled then any of the other teams we played. Unfortunately, that skill and training did not translate into victory.

There is no question, we could have won the league and tournament. At the end of the day however, we didn’t. None the less, this is a great group of boys. There is no doubt in my mind that if they keep up the effort throughout their years at Concordian, they will be champions. The 3rd graders will be an excellent contribution to the G5 and under team next year. The 3rd graders will be missed by their younger friends. Good luck boys in G5 and under football.

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eaming with pride on a great performance, the Concordian Dragons G7-U AISAA Badminton Tournament Champions!!

Boys Singles: First place (Jaden) Girls Singles: First place (Ice) Boys Doubles: First place (Tonnam & Leeung) Girls Doubles: First place (Grace & Quingmi) Mixed Doubles: Second place (Nut & Brim) Thank you Coach Tiew and Coach Yatima!

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his year was a rebuilding year for our Grade 10 and under team with only one returning player. Having said that, the strides in which improvement was made throughout the season was absolutely remarkable! We ended the season with our best game of the year beating The American School of Bangkok in three games! It is clear to see the love these gents have for the game by their dedication and pure excitement when they step onto the court! I have a good feeling about the volleyball years to come with this team! Congratulations to our 2017-2018 award winners: JV PIN: Nippon (G10), Ken (G10), Pat (G10), PaoPao (G9), Best (G9), Robin (G9), Sun (G8), Peak (G8), Tonkla (G8), and Zander (G8)

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School Update

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he High School Student Government and our High School Clubs continue to thrive, making our High School a great place to learn.

The Class of 2019 were once again successful, just edging out the class of 2018. Of course, the Class of 2018 will forever be remembered as winners of the Class competitions in both their sophomore and junior years. We will see if the Class of 2019 can equal our new graduates’ achievements.

One major event was our Annual Talent Show which was held on May 4th. The date is significant as the show was inspired by Star Wars: The Last Jedi and those most memorable of words “May The Force Be With You”. This incredible event was the result of a great deal of collaboration between the High School Student Government and the Middle School Student Council. We thank our amazing, risk-taking teachers who sacrificed their precious time to entertain us with an inspiring surprise performance. It was good fun for all! Of course we must commend Ms. Zoe for her support in sponsoring the event. Thank you Ms. Zoe! The winners of the Talent Show were SMMM (Grade 6 boys dance group) and L2M4 (G11 Girls Dance Group). Honorable mentions went to the one and only Blackout (G10 & G11) and Khaojao and Geo (G7), who opened the Talent Show with a Star Wars Medley.

We would be remiss if we did not thank Mr. Robert, who advised the High School Student Government as well as providing truly exceptional leadership of our incredible sports program.

Elections for some HS Clubs have already taken place and the High School Student Government will have elections in August of 2018. We are confident that student life in our high school will continue to grow, offering a rich variety of exciting and challenging experiences for everyone.

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School Update

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School Update

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he Student Council under the guidance of Ms. Zoe and Ms. Marissa continues to be a driving force within the Middle School by not only looking after the social well being of the students, but also actively advocating for the issues within the school that are important to the students. Below are some reflections from a few of our Student Council members about what they learned and achieved this year.

Zander (President) - Grade 8 The student council’s essential priorities include arranging activities to entertain students throughout the year for a more wholesome experience for our students. We write amendments to make student life more convenient, even the little things like headphones, door sizes, or freedom to access the lounge matter to all of us. The party was arranged for entertainment purposes for students of all 3 grade levels to participate and have fun. Middle school is a once in a lifetime experience that we strive to make better for everyone, at least for a year. In the end, we just hope our actions, from sports day to parties to spirit building events have made everyone’s time here more enjoyable.

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Momae (Vice President) - Grade 8 Student council promotes student life and well being. During this school year, we have met our goal of helping students have a better school life. Whether it’s about stress, homework, dress code, or as simple as being happy, we have tried really hard to propose plans and lead activities that meet the needs of the Middle School. The most important lesson we learned is that being open-minded is the road to success. This applies to all the things middle schoolers have talked about this year. Maybe it’s about larger doorways to make it easier to get to class, reducing homework, or just having something fun to do. As a whole we have learned to accept and adapt to different situations depending on the middle school’s demand. We hope that next year we can continue to improve school life.

School Update

Kamlai (Secretary) - Video gaming and phone addiction awareness - Grade 8 As leaders of the middle school students, it was obvious that addiction to video games and smartphones is a challenge to all students. We figured that if there was no immediate help for those with this addiction that in the future the challenge might even get worse. So we started a project to help them get over their addiction .

Being addicted to video games will have effects on your mentality and well being. It will affect your grades, social interactions and overall school life, as well as health problems associated with too much exposure to the blue light from the screens. The Middle School Student Council did a number of actions regarding this epidemic such as raising awareness and presenting to the students at Monday morning assemblies and writing a proposal to the administrators of the school giving them ideas on how as teachers and staff could help these students.

As for the students themselves, we advised them that they should learn to manage their time and prioritize the importance of different tasks, perhaps by setting a bedtime so that you don’t spend all night playing games or by starting homework as soon as you get home.

We also encourage parents to keep an eye on their children and understand that addiction isn’t something that will be gone in a day. As parents, it is also important to be there for your children and give them advice on how to manage time wisely. The most important thing parents should do is put themselves in their children’s shoes and see that kids will be kids and having fun with friends once in a while is normal but sometimes too much gaming may not be fun anymore. The MSSC is always glad to help and will further try our best to support both parents and students through rough times.

Sara (Class Representative) - Grade 7 This year working in the student council has been a wonderful experience for me. It helped me develop my public speaking skills and leadership skills. These skills are helpful in our daily lives because we can use them when we work with others. After doing many morning assemblies, I was able to use my public speaking skills in class and give better presentations.

Therefore, working in the student council helped me develop many of my skills and I had a great time.

As can be seen, the Student Council were very active with too many accomplishments to be listed in this limited amount of space. But it wasn’t just the Student Council who were active. Grade 6 brought with them an enthusiasm for service and made the break area a very lively affair during break and lunch. Grade 7 continued on with their service and got more socially involved with the Middle School. Grade 8 consistently demonstrated sound leadership skills that made the Middle School a better place to be and their Community Projects were truly inspirational. I would like to personally thank all the Middle School Students and Teachers for making this a very special and rewarding school year.

Bill Berry MS Vice Principal

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Freya (Media Officer) - Earth Day awareness - Grade 8 The importance of Earthday can be seen with environmental problems our world is facing today. Finding ways to make everyone change their habits will benefit the environment. One of our school’s biggest problem is the massive amount of plastic products. We would like to raise awareness and make an impact or change in our community. In general, Earthday is to raise awareness about the problems the environment faces and how we can make a difference. There are some simple things we can do like using refillable water bottles, not using plastic straws or bags, and walking or riding a big when going to places that are close. Not only do these things help our environment, but also benefits your health.

Let your voice be heard. Raising Awareness within the community starts the process to help build a better environment for our school.

Touch (Class Representative) - Grade 7 This is my first time working in the student council, being a member allows me to take action and gain experiences while participating in different activities. It also gives me a chance to help improve the Middle School for other students. Joining the student council helped me be more open minded and to listen to other people’s opinions and ideas with respect, it also increased my communication skills by having discussions with people from different grade levels. These skills can be used daily especially when doing group work. I can use these skills to understand other people’s ideas, as well as share my ideas with them. Student council made me grow more as a person, I am happy to be apart of the student council next year.

Activities and Events

By: Amelia

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rom March 31 to April 2, over 300 delegates from fourteen different countries gathered in Bangkok to participate in the fifth annual Thailand Model United Nations hosted by Concordian International School. THAIMUN is a 3-day student led international conference, simulating the real United Nations in dealing with real current global issues by attempting to create optimal resolutions.

This year’s THAIMUN included delegates from twenty-four different schools in Thailand, three schools from Indonesia, two each from Nepal, South Korea, and India, and one each from the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, Cambodia, Egypt, Singapore, Hong Kong, and China. These delegates individually chose the committee they wanted to join based on their own interests, debating issues such as the protection of gun ownership, or the rights of Rohingya migrants. Our THAIMUN Secretariat this year included Dillon (BPS) and Pun Pun (ICS) as Parliamentarian, and Jing Jing (HIS) and Nafis (BPS) as Secretary Generals. I had the pleasure to meet them all as a member of the THAIMUN Student Management Committee.

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Many students from Concordian International School were also involved in THAIMUN, including Esee, Mac, and Tawan, who attended as Chairs, and Puthip, Bacon, Part, Fern, Angie, Tata, Ken, Lily, Sybert, Kib, and Jaokha who attended as delegates.

The conference would not have been successful without our head page Ethan, as well as all of our other pages whose efforts made the conference go smoothly.

Concordian students also participated as photographers including Pound, Pang, Millie, Eiffel, Leng, Sung Ju, and myself, Amelia. The conference also wouldn’t have been possible without help from our advisors Mr. Fiander, Mr. Rich, and Mr. Aaron. Thank you to all those who were involved in this year’s THAIMUN! Last year I attended THAIMUN as a delegate, which was a very memorable experience for me as I got to join numerous fruitful debates and make new friends with both delegates from my committee and other committees.

However, this year I tried something different and attended THAIMUN as a photographer since taking pictures has always been something I liked to do.

Although I was not able to participate in debates, being a photographer was not less of an experience. Being able to flexibly travel from room to room really broadened my perspective on MUN as a whole. Having only previously joined the Human Rights Committee (HRC), The Special Political and Decolonization Committee (SPECPOL), and the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), being a photographer allowed me to observe and notice the varied structure of other committees which I had previously never attended. Moreover, rather than limiting my interaction to only delegates in my committee, as photographer I was able to connect with delegates from all committees and even reunite with those I had met in the previous THAIMUN.

MUN does not only create the opportunity for students to socialize with others, but also opens doors for personal development in many aspects. This includes improvement in public speaking, leadership, self-confidence, and teamwork. It also allows us to practice debating and resolving conflicts effectively, and make us more aware of current world politics. Although this year is my last year participating in MUN, over the years MUN has taught me to be informed about various global issues and helped me to develop personal skills which I know I will continue to use and improve on.

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he Global Social Work Award honors current members of the student body who reflect the character, values, and ideals of the Global Network University. Awardees, whether international or domestic students, will demonstrate a commitment to sharing knowledge, information, and understanding across borders; promoting diversity and social justice; and engaging in international scholarship and practice whether at home or abroad.

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Students nominated for this award should be in good standing with the Silver School of Social Work. Further qualifications include status as an undergraduate or a graduate student with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.

By: Fong Class of 2014 Social Work and Social Entrepreneurship New York University

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n Wednesday May 2nd, the grade 10 and 11 students attended a discussion with Kriss Kirchhoff of Eagle, Idaho.

Kriss Kirchhoff is an experienced investor, past President and founder of the Boise Angel Alliance, and a recent past member of the Executive Committee of the Idaho Technology Council board. Kriss serves as a member of the board of directors or advisors for several companies in Idaho, California, and Oregon. Previously he was the President of ACCO Brands and a Vice President and General Manager for the Hewlett-Packard Company. He has significant experience in mergers and acquisitions, multiple markets, business models, and business functions and has worked and lived around the world. Kriss is known for his technical and strategic contributions while mentoring and coaching executives he advises. In his free time he is a scuba instructor and enjoys diving in exotic international locations at every opportunity.

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t was with great pleasure that Kriss Kirchhoff was able to be here with us on the 2nd of May, as part of the Concordian community. His presentation of his life's journey was truly inspirational and was really helpful in our understanding of how businesses work and operate in the real world.

Mr. Kirchhoff discussed his experiences as president of the Boise Angel Alliance. He mentioned how in his position as an "angel" investor, or, in short, a private investor, he was able to invest in new ideas from young, bright entrepreneurs because they were constantly coming to him with business pitches in order to gain capital. One of the most important things that he taught us on that day was that, if possible, it is best for one to use their own money to start up their own business, rather than asking from angel investors. I still remember one student asking "why?� He replied saying that if we were to use the money from angel investors to grow big, they would be owning a large share of our company and we'd lose profit.

Overall, his presentation on his work gave us a brief understanding of how entrepreneurs are able to find capital, and the main thinking process that is behind investing in a business.

Written by Bacon (G11S)

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ris Kirchhoff is an experienced business investor operating in many large private sector businesses.

Up until now, many businesses and companies have been relying on the manufacturing power of China. These businesses provide the service and convenience of delivering products from China to Thailand. However, recently a large Chinese e-commerce company, Alibaba, has penetrated into the Thai market. One of many concerns is that Thai retailers could disappear and become uncompetitive. According to Kirchhoff's advice, the Thai businesses are operating in the service industry, where consumers’ convenience and satisfaction come first.

However, a large company like Alibaba faces difficulty when it comes to personal delivery and lack of product quality filter. Thus, retailers in Thailand are recommended to shift their focus to providing decent service. Secondly, businesses should define their specific target market and focus on the product qualities, where retailers can gain consumers' trust and confidence. As a result, creating a strong consumer base that will be hard to penetrate.

This strategy is similar to famous cosmetic shops, such as Sephora or Eve and Boy. Written by Tara (G11C)

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n May 2nd, the grade 10 students and some grade 11 business students were privileged to meet with Kriss Kirchhoff, a highly successful businessman, who now works as an Angel Investor. He explained to us what it means to be an investor, more specifically investing in startup tech companies. With experiences in working, consulting and investing in many startup techs, he explained the processes that go into investment; what he, as an investor, looks for in a business. The advice that he gave to us, potential entrepreneurs in the future, was that in order to attract investors, our business should be unique, stand out and have unique-selling points that would satisfy customers’ needs and wants, as well as be able to adapt our products or services towards the ever-changing customer preferences; this becomes increasingly hard as trends and technology changes and improve rapidly. Mr. Kirchhoff advised us that no matter what happens, to be successful, we must persevere and not give up when a business fails as it serves the purpose of being a lesson for us to learn and improve.

Written by Pound (G11S) Photographed by Millie (G11S) and Pang (G11C)

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Activities and Events

Message from the Smile Club President Mew (Grade 11) As the President of the Smile Club, I am very proud of all the members and officers. I really appreciate their hand work and their kind hearts. I also would like to express my deep gratitude for our club advisor, Ms. Sapai. Thank you for your support. Let’s hope that next year is an even better year for all of us! Smile club is one of the clubs that offers an opportunity for students to help patients with cleft lips and cleft palates. It has been a great year for our club as we were able to bring 12 students from grade 9, 10 and 11 on the February mission in Mae Hong Son. As a group, we gained a lot of new experience from being in a hospital ward and the operating room as well as being able to interact and comfort the patients. Our fundraising programs throughout the school year were very successful as well. A total of approximately 400,000 baht was raised by the efforts and cooperation of the members, the Concordian community, and the Rotary Phra Pokklao Dhonburi Club.

Operation Smile’s Mae Hong Son Mission, February 2018 Kib (Grade 10 J) It was a short journey from Bangkok to Mae Hong Son, despite our connecting flight in Chiang Mai. During the first day, all anyone could focus on was going into the OR (Operation Room) and witnessing an operation. After we checked in at the hotel, we traveled for approximately 10 minutes to the hospital. At the hospital, we spent some time in the ward cheering the patients up. The anxiety of being in an operation room made the atmosphere quite tense. Nevertheless, once we played games and talked to the patients, they loosened up a little. Then the moment everyone was waiting for came – the OR. When I put on the scrubs I was screaming inside, I was going to see a live operation.

I have never been in an operating room before so the experience was very exciting. I was not scared at all; the doctors were very relaxed as well. The atmosphere was not serious as the operations were small. Once we left the hospital we had a chance to go to the night market and ate dinner there. It was a time to bond with students from other grades as well do some sightseeing the local area. Next year, undoubtedly, I would participate in the Operation Smile Mission again. I highly suggest anyone that is interested in the field Medicine to take this opportunity to explore the field.

Message from the Smile Club President Mew (Grade 11) As the President of the Smile Club, I am very proud of all the members and officers. I really appreciate their hand work and their kind hearts. I also would like to express my deep gratitude for our club advisor, Ms. Sapai. Thank you for your support. Let’s hope that next year is an even better year for all of us! Smile club is one of the clubs that offers an opportunity for students to help patients with cleft lips and cleft palates. It has been a great year for our club as we were able to bring 12 students from grade 9, 10 and 11 on the February mission in Mae Hong Son. As a group, we gained a lot of new experience from being in a hospital ward and the operating room as well as being able to interact and comfort the patients. Our fundraising programs throughout the school year were very successful as well. A total of approximately 400,000 baht was raised by the efforts and cooperation of the members, the Concordian community, and the Rotary Phra Pokklao Dhonburi Club.

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Operation Smile’s Mae Hong Son Mission, February 2018 Kib (Grade 10 J) It was a short journey from Bangkok to Mae Hong Son, despite our connecting flight in Chiang Mai. During the first day, all anyone could focus on was going into the OR (Operation Room) and witnessing an operation. After we checked in at the hotel, we traveled for approximately 10 minutes to the hospital. At the hospital, we spent some time in the ward cheering the patients up. The anxiety of being in an operation room made the atmosphere quite tense. Nevertheless, once we played games and talked to the patients, they loosened up a little. Then the moment everyone was waiting for came – the OR. When I put on the scrubs I was screaming inside, I was going to see a live operation. I have never been in an operating room before so the experience was very exciting. I was 27 not scared at all; the doctors were very relaxed as well. The atmosphere was not serious as the operations were small. Once we left the hospital we had a chance to go to the night market and ate dinner there. It was a time to bond with students from other grades as well do some sightseeing the local area. Next year, undoubtedly, I would participate in the Operation Smile Mission again. I highly suggest anyone that is interested in the field Medicine to take this opportunity to explore the field.

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Activities and Events

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ongkran is the traditional Thai New Year that has been a symbol of hospitality, love, goodwill compassion, respect and thankfulness using water as the means of expression of gratitude. Songkran Festival is celebrated every year from the 13th to the 15th April.

This year, Songkran festival in Concordian International School was held on Thursday, the 5th of April 2018. The Thai Department organized the pouring scented water ceremony for all the Concordian community.

We would like to thank Mr. Savage, who had been organizing the joyful water play activities for EY/PY students. They had such an amazing time! Thank you for your help and support and being involved in Songkran festival 2018.

In the evening on Songkran Day, G.10 students had the stupendous performance of Madanabadha Musical Theater for charity, which is a part of the school build project of 2018. Great Job G. 10! We are so proud of you.

By: Kru Dear

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t Concordian, every year students have been waiting for the most fun-filled festival.

Songkran is thus a great time for everyone to enjoy the water pouring and experience the authentic Thai atmosphere.

Traditionally, we have started the Songkran ceremony with the PY Thai music band (the long drum) played greeting in the Grand Theater. Then the students presented the history of Songkran. During the ceremony, the PY Thai music band played the beautiful Thai song named “Kheakborathet� which refers to the power of Buddha to bless everyone in ceremony.

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All students paid their respect and conveyed their best wishes to their teachers by pouring water on them or their palms, and the teachers would give blessings to them in return. After the distinctive cultural activity then we enjoyed the water game with our Songkran team!

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CONGRATULATIONS to all cast members and crew for all of your bravado in presenting The High School Play (That goes Wrong)!

Activities and Events

By: Mammoth, Shin and Elim

A few days before the show: “Where’s the tree?”

“Under the grand piano.”

“How did it get there and who broke it?”

“Can you pass the duct tape?”

“Hey! Who broke the glass?”

“Stop opening the curtains!”

“Hey you, can you turn off your mic?”

“Can you not?”

“What was my line again?”

“Where is my script?”

Random lights flashing.

Mics screeching.

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few days before the show, everything seemed like a catastrophe and maybe this isn’t gonna work after all. The backstage crew tried to wheel around large cardboard backdrops before the curtains opened just for it to fall over as the stage rumbled. The backstage crew had no clue how to set up the first scene. The second scene took over an hour to run through. The whole play took four hours.

Stuff constantly broke. And, we lost an actor in the dark.

The prop team who worked relentlessly sculpting, chopping, cutting, carving, and spraying the props finally saw their works of art beautifully arranged on the stage. Despite the trees constantly falling apart, they were always able to fix it in time.

The public relations and ticket selling teams were able to sell and overwhelming amount of tickets; all the money going to a great cause: the G11 school build project.

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We can’t forget to mention the director; the play Things just weren’t going together. It looked as if it was couldn’t have gone well without good leadership. gonna be a sequel of “The Play That Goes Wrong”.

In the end, it all went well. Backstage everyone was But thanks to the efforts and sacrifices of like a Formula One pit crew changing a set of tires in a everyone, the students, the thai teachers, the IT few mere seconds. On stage, we had top notch acting guys, and the technicians who stayed late until 9pm with humorous scripting which left the audience thirsty throughout the last week, everything ended up great. for more, not to mention pitch perfect singing (but I will leave the job of interpreting ‘pitch perfect’ to you ;) ) The actors were able to get together and play out their roles after spending countless of hours after Although some may have put more effort than school months before rehearsing their lines and others and there was conflict along the way, it was still perfecting their singing. They fit together seamlessly collaboration that made the play successful and also like fried chicken and sticky rice. helped us bond more as a class, sitting all together in a cramped room eating unhealthy food late into the The script team managed to transform a night. traditional play (not so entertaining) into a modern piece (entertaining) to preserve and spread the Thai As a class, we definitely learned a lot and grown from culture. this experience. Hope you enjoyed the show!

Activities and Events

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he art of Traditional Thai Music is a part of Thai cultural heritage that requires a lot of knowledge and practice.

Time and repetition are the most important requirements for success.

Ranad-Ek is one of the Thai traditional music instruments for solo competition in the “Sornthong Contest”. Competitors are judged on various musical criteria such as accuracy, melody, character and musicianship.

This year, Hui Hui (G7) competed in the final round competition of “The Sornthong Contest 2017-2018 for the trophy in honor of His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun" at the Middle school level. She earned number 14 out of the 30 finalists, out of an initial round of 200 competitors for the Ranad-Ek (solo). She did her best on the stage, not only competing at the same grade level but also challenging herself, competing against those from higher grade levels (G7-G12) which required a higher skill level.

Hui Hui shared about her experience and her thoughts regarding the contest: “I started to learn Ranad when I was in grade 3. The main reason that made me want to learn Ranad is that I am a Thai, and I should learn a Thai instrument. I want to understand a part of Thai's culture, music. I never thought I was going to take Ranad seriously, but after time passed, I felt that I became closer to this instrument. I failed to past the first round for the Ranad competition when I was in grade 4.

That didn't stop me from stopping though. In 5th grade, I was successful. I have competed in this competition ever since. It is a competition for the king's royal cup and it is very significance to all competitors. It shows how the king supports Thai students to learn a Thai instrument. From the competition, I had not only gained new skills, but also new friends. I started talking to those who have the same passion with me. I could not have been here today if I did not have support. I must thank Kru. A for everything she taught me and my parents who will always support me.”

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Activities and Events

G

old Dragon is the name of the Thai Classical Music instrument band of Concordian, in which Thai musicians from MYP and PYP play together. There musicians are Prim (G8), Safe (G7), Hui Hui (G7), Temmy (G7), Pink (G7), Nut (G7), Ping Ping (G6), Titan (G5), Jerry (G5) and Tonchok (G5).

This year was the first year for us to join in the AISAA Battle of the Bands 2017-2018 (Secondary Year Level). We won the award for Third place on Wednesday, March 21st, 2018. We are so proud of them.

- Kru A. Safe (G7) would like to share his great experience from that day with us: During the Battles of the Bands, we were very excited that we were going to a competition.

We practiced a lot during the weeks to make the piece of music that we were playing sound good and fluent. On the day of the performance we were thrilled to be performing on the stage in front of the judges. When we were playing on the stage I felt like that we were representing the school, so we had to do the best that we possibly could. We also were performing in front of famous judges, so we were very excited.

Thai instruments really are and it gave us the experience of performing under pressure. I really enjoyed it!!

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While we were waiting for the results, we had some snacks to help us cool down from the stress that we had from the performance. Then, when it was time for the score announcement, the judges announced that we got third place. We were so thrilled because this was our first time coming to an event like this. We all proudly got on stage to receive the certificate. I personally think that this was a very good experience for all of us because we get to show people what

Activities and Events

A

fter twelve Concordian students and two chaperon teachers successfully visited the No. 2 High School affiliated to the East Normal University, Shanghai in October last year, six Chinese students and one chaperon teacher came to visit Concordian on March 23rd thru April 5th. The six visiting students studied with G8A and G8C students and stayed in the school dormitory. They learned the same subjects as our students and joined some after school sports. On weekends, they visited the Grand Palace, Siam Niramit, Suan Sampran, Nitasrattanakosin Exhibition Hall as well as downtown Siam, guided by some Chinese and Thai teachers.

After celebrating the Songkran Festival, they went back to Shanghai but promised they would come back again to the Concordian family and Thailand.

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Over the past two weeks, it has been a pleasure meeting with these exchange students from Shanghai. From them, we were able to experience and get to know more about Chinese culture. Furthermore, in Chinese class, the Shanghai exchange students added a lot more color to the learning environment. It was certain that they definitely had fun because their Mandarin was a whole lot better than our Phase 6 students. It wasn’t only the culture that was exchanged, but also friendship. Even though it was just two weeks, almost everyone in the class was very close to them. Lastly, these exchange students definitely inspired us to travel to China and experience more of the Chinese culture because two weeks was not enough!

(AngAng, Concordian, G8)

Activities and Events

Throughout the week while hanging out with the exchange students, there were many different kinds of memories that we will never forget which included the spelling bee practice. Everyone in their own group cooperated with each other creating the most wonderful video for the spelling bee. We can see that they were having a lot of fun just by looking at their facial expressions. They told our class they had a lot of fun compared to their school in China. They said their school Chinese class is very boring. All they do is read textbooks, but when they came to our school we had a lot of activities such as video taking, acting, and more.

(William, Concordian, G8) Every teacher treated us so warmly. They came to check if we understood in class and make sure we had partners to take care of us. I felt I almost like melting in the care and love at the school. Students were also very friendly. They always wanted to invite us to play together, very touching.

(Luyi Zhang, No. 2 High School, G8) The unique Chinese class, professional music classroom, crazy PE class, and interesting Thai class, all made me feel so interested. The Chinese teacher taught very well. It’s amazing that students here all speak Chinese very well even though the school is not located in China. The campus is not very big but so thoughtfully designed and used, very exquisite.

(Tinghui Zhang, No. 2 High School, G8)

Students here need to do research themselves.

They need to look for resources to bring to share in class. I like this way of learning because it benefits students’ whole life. The schedule is very tight. Students need to run between classes because they only have five minutes in between.

(Watanabe Kengo, No. 2 High School, G8) The dormitory at Concordian is not big but very clean and cozy. Mr. Robert and his family also stayed with us. His wife cooked very well and prepared dinner for us everyday. They treated us like family. I enjoyed this kind of family feeling!

(Yitong Li & Ruixun Lin, No. 2 High School, G8)

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Activities and Events

T

he Festival of Love, the annual event was hosted by the Concordian PTA on February 2, 2018. The LOVE representing some of the characteristics that a Concordian should have.

L - Loyalty O - Open-mindedness V - Values E- Empathy

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This year, the Concordian central courtyard was filled with a large variety of food stalls, game booths, performances and a raffle draw under the theme: Sustainival. The theme this year promoted the efforts of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. The event was a great success with more than 1,000 With the charitable contributions, we were able to raise money for a very much needed participants.

Hemodialysis machine that was donated The festival was fun, entertaining and to the rural Chiang Kham Hospital in Payao educational at the same time. The various province and cash donation to Second Chance performances from the many grade levels were Bangkok to help create employment for many poor a highlight of the event. The PTA band as well as student bands performed many styles of residents of Bangkok’s largest slum area, music that entertained the crowd. It was a great Klong Toey through the organization’s opportunity for all students, parents, teachers and Upcycling Project. staff to strengthen their relationship and build a strong bond among the Concordian community. By: K. Kanang A.

Library Corner

By: Secondary School Librarians

S

econdary Students welcomed author and educator Ronny Mintjens for 2 days in March. His session on North Korea and the class visits during the first day gave many of us a new perspective. As one student remarked, “You humanized the country for me.” Mr. Mintjens is currently head of languages (he speaks 14!) at United World College Hong Kong and the school’s football coach. He has spent his entire adult life after leaving his home in Belgium, playing and coaching football in East Africa, Qatar, and Asia, as well as teaching as an IB educator. “More Than a Game” chronicles his early life and experiences in Swaziland and Tanzania, and “A Journey Through North Korea” focuses on his 10 visits to North Korea, as a tourist and now leading tours and hiking trips for students and adults. He currently teaches English to University tourism students in the DPRK during the summer. On his second day we learned about the “international-mindedness” that football embodies.

Despite poverty and great need, it is a game loved around the world and can bring people together.

Mr. Mintjens has visited over 120 countries and we are glad we benefited from his vast experience and skills as an educator. The visit was a huge success, appreciated by both students and teachers. We still have some copies of his books available for sale in the library!

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