Charity News
Grade 2 Students Visit Rainbow House NNR & ISB Join Forces to Promote Inclusivity
NNR Charity and ISB recently worked hand-in-hand to bring second graders and children from the local charity Rainbow House together for play time and friendship. During three field trips to Rainbow House in January and February, the second graders made friends with Thai children at the residential facility. “Something new for me at the Rainbow House was seeing and playing with a child who has no family,” said one second grader. During their visits, the scene at Rainbow House was full of friendship-building activities: Small hands picked up branches, leaves, pods, flowers, and pebbles. Splashes of color and texture covered tables and fingers touched smooth, rough, and prickly textures. Faces lighted up with admiration of new creations. Giggles and smiles spread across the room from a collage of faces, each with its own way of expressing joy. Outside, kids ran, jumped, and laughed. New friendships formed, hesitation melted into acceptance and a collective feeling of glee enveloped the grounds. Last year, ISB changed its mission statement to “Enriching communities through the intellectual, humanitarian and creative thoughts and actions of our 44
learners.” What exactly does this mean? How could this new mission shape the experiences of learners in second grade? With the help of NNR, ISB’s second grade teachers visited several local charitable organizations to learn about philanthropic efforts in our local community. The opportunity opened our eyes to the needs of the community around us. One place in particular that really stood out was Rainbow House, a project of The Christian Care Foundation for Children with Disabilities in Thailand
T h a n i Ta l k
March 2018