The Rugbeian | The Rugby School Thailand Newsletter

The

Rugbeian

Newsletter | Term 2: 2019-20

“ Patala Loka: A Carnival Of Colour, Music & Tragedy Read the full article: Page 30

THE RUGBEIAN NEWSLETTER

2 | CONTENTS

TERM 2: 2019-20

THE RUGBEIAN NEWSLETTER

TERM 2: 2019-20

PRE-PREP As always, the Pre-Prep years are about learning through experience. This term we’ve had many hands-on activities to get the children engaged in their various topics – from firemen visiting, to pizza-making, robot-building and a special author visit, to name just a few!

PAGE 4

PREP The Prep School packed a lot into the term before the remote learning programme began. From the variety of co-curricular activities and different sporting events, to the residential trips, divisional competitions and international art projects, you can read all about it from page 13.

PAGE 13

SENIOR The colourful ‘Patala Loka’ performance, residential trips to exotic corners of Asia and top university offers are just some of the many highlights this term in the Senior School. Find out more about what’s been happening by reading articles written from our student’s perspectives.

PAGE 29

BEHIND THE SCENES Take a look behind the scenes to see what school events and activities have been taking place both in and outside of our school campus.

PAGE 46

WELCOME | 3

THE RUGBEIAN NEWSLETTER

TERM 2: 2019-20

PRE-PREP Pre-Prep Introduction

Mrs Sarah Shuttleworth Head of Pre-Prep

4 | PRE-PREP

Term 2 has been yet another busy term including events such as Children’s Day, the local Fire Department visiting Year 1, Chinese New Year, Sports Day, bikes to school and Project Week. On top of this the children have learnt new vocabulary and new ways of behaving as we face COVID 19. Handwashing, gel, masks and generally keeping ourselves well has led to an interest in role playing Doctors and creating games based on “germs”. The children’s ability to adapt to new situations has been amazing and their innocent perception of the situation has kept a light-heart-

ed feel to school. The children have learnt all about pollution levels as well and the older children have discussed causes of pollution. Issues facing the world today are very much alive in classrooms and have made us all the more careful and considerate of our environment and how to keep safe and well. It is a changing world and we are adapting as we go. We learn together, we share the experiences and we become better equipped to deal with the world we live in.

Enjoy the news from Pre-Prep and see just a snippet of the things we got up to during Term 2.

THE RUGBEIAN NEWSLETTER

TERM 2: 2019-20

Maths Gameshow

W

Making The Titanic!

K

Koalas and then the rest of Year Two

Koalas

e had so much fun exploring all the spellings for numbers up to 100. It was so interesting to see how some words changed spellings for example forty lost the ‘u’ out of four. We then shared this learning with the other Year Two classes. Then we played beat the teacher and I bet you can’t guess who won…

oalas have been learning about ships in our ‘Wings, Wheels and Water’ topic this term. They especially loved hearing facts about the Titanic and were thrilled to be given a creative task to build their own ‘ship’ using just aluminium foil. They had to work in teams to try and create a sturdy ship that would float and also hold weight (in the form of marbles). We tested the ships out by floating them in water baths and the Koalas loved the competition of seeing which team’s ship could hold the most marbles!!

PRE-PREP | 5

THE RUGBEIAN NEWSLETTER

TERM 2: 2019-20

Pizza Making Workshop Lions and Tigers

T

his term, we have been learning about people in our community. To help us with our learning, we went to ‘Wisdom Valley’ to meet chef ‘Jod’ who runs the ‘Rune’s Algiz pizza restaurant’. The children loved meeting the chef and learning how to make their very own pizza. At the end of the trip, every child got to take their pizza with them and eat it. They were very proud of what they had made. It was a very successful, yummy trip!

Pre-Nursery Visit The Construction Pre-Nursery Camels, Tadpoles, Bees

T

he children in Pre-Nursery went on their first outing to view the construction site at the Senior school. Our topic was called ‘Build It’, and after reading a book called ‘Dig, Dig, Digging’ by Margaret Mayo, the children were very excited about seeing real life machines and vehicles on a construction site. It was a long walk, but we turned the journey into a listening walk and listened to lots of interesting sounds along the way. The view from the Senior Science Centre was super. The children spotted cranes moving and lifting heavy loads, large trucks, a cement mixer and lots of builders wearing their hard hats. This visit supported the children’s communication and language learning as they wanted to talk about what they saw once they returned to the Pre-Nursery. We hope that they all shared their experience with parents at home too!

6 | PRE-PREP

THE RUGBEIAN NEWSLETTER

TERM 2: 2019-20

Author Visit - Laura Wall Pre-Prep

T

he Pre-Prep children were lucky enough to meet the author and illustrator, Laura Wall. Laura was our first visiting author and the children had an amazing time.

They heard all about the place Laura lives in England, Cornwall, and even watched a video of a day in her life. They found out that she actually has to get a boat to her gallery!

Laura spent time with the children reading her stories and giving lessons in how to draw a goose. She made it very easy to do by using step by step instructions. What a fabulous opportunity it was to meet a real author and illustrator. This made the children want to create their own books. Who’d have thought we’d end up with our very own Rugby School authors and illustrators?

PRE-PREP | 7

THE RUGBEIAN NEWSLETTER

Phonics Robot Tigers and Lions

The Nursery classes have started to learn how to segment words into sounds and to blend sounds into words (oral blending and segmenting).

To help them with their understanding, they made a big phonics robot which they can use whenever they are blending and segmenting words and sounds.

Both the Tigers and Lions had lots of fun working together on these beautiful robots and they have really benefited from using it during phonics activities.

Teddy Bear Cookies Pre-Nursery Camels, Tadpoles, Bees

T

he Pre-Nursery children became mini bakers once again this year, this time making teddy bear cookies to link with our core text ‘We’re Going On A Bear Hunt’. First the children learnt the names of the ingredients and then they mixed them together using their strong arms. After lots of rolling and cutting, the cookies finally went into the oven. The wonderful smell of baking filled the classrooms.

However, the best part of the week was gathering together in the outdoor area with our own teddy bears and sharing the cookies during a Teddy Bears’ Picnic.

8 | PRE-PREP

THE RUGBEIAN NEWSLETTER

TERM 2: 2019-20

Pre-Prep School Council

A

s a way of expanding our pupil voice opportunities, the PrePrep have been working hard to establish a school council, with members of Year 1 and 2 representing the children. Throughout the first half of the spring term, the students in Year 1 and 2 were introduced to the idea of a school council by Miss Kirsty. They were encouraged to take part in elections, creating campaign posters, taking part in question and answer sessions and giving detailed speeches to their peers. Voting then took place and a representative was elected for each of the Year 1 and 2 classes.

Year 2 Kangaroo Class Lily

Year 2 Butterfly Class Katherine

Year 2 Cheetah Class Prang

Year 2 Koala Class Porch

Year 1 Jellyfish Class Mina

Year 1 Turtle Class Sunny

Year 1 Shark Class Aria

PRE-PREP | 9

THE RUGBEIAN NEWSLETTER

Writing Instructional Texts Year 1 Sharks

Y

ear 1 Sharks have been making things and learning how to write an instructional text. It must have a title, an introduction, materials and steps. We learnt all about verbs and had to make sure that the steps began with a bossy verb, telling people what to do!

10 | PRE-PREP

TERM 2: 2019-20

THE RUGBEIAN NEWSLETTER

TERM 2: 2019-20

Firefighters’ Visit Year 1 Sharks

W

e had a surprised visit from the firefighters as our introduction to this term’s topic, ‘Fire, Fire!’ We learnt all about the fire truck, safety wear, different types of fire, how to use a fire extinguisher, and we even got to put out some fire too.

Charity Club - Save The Koalas! Charity club

W

hen the bushfires in Australia were killing all the koalas, the charity club decided to help those koalas in need! We decided to make koala products to sell to others at RST, but as we finished making everything, our school closed down! We hope we get to sell them some day!

PRE-PREP | 11

THE RUGBEIAN NEWSLETTER

TERM 2: 2019-20

PREP Prep School Introduction

T

his What is only startterm of our lot packed into a many, a the curious this There has is Myahighlight?

There were third year every dominated year is week Pre-Prep including been – but seemingly by atbut perhaps the our Divisional different!

New teachers, new “Wake Shake” sessions, events beyond our control.

And and Cross-Country tops theour list. How pupils yet, anddespite new ideas always visits towonderful the Outdoor Education everything, the prep it was to see every bring with it new learning, Centre,member our parent school children andnew teachers of workshops the prep school opportunities and new friends.positive and our array ofrunning wonderful have remained admirably colourfully their hearts Being and settledenthusiastic at school and and have special out events. for their Division, and then to feelingstill safemanaged and secure youra huge note the cheering and applause to in pack learning amount into a very busy and very from the whole school as each environment is Term the key successful 2. focus and every pupil crossed the of Term 1 and I think by the finishing line.

The following few pages will looks on the children’s faces give you as a taste some each morning they of arrive at of the My thanks to the marketing range of school,wonderful we have achieved that!events, team for putting the newsletter activities and achievements that together, to the prep teachers the pupils have enjoyed. Whilst it for their endless energy and is certainly sad that some of the professionalism and, of course, most eagerly anticipated prep to the RST parents without whose school end-of-term occasions unstinting support the school such as Sports Day, Divisional would not have achieved so much Debating / General Knowledge in such a short space of time. and Year 7 and 8’s musical ‘Annie’ could not take place due to the Nigel Westlake COVID-19 campus closure, there Head of Prep School is still much to celebrate.

PREP | 13

THE RUGBEIAN NEWSLETTER

The International Art Project

T

he International Art Project is an exciting scheme that has been created by Mrs Barnes and is ongoing this academic year. The project involves a group of schools from all over the world working together on various art tasks and to share good practices. The individual art tasks have started with a focus on the people taking part, their local areas and their countries; and this will expand to learning about the global project partners and exploring where everyone is from. The aim is to make art teaching and learning more relevant, dynamic and inspiring!

The project involves partner schools in Greece, Finland, UK, Australia, Germany, Poland and Catalonia, Spain. Here are some of the pieces our pupils have produced for it so far.

14 | PREP

TERM 2: 2019-20

THE RUGBEIAN NEWSLETTER

TERM 2: 2019-20

Prep Music

A

fabulous set of ABRSM and Trinity Rock exam results greeted us after the Christmas holidays filled with numerous high marks and positive comments. Percussion results, in particular, were high so congratulations to Matthew gaining 95% and Kendo 100% Distinctions in their exams. We welcomed llya Kondratiev, prize-winning and internationally acclaimed pianist to perform to the prep school. Currently a professor at the Royal College of Music in London, Ilya treated our piano students to a piano masterclass providing constructive comments on polished and impressive performances by Caidie, Xander and Prinn. A priceless learning opportunity for both performer and observer. Despite the challenges, an upbeat and dynamic atmosphere has dominated the term with preparations and rehearsals for the forthcoming musical ‘Annie’. As we approach the performance, there is tremendous excitement and teamwork amongst staff and pupils alike. Weekly ensembles continue to rehearse and hundreds of weekly instrumental lessons are timetabled. Rehearsals have already begun for next terms Year 5 and 6 showcase. There is never a quiet moment!

Joanah Westlake, Director of Music

PREP | 15

THE RUGBEIAN NEWSLETTER

TERM 2: 2019-20

Prep School Sports Harrow International Football Tournament - U9 Boys Over two full days our Yr. 3 & Yr.4 U9 Boys Football team participated in the International Schools Football Cup hosted by Harrow International School. Participating in the tournament were many Thailand based International Schools such as Patana, St. Andrews and The British International School Phuket but the tournament also included International Schools from China, Singapore and Malaysia. The RST boys played exceptionally well in the group stage finishing in 2nd place with 3 wins, 1 tie and 1 loss meaning qualification for the Champions League on day 2. On day 2 RST’s good football continued with 3 wins and 2 narrow 1 – 0 defeats. The overall results meant that RST finished the tournament in 2nd place from 12 international schools for their age group. A fantastic effort and performance by the players involved!

U9 Basketball 3v3 @ Wellington, 23rd January The U9 Boys & Girls basketball teams took part in their first fixtures this term competing at the 3 versus 3 Tournament at Wellington College.

With the 3v3 format being introduced in the Olympic this year it was an ideal opportunity to introduce the sport at a beginner level within the GBAC Schools.

The tournament consisted of six schools with the points from all matches being combined to find the overall winner. RST finished the tournament in 3rd place and was a great effort from all involved.

Ben Ward – Director of Sport , Prep

16 | PREP

THE RUGBEIAN NEWSLETTER

TERM 2: 2019-20

Divisional Cross Country, 13th February 2020 This year the Prep School held the first Divisional Cross Country event with all pupils from Yr.3 to Yr.8 taking part.

The aim of the competition was to give all pupils in the Prep School an opportunity to demonstrate their running ability over an extended distance whilst representing their Division. Whilst the event was competitive there was an emphasis on determination, perseverance, teamwork and doing the best you can for your Division. The pupils ran in gender groups in the following age categories – U9, U11, U13 with an individual winner for each race and an overall Divisional winner to be announced at the end of the term. Points were awarded to everyone, which relates to the position they cross the line, with the lowest scoring Division the winner.

Course Distance U9 – 750m | U11 – 1km | U13 – 1.5km

PREP | 17

Marshall House

W

hen I asked the children what their favourite part about boarding was, I was surprised to hear that it was not that they were surrounded by Antipodean staff, but it was that they can spend so much time with their friends. This, along with the huge number of events, activities and outings outside of school hours, make boarding in Marshall House an enjoyable experience. Here is a short summary of what we have been up to this term. Follow us on Instagram @rst_marshall_house to keep up to speed with the latest news.

18 | PREP

Events: • Year 3 taster night as part of their residential week • Year 4 taster night • Marshall House bbq and open house • Open-air cinema night at wisdom lake (postponed)

Weekend trips: This term, the children have thoroughly enjoyed the weekend outings below. Ramayana water park is a favourite, however other trips this term such as laser tag and most recently, a trip to Monkey Beach on Ko Larn have added some variation and excitement for the boarders.

• • • • • • • • • •

Cinema Tenpin Bowling Laser tag Harbourland and Pizza Plaza Ramayana Water park Horseriding and Horseshoe Point farm tour Jomtien beach clean up Sanctuary of Truth Golf driving range Ko Larn

Evening activities: Some popular activities of an evening have included:

• • • • • • • • •

Human Hungry Hippos Mountain Biking Coding Mindfulness Star gazing/astronomy Baking Oil Pastel art Making Pancakes for pancake day Capture the flag

Outdoor games project: In conjunction with the DT department, the boarders have been working on a project to make 2 wooden outdoor games for Marshall House. They are called Finska and corn hole throw. The children have also created their own designs and crests, with the winning design/s being transferred onto the game.

Boarder of the week award: We have introduced this to reward Marshall pupils for displaying positive character traits that we think are particularly important in a boarding environment. Such as, resilience, responsibility, courage and kindness. They may have also contributed positively in other areas of Marshall House or the wider school community. Each week the winners enjoy a trip to Scrummy café at Friday break time.

Timothy Jones – PE Teacher and Boarding House Parent

PREP | 19

THE RUGBEIAN NEWSLETTER

TERM 2: 2019-20

TERM 2 EVENING ACTIVITIES

PREP BOARDING

Learning a skill - Juggling

Badminton

Augmented Reality with

QR Code treasure hunt

Coding

Capture the Flag

3D Modelling

Open air cinema night

Dodgeball

Dodgeball Championship

Pancake Day

@Wisdom Lake

Badminton

Baking

Party Games

French Cricket

Football

Oil Pastel Art

Murder Mystery Evening

Easter Food Crafts

Pirate Maths

Kubb (‘Viking Chess’)

Pixar's Best Short-Films

Ultimate Frisbee

Capture the flag

Bowls

Volleyball

Songkran Games

Comic Drawing

Croquet

Mindful colouring

(Saharan Longball/

Scottish Country Dancing

Pneumatic water rockets

Lego

Songkran Rugby)

Mindfulness

Unihoc

Floodlit Tennis

Bike Riding

Human Hungry Hippos

Modelling Clay

Art

Robotics

Video games night

Quiz night

Virtual Reality

Board Games

To find out more about boarding or to arrange a taster experience, email: admissions@rugbyschool.ac.th

THE RUGBEIAN NEWSLETTER

TERM 2: 2019-20

Swimming Term 2 Despite all the disruption in Term 2 to leading to cancelations of most of the swim meets scheduled we did manage to send a 20 strong team to the Thai national qualifiers (Martins Cup) in which the school secured its first National representatives.

Andrew Qualified for (200m,100m,50m Freestyle) (200m,100m, 50m Backstroke) (50m Fly)

Georgia Qualified for (100m,50m Freestyle) (50m Backstroke) (50m Fly)

Jada Qualified for (100m,50m Freestyle)

Andrie Qualified for (100m Breaststroke)

The Thai Nationals has been postponed until the end of April but we wish the above luck when the event does go ahead and look forward to updates in term 3, but would like to congratulate these children for obtaining Thai Colours.

We also need to mention Elizabeth Fitzpatrick which has also obtained a qualifying time for 50m freestyle two years early which is a massive achievement but means she will miss out due to her age this year. We have had many PB’s achieved this term with many swimmers taking 3-6 seconds of their personal best times.

I just want to congratulate all the swimmers at Rugby school in working so hard and looking at the future it looks really bright.

We also had our Prep gala on the 25&26th March which was a chance for every Rugby school prep pupil to show how well they have advanced in the pool this term.

Craig Wood – Head of Aquatics

PREP | 21

THE RUGBEIAN NEWSLETTER

TERM 2: 2019-20

Lunar New Year

E

very year, we celebrate Lunar New Year in school and this year was no exception. In the morning, there was a sea of colour, as everyone arrived at school in their Lunar New Year traditional dress or colours. We had Chinese dress, Korean outfits and lots of red.

The whole school got together in the CGA to watch a spectacular Lion Dance Show. The area was full of happy noise, dancing and cheer.

As part of our festivities, pupils from various year groups performed for us. We listened to poems in Mandarin, watched a mixture of modern and traditional dance, listened to music performances and enjoyed a drama show. What a talented bunch! After the performances, the Prep School returned to class where their lessons for the rest of the day were Lunar New Year themed. In some of our subjects, we learnt the animals of the zodiac in different languages, studied the story of why we celebrate Lunar New Year and made paper lanterns.

Throughout the day, we sampled an array of Chinese food for our snacks and lunch. The pork and custard buns were very popular. A huge thanks to our Mandarin teachers for all their hard work in preparing a fantastic day.

Sara Howell – Deputy Head Academic

22 | PREP

THE RUGBEIAN NEWSLETTER

TERM 2: 2019-20

PREP | 23

Residential Trips

T

he 2020 trips were another huge success proving a great experience for pupils to engage with new friends and challenge themselves to try new activities or experience new surroundings away from home and time spent away from phones and electronic games. Hopefully many happy memories were made and new friendships forged.

We had some new venues this year. Year 3 again stayed locally but spent a day at Horseshoe Point learning about horses, riding a horse and doing a zip-line course over the lake. The following day they went to a farm to learn about the food we eat. They returned to spend some time at the Outdoor Education Centre and had an evening BBQ around the camp-fire before returning for a night at Malcolm House, our boarding house at School. The final morning was raft building at the Concert Lake with some very sturdy rafts being made. Others were not quite so sturdy!

24 | PREP

Year 4 had an exciting change of venue - going up to visit Mini Murrah Farm, the NARIT Observatory, stay at Baan Naituek Homestay and visit Khao Kaeow Open Zoo. The new venues were a great success - the pupils enjoyed learning about the Buffaloes, making their own pizzas at the Farm using the produce and buffalo mozzarella; had an amazing experience watching the night sky in the planetarium and then observing the stars, planets and galaxies through the telescopes at the Observatory; and finally learning about all the animals at Khao Kaeow Open Zoo. The Year 5 itinerary also changed this year. The 4-day trip started with a day at Ramayana Water Park which was hugely enjoyed by pupils (and staff!) before they made their way to their accommodation at Chatnipa Beach Resort by Morseng. There was a day spent at Park Adventure doing kayaking, cycling and a walk through the fruit farm. On the Thursday they had a fantastic day snorkelling with Mermaids Dive Centre who always provide an excellent day with a delicious lunch provided. The snorkelling sites were full of interesting marine life to look at and the boats proved to be exciting diving platforms to jump off into the sea. It was a great day.

Year 6 returned to Rayong Chalet Resort for their 4-day trip hosted by Wild Planet who looked after them very well again. The trip included some great team-building games, kayaking, snorkelling where they saw some amazing clams, a trip to the turtle sanctuary and a look at the effects of plastic pollution on the marine environment. The staff also organised some dorm challenges which included creating a dance and a song, inventing a game to play - great fun was had by all - and the evening quizzes proved popular too.

Wild Lodge in Khao Yai hosted our Year 7s again this year and the high ropes course, as always, was the most memorable challenge. It is high and it is a challenge but all pupils are able to do better than they initially thought they would. Some are able to do all of it, some part of it and some go higher than they thought they were able to but all are encouraged to try and all are proud of what they achieve. The other activities include a gorge walk in a river bed, a cookery challenge, Canadian canoeing, archery and a climbing and abseiling wall.

The Chiang Mai trip for Year 8 was lucky to be able to do most of their outdoor activities as the Air Quality remained acceptable. The first night camping was a great introduction to camping for most of the pupils who have not camped before. The campsite is next to an elephant sanctuary so the noise of elephants adds to the sense of excitement. The following day was the river rafting which, as always, was fun and wet!

The trip also included learning how to make charcoal, plant rice and then what is involved with harvesting and preparing it ready for eating, a cycling trip and some kayaking. It was planned that the last evening would include a trip to the night market in Chiang Mai but this plan was as the air quality deteriorated but otherwise it was another wonderful experience for the Year 8s final trip in the Prep School.

David Dawson – Deputy Head Pastoral, Humanities Teacher

PREP | 25

THE RUGBEIAN NEWSLETTER

RST Eco Garden And Sustainability

O

ne year ago, a group of pupils attended the first Eco Beasts Action Day in Bangkok which introduced them to the UN Global Goals for Sustainable Development. They had to produce an action plan of goals that aimed to promote and encourage sustainable practices at Rugby School and in the wider community. This term has seen the realisation of their final goal, which was to have an Eco Garden. We have sadly had to delay the official opening of the garden, but we hope that next term will see groups of pupils from across the whole school involved, getting close to nature and gaining an understanding of the joys and challenges of growing fruit and vegetables.

Thanks to the Art Department and the imagination and talents of pupils, we now have wonderful murals depicting the UN Global Goals brightening the stairwells of the Prep School.

It is hoped that everyone who attends, works at, or visits the school will take these goals on board and consider what changes they could make as individuals, to work towards them.

The Y7 & 8 Eco Club were fortunate to attend an inspiring presentation from Dr. Sujitra Vasanadamrongdee about the CU Zero Waste Programme. It not only highlighted the need for action but also gave really good advice on how to go about making the necessary changes. Plans are now underway to implement a Zero Waste Scheme at Rugby School Thailand.

Corinna Dawson – Head of Support for Learning

26 | PREP

TERM 2: 2019-20

THE RUGBEIAN NEWSLETTER

TERM 2: 2019-20

Ski Trip

In February half-term, 10 Rugby School Thailand pupils took part in the inaugural Prep School ski trip. We visited the Mt. Naeba resort in Japan, 3 hours outside of Tokyo. We took pupils from Yr. 3 to Yr. 8 with a real range of abilities; some who had never set foot on skis before all the way up to some very good skiers indeed.

We flew overnight from Bangkok on Friday and were all skiing after lunch on Saturday. The cold weather and beautiful views were a real treat for us all. Everyone made amazingly quick progress and by the end of the week everybody managed to ski down a black

run, the most difficult kind, as well as perform jumps in the snow park and even venture a little off-piste.

When not skiing, we built snowmen, made snow slides, watched fireworks, took advantage of the hotel’s excellent games room and generally had an excellent time. We even went night-skiing , a new experience for all of us. We hope this is the first of many future ski trips and hope to see many more pupils enjoying their time in the snow.

William Howell – Head of Prep Maths

PREP | 27

THE RUGBEIAN NEWSLETTER

TERM 2: 2019-20

THE RUGBEIAN NEWSLETTER

TERM 2: 2019-20

SENIOR Senior School Introduction This has been a Term unlike any other.

What began normally ended most abnormally. Indeed, dealing with an entirely ‘new normal’ has been the focus of our energy in the last weeks of Term.

We are extremely fortunate to have a resilient community. That resilience, when coupled with resourcefulness and cooperation has allowed for the relatively seamless embedding of remote learning in the Senior School.

There are some of our teachers and pupils who are extremely comfortable with teaching and learning online. Many of our teachers will have completed at least part of their undergraduate or postgraduate studies online, and we know that most of our pupils are ‘digital natives’. The online environment for them is a comfortable space.

There are also some for whom the migration to remote learning has been a more cautious journey. Our community values co-operation, so the willingness to ask questions and ask for assistance is a sign of working well together. This has helped those who were initially less comfortable with the remote learning platform grown in confidence.

The feedback I have had from teachers, pupils, and parents has been very positive. We are negotiating unfamiliar territory together, but we are doing that with a common purpose. That will deliver the learning outcomes we seek to achieve.

Before we entered the ‘new normal’ the Senior School continued apace with some exciting and fulfilling events filling our calendar. A highlight was ‘Trips Week’ that saw our pupils venture to Chiang-Mai (Sixth Form), Kanchanaburi (E and D Blocks), and Borneo (F Block) in the week before half term.

Our D Block pupils completed their Mock IGCSE examinations in January, with some outstanding results achieved. Following half-term, our F Block pupils and staff who had been to Malaysia were required to self-quarantine for a few days, and from that time restrictions on social gatherings saw most of our community events cancelled.

The Battle of the Bands brought some of our very talented musicians to the fore in an outdoor setting the week before school closed. Staff ran a baked goods stall at the event, with all funds going to the “Hope for Strays’ charity.

We know what to expect from our ‘new normal’ next term, and will negotiate it with great confidence.

Alan Ball, Head of Senior

SENIOR | 29

THE RUGBEIAN NEWSLETTER

TERM 2: 2019-20

RST Battle Of The Bands 2020

R

ugby School Thailand held its inaugural Battle of the Bands on Wednesday the 11th March 2020.

This event not only showcased the impressive musical talents of students across the Senior School but also managed to raise well over 20,000 baht for the ‘Hope for strays’ foundation situated in Pattaya, which supports and cares for stray dogs. This was achieved through a non-uniform day and food sold at the event. What a combo! Every performance was a class act: some were full of musicality, others had the audience up on their feet, with their bold stage presence. We started with Ctrl-shift-n (featuring Marq, Bush, Leo, Louis, Cane, Nua) with some alternative Hip Hop with their version of Rex Orange County’s ‘Love is Easy’. Then we heard some Indie Pop music from my own band Neon Division featuring myself, Tyler, In, Lily, Adam and Melody playing Reality Club’s ‘Is it the answer?’ which lightened the atmosphere. We then had our

30 | SENIOR

second band performing ‘Sunflower’ by Rex orange county with Sofa starring Kelly, Roonmai, Polina and Patrick. The Rimp followed by a Thai alternative rock song by ‘Cocktail’ (คุกเข่า) which really hyped up the Senior School Audience. This was especially found with F block boys, they seemed to be having the time of their life and when much of the school joined down the front of the stage. The XX ‘Twenty’ band (formed by the students in upper twenty and some E blocks (Sung Eun, PeiPei, Chompoo, Focus, Benji, Rachane, Minji, David and Eblock Students Scarlet, Pun and Zia) bringing out the funkiness with an iconic Bruno Mars song, ‘Uptown funk’. The boy band GaoMao with performances from Marq, Bush, Leo, Louis, Cane and Pun really gave a contrast to the previous performance of ‘Sunflower’ when they performed it with contrasting Electric Guitars and a Saxophone.

THE RUGBEIAN NEWSLETTER

The new purpose-built venue gave out a very casual feel so the students and teachers, taking over the walkway behind the Admin Building Entrance.

Students and staff could jam in whenever they felt like without feeling too conscious. Looking around, it was clear that everyone was having a great time.

There was even a Staff Band featuring Mr. Furness, Dr. Woodward, Mr. Buckle, Mr. Maurice and guest drummer Marq, performed their own Thai Cover version of Losso. They were called ‘The Soi Dogs’ highlighting the fundraising and now nearly empty food stall selling Hot Dogs and Pup Cakes under Mr. Large and Ms. De Villiers management.

TERM 2: 2019-20

Suites. Lastly, we had the LXX Band ‘King’ perform a Queen classic of Don’t Stop Me Now with Anja, Lindsay, Sandra, Charlotte and Patrick.

The judges for the event were Mr. Woodward and Mr. Ball. After all, 9 bands performed the announced Winners in 2nd and 3rd Place were The Rimp and Kings respectively). The ‘XX” Twenty Band took first place and played an encore performance of ‘Uptown Funk’ getting much of the school community on its feet and on stage one more time.

The event was a great success, showcasing the RST Music Department with student-led bands, and The last two student bands in the event were will form a very exciting part of the School Calendar certainly highlights for the crowd and judges. Jazz with plans already underway for RST Battle of the Punk duo Sarcastiband reached out to the Heaviest Bands 2021! Huge thanks also to the Support Staff, moments of the show staring Graham, Tank in and Mr. Costin for the initial idea.

Rew – E Block studentHouse Parent

SENIOR | 31

THE RUGBEIAN NEWSLETTER

TERM 2: 2019-20

Sixth Form Highlights

It is a particularly difficult time for our graduating students. Uncertainty surrounding exams, grades and university places should not, however, stop us celebrating their achievements. Our first graduating students are holding an amazing array of offers. Sixth form students have been working on applications since they first joined us by gaining a broad range of experience. In their first year, their combined efforts raised hundreds of thousands of baht for charity and a multitude of positive experiences for them to discuss in applications. Many will qualify for the Duke of Edinburgh International silver award and they all trekked for 4 days in the jungles of Borneo! Students tailored their experience to suit the applications they would make. One student planned a fashion show to raise money for charity and show case their own designs. They will be joining a top Italian fashion school.

Of the 9 or 10 businesses set up by our sixth form, the school tuck shop is now the most established. In a way they chose, every student was able to demonstrate 32 | SENIOR

their independence, determination and constant desire to improve.

Of the 8 students who applied through the UK application system, UCAS, 7 received offers from the prestigious Russell group universities. In fact, combined, they hold offers from nearly half of the Russell Group as well as excellent universities such as Bath and Lancaster. Internationally, the 6th form has or will apply to 7 different jurisdictions with success already in Thailand and Australia (UNSW and Sydney University). Four out of our cohort of 15 have offers for courses ranked in the top 25 globally (QS 2020 subject rankings – where covered).

All-in-all we couldn’t be prouder of this year group.

Whilst, at the moment, we can’t see quite what the future holds for these amazing students, we can confidently predict that it will be very bright!

Lee May – Head of Sixth Form

THE RUGBEIAN NEWSLETTER

TERM 2: 2019-20

List of UK universities our students have offers for: • • • • • • • • • •

London School of Economics and Political Science University College London University of Warwick University of Bristol University of York University of Manchester Newcastle University University of Bath University of Exeter University of Liverpool

• • • • • • • • •

University of Sheffield University of Leeds Heriot-Watt University Loughborough University Cardiff University Lancaster University University of Surrey University of Sussex University of Kent

SENIOR | 33

THE RUGBEIAN NEWSLETTER

TERM 2: 2019-20

Patala Loka: A Carnival Of Colour, Music & Tragedy

T

he Patala Loka: a splendor of flashing lights, passionate music, and sub-par dancing.

Performed by the Senior School of Rugby School Thailand (which opened in September, 2018) on the 5th and 6th of February, 2020 in the Veraphan Building theatre of RST, the Patala Loka was codirected by Felicity Passmore and Wesley Maurice.

This performance was set in a music festival; a modernized setting, hashed with Shakespeare’s original dialogue. The atmosphere in the theatre was nothing like before; the tremendous transformation got the audience thrilled, with bars and DJ booths all built by the DT department. Along with the set design, beanbags and sofas were scattered around the floor making the viewing experience ten times better.

The Patala Loka resulted in being an impressive piece. It was performed in a very audience-inclusive style; at one point the cast had ended up coercing many of the crowd into a full-blown dance party, including coruscating lights and incredible live music that managed to capture the feeling of being in a real concert. It was also the little things: speaking to the audience as if they were part of the production, and not just a crowd present to watch; looking them in the eyes when delivering lines; and sometimes even asking them questions. Speaking of being audience-inclusive, the stage was set from the tiny spaces between the beanbags, to the raised platform of the stage, to literally any unoccupied sliver of the floor. Was this a good thing? In a purely dramatic aspect, I would say yes - this divergence from the norm was a fun and interesting take on staging.

narrative of the story. The music better reinforced the festival theme of the play, and the heightened emotion that came with it had the audience completely engaged, and even singing along. Furthermore, it wasn’t just the performances that had them believe so wholeheartedly in the production - part of that had to do with the set.

When I first entered the newly refurbished theatre, I could find no trace of the plain, austere room. The tastefully painted backdrop, as well as the little things that went to make the theatre feel like another place entirely: the lush greenery pressed against the sides of the room, the fairy lights, the real portaloo, the student-constructed bar-- all of it went into creating an authentic festival atmosphere, which I believe it did effectively. When I applaud the visual arts department, I do not only mean the set design. The combination of lights and music gave a new level of authenticity to the The music was spectacular, capturing different production, and I cannot commend enough all of the moments beautifully, and giving some of the scenes a effort that obviously went into this. much rawer feel to it, emotionally, and adding to the

34 | SENIOR

THE RUGBEIAN NEWSLETTER

TERM 2: 2019-20

Romeo and Juliet shone through with their spectacular drama skills, captivating the audience in their bittersweet love story.

Regarding the acting, there were some brilliant moments.

Many of them were due to the hilarious, over the top delivery, which really hit out of the park with the younger audiences, who appreciated the sillier details of the show. A character that many remembered afterwards was the Nurse, who was the comedic relief of the play. It was instantly recognisable that she gave 100% in her performance, with her exaggerated gestures and words. In addition to this, I give an honourable mention to Benvolio and Mercutio, whose acting was believable in a more realistic manner than the comedic relief.

A specific scene that was one of the highlights in my opinion, was the death scene of Romeo and Juliet. They pulled it off incredibly. Candles were used to set the mood, along with dimmed lights. On top of that, Vincent McMorrow’s rendition of Higher Love, a much slower version of the piece of music used throughout the production, which was sung live only using a piano and soloist, made this scene particularly emotional.

This also meant that the actors had to use mime, with particular emphasis on body language, to communicate emotion. From the set design and acting, to the music and audience-involvement; all of it went into creating an extremely convincing performance of Romeo and Juliet by the Senior School of Rugby School Thailand. It was a fresh, unique take on the age-old classic, brought to life with an exemplary cast and stunning visual displays. I would unquestionably encourage everyone to see this once in a lifetime opportunity.

Zia and Karylle – E Block students

SENIOR | 35

Senior Boarding

I

t has been a really exciting two terms for all boarders, whether returning or new, to meet new faces and move into our new rooms, and for the boys to move into a completely new boarding house as well.

House Music was a great House event. Every one of us had the opportunity to express our (mixed) musical talents and good fun was had by all. School House boys came together for a rousing rendition of Redbone’s Come and Get Your Love, complete with a live band and energetic dance moves which won the best house song prize. It was great to support our housemates and the atmosphere in the V Theatre was fantastic.

After spending time together preparing and practicing it just shows what we can achieve not only with our talents, but also with our deep-rooted teamwork and friendship.

Being part of the boarding community in RST we have the opportunity to meet new people, see one another in different contexts and integrate every evening through various activities. In the first week of school, both houses joined to enjoy a warm night out in the Outdoor Adventure Camp where we roasted marshmallows and told stories around the campfire.

Once October came around, the spooky decorations were placed in the boarding house and to celebrate Halloween we enjoyed activities such as apple bobbing and treasure hunting around the campus. Interhouse competitions were extremely big events again 36 | SENIOR

this year; we competed with great determination in sporting comps and in the Inter-house quiz.

It was that time of the year again when Christmas was just coming around the corner, bringing joy and gifts along with it. Both boarding houses celebrated Christmas by having fun with Secret Santa, where all of us got presents for one of our fellow housemates.

At the end, every single person had contributed, and everyone in the house was happy. Rupert Brooke and School House celebrated Christmas together with a delicious, festive feast at Wisdom Valley where everyone was seen dancing and chatting. Our Matrons also spent time making and putting up Christmas decorations all around the houses, truly bringing the Christmas spirit to all of us and our tutors taught us the macarena! As well as this, our trip to the Ramayana Water Park saw everyone having a great time and really enjoying themselves. We celebrated Chinese New Year with a tasty Chinese dinner, followed by a movie night in the Science Lecture Theatre on the huge screen. We ate popcorn and drank hot chocolate together, tucked up on bean bags under our duvets.

We have also celebrated lots of 18th birthdays, which meant 18th birthday cakes and doughnuts too! Most recently, RB and SH split into teams to take part in some after-supper pancake races. Despite all of the laughter, the races were taken surprisingly seriously and we had a fantastic evening.

These last two terms have really been eventful. With all the hard work we have put in it’s a shame to have to leave our houses to begin our remote learning programmes. We can’t wait to return for more boarding fun once school re-opens. Thank you to all staff who continue to make boarding such a positive experience, to tutors, Matrons, House and domestic staff, all of whom give up their own time to help and support us. To anyone thinking about boarding, we say yes! If you want to develop better friendships, have everything here right on your doorstep and prepare yourself better for university, then join us in Rupert Brooke and School House as soon as you can!!

Written by RST Boarders in School House and Rupert Brooke

SENIOR | 37

THE RUGBEIAN NEWSLETTER

TERM 2: 2019-20

Fifty Short Story Entries Competition

Pupils in the F,E,D Block and Year 8 Set 1 English were given the following brief: The rules are simple: 1. Your story must be no longer than 50 words in total.

2. Your story must have some sense of character and setting.

3. Your story must include the word CIRCLE or a variation of the word (e.g. circling/circled etc.)

Here is a selection of some of the stories collected from each year group.

E Block

The front was furious. The soldiers were walking in circles in the camp, waiting for their next order. Anxiety had taken over all of us as our army had been pushed closer and closer to the coast. The telegram finally screeched, a message appeared – Ohm After escaping Arcadia, I encountered a charming, little cottage. Several shadows circled the window-- a small family, I had guessed, and after 5 days of continuous travel, there was only one thing on my mind.

– Zia Tuesday afternoon. Sitting in the classroom, I peered out at small children circling the playground. It was a normal day I suppose? I stared at my teacher blankly.

Suddenly something caught my eye. But it was too late.

Whiff!

Glass shattered. The room went dark. Screams.

Blood. Bullet hole.

Sniper.

– Albert How did I get here?

I’ve been thrown in a constricted area with monitors surrounding me.

Plus straps attached on my wrists.

Memories circle back to the unidentifiable juice that they stabbed me with.

38 | SENIOR

I’m losing my mind.

I’m not in control.

How did I get...

ERROR! RESTARTING...

PROGRAM INSTALLED. – Karylle

D Block

At the supermarket the toilet paper was out. Shelves were empty, everyone was rushing through to get what they needed. I got home with my kids layed down and gathered in a circle. It suddenly occurred to me that there was no need to worry about the scary zombie apocalypse.

– Marq I think everyone knows that dogs are very loyal, but this story is something unbelievable. There was a dog called Buddy and he had an owner, Bob. Unfortunately, Bob died in a car accident, but his friend Buddy never left him, he was circling around his grave until his death.

– Maksim After Bob’s pizza order arrived at his flat, he thought to himself that ‘pizza is quite a strange food’. The food is served in a square box, eaten in triangular shapes but comes in the shape of a circle. There is hardly another food out there with such identity issues.

– Dew

THE RUGBEIAN NEWSLETTER

Streaks of black ripped through the hazy clouds, the beat pulsing in my veins. Adagio. Whistling akin to windchimes, the circling wind’s tempo swelled.

Crescendo. Muffled, the drizzle’s melancholy harmony drummed, in time, against the concrete headstone - looming over the resting white carnations.

You always liked music, didn’t you, mum?

– Grace You could hear a pin drop. My heart pummelled inside my chest, feeling like fireworks exploding.

My brother sat on the velvet armchair, tears silently streaming down his face. Mum’s gently drawing circles on my little sister’s palm, calmingly. All of us staring at his vacant chair. He’s gone.

– Milly A smile crept upon her rosy, tear-stained face. Her raven locks dancing violently with the ocean wind circling her. Years ago, this very wind brought forth a storm that took away everything, at this moment it was returning the familiar faces back from the horizon, the faces she longed for.

– Sasha

F Block

I couldn’t feel his pulse. My hands were stained with a deep red. Guilt circled my conscience. Mum screamed. Where would I go? Who would I be?

Would I be able to start again? It’s too late. All that remains is to run. I need to find a new reality.

– Heewon Knock. Knock. Knock. Three distinctive bangs circled around the hall. It’s creepy at night. I shouldn’t have come back to grab my books. THUD! What was that?! Grabbing my stuff, I hurried towards the exit when I felt something breathing down my neck. I slowly turned, looked up. And ran...

– Nicki

TERM 2: 2019-20

Everything has two sides...The world is a circle. I’m alive. It was the field, blue and yellow over the green stems. It’s calling me to play with. The sunset filled the cloud with deep red flames. And then I was back again to the other side of the circle with dust and ashes. They blind me...

– Buggy Have you ever felt like you loved someone? Have you ever felt like you can’t live without someone?

You fall for someone who doesn’t return your calls or texts. You fall for someone who keeps letting you down. Its life. Stop letting these memories circle around your head.

It’s over!

– Isabel

Year 8 - Set 1 English

Dear Earth. The “circle of life” is broken. We live in fear of disasters to come and yet we do nothing. Our laziness that others would do it for us is backfired, we should have saved you together. Please forgive us for the horrible pain we brought you. I’m sorry.

– Andrie They came back. The voice, the unwanted thoughts, the images. They all came back.

They plagued me, telling me to do things I didn’t want to do. Go away, go away. I don’t want you here.

They circled my mind, feeding off of me. Why can’t you just go away?

– Sasha But then one day, you’ll hear their name again. Encircled by memories. Because there was a day they had been the cause of your laughs and joys and tears.

You will love them forever because once; they were your reason to live.

A home you can always come back to.

– Perth

SENIOR | 39

THE RUGBEIAN NEWSLETTER

TERM 2: 2019-20

Kanchanaburi Trip

I

can honestly say that the Kanchanaburi trip has been my favourite part of Rugby School Thailand so far. It was an absolutely amazing experience where we learnt so many new things from being pushed out of our comfort zones. We all tried so many things from being outdoors, and managed to have a great time whilst doing so.

Getting off the bus I was unbelievably anxious to see who my roommate would be - I knew that this could define my experience on this trip, and coincidentally I got put with one of my absolute favourite people, I was only about five minutes in and I was already overjoyed. Glowing with happiness we went and unpacked our belongings and then headed straight to lunch - we were all hungry after the long bus journey. We were then put into groups and taken to do an obstacle course. This ended up being one of my favourite parts of the entire trip - I met new people and found out about their likes and dislikes and realising just how hilarious my year group was - watching people fall into lakes and practically screaming to try and keep their balance was one of the funniest things I’d ever encountered - even thinking about it now makes me smile.

The next day, after packing our bags and breakfast, my group went cycling first. I was stunned by the views in the countryside, it was all so peaceful and beautiful, we biked all the way to where we were kayaking and were given a small snack break before we started. Going kayaking was just amazing - again the views were incredible and we were constantly splashing each other and racing past each other, I can say with full confidence that everyone had a great time. Next up was raft making - this came to be quite a challenge for me as it was very hot in the sun and learning to tie the ropes correctly and tightly was difficult, however with the help of the instructors we managed to get there in the end.

We then had to take these rafts back to our hotel, as we were floating down the river we discovered that lizards could swim, and as we had some time to spare ended up making up stories about a lizard named Geoffrey.

40 | SENIOR

THE RUGBEIAN NEWSLETTER

The next two days we split into groups of six or seven and went on a two-day hike as a part of our Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. I was beyond nervous for this as I had no idea what it was going to be like. We got off the bus right in front of a bridge, where we then waited for each group to go. The day went by much quicker then I thought it would, our group was determined to get to the camp as quickly as possible and we all fell into our roles quite quickly.

TERM 2: 2019-20

groups together was a challenge, to say the least, but somehow we made it work. We all managed to meet up at our aid points and walked together until the end.

Seeing the buses ready to take us back to our resort was one of the happiest moments of the entire trip.

The satisfaction of knowing that you got there, and finally getting rewarded after all our hard work.

As this was our last night, we had a campfire which I’ll always remember. I sat with all the new friends I’d The feeling of when you first got to the camp was made wondering how I’d been going to Rugby School unforgettable, you walked up to this amazing view day after day without talking to them. We were dancing with swings and tables where a few of the other and singing and having the time of our lives with each groups were waiting to welcome you, along with some other, and that’s what I think separates Rugby from of the puppies who were living at the camp, who came other schools, we really are a community and I love running right up to come and play. Dinner was a flurry that we were all given the chance to discover this. of instant noodles and cereal bars and we all dispersed into groups playing games and having conversations The last day we got back into our groups and did some over marshmallows. final activities as a team before we got back onto the buses and headed home. As much as we all loved trips The next day was even hotter and harder as we were week, we were all excited to get back and couldn’t wait all tired from the long day yesterday, keeping our to have a well-deserved rest.

Scarlet – E Block student

SENIOR | 41

Sixth Form Residential To Chiang Mai

S

awasdee jao… We’re not going to lie, waking up at 3 AM is not easy for many of us. However, we were so excited and nervous about our last residential trip and expedition so we were up and ready to leave for the airport at that time! Since it was our last trip, we wanted it to be memorable and it was from the start to the end – our Chiang Mai residential was definitely fun-filled and was a trip we won’t forget about.

For the first 2 days, we stayed at the base camp. We completed team-building activities, a low ropes course and rock climbing which we all enjoyed even though some of us found it difficult. During our recreation time, some of us went to play basketball while the others were playing cards. Day 2 was all about food. We had “jungle cooking classes” where we have to collect vegetables and cook! We divided ourselves into groups to increase efficiency. After everything was cooked, we took a minute to appreciate the food that we have made before eating it all. A trip to Makro was successful even though we were speed buying and trying to get everything on our lists. We had a set budget for our meals and had to make sure that we had planned at least one meal each day which contained fruit and vegetables. That evening, we also had a friendship BBQ where there was a lot of laughter and we also sang Happy Birthday to Han! The first two days’ activities were not just about having fun but also taught us some useful and important survival skills for our Adventurous Journey.

42 | SENIOR

Day 3 was our chance to ensure that we had packed everything we needed for the next three days. It was a long drive before we arrived Pantong. Unexpected things happened, the pollution was high which meant that we did not have to carry our rucksacks (shocking!).

Lunch was filling and gave us energy, unlike, our 6 crackers experience in Borneo! Groups arrived earlier than expected and we used that time to learn the local dialect and complete our Journey aims. We had to cook dinner for ourselves and the teachers were surprised by the meals planned – there were some rather fancy meals prepared. However, it was not easy for all groups; one of the groups realised that they did not buy enough meat and it resulted in one of the most frustrating yet hilarious moments which still makes us laugh.

The structure of the next day was similar to day 3.

The differences were that we had to cook three meals instead of on and had a longer path to walk. The biggest problem we faced was that it was cold and damp when we woke; this left us with a difficult challenge of setting up fire with sticks and surrounds that were wet. It took us nearly 45 minutes to start the fire!

Every group worked towards their goals; a great deal of research and interviews were done during the hike that day. Most of us have agreed that it was the most difficult day as the temperature rose to over 40°C.

Finally we reached Day 5, our last day of trekking. The pollution level was low which meant that we could carry our rucksacks.

We did not mind carrying them since we had eaten most of our food! It was definitely our longest trek and some groups got lost in the jungle. It was tiring but everyone was happy to have completed the Journey. That evening was our best part of the day as we were served with a traditional meal called “Khan Tok”.

This included performances from the local staff. It is a wonderful experience!

On the very last day of the trip, we had a little fun before coming back to RST, we took part in the ‘Amazing Race’. Even though we were exhausted from our three-day trek, we did not lose our competitiveness; we ran, cheered and of course screamed for our teams! We also had one last chance to reflect together. On the trip, we learnt that being supportive and being cooperative helped us succeed on our adventures. It was great seeing everybody was having fun as well as taking care of each other. No teammate was left behind! Individual and team skills developed throughout the trip and most importantly has strengthened our bond as the Sixth Form. The memories made on this trip are long-lasting and reminded us that, ‘The whole person is the whole point’.

Chompoo and Pei Pei – XX students

SENIOR | 43

Borneo Trip

I

was in the middle of the jungle, lying in a hammock, hearing the loud buzz of cicadas. The air was humid and smelled a little earthy but more pungent was the mosquito spray that everybody had doused themselves in. I heard a loud thud and wondered what it was...

What brought me to the jungle? The F block’s residential to Borneo. After 1 long coach ride, 2 flights and several hours of waiting around, we were finally on the coach to The Adventure Center, which was where we would be staying for the next couple of days.

On our first day we were split into our two groups and the first group was sent off into the jungle. My group, the second group, stayed at the camp and cleaned plastic off the beach.

44 | SENIOR

After two days the first group returned and it was our turn to hike into the jungle. For 2 hours we hiked up and down steep slopes, through thick foliage and across small streams. We set up our hammocks and made our food for the night and there I was, in the hammock. What was the loud thud? One of my friends was swinging in his hammock and fell out of it!

Two highlights were the ziplining and the white water rafting. The ziplining was a 30 second adrenaline packed experience, twenty metres above ground. The white water rafting by contrast was a 30 minute journey in which we all had to work together to prevent the boat from tipping.

The goal of this trip was to challenge us, take us out of our comfort zone and push our limits.

However, an unexpected benefit of this trip was the new friendships made from the team building challenges and being put in groups with different people than normal.

Borneo is one trip that I will never forget, I made amazing memories in a beautiful place. I would love to go back there.

Kei – F Block student

SENIOR | 45

THE RUGBEIAN NEWSLETTER

TERM 2: 2019-20

BEHIND THE SCENES New Website Coming Soon

W

e will be unveiling a new-look website very soon! The marketing team have been working hard behind the scenes to refresh the current site in order to give visitors a better user experience and become more consistent with our sister school, Rugby UK. After the initial launch we will continue to develop the site, with plans to include an online school shop and 3D tours in the near future. Watch this space!

46 | BEHIND THE SCENES

Children’s Day At A La Campagne

A

s part of the Children’s Day celebrations this year, A La Campagne invited us to host a stall at their vibrant family event. The RST team were there with our ‘rugby pass’ game (homemade by Mr Kennedy from the D&T department) which was as popular as always! Other activities included feeding animals, collecting eggs, dying fabric with natural colours, bookmark crafts, lucky dips and planting seeds. We were able to meet many other local businesses, international schools and families from the area, and it was brilliant to be part of such a positive and happy eco event.

BEHIND THE SCENES | 47

THE RUGBEIAN NEWSLETTER

TERM 2: 2019-20

Save Us, Save Doctors’

O

ne of the owners of our school, Khun Taya Teepsuwan, has initiated a brilliant new project with some friends. ‘Saveเรา Saveหมอ’ (‘Save Us, Save Doctors’) aims to support the doctors and nurses working on the front line of this pandemic. There are various components to their work; all of which will bolster much-needed medical supplies.

The first part of the project has involved hand-making 5000 cloth masks. High demand has left a national shortage of masks. By producing cloth masks for people in the community, more surgical / medical masks can be available for the doctors who need them so crucially. Volunteers have been making and distributing cloth masks to non-medical workers who need them most. For example, motorbike and car taxi drivers, garbage collectors and many more. This production and distribution will continue for as long as there is a shortage of masks.

The second part of the project is an art auction to raise money in support of doctors and nurses. The group behind the project asked 5 famous artists to draw 48 | BEHIND THE SCENES

pictures and put them up for auction. So far they have raised 165,000 THB from the auction and have used those funds (in addition to other donations) to buy important medical equipment, such as PPE suits, face shields and N95 masks. These have all been donated to Rama hospital.

The third component to this incredible project has been creating the ‘Hero Bags’. Many doctors are spending night and day in hospital: eating, sleeping and working tirelessly . The ‘Hero Bags’ offer survival kits for individual use including many necessary items: toothbrushes, toothpaste, shaving kits, cutlery, tumblers, pillows, blankets, towels, shampoo and shower gels, sanitizers and energy bars. With many donations already contributed, initially the team plan to create 500 ‘Hero Bags’.

Khun Taya and friends, plus the wonderful volunteers, intend to continue these different projects within the ‘Save Us, Save Doctors’ campaign for as long as we are in this crisis. Now, more than ever, we need to help each other to help this country.

If you would like to contribute in any way to this project, you may donate to the bank account pictured below. Anyone who would like to contribute anything can also message Khun Taya’s Facebook fan-page inbox.

Holiday Camps

O

ur first Christmas camp was an amazing success with the introduction of two new tribes: Santa’s Soldiers and Rudolph’s Rangers. The children spent eight days immersed in challenges in a range of different disciplines. Firstly, through their STEAM activities where they had to solve a range of challenges including building the best rocket to fly across our school fields.

The campers took on a range of challenges in the sport section of camp where they learnt a range of new skills in sports such as football, rugby and cricket and then applying them in real game experiences. Down at our Outdoor Adventure Camp the children flew 125m down our zipline, shot arrows, dared the high-ropes course and even rock climbed. One of the highlights of all our camps is the campfire where all the campers

50 | BEHIND THE SCENES

are invited to sing songs, tell stories about the stars and of course roast marshmallows over the campfire.

Our campers took part in three days of excursions during this camp. We went sailing on catamarans off the beach in Jomtien as well as learning how to windsurf and paddle board. The campers got an amazing opportunity to be guided around a temple by a monk and got to ask lots of questions to deepen their understanding of their daily lives whilst finishing the day at the spectacular Khao Chi Chan (Buddha Mountain). The final trip of the Christmas camp was to Ramayana Water Park which is always a highlight where the children got to spend the day with their new friends riding on some amazing water slides.

THE RUGBEIAN NEWSLETTER

TERM 2: 2019-20

The campers had been earning their tribe points all week for perseverance, teamwork and team spirit and at our Grand Finale we announced that the winning tribe this year was the Rudolph Rangers. At this final event all our families saw their children, many for the first time in eight-days, and we celebrated the children’s achievements at camp. Our staff commented on what an amazing experience it was for them, also, with many signing up to join our next camp. We ended with speeches from Nigel Westlake, our founding headmaster, and myself where we reflected how each child on camp had grown emotionally and as a whole-person during their time at camp, which is our main goal both at camp and at Rugby School Thailand.

The safety and wellbeing of the children is our number one priority therefore we had to make the difficult decision to cancel our Spring Camp due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus. We were approaching eighty campers at this camp so it was unfortunate that we had to make this tough decision.

Whilst the global reaction the virus is very much day-by-day, week-by-week we are still very confident that our Summer Camps will go ahead. We have two camps over the summer: 28th June to 12th July and our second summer camp from 8th August to 22nd August. These two-week camps have options for children to board full-time or be a day camper from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm.

Parents can choose either one or two weeks for their children and the timetable of events looks to be our strongest yet. We will be building on past camp successes with events such as the Tower of Power, Battle of the Tribes and our Grand Finale race across the lake. We have new and exciting events such as the field and water olympics, talent shows where the winners will perform for the parents and our racket sports challenges. We are very excited about the excursions where we will be space exploring, taking bikes to cycle over 10km around Lake Mabprachan, giving back to nature by planting trees and visiting both Ramayana and the Cartoon Network waterparks.

If you would like more information on our Summer Camps you can visit our website: https://www.rugbyschool.ac.th/holiday-camp/ or contact me personally via email at campdirector@rugbyschool.ac.th.

The links to register for the Summer Camps are on the website or the links below: Summer A (28th June-12th July) - https://forms.gle/L6tSCFEJd5F5B81dA Summer B (8th - 22nd August) - https://forms.gle/TJrmvhPn2iJNr6nd6 We hope to see you at one of our future camps!

Mark Symmonds – Director of Holiday Camps BEHIND THE SCENES | 51

THE RUGBEIAN NEWSLETTER

Video Highlights From Term 2

52 | BEHIND THE SCENES

TERM 2: 2019-20

THE RUGBEIAN NEWSLETTER

TERM 2: 2019-20

BEHIND THE SCENES | 53

วิ ส ดอมคลิ นิ ก กายภาพบาบั ด

Now opening

วิสดอม

คลินิกกายภาพบาบัด

9.00 am-6.00 pm

083-812-6363 Wisdom PT Clinic

Wisdom Physical Therapy Clinic