School Closed for 1 week
In a bold move, designed to stop the spread of illness through the school, the govenors have decided to close the school for 1 week. Sithammarat Suksa is the first school in the area to make such a move, but other schools are sure to follow suit. Hopefully this will pass quickly, allowing us to return to the normal routine.
As a part of AMC’s EP secondary science curriculum, mattayom 3 students take a trip to the power station in Khanom and enjoy a bit of beach time afterwards.
The students of Kindergarten 1, Class Two, with Teacher Nathalie, have
so much to talk about when they go back home!
They know all about the life cycle of the butterfly after a fun but
intensive two week project. They have been very active and their
enthusiasm was the best reward for the teachers! For example, in class
we worked with the excellent book “The Very Hungry Caterpillar”. We
made a story board from that book and played games! We sang a
‘homemade’ caterpillar song. We made different crafts. We had our own
cocoon with its caterpillar and waited for it to turn into a
butterfly. But they were not real, so we went outside every day for
a week to look for the real things! We were so lucky that there was a
tree full of white fluffy caterpillars eating up all the leaves!
Students had to count and record the caterpillars and butterflies they
saw every day. What a great way to learn, while taking in some fresh air
and enjoying nature!
We are now watching our seeds growing into plants. We need to
remember all those new words, but most of all, not to forget to water
them just the right amount!
Until next time, keep learning and having fun,
Teacher Nathalie
“I think one of the most interesting school functions I have attended this year is a hiking trip led by students”, says teacher Mac. In Thailand, boy scouting is a regular academic study for all students. As a culminating activity this year, students in Mattayom 2 participated in a ten-kilometer hike around the beautiful park located just behind the school. Along the way, students participated in many fun activities including walking across a stream on a narrow pole, swimming in a nearby river, building a fire and many other fun games sponsored by the Thai teachers. This activity turned out to be a great way for me to learn more about Thai culture and learn more about the daily lives of my students outside of English program.
Recently 50 grade 1 and 2 students took a trip to Saai Gaew Beach in Nakhon Sri Thammarat to study various types of soil and to visit the Saai Gaew Beach Museum. To help supervise, and enjoy some beach themselves, teachers Simon, Susan, Kris, Jiab, Nok, Suwanee, and Chris went along.
Sithammarat Suksa School is committed to teacher development and often sends teachers for training, conferences or developmental seminars. This is in addition to our continual in-house training, counseling and observations. They have shown this once again by sending a group of representatives to the “Four Corners Seminar” presented by Cambridge University Press.
Science class in the English Program is always a place of discovery and excitement. Here we take science to a tangible level by performing numerous academic, yet fun, experiments. Every unit we teach is made more cohesive through hands on learning activities that really solidify the topic for the students. This not only brings science alive in the classroom, but it also allows the topics to be brought back home for further discussion, as the students share their experiments with their families. These experiments create a lasting memory, one which translates to the knowledge of scientific principles. This week in Mattayom 1 to compliment our ‘Heat’ unit we constructed solar ovens using pizza boxes!
Throughout the previous week we had been learning about heat absorption, radiation, and reflection, and what a better way to see these properties in action then to use them to make lunch! Each student was to bring a piece of foodthat could be cooked, like cheese on bread for example.
As part of Srithammarat Suksa’s mission to exemplify Christian values in the community at large Grade 8 (Mattayom 2)and 9 (Mattayom 3) students recently volunteered to help less fortunate students in nearby rural communities. Teacher JJ’s Christian Education classes M2/15 and M3/15 proposed community outreach programs to better understand the spirit of charity and joy of giving. The classes decided on a plan to go to local impoverished rural schools and give needed school supplies to students. But giving is more than material, and the students planned to give of their time as well. English Program students led various activities and games with the local students, testing their academic knowledge and other important abilities.
After the activities all of the students ate lunch together before the Srithammarat Suksa students had to return to campus. The students of Pak Nam Bapun School and Ban Huay Sai School were left with notebooks, pens, household goods and the memories . Srithammarat Suksa English Program students and Teachers JJ, Mac and Jordan left with a new experience and a new understanding of charity and the joy of giving.
The students always enjoy coming to the library and we have all sorts of resources for them to use. Our selection of books and videos is quite good and now we have computers to match. We are so grateful to Teacher Hong and Teacher Peng for updating all of our computers. Thanks!
The short amount of time I have lived in Thailand and taught at the English Programme has been a wonderful journey. This sense of adventure (along with the language’s utility) has motivated me to learn the little Thai language I so far have. Unfortunately, that enthusiasm about language can get lost in the classroom too easily. My grade seven students, however, attacked this unit’s content with the vigor of jungle warriors—and that’s just what they were.
