November 2015

Garden International School
Eastern Seaboard, Ban Chang
NEWSLETTER
Your choice. Their future. Our family. โรงเรียนนานาชาติการเด้นอีสเทิร์นซีบอร์ดบ้านฉาง November 2015
Inside this month's newsletter...
Find us at:
Website: www.gardenrayong.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/gisrayong
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Garden-International-School-Rayong-Thailand/128699487157809
Youtube: www.youtube.com/user/gardenrayongthailand
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From Dr Tasker: Principal
From the Principal
Dear Parents, Students and Friends of GIS,
As the very long, but eventful, first term draws to a close there is a lot to reflect back on
and also of course a lot to look forward to.
In November we had the excellent Secondary performance of The Breakfast Club (thank
you to Gold Sponsor Aditya Birla), amazing Diwali celebrations, wonderful celebrations for
Loy Krathong (thank you to Platinum Sponsor Thunder Cranes) and of course our annual
Christmas Fun Day.
We also had the first Book Fair of the year, the Under 15 FOBISIA Games was held in
Vietnam last week and there have also been many trips and excursions. One trip was with
Mr Doyle and Ms March taking 9 students to the annual Remembrance Day ceremony at
the Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery in Kanchanaburi. The students laid
a wreath on behalf of the school in honour of those who have died in all previous conflicts.
During their trip they also visited the famous bridge on the River Kwai as well as the Death
Railway Museum.
I was delighted to be able to present over 17,000 baht to Mr Ron Smith, the local
representative of The Royal British Legion from our annual Poppy Appeal. He was
absolutely delighted and said once again we have made the biggest donation in the area –
which includes schools, hotels and golf clubs. Mr Smith also reminded me that 20% of the
appeal goes to Thai military families - in fact they presented 100,000 baht to the families of
2 soldiers in Sattahip in November, one of whom had lost a leg in a bomb blast whilst
serving in the South.
U Smile spent last week taking class and individual photographs; these will be available for
ordering – and then delivery - in Term 2. They also took many pictures during Loy
Krathong which will also be available to parents soon.
As is usual at the end of the term, we have Grade Cards and Reports issued throughout
the school, followed of course by Parent Conferences. It is always good to have the
parents and teachers discussing the progress of the students and working on common
goals and targets for improvement.
I would like to acknowledge the time and energy put in by Ms April Mendoza to the
students of the Mathematics’ classes she has been covering this term. A big ‘Thank You’
on behalf of all at GIS and we wish her well in what she undertakes next. Mr Bruce Nixon,
an experienced IB and IGCSE teacher, will be joining us from Australia for the start of
Term 2 to take over her classes – he will also be taking the IB2 Mathematics SL class I
have been taking (the students will be relieved!)
This month the celebrations of our nationalities have continued. We have celebrated
Australia, India, Belgium and this past week Thailand for Loy Krathong; the last week of
term remains as Thailand to recognise the birthday of His Majesty The King.

The latest arrival to our Uniform Shop was the GIS Titans Hoodies. The Under 15
FOBISIA Games team all received one as part of their kit for the games with the remaining
26 hoodies from the initial order going on sale. We have sold out already! The popularity of
the GIS Titans hoodie has meant that we will look at them as an additional uniform item for
Secondary from next year – but until then we will just have the normal blue GIS
jumper/jersey for sale.
GIS is in its 21st year, which is of course a wonderful achievement worthy of celebration.
For those of you who have been with us over the last several years you would have seen
some amazing physical changes to the campus, such as the Year 1 and 2 classroom
expansions, the new Primary ELS Suite and Music room and the refit of the Year 5
classrooms. There have been improvements to the Chemistry lab and several other
classrooms in Secondary, the addition of tiered seating in the Main Hall, the new ELS
classrooms in Secondary, the complete refit of Foundation - with the addition of the
playground and new Reception classrooms - and most recently the addition of the Junior
Pool, changing rooms and grandstand for the Main Pool. There have also been many
other upgrades and minor additions too.
Over the summer break (June to August) we will be resurfacing the Secondary Hardcourt
and installing a new roofing structure, we will be resurfacing the Primary Hardcourt (to
include astroturf) and installing a new roofing structure and, most excitingly of all, we will
be expanding and renovating the whole Canteen and Café area – which will include an
upper level for senior students and adults.
The special event to celebrate GIS being 21 years old will be on Saturday August 27, by
which time these latest developments will be complete. Students, staff, parents, alumni
and former staff will be invited to share in this day of celebration.
At the end of each year we have the turmoil of dealing with the fact that we will have
teachers leaving and then of course there is the excitement of having new teachers arrive.
This year will be no different and I spend a lot of time during Term 2 in ensuring we employ
the best teachers possible. But for 2016-2017 and beyond I will also be recruiting a new
Principal for GIS. After 4 years, which has gone very quickly I must add, Khun Poppy and I
will be moving to Indonesia as I have a job as a Principal at a school in Jakarta. There will
be other teachers leaving us at the end of Term 3 too, but rest assured they will be
replaced with very good teachers.
Kind Regards,
Dr Stuart Tasker
PhD (Ed), PGDipEd (Math Ed), PGCertEd (Ed Admin), PGDipTchg, BSc
Principal
Garden International School

Upcoming events
Whole School
Dec 4: End of Term 1 (finish at 12noon)
Dec 5: HM the King’s Birthday
Dec 10: Constitution Day
Jan 5: Term 2 starts
Primary
Nov 30: Foundation Reports issued
Dec 1 and 2: Foundation Parent Conferences
Dec 3: Years 1 and 2 Christmas Play, 10am
Dec 4: Foundation Christmas Show and Feast, 10.30am
Secondary
Nov 30: Grade Cards issued
Dec 1: Parent Conferences Year 7 to 10 and IB1
Dec 3: Talent Show
Many thanks to our generous GIS sponsors:
Platinum
Encounter Church
Indorama
Thunder Cranes
Universal Plus
Gold
Aditya Birla

Head to our Facebook page for the latest news on
what’s been happening at GIS. This month, you
can read about:
www.facebook.com/gardeninternationalschool
You can also watch our latest videos about what’s
been happening at GIS by going here:
www.youtube.com/user/gardenrayongthailand
Follow us on Instagram! Find us at
garden_international_school or search for
#gistitans
Check out our Pinterest page and see the dozens
of photos showcasing life at GIS.
https://www.pinterest.com/GISThailand/
Follow our tweets on Twitter!
https://www.twitter.com/gisrayong

CHRISTMAS FUN AT GIS
Father Christmas, carols and festive food made up a bumper Christmas Fun Day at GIS.
Students, parents and staff came to school on a Saturday for the special event. Wearing
festive reds and greens, everyone watched a Christmas-themed show that featured songs and
dances. They then strolled around a variety of stalls that students had set up, which included
'soak the teacher' and a coconut shy.
After that, the Friends of Garden and others provided some great snacks and festive food.
See our Facebook and YouTube pages for photos and video.

Loy Krathong
Parents, students and staff from GIS came together to celebrate Loy Krathong.
Loy Krathong is one of the most popular festivals on the Thai calendar. This year,
GIS's Thai department arranged several activities to help everyone celebrate. In the
morning of November 25, students made their own colourful krathong, which were
then floated in a giant pool.
In the afternoon, staff and students put on a spectacular Loy Krathong show, which
featured traditional Thai dance and some fabulous costumes. Many thanks to Thunder
Cranes, who sponsored the events. See our Facebook page for more pics.

Diwali
GIS celebrated Diwali in spectacular fashion with dances, songs and traditional Indian snacks.
The main hall was packed on November 5 to mark Diwali, the festival of light. Beforehand, parents had
prepared tasty snacks to try and scented candles lit the way into the hall.
Primary and Secondary students took part in several performances, which told story of Diwali and also
featured traditional and modern Indian music and dance.
For more pictures see our Facebook page; for a video of the event check out YouTube.

REMEMBRANCE DAY
A group of Year 9 students from Garden International School (GIS) recently attended the
annual Remembrance ceremony at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission
cemetery in Kanchanaburi.
This prestigious ceremony, which is organised each year by the Royal British Legion, was
attended by numerous ambassadors as well as representatives from both Thai and
international organisations.
The students, who were accompanied by Mr Doyle and Ms March, laid a wreath on behalf
of the school in honour of those who died in all previous conflicts. During their trip they
also visited the famous bridge on the River Kwai as well as the Death Railway Museum.
Back at school, kind-hearted students bought hundreds of poppies to mark Remembrance
Day. IB students, with help from the local branch of the Royal British Legion, arranged to
sell the poppies and other items, such as wristbands and rulers, to mark Remembrance
Day.
A special whole school assembly took place every year to honour those who have been
victims of war around the world. Students and teachers listened to the Last Post and then
held a minute’s silence to remember those who have suffered because of war.
GIS gave more than 17,000 baht to the Royal British Legion. Once again this is the most
money raised in this area by any school or company.
Of the money given, 20% of the appeal goes to Thai military families – the Royal British
Legion recently gave 100,000 baht to the families of two soldiers in Sattahip who had been
injured while serving in southern Thailand.

From Mrs Gordon: Head of Primary
Merry Christmas!
As we head towards the end of Term 1, Primary is as busy as ever with lots of learning,
fun and laughter still happening.
We were all very excited about our Year 1 and 2 Christmas Show this year, “Baubles.” The
children worked very hard to learn their lines, act their parts and sing their songs – it was a
real treat. Year 1 and 2 also have to move out of their classrooms over the Christmas
holidays as their rooms are getting a makeover with their floors being levelled, walls
painted and new display areas being created.
Year 5 & 6 have had all their auditions for the Primary Production in March, “Tut Tut”, and
many of them will be coming home with lines to learn over the holidays. Our Foundation
classes are preparing their dances and songs for their Christmas Show and Feast on the
last day of term – “…jingle all the way.”
Our Term 1 reports have all been sent home and we were delighted with the turnout at our
Parent Conferences this year – the highest turnout yet. We really value our parents
support and interest in their child’s education.
The Houses have been busy with the House Dance Off finals in November; if you missed
the dances you can still see them here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snHPT6Smmjg.
Competition was high for the “Make your recycled Christmas Tree Decorations” too, which
are now festively strung up in the Primary atrium.
The next competition is House Art, which is open to everyone, including parents! The
deadline for Primary is January 21 - get your paints and pencils at the ready.
In August we will be celebrating the school’s 21 st birthday, and there will be art
competitions to mark the occasion. The competitions will be for Primary, Secondary,
teachers and parents – all worth House points.

Loy Krathong and Diwali were both wonderful events this year. We had lots of parents and
IB students coming to decorate our hands with Henna for our Diwali celebrations
There was a wonderful turnout of parents to help us with our krathong making. Thank you
all for your support and for coming to celebrate these special occasions with us.
Diwali
Loy Krathong

Please remember to have a look at our Primary blogs, there is wonderful learning
happening in your child’s class: from Year 6s experiencing a World War 2 blitz to Year 5s
becoming the engineers and inventors of tomorrow and Year 3s creating their own
pyramids!
We are back to school on Tuesday January 5. As the weather turns cooler, please
remember that all children may only wear the school uniform sweatshirt as an extra layer.
The sweatshirts are available to buy from the School Uniform Shop.
Wishing you all a peaceful holiday and a happy and prosperous New Year.
Mrs Gordon
Head of Primary
headpri@gardenrayong.com
YEARS 1 AND 2 CHRISTMAS PLAY
Years 1 and 2 staged a fantastic Christmas Play for everyone. After lots of rehearsing, the
students took to the stage on December 3 to entertain classmates, teachers and parents.
Well done! See our Facebook page for more pics.

We have some great school
blogs to tell you about life at
GIS. Click on the links below to
see what’s been going on!
PRIMARY BLOGS
Early Years http://earlyyears.gardenrayong.com/
Nursery http://nursery.gardenrayong.com/
Reception http://reception.gardenrayong.com/
Year 1 http://year1.gardenrayong.com/
Year 2 http://year2.gardenrayong.com/
Year 3 http://year3.gardenrayong.com/
Year 4 http://year4.gardenrayong.com/
Year 5 http://year5.gardenrayong.com/
Year 6 http://year6.gardenrayong.com/
SECONDARY BLOGS
Year 7-9 http://year7to9.gardenrayong.com/
IGCSE
IB
http://gisigcse.gardenrayong.com/
http://gisib.gardenrayong.com/
WHOLE SCHOOL BLOGS
Extra-curricular Sport http://gissport.gardenrayong.com/
Extra-curricular Music
http://gismusicblog.gardenrayong.com/
Extra-curricular Drama http://gisdrama.gardenrayong.com/
Library
http://library.gardenrayong.com/
Community Programmes http://communityprogrammes.gardenrayong.com/
Community Service
Friends of Garden
Boarding
http://gisserviceprojects.gardenrayong.com/
http://friendsofgarden.gardenrayong.com/
http://gisboarding.gardenrayong.com/

WORLD KINDNESS DAY
IB students celebrated World Kindness Day – with balloons.
Students wrote kind messages on the balloons and then left them dotted around the
school. They also decided to drape Head Boy Gear in the balloons – and throw him in the
swimming pool!
FORMER STUDENTS VISIT GIS
Several former GIS students paid a special visit back to their old school. The students,
who graduated in 2001, found there had been some major changes since they last came!
Among the people they met was Khun Phoo, who worked at GIS when the visitors were
students – and is still here now!

From Mr Ball: Head of Secondary
Hello Parents,
I have to start by congratulating the Under 15 FOBISIA sports teams for their fantastic
effort and commitment at the Under 15 FOBISIA Games. The students were a great
example of fortitude and they represented the spirit of commitment towards fair play that
we value and endorse at the school.
The trip by Mr Doyle and Ms March to Kanchanaburi for the Remembrance Day Service
was very successful; it is a serious trip about serious issues. The Royal British Legion has
thanked us for attending and said our students were a credit to the school. The students
responded wonderfully to the Poppy Appeal. Last year we made the largest donation in the
region, and I have been informed that we have again raised the largest donation in the
region, by a significant margin.
The Secondary Parent Conferences for students in Years 7, 8, 9, 10 and IB1 was held on
December 1. IB students met and greeted parents. There was a fine selection of snacks
and beverages available, which was organised by Year 8 students. It is always fantastic to
see a strong showing of parents at these Conferences. The Secondary Parent
Conferences for students in Years 7, 8, 9, 10 and IB1 offer the perfect opportunity to
discuss the progress made and the grades on the December Grade Card, which were
emailed to parents and students on Monday, November 30. Please note that the Parents’
Conference for Year 11 and IB2 will be held on February 9, after the IGCSE and IB mock
examinations, following which the students will have their mock examination grades.
I enjoyed the production of The Breakfast Club. It was a wonderful choice for Secondary
students and was ably acted. The choice of location supported the intense feeling of
closeness to the characters. My only regret is that I didn’t get to see two showings. Our
Diwali celebrations were spectacular and our Loy Krathong celebrations were wonderful.
Many thanks to everyone involved in making these events the successes that they were.
Christmas Fun Day was enjoyable. The students performed well and the food and drink
was amazing. I hope everyone had a wonderful time at the stalls. Santa was very busy in
his grotto, but I do hope everyone got a chance to see him!
I would like to thank Ms Mendoza for her support in teaching Mathematics this term. Ms
Mendoza stepped in to teach for this term whilst we have awaited Mr Nixon to arrive at the
beginning of Term 2. Mr Nixon is an experienced teacher of Mathematics who we are
pleased to be welcoming to the school.
Regards
Mr Ball
Head of Secondary
headsec@gardenrayong.com

GIS STUDENTS GIVEN TOP CAMBRIDGE AWARDS
GIS students have been given top IGCSE awards at a special ceremony in Bangkok.
Jun Beom Chi was Top in Thailand for IGCSE Music, while Arjit Verma was Top in
Thailand for an incredible three subjects: World Literature, Geography and Co-ordinated
Science.
Dr Ben Schmidt, Regional Director, Southeast Asia & Pacific, presented the awards at an
Outstanding Cambridge Learner Awards’ ceremony at Shrewsbury International School in
Bangkok.
GIS had the 4 th -highest number of awards for the whole of Thailand – only three large
international schools in Bangkok had more winners. It also had far more awards than any
other school in this region.
A spokesman for Cambridge said: “Such results demonstrate the enormous talent,
dedication and passion for learning among students. It is also a clear indication of the high
quality of support from teachers, schools and parents in the Cambridge network.”
Jun Beom’s achievement is even more remarkable as his sister Sarah won exactly the
same Top in Thailand honour for IGCSE Music two years ago. Sarah is now studying at
the world-famous UCLA in the USA.
When Jun Beom joined GIS he was an ESL (English as a Second Language) student, but
quickly progressed. He is now studying for the International Baccalaureate Diploma at
GIS.
Jun Beom, who started playing piano when he was six, also plays bass, guitar, drums and
violin.
Since joining GIS four years ago, he has taken part in numerous performances, as part of
rock bands, the choir and orchestra.

He said: "I think I want to use music as my job but it will always be there whatever I do,
maybe I'll join a rock band as a hobby."
He also had some tips for those wanting to improve their musical skills: "Learn the basics
first and then just practice a lot and enjoy what you're doing. Don't force yourself to do
what you don't like."
Jun Beom thanked his music teachers for helping him become the best in Thailand,
saying: "I would like to thank my Music teachers at GIS. Mr and Mrs Shiells helped me get
through the IGCSE course; I think that's why I did so well."
Arjit Verma was named as Top in Thailand for three subjects: Co-ordinated Science,
Geography and World Literature. In total Arjit was awarded 9 IGCSEs, all with A*s. For
every subject, Arjit scored more than 90 per cent.
What is particularly impressive is that Arjit’s awards come in three different areas:
Literature, Humanities and Science.
IGCSE Coordinator Mr Stokes said: “This is an incredible achievement for both students. It
shows that GIS students really are incredibly talented and dedicated.”
In Thailand, 83 students received awards, 8 of whom were Top in the World.

THE BREAKFAST CLUB
The classic 1980s movie The Breakfast Club was brought
back to life at GIS.
GIS's Secondary production this year was a play, based on
the famous 1985 movie that starred Judd Nelson, Emilio
Estevez and Molly Ringwald.
Set in a US school, the play is about five dysfunctional
teenagers who are brought together to serve a Saturday
morning detention. During that morning they learn more
about each other, and themselves.
Many thanks to the team of workers, led by Drama teacher
Mr Lund, who helped stage the play. The play ran for three
nights and was sold out for each performance.
The play starred Gear, Jun Beom, Mary, Matthew, Roman
and Praw. Check out YouTube for clips from the show.
Many thanks to the show’s Gold Sponsor Aditya Birla.

RAPPERS DELIGHT GIS STUDENTS
Secondary students from Garden International School (GIS) learned about the history of
rap during an assembly.
As part of their IB studies, students learn about hip hop music and the importance of lyrics.
For the English department's assembly, students were taken on a journey through the
history of rap.
Starting with Rappers' Delight, they also performed Grandmaster Flash's The Message,
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Lowkey's Terrorist and finally Eminem's Lose Yourself to
show how rap has changed over the years.
The Year 9s have also been studying rap in their Music lessons, and performed a
Christmas-style rap they wrote themselves. Check out a video from the assembly here.

House Competitions
BASKETBALL
The House basketball event took
part over two fiercely competitive
days on the Secondary hard court.
Mallory was eager to collect the
bonus points for Cobra and put on
his tutu and waved his pom poms.
This support didn't seem to help the
on-court tactics as Tiger played
Eagle in the final. Tiger had scraped
into the final while Eagle made it
with ease, but it all now came down
to the final game...
There were seconds remaining. Eagle were leading. Tiger had one final attack. As they
shot for the basket an Eagle hand fouled the player resulting in free throws. Tiger
managed to convert to level the score with seconds remaining. It all came down to a
shootout between the two teams where Eagle fluffed their chances and Tiger roared to
victory.
MENTAL MATHEMATICS
Have you ever tried to make a perfect circle? It's not as easier as you think. That was one
of the Mathematics related challenges the houses were put through. There was a great
turn out on the hard court, including many teachers that came along to battle it out to be
crowned the times table champion. Many failed but Miss Woodburn was victorious. Gecko
were overall winners and take the crown of the nerdy House for now.

Teacher of the Month
This month we talk to Drama teacher Mr Lund (aka Mr
Ken…)
1. What made you choose to live in Thailand?
It just kind of happened, I was travelling nineteen years ago and
decided I didn’t want to go home, so I stayed here.
2. What do you do when you're not teaching?
I sleep and I also sleep.
3. If you weren't a teacher, what would you be doing?
I would be on Broadway
4. What kind of student were you? It depends on the age range, let’s say I am a
better teacher than I was a student.
5. What is your favourite sport or game?
What are sports? Is it that thing that hurts my acting children?
6. If you could swap places with anyone in the world for a day, who would you
choose?
David Beckham, so that he could have the opportunity to see what it’s like to be the
sexiest man on Earth.
7. What’s your favourite movie and why? Star Wars, because I am a Jedi knight.
8. What’s the best thing about your home country?
Best thing about my home country is the little cabin I go to every summer.
9. What part of being a kid do you miss the most? The part with hair
10. Who was your first crush? Madonna

Student of the Month
This month we talk to Year 3 student Winning.
1. What is your favourite subject?
Mathematics, because it’s easy
2. How many languages can you speak?
Two, Thai and English
3. If you could be a superhero, who would it be?
Batman, because I like bats.
4. What is your favourite word right now? What do
you like about it?
Super, because it’s used in superhero
5. If you could double the time you spend on just one subject in school, which
subject would you choose? Why?
English and Mathematics because they are easy, and I can understand the topics.
6. What is one thing that you think you will definitely be great at when you are
an adult?
I want to be a spaceman, cos I like to go to space
7. What do you like doing in your free-time?
Play computer games, my favourite game is Frav
8. Who's the funniest person you have ever met?
Arm and Sunshine, they are my friends.
9. What is your favourite sport?
Running and football, because I like to go fast.
10. What is your favourite activity in school?
Playing sports

Sport
GIS SUCCESS AT FOBISIA U15 GAMES
Our squad should be proud of their achievements at the Under 15 FOBISIA Games, held
in Vietnam recently. Among their achievements were:
Athletics: 2 nd
Swimming: 2 nd
Boys Basketball: 2 nd
Girls Football: 2 nd
For more, visit the GIS Sports’ Blog: gissport.gardenrayong.com

SECONDARY HOUSE SWIMMING GALA
Students cheered on their Houses at the Secondary House
Swimming Gala.
Students sat in the new grandstand viewing area to cheer
on Cobra, Gecko, Eagle and Tiger Houses. The results
were:
1st Eagle
2nd Tiger
3rd Cobra
4th Gecko

BONUS ARTICLE: HOW TO MAKE PASION FRUIT CAKE
From Dianne Doell, by popular demand!
Find us at:
Website: www.gardenrayong.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/gisrayong
Garden International School
Your choice. Their future. Our family.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Garden-International-School-Rayong-Thailand/128699487157809
Youtube: www.youtube.com/user/gardenrayongthailand
Accredited by
Affiliated to
Rayong Campus : 188/24 Moo 4 Pala-Banchang Road, Tambol Pala, Amphur Ban Chang, Rayong, Thailand 21130. Tel. +66 (0)38 880360-3 Fax. +66 (0)38 030805
Bangkok Campus : 2/1 Yen Akart Soi 2,Yen Akart Road, Bangkok, Thailand 10120. Website : www.gardenbangkok.com
REPS Campus : 188/46 Moo 4 Pala-Banchang Road, Tambol Pala, Amphur Ban Chang, Rayong, Thailand 21130. Website : www.repsrayong.com