Minutes of PA General Meeting - Ruamrudee International School

Minutes of PA General Meeting
Date: November 10, 2010
Venue: Room AD 209
The presentation files used in the meeting are an integral part of these minutes.
Minutes of the last meeting
• The minutes of the last meeting on 6 October 2010 was recapitulated and approved.
Treasurer’s Report
• The Income & Expense Statement for the period 15 August - 9 November 2010 as well
as the Cash and Deposit Balance as of 9 November 2010 were presented (see attached
financial statements with supporting notes and donors list). Total income from the
International Food Fair amounted to THB 254,788.00. Expenses for the same period,
including expenses related to the International Food Fair arrangement, snacks served at
the monthly PA general meeting, and recent donation to flood victims, totaled THB
18,441.00. Hence, the Net Income was THB 236,347.00. Cash balances were reported
as follows: THB 463,843.04 in BBL Saving Account and THB 5,734.50 as petty cash.
• PA reported that THB 500.00 donation from Khun Chutima Sirisaowaluk was missing
from the record. There could be several reasons for this, e.g., the donation could have
been misplaced or was not submitted by the student. PA also found out that the donation
drop box was kept unlocked. Thus the PA recommends instituting better control
mechanisms going forward.
• The general meeting had reapproved/endorsed the following expenses:
- THB 100,000.00 to support the Griffith Library HS Zone Project as initially discussed
during the meeting on 6 October 2010
- THB 10,000.00 donation to flood victims in Korat
- Up to THB 5,000.00 financial support for each important nationality day activity
Proposal to rename the Performing Arts Center (PAC) the Fr. Leo Travis Center for
Performing Arts
• Initiated by Laura Trairatnobhas, the proposal is to honor Fr. Travis’ dedication and
lifelong contribution to RIS/RIST, especially in the area of music and performing arts. Fr.
Travis has been serving the Catholic community in Thailand for over 60 years, making
him a much-loved member of the community. As the head of the school’s Music
Department for a time, his enjoyment of and support for music and performing arts has
continued regardless of his advancing age and occasional bouts of ill health. He remains
an inspiration to others, instilling proper values to the school and the community.
• In general, there was no objection to the proposal. However, Dr. Steve Ballowe would
check if there are procedures to follow when making such proposals.
PA Committee Reports
• The International Food Fair held on 13 October 2010 was a big success and the PA
expressed its thanks and appreciation to all participants and involved parties.

• Continuing talks between the Parent Auxiliary (PA) and Teacher Representative Council
(TRC) towards the establishment of a PTA are being held. In their last meeting, both
parties agreed to hold a meeting once every two months. The next meeting is scheduled
for Thursday, 20 January 2011.
• It was reported that the various WASC Committees met on 27 October 2010. Mr. Tim
Clark, parent representative to the WASC Committee on Strategic Master Plan, reported
that he raised the many concerns parents have about the canteen. These issues involve
health and sanitation, food quality and variety as well as general conditions at the
canteen. When compared to those of similarly ranked international schools, the school
canteen does not live up to the standard and needs a lot of improvement. Dr. Jermpol
added that vendors must undergo annual check-up and hygienic controls as well as
proper training for hand washing, mouth protection and head cover. Moreover, there
should be proper segregation and correct process flows for food i.e. clean and dirty side.
• Khun Anonth explained that in the regular evaluation of vendors, the school requires
health certificates from each vendor. However, he acknowledged the need to improve
canteen service and food quality, including extending food servicing hours. In this
connection, Khun Anonth informed the meeting that the coffee shop at Godbout Hall was
being leased to an outside merchant, and he would propose that they stay open until
5.30 p.m. to offer students in after school activities with proper food choices instead of
left-over junk food. In addition, as the facilitator for the WASC Committee, Dr. Steve
proposed to include improvements in the canteen as a concrete target under the
Strategic Master Plan. The next School Improvement Committee (SIC) meeting
scheduled for 7 December 2010 should also take up the issue of further canteen
improvements.
• Ms. Nancy Bono, school Librarian, gave an update on the progress being made to
establish a High School Zone in the Griffith Library. Representatives from the PA and the
School would contact the vendor for special discount on furniture required.
Strategic Plan and Accountability, by Dr. Steve
• Dr. Steve presented the Performance and Accountability Plan to meet the Strategic
Goals and WASC Objectives of the school. The plan outlines the school’s priorities, with
specific goals and detailed action plans that are aimed at making RIS the top
international school in Asia. To increase transparency and accountability, every goal
would be assessed against given target dates and would identify persons responsible for
each activity. Moreover, the Strategic Plan is accessible via the school website and is
updated on a regular basis. Some activities also contain specific links to supporting
data/details. Parents are not only able to view the progress made for each activity but
also provide feedback and recommendations directly to the persons responsible or
through the PA. A good example was the inclusion of the canteen issue, which would be
considered under Goal 3: Facilities and Resources.
Important Nationality Days, by Dr. Steve
• Dr. Steve had collected from the various nationality representatives their proposals on
important nationality days that could be celebrated and coordinated by the school. With

the exception of Thailand, being the host country, only one important day from each
nationality was chosen. The PA President also proposed to hold a “Freedom Week” to
allow countries that have, at one time, been colonized to celebrate their independence.
This could be in the form of dances, short plays, speeches or exhibits showing how each
country had achieved independence.
• Following is an initial list of important nationality days:
1. North America
Nov 24 th
Thanksgiving
2. China
February 3 rd Chinese New Year
3. India
November
Diwali Festival
4. Korea
Aug 15 th
Independence Day/ Thanksgiving Day
5. Philippines
Last Monday of August National Heroes Day or “Araw ng mga Bayani”
6. Thailand
August 12 th
Mother’s Day. The birthday of the country’s beloved Queen
November Loi Krathong Day, which could vary from one year to another –
corresponding to the full moon of the 12 th month in the traditional Thai
lunar calendar
December 5 th Father’s Day. The birthday of the country’s beloved King.
Jan 15 th
Teacher’s Day or “Wai Kru”
April 13 th
Songkran Day. The Traditional Thai New Year
7. Japan
Feb 11 th
National Foundation Day, Japan
Athletics and Sports Program at RIS, by Mr. David Cote
• Mr. David Cote, Director for Sports, outlined the current situation of the school’s
athletics. RIS has the largest numbers of sports teams (71 teams) compared to other
international schools, and over 50% of the students participate in some kind of sports. All
the major facilities are utilized at maximum capacity. The sports teams generally have
strong coaching but it is still not enough. Although PE teachers already do some
coaching, the school needs more coaches to handle the many sports teams. Hiring of
coaches is limited by the budgetary constraints.
• Mr. David pointed out areas of strengths and where further improvements are needed:
- Indoor facilities and equipments are up to or above standard
- The quality of coaching is reflected in the season’s outstanding results. However,
there is still concern about the recruitment of well qualified coaches. Moreover, the
coaches have to be evaluated after each session and the completion of each athletic
conference or competition. Coaching skills also have to be balanced with English
proficiency.

- Outdoor fields are generally not up to standard, and the school experiences poor
field conditions especially during the rainy season. In addition to improving
maintenance, the school needs to consider improving the outdoor fields just as other
international schools have done. This would not only address the needs of the
students but also boost the image of RIS in accordance with its goal of becoming the
best international school in Asia.
• The total cost of investment in a synthetic turf or artificial grass field is about THB 7-10
million. However, the long-run maintenance costs of an artificial grass field could be
much cheaper than grass fields. Moreover, artificial grass fields could be used during the
rainy season and are safer to use than unkempt natural grass fields. The initial costs
could also be recouped fast if the fields are partially sponsored by private companies
and/or leased out during the weekends. Khun Anonth reported that, together with Mr.
Eric Monson, Asst. Principal of High School, the school is considering this proposal and
will be meeting with one company to discuss the matter.
• In addition to maintaining good facilities, some parents pointed out the importance of
coaching and the continuity of practice as key success factors in athletics. They
suggested hiring more local professional/national coaches that could increase the
effectiveness of teams instead of forcing non-PE teachers to coach. This approach is
necessary if the sports teams of the school are to excel in competitions. Maintaining
English proficiency should be secondary.
• Other parents also raised concerns about the swimming facilities. These include: (1)
building a roof over the pool for protection from dangerous UV rays which discourage
students from participating in the swimming club; and (2) maintaining cleanliness of the
toilets and changing rooms.
• A comment was also made to encourage more participation from the Swiss section and
RIST in sports activities. It was noted that, because of new competition rules, students
from the Swiss section are not eligible to participate in any of the sports teams of the
school. However, the PA is encouraging the participation of the Swiss section and RIST
in other school activities, as witnessed at the recent International Food Fair.
• Given its importance, Dr. Steve and Khun Anonth agreed to incorporate improvements in
the athletic field as another goal in the school’s Strategic Plan and Accountability to elicit
further discussion and to track progress/improvement.
• Discussions were made to give student athletes not just verbal recognition but also
specific commendations and/or written certifications for winning athletic competitions.
Others
• A Christmas Fair was proposed initially for 16 December 2010. Subsequently, based on
discussions among PA Executive Officers and working team members, the date has
been changed to Wednesday, 15 December 2010. The purpose of the Fair is to allow
students, parents and teachers to do some Christmas shopping for gifts and other items
which they could use to give to or share with their friends, parents, teachers and fellow
students. The money that the PA raises from this event will be used to support the
Sports Program of the school. In addition to vendors of gift items, various student
organizations will be invited to participate and use this opportunity to raise funds for their

own clubs. Groups of parents and teachers will also be invited to set up booths to be
able to raise funds for their target activities, e.g., support the cost of uniforms or travel of
school athletes, donate to charitable institutions, etc. As there was no objection to the
proposal, a working group will be organized to discuss the arrangements further.
• Khun Anonth informed the PA that a new coffee shop at Godbout Hall will commence at
the end of November. The place has been rented out to a company that sells crepes and
other quality food. In view of the request of parents to have some good quality food
available to students taking after-school activities, Khun Anonth would ask the coffee
shop to extend their opening hours until 5.30 p.m. Prices are expected to be reasonable.
• A workshop on the Computer Crime law in Thailand is being arranged by the PA for
parents on 23 November 2010. (The workshop has been moved to the following day, 24
November 2010, to accommodate a meeting of the PA with parents and other persons
concerned about the Christmas Fair and Sports Program of the school.)
• The school, through Khun Anonth, had tried unsuccessfully to negotiate with Perfect
Place to give RIS parents access to the school through Perfect Place. Hence, the PA will
try another possible way to obtain access for parents.
• Next PA general meeting is scheduled on 8 December 2010.