NEWSLETTER

Garden International School 

Eastern Seaboard, Ban Chang 

NEWSLETTER 

Your choice. Their future. Our family. โรงเรียนนานาชาติการ์เด้นอีสเทิร์นซีบอร์ดบ้านฉาง June 2014 

Inside this month's newsletter... 

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Website: www.gardenrayong.com 

Twitter: www.twitter.com/gisrayong 

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Youtube: www.youtube.com/user/gardenrayongthailand 

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From Dr Tasker: Principal 

From the Principal 

Dear Parents, Students and Friends of GIS, 

The end of this academic year is upon us already. It has been a busy, eventful and 

rewarding year for the students, staff and parents of the school. The students have 

achieved so much this year – in the classroom, on the stage, on the sports fields, around 

the school and off-site on the many trips they have had. Each and every student has 

grown so much this year – academically, socially and in many cases physically! 

As mentioned previously, this final newsletter sees some farewell messages from those 

members of staff who are moving on to other things. I would like to publically thank them 

for their dedication to the education and support of the students they have had in their 

care. Good luck to you all. 

To the students who are graduating, or moving on to new schools, on behalf of the GIS 

community I would like to wish you and your families well – and remember you are always 

welcome to come back for a visit! 

The Friends of Garden PTA has grown a substantial amount in both presence and 

relevance this year – a big thank you to our Chair, Dianne Doell and her hugely supportive 

and proactive team. You are making a real difference, and it is appreciated. The FoG PTA 

Picnic and Cricket event last weekend was really nice, a lovely relaxing way to end a busy 

and hectic year. The bouncy castle was very, very popular. 

The building developments scheduled for the summer break are well underway. Mr Martin, 

his Maintenance team and our contractors are already working hard to fit all the work in. 

The Secondary Drama room is just about finished, the new walkway to the Canteen has 

been done, work on the new Year 1 and 2 playground has started and the re-rooming of 

every single Primary class has begun in earnest. A major painting of both major buildings 

will take place over the break too. 

The introduction of Secondary Academic Prizegiving this year proved to be a wonderful 

way to end the year by celebrating endeavour and excellence. A full list of prize winners is 

included in this Newsletter. Congratulations also to the appointed Prefects for 2014-2015, 

who were announced at the prizegiving by the current Prefects – who each named their 

successor. Mr Fraser, the IBDP Coordinator, and I interviewed a strong field of applicants 

along with the current Prefects and 6 have been chosen. They are: 

• Humanities – Renee Harris 

• Languages – John Caules 

• Sciences – Hui Eun Park 

• Creativity – Jason Tang 

• Action – Teng Chilver 

• Service – Kevin Gulati

We look forward to seeing them lead the students in the new academic year, which starts 

on Wednesday August 20. We are looking forward to it already! 

Kind Regards, 

Dr Stuart Tasker 

PhD (Ed), PGDipEd (Math Ed), PGCertEd (Ed Admin), PGDipTchg, BSc 

Principal 


Upcoming events 

Whole School 

June 20: End of the school year (school ends at midday) 

Wednesday August 20: Term 1 starts 

August 21: Fun Sports and House T-shirt day 

August 24: Friends of Garden BBQ 

Goodbye Teachers – We’ll Miss You! 

The end of the school year means we are saying goodbye to several much-loved 

teachers at GIS. Here are their final thoughts on what their time at GIS has been like: 

Primary: 

Early Years – Jill Stenburge 

I can't believe my two years are up already! I have had a fantastic 

time working at the school and a big part of me does not want to 

leave! I will never forget all the children I have taught - they are 

truly amazing and I have shared the happiest times of my teaching 

career with them. We have danced and sung our hearts out 

together and have laughed A LOT! I will miss the brilliant bunch of 

teachers here who have always been supportive, understanding, 

welcoming and friendly, and I believe I have made friends for life 

here! Farewell GIS and 'The Chang!' I will be back!

Year 1 – Sally-Rose Ilderton 

I am sad to be leaving GIS, it has been amazing. I remember first 

arriving (on my birthday). Dr Tasker picked us up from the airport 

and took me to my first 'Asian toilet' at the service station. I didn't 

think I was going to last very long here! But everyone made us feel 

very welcome and helped us settle in. My favourite part of GIS is 

the parties (obviously!) The Indian dancing at Diwali and Loy 

Kratong celebrations are amazing and I will never forget being 

thrown in the swimming pool by Year 1 children during Song Kran 

(they can be pretty strong when they gang up together!) - Ananya's 

talent show dance is definitely up there as a top moment too! 

I have also loved being the Primary Tiger House captain; you have worked so hard, 

and made it really fun for me! We couldn't have done so well this year without Grace 

and Fabio (and Jessica and Rida!) Good luck in Secondary, you are amazing!! 

You've all been awesome and I will miss you very much! Look out for me on TV at the 

Rio Carnival, or playing football in this summer’s World Cup festivities (I wish!) 

Year 4 – Ellie Holloway 

I can’t believe that I've been here for two years! Now it’s time to 

say goodbye and time really does fly when you’re having fun! I've 

had a great time at Garden and gained many memories that will 

stay with me forever. The children and staff have been great and I 

will miss them greatly. Working here has also given me the chance 

to travel around South East Asia, experiencing new cultures and 

gaining new experiences. My next adventure starts in August 

when I head over to Qatar. If I hang around long enough I may get 

to watch the World Cup…. 

Year 5 – Brenda Lane 

Wow! What an amazing 2 years it has been. I am so fortunate to 

have had the opportunity to come live in beautiful Thailand, and 

teach at Garden International School. It has been an exciting time, 

and I have taught so many wonderful students. GIS is more than 

just a school, it is a community filled with wonderful people, 

students, parents and colleagues, many of whom I will remember 

always. I am leaving the school to return back to my home in 

Canada with my son Kalin. We will both miss the great friends 

we've made here (and the sunny warm weather!) but are taking home with us fantastic 

memories. Best of luck to everyone!

Claire Harris 

What can I say…it has been a wonderful 2 years here at GIS, I will 

be leaving with many fond memories. Starting with the amazing 

team of people working here, I feel very lucky to have met and 

created great friendships with you. The children throughout the 

school from Foundation to Secondary are some of the most 

talented and creative students I have had the pleasure of working 

with. I have been able to travel to some amazing countries in Asia 

and to Australia. I don’t feel like I’m actually leaving though, I’ll just 

be up the road at GIS Bangkok so will be down to visit lots. I’m going to miss everyone 

immensely, but it is time for the next adventure. 

Year 6 – Karen Green 

Where did the two year go? It seems like yesterday that we were stepping off the plane 

in Bangkok and travelling down (with two very sleepy children) to Ban Chang. The 

staff, parents and students at GIS have been amazing. I can honestly say you are 

brilliant, caring and talented people. You have made my job so much more enjoyable. 

The school with its true garden feel is a pleasure to teach at. I am truly grateful to 

everyone that has been part of my families Thailand experience. Thank you! 

The class I have now has to be the best class I have taught in the school, probably 

because I have had them for the two years; they are fantastic and it has been a 

pleasure to see them develop and learn. I will miss you all! Top three memories of 

things we did are: 

• Trip to Koh Samet where we built sandcastles, played in the sea and water park 

and squashed into a fast boat. 

• Songkran splashes, as I got the chance to soak you all and meet some amazing 

children from the Camillian Centre. 

• Loy Krathong and Diwali celebrations just because I got to dress up in beautiful 

clothes. 

We are now moving on to a new adventure in Malaysia, so not too far away. Thank 

you for making our Thailand experience so memorable; we will miss you. 

Secondary 

Head of Mathematics – Paul Chesters 

It's been a truly wonderful four years of my life whilst I have 

worked at GIS. The adults and students connected with the school 

are so friendly and caring, and have such diversely international 

backgrounds. That is what I will miss the most as I return to work 

in the UK. I will also miss working in a school in which I always see 

my wife and two daughters. 

Many years in the future, I am sure when I think back through my 

memories of GIS, the three most prominent will be of the IGCSE 

exams, of the HL IB examinations and of the staff football. What is 

more, my mind will automatically associate these memories with three students, the 

three R's: Rohit, Robert and Rain. It was a pleasure teaching them Mathematics and 

playing football with them. I wish everyone all the best for the future!

Thai – Khun Rose Chesters 

It has been a wonderful 3 years working at GIS. It is warm here 

(not the temperature)! I feel so happy because the people here are 

nice, friendly, happy and helpful. I also enjoy working here very 

much. The students are lovely and well behaved. My girls love 

school and they are happy every day at school. Thank you for 

letting us join this school - it made our life in Thailand fun! We will 

miss you all and we will never forget our time at GIS. 

Head of Science – Gerard Coleman 

I have been with GIS for two years and am sad to be leaving. I 

have been impressed with the quality of my colleagues and my 

students. My memories of GIS will be treasured and I hope to 

return and visit anytime that I am in Thailand. 

Business – Darren Turnbull 

I have found working here to be inspiring. When I first arrived, the 

school seemed to take a new direction, and since I’ve been here 

the school has grown, as has the whole feeling of comradeship 

and community. So it’s been great being a part of that dynamism, 

and forward momentum. I’m sure this will continue into the future 

and would like to thank all of my colleagues for being very patient 

and supportive during my time here. 

Russian – Elena Turnbull 

I would like to thank all the students, teachers and staff of GIS for your support, 

friendship and kind hearts. 

I’ve been lucky to join GIS at a very interesting time: lots of changes, lots of 

improvements, lots of new and exciting events. One of these things is a noticeable 

increase in the Russian population at school. I am very happy that I was given a 

chance to help people who don’t speak good English yet to communicate and to 

become a part of our school community. I hope everyone has a wonderful and 

relaxing summer holiday - and success and prosperity to the school! 

PS I will really miss the new school garden areas, they are my favourite!

ELS/Science – Jennifer Lenz 

It’s hard to believe how quickly five years went by here at GIS! I 

feel very lucky to have met so many wonderful colleagues and kids 

during my time in both Primary and Secondary. I’ve had some 

really great times here, including choreographing school plays, 

various trips and most of all, teaching some amazingly bright and 

talented kids. For the past two years I was a Form Tutor for the 

first time ever with a funny, clever, creative and energetic group of 

kids. I wish them all the best in life- I’m sure you have great things 

in store! Finally, I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who 

helped and encouraged me over the years. I specifically want to 

thank Mr Berry and Mr Coleman for being such supportive Heads of Department. 

You’ve helped me grow as a teacher and as a person. 

ICT – Michelle O’Brien 

When I received the job at GIS I knew I would love Thailand, I 

knew the country was going to be beautiful and I knew the food 

would be delicious. What I didn’t realise was that the school I had 

received a job in had the nicest students I have ever have the 

pleasure to teach or that it would give me the chance to make 

some amazing friends. My time at GIS has given me many lasting 

memories, a lot of laughs and some wonderful experiences, for 

that reason I cannot thank the staff and students enough. 

English – Mary 

Tincombe 

‘One hundred 

words!’ Mr 

Beales declared 

Honestly, I was 

unprepared. 

To touch you 

readers, or 

amuse? 

This is, you see, my’ Goodbye news’. 

My rhymes are a little awkward 

Mr Beales might say,’ Even tortured’ 

So a few more lines alone, I write 

Fulfilling thus an ancient rite. 

Firstly to my many students 

I hope there has been improvement. 

Thanks too - to you - who are the staff 

You have given me, many laughs. 

I have learnt of Thailand’s history 

Khun Wan and Lalita helped with 

other mysteries. 

‘Goodbye’ international street cred 

And Mr Berry’s Italian bread. 

‘Bye’ to: sunsets on sandy shores 

Silvered geckos at my front door, 

Mr Edward’s photography, 

Mr Ken’s choreography. 

I’m going to miss glorious heat. 

I‘ll certainly miss flip-flopped feet. 

I’m going home to British gloom 

Maybe I’ll see you some time soon. 

Your name not here? How’d that 

happen? 

Didn’t fit the rhyming pattern. 

Word count? 159 and rising 

Well Mr B, that ain’t surprising! 

Best wishes to all at GIS (Apologies to Thomas Hood - Victorian poet) 

Ms T

Marcella Cooper 

I came to GIS not really knowing what to expect since it was my 

first time teaching in another country. I came to learn quite quickly 

that GIS is a school that values people the most. Students were 

always top priority and people like K. Ann and K. Lat really took 

care of teachers as well. There are so many memories to take 

away with me. I love the Friday night Romson dinners. I will never 

forget the incredible musical talent I've experienced first-hand. Last 

but not least, I'll take away with me memories of student 

achievements, teacher friendships, and the incredible experience 

of working at a school I can be proud of. 

Assistant Librarian – Khun Apple 

I have really enjoyed my year at GIS working in the library as an Assistant Librarian. I 

have learnt many new skills and made many new friends. I have got to know hundreds 

of students by name and have always tried to assist the teachers to make sure their 

trips to the library are a special time. 

Foundation Graduation 

Foundation students celebrated their graduation at a 

special assembly on June 20. 

The assembly started with the Early Years singing ‘The 

Wheels on the Bus’ and ‘The Rainbow Song’, then Mr 

Stan’s Nursery class danced to ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’. 

After this, Ms Aren's Nursery class sang ‘The Rivers of 

Babylon’, Ms Jane's Reception class acted out ‘Caps for 

Sale’ and Ms Jessica's Reception group performed ‘Going 

on a Bear Hunt’. 

Early Years, Nursery and Reception students were given 

their certificates and everyone was then invited to lunch to 

mark the end of the school year.

Mega Ninja Spotted at GIS! 

The rarely-seen Mega Ninja has 

Been spotted for the first time at GIS! 

During a morning break, the giant Mega 

Ninja and other eco ninjas were seen in 

the canteen and in Primary. 

They were checking the lights and aircon 

were turned off if not needed and 

also helped to collect recycling material. 

In Primary, the eco ninjas found 

teachers who had left their door open 

with the air-con on (like Mr Joe!) 

Keep looking for the ninjas – they will 

be back soon!

By Richel Dapudong 

GIS holds first SEN Workshop 

On June 7, GIS hosted its first ‘Special Educational Needs Awareness’ workshop. The aim 

was to improve the knowledge and skills of teachers and parents on how to work with 

and/or support children with special needs in a diverse learning environment. 

Mrs Gordon, Head of Primary, welcomed the invited guest speakers and 52 participants, 

who included parents and teachers from various international schools in the Eastern 

Seaboard region. 

Dr Kwan Hansongkitpong, Clinical Director at the Little Sprouts Children's Centre 

(www.littlesproutscentre.com) and President of Autism Awareness Thailand, is a clinical 

psychologist specialising in child and family and developmental disorders. During the 

workshop, she discussed the types and signs of learning and developmental disorders 

among children and gave ample strategies for parents and teachers on how to support 

them. She further emphasised the importance of early detection and early appropriate 

intervention to the development of the child. 

Another speaker was Rosalina Alexander, 

president of The Rainbow Room Foundation 

(www.therainbowroom.org), a special needs 

awareness centre she co-founded in 

Bangkok. Rosalina spoke about support 

strategies for parents and teachers and said: 

“I am here to empower parents and assist 

them in starting to enjoy their amazing 

children. Our children are individuals before 

they are labels”, she added. 

GIS invited Harshi Sehmar, Director of The Village International Education Centre 

(www.village-education.com), to talk about their assessment and speech and language 

therapy services. 

This was a productive workshop as parents and teachers were given the chance to have 

their questions answered at the end of each lecture. 

Mr Richel, GIS SEN 

teacher, believes that 

this workshop was a 

good beginning of our 

journey towards seeing 

schools, families and 

communities accept, 

support and embrace 

children with special 

educational needs.

From Mrs Gordon: Head of Primary 

Dear Parents and all friends and family, 

So the final week of the year has arrived and my first year as Head of Primary is almost 

complete. What a whirlwind! There are lots of exciting plans and developments for the 

Primary building over the holidays with a new Year 1 and 2 unit being created, playground 

developments and extra classrooms being created upstairs to accommodate our 

increasing numbers. 

There is a lot of packing up to do as teachers prepare to move classrooms. Let’s hope we 

all make it to the holidays with a smile on our face still . 

Our Primary Summer Concert and Open afternoon on Tuesday saw us invite parents in to 

experience life in the classroom and to see what their children have been learning this 

year. We hope you were able to join us. Plus, we had our Foundation Graduation 

Ceremony in the Primary Hall on Friday morning followed by a pot luck feast. 

We’ve had our transition day where the children got to meet their new teachers both 

virtually and in real life and the Year 6s got a taster of what their new school life will be like 

when they move to Secondary next year. Change can be both exciting and nerve-wracking 

so we hope these mini sessions will help the children look forward to the changes. 

Year 5 and 6 have all returned safely from their adventures around different parts of 

Thailand. There is more later in the newsletter on this, or please visit their blogs 

6jb.gardenrayong.com and 5ch.gardenrayong.com to see what they got up to. Our Primary 

FOBISIA team of 19 all had a fantastic time in Vietnam and brought back 75 medals in 

total, mostly from the swimming and athletics competitions. 

The end of the school year is also a time for goodbyes and in an international school 

setting there are always people moving on to pastures new and learning to say goodbye is 

all part of being an international student. It doesn’t stop it from being an emotional farewell 

though. I would like to take this opportunity to say a formal thank you to our staff who are 

leaving. Ms Jill from EY, Ms Sally from Year 1, Ms Ellie from Year 4, Ms Brenda from Year 

5, Ms Claire from Year 5, Ms Karen from Year 6, Ms Wong, our Mandarin teacher and 

Khun Rose, one of our Thai teachers. Your dedication and care of the students at our 

school has been fantastic and I am very grateful for all your hard work and support over 

this year. Good luck in the next step of your adventures, we will all miss you. 

We also have to say goodbye to some of our students. Jeena and Gemma are heading 

back to the UK with Khun Rose and Mr Chesters, Edward and Cynthia are off to Australia 

with their parents Mr Coleman and Khun Apple, Dylan and Evan move to Malaysia with 

their mum Ms Karen, Isabella is returning to Phuket with Mr Turnbull and Ms Elena, and 

Kalin is going back to Canada with his mum Ms Brenda. Sanika and Swamini have a big 

adventure ahead of them as they move to Sweden – hope it’s not too cold for you there 

girls. Lavi, Shrey, Shreya and Gauri all return to India. Pangpond is off to New Zealand 

and Fabio is moving to Burapha School in Chonburi. We hope you have enjoyed your time 

with us and will leave with happy memories of your time at Garden.

Primary Awards 

Our awards for this term go to… 

Games, Hannah and Danai for Excellence. 

Amy (Year 2), Drishti and Shireen for Endeavour. 

Vanshika, Aishu and Kenjung for Progress. 

Jasmine, Issie and Fiona for Nam Jai Ngam. 

All that remains to be said is, ‘Good Luck’ to our Year 6s who are moving onto the 

Secondary in August and I hope everyone has a happy and safe summer break. I look 

forward to seeing you all on Wednesday August 20 when we return to school for the new 

academic year. 

Warm regards, 

Claire Gordon 

Head of Primary 

headpri@gardenrayong.com

Primary Summer Concert 

Proud parents packed into the Main Hall at GIS for the Primary Summer Concert on June 

17. 

Our Primary Summer Concert was a wonderful showcase of all the specialist classes that 

we have in Primary. 

The Year 5 and 6 Thai students started us off with Rao Ruk Nai-Laung (เรารักในหลวง ) 

followed by our youngest Year 1 and 2 Thai students welcoming us with their song 

Sawasdee. 

All the Year 1s then treated us to a song about ‘When A Dinosaur’s Feeling Hungry’. They 

even wrote a special verse themselves about 'When Mrs Gordon's Feeling Hungry' which 

was very funny. 

Our Year 3s took to the stage next with ‘The Mummy Song’. They made up all the actions 

and choreographed the song in their Drama class with Mr Ken when studying Ancient 

Egypt. Did you know the Ancient Egyptian pulled out dead people's brains through their 

nose with a wire? The Year 3s do. 

Year 4s showed us their talent at part-singing with a lovely rendition of the ‘Rhythm of Life’ 

followed by a video from the ELS department showing off how multilingual all our students 

are. They read the ‘Gingerbread Man’ in over 12 different languages!

‘Candle on the Water’ was sung beautifully by our Year 2s. Then the children who receive 

specialist instructor lessons in music performed ‘500 Miles’ by the Proclaimers with Direk 

on drums, Chloe on guitar and Tessa, Rida and Inez singing. 

Year 6 rocked us with their version of the Katy Perry song 'Roar' and Year 5 sang 

‘Seasons of Love’ accompanied by Helena on bass and Ella on piano. Year 5 then wowed 

us with 'Pandora's Box', written and staged by the students themselves during their Drama 

lessons. 

The PE department treated us to a slideshow of all the sporting events this year and 

Senora Cecilia's Year 3 Spanish class finished off with the song "Los meses del ano" (The 

months of the year). The penultimate performance also came from Year 3s; a beautiful 

song called "I am the Earth". 

Finally the whole school song with over 180 of our primary students on stage was, "When 

Our Voices Join Together", which was a fitting end to a wonderful concert. 

A big thank you to our specialist subject teachers, Khun Nid, Khun Renu, Khun Gaew, 

Senora Cecilia, Mr Amuchou, Mr Michael, Mr Garth, Ms Peralta and Mrs Shiells, alongside 

Mr Ken, who organised the event.

School Trips 

Khao Yai 

Students from Year 5 

went on an actionpacked 

trip to 

Thailand’s main 

national park – Khao 

Yai. 

After a long bus 

journey, the 25 

students arrived. 

They were soon 

having fun exploring 

macro invertebrate in 

the river and then 

heading out for a 

detective trek looking 

for different types of animal scat. 

The team has been great and played lots of fun games. During the trip there were no 

mobile phones, so students could appreciate their beautiful surroundings with no 

distractions! Parents were kept updated about the trip via our new blogs. For more photos 

and information, visit the blog at http://5ch.gardenrayong.com. 

Chiang Mai 

Students from Year 6 headed off to 

Chiang Mai. They started with some 

elephant rides – with Fabio even 

getting to ride on one elephant’s 

head!

Students also visited a local school to 

donate supplies and say hello. The 

school had 550 students, most of whom 

are hilltribe children from surrounding 

mountains. Around 200 of them live at the 

school as boarders because their villages 

are so far away. School, boarding and 

food are free for the students. After 

making some new friends, everyone 

enjoyed a game of football 

After lunch we went to a Karen village and learnt about some hilltribe customs. There was 

an old lady weaving cotton and our guide, Khun Tik, explained how they get all their 

colours naturally. Some of us bought some souvenirs in the village. Then we hiked through 

the jungle and down some steep stairs to 

the Mae Wang waterfall. It was beautiful 

but we couldn’t swim as there was too 

much water – so we dipped our feet in the 

rock pools. 

On the final day we went bamboo rafting. 

What an exciting journey! We had rapids, 

rocks and even a few water snakes. 

After all that we came back to the hotel 

and made time to celebrate Rida and 

Inez’s birthdays. After that, for our last day 

we went to Chiang Mai for an arts and 

crafts day. 

You can see even more photos on our blog, which is a great way for parents to find out 

what their children have been doing. Head to http://6jb.gardenrayong.com/

Helicopter Trip for Year 2 

The Year 2 classes were super lucky this term as they got the chance to visit a helicopter 

at U-tapao Airport. The visit was arranged by pilot Dane Frith of TAS. The company staff 

were fantastic, showing the children around and teaching them all about working with 

helicopters. We all got to sit in the pilot’s seat, and even got to see a helicopter land - it 

was very loud! 

Year 6 Say Goodbye to Primary 

Primary has said good bye to the Year 6 

students and wished them well for their big 

step into Secondary. 

We’ll miss those familiar faces next year but 

are looking forward to hearing about all their 

adventures in Year 7. Good luck Year 6! Don’t 

forget to come back and visit!

Birthday Elephant 

The birthday elephant has been 

making special visits to students at 

GIS! 

Over the past few weeks the elephant 

has appeared in several classrooms; 

here the elephant is saying happy 

birthday to Asia. Look out for the 

birthday elephant – coming to a 

classroom near you soon! 

Terrific Turtle Trip 

On May 27, the Year 1 class went to the Turtle Sanctuary Centre in Sattahip to 

learn more about our topic “Dinosaurs and Other Animals”. 

We had a great time. First, we watched a video about sea turtles and learnt about 

the different kinds of sea turtles. Then we went to the museum to see the preserved sea 

turtles and their eggs and learnt how to identify a male from a female sea turtle as well as 

their life cycle. We have also seen other sea animals in the museum. We had a chance to 

see the nursing area where we fed the baby turtles (hatchlings) with fish. We had so much 

fun feeding them! 

As the Turtle Sanctuary is a charity, we also gave a donation to help the project to 

thrive. In return, we’ve all got cute sea turtle key rings and necklaces. The trip ended with 

an ice cream! Yum!

From Mr Ball: Head of Secondary 

Hello, 

This has been a busy year with a lot of positive movement in the school. We have 

continued to develop a stronger awareness of the environment at GIS. The recycling 

banks have further developed, along with the Eco-Awesomeness course studied by 

students in Years 7, 8 and 9 who do not take Thai Language. What is wonderful about 

these is that the students take ownership of the recycling and the money reclaimed is 

invested in developing the ‘garden’ side of the school. The ‘reuse, reduce, recycle’ garden 

developed by Mr Hambling is outside ICT 1 and is a great testament to the continued 

commitment by the school to recycling. 

The building has continued to move from strength to strength in terms of its development. 

Last year saw the Main Hall have a complete metamorphosis. This year next to the Main 

Hall a purpose-built Drama area is being finished. The Secondary building is due for a lot 

of paint over the summer and I am looking forward to returning to see how grand it looks. 

Secondary reports went out on Tuesday and we hope that you are pleased with the effort 

that your child has put in to his or her school work over the year. The school website has 

an explanation of what the grades mean and can be located by going to 

www.gardenrayong.com/curriculum.html. 

The Secondary Parents’ Evening on Wednesday was opened by Nupur from Year 7 and 

also the Year 7 band. It is great to see such young talent having the confidence to 

showcase itself. There was a lot of discussion between staff and teachers about how 

students can move forwards and a lot of positive advice and support was passed on. 

No doubt the IB1 students will have been pleased to have been able to pass over the 

drafts of their 4,000-word Extended Essays to their supervisors. The supervisors will read 

these and then offer feedback at the beginning of Term 1 in the next academic year. 

At this time of year we have to say some sad goodbyes to students and staff. This is 

always a sad time as people we like and respect leave us. This year we say goodbye and 

wish the best of luck to Mr Turnbull (Business Studies), Ms Cooper (English), Ms 

Tincombe (English), Ms Lenz (ELS), Ms O’Brien (Information Communication 

Technology), Mr Chesters (Head of Mathematics), Ms Chesters (Thai Language) and Mr 

Coleman (Head of Science). Whilst it is sad to see staff leave it is also an exciting time as 

new staff arrive and we say hello to Mr Whittaker (Business Studies), Mr Doman (ELS), Ms 

Bradley (English), Ms Ellicot (English), Mr Pennant (Information Communication 

Technology), Mr Turagaiviu (Mathematics), and Ms Woodburn (Physics). 

Sage Ball 

Head of Secondary 

headsec@gardenrayong.com

Year 11 Celebrate with ‘Formal’ at Hilton 

Year 11 students enjoyed an end to their examinations 

with a graduation dinner at the Hilton Hotel in Pattaya. 

More than 100 students, parents and teachers attended the 

event on June 7. Year 11 students at GIS have just finished 

their IGCSE examinations. 

The International General Certificate of Secondary 

Education assessments are run by Cambridge International 

Examinations and are the world's most popular exams for 14 

to 16 year olds. 

GIS has consistently had far higher results than UK schools 

and is confident of doing so again this year. Some students 

will be leaving 

school now, but 

many will be 

returning in 

August to join 

GIS's successful 

International 

Baccalaureate 

(IB) Diploma 

Programme.

The evening began with introductions 

from the MCs Laila and Kevin, then 

there was a welcome speech from 

IGCSE Co-ordinator Mr Stokes. The 

first performance was a guitar solo from 

Pauline, who sang Pink's 'Perfect'. 

After an excellent buffet, Jason and 

James sang 'When I Was Your Man', 

Sony, Teng, Jason, Fiat and Renee performed 'Count on Me' and then Pauline, Sony, 

Teng and Jason sang 'Everlasting God'. 

Form Tutors then gave speeches, praising students for their collective spirit and drive and 

wishing them well for the future. 

After a performance by 'Upside Down' of Queen's 'Don't Stop Me Now' there was a closing 

speech by GIS Principal Dr Stuart Tasker. 

Mike’s

Battle of the Bands 

Bands rocked Garden International School (GIS) at the 

annual Battle of the Bands event. 

Groups from GIS, REPS and St Andrew's played original 

songs and covers in GIS's newly-refurbished Main Hall. 

Fans cheered and danced as the musicians took to the 

stage, and produced some impressive guitar solos and 

singing. 

Judges included Mr Dom (Head of Secondary at 

REPS), Ms Jill (freelance punk rocker) and HyoJung 

(a Grade 8 pianist who recently finished her IB 

studies at GIS). 

After the judges had added together their scores, the winner was 

White Jack, who won an 8-hour recording session at Karma Sound Studio in Bang 

Saray (www.karmasoundstudios.com). Runners-up were Alphabeat and in third spot were 

Apollo. (The runners-up were given a five-hour session at Karma. 

Apollo also won the prize for best 

original song. 

Hot dogs sold at the event will 

go towards Operation Smile, 

which helps children born with 

cleft palates. So far the school 

has raised more than 30,000 

baht – more than enough to 

change several children’s lives.

Battle of the 

Bands at GIS

Top Secondary Students Rewarded 

Dozens of talented and hard-working students have 

been rewarded during a special Secondary 

assembly. 

GIS held its first Prizegiving Awards’ Ceremony on 

June 20. It recognised the hard work and effort put 

in by many of our students. Parents came to watch 

as certificates were handed out for a variety of 

achievements. Below are the main winners: 

The Endeavour Award is given to the most diligent 

student in each subject. This award includes the 

student’s performance over the course of the whole 

year. 

The Excellence Award is given to the top student in each subject and includes the 

student’s performance over the course of the year: 

Year 7 Endeavour Awards 

Stanislav Vdovenko 

Veronika Shiyanova 

Sasha Narang 

Liyana Kamar 

Shann Chongwattananukul 

Rachael Lipman 

Matthew Gladwin 

Kavishahini Aravinthan 

Year 7 Excellence Awards 

Sonhanut Sunhakorn (Nutt) 

Marc Schumann 

Endeavour in English Language Support (KET) 

Endeavour in English 

Endeavour in Thai Language 

Endeavour in Mathematics 

Endeavour in Art and Design 

Endeavour in Music 

Endeavour in Design Technology 

Endeavour in History 

Endeavour in Drama 

Endeavour in Mandarin 

Endeavour in Information and Communications 

Technology 

Endeavour in Physical Education 

Endeavour in Science 

Excellence in Drama 

Excellence in English Language Support (KET)

Cheshta Kela 

Patrick Steele 

Dhriti Punjabi 

Miheer Kadam 

Excellence in History 

Excellence in Physical Education 

Excellence in Thai Studies 

Excellence in Mandarin 

Karnsiree Rangsrithong (Focus) Endeavour in English Language Support (PET) 

Excellence in Thai Language 

Sameeksha Bugata 

Leanne Clifton 

Ashcharya Kela 

Nupur Dhande 

Endeavour in Geography 

Excellence in Information and Communications 

Technology 

Excellence in Art and Design 

Excellence in Geography 

Excellence in Design Technology 

Excellence in Spanish 

Endeavour in Spanish 

Endeavour in Thai Studies 

Excellence in English 

Excellence in Mathematics 

Excellence in Music 

Excellence in Science 


Shaniya Schlebusch 

Ellie Goldsack 

Prapti Jaduvanshi (Khushi) 




Technology 



Endeavour in Thai Studies


Simon Riisgaard-Andersen 

Panitta Chaklang 

Mara Dopp 

Peeraaya Prohmwitak (Kam) 

Erica Gallemit 












Anchalee Khanijou (Anjali) 

Kanokrak Chaima (Pop) 





Technology 











Anna Chaiyarugs 

Lily Edwards 

Narisa Saksinghskul 




Suppakorn Chaiyasungwol (Mangpo) Endeavour in Information and Communications 

Technology 

Endeavour in History


Henry Barker-Bennett 

Jia Min Lee (Jasmine) 

Sabrina Okon 

Annie Duffy 

Egor Malyshev 

Sabrina Fraser 

Pantira Abernethy (Gee Gee) 






Excellence in English Language Support (PET) 









Seren Gordon 

Jignil Shah 









Excellence in Information and 

Communications Technology 





Nitikorn Manchanda (Mikey) 

Yash Shah 

Suphalak Kucharo (Chompoo) 

Nanthicha Phaobanjong (Nan) 

Nicolas Puel 



Technology 

Endeavour in Thai 

Endeavour in English for Speakers of Other Languages 


Endeavour in Science

Natasha Sethi 




Chakkaphan Thanyakil (Beam) 

Pailin Supchomchuen (Ploy) 

Tawanya Brander (Praw) 


Excellence in Thai 




Natasha Sakjiraphong 

Abhigyan Khullar 

Anastasia Zmeeva 

Jun Beom Chi 

Reha Bhombal 

Arjit Verma 

Excellence in English for Speakers of Other Languages 



Technology 

Endeavour in Business Studies 











Endeavour in Literature 

Excellence in Business Studies 

Excellence in Literature 






Suwaphat Kosonniyom (Mix) 

Piyaphorn Doowa (Neha) 

David York-Schardt 

Endeavour in English for Speakers of Other Languages 


Endeavour in Physical Education

Panarin Abernethy (Pooh) 


Endeavour in Literature 



Coco Atkinson 

Laila Stuvik 

Polin Cercleron 

Suphasit Phuthavee (Sony) 

Sittichai Tubsuwan (Keng) 

Arpan Ojha 


Excellence in Literature 




Excellence in English for Speakers of Other Languages 


Excellence in Physics 

Boonrugsa Pisitpitthayaseree (May) Endeavour in Business Studies 



Jasmine Rattanaruangsup 

Endeavour in Biology 


Phakhanan Piyanuttapool (Boat) Endeavour in English 


Syuen Wei Tang (Jason) 




Pornchanok Pornthipsakul (Khing) Endeavour in Science 

Excellence in Business Studies 


Pauline Gallemit 

Hui Eun Park 


Endeavour in Physics 

Endeavour in Chemistry 






Technology 


Technology 

Excellence in Mathematics


Excellence in Biology 

Excellence in Chemistry 

Year IB1 Endeavour and Excellence Awards 

The winners are: 

Kunal Jaduvanshi 

Taya McMeechan 

Hodong Sa 

Endeavour in Business Management 



Pruektasan Phattanaphokai (Poom) 

Endeavour in Biology 

Trisha Carandang 

Emily Chen 

Endeavour in Information Technology in a Global 

Society 


Sabannga Khankhokkruad (Louisa) 

Society 

Excellence in Information Technology in a Global 

Tanisha Detkunakorn 


Laura Okafor 

Patsagorn Uacherdkul (Gorn) 

Endeavour in Visual Arts 



Excellence in Visual Arts 

Endeavour in English B 



Sirin Pornthipsakul (Yeen) 

Salena Khanijou 

Robert Lindblom 



Excellence in English B 

Excellence in Business Management 


Endeavour in Chemistry 


Excellence in Biology 

Excellence in Chemistry

Yeshwant Siva Ventaka 

Hyo Kyung Chi (Sarah) 

Endeavour in Physics 


Excellence in Physics 


Endeavour in English A 

Excellence in English A 



Special Awards 

Sports Awards 

These are for students who have made the greatest contribution to the school’s sporting 

programme over the course of the academic year. There is one award for a student in 

Years 7 to 9 and one award for a student in Year 10 and above. 

Contribution to Sport - Year 7 to 9 

Contribution to Sport - Year 10 and above 

Prem Detkunakorn 

Chakkaphan Thanyakil (Beam) 

The student who has made the greatest overall contribution to the school’s sporting 

programme over the course of the academic year. 

Sportsperson of the Year Award Trophy: 

Laura Okafor 

Arts Awards 

The students who have made the greatest contribution to the school’s creative arts 

programmes over the course of the academic year. There is one award for a student in 

Years 7 to 9 and one award for a student in Year 10 and above. 

Contribution to the Creative Arts - Year 7 to 9 Maria Lyubchevskaya 

Contribution to the Creative Arts - Year 10 and above Laura Okafor 

The student who has made the greatest overall contribution to the school’s creative arts 

programmes over the course of the academic year. 

Creative Arts Award Trophy 

Hyo Kyung Chi (Sarah)

Leadership Awards 

These awards recognise leadership by students that have led to the betterment of student 

life or of the school. Leadership can be demonstrated in many ways, among them: 

• for excellent performance in service positions 

• by demonstrating leadership by behaviour role modelling 

• by taking a leading role in achieving a special group accomplishment 

There is one award for Years 7 to 9 and one award for Year 10 and above. Teachers 

nominate individuals with brief documentary evidence to supplicate their nomination. 

Leadership - Year 7 to 9 

Seren Gordon 

Leadership - Year 10 and above Renee Harris 

The student who has made the greatest overall 

contribution to leadership over the course of the 

academic year: 

Leadership Award Trophy Hyo Kyung Chi (Sarah) 

CIS International Student Awards 

The Council of International Schools (CIS) established this International Student Award to 

give public recognition to those who best exemplify the attributes of global citizenship. 



Internationalism - Year 7 to 9 

Internationalism - Year 10 and above 

Jignil Shah 

Berenice Cabanne 

The student who has made the greatest overall contribution to Internationalism over the 

course of the academic year: 

CIS International Student Award Trophy Kuntida Khomkirin (Pam) 

Nam Jai Ngam Awards 

This award is made to a student who best demonstrates citizenship through his or her 

active participation in the academic, cultural, sporting and service within Secondary at 

Garden International School. 



Nam Jai Ngam - Year 7 to 9 

Nam Jai Ngam - Year 10 and above 

Seren Gordon 

Berenice Cabanne 

The student who has embodied Nam Jai Ngam the best over the academic year: 

Nam Jai Ngam Award Trophy Yeshwant Siva Ventaka

Academic Endeavour Trophies 

This is awarded to the most diligent student overall in each year level. This award 

includes the student’s performance over the course of the whole year. 

Academic Endeavour Year 7 – Leanne Clifton 

Academic Endeavour Year 8 – Anchalee Khanijou (Anjali) 

Academic Endeavour Year 9 – Narisa Saksingskul 

Academic Endeavour Year 10 – Abhigyan Khullar 

Academic Endeavour Year 11 – Pauline Gallemit 

Academic Endeavour IB1 – Hyo Kyung Chi (Sarah) 

Academic Excellence Trophies 

This is awarded to the top student in each year level. This award includes the student’s 

performance over the course of the whole year. 

Academic Excellence Year 7 – Nupur Dhande 

Academic Excellence Year 8 – Kankrak Chaima (Pop) 

Academic Excellence Year 9 – Jignil Shah 

Academic Excellence Year 10 – Arjit Verma 

Academic Excellence Year 11 – Hui Eun Park 

Academic Excellence IB1 – Hyo Kyung Chi (Sarah)

Mexican Restaurant Trip 

By Angela Self 

Students enjoyed a trip to a Mexican 

restaurant as part of their Spanish 

studies. 

The trip to Mike’s Restaurant in 

Jomtien was amazing and the food 

was good. 

For the Year 8s, 9s, and 10s we all 

had fun then, when we were done and 

full, we went back to school and we all 

just hung out with each other until the 

bell rang. 

Book Promotion 

Students in Years 7, 8 and 9 

participated in a Book Promotion on 

June 9. Choosing their two favourite 

books they've read independently this 

year, they created eye-catching poster 

boards and persuasive speeches in 

order to convince other students their 

books are 'must reads'. There are many 

Book Promotion posters on display in 

the library. 

Years 5 and 6 students came to listen 

and vote on which books they had been 

convinced to read. Voting was close but 

the books that got the most votes were: 

Year 7 - Chan P. "The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold 

Year 8 - Engila K. "Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief" by 

Rick Riordan.

House Competitions 

Year 9 - Prem D. "Princess: A True Story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia" by Jean 

Sasson. 

Houses – Who is This Year’s Winner? 

This is the final news from the House events for this year. I cannot quite believe that we 

have fitted in so many events and games and you have all shown so much team spirit. 

Very well done to all our House Captains (Thanks need to go to Ms Cooper for all her hard 

work over this year with Secondary, the PE department for the equipment and setting up 

events like the swimming galas and sports days and Maintenance for just being there and 

organising things we needed - I couldn’t have done it without you!) 

Next year it will be Mr Carson who is coordinating House events for the school. 

Events this month have included Primary House parties, which seemed to be a very 

popular event with the children. 

The points over the year have been very close and every House had a chance at the 

trophy but there can only be one winner and one House went all out to get the prize. 

The cabinets are full and lists of what each House won can be seen below the results. 

Events were graded into Major (worth 40 points), Standard (worth 20 points) and Simple 

(worth 10 points). 

Primary results: 

Cobra Eagle Gecko Tiger 

177 168 251 267 

Drama 

Spelling Bee 

Secondary Results: 

Art 

T-Ball 

Christmas Tree 

Sports Day 

Football 

Talent Show 

Air Guitar 

Limbo 

Obstacle Course 

Cobra Eagle Gecko Tiger 

177 198 141 202 

Sports Day 

House Spirit 

Whole School Results: 

Swimming Gala 

Handball 

Soap Box Rants 

Obstacle Course 

Christmas Tree 

Volleyball 

Air Guitar 

Swimming Gala 

Recycling 

House Song 

Sand Castles 

House Spirit 

Recycling 

Football 

3-on-3 Basketball 

Limbo 

Spelling Bee 

Tiger (1 st ) Gecko (2 nd ) Eagle (3 rd ) Cobra (4 th ) 

469 392 366 354 

Well done to all Houses but congratulations and the trophy go to the TIGER HOUSE!

Mathematics’ Challenge Round-Up 

Team Challenge 

This year’s Team Challenge was held at Regent’s School in Pattaya and involved 12 

teams of 4 students from GIS, Regent’s, Regent’s Bangkok and REPs. Three teams were 

taken to represent GIS and they competed in four rounds, which largely tested 

Mathematical and logical abilities. Jignil and Liyana did extremely well in the memory 

round, scoring maximum points. This involved coming on stage to recite the digits of 

natural logarithm number ‘e’ up to 50 decimal places. Two of the GIS teams won prizes for 

coming fifth. 

Individual Challenges 

This year we achieved a record number of 

certificates. A total of 38 certificates were achieved 

for the two challenges that were held. 

Senior Mathematics Challenge 

This is aimed at IB-aged students. This year 60 

students from Year 7 to IB2 7 took the SMC. Here 

13 certificates were achieved. Silver certificates (4) 

went to Arjit, Robert, Vishal and Hui Eun. Bronze 

certificates (9) went to Pauline, Polin, Pume, Tak, 

Yash, Jun Beom, Rohit, Rain and Knight. 

Intermediate Mathematics Challenge 

This is aimed at Year 11 students. 

We entered 60 students from Years 7 to 11. Here 25 certificates were awarded. Arjit, Hui 

Eun, Vishal and Pauline all achieved Gold certificates. Arpan, Pume, Marisa, Liyana, 

Abhigyan, Chompoo and Mix all achieved Silver certificates. Jason, Pooh, Patrick, Jun 

Beom, Yukta, Reha, Nan, Anvita, Knight, Jignil, Yash, Shomit, Anchalee and Nupur all 

achieved Bronze certificates. 

Best in the School certificates 

SMC – Arjit 

IMC – Arjit 

Arjit deserves a special mention as he not only did extremely well in the SMC and IMC 

Challenges, he also qualified for the Olympiad level of the IMC Challenge.

IB News 

Albin’s Tree-mendous Award 

GIS has planted a special tree to recognise an IB student’s outstanding attendance. 

Albin started at GIS way back in 1999. This year he graduated from the International 

Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme, making him one of the school’s longest-serving 

students. 

To mark the occasion, we invited Albin’s parents to attend a tree-planting ceremony, 

watched by GIS Principal Dr Stuart Tasker, IB Co-ordinator Mr Fraser and Site Manager 

Mr Martin. Well done Albin, that’s an amazing achievement! You can admire Albin’s tree 

next time you take the pedestrian access to school.

Teacher of the Month 

For the last column of the school year, we talk to ELS and 

Science teacher Ms Lenz. 

1) What has been the best thing about working at GIS? It 

has been an amazing experience getting to know such cool 

kids from all over the world. 

2) What made you choose to live in Thailand? I had 

been living in Germany and thought it was way too cold. I 

wasn’t ready to return to the US, so I decided to find a hot 

country to live in. I heard Thailand also had great people and 

great food - they were right! 

3) Favourite singer/band? 

I like lots of different kinds of music but my all-time favourite band has to be The Beatles. 

4) Favourite movie and why? Waking Life - the animation is great, the music is great, 

and it really makes you think about living and dreaming. 

5) If you weren't a teacher, what would you be doing? I would definitely be doing 

scientific research, probably towards helping the environment and saving the planet. 

6) Have you ever met anyone famous? I met someone who is a TV star in the US, but 

at the time I didn’t have any idea who he was. 

7) If you were a superhero, which superhero would you be? 

Wonder Woman - my sister and I used to love that TV show and we would practise 

spinning around and changing costume the way she used to do on the show. 

8) What kind of student were you? I was a big nerd and very, very shy! 

9) What are you afraid of? Getting old, haha. Actually, I don’t mind being old as long as I 

can still travel and have fun ;) 

10) What's your favourite kind of doughnut? Krispy Kreme originals straight out of the 

oven… yummmm!

Student of the Month 

Student of the Month for June goes to Kevin Smith Victor Samuel, who not only has 

the coolest name at GIS, he is also one of the coolest kids. 

1) Where are you from? I come from Chenia, in India. I have been living in Thailand 

for 3 years now. 

2) What's the coolest subject? I like mathematics the best because I like working 

with numbers, adding and dividing. 

3) Who is your favourite teacher? Why? I like all of my teachers but my favourite 

teacher is Mr Amuchou because he is always happy. 

4) What is your favourite activity in school? I like to play dodge ball. Mr Amuchou lets 

us play dodge ball at PE sometimes. It is great fun. 

5) What do you like doing in your free-time? I like to draw. I would like to be an artist. 

6) What's the best country you've visited (apart from Thailand)? I lived in Malaysia for 

three months I had lots of friends there. 

7) Favourite food? I like rasam. Rasam is a South Indian soup made from tomatoes and 

chilies. It is very healthy. 

8) What is your favourite band? Maroon Five. 

9) How many languages can you speak? I can speak English and Tamil. Tamil is easier 

than English. 

10) Favourite animal? The tiger. It is the national animal of India.

Sport 

Sports Awards’ Evening 

The very first Sports Awards’ Evening on June 5 proved to be a great success with more 

than 125 people attending. Parents, students and coaches united in recognising our 

student athletes’ performances over the school year. 

The evening started with a dinner buffet, followed by an audio visual presentation of the 

athletes in action. 

Each coach presented their team with certificates for participation. Extra certificates were 

given to the Most Valuable Player, Most Improved Player and there was also a Fair Play 

Award for each team. 

As a finale to the evening, four trophies were presented to 

four athletes: 

1. Students’ Player of the Year (Primary and Secondary) 

2. Coaches’ Player of the Year (Primary and Secondary) 

GIS Principal Dr Tasker awarded the trophies to: 

Primary Students’ Player of the Year: Nicholas Kantajan 

Primary Coaches’ Player of the Year: Jessica Chilver 

Secondary Students’ Player of the Year: Chung Kwun Lee

Secondary Coaches’ Player of the 

Year: Teng Chilver 

I would like to thanks the coaches for 

their dedication throughout the year. 

Thanks to all who helped make the 

evening a success. 

Thanks also to Bella Vista who 

provided the marvelous dinner buffet. 

Next year’s event will be bigger and 

better - so order your tickets now! 

Bob Edwards 

Head of Physical Education

Primary FOBISIA Games 

Hosted By ABC International 

School, Vietnam 

GIS students struck gold in 

Vietnam – coming back with 

dozens of winners’ medals from 

the Primary FOBISIA Games. 

A total of 19 students and 3 staff 

left GIS on May 29 to travel to Ho 

Chi Minh City, Vietnam, in 

anticipation of winning medals at the 

Primary Games. We were not disappointed; the students won a total of 75 medals. 

The first day was very busy with track and field in the morning, followed by the swimming 

competition in the afternoon. A total haul of 71 medals from the day was very satisfying. The 

students’ performance overall was excellent, given the very hot conditions. 

T-ball for the second day was on the agenda. The Year 6 team started off slowly and 

unfortunately lost the first game, but bounced back to win their next two game s in GIS style. 

The Year 5 team again started off slowly, but won their next two games. Unfortunately the 

weather turned for the worse and a thunder storm stopped play for the day, just as we were 

about to start the playoff games. 

Football was the order of the 

final day and with GIS fielding 

four teams; they were raring 

to go out and battle for the 

medals. The teams played very 

well, again in very hot 

conditions. 

The Year 5 girls finished 

runners up in the competition 

to win the silver medal. 

Well done to all students on 

their excellent performance 

throughout the games. They 

are a credit to our school. 

Thanks to Mr Amuchou for all 

his help in preparing the students 

for the competition. Also thanks to Ms Gordon for her help during the trip. Lastly, a big thanks 

to Mr and Mrs Steele for their gracious help in securing the swimming team costumes.

Primary Games next year is in 

Bangkok, so get ready to start 

training on our return in the 

new school year. 

Many thanks 

Bob Edwards 

Head of Physical Education 

GIS is 20 Years Old – Help Us 

Celebrate! 

This year GIS celebrates its 20 th anniversary. 

We have come a long way in that time. Later 

this year we will be holding several activities 

to mark the occasion, and remember all the 

things we have achieved. 

To help us do that, we are looking for old 

photos of GIS students, or of the school itself! 

If you have any old photos, you can email them to 

anniversary@gardenrayong.com 

We look forward to seeing them! To give you some inspiration, here are sold photos taken 

at GIS in 2007 – can you recognise any of these students?

By Dhriti (Year 7C) 

Service For a Smile 

Kind-hearted students from GIS have raised more than 30,000 

baht to help other children! 

On June 9, there was a hot dog day that helped to raise money 

for a charity called Operation Smile. 

Operation Smile provides free surgeries to repair cleft lip, cleft 

palate and other facial deformities for children around the globe. 

On this hot dog day we raised 13,510 baht. That is more than enough to transform one 

child’s life through surgery. There was loads of excitement and most of the students 

participated. 

Although that is not where the excitement stops! Other events included a mufti day on 

June 16, which raised 13,680 baht, popcorn sales, which raised a further 480 baht and we 

made a ‘Smile’ from coins on June 17, which raised 4,383 baht. You can see their efforts 

below! 

Because of all this amazing effort, we achieved our goal of raising 30,000 baht, which will 

pay for 4 life-changing operations. Well done to everyone who helped!

Corals and Kayaking 

School Trips 

By Anjali 

On June 11, the Year 8 students went on a day trip to Toey 

Ngam Beach which is in Sattahip - and is also an army 

beach! 

Once we reached the beautiful beach a man explained to 

us about corals and how they are planted into the sea. 

After his explanation we 

were able to plant living 

corals into a block of 

cement so it wouldn't 

float and stay in the sea. Eight 

lucky students were chosen to go out to sea 

and put all our coral in the ocean. 

Then we all went to have some snacks at the canteen 

area. As soon as we finished our snacks we went towards 

the beach and got ready to kayak! Kayaking was a lot of 

fun but there were a lot of waves so it was also a bit 

challenging. 

We then went to have our lunch and then eat some ice 

cream and after this we returned to the beach for some 

'body surfing'! It was a great day and learnt many new 

things about corals. 

GIS students display 

the new GIS banner 

during their trip to 

Sattahip.

Year 10 and IB1 Field Trip 

By Benz 

On May 28, students from the Year 10 

Geography class and IB1 Chemistry class along 

with Ms Morris and Mr Elderkamp spent three 

days on Koh Samet for field work and research 

project. 

We left school on May 28 and caught a speed 

boat to the island. On the way, we could see 

how crystal clear the water was and feel the 

chilling wind blowing on our faces. 

After we reached Koh Samet, we checked in at 

Samed Villa Resort and had lunch. 

The next day, we went to Ao Praw beach, which is where the recent oil spill happened. We 

took water samples from the sea and other reservoirs along the way to do experiments. 

Later on that day after we finished our experiments, we went kayaking, swimming and 

walked along the beach; it was exhausting but at the same time fun. 

At night while we were having our delicious dinner at the 

beach, we were surprised by a fire show performed by a 

local man and his assistant, who was about 12 years old. 

On the last day, we woke up early and had breakfast. After 

that we went back to our rooms to get ready to check out. 

We cleaned our work areas and our rooms until everything 

was tidy and threw all the plastic bottles away to be 

recycled. We reached the mainland around 12.30pm and 

went back to the school, arriving at 2.30pm. We were all 

very tired but I had a lot of fun on the trip and everyone 

managed to successfully complete their experiments for 

Chemistry.

By Abhigyan Khullar, Arjit Verma and Yash Shah 

On June 28 a group of Year 10s and IB1s went on a trip to Koh Samet. The IBs went there 

to conduct some experiments for their IB studies and the Year 10s went as part of their 

coursework, and took upon themselves the task of finding out whether the island of Samet 

has yet recovered from the aftermath of the 2013 oil spill. 

In order to do this the Year 10s surveyed multiple businesses, fishermen and ferry people. 

They also took a few sand and water samples from Ao Phrao beach, which was badly 

affected by the oil spill, and from Sai Keaw beach on the other side of the island. 

The Year 10s’ day started with a delicious breakfast followed by surveys until 1pm, when 

they had lunch in the hotel, and then there was more research until 4pm. After this the 

students had some free time, and came together for dinner. 

Friends Help with Maintenance Dinner 

The Friends of Garden PTA recently made a 

generous 2,000 baht donation for the end-of-year 

dinner for the maintenance staff and maids. 

Picnic and Sport 

A Friends of Garden picnic and sports afternoon was held 

on June 14. Creative Prefect Sarah worked marvels with 

the student entertainment while IB students helped out with 

volleyball, popcorn and ice cream. 

The cricket was fun, with Vamsi's New Zealand-Indian 

team beating the Australian-Indian team! Thank you to 

everyone who pulled together with FoG PTA to help make 

the event happen.

Mandarin Trip 

On June 18, 22 students from the Mandarin 

classes in Year 9 and 10 were fortunate to 

have the chance to celebrate their end of 

year on a trip to a Mandarin restaurant 

called Wo Jia in Rayong. Not only were the 

varieties of Chinese traditional dishes 

exceptionally delicious and unique but also 

the service from the friendly owner (who 

spoke both Thai and Mandarin fluently) was 

good enough to make every each one of 

the student and the students delighted and 

excited. The dishes were served one by 

one and they were all eaten before the next 

dish was served. 

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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

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