NIST News - 5 June 2015

Today was a little different on campus as we followed the directions of our Acting Head of School Mix Chaiyosburana and Acting Head of Elementary Plern Pibuldham. Last week we worked with our Acting Head of Secondary Daisy Gambles. Thanks to all three for their hard work and great ideas, and keep on eye on our Facebook page for a few snapshots of their day.

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS

2015 Family Survey Report

Thanks once again to all of the families who completed the survey last month. After compiling the responses and analyzing the data, we're pleased to say that the results were very positive overall. While the  report (also accessible through the parent portal page of the website) contains a complete summary, a few highlights include:

• All areas being measured received an average rating of at least 4.7 out of 6.
• 93% of all parents expressed agreement to indicate overall satisfaction with their experiences at NIST.
• The areas most valued by members of our community were consistently identified as the diversity and openness; the community feel; the teachers and leadership; the caring, safe environment; and the curriculum and learning.

We will also continue reviewing the feedback and suggestions provided in the comments, and will compile an ongoing list of action items and outcomes to ensure that ongoing improvement is taking place. This will be shared early in the fall semester.

Welcome to the New NIST Teachers

Every year at international schools around the world we see transitions. Sadly, this means saying goodbye to some as some teachers and students get ready for a move to a new destination. We would like to wish all of these people nothing but the best and we hope that our leavers remember “Once a NISTie, always a NISTie”.

While saying goodbye is never easy, this is tempered by knowing that we will have the chance to meet many new people when the school year begins. We are especially excited that we have a chance to introduce you to a group of new teachers who will be joining our community next year. As some of you may notice, the list is relatively short this year: as far as we know, we have had the lowest turnover of teachers (in percentage terms) in school’s 23-year history. We consider this a very positive sign.

You can read about each of the newcomers  here.

NIST Wins CASE Award

The Council for Advancement and Support of Education is the largest nonprofit association in the world dedicated to the growth of the field of education advancement, encompassing communications, marketing, development and alumni relations. Each year it recognizes schools and universities that demonstrate excellence in a wide range of categories. 

This year NIST—along with Brown University, Temple University and UC Berkeley—was a winner in the photo series category. Sandi Zaw Win, our photographer and media designer, received the Bronze Award for her photos of No Hair, No Problem—a student fundraiser that aimed to raise funds for cancer research. The images, seen here on our Facebook page, will be featured at the annual Asia Pacific CASE conference.

WHOLE SCHOOL

NIST Library Holiday Hours

NIST families who are returning in August, and who have cleared their 2014-2015 library accounts of all overdue and lost materials, can begin borrowing books for the holidays. For more information about whether your account is clear, please log into our library catalogue, Destiny, with your NIST username and password. Under the “My Info” tab, you will see if you have any overdue materials checked out in your name.

The library will be open over the holidays as follows:

15 June – 10 July - Summer School Hours

• Secondary Library: Open Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM - 1:30 PM
• Elementary Library: Closed for moving*

15 July – 10 August - Summer Vacation Hours

• Secondary Library: Open Wednesdays, 7:00 AM - 3:30 PM
• Elementary Library: Closed for moving*

* Elementary families, please check out as many books as possible in the next week or so, as we will not be able to lend out books from the Elementary library until 13 August. See new loan limits below.

New Library Loan Limits

In order to cater to our avid reading community, we have increased our lending limits as follows:

• Parents: 10 books each
• Students in EY & Y1: 4 books
• Students in Y2 & Y3: 6 books
• Students in Y4 & Y5: 8 books
• Students in Y6 – Y13: 10 books

We hope that you take full advantage of these new lending limits and take out lots of reading material over the holiday. Check out the library blog and the student notices for summer reading ideas.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Water Fun Day: Years 3-6

Next Wednesday, 10 June, students in Y3-Y6 will have a Water Fun Day. We are asking that they prepare the following for this day:

• Please have your child come to school with their swimming suit on under their NIST uniform.
• Please pack a swimming bag with a towel, an extra pair of non-school shoes (not sandals) that can get wet, and a labeled water bottle
• Please ensure students are bringing their NIST uniform hat to protect them from the sun
• Please apply sunscreen in the morning before coming to school.

Please ensure that your child is fully prepared for this event so they don’t miss out on fun!

SECONDARY SCHOOL

Year 11 Work Experience Week

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the companies and organizations that supported our programme this year, making this valuable experience possible for our students:

• Absolute Fit Food, Accor Hotels (Novotel Bangkok on Siam Square Hotel), American Chamber of Commerce in Thailand, Anantara Vacation Club, Architects 49 Ltd., Asia Internship Programme (AIP Global Ltd.) - Tech Grind by Startups, for Startups, ATOC Co., Ltd. (Acorns to Oak Centre)
• Bangkok Hospital, BelAire Bangkok (Prime Real Estate Co., Ltd.), Benetone (Thailand) Co., Ltd., Blue Mango Publishing Co. Ltd., BNH Hospital, Buhler (Thailand) Ltd., Bumrungrad International Hospital
• C.A. Accounting & Legal Office Co. Ltd., Chandler and Thong-ex Law Offices, Chanel (Thailand) Ltd., Concept International Design Ltd., Curtain Up Drama and Magic Co., Ltd.
• DFDL Mekong (Thailand) Ltd., Dherakupt International Law Office Ltd.
• Engage Management Consultants (Thailand) Ltd.
• International Law Enforcement Academic (ILEA)
• Kasetsart University, Krungsri Securities PCL, Krungthai-AXA Life Insurance Public Co. Ltd.
• Lufthansa German Airlines
• McCann Worldgroup
• Naval Sea Turtle Conserve Centre Ltd., Neon Infotech South East Asia Co. Ltd.
• Outdoor Innovation Co. Ltd.
• P49 Deesign & Associates Co. Ltd., Pan Pacific Serviced Suites Bangkok, Pomodorogroup Co. Ltd., Post International Media Co. Ltd., Praram 9 Hospital
• QUO Bangkok Co., Ltd.
• Radisson Suites Bangkok Sukhumvit (Siri Erawan Co., Ltd.)
• Samitivej Sukhumvit Hospital, Satyapon & Partners Ltd., Selic Corp Co. Ltd., Somerset Park Suanplu Bangkok, Sri Panwa Management (Phuket)
• Temsiang Co. Ltd., Thai National AIDS Foundation (TNAF), The BigChilli Co., Ltd., The Continent Hotel (Asset Lifestyle Co., Ltd.), The Okura Prestige Bangkok Hotel, The Purple Elephant School, Chez Noodles School, The Racquet Club, The Village International Education Centre, Thonglor Pet Hospital
• White Ball Co. Ltd., Wunderman Thailand

Our gratitude is also extended to those companies that offered placements this year, but to which no students were assigned:

• Betagro Co. Ltd., Clickrobot Engineer Learning Center, DWP Cityspace Ltd., Epicure Catering (ISB Cafeteria), Global Wireless Co. Ltd., GoldenBell Fitness, Love is Co. Ltd., Millennium Auto Co. Ltd., Park Plaza Sukhumvit Bangkok, Rishi Court, SAE Institute, The Soneva Group Resort & Spa

Ski and Snowboard Tour Friday 19 – 26 February 2016

Over the February break in 2016, a group of teachers and students will travel to Japan with Canyon, a leading outdoor education provider that caters to international school groups.

The package includes a cultural day and six days of skiing with a minimum of 4 hours tuition, full-board accommodation, equipment hire, lift passes, a full evening entertainments package and insurance. We will be staying in Minakmu and skiing in the Houdaigi ski area.

All students  presently in Y7 to Y11 are invited to apply for this trip. There is no previous experience required, as the ratio of 1 qualified instructor per 4 students allows for different levels of ability.

If you would like to join the trip or would simply like more information, please pick up a letter from Miss Caitlin (The Hub), Mme Jullien (Room 1306) or the Secondary Office so we can record your name for the initial meeting.

ECAs & SPORTS

2014-2015 Falcon Sports in Review

Following the 28 weekend sports tournaments hosted here at NIST and many others across Thailand and Southeast Asia, the Falcons amassed 55 team and individual championships, and even more second and third place trophies. Their dominance in both BISAC and SEASAC events was so absolute that they earned the top overall SEASAC ranking in sports in which they participated.

Thanks to all of our athletes, parents, coaches and supporters for a great year! Read more about the results on our website.

Sign Up for the Jr. NBA!

Following last year's highly successful inaugural event, the Jr. NBA will once again be returning to NIST over the summer, beginning with an initial camp in early June. The Jr. NBA is a non-profit initiative of the National Basketball Association in the US, and it aims to not only build the sport in countries around the world, but also give back to the community.

Similar to the previous year, which included camps and workshops with NBA coaches, as well as a visit from Chicago Bulls team member Taj Gibson, another NBA star will be visiting our campus for the programme.

For additional details, or to sign up for the programme, contact the ECAs office in the Sports Complex or visit the website.

Fencing Summer Camp

Whether you're an avid fencer or simply interested in the sport, you will want to sign up for the NIST Summer Fencing Camp, to be held in both June and July this summer. Both camps will conveniently be held on the NIST campus and are open for two groups: students in Years 5 & 6 and those in Year 7 and up.

The total cost of the camp is THB 7,000, and enrollment and payment can be processed through the cashier's office on the 3rd floor of Building 1. Please submit a copy of the payment slip to Coach Phattana at  phattana1983.t@gmail.com, or call for more information at 081 199 5232.

Both camps will be held on the fourth floor of The Hub from 10:00 AM - 12:00 noon.

• Camp 1: 22 June - 3 July
• Camp 2: 13 - 24 July

Summer Swimming Opportunities

The Falcon swimming coaches will also be running the  NIST Swimming Summer Camp during the summer holiday for interested swimmers.

Daily sessions from 2:30 to 4:00 PM will run Monday to Friday from 15 June to 31 July. You may enroll in the entire camp or join week by week. Each week has a total cost of THB 2,500

To sign up for the camp,  enter your child's name in the desired weeks by 12 June. For more information, please contact Coach Korn at 083 778 8418 or ThanakornB@nist.ac.th, or Coach Niwat at 081 640 4951 or Niwatw@nist.ac.th.

Bangkok Dolphins will also be hosting a two-day programme at NIST, run by professional swimmers and medalists James Goddard and Daniel Coombs. To be held on Sunday, 5 July and Sunday, 12 July, it will offer coaching in the essentials of swimming. Sessions for elementary-age students will be held in each morning from 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM, while afternoon sessions for secondary students will run from 2:00 to 5:00 PM.

For additional information or to book a place, contact  info@bangkokdolphins.com or call 02 712 9297.

Falcon Sports Development Programme - Final Weekend

Please be reminded this is the last session for 2014-2015 Falcons Sports Development Programme (FSDP). This weekend we are hosting the Jr. NBA,  so the FSDP is only available for swimming and soccer.

• Swimming: 10:00 – 11:00 AM @ the swimming pool
• Soccer: 8:30 – 10:00 AM @ the soccer pitch

For more information, please contact Khun Chate at  phichates@nist.ac.th or visit the Sports & ECAs blog.

NIPTA

A very big THANK YOU to all the parents, class parents and country groups for making the 2015 Teacher Appreciation Day so special. So many dishes and delicacies were donated for a truly magnificent lunch, and they were enjoyed by all.

Many thanks,

Anna Gambles, NIPTA President

NIPTA Annual Report

Thanks to all those who attended the NIPTA AGM last month. If you were unable to attend, we encourage you to view the  NIPTA Annual Report, detailing the many activities that were organized throughout the school year. 

UPCOMING EVENTS

• 8 June: Support Staff Party (3:00 - 6:00 PM)
• 12 June: Last Day of School