Ruamrudee

It's hard to believe I have been in Thailand for six weeks and that we have completed four weeks of school. Time has really raced along!

I am getting more acclimatised to the weather, with the air conditioner getting less use. The usual storm in the afternoon cools things down and if there is a bit of a breeze in the evenings I can sleep comfortably with all the windows open. If it is still it stays very hot all night.

Ruamrudee International School is over 50 years old and it is the largest international school in Thailand. It is not really your traditional international school, as it doesn't contain a huge amount of different nationalities - the students are mainly Thai. It must be difficult for the kids of the teachers - they are a tiny minority as westerners.

The school is located on a large campus divided into different sections: a High School, Middle School and Elementary School. There are also two separate but related schools; Redeemer International for students whose English is not good enough for Ruamrudee, and a small Swiss section where the curriculum is delivered in German. The High School is shown in the photo to the right

The school is well resourced with two swimming pools, large oval (see photo to right), indoor stadium/gymnasium, large library and an impressive auditorium. Unfortunately they have not built enough science laboratories, so I am stuck in an under-resourced classroom in the middle school where I have my desk and computer and have Homeroom each morning. Until they fit out the room more appropriately I have to wander around 6 different classrooms to teach which is challenging. The school leadership express their concern for my situation but solving it seems to be a lower priority.

My Homeroom is Grade 9, in their first year of High School and under the American system are known as "Freshmen". Their names (listed off by heart) are Top, Pun, Sony, Newton, Junior, Pawin & Rio (boys) and Por, Jin Jin, Arosha, Nune, Pear, Mary, Sangtawan, Yada, Kat and Sandra (girls). I will be going away for the weekend with all of the Grade 9 kids weekend after next to Kanchanaburi, famous for the Bridge on the River Kwai and the Burma Railway. I am enjoying my classes; the photo to the right shows my Grade 11/12 Environmental Science students hard at work.

I am still struggling to get used to the 7:15am start each day, but I guess it's appropriate with the hot weather. You feel like you have been working all day and look at the clock and it is only 10am! At least with a 2:40pm finish, there is still plenty of the day left to enjoy.