It is mid-May and the children at 35 Rajaprachanagroh are back in school after their summer break. This year opens with an enrollment of 1189 students, up from 800 at the end of last semester, and a finished campus complex. Except for a few finishing touches, all of the dormitories, classrooms, auditorium, and the magnificent new library are complete.
The ISB Network classroom building is the hub of R35 now that the new administration offices, the language laboratory and the new ESL teacher's room are centered here. The 1) administration office as well as 2) a complete set of sewing machines, and 3) a state-of-the-art industrial mixer for the home economics department were the most recent contributions to R35 by the ISB Network.
The ESL volunteer program begins a new phase this school year. A Thai national, with a Master's degree in education, has been hired by the Network to head the English language department at R35 and will be responsible for the continuity and development of the department by integrating the ESL volunteers and the Thai co-teachers. ESL teacher training for the Thai co-teachers is one of the department goals for this year.
The R35 campus is turning green as the R35 students take responsibility for planting gardens, bushes and flowers. The students followed the direction of ISB, Week Without Walls, students who initiated the landscaping program in February. This is only one of the student directed initiatives at R35. Recently, students in the ISB community have:
1) collected classroom supplies and used athletic shoes
2) raised money through a jump-a-thon and a bake sale.
The most recent Network project is a new, donated, state-of-the-art playground. The designs are complete and the equipment, for multiple ages, has been ordered. The construction of the playground, along with benches and landscaping for an outdoor gathering space will begin in late summer.
We are excited and proud of the devotion, dedication and commitment of the ISB Network volunteers and supporters who are truly making a difference in the lives of the R35 students.
Financial update | Donation to the Project | ISB Tsunami Relief Network Background
