Elected student council representatives

Elected House Captains

Elected Head Prefect/Year 13 student council rep

On Wednesday the 4th of September, we had a fantastic turnout at our Secondary Meet the Teachers event! It was wonderful to see so many parents engaging with our staff and learning more about the exciting year ahead.

Parents were welcomed with an insightful address by the Head of Secondary, followed by informative sessions with form tutors and subject teachers. Discussions focused on key school policies, supporting students’ well-being, and enhancing academic success. The classroom visits provided a closer look at the curriculum, upcoming projects, and ways parents can stay involved in their child’s learning journey. Thank you to everyone who attended and for your ongoing support!

During the week 23rd to 27th September our Secondary students took part in a Code Breaking Maths Challenge along with 125 other schools  in SE Asia. There is a close link between mathematics and code breaking: The skills that make good mathematicians, problem solving, logical thought and perseverance are the same skills that make great code breakers; after some preparation  our students found the format interesting and were looking forward to the  start of the challenge. The purpose behind the challenge is a chance to celebrate achievement within our school and to add a competitive element for our students, we will see who is able to complete the challenge the fastest and of course correctly.  Another interesting part of the challenge is that it allows paired work and some of our students chose this approach; working together allows discussion and support which some students find more captivating. Our students  thoroughly enjoyed the challenge and were able to proceed through levels one and two which are written for KS3 and KS4 students.  Our Year 11 and Year 12 students  moved onto level 3 and level 4 which provided them with  an interesting and challenging set of codes. We will share  our results with you in the October Newsletter.

On Thursday, August 29th, Sixth Form students visited Bangkok University, accompanied by Ms. Reid and Ms. Paliwala. The visit, organized by invitation, gave students a hands-on experience through workshops on digital character design, cookie decorating, and AI. 

They explored exhibits showcasing the university's diverse international programs, such as Communication Arts, Business English, Entrepreneurship, and Hotel & Tourism Management. 

The day provided valuable insights into campus life and potential future academic paths for the students. 

Art, photography and Digital Media students from Year 10, 11, 12 & 13  had the incredible opportunity to visit the Bangkok Kunsthalle, where they explored two captivating exhibitions: "Nostalgia for Unity" by Korakrit Arunanondchai and "Mend Piece" by Yoko Ono.  Both exhibitions offered unique perspectives on themes of connection, memory, and healing, making for a thought-provoking experience.

The trip's intention was to ask the question 'What is Art and why do we do it?'  Students were particularly struck by the immersive nature of the exhibition, creating curiosity, questions and conversations around what art really is.

Nostalgia for Unity by Korakrit Arunanondchai

Korakrit Arunanondchai’s exhibition invites visitors to reflect on the intersections of personal and collective memory. Utilizing a blend of video, installation, and performance. This work is inspired by the history of the building of Thai Wattana Panich, a printing house that printed school books that were used when the artist was a student, up until early 2000’s when the building was destroyed in a fire. He sees the architecture as a body of a giant, decomposing in time. At the heart of this body, the artist uses the ashes from the fire to produce a mass resembling a stage. A prayer/ chant is written in the ashes of the floor around the space.

Negative space is the primary medium used in the exhibition. The installation is a painting, a film, a stage and a script that activates its absences: the absent figure in this work is a Phoenix.

The exhibition is a participatory space where elements of prayer, intent and event are connected through the bodies of the audience moving through the space. 

The sound of the room divides the space into 3 distinct layers, one of the underworld, one of the sky above, and an earthy layer that links the ground to the sky through a performative ritual that was reenacted in the space, prior in time. 

These invisible performers work together to generate the heat of the Phoenix. Afterwards, their negative presence haunts the space. 

Mend Piece by Yoko Ono

The second exhibition, Yoko Ono’s "Mend Piece," provided a contrasting yet complementary experience. Conceived in 1966, ‘Mend Piece’ emerged as an early exploration of participatory art, challenging the very definition of what art can be.

In this work, Ono invites you to clear your mind, take a seat and mend the ceramics using materials provided. Fundamental to the work is the notion of healing through communal mending - a practice of collective meditation and mindfulness. The mending of the ceramics becomes an analogue for the mending of all things, both personal and universal. The work references the Japanese practice of ‘kintsugi’ or the art of repairing broken pottery with metallic/ gold lacquer. The underlying philosophy of ‘kintsugi’ is an embracing of an object’s flaws and history.

The visit to Bangkok Kunsthalle was not just an opportunity to see art but also a chance to engage with profound themes that resonate with our lives. Both exhibitions encouraged introspection and dialogue, reminding us of the importance of unity, memory, and healing in our communities.

We look forward to more enriching experiences in the future and encourage everyone to continue exploring the world of art.

On Monday 23rd September, our Year 9 and Year 10 students had an unforgettable experience at the Thai Buffalo Conservation Village in Suphan Buri! 

Accompanied by Mr. Le Serre, Kru Kai, and Ms. Patricia, they explored Thailand’s rice cultivation techniques and learned about the important role of buffaloes in traditional farming.

Our students got hands-on with rice planting—sowing seeds and planting seedlings in muddy paddies. It was no easy task! They also had the chance to get up close with a variety of buffalo breeds.

Stay tuned for Year 9’s exciting upcoming biology project, where they’ll dive deeper into the fascinating world of rice!

4 houses

The RBIS Houses are designed to embody the values and ethos of our school and are an integral part of our school community.

Our Houses' main aim is to provide every student in each house with a sense of belonging within the school community, opportunities to develop social, intellectual, physical and practical skills, a sense of achievement both inside and outside of the classroom including through the fun and excitement of inter-house competitions.

Students are assigned to one of our four Houses when they join the EY, Primary or Secondary sections of the school; entering a system which is designed to develop an awareness of individual and collective responsibility and opportunities for student leadership. Each house has two designated elected House Captains  (Primary and Secondary) who will act as representatives for all the students in their house throughout the year by: helping coordinate house teams, organise activities and events and represent their house at relevant meetings.

After another exciting year of musical chairs, the winners from Years 7 to 12 will now await the champion from the Year 13s and teachers to compete in the grand finale.

In the house badminton tournament, after many intense games, Son from House Lion played a strong game, defeating Anh from House Dragon, while Pune from Dragon defeated Arale from Lion. This set up an exciting finale between Dragon and Lion, with Son swiftly handidly claiming victory over Pune. 

Next month, year 10-12 students will participate in a Zoom session with other Round Square school across the globe to explore the idea of how social media affects self-esteem in adolescents. This includes the negative impacts of idealized images and validation through likes and comments, leading to body image concerns, FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) and comparison with others. The discussion will focus on authenticity, building real-life relationships, and practicing positive self-expression to combat these effects.
Students who attend the postcard will then help our Key Stage 3 students in their preparation to lead and host their very own Zoom postcard session, inviting 250+ Round Square schools across the globe to join us for an online session. Keep watching this space to stay updated on those developments!

Pinkaew School library walls were badly hit by wood termites and needed to replaced. In June our 6th Form visited Pinkaew School for their Community Service project. Whilst they were there teaching the English Camp and painting murals they also watched as a team of workers removed wooden walls and replaced them . After much work the library has been renovated and  the children from the school are able to spent time there enjoying the pleasures of reading books. Without the support of the RBIS community this would not have happened  and we thank you for your kindness in raising the funds needed to carry out the project. You can see from the photographs the work that had to be  carried out and how much the children are enjoying being in their library again.

On Wednesday 25th September we held our first Free Dress and Crazy Socks Day throughout the school.  Everyone took part and and there were some really crazy socks to be seen round the school.  Students were asked to donate 100 baht and we were able to collect an amazing total of  16 000 baht.  Every  year we help an organisation which looks after abandoned animals and this year we are once again helping Min Buri Cat Shelter which takes care of more than 300 cats.  We will give food, cat litter and donate an amount to help cover vaccinations and vet fees. Our Year 7 students will visit the cat shelter in early October and we thank everyone who participated in our Free Dress and Crazy Socks Day for their kindness and support.

6th form Community Service & Recycling  lesson        

The first Community Service lesson of the year was taken by our 6th form students who created presentations to inform and discuss with  the year groups what community service and recycling  are about. Taking a lesson is a challenging activity and all of our 6th formers enjoyed the opportunity  to put across their message.  It was wonderful that many of the students joined in the discussions and put forward their ideas.  

As we are at the start of the school year it was good to reflect on what was achieved last year and put forward our plans for this year.  During the year the 6th form students will organise a variety of events to  raise funds  and arrange collections of items such as secondhand clothes  to help those in need.  They will also decide on a project for their Community Service residential that will take place in June 2025. 

SAT Evidence-Based Reading & Writing