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American Pacific International School officially approved as IB World School
APIS in action – total and enjoyable
engagement in a Grade 5 Music class.
Kathryn Phillips
Chiang Mai’s first internationally-accredited boarding school is proud
to announce that, in addition to accreditation from the Western
Association of Schools and Colleges and its accreditation by the Royal
Thai Government’s Office of Education Standards and Quality, it is now
officially an IB World School.
The authorization to deliver the International Baccalaureate’s Primary
Years’ Program (IBPYP) is the result of three years’ work in developing
curriculum, training teachers and teacher assistants and recruiting
staff who already have experience in enquiry-based learning. The
visiting team commended the school for its vibrant atmosphere,
collegiality and enthusiasm, its commitment to continuous development,
its ‘safe, secure and stimulating environment built on understanding and
respect’ and the pedagogical leadership offered by the Headmaster and
the PYP team.
The school operates on two campuses – the Main Boarding Campus on the
Hangdong-Samoeng Road catering for Grades 1-12 and the Kindergarten in
World Club Land for Nursery-G1. In order to prepare appropriately for
the full implementation of the PYP, a number of developments have been
made in the facilities on both campuses. These have included the
provision of additional spaces for art and science and the purchase of
resources which facilitate enquiry-based learning. The school’s
professional team works together to achieve school-wide learning
objectives and, as the school has grown, new classrooms have been built
to reflect the changed needs of students.
However, these developments are not just about kindergarten and
elementary students. As important is the impact that the introduction of
PYP has had on the curriculum of classes in Middle and High School
grades. Gradually, the attributes which are encouraged in the PYP
Learner Profile are being reinforced with older students. In this way,
they are becoming more aware of how they are learning as well as of what
they are learning. They are more reflective learners and, importantly,
they are learning to acknowledge and value their own achievements. This
means that students who graduate from APIS will be well prepared for
life beyond school and for further learning. They will understand, and
have experienced, the importance of being knowledgeable, thinkers,
inquirers, caring, balanced, open-minded, reflective, risk-takers and
principled communicators.
If you would like to see APIS in action for yourself, you are welcome to
visit the Main Boarding Campus, near Suan Bua resort on the
Hangdong-Samoeng Road, on Friday next, January 16 from 9 a.m. to 12.30
p.m. Transport is available from the Kindergarten. For further details
please call 081-289-5366 at any time or 053-365-303/5 or 053-131-232
during regular office hours.
EarthRights School to hold
7-month training session
for environmental activists
CMM reporters
A unique training session will take
place in Chiang Mai from June 2009 until
December, which will focus on large dams,
infrastructure projects and international
financial institutions. The EarthRights School’s
Mekong training programme is intended for
environmental activists from the Mekong region,
and is open to applications from residents in
China, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and
Vietnam.
The focus is on environmental issues and human
rights, with the seven month-long training
program using experiential learning methods to
equip participants from the region with skills
required to conduct research, gather data, and
effectively campaign around environmental issues
affecting the region. Successful applicants will
receive housing, transportation and a modest
living stipend.
The program will provide students with research,
writing, and intercultural skills, and the
substantive knowledge and experience to voice
their individual and collective concerns about
IFI-funded projects and related transparency and
participation issues within the Mekong basin.
Graduates of the program will form a strong
network of environmental advocates who, acting
together, can effectively campaign on behalf of
affected communities who are currently
underrepresented.
The goals of the 2009 session are for students
to understand both the negative and positive
impacts of current and past international
financial institution-funded projects and how
affected communities in the Mekong region and
other nearby countries have responded; to
develop relevant knowledge and a practical skill
base in research, advocacy and campaign work,
and to develop strong relationships, networks
and concrete campaign plans for implementation
upon graduation and return to their respective
countries.
The training program is divided into two months
of instruction in the classroom followed by a
two months practicum in which participants will
return to their home countries to undertake
research and documentation work on key projects.
After the practicum, the participants will
return to the school for a two month session
focussing on media messaging, advocacy and
campaign planning.
For more information, please contact the Mekong
School Coordinator at [email protected] earthrights.org.
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