By James Murphy | International Volunteer
After a well deserved summer break for both the teachers and students, school here in Mae Sai resumed as normal on the 11th of May.
This 2015/2016 term brings us a school filled with 62 children. The hot dry summer weather met us and the kids as classes like English, Mathematics, Thai , Social science, and straight science went ahead as normal. Cooking classes for the children and cooking for the lunch program also commenced. However there was a large development on the grounds of the Half Day school (HDS). What was a vegetable patch near the playing pitch has now been ploughed in time for rainy season to begin growing rice. This rice will go towards the lunch program and for a period of time DEPDC will be near self sustaining with the efforts of the whole HDS. What was the vegetable patch has been moved down the field and is now growing around 15 different crops in a small scale. Since mid May, we have had International Student Volunteers (ISV’s) come to visit and help at the HDS. There have been 3 groups to date. They have consisted of around 15 or more individuals and students that have helped in teaching English in the HDS. They have joined us from several different parts of the world including America, Canada and Portugal. For the two weeks they spend in Mae Sai, they assist in teaching English as well as conducting maintenance on the DEPDC compound. Some of the HDS students take these volunteers to see some local sights like temples near the Myanmar border.
On 11th of June, DEPDC’s HDS celebrated this years Wai Khru Ceremony. This ceremony gives the students the opportunity to show gratitude to their teachers and to apologize for any misbehaviour. HDS celebrates this ceremony once a year. The actual ceremony is held during the morning and in the afternoon HDS’s students sing on stage and perform short plays that they write themselves. It was a lot of fun this year and both staff and students had an enjoyable ceremony.
To all of the supporters of the Half Day School and DEPDC/GMS, thank you for your kind attention and generosity. We are grateful for ISV’s help this term and look forward to the rest of the term ahead.
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