S e a h a w kC h r o n i c l e s

Wells International School

WINTER ISSUE facebook.com/wellsschool wells-school.com wells85@wells-school.com

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Academics...

Sports...

Events...

Tech...

Wells OnlineWhat Can Lab Class Do For You?Breaking New Grounds!Thai Culture ElectivesHabitat for HumanityThe Debate Team

PG. 8

PG. 26

PG. 32

PG. 42

U17 Girls’ VolleyballGirls and Boys BasketballWells Teams Start StrongU17 Girls’ Tournament in Khao Yai

Performances Received PlauditsWells Christmas ShowGlee PerformanceCreepy Crawlies International FestivitiesThis Is It Dance NightSo You Think You Can Dance?

New Movies Dominating the TheatersHelping Students Understand the Value of Not Being Connected to the InternetWindows 8

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Looking back to the start of the school year, our collective learn-ing experiences have really melded together to provide us each with a unique learning experience in our publishing course. To

make an analogy to said experience, we can compare the whole process of creating a magazine to building a house. To begin, one must lay the foundation for the house. Similarly, we had to lay the “foundation” by picking up several computing skills such as Photoshop and InDesign, powerful tools in our arsenal that helped us realize our goal of com-pleting a full-length magazine. Following that, we had to lay the “frame-work” of the magazine. At this stage, we had a few bumps and kinks in the machinery as our class struggled to meet deadlines and improve the pages. However, the overall experience of fixing such mistakes provided us with a learning experience and maturity that comes with handling adult responsibilities and decisions, one can be found nowhere else other than the workplace.

With all that said, I guess the first “house” we have created as a team will always remain the apple of our eye. We hope that you will enjoy reading our work as much as we enjoyed the process of creating it. Till then, we bid you adieu!

- Daryl Ong

Message from the TeamProduction

TeamChang, Wei Ling (Angel)Chung, On Jung (Alice)

Jeong, Myung Hyeon (Fred)Lamaithai, Yanisa (Ice)Lamoureux, NicholasLee, Jung Mo (Jack)

Makmettakul, Siwapriya (June)Pasong, Mark

Rarunron, Saranporn (Mind)Sachasiri, Ruchika

Sakchiraphong, RachaneShang Kuan, Tsai Chi (Cathy)

Singsacha, ChariyaTansukawat, Natha (Dean)

Anandsongvit, Kirin (Harjas)Neelam Naganathan, Gautham Giri

Ong, Ding Shun (Daryl)

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In first grade, we have been focusing on reading and writing in language arts.

Students have been reading and writing every day. In writing we have learned how to make sen-tences and the basic parts of a sentence. One of the first writing projects was on the stu-dent’s favorite body parts. The students then recorded their voices into a VoiceThread with their pictures. This linked to our science lessons on body parts as well. Also in sci-

ence, the students drew a full-size body map and labeled the body parts. Cur-rently in science we have planted our own seeds. In math we have been

through basic addition and subtraction. We have learned about word problems. Right now, we are learning addition strategies. In social stud-ies, we are learning how to make connections and

the characteristics of good students.

Below are pictures. The first is a class picture. The next one is students building sentences. Then the students work together to fix the reading area. The final picture is stu-dents participating in reading, part of the daily five.

Snippets from Primary

First Grade News

Students in Grade 2Y have been involved in a few projects these past weeks—timelines, family

trees and booklets about grandparents. Some wrote about wanting to be Olym-pians, teachers and astronauts in their timeline. Many had stories to tell about their grandparents’ and parents’ pasts. The children are learning to analyze how individuals, families and commu-nities are alike and different as part of their social studies connection with lit-eracy. The themes, Stories from Our Pasts and Our Families are a wonderful start to our Literacy by Design curriculum.

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Third Grade News

Fourth Grade News

In the third grade we have been working hard! Students have been taking on the role of authors by

writing their own narratives, both fiction and non-fiction. They are most excited about publishing their pieces and sharing them with their classmates. We finished our first unit for social studies on com-munity, and have been investigating the properties of light in science. In math, we have been working hard since August, working on various strategies and ways to understand the concept of multiplication while deepening students’ understanding of number sense.

Here are some pictures. There is one of a student sharing something from home, one of the Author’s Corner, and one of working with Cuisinaire Rods.

We kicked off our science unit by studying living things and what makes something living. All living things are made up of cells. We took a

closer look at what cells were made up of and made our own edible model of a cell. Can you find all these parts - mitochondria, nucleus, cytoplasm and cell wall?

We have been reading many stories about ani-mals and using their characteristics to cater-gorize and identify them. As our project we

had to research an insect and write a report and make a model. Here is Hrithi’s model of a dragonfly!

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ACADEMICS

Over the years, Wells International School has done a great job of amalgamating technology and education. The use of technology has increased

significantly over the past three years as Wells has tried to find more effective methods to teach its students. This is great progress from the past system of education, especially compared to the methods of some other schools that rely on orthodox methods, in which students are still made to write only on pen and paper. The majority of homework and class work is now accessible to students through lap-tops and other electronic gadgets.

Wells Online

Some of the internet-based programs Wells uses include ALEKS, DORA and the University of Nebraska’s high school program. ALEKS, an online adaptive math system, lets students learn and complete topics at their own pace. This is available to all middle and high school students, and their teachers are able to help them one-on-one. DORA is a computer program that focuses on language and helps primary and ESL students increase their vocabulary, and reading and listening skills.

Although Wells has expanded a lot, there are still many classes it does not offer. Furthermore, there are some stu-dents who need credits or need to retake classes that don’t fit in their schedules. This is when Wells uses the University of Nebraska’s program. This is an system in which all the assignments, quizzes, explanations and tests are on a web-site. Additionally, students have their own teachers in the U.S. assigned to them to grade assignments and help them.

The integration of technology has been positive for Wells for several different reasons. It has made the lives of the teachers a lot easier as they have online posts and services to help them teach. It has made the lives of students easier as they don’t have to carry books everywhere and can read a textbook using their iPads or portable computers. And finally, it has helped the environment, as Wells is trying to “go green” in order to help the Earth in every way it can!

- Yanisa (Ice) Lamaithai

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ACADEMICS

Why Do Students Choose Wells?

When choosing which school to attend, one may face an extremely tough decision, especially when most of the international schools are very

competitive and offer a high quality education. Because of this, the decision can rest on the tiniest of details such as the cleanliness, or the hospitality, or even how close the staff members are to the students. This is exactly why Wells has excelled despite its relatively young age.

The Wells organization strives to make its environment similar to that of a family. The staff believes that the only way to provide the best education for the students is to maintain a degree of hospitality in which people don’t nec-essarily feel like students, but as members of a family that work with one another to be successful and be prepared for life.

Additionally, Wells does everything it can to maintain the best possible hygiene for its students. The organization fur-ther believes that the health and safety of the students are key to their ability to perform and stay productive for both themselves and the school.

Finally, the entire system and curriculum revolves around the six ESLRs. The education and extracurricular activities provided here at Wells center on the ideas of cleanliness, technology, productivity, healthiness and the ability to com-municate with one another.

If all these goals are achieved and maintained, Wells believes that it can compete with any other school for students, and remain a top school in providing the best possible education for students.

- Yanisa (Ice) Lamaithai

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ACADEMICS

A lab every two weeks…I cried before the amount of work piled upon me. Just joking! In all serious-ness, laboratory experiments allow students to en-

gage in the practical aspects of science. Wells International School’s curriculum requires all students at the high school level to engage in three years of science and take at least one laboratory course. Whether chemistry, biology, phys-ics or environmental science, the laboratory setting allows students to better understand the material and integrate science in their everyday lives. For example, an experiment on enzyme catalysis enables the biology students (both AP and general) to see the reaction that is taking place in their cells right before their very eyes. A similar experience oc-curs in our state-of-the-art chemistry lab. One can balance equations on the board all day long, but to see the reactions taking place in your hands is another thing, particularly with

the advanced equipment that Wells provides.

In my opinion, science labs provide people with more than just a hands-on experience. Because we are so distant from everyday phenomena, lost somewhere between urbaniza-tion and personal inundation, our curiosity is lacking. We do not find everyday phenomena interesting anymore. Remem-ber when we were children? Free from the responsibility of school and work, we didn’t have a care in the world. We simply played, curious about everything we could put our hands on. Laboratory experiments provide us a way to reconnect to, if you will, nature in its purest form. We become curious again. We wait with anticipation and be-come thrilled young children when we see such phenomena transpiring in front of us.

What Can a Lab Class Do For You?

- Natha (Dean) Tansukawat

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ACADEMICS

Summer Internships a Success!

Summer internships at Wells International School allow high school students the chance to help teach-ers, become teachers themselves and learn from

the process. The 2012 summer program offered interns a wider range of choices than in the past. Some helped train younger students in sports such as volleyball and basket-ball, while others helped teachers in the class, tutoring their peers in math and English, while also lessening the teach-ers’ workloads. At the kindergarten campuses they had the opportunity to play with the very young students, teaching them art and music.

Another first was a program for visiting students from Rus-sia and Eastern Europe. They enrolled in a program that combined intensive English with sports and the arts. Some Wells interns were school representatives who only worked with the visiting guests.

The experience that each student gets from doing an internship is invaluable. It helps students make use of their free time, but as an option, it attracts students who want to be there. Internships can also provide a real-life experience for those who want to experience what it’s like for teachers, and to decide whether they would like to try other intern-ships that are offered by schools, hospitals, or even some business firms. When there is an opportunity for this kind of internship, don’t miss it.

- Chariya Singsacha

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ACADEMICSBreaking New GroundAP English Literature

With the advent of a new school term in the fall of 2012, Wells students witnessed the addition of the school’s first AP literature class in its

subject list for the Language Arts Department. The design of the class consists of English-language literature for high school students, but in a style that resembles a first-year college course. The class maintains a humble number of students with a total eight comprised of seniors, juniors and one sophomore. Led by the dedicated Mr. Mark Jacbosen, this small group began their journey into the world of literature and its wonders with trepidation. However, having progressed for two months, the students report complete satisfaction with the class, the art of literature and its mer-its.

An Entirely New Class

Literary ExplorersAside from the purely academic study of literature, the students have also engaged in other projects related to the subject. The first individual project they were assigned was a 1500-word paper comparing contemporary translations of works of literature to the original versions, allowing them to have a glimpse of effects of time on changing texts. Finishing that assignment, the students wasted no time at all to dive onto their next ambitious project, the assigned reading of the post-Beat generation classic “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” by Ken Kesey. After de-vouring the book, our ever-eager students tackled a reading and analysis of Nobel Prize-winner John Steinbeck’s “East of Eden.” It seems that the course will enable students to always set the bar higher for themselves. Kudos, and keep up the good work, young readers!

- Ding Shun (Daryl) Ong

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ACADEMICSDemocracy, Wells-Style!A Report on the Wells Student Council

Although several attempts at a student council had been made in the past, none fully got off the ground. Formed in March of 2012, the current

Wells student council emerged when Gautham Giri (G12) proposed the idea to form a council as an organized group that would facilitate the development of activities for the whole school, placing students in positions of responsibil-ity. Elections for representatives kicked off immediately in late March, when the core team was elected by their respec-tive classes. The original representatives included: Grade 9 - Matthew, Akhil, and Drishti; Grade 10 - Dean, Kaori, and Amira; Grade 11: Joon, Cindy and Cathy; Grade 12: Chan, Alisa, and Aayushi. By early April, the core team was active, with founder Gautham Giri elected as its first president. With a fully functioning group, the council began planning its agenda for school activities and events.

Since its formation, the council has successfully under-taken several projects, including events and the creation of a constitution. According to a recent interview with the president, Gautham Giri, on the activities the council helped to organize, he answered: “Last year we helped cre-ate and facilitate ‘School Pride Day’ to celebrate the positive aspects of being students at Wells, ‘Sports Day’ in order for students to realize the importance of healthy exercise and a team mentality, and finally the “Songkran Fair” to let our

students enjoy the proud traditions of the country in which they currently reside.”

Looking back at an active, exciting year, it’s a fair bet to say that the student council has been working full-steam ahead. As to what they have planned for the future, we wait to see.

Humble Roots

Event Planners Inc.

An overview of several Wells students enjoying the Songkran event, which was realized with the help of the student council.

Students in a tug-of-war, with council representatives Joon Young Lee(front center) and Amira Lara Lukens (third from the front) participating, at the 2012 Wells Sports Day.

- Ding Shun (Daryl) Ong

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ACADEMICS

Four years since the creation of Thai elective classes, Wells continues to expand and promote the pro-gram. Students now have three available electives

from which they can choose. A mandatory Thai culture class, addressing Thailand’s history and traditions, is required by law. However, students can also choose from Thai instruments, Thai martial arts, and Thai dancing, all of which have been successful over the past four years.

The Thai martial arts class in particular has become an appealing choice for students. A majority of students finds this to be a class that teaches them how to protect them-selves for potential physical threats. Furthermore, they also see it as an opportunity to get good exercise, helping them to stay physically fit. The martial arts students have had the opportunity to show off their skills in different programs each school year.

The Thai dance department has had performances in front of even larger crowds—even at an international level! In the recent global round of the World Scholar’s Cup, held in Bangkok, a crowd of over one thousand top students from around the globe were treated to a performance by the Wells Thai dancers during the closing ceremony. While a testament to the class’s progress, the students also say that it gives them the opportunity to better understand Thai artistry.

Similarly, the Thai instruments team has been gradually progressing. When Wells holds its annual Christmas and spring concerts, the student performers often part, and they have recently received invitations to perform outside the school. Like the dance elective, the class combines historical analysis with performance.

All of these electives have demonstrated positive develop-ment, and Wells continues to seek ways to expand the Thai culture program, making it more attractive and appealing to the students from both Thailand and abroad.

Thai Culture Electives - Rachane Sakchiraphong

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Loy Krathong is a festival celebrated in Thailand on the night of the full moon in the 12th month of the Thai lunar calendar, which is around November in

the Western calendar. Like many other holidays that have slowly changed over time, Thai people now celebrate Loy Kratong for multiple reasons. Most people claim to cel-ebrate this event as a way to pay their respects to the water goddess, and to cleanse their spirits from all the sins they have committed over the past year. This involves fashion-ing krathong, or small handheld boats made from banana leaves, and decorating them with flowers and fruits. In the evening, the krathong are lit with candles and floated over water, symbolizing the cleansing of wrongdoing.

As a major holiday, Loy Krathong brings people from all over the nation together for performances, exhibitions and events. Many have family reunions and gatherings in order to celebrate the holiday, offering them a good opportunity to meet their fellow family members and friends they may be unable to see regularly. It’s not only the Thai people who celebrate this event, though. Foreigners from all over the world join in to enjoy the beautiful, picturesque image of thousands of krathongs reflecting on the water. As one of the most important and beautiful events in Thailand, Loy Krathong is something that should not be missed, whether one is Thai or not.

Loy Krathong

- Rachane Sakchiraphong

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ACADEMICSGreen Share’s Community Service

Beach Clean-up & Mangrove Planting

Organized by the Green Share Club, a community service project was recently undertaken in Hua Hin. The Green Share Club is a group of stu-

dents, teachers and parents who joined together in order to help the community. Given the task of finding a way to positively impact Bangkok and Thailand, students in Ms. Cindy’s Environmental Science course struck on the idea of an in-school service organization composed of individuals with a shared passion for community service. Since starting last year, it has already initiated several projects and joined with other international schools in program such as the Bangkok ServICE Conference.

- Chariya Singsacha

The Hua Hin project, now in its second year, was created and organized by the Green Share members. Working with the Rotary Club in Hua Hin, the club members had fun making a difference by cleaning up the local beaches and planting mangrove trees as part of a reforestation effort.The positive contributions of the club and others like it are definitely needed. The beautiful Hua Hin beaches were littered with trash that had been thrown into the water and on the sand by resort visitors. Four large trash bags were completely filled by the waste. As part of the program, the students also had the opportunity to learn more by visiting the Energy Conservation Center, which provides informa-tion about energy consumption and conservation. The Green Share Club gives members of the Wells community the chance to not only learn, but also have fun and make a difference. The mem-bers who went on the most recent trip included: Junior, Bob, Puai, Tina, Judy, Golf, Cindy, Pooh, Mangpor, Jack, Chariya, Pare, Ms. Liza, Ms. Cindy, Mr. Henry, and Ms. Kirstin.

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ACADEMICSHabitat for Humanity at Ayutthaya

On November 10th, Wells students volunteered to reconstruct a house for flood victims at Ayut-thaya. Twenty-five students, accompanied by Ms.

Nicki and Ms. Kirstin, dedicated a sunny Saturday to the project. Because the area was far outside Bangkok, it took over an hour to arrive. Located in the middle of the flood zone, the old house had been heavily damaged during the rainy season at the end of the previous year.

Upon arrival, students were given instructions on how to achieve their tasks by the staff. Following several important safety instructions, everyone went to the area where the old house used to be. Having been filled with water over two meters high, the house was uninhabitable in its current state. Mixing cement, sand and water, the volunteers began their work, digging holes and painting the house.

Surprisingly, all of the work was done within six hours—impressive for twenty-five students and two teachers with no experience in construction! All the participants helped each other by carrying rocks around and joining together in each of the tasks, though they all worked up quite a sweat in the process.

All in all, it was a great experience for both the students, as well as the owner of the house. The organizers and the owner were all very appreciative of the help that the Wells community provided, and all the students claimed that, if given the chance, they would take part in another project

- Saranporn (Mind) Rarunron

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ACADEMICS

As the national champions in 2008, Wells Inter-national School entered the 2012 EU Thailand National Intervarsity Debate Championship with

high hopes, and its students did not disappoint. All three of its teams qualified for the playoffs, including its mid-dle school beginners, who posted a 3-3 record with two victories against university teams. The secondary senior team also posted a 3-3 record despite being in their first tournament, and advanced to the quarterfinals before being eliminated. A formidable force, the primary senior Wells team of Harjas Anandsongvit, Ding Shun (Daryl) Ong and Akhil Shanishetti—who collectively hold a place on the national debate team, a national championship at the World Scholar’s Cup and an individual world championship at that same event—stormed through the ranks, posting a 4-2 record in the initial two days of the event.

As they advanced to the semi-finals, the veteran debaters faced a stiff challenge from Triam Udom Suksa’s secondary team, debating gender issues—an increasingly publicized topic worldwide. While their opponents formed a solid case, Wells proved to be too strong a team and defeated them to advance to the finals, where they faced Triam Udom Suksa’s primary team. As the government, the Wells debaters held that the European Union should take harsh action against environmental terrorism.

Engaging the opposition with sharp rhetoric and a cohesive case, Harjas, Daryl and Akhil overwhelmed Triam Udom Suksa, earning a 5-2 split decision from the adjudicators and Wells’ second national championship in the tourna-ment.

A Phoenix Rising from the Ashes: The Wells Debate Team

The final debate event for this year that the Wells teams participated in was the Tournament of Champions at Yale University. The teams left for New York on November 25th, and the tournament took place later that week. The teams also toured some of the most prestigious Ivy League universities, including Harvard, MIT, and Columbia.

- Kirin (Harjas) Anandsongvit

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ACADEMICS

Five teams were sent to the 2012 global round of the World’s Scholars Cup, hosted in Bangkok, and four students returned with individual awards and

one team award. Additionally, all three senior teams from Wells qualified for the Tournament of the Champions, held at Yale University in late November—an impressive feat considering only five teams from Thailand qualified for the event!

In a tournament that was highly competitive, senior Harjas Anandsongvit received gold for being the top individual in debate, while senior Cathy Shang Kuan came second in the literature section of the Scholar’s Challenge. The other two awards went to senior Gautham Giri for the science section and sophomore Akhil Shanishetti for receiving the highest overall points among the senior Wells students. The one team award that Wells received went to the Harjas, and juniors Amira Lukens and Boan Shang Kuan, for their fourth place finish in the debate section.

As a long-time participant in the World Scholar’s Cup, Wells has accumulated numerous gold medals at both the regional and global tournaments, and currently holds the title of national champions in the senior division for its first-place finish at the regional round, held last spring in Bangkok.

Scholars on a World Stage - Kirin (Harjas) Anandsongvit

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ACADEMICS

As midterm exams approach, and the SAT and TOEFL test dates appear on the calendar, a lot of students may find this time to be one of the most,

stressful periods of their campus lives. A teenage student may feel pressured by the numerous expectations of family, friends and colleagues. Considering the great impact that the results could have on a student’s future—by determin-ing how appealing his or her transcript might be to a college admissions officer—one can understand such feelings of test anxiety.

This scenario gets even worse if the student tries to combat this feeling of apprehension and cram more information by studying longer hours when nearing a test, thinking that this will boost self-confidence while taking the test. Another common approach is trying to deluge one’s self with caf-feine just prior to a test, hoping to stay alert and focused on the test as if one were on Adderall.

Granted, these expedient methods of cramming and self-intoxication may seem to work in the short-term, but as tests and assignments accumulate, these may not be the best ideas for increasing efficiency. As studies have repeatedly shown, caffeine intake and intensive cramming can spike stress levels, and can lead to depression and other health problems. Stress can build up and ultimately adversely affect your test performance, even after all the cramming. To avoid this, students should spend some time organiz-ing their study schedules and distributing their work fairly across the table to avoid the need for last-minute cramming. They should also engage in physical exercise, and employ relaxation and breathing techniques that can help reduce

stress. And above all, students should maintain a constant sleep schedule and make sure that they get enough sleep every day for at least weeks prior to test dates, as studies have shown a strong correlation between proper sleep hab-its and high test scores.

Efficient and time-savvy study habits, combined with sufw-wficient exercise, proper sleep habits and a balanced and healthy diet, can have a massive, positive impact on test per-formance and can also boost self-esteem and concentration.

Exam Anxiety & Stress Management - Gautham Giri Neelam Naganathan

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ACADEMICS

For the past few years, Wells International School has been increasing the diversity of its language program to further develop as a truly international institution.

Beginning with only the mandatory English courses and a few second language classes, the school has now expanded its curriculum to include increasingly global languages such as Japanese, Chinese, and Russian. By introducing different foreign languages classes, students are able to experience a multi-cultural environment that the school hopes to con-tinue fostering.

Although students with Thai passports are required to study Thai language by the Ministry of Education, students of other nationalities are welcome to join any of the lan-guage classes offered by the school. They are exposed not only to the languages themselves, but also to the cultures of those countries. With activities and studies guided by quali-fied native speakers of those languages, students experience foreign languages and cultures at a more intimate level.

A Multi-cultural Environment - Tsai Chi (Cathy) Shang Kuan

Due to small class sizes and low student-to-teacher ratios, each individual learner receives more atten¬tion from the teachers, and is thus able to improve foreign language skills at a much higher rate. For those who already have full schedules during the regular periods, Wells even offers Sat-urday language classes to make learn¬ing more convenient. As a school that hopes to provide the best learning oppor-tunities for its students, Wells Interna¬tional School puts in a lot of care into designing its classes.

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ACADEMICS

Only two years after adding a third floor to the existing facilities, Wells – On Nut has slated another expansion project, to be completed over

the course of the next three years. Having acquired a plot of land adjacent to the school, plans for a new addition are currently being developed. The first step in this endeavor is the addition of an extended parking lot, a simple project that is already complete. However, the executive board has much grander plans for Wells. Towering over the parking lot, a new eight-story building will be complete by 2015. To put this growth in perspective, the first graduates in the Class of 2010 did not have the third floor, improved chem-

Expanding…Again!

istry and biology labs, the extended three-room ICT lab, or the improved WIFI network. This new building will be a new home for Wells’ Performance Arts Department.

Several new facilities will be included in the new building. As the new home for the Fine Arts Department, it will in-clude a new auditorium spanning two floors, with bal¬cony seating and a total capacity of more than four hundred. As

impressive as it may be, the auditorium is merely one part of a larger facility. Four floors will be dedicated to large-size classrooms for upper-level courses, as well as the Framing-ham M.Ed. program. These will be supported by a high school library dedicated to research. Finally, a rooftop gar-den will aid the study of botany and environmental science. What else can we say? We’re excited!

- Natha (Dean) Tansukawat

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ACADEMICS

Like most other schools in Thailand, Wells main-tains a dress code for its students, and wearing the proper school uniform is compulsory at all levels.

Through their dress and behavior, all students should ensure that they are a credit to Wells International School and themselves at all times. This includes the journey to and from school, and when representing the school outside the campus. The Wells dress code does permit students freedom of expression of a moderate degree by allowing them to choose their shoes, accessories and other items, but they should always maintain a neat, respectable appearance.

The dress code provides enough flexibility to allow stu¬dents to function comfort¬ably and effectively in any class, from drama to mathemat¬ics, and to be safe in courses such as chemistry. The primary and unchangeable requirements of the dress code are simply cleanliness and neatness. Students should come to school in clean, ironed and neat attire, and neatness should also be evident in the way the uniform is worn. In the end, common sense rules the day.

Wells School Dress Code

- Siwapriya (June) Makmettakul

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SPORTS

Earlier this semester, on September 23, the fledgling U19 Lady Seahawk volleyball team was invited to Eka-

mai International School for a tournament against the powerhouse teams from Ruam-rudee International School (RIS), Har¬row International School (HIS), and both the varsity and junior varsity teams of Eka¬mai International School (EIS). Though it was only the second year the girls have been playing, they put in all their effort, and the end result was worth it.

The first game was really intense, and the young Seahawks were obviously daunted by their opponents, the varsity EIS team. Losing in their very first match, the girls began to lose hope. But facing HIS next, they managed to pull out a narrow victory, and it only got better from there. The third game was against the junior varsity team of EIS, and they also managed to defeat them!

By this time they were happy and satisfied to have gotten that far, but the tournament wasn’t over. The fourth game was against the RIS Phoenix. Though it was a really tough game, the Lady Seahawks once again came out on top. Sharing three wins with the Phoenix, they had to play them again in the finals. Regrouping from their earlier loss, the RIS veterans snagged the victory, giving Wells a second place finish—despite facing much more experienced teams!

With a number of freshmen and sopho-mores on the roster, the girls volleyball team has had to overcome players with height and experience advantages. Yet practicing twice a week after school has helped them maintain their composure and hold out for the win in many cases. The U19 team finished the season with a 4-4 record, while the U17 team posted up an impressive 10-1 record!

PLAYERS• Marin (Captain) G11• Cathy G12• Maria G12• May G11• Ploy G11• Leila G11• Cindy G10• Mook G9• Mugi G9• Pleng G9• Angel G9• Mind G9

COACHES• Mr. Antonio• Mr. Ray

Lady Seahawks Spike the Competition!

- Saranporn (Mind) Rarunron

Team Record (W-L)U13 Boys Basketball 8-5U13 Girls Basketball 9-3U15 Boys Basketball 13-4U15 Girls Basketball 10-4U17 Boys Basketball 6-1U17 Girls Basketball 4-2Senior Boys Basketball 13-1Senior Girls Basketball 9-3U15 Boys Football 0-1U17 Boys Football 3-1U17 Boys Volleyball 9-0U17 Girls Volleyball 10-1U19 Boys Volleyball 2-2U19 Girls Volleyball 4-4

Fall Sports Results

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SPORTS

- Jung Mo (Jack) Lee

Volleyball Program Witnesses Rapid Growth

In their second year, both the boys and girls volleyball teams started off the season strong as they took part in the annual Bangkok Patana School Invitational tourna-

ment. Held earlier in the semester, the Seahawks overcame tough competition from the largest international schools in Bangkok, including International School of Bangkok (ISB), New International School of Thai¬land (NIST), International Community School (ICS) and the American School of Bangkok (ASB). Entering the competition as the underdogs, the Wells players shocked the other schools and the Wells community by coming back with two champion-ship trophies!

The win is a testament to the regimen that many of the stu¬dents have adopted both during the school year, and during the summer and winter breaks. Junior Marin Taka-hashi, captain of the girls team, trekked to Hawaii during the summer to get a taste of international practice at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, where she was coached by Hall of Famer David Shoji. Joined by junior Kevin Han and several others, the Seahawk players received the op-portunity to brush up on basics and polish their skills. Both Marin and Kevin, when it was time, showed the crowd at Patana what they had learned.

Displaying their newly obtained repertoire, the players sometimes managed to confound the other teams. Having worked extensively on her blocking skills, Marin in particu-lar made it difficult for op¬ponents to even get the ball across the net. Yet speak to the players, and they’ll share the same opinion: This is just the first of many victories to come. The Se¬ahawks are on a mission to win, and to show that they deserve to be in contention with BISAC schools. One thing is sure: They are proving that whenever volleyball teams are talked about, their names are men-tioned.

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SPORTSTISAC Basketball League Championships

U15 SISKY Basketball Tournament

Following strong performances during regular season play, three Wells teams managed to win the 2012 TISAC league championships: the U15

boys team, U15 girls team and senior boys team. With their victories, the Seahawks brought Wells its sixth, seventh and eighth basketball league titles since joining TISAC in 2008.

U15 Boys Players• Jared• Ray• Andy• Armaan• Peter• Pete• Folk• David

U15 Girls Players• Mook• Cindy• Gizelle• Lakshya• Kanishka• Prow• Sami• Anusha

In

Sep¬tember the U15 boys and girls basketball

teams participated in the St. Stephens – Khao Yai (SISKY) Invitational. Taking place

over three days and two nights, the tournament has become an annual tradition for many TISAC members. In addition to Wells, four other schools participated: Traill, Bromsgrove, TCIS (Thai- Chinese International School), and SISKY

(St. Stephens Khao Yai). Arriving back in Bangkok on Sunday, both the boys

and girls came back third-place trophies..

- Wei Ling (Angel) Chang

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SPORTSWells vs SIS: Boys & Girls Basketball

Wells vs. EIS

In early November both the boys and girls bas-ketball teams from St.

Stephens’ Bangkok campus came to Wells for matches. Usually having faced the teams from their Khao Yai campus, the Seahawk players weren’t sure what to expect. As the international schools in Bangkok have grown, so too have their sports pro-grams grown, becoming more competitive over time. When the dust cleared, though, the boys overcame St. Stephens 29-20, and the girls posted an impressive 33-12.

Facing off against rivals from Ekamai International School earlier in the semester, the Seahawks demonstrated just how far Wells’ sports program has come over the past four years. Led by Ray

(G10) and Jared (G9), the U15 boys dominated the visitors, finishing the game with a total of 60 points to EIS’s 22. With a large number of young players on the team, we’re excited to see how much they’ll develop next year.

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SPORTS

With the basketball season complete, the boys teams have set a new benchmark for the Seahawk athletes, earning several trophies and

championships. With league records of 4-2 for the U13s, 8-4 (and 5-0 in TISAC league play) for the U15s, 6-1 for the U17s and 6-1 for the seniors, Wells is clearly a force to be reckoned with. Unlike the previous year, in which the teams had started sluggish, the Seahawks came out firing on all cylinders in the fall. After going through grueling practice sessions from the beginning of the school year, as well as having several exhi¬bition matches, the teams were poised to take back the championships that once belonged to them.

The U17 team opened their season against KIS and eas-ily overpowered them with superior speed and shooting abil¬ity. The team continued to exert its dominance over its op¬ponents as they beat three-time reigning champions BCIS. The U15s had a showing of their own as they first battled St. Andrews on its home court, coming back with

an easy win. Throughout the season they overwhelmed their TISAC opponents, finishing with a perfect league record.

Despite the successes, however, there is a lot of room for improvement. In some games the Seahawks showed signs of slacking off, as their intensity waned. In one game against KIS, Wells led 19-2 at the end of the first quarter, and further expanded their lead to 23. Yet the Seahawks only beat them by 11 points with a final score of 55-34. A similar margin was evident in a game against BCIS. After leading by as many as 17 points in the first half, the Sea-hawks let down their guard and tired quickly as they man-aged to earn the victory 50-44.

While the U15 and senior teams were able to seize both the TISAC league and tournament championships, the Seahawks are not resting. There’s always next season, and games to be won.

Boys Basketball Season Review - Kirin (Harjas) Anandsongvit

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SPORTS

Every year we’re invited to travel to Khao Yai to play in a basketball tournament with six different schools. Shortly after arriving on Friday night after

a long trip in the school van, we had our first match at 9:00 pm against Traill. With that welcome, we settled in for a long competition.

The next morning we matched up against St. Stephens (Bangkok) at 10:00 am, and immediately followed it at 12:30 pm against St. Stephens (Khao Yai). A short lunch break in-terrupted play, until the 2:30 match against Shrewsbury and 4:30 match against Bromsgrove. Saturday night’s BBQ din-ner, an amazingly delicious treat, made the entire trip worth the effort. Taking a break from the games, the organ¬izers hosted a movie night for everyone who wanted to watch. While the movie—Dark Shadows—was fun, the best part was simply having friends together in one room, making each other laugh the whole night. It’s that experience that I think we enjoy most. The next morn¬ing brought the finals, and Wells had to play against Bromsgrove again to see which school would be in the top three.

Overall we lost two games and won four. Our Lady Sea-hawks came in third place, while the boys won the champi-onship! While we were satisfied, we’ll try our best to place even higher next year.

U17 Tournament in Khao Yai - Ruchika Sachasiri

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EVENTS

Launching the 2012-2013 school year, students and teachers from the Fine Arts Depart¬ment gath-ered in September to put on an impressive show

in the school for the depart¬ment’s initial assessments. Among the acts were excerpts from Shakespeare’s plays, showcases of student-made videos, and the Glee-club performance of the hit song We Go Together, from the musical Grease.

While notoriously difficult for modern performers and audiences, the roles Macbeth, Othello, and Antigone were performed by theatre students. The actors put so much effort and emotions into their roles that the audience was astonished at how they were able to transform into their characters. Most impressive was Grade 12’s Junior, who brought dead silence into the room with a monologue as Lady Macbeth. A first for the department, student-pro-duced videos were shown between the acts. Directed by seniors from the theatre class, the editing, creativity and production quality brought many positive reviews.

Aside from acting, Wells students are also talented in singing and harmonizing. Directed by experienced Wells teachers, the glee students closed the event with the song We Go Together. Despite its intricate harmony and breakneck speed, the performers sailed straight through, and the song was still playing in our heads even after the show was over. Wells has gained a great deal of recogni-tion in Thailand for its academic and athletic successes, so it’s good to know that its students are also gifted in the arts.

Performances Receive Plaudits! - Tsai Chi (Cathy) Shang Kuan

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The high caliber of Wells’ performing arts talent was once again on display for all to see as the members of the middle school and high school glee club

geared up for the holidays in November. Building on their earlier performance of We Go Together, the singers belted out an entire medley of Grease songs at the recent perfor-mance, highlighted by several dancers. A long-time favorite of many musical fans, Grease includes songs that reflect on high school life, and the ways we can value the time that passes in a year. Building on this idea, several students followed up the performance with their own reflections on the growth they had experienced in their personal lives, including the importance of using imagination and embrac-ing creativity. For those of you who missed the glee club’s performance, be sure to catch it at the Christmas show in December!

GLEE Performance - Siwapriya (June) Makmettakul

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EVENTS

Late in the semester, the high school theater group performed several plays in the Wells auditorium for their end-of-term assessments.

Seven different acts were incorporated into a 2-hour long performance, viewed by most high school stu-dents, teachers and the headmaster. Featuring portions of classics written by such renowned authors as Oscar Wilde, Carol Churchill and John Godber, the perfor-mance reflected very different time periods and idea. Yet all the excerpts were tied together by a common theme: women’s roles in society.

Performed by Gautham, Daryl, Judia, Drishti, Archer, Dina, Aanchal and Brian, Carol Churchill’s “Cloud Nine,” uses the concept of slavery as a means to figura-tively convey the sexism that persisted during the time period, and the mistreatment of women, who were considered to merely be slaves of their husbands and family. Churchill’s “Top Girls”—performed by Maria, Judia, Annie and Yelly—developed on that concept by show¬ing how two women achieved success in a man’s world. Each consecutive act touched on these same ideas, culminating in the question of whether progress has truly been made.

As a part of the school that has grown rapidly over the past two years, the Fine Arts Department has achieved a great deal in a short time, enabling students to address complex issues in English, in front of a full audience no less!

HS Theater Performance

Nov 20th 2012 - Gautham Giri Neelam Naganathan

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EVENTS

Halloween, now a near-universal holiday, is recog-nized at Wells one way or another every Octo-ber. Especially enjoyed by the kindergarten and

primary students, it offers them an opportunity to dress up as their favorite characters, and yes, receive treats from staff and other students. The windows and classrooms are decked in Halloween décor, the campuses transform, and some of the classes even host events for younger students.

This year the primary students labored hard with their respective homeroom teachers to decorate their classrooms, hoping to win the prize for the best-decorated room. Putting up creepy orna-ments one by one, they found creative ways to recycle materials, turning them into ghoulish decorations. With the setting ready, they trekked through the school on a mission, shouting “Trick or Treat” to the staff they met. In the case of Mr. Ray, of course, they had the oppor-tunity to see one of his pet snakes….

While the origins of Halloween are much more complex, the modern celebration offers a simple, enjoyable experi-ence for younger children, and at Wells, it builds a commu-nity spirit that is an essential part of the school.

Creepy Crawlies

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EVENTS

Diwali, literally translated as “row of lamps,” is more widely known as the Festival of Lights. Symbolizing the defeat of evil by the forces of

good, Diwali celebrates the victory of Lord Rama over Ravana. An official holiday in India, it is typically celebrated between mid-October and mid-December. Sikhs also cel-ebrate it to mark the release of the sixth Guru, Hargob¬ind Singh Ji, by the Mughal emperors. Additionally, it serves as one of the most important festivals of the year for Hin-dus, and is celebrated in families by performing traditional prayers and activities together in their homes. It is this spirit of celebration that has carried on through the generations.

Diwali was heartily welcomed at Wells – On Nut this year, highlighted by individual and group performances in the school’s coliseum for student, teachers and parent audience. Fueling the festivities, stalls selling samosas and dosas were organized by parents, while henna painting and sarees were also available. To build on the lively atmosphere, many of the members of the Wells community dressed in traditional Indian garb, including many of the teachers.

International Festivities - Ruchika Sachasiri

Mr. Ray “lit up” the event with the traditional candle lighting, and the audience settled in for a lively afternoon. Holding to its international ideals, the school encouraged students of all nationalities to participate, and the first per-formance proved the value of that approach. Junior Amira Lukens stunned parents and students with her rendition of the traditional Di¬wali hymn, infusing it with emotion.

Following up, the young primary students enthusiastically performed the now-famous Jai Ho, making it clear that there are a number of stars in the making. The main act consisted of a middle school and high school dance medley choreographed by junior Jaspriya Narula. Show¬casing her traditional repertoire, Jaspriya began with a beautiful solo dance and was soon joined by two others, and more…until the coliseum became the stage for a full Bollywood number, with virtually all of the Wells students participating!

Yet one last surprise awaited the audience. Unbeknownst to the crowd, Ms. Pae had been guiding the Wells teachers in a fast-paced dance. Leading with Mr. Aaron’s smooth moves, the teachers brought the students to their feet with their choreographed moves.

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EVENTS

On a dark evening in November, the Class of 2013 held its final dance night in the gymna-sium at Wells – On Nut. Open to Wells student

from middle and high school, and to their friends of from other schools, the event drew a crowd of several hundred. Entitled “This Is It,” the dance was meant as a swan song for the departing seniors, one they hoped would be looked upon as their final masterpiece. Having hosted a very suc-cessful event two years before, the Class of 2013 has gained a reputation as budding event managers, able to organize dances and parties, and please crowds in the process. Now looking at universities and making plans for the next stage of their lives, they also saw it as one last opportunity to spend time with one another, working on a project that would include not just a dance, but also games, activities and more.

The crowd was not disappointed. “This Is It” transported them, for a short time, into a different world. Decked with black lights and neon paint, the gym set the stage for a rousing night that was well-received by their friends.

THIS IS IT!Class of 2013 Dance Night

Summing it up in a word, middle school student Nikara exclaimed: “This Is It...awesome!” While many dances have been notorious for starting late and having almost no danc-ing until just before ending, the enthusiastic crowd had no such problem in this case. Kicking off with moves by some professional dancers, the students danced away the whole night, and ended on a positive note. If “This Is It” was the Class of 2013’s final word to Wells, it was a good one.

- Gautham Giri Neelam Naganathan

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EVENTS

Named after the famous television franchise, “So You Think You Can Dance?” is an annual TISAC competition held by KIS International

School each fall. Hoping to show their moves on stage, students from several international schools participate in the tournament competition, including students of all levels from Wells. Following up on two gold-medal per-formances the previous year, three Wells teams headed to KIS, one each from primary, middle school and high school.

Living up to their forerunners, the Wells dancers brought home trophies yet again. In a field with very tough competition, the high school team snagged third place with their spirited K-pop routine. Their energetic performance was reflected in the primary group, who performed a similar style of dance and managed to claim second place. It was the middle school team that im-pressed the most with their traditional ballet style. High-lighting powerful, elegant moves, their passionate per-formance also landed them a second-place trophy.

“So You Think You Can Dance?” highlights the impor-tance of kinesthetic learning and the way it can inspire students. All of the competitors put a great deal of ef-fort into their compositions and clearly possessed a pas-sion for it. With two years of excellent performances under their belts, we hope to see that passion develop even more in the Wells dancers.

So You Think You Can Dance? - On Jung (Alice) Chung

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EVENTS

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EVENTS

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TECH

While 2012 was a great year for film, with many major releases, several stood out from the crowd. Three of

them in particular were high-profile releases that I would recommend to everyone.

The first of these, Brave is an animated film from Disney-owned Pixar, the company that has a reputation for making some of the best animated films of the last decade. The main character, Me-rida, is a princess in a kingdom in Scotland. Her mother, the queen, wants her to become more feminine, but this mischievous girl likes to ride a horse and shoot arrows. She has all the masculine characteristics her mother doesn’t like. One day Merida fights with her mother and goes into a for-bidden forest, where she meets a witch and asks her to change her mother. When she goes back home, her mother has been changed into a bear. Her adventure to revoke her wish and to undo her mistake then begins! Though young children should not watch it, the movie Ted is the funny story of a deep friendship be¬tween John and his best friend, a teddy bear he named Ted. When he was a child, John had no friends at school. His only friend was his teddy bear, who was not able to talk or listen even when John talked incessantly. One day, John wished for his teddy bear to be alive, and to his delight, his wish came true. The moving and talking Ted be-comes a famous star, and the two of them John and Ted stayed together for the next few decades. By that time, Ted has become a lazy addict and drunk, while his friend John remains childish and supports Ted’s mischievous deeds. The friendship between the naughty teddy bear and a childish man will bring you to tears with laughter!

The third movie is the newest entry in the famous Resident Evil series. Entitled Resident Evil 5: Ret-

New Movies of 2012 Dominating the Movie Theater!

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TECH

ribution, the film again revisits the zombie-like horror of the first films. The main character’s adventures and the new character’s appearance catches your interest and holds it through the rest of the film. If you liked the other films in the series, you’ll like this one, too. More zombies are approaching, more enemies are coming. The latest attack against the Group Umbrella begins with Milla Jovovich.

New Movies Released in November Rise of the Guardians For ages 6 - 13

Short Introduction: The four characters of leg-end—Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy and Sandman—have kept the dreams of children safe for hundreds of years. But one day Pitch, the master of nightmares, attacks the guardians, and they recruit a new guardian to help them. Jack Frost, with the ability to control cold and ice, is chosen as the new guardian to save the children’s dreams from the evil master of night-mares.

Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 2For ages 13 - 100

Short Introduction: The last entry in the Twilight Saga focuses finishes the love story between the formerly human Bella and the vampire Edward. Now with a half-human, half-vampire child, they must convince other vampires that their daughter is not a threat. Meanwhile, the Volturi begin to gather strength for a final battle against Bella, the Cullens and their werewolf allies.

- Myung Hyeon (Fred) Jeong

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TECH

Can you imagine a place with no Internet? With no computers? If you can, you probably realize how much easier life is when you have access to a

com¬puter and the Internet. The Internet and technology that we have today has made life a lot easier than in the past, and has made learning more accessible.

The Internet hasn’t just affected people as individuals, but also society as a whole. When the Internet first became wide-ly-used, the idea of internet addiction wasn’t even consid-ered. However, as time has passed, people have been proven wrong, as some have become addicted, affecting their lives and those of their families. Parents, who want to interact with their children and hear about their daily lives, often

don’t get that same opportunity due to the amount of time their children spend online. In other words, students tend to keep their eyes on their computer screens longer than on their parent’s faces.

There are positive impacts, however. The Internet has eased burdens of education and teaching. It has also made it pos-sible to spread knowledge. Whenever people want to know something or learn about something, they can easily go on the Internet and get some information about it. How about you? Do you use the Internet for good reasons or for bad? We students have embraced technology, yet we have also abused it and let it get in the way of our personal lives. It’s a pity.

Helping Students Understand the Value of NOT Being Connected to the Internet

- On Jung (Alice) Chung

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TECH

Windows 8 is the newest release from our friends at Microsoft. It is said to be the most innovative Windows update, with a higher quality screen

and easier access to everything that is related to the Inter-net. The program and its components (e.g. smartphones) truly represent Microsoft’s newest commitment to user-friendly and customable programs, not to mention a spoon-ful of innovation in the works.

With onscreen applications, Windows 8 allows you to ac¬cess sites like Google or Facebook without even open-ing your web browser. The screen includes a new mecha-nism that gives you the choice to arrange your utilities, from maps to even video games! All of these functions can be customized from the settings menu of your own personal profile. You can go wild with “cloud downloads” that are integrated into Windows 8, which ensures that you will always have your files around you, no matter where you are. Furthermore, you can take hundreds of pictures with your

new smartphone that is equipped with Windows 8, ensuring the best picture quality and textures.

With all said and done, it seems that Windows 8, equipped with Microsoft’s cutting-edge technology, would be a good acquisition for all you techies out there. So, get out your wallets and run down to your nearest elec¬tronics store to buy one now!

Windows 8 The Future of Innovation

- Nicholas Lamoureux

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TECH

Reading the iPhone reviews on the Apple website, I was extremely disappointed to say the least by the lack of new material, and frustrated by the fact that

there could have been many more improvements.

There are some new interesting features like an improved Siri AI, Passbook, A6 processing chip (which actually is not that much faster than A5) and a new display.

Are these new features really worth buying? I know peo¬ple back in Canada, who already have perfectly good iPhones, who will have probably already bought one just because it is new. If you already have an iPhone or another type of smart-phone, I wouldn’t recommend buying this one.

Moreover, the charger and usb port are completely new. Most people who have an Apple device have the old 30-pin charger/usb port connection. Thus, the new charger will not work with your old Apple devices, and you will need two chargers. Sure, they have made an adapter for the 30-pin port, but they are selling it separate from the phone itself.

To people who already own a iPhone, or any phone at that, do not buy the iPhone 5: It seems like a complete waste of money. To people who don’t have phones: Buy a different phone. The iPhone 5 doesn’t seem to give you much more than the older generation of iPhones.

IPhone 5: So Much More or So Much Less?

- Nicholas Lamoureux

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TECH

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