New International School of Thailand
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article or section needs sources or references that appear in reliable, third-party publications. Primary sources and sources affiliated with the subject of the article are generally not sufficient for a Wikipedia article. Please include more appropriate citations from reliable sources, or discuss the issue on the talk page. This article has been tagged since June 2007. |
The New International School of Thailand (N.I.S.T.) is an international school located in downtown Bangkok, Thailand. It attracts families affiliated with embassies, non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations.
Contents |
[edit] History
The New International School of Thailand, NIST, opened to students in August of 1992, when the former school located at the campus (The International School of Bangkok) moved to the outskirts of Bangkok. It was established by a group of individuals who felt that there was a need in Bangkok for a school having a truly internationally focused curriculum, not tied to a specific national system. A statement of principles and philosophy evolved which was closely related to the Charter of the United Nations. Another important purpose for the establishment of the school was to serve the large multi-national expatriate community. From the time the first classes were held in 1992, the student population has grown from approximately 500 to well over 1390, representing over 50 nations. Through a selective admissions process a balance of nationalities is maintained, in order to ensure the continuing international composition.
The school is run by a non-profit organization, the Foundation for International Education. That organization chooses a board of directors, who are elected from the body of parents. The primary task of the board of directors is to select the Head of School. The current Head of School is Simon Leslie. Teaching staff are recruited at international job fairs.
Message from the United Nations Rafeeuddin Ahmed, Executive Secretary
“The United Nations family of agencies in Thailand have committed their full support to the New International School of Thailand. It is an exciting new venture in international education of the highest quality. This is a truly international school – as distinct from a national expatriate school. What is taught, and the way in which it is taught, is designed to reflect the fundamental values of our global society. Through being United Nations related, the school is better able to project and maintain a consistent, uniform international perspective in all its teaching and activities.”
[edit] Campus
The NIST campus is located in downtown Bangkok close to Sukhumvit Road, one of Bangkok's main commercial streets. The school is within 5-10 minutes walk of Asoke Skytrain station and 10-15 minutes walk of Sukhumvit MRT station. The campus contains several of the original 4 storey classroom blocks, plus a collection of newer, more modern buildings. A 3 gym air-conditioned Sports Complex with outdoor swimming pool and tennis courts was opened in 2003, along with the Early Years pre-school and kindergarten complex. In 2005, the NIST Creative Arts Building (CAB) was opened. It contains a medium sized auditorium, performance studios, soundproofed music practice rooms and the Charnvirakul Library. The NIST campus also has a slightly smaller-than-regulations football (soccer) field and an air-conditioned Multi-Purpose Hall (MPH). Building 1 also houses dedicated science laboratories.
[edit] Curriculum
NIST has two schools on the same campus: the elementary school and the secondary school. NIST is an IB World School that runs all three academic programs of the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO). These are: the Primary Years Program (PYP) for students aged 3 - 11, the Middle Years Program (MYP) ages 11 - 16 and the IB Diploma Program (IBDP) ages 16 - 18. All classes, except languages, are taught in English.
As part of the curriculum, NIST students learn a language other than English (LOTE). The choices include Korean, Spanish, Mandarin, French, German, Dutch, Finnish, Swedish, Thai and Hindi.
[edit] Subjects/Classes
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL - Year. 1-6 (Grades 1-5) In homeroom
- Math
- English
Outside Homeroom
- Art
- Drama
- Music
- Thai Studies
- P.E (physical education)
- World Languages
*Thai *Japanese *Mandarin *Spanish *French *German *Dutch *Finnish *Swedish *Hindi
- I.T (information technology)
SECONDARY SCHOOL- Year. 7-13 (Grades 6-12)
- Math
- Thai studies
- World Languages
- M.A.D.D
*music *art *drama *dance
- English
- Humanities (Geography+History+Global Issues)
- Thai Studies
- P.E (physical education)
- Health
- Technology
*D.T (design technology) *F.T (food technology) *I.T (information technology)
[edit] HOUSE SYSTEM
All secondary students and staff belong to one of six houses - blue, green, yellow, purple, orange, or red. At each year level, the six houses determine the Homeroom groupings of the students.
The House system includes a variety of extra-curricular events (in addition to the school's other ECA and sports activities) such as Sport for All, Creative Arts Activities, and Academic Activities such as Knowledge Bowl, Speech, and Debate. These regular ongoing activities are supplemented by a variety of other one-day events. As well, students are provided with the opportunity to contribute in positive ways to their school community through peer tutoring and other community service projects.
[edit] Sports teams
NIST athletic teams compete in the Bangkok International Schools Athletic Conference (BISAC) and the Southeast Asian Schools Athletic Conference (SEASAC). NIST excels in basketball, soccer and softball at the varsity level, frequently finishing first in local and international tournaments, both for girls and boys. NIST also has varsity teams for tennis, badminton, swimming, softball and rugby. NIST teams are called "The Falcons" after the school's sport mascot. They play in blue and silver/grey/white. NIST's sports rivals are Bangkok Patana School, the International School of Bangkok and Ruamrudee International School. Because of NIST's indoor gymnasium facilities and its outdoor swimming pool, NIST frequently hosts local and international volleyball, basketball, badminton and swimming competitions.
