Graduation Week

Graduation was the focus in the secondary school last week. Preparing, practicing, then the awards dinner on Wednesday night and the Graduation ceremony on Friday night. My favorite part is the "Final Walk". On Friday morning the Grade 12 students walk out from the office, around the secondary courtyard and into the elementary school.  The other students line the path and cheer them out.  This year we finished with a group photo on the secondary lawn.

 

 

Farewell for now from Laos

Hope to see you all while I am home.  Love from Laos.   Good fortune to all with this Malai. 

This photo shows the blessing garland - Malai - given to parents by graduates as part of the Grade 12 Graduation ceremony in May.  This is sitting on Bryndis lap on her lovely embroidered Sinh.  Bryndis has been the business manager at VIS for 9 years and her son Kristjan graduated this year.  He is hoping to go to the Netherlands to study 'Psychology and Bryndis is leaving  VIS to go home to Iceland.

Mary and Vanisa

Grade 12 students are also presented with Spirit Dragons when they leave.  Here I am a few weeks ago after the Grade 12 awards night with one of my favourite students Vanisa Vongphanaphone.  Vanisa is hard working and unassuming and absolutely gorgeous.  It has been a pleasure to work with her this year to support her applications for colleges and scholarships. She has been accepted into universities in The Netherlands and Canada and will make a final decision soon. Vanisa hopes to study Liberal Arts and Sciences, probably sociology and then return to Laos to work in a way that will improve the quality of life in her country, especially access to education.

VIS Graduation - Patuxi

Throughout the year I worked closely with Grade 12 students from two advisory groups.  Here they are celebrating graduation at Patuxi - 12 B above and 12 E below.  They are off to universities around the world - including Australia.

VIS Graduation - Patuxi

The VIS Class of 2016 graduated at the end of May.

They visited Patuxi Monument in town for some class photos.

Graduation at APIS in Chiang Mai

On Friday I went back to Chiang Mai to watch the graduation ceremony for my Grade 11 students from last year.  

 The ceremony at APIS was both formal and celebratory.  It was followed by a "prom" or dinner and speeches on Friday evening.

It was fun to be back and see the kids.  Even more special was to see some of my Grade 12 boys from last year who had come back from Japan and the US for the ceremony. 

Another bonus was seeing the kids from the other grades who were surprisingly happy to see me too.

 The photos show JH walking in with an elementary student, Joe B being awarded the Humanities award from Mark and Lisa with the Maths award from Dr Naji. 

 Below are some photos from Diana of the Prom.

Graduation Day

This week is graduation week.  We had a dinner on Wednesday night and a graduation ceremony tonight.  Today the graduates left the school.  Wearing gowns they walked out of the senior school, through the elementary school to the front gate.  Students and staff lined the walkways to clap and cheer them out.

Graduation Photos

Graduation doesn't occur until June, but today we took photos in preparation for graduation and for the year book.  Every time I say "school magazine"  I garner strange looks.  Its the year book.
This the Grade 12 group with Mr Greg, the headmaster.  I'm in there with Dr Naji, in black and Miss Iva, the Principal on the far left.
An easy morning organising gowns, hats,  and photos, much better than taking the Geometry class.