NIS Open House: A Total Success! Parents, Teachers, and Students All United at NIS Open House
On November 1st and 2nd, the annual Open House event took place on the campus of Nakornpayap International School, inside the Harmony theater. Curious families gathered on this faithful weekend to take part in a campus tour of our newly renovated school!!!
After the High School Student Council organized the after-school Halloween movie night, the Harmony Theater was professionally cleaned and readied for the Open House. Chairs, tables, a smorgasbord, and blackboards were made available for parents to express what their ideal school would be like and the values they want the community to have. Honesty, diversity, and kindness were the most given answers: a strong teaching staff and a safe environment for their children.
A few teachers were present during the High School Open House, including Mr. Cody, Mr. Colin, Ms. Debbie, Mr. Paul, Mr. Kevin, and Mr. Zhang. When asked why the Open House was important to him, High School Coordinator and Engineering teacher Mr. Paul said, “Open House is important because it gives prospective parents the opportunity to visit and explore the school before joining the NIS community.” This rings true for international school families, as other schools, such as SBS and Mill Hill, also held similar events recently. There was also the Chiang Mai International School Gateway Fair about a month earlier, where Media Studies students Lona Brudermann, Gean Huang, Crystal Son, and Autumn Htet represented NIS as ambassadors. In short, there are a lot of options for choosing an international school in Thailand, and NIS works hard to promote its system of education.
Some worried families showed concern about mental health and asked how bullying was handled and treated at NIS. ELA teacher Mr. Cody, who is also a leader of the Socio-emotional Learning team at NIS had a thought-provoking response when asked why he thinks it is important for families to discuss bullying and mental health during the Open House, saying “I want to create a space where students feel comfortable talking about issues like bullying and mental health, and where school just feels good to be at. I just hope that everyone feels safe and cared for here.’
As Mr. Cody said, school should be a place where students feel safe and welcome. The Open House serves as a reminder of the importance of building a community where everyone feels welcome, and we hope to see some new faces next year!!