Technicians, Network and Systems Managers
This is not a technical newsletter but one that is focused on Teaching and Learning and, in particular, how ICT can support this. But there is no doubt that without good technical support, network managers and systems managers then the schools of today and tomorrow will just not be able to provide the best for students.

Recently I received the following email asking for advice:

' I'd love to know how to get my computer to shut down without seeing the "it's now safe to shut down your computer message". I've got a faulty power switch and its about 50 - 50 whether it will shut down or restart the computer. I've just installed a very good shutdown program which speeds up the shutdown process, but I still get that hated message at the end. How do you shut down the computer automatically? I use Windows 98 incidentally.'

Now I do have some technical skills but only what I need for my work ... my strategy with requests such as these is to forward the email content to the experts and in this case I sent it to the Hong Kong technicians listserv (see below). Within 24 hours I had four replies three of which were a little technical .... but the most attractive solution received was "switch the PC off at the power point." ... now this is a technician I warm to ... thinking of people at the same time as machines ... many thanks.

The following are a few resources and links that might be of interest to school technical staff and managers:

• ICT Technicians Listserv in Hong Kong
  • www.kgv.edu.hk/mailman/listinfo/tech-questions
  • this listserv (mailing list) is a closed private one set up for/by the ICT Technicians in International Schools in Hong Kong .... if I remember correctly then it has been going about four years now.
  • it is a wonderful example of a self-help group
  • many schools only have one ICT technician ... it can be a very lonely job .... a free resource such as thus can change of of that ... take away many of the frustrations ... and save considerable time.
    
• ICT Technicians Listserv in Other S.E.Asia Countries
  • I'm not aware of any other self help technicians groups in the region
  • If you know of one then please let me know and I'll spread the word
  • if you do not have one in your country and would like one then let me know ... it is very easy to set up and administer
    
• Linux OS Support Specifically for School Technical Staff
  • www.schoolforge.net/index.php
  • Schoolforge's mission is to unify independent organizations that advocate, use, and develop open resources for primary and secondary education.
    
• Linux on Shambles
  • www.shambles.net/pages/staff/Linux/
  • a few hyperlinks to linux resources ... but more suggestions would be welcome
  • I would be particularly like to increase the list of free software that will run on Linux and is especially suitable for schools ... teaching and learning.
    
• How to build community using a website and email

  • http://staff.asij.ac.jp/earcos/dwong/print.PDF
  • last term I was fortunate enough to attend a presentation given by Danny Wong, Director of Web Services at the American School in Japan
  • in his paper he explains how "Mustangs Online" was conceived and how it and email add to the quality of the school community.
  • Danny acknowledges "Dragon Net" at Hong Kong International School (HKIS) as an initial model http://dragonnet.hkis.edu.hk/

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Students moving on to further education and other opportunities
This will be of interest to international schools students who are leaving this term to move on to further education .... but, in addition, these links may be of help to those students who will be filling in their application forms next term.

• UCAS (UK) Advice for International Students
  • www.ucas.ac.uk/studyuk/index.html
  • UCAS provides a central admissions service for people applying to full-time, undergraduate courses at UK universities and colleges.
    
• Shambles areas for leavers
  • www.shambles.net/pages/students/
  • there are several relevant areas on this page including Student Exchange Schemes, Work Experience, University Details, Careers Advice, Scholarships and Working or Studying Abroad

English Language Teaching
Some items for teachers of English :

• Launch of Literacy Decade in Thailand
  • www.unescobkk.org/education/appeal/litdecade/calendar.htm
  • www.unesco.org/education/litdecade
  • Hot on the heels of the official international launch of the literacy decade in New York on 13 February 2003, the national launch in Thailand took place during the Bangkok International Book Fair on Wednesday, 2 April 2003. The Opening ceremony was held in the morning, with speeches by the Director of UNESCO Bangkok, Mr Sheldon Shaeffer, the Minister of Education, H.E. Pongpol Adireksarn Dr Gamini Abeysekera, and the representative of UNICEF Thailand.
    
• English Language Teaching Software
  • www.clarity.com.hk/
  • in the last edition of the newsletter we highlighted some excellent software from Clarity that is right at the top of the list of recommendation .. and is used by the British Council.
  • Clarity have asked if I would let readers know that they are about to launch Author Plus Online - very topical in a SARS situation where teachers can post interactive activities on their websites
  • Author Plus helps you design computer-based activities aimed at your students’ exact needs.
  • While the program is extremely easy to use (in recent training sessions over 300 primary school teachers each created two multimedia activities in the first 90 minutes), the output is of professional quality.
  • Cambridge University Press, for example, chose Author Plus to create the interactive activities for the best selling "English Grammar in Use".
  • For more details go to www.shambles.net/newsletter/May2003/AuthorPlus.pdf (file=350k)

A new English Language teaching page is being built on Shambles which brings together all the relevant links and resources on the website .. but it is still work in progress at www.shambles.net/english

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SARS - Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome
This has obviously been very topical over the past few months and may be for a little time yet, the following two items may be of help.

• SARS : International Online Conference
  • http://sars.hkuspace.org/
  • 19 to 31 May 2003
  • Educational Narratives & Reflections in the time of SARS
  • welcomes the participation of teachers, researchers, students, parents, policy makers, librarians and concerned people.
  • first on-line conference of The Hong Kong Web Symposium Consortium
  • it has been designed as a forum for sharing reflections on recent events in Hong Kong and elsewhere in order to learn what we can from the crisis that SARS has brought to our community in the area of education.
    
• SARS Resources online
  • www.shambles.net/pages/school/sars/
  • SARS struck the region just after I sent out the last newsletter at the end of March 2003.
  • I then established an area on Shambles to collect SARS related materials to help schools and emailed those on the Shambles newsletter mailing list to ask for contributions.
  • the response was wonderful .... have a look at the page to see school policies, government announcements, downloadable fact sheets and check lists, articles about SARS and Education, Powerpoint presentations and more. Many thanks to all those, mainly anonymous, contributors.

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Mathematics
A few items of interest to teachers of maths (math) ... this is where I make up for the lack of Maths references in earlier newsletters ::

• 8th Asian Technology Conference in Mathematics (ATCM2003)
  • http://atcminc.com/mConferences/ATCM03/
  • 15th to 19th December 2003
  • Taiwan
  • aims to provide an interdisciplinary forum for teachers, researchers, educators and decision makers around the world in the fields of mathematics and mathematical sciences.
  • The conference will cover a broad range of topics on the relevancy of technology in mathematical research and teaching
    
• World Class Tests
  • www.worldclassarena.org
  • Since they were launched in November 2001, over 10,000 students aged 9 to thirteen in 17 different countries have taken World Class Tests. These innovative tests in mathematics and problem solving are delivered both on and off-line.
  • Schools from the UK, Australia, Malaysia to Hong Kong all use the online registration, on-screen delivery and automatic marking offered by World Class Tests.
  • Over 18,000 students, many logging on from their own homes, have taken the World Class Tests mathematics challenge. Students receive instant marking and feedback on their achievement.
  • To find out more, and to try the mathematics challenge visit the website
    
• Mathematics Computer Software - Autograph ! <=
  • www.shambles.net/autograph/
  • Occasionally some software comes along that is known as "killer software" .... well a number of Maths teachers have said to me in the past that "Autograph" is one such package for teaching and learning mathematics
  • Dynamic PC software for teaching calculus, coordinate geometry, statistics and probability
  • Autographs author, Douglas Butler, will be at the ATCM Conference mentioned above
    
• Numeracy self-evaluation planner (UK)
  • http://matrix.becta.org.uk/user/index.cfm?forcenew=no
  • This interactive tool has been designed by the National College for School Leadership to help headteachers evaluate their school's progress in the implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy
  • The tool is built around evidence taken over the last two years' from OFSTED's National Evaluation of the strategy, inspection reports and evidence from the National Strategy itself.
  • Use the tool to create an action plan for your school's implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy ... or probably to help review your plan as you're probably well on the way through it.
    
• Numeracy Online INSET - Pack for Teachers
  • http://forum.ngfl.gov.uk/WebX/numeracyinset
  • in March 2003 there was an online professional development event on "Using ICT to Support the Teaching and Learning of Mathematics"
  • the Inset pack has been specially devised for use by teachers of Key Stage 1, 2 and 3 pupils - who may or may not be mathematics or ICT subject specialists. The lesson plans and ideas are designed to give some starter lessons showing how ICT can be integrated into the teaching and learning of mathematics and some ideas for further developments.
  • the online even is now over but the materials there may be helpful for a school-based event or individual staff professional development
  • the lesson plans and ideas are designed to give some starter lessons showing how ICT can be integrated into the teaching and learning of mathematics and some ideas for further developments.”
  • note that one of the packs covers "Inclusion, SEN, mathematics and ICT"
    
• Summer School for Teachers on Technology for Secondary/College Mathematics (TSM)
  • www.argonet.co.uk/oundlesch/tsm-July03.html
  • UK summer school 8th to 11th July
  • Delegates will enjoy the superb computer facilities of Oundle School, in the peaceful Northamptonshire market town of Oundle, 30 miles West of Cambridge, England.
  • 12 hours of supervised hands-on instruction with worksheets on the mathematical aspects of MS Office (Word and Excel) and CAS (Computer Algebra Systems), and dynamic software (Autograph and Sketchpad/Cabri)

Incidentally there is a new webpage being constructed on Shambles that brings all of the Mathematics relayed areas together on one page http://www.shambles.net/mathematics

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Science Education Review
http://www.shambles.net/SER
The Science Education Review (SER) is a new, peer-reviewed, international periodical for busy primary and secondary (K-12) school science teachers, available on-line, as Word document e-mail attachments, and / or in hard copy.
.

For an idea of the science questions addressed in the current, and previous, issues CLICK HERE

Click on the website link above for more details, including how to receive your free trial for evaluation.

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Shambles Professional Development Tour 2004
www.shambles.net/profdev/2004tour/ ..... (INSET & Professional Course)
As mentioned in the last newsletter ..... the Shambles INSET planned for Feb. 2003 was postponed until Feb. 2004 ...

Training course for ICT Coordinators and for "Aspiring" ICT Coordinators .. with full details available at the link above.

The course will start with a face-to-face session in Bangkok a 3-day event run by UK facilitators followed by assignments to be done in school but with online help from the facilitators. The course is accredited by the Nottingham Trent University (UK).

Deadline for applications is 30th November 2003 ... application details at the website above

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New Journal of Innovation in Education
www.specialistschoolstrust.org.uk
The Specialist Schools Trust, in the United Kingdom, is to launch a new quarterly professional journal. This will be a paper-based journal. ‘Snapshots: The Specialist Schools Trust Journal of Innovation in Education’ is to specifically focus on new ideas, programs, policies and practices being trialed or fully implemented in schools (of all levels/types).

Articles in ‘Snapshots’ will describe and discuss innovations in schools all around the world. As such, the journal represents an outstanding opportunity for schools to showcase the work of their staff and to share practical ideas on what works best to improve student outcomes.

Through the journal, schools and educators will be encouraged to develop national and international networks, so that school-based research, experimentation with new ideas, the considered abandonment of old practices, and best practice can be shared more widely.

This could therefore be a very valuable vehicle for international schools and especially involving the professional development of staff .... for more details visit the website or email Debra Brydon at brydon@bigpond.net.au

I'll finish this with a quote from one of Debra's email message sent to schools- "I am therefore asking if you, a member of staff, or a team of staff in your school, would be able to assist by contributing a paper to the journal for possible publication. The focus would be on innovations that have been implemented in the past two or three years, or are planned for implementation in the near future."

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Physical Education (PE)
I've become aware of some unrest from the Physical Education teachers in schools that "Shambles" does not seem to be giving very much attention to this curriculum area.

There are some areas on Shambles - for teachers at www.shambles.net/pages/staff/PE__HfT/ one for sport at www.shambles.net/pages/students/Sport/ and the Olympics are covered at www.shambles.net/pages/students/Olympics/

But I admit that it could be better ... so suggestions from PE staff on what could help you would be appreciated and I promise to have a specialist page ready by the next newsletter.

But while you are waiting you might like to look at the following which shows one way that ICT can help P.E. staff and their students:

• How to evaluate performance in PE using a digital camera
  • www.ictadvice.org.uk/index.php?section=te&cat=005000&rid=2343
  • Digital still or video cameras can be used in PE lessons to analyse and evaluate students' performance, and as the basis for developing their understanding of how particular skills develop. It can also be used for assessment purposes
  • This article highlights the experiences of teachers of primary and secondary PE teachers taking part in a trial to evaluate the benefits of using camcorders and digital still cameras in PE lessons

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Key Stage Three Strategy (UK)
www.standards.dfee.gov.uk/keystage3/
Sorry - this is one mainly for the International Schools offering the British Curriculum ...

After the last newsletter I was contacted by Trevor Pedley an ICT Consultant at Leicestershire Local Education Authority in England. Trevor recommended that I brought schools attention to the website that promotes "The Key Stage 3 National Strategy which aims to raise standards by strengthening teaching and learning across the curriculum for all pupils aged 11 to 14"

To help teacher with the National Curriculum for students in the first three years of secondary school then this website is well worth a visit. .... thanks Trevor .... does anyone have any other favourites they would like to share?

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Education and ICT Conferences and Exhibitions
There are several conferences and exhibitions coming up on Education and ICT, here is a selection of just a few that you might like to include in the school calendar or plan for your own professional development ::

• National Education ICT Conference and Exhibition (Thailand)
  • www.reedtradex.com/edict/
  • Bangkok 19 to 21 June 2003
  • official supporter is the Thailand Ministry of Education
  • other supporters are the Thailand Ministry of Technology and Communication, Distance Learning Foundation, Ministry of University Affairs, Computer Association of Thailand Under the Royal Patronage of His Majesty the King
  • 3 day conference and workshop organized under the theme of “Getting Ahead in Education ICT World”
  • Education ICT 2003 is a platform for educators and learning institution professionals from throughout Thailand that are seeking modern technologies and solutions for teaching, learning and school administration; in order to develop competitiveness potential and improve the quality of education for Thai people.
  • there will also be an exhibition .... visit "Shambles" at booth C6 it would be great to put faces to many of the people I've corresponded with. (plus get your free badge)
    
• 9th Hong Kong Web Symposium
  • www.hkwebsym.org.hk/2003/
  • 6th December 2003
    
• TechEX (Thailand)
  • contact Bradley Arnold at IToffice@rism.ac.th
  • main day 7th November 2003 (possibly 6th & 8th for additional sessions)
  • venue Ruamrudee International School, Bangkok http://www1.rism.ac.th/
  • TechEX is a technology exchange for educators by educators. At this conference people from different schools and companies come together to discuss ideas and exchange experiences regarding the use of technology in the classroom and different school settings. It is the only conference of its kind in Thailand.
  • some conference seminars will teach software skills, while other seminars will be discussion groups where teachers talk about how they use technology in their particular classrooms.
  • previously this has been run for international school teachers just in Thailand but there is no reason why those from other S.E.ASia countries should not attend (apart from,maybe, cost)
    
• BETT 2003 (UK)
  • www.bettshow.co.uk/
  • 7th to 10th January 2004
  • BETT is the annual international event that encourages and extends effective use of ICT in education.
  • BETT is suitable for head teachers and senior management, policy makers and teaching practitioners in primary, secondary, further and special education establishments.
    
• International Conference on Computers in Education (Hong Kong)
  • www.icce03.org/
  • 2nd to 5th December 2003
    
• Technology Supporting Teaching and Learning (Germany)
  • www.online-educa.com/en/
  • 3rd to 5th December 2003

Incidentally there is a new ICT page being built on Shambles bringing all of the ICT resources and links together in one place ... still under construction but you can see the progress being made at www.shambles.net/ICT

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Schools Advertising on Shambles
http://www.shambles.net/advertising/
I am contacted regularly by surfers, who have found 'Shambles' by using the search engines, who ask me if I will recommend a school in the area they are moving to in one of the 17 countries in S.E.Asia.

The policy on this is that I will not recommend individual schools but will point the enquirer to the relevant page(s) that contains the lists of schools and contact details

Schools do, though, have the option to raise your own profile on those pages by taking up the advertising opportunities.

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Librarians and Libraries
Those of you who I know personally will already realise that I rate librarians and library staff very highly ... the internet has made them more essential than ever. I also admire them because their role has changed even more than that of teachers - they have moved from being simply the custodians of the books to being Information Literacy managers and mentors. (did I just hear someone say .. "so have teachers"?)

This is an evolutionary transformation which the vast majority have taken in their stride even though a few senior managers have yet to be convinced of the increased necessity for these staff (but fortunately it is only a few now).

I'd like to bring a few resources to the attention of library staff (and school senior managers)

• SILCAsia
  • www.silcasia.org
  • SILCAsia is a newly established organization of professionals in the field of library science who are dedicated to the pursuit of greater cooperation and communication among international schools in the Asian-Pacific Rim region. The goal, as always, is to improve library service.
  • The school libraries of the SILCAsia cooperative are dedicated to working together to provide an effective forum for the sharing of ideas and resources and to promote the cooperative licensing of electronic and print products to support the goals of our individual schools. This mission is achieved through providing access to our on-line OPAC systems where possible, establishing efficient materials request and delivery systems and through ongoing conversations between members either online or in face-to-face meetings.
    
• Library Links on Shambles
  • www.shambles.net/pages/school/librarians/
  • there is a list of websites relevant to library staff on Shambles but a new area should be completed by the time you receive the next newsletter
    
• Island Journeys - A Quest for Inspiration
  • www.islandjourneys.com.au
  • 2 - 5 October 2003 to be held in Hobart Tasmania
  • a joint conference of ASLA (Australian School Library Association) and CBCA (Children's Book
    Council of Australia)
  • a conference which is shaping up to be the most exciting event ever for teachers, librarians, teacher-librarians, authors, publishers and all those interested in seeking out the best in children's literature, in providing the best in education and finding inspiration
  • if you are a school principal then please ask your librarian if they would like to attend . but please check that you have the funding to offer them first.
  • feedback from previous attendees say it is a 'magical' experience .... and Australia is not too far away from us.
    
• International Association for School Librarianship (IASL)
  • www.iasl-slo.org
  • an international forum for promoting effective library programs within schools worldwide.
  • many teachers, administrators, librarians and professors participate in this association, discussing issues of concern through the listserv and sharing the excellent online resources available through the IASL website.
  • visit the website or contact Colleen MacDonell, Director for International Schools - IASL at cmacdonell@ic.edu.lb
    
• IASL Conference
  • www.iasl-slo.org/conference2003.html
  • 7 to 11 July 2003 in South Africa
  • you are invited to the 32nd Annual Conference of the International Association of School Librarianship (IASL), to be held at the International Convention Centre, Durban, South Africa
  • The conference incorporates the Seventh International Forum on Research in School Librarianship.
  • The theme of the Conference is School Libraries: Breaking Down Barriers
  • So, again, if you are the school 'boss' then check your budget and then sit down to discuss this with your librarian ... after all it is in the holidays for most schools

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Teacher Recruitment Online
This heading continues from the last newsletter as a topic that many teachers and administrators have a growing interest in. Last time I highlighted some case studies from schools who are already accepting applications online - and I also recommended that individual teachers should sign up for the free services offered by the Times Educational Supplement.

As a result I received some feedback from schools asking if there was any third party support that could help them use online recruiting .... but support that required little technical knowledge or infrastructure and was not expensive.

The answer to this is 'yes' there are several options and I'm please to be able to recommend "The Teacher Recruitment Company" as a good starter/entry option that carries zero financial risk for teachers and is very affordable for school administrators.

For specific details CLICK HERE or go to www.shambles.net/recruitment/TRC/

Why not trial the service in 2003-2004? ... regardless of the size of your school ... it's an easy option which you can run parallel to your usual recruitment procedures so as to be able to evaluate it.

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School Calendars 2003-2004
A reminder that there is a section dedicated to calendars on 'Shambles' at http://www.shambles.net/calendar/ where you can download A3 size templates

Webpages specifically for all the Australian International Schools are at www.dest.gov.au/schools/dates.htm and www.edna.edu.au/noticeboards/noticelist.html?id=1981

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e-learning
A few items of interest related to elearning ...

• elearning on Shambles
  • www.shambles.net/elearning
  • The elearning page on Shambles is being completely rewritten .... it will take the form of different needs and then offer background information, a menu of solutions and finally a 'preferred solution' ..... need to mention new elearning structure on Shambles
  • this should be completed by the middle of June
    
• International Distance Learning Course Finder
  • www.dlcoursefinder.com/
  • The International Distance Learning Course Finder is the world's largest online directory of e-learning courses from 130 countries.
  • This universal distance education resource has information on over 55,000 distance learning courses and programs offered from a multitude of universities, colleges and companies.
    
• Fieldwork
  • Teacher Professional Development content online .. excellent quality and affordable
  • watch this space or email me at csmith@iESF.net
    
• myinternet ... bringing the internet into the classroom
• does your school have individual email and webpages for all students and staff, can they share files, do they have their own desktop which has school notices,chat, calendars+ on it ...?
• does your network have filtering ... can email be filtered?
• is all of this accessible from computers at home?
• would you like to do all of this without spending any school money on computers or technicians to maintain it?
• would you like it all to be backed up automatically by someone else who can restore it all if anything was to go wrong
• and would you like all of this for a one off payment of US$495 which covers training and an annual fee of US$1,950
• For a free 40 day evaluation with no obligations other than the training fee then email me .. Chris Smith csmith@iESF.net
• this solution is already used by hundreds of schools in Australia, New Zealand and the UK .... it is also used by the English Schools Foundation in Hong Kong

I'm beginning to sound like a car salesman ... but trust me .. I'm an educator .. ;-) ... for schools just moving into connecting to the internet (or those reviewing what they already have) and looking for the least painful network/internet management and application solution then "myinternet" is a very low risk and low cost opportunity.

Watch this space for details of a further solution called "myclasses", or email me for details which I will send when available.

By the way ... did you follow up on the elearning course on elearning mentioned in the last newsletter? ... if you need reminding of the details then "CLICK HERE" for a pop-up box

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Google Labs
http://labs.google.com
OK - I already know everyone is using the Google search engine but did you know that there is a 'research' department hidden way back in the company and it sounds like the people there are having some fun.

They are playing with (sorry - exploring) different ways of presenting information and displaying search results ... one of the options is the Google Viewer .... where you can view search results as scrolling webpages .. this could be particularly useful for displays in schools

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Retirement
In a few weeks time, at the end of term, there will be a section of our school communities who come to the end of their teaching careers and make ready for the third age of retirement.

I hope that schools bid these staff the quality of farewells that they deserve after a lifetime given to the worlds third oldest profession (I'll leave you guessing at number two).

But being unable to resist I should be grateful if the new retirees could give me some feedback over the next year. An area has been established on the Shambles website specifically to support staff who are about to retire. It can be accessed from the front page www.shambles.net => Professional Development => Advice for Retiring Teachers.

The new area is incomplete and under development, especially with the advice to USA and Australian teachers .... any advice you could provide would be most welcome ... please email me (in your spare time that is) ... but firstly have a great time ... no longer ruled by school bells!

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That's IT
I hope you have found something here again that can be of help when working with your students, colleagues and parents ... and also something of personal interest as well. Also good luck to all those staff who have now resigned and are on the journey to a new school.

... and best wishes to all those teachers and support staff who are leaving Asia and moving on to new opportunities, I'm sure you will miss the place and the people.

The next newsletter will be late October2003

Feedback
www.shambles.net/feedback/
Any feedback you can give about this newsletter would be appreciated .... especially ideas or contributions for future editions ... I actually think this newsletter edition was a little too long .. do you agree?

If you know of any new international schools opening in the region - Brunei Burma/Myanmar Cambodia China Hong Kong (HKSAR) India Indonesia Japan Laos Macau Malaysia Philippines Singapore South Korea Taiwan Thailand Vietnam - the please let me know csmith@iESF.net

Have an enjoyable summer holiday

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Musical interlude

I received a very favourable response to the musical addition in the last newsletter.
which featured Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
and the Salvation Army Band
so here is a second offering
in recognition of the cancelled Rolling Stones concert in Bangkok

CLICK HERE
you need to be connected to the internet of course
(can you identify the main singer ... the same guy as last time)

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