Weekly Update #10, 1 November 2024

Announcements

Toddler Playgroup @ Cherngtalay Campus

Welcoming all families to step into our vibrant classrooms for a special morning at our free Toddler Playgroup! Our highly qualified team will guide you and your little ones through a range of engaging activities – from sensory and messy play stations to hands-on crafts where children can make their own creations. Toddlers will explore color and texture with paint, playdough, and water play, helping develop their motor skills and curiosity. There’s also storytime and songs to wrap up the morning. This fun-filled session is perfect for families to connect and find out what it’s like to be a part of our HeadStart community.

Our Toddler Playgroup runs at our Cherngtalay campus on Wednesdays from 9:00-10:00am and is for young ones aged 1-4 years old. To express your interest in having your toddler join, fill out the registration form by scanning the QR code in the poster below. We look forward to hearing from you.

Saturday Thai Culture Club

Let’s kick off our first term with some fun cultural activities. Inviting all students and parents from Early Years to Year 6 to join our unique program where we learn more about Thai Culture on Saturday 16th November from 9.00am to 12.00pm.

If you are interested in participating in this program, please feel free to contact your child’s Thai teacher at school.

Upcoming Events

Dress for Sunshine! Casual Clothes Day

On Thursday 14th November, we invite all students to ‘Dress for Sunshine’ as part of our Phuket Sunshine Village Term 1 Fundraiser. In return for a minimum donation of 50 baht, students are welcome to come to school wearing vibrant colours and sunshiney clothes to brighten the day and demonstrate their generosity of spirit to raise money for the children at PSV. While Hawaiian shirts and colourful shorts and skirts are encouraged, students should do not wear inappropriate beachwear – no bikinis please! We look forward to seeing everyone dressed to impress and bring the sunshine to HeadStart!

Friday Market – Eco Special!

Inviting everyone to attend our first Eco Special Friday Market of the school year. If you want delicious home-baked treats and freshly made drinks, or sustainably sourced products and second-hand items with a focus on reducing plastic waste and supporting local enterprise, then join us in the Atrium from 2:40pm on Friday 8th November. We look forward to seeing you there!

Meetings & Presentations

Year 11 Options Fair

On Wednesday, 23rd October, the annual Year 11 Options Fair took place at the Chaofah City campus. The event began with a presentation for the parents of Year 11 students in the Primary Hall, led by Mr Davidson, Head of Upper Secondary School. Following this, the main event commenced in the Secondary Hall, where Year 11 students and their parents were invited to explore stands for each subject available in Year 12 and 13. Teachers from Years 12 and 13 were present to provide guidance on the content of each subject and the potential future pathways they could offer.

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the staff who created excellent displays and provided valuable advice throughout the event. We hope that Year 11 students and their parents now feel more confident about the pathways available to them and their potential future routes. If you were unable to attend and would like to learn more, please do not hesitate to email Mr Davidson at [email protected] with any questions. The presentation delivered is available to view below 👇.

Y11 Options Fair 2024 presentation

Phonics Workshop for Parents on 29.10.24

In our parent meeting this week, Year 1 and 2 parents found out more about phonics at HeadStart and how our Little Wandle Phonics scheme supports our youngest students to read. Our Phonics and Reading Lead, Mr Liam Moore, talked to parents about the sounds we teach children at each stage of phonics, what the progression of phonics looks like throughout our Foundation Stage to Year 2, and how parents may help their children at home. Parents were also treated to a special phonics demonstration by some of our wonderful Year 1 students, led by our Year 1 White teacher, Ms Bridie Roche. If you missed this meeting or would like to find out more, please find a copy of the presentation below. Ms Hark – Head of Foundation & Primary

Phonics Workshop for Parents 29 October

Parent Meeting: End of Term 1 Assessments, Revision, Reports, and Grades

We invite all parents of Primary students to join us for our latest parent meeting when our academic team will talk you through our Term 1 Assessment processes, including your child’s upcoming exams, how to support them to prepare for these and how their progress will be reported to you. It will also be a great opportunity to meet other parents and members of our community. Our Thai, Russian and Mandarin speaking admin teams will be on hand to provide translation services. We look forward to seeing you there! Tuesday 5th November 2024 from 8:15-9:15am in the Secondary Hall (third floor).

UPrep Drop In Session at Nakita’s Cafe

Welcoming all interested parents to join our upcoming UPrep (University Preparation) Drop In session on Wednesday 6th of November 2024 at 8:30 a.m. in Nakita’s Cafe on the first floor. This is the perfect opportunity to sit and chat with our University Counsellors and ask questions and advice in an informal setting. This is an opportunity that you do not want to miss as meeting our UPrep team will provide invaluable insight into planning your child’s university pathways and successful enrolment into top universities around the world.

Meet the Team

Hello! I’m Alisa, the Head Girl for this academic year, and it’s my privilege to introduce our Prefect team. Together with Krit, our Head Boy, and Erica, our Assistant Head Student, we work to make school life vibrant and engaging for everyone. Our team recently ran a Halloween-themed stall at the charity event “Phuket Has Been Good to Us”, bringing fun and games to local kids while supporting a great cause. We also organized the Halloween Disco at school on Thursday this week, which turned out to be a fantastic night of costumes, dancing, and lots of fun!

Throughout the year, we plan and lead events like Valentine’s Day, Christmas, and Prom, all aimed at creating special memories and a stronger sense of community for all HeadStart students. What I love most about this role is that it allows us to gather feedback and ideas from students, ensuring everyone feels represented and involved.

Working with such a dedicated team of Prefects is genuinely inspiring. Each person brings unique strengths, making it possible for us to approach every project with enthusiasm and creativity. It’s a privilege to work alongside people so committed to making a difference. Thank you for taking the time to Meet the Team – we’re here to make our school a more positive and memorable place for everyone! Alisa (Year 13) – Head Girl

House News

Last Friday, Year 7 and Year 8 students took part in an action-packed Tug of War competition. The Year 8 finals were particularly tense, with a fierce showdown between the Blue Tigers and Green Dragons, with the Dragons ultimately emerging victorious.

Our Year 7 House teams had their first ever Tug of War event in Secondary and were very excited. During the finals, the Yellow Cheetahs and Blue Tigers tugged out the final, with the Blue Tigers eventually claiming victory.

After an afternoon brimming with excitement and spirited competition, here are the final results:

Year 8:

• 1st place: Green Dragons – 2nd place: Blue Tigers – 3rd place: Yellow Cheetahs – 4th place: Red Phoenixes

Year 7:

• 1st place: Blue Tigers – 2nd place: Yellow Cheetahs – 3rd place: Red Phoenixes – 4th place: Green Dragons

Congratulations to everyone who participated – helping their houses earn valuable points! We can’t wait for more thrilling activities later this term! Ms Bekker – House Coordinator

PE & Sports News

HeadStart Students Go “Cross Country” at BISP

Huge congratulations to all our students who took part in the PISAC cross country event this week. We had a whopping 85 runners representing HeadStart! The races were very competitive and hard fought; special mentions go to Maya (Y8 at City campus) who finished 3rd in the U13 Girls race and Jia (Y4 at City campus) who, after a dramatic sprint finish, finished 1st in the U9 Girls race! Collectively as a school, combining the results from Primary and Secondary, HeadStart placed 3rd overall. What an impressive event! The PE department is already looking forward to next year for even more runners to take part. Ms Carter – Head of PE

Hougang Secondary School Visit

On Monday, 28th October, our HeadStart Football and Basketball Academies welcomed the Hougang Secondary School from Singapore for a series of U15 boys and girls football and basketball matches. We were also impressed with their Wushu Martial Arts performance before the games. This was Hougang’s way of saying thank you for hosting us. Well done, everyone! Mr Carter – Director of Sport

Languages Department

Russian Language Day

On October 26, HeadStart International School held the Day of the Russian Language. This event brought together children and parents from our HeadStart Chaofah and Cherngtalay campuses, creating a warm atmosphere of unity and creativity. The program featured wonderful creative performances: ballet, songs, dances, and much more. There were also some delightful surprises for the audience! The children participated in a workshop where they created colorful crafts with their parents. The event concluded with a food fair, where everyone could sample famous national dishes and share them. We thank all the participants for their active involvement and support. We look forward to seeing you again at our events!

📸 A full album of photos of this event can be found here: Russian Language Day 2024

День русского языка

26 октября в школе HeadStart International School прошел День русского языка. Это мероприятие объединило детей и родителей из Чаофа и Чернгталай кампусов, создав теплую атмосферу единства и творчества. В программе были замечательные творческие номера: балет, песни, танцы и многое другое. Не обошлось без приятных сюрпризов для зрителей! Дети также приняли участие в мастер-классе, где вместе с родителями создавали красочные поделки. Завершилось мероприятие гастрономической ярмаркой, на которой все желающие могли попробовать знаменитые национальные блюда и поделиться ими. Благодарим всех участников за активное участие и поддержку. Ждем вас снова на наших мероприятиях!

Полный альбом фотографий данного мероприятия можно посмотреть по следующей ссылке: Russian Language Day 2024

Primary

Handcrafting Halloween Decorations in the Library

This Halloween, the library hosted fun-filled handcraft activities where students created spooky decorations. They enjoyed the activities, which sparked their imagination and highlighted their unique talents. It was a delight to see so many young creators engaged in the fun! Happy Halloween! Khun Mai – School Librarian

Star of the Week in Primary

Last week in Primary, our Stars of the Week were awarded for ‘Resilience’. These children have impressed their teachers with their determination and hard work. They have persevered when faced with challenges; from broken arms to difficult maths questions! They understand that learning is not always a linear path and have used setbacks as tools to learn and grow. They should all be very proud of themselves!

Year 6 White Get Green Fingers in the Growing Garden

In Year 6 White, we have been getting up to lots of exciting things in the Growing Garden. First we planted morning glory seeds, which have since grown and been harvested, as these only take a few weeks to become ripe. As well as that, we also repotted some tomato plants which were becoming too big for their small pots, using new soil and coconut husks to help accelerate their growth. We spent time watering all of the other plants in the garden, before getting the chance to harvest any ripe fruit or vegetables we could find; many of us found passion fruits, chili peppers, mulberries and long beans.

All of this links to our learner profile of being ‘Collaborative’, with students having to work together to plant new items and harvest existing ones. It also incorporates the attribute of being ‘Inquisitive’ as many of the children got to show their eagerness to know more and ask lots of good questions about the different varieties of plants. With our current science topic, ‘Living things and their habitats’, focusing on plants and their role in the wider ecosystem, this couldn’t be a better time to get out into the Growing Garden and get our fingers Green! Mr Charlton – Year 6 Lead Teacher

Secondary

Lending a Helping Hand at the Play & Treat Halloween Family Fundraiser

Last weekend, a ghoulish group of our Deputy School Prefects, led by Head Boy, Krit, and Head Girl, Alisa, joined a host of other volunteers from across Phuket to lend a helping hand with the Play & Treat Halloween Family Fundraiser organised by Phuket Has Been Good To Us and The Good Shepherd Phuket Town foundations. With children and their families from across the island attending this event at NH Boat Lagoon Phuket Resort, our scary Secondary students ran a range of spooktacular Halloween games that brought frightful fun to the little pumpkins who came!

Bringing Secondary Science to Life!

This week, our science labs were buzzing with excitement as we continued to blend theory with practical exploration, bringing science to life in our labs every week.

Our Year 8 students had an electrifying experience with the Van de Graaff generator, diving into the wonders of electricity and magnetism. With hair-raising moments and static surprises, they explored firsthand how electric charges interact, sparking a deeper understanding and plenty of laughter along the way. Our Year 13 Biology students took a different approach to discovery – they investigated how temperature affects the rate of oxygen production in plants, connecting abstract theory to the natural processes of photosynthesis. Using controlled experiments and careful observation, these young scientists explored how plants respond to environmental changes, reinforcing their knowledge with real-world applications. The Secondary Science Team

Return of The Apprentice !

Excitement is building at HeadStart as the ‘Apprentice’ programme takes centre stage this half term, providing Y12 students with a unique opportunity to refine their application and interview skills for internships. With senior teachers such as Mr Wakeford and Ms Graham representing the CEOs of the companies, students submit their CVs and cover letters, leading to interviews where experienced staff members will decide which students will be awarded the internship. Over the next few weeks until the term’s end, students will undergo this transformative experience, gaining valuable insights into real-world job dynamics. Not only does this initiative provide practical exposure, but it also sets the stage for coveted internship placements and the recognition of outstanding performance through certificates and prizes in each category. Head of Secondary, Mr Lukats praised the programme, emphasising its ‘role in preparing students for professional success’. As HeadStart continues its commitment to holistic education, this UPrep activity stands as a testament to the school’s dedication to shaping well-rounded, career-ready individuals. Stay tuned for updates on this exciting journey as our students embark on the path to promising futures.

After 6 Hours in Make Up…Year 12 Reimagine Classic Tales

In order to deeply understand generic conventions – a fundamental tenet of the Unseen Paper for AS Literature – students need to creatively engage with them.

To make this collaborative, dramatic task even more challenging, Year 12 students drew on their nascent understanding of intertextuality, postmodernism and ‘play’ to subvert their audience’s expectations of gender roles, characterisation and language in two very … ‘reimagined’ versions of Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella respectively.

Following their performances, students now will write an evaluative reflection in which they meditate on how successful their characterisation, staging and language choices were and why. Mr. Pollicutt – Head of English & EAL

Success Outside School

Congratulations to Leo (Year 7) who finished 1st Runner up in the Class C-Boys Division of the TKG Southern Ranking Golf event over the weekend of 5/6th October.

Congratulations to Romeo (Year 3) who ranked 2nd in the U8s Tennis tournament at the PTT LTAT Southern Region competition held at the Oceanic Tennis Club.

Congratulations to Puff (Year 5) who finished in 2nd place in her age group at the PTT LTAT Southern Region competition held at the Oceanic Tennis Club.

HeadStart Eco School

HeadStart Eco School Term 1.5 Focus – Climate. SDG13 – Climate Action

Eco Committees

Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time, impacting nearly every aspect of our lives. Rising temperatures lead to more extreme heatwaves, droughts, and unpredictable weather patterns, which not only threaten ecosystems but also disrupt food production and water supply. Around the world, nations are stepping up efforts to reduce carbon emissions investing in renewable energy like solar and wind power, promoting reforestation projects to absorb atmospheric carbon, and encouraging sustainable practices in industries to limit environmental harm.

In Thailand, the effects of climate change are particularly evident. The agricultural sector, which is the backbone of the country, faces significant disruptions from changing rainfall patterns and increased frequency of floods and droughts. This instability threatens the livelihoods of millions of farmers. Coastal regions, including popular tourist destinations, are vulnerable to rising sea levels and severe storms, which could lead to loss of land, damage to infrastructure, and a decline in tourism revenue. As these threats continue to grow, it is crucial for all citizens to contribute to sustainability efforts whether through reducing plastic consumption, conserving energy, or supporting community led environmental initiatives such as our beach cleaning initiative. By making conscious choices in our daily lives, we can collectively mitigate the impacts of climate change and work towards a more resilient future for Thailand.

At HeadStart International School, we are committed to making meaningful contributions to the fight against climate change, not only through small actions but by implementing impactful sustainability projects. Alex (Yucheng Qiang) – Senior Prefect for Eco

Community Beach Clean

We invite HeadStart Cherngtalay families to head ‘down south’ and join us this Sunday at Kata beach (9:30 am @ Surf House Kata). Bring with you water, suncream, a hat and reusable gloves if you want to wear them. We will provide collection bags and of course House Points for every participant. So come join us for a fun and rewarding community event where we give back to our local community.

At the last Beach Clean event in Rawai, we had over 60 people in attendance. The winning House were the Green Dragons who were best represented. We collected roughly 35 kg or beach rubbish!