Weekly Update 10

Student Voice

Learn to hit the books…so that they don’t hit you back!

By Anastasia Emelianova, Year 12 student

‘With great power comes great responsibility,’ or as most teachers like to put it: Study or you will fail!

Approaching the end of this first term, everyone single one of us has heard this speech. Although, I also know from experience that sometimes it takes too long for these speeches to hit home and… you kind of wing it, which is really avoiding the problem, whilst still keeping that sense of impending doom. The bad news is - you have to study. The good news? It’s not the horrific, dreadful, tedious experience you think it is going to be. To put it clearly: it is what you make it! You, and only you, can make studying fun or, at least something close to it.

What most of us failed to realize is that if we only start studying after we fail your mock exams the reality of the situation will feel like being run over like truck. Obviously, after this, you are not going to be in the best mindset: you’ll be stressed, exhausted and probably have one of the most scarring phases in your educational history. Right now though, there is a whole lot of time for you to stretch out your revision in a way that will ensure success. You can do it! That is what I hope to bring to you today. As a proud survivor of IGCSE’s (and the Checkpoint exams before that) I think I have a few words of wisdom that I can share with you. Revision isn’t always the most fun thing on the planet, that’s kind of obvious, but believe me when I tell you that when you study hard and end up getting the grade you can only dream of it becomes worth it.

Mindset

I know this isn’t what you want to hear, but I am all about serving hard truths. You have to make yourself love it. If you think I am telling you to brainwash yourself into liking revision you’re correct as that is exactly what I’m saying. You perform best when you actually try, so do whatever you have to. This can include giving yourself treats every time you finish a new chapter. What I did was decorate my revision notes, that way I morphed the bland studying with something artistic that made me happy (and my notes were works of art). My point is, you have to find a type of studying that you like best. This will not only help you motivate yourself but also help to remember the important information. Research what type of learner you are. Find things that make you want to study. Set yourself up for success.

Use apps to block distracting sites

Or practice some spiritual level of self-control. When you first start revising it will be all too easy to reward yourself for a 30 minute studying session with a 5-hour social media relaxation session. You can’t do that. It’s better to study in intervals. So study for 30 min, take a 10 min break, study for another 30. There are apps that allow you to do this, so you aren’t tempted to check out Facebook in between.

Make a study schedule

I was one of those ‘geniuses’ that decided to study late in the year which meant at least two hours of revision every night. This situation was as horrible as it sounds and some people in my class were even worse off than me. If you start your revision now, a couple of hours every week should be fine but it’s important to create this plan for yourself. My best friend planned his study schedule, always followed it and worked hard and all his grades were well above B’s. Study schedules help you keep you on track.

Make flashcards

This is something I am ready to swear by. Flashcards are God’s gift to students. They help you pick out the most important points and make it way easier to memorize them.

Find that perfect study space

Whether this is at your dinner table, in your room or in the library. It doesn’t matter, as long as that is the place that you feel most productive in. The thing about revision is that it is most definitely qualitative and not quantitative. If you don’t bother actually putting in any effort studying for 3 hours will be as useful as studying for 10 minutes.

Snack!

This is another one of those things that I integrated into my studying which I looked forward to. Prepare healthy snacks to eat while studying like fruit, nuts, or avocado on toast. This will make your brain happy to study and keep you engaged.

These tips are just a few things that I thought of which could have helped me do better but I urge you to research this topic a little bit more and get that revision plan going. I know, for sure, you will thank yourself later.

Announcements

Royal Visit from Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn–By Kru Nee

As you are well aware of the passing of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the management feared that given the circumstances, there might be some changes made to the scheduled royal visit of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn to graciously preside over the Grand Opening of our school on 20th January next year.

The management, therefore, has contacted the Bureau of the Royal Household for a confirmation regarding any possible changes in the schedule and received a confirmation that Her Royal Highness is still carrying out her royal engagements as per usual except for those related to merriment. If there should be any amendment made to the scheduled royal visit to the school, the Bureau of the Royal Household will inform us as soon as such changes are made. At present, all the schedules still remain unchanged.

As of now there are 30 parents who have notified the school of their intention to contribute to the charities under the Royal Patronage of Her Royal Highness. If you would like to contribute to this good cause, please kindly contact me via this e-mail or on 081-9566065.

เรียนผู้ปกครอง

ตามที่ทุกท่านทราบข่าวการเสด็จสวรรคตของพระบาทสมเด็จพระเจ้าอยู่หัว รัชกาลที่ 9 ทางโรงเรียนจึงมีความกังวลว่าอาจมีการเลื่อนกำหนดการเดินทางของพระองค์ท่านที่มีกำหนดมาเป็นประธานเปิดงาน Grand Opening ของโรงเรียนของเราในปีหน้า คือ วันศุกร์ ที่ 20 มกราคม 2560 นี้

ทางโรงเรียนจึงได้ติดต่อไปยังสำนักพระราชวังเพื่อขอคำยืนยันการเสด็จพระราชดำเนินของสมเด็จพระเทพฯ ทางสำนักพระราชวังได้แจ้งว่า ขณะนี้ สมเด็จพระเทพฯ ยังทรงงานเป็นปกติ จะงดเว้นการเสด็จเฉพาะงานรื่นเริง หากมีการเปลี่ยนแปลงประการใด ที่เกี่ยวข้องกับพิธีพระราชทานเพลิงศพ ทางสำนักพระราชวังจะรีบแจ้งให้ทางโรงเรียนทราบโดยทันที ข้อสรุปคือ ณ ตอนนี้ กำหนดการยังคงเดิม ไม่มีการเปลี่ยนแปลงใดๆ

ขณะนี้มีผู้ปกครองที่ได้ลงชื่อประสงค์จะร่วมทำบุญในโครงการของพระเทพฯ จำนวน 30 ท่านแล้ว หากผู้ปกครองท่านใดมีความประสงค์จะร่วมทำบุญในโครงการต่างๆของสมเด็จพระเทพฯ เพื่อถวายเป็นพระราชกุศล สามารถติดต่อครูนีได้ที่อีเมลนี้ หรือที่หมายเลขโทรศัพท์ 081-9566065

CAT4 Testing for Primary Students–By Adam Drew

The Year 3-6 students will be taking CAT4 tests which are computer based and are nothing which you or your child should worry about, as there is no preparation or revision that students can do in order to achieve a higher score and there is no cost to parents for taking these tests. The scores are not levelled or graded but are there to help the school and teachers understand more about each child as an individual and help guide specific support for individual students to either help with EAL or other specific learning needs. They will give the school lots of information about specific learning styles and abilities. More details regarding the CAT4 testing can be found by clicking here http://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/products/cat4-cognitive-abilities-test-fourth-edition

Lost and Found

Thanks to the Parent Committee for their suggestion which was presented in last week’s meeting you will be happy to know that we have now changed the policy for Lost and Found items. Lost items will no longer be discarded every 48 hours. Parents and students will now have 1 week to collect lost items. Every week on Monday afternoon lost items that have not been collected will find their way to local foundations in need of basic essentials. Parents are strongly advised to label every item of clothing and belongings that the students bring to school. Items that are labelled are most likely to find their way back to the owner as our helpful staff in the Nurse’s office will do their best to return it to the Foundation and Primary students.

Full Lost and Found policy can be found in this download.

Hairy HeadStart Movember Fundraiser–By ‘Mo Bro’ Paul Williams

Myself and a few other brave men are growing our ‘moustaches’ for 30 days and it’s not just a bold fashion statement. We are doing it to raise funds for the Movember Foundation, and we need your support. The not so aptly named ‘Hairy HeadStart’ (Mo Bro Paul Williams, Mo Bro Craig O’Nions, Mo Bro Patrick Brown, Mo Bro Paddy O’Hagan, Mo Bro Carl Osborne and Mo Bro Darren Beanland) would like to raise as much money as possible for this cause and also I think we deserve some of your hard earned money for looking like idiots for the month! We’re supporting the Movember Foundation because they’re tackling some of the most significant health issues faced by men and help to raise money for charities fighting prostate cancer, testicular cancer and mental health issues such as depression. Your donations will help them stop men dying too young.

You can learn more about the important work Movember is funding and the impact your donation will have: http://uk.movember.com/programs/cause or you can contact me at [email protected] for more information.

There’s a lot riding on these moustaches, so thank you. We appreciate your support.

House News

Year 5 & 6 Basketball

Year 5 & 6 played in their first Inter House Competition today (Basketball). Each Year group played in their own tournament, but both Year groups final results were combined to find our eventual winners. The students had so much fun and they participated and encouraged each other throughout the entire event.

1st = Yellow / 2nd = Blue / 3rd = Red / 4th = Green

Year 7 Burn Ball

Year 7 participated in the Speed Burn Ball tournament (similar game to softball/baseball). They were also joined by teachers who were allowed to play with their respective houses. Green house were very fortunate to have the help from three teachers, and because of this it helped them to run away as eventual winners by just one point.

1st = Green / 2nd = Yellow / 3rd = Blue / 4th = Red

The Year 5-6 House Basketball competition on Friday was a great success. Congratulations to the Yellow House for winning the trophy!

Activity Update

Aerial Circus Camp–By Ms Fabienne Mester

During the October mid-term break, the circus camp went on everyday for a week with Miss Sasha, who is also a dance teacher in HeadStart Dance programme and Mr Vlad Bond, the director of Reprizzo Circus production. The students learned aerial acrobatics with the fabric and the loop, juggling and balancing on different kind of equipment. They all look like birds, butterflies, elves juggling through the Fitness studio that did look for 2h everyday like a magic world or fairy land.

Gymnastic Camp 2016

Oleg, the gymnastic coach from the HeadStart Dance Academy trained students 2 hours per day for one week during October mid-term break. One week of roll overs, cartwheels, handstands, stretches, vault jumps, back flips, rings. Sore arms and sore legs for sure, but so much fun to learn and improve all these figures in 5 days.

Foundation News

Free Kidsmania Vouchers

On Friday we had a surprise visit from Yvonne Symons, the Kidsmania (RPM) Manager, and Elena Dragunova, the general manager from Royal Phuket Marina, who very kindly dropped off some free day passes for each child between 2- 8 years of age. You will find these vouchers in your child’s bag. Kidsmania is a fun indoor and outdoor play centre in a safe environment at Royal Phuket Marina. Please see their website http://www.royalphuketmarina.com/kids-mania/ or facebook page https://www.facebook.com/kidsmaniaatRPM/ for more details.

Parenting Tips: Just Say No!

By Mrs Fiona Scott

How is it that young children have an amazing ability to scream very loudly, when they hear the word “No!” The power of one single word can send a child spiralling into a complete emotional breakdown; and from my recent experience, this usually happens in the busiest of places, with a very large audience.

A recent shopping trip to the supermarket turned into a very unpleasant experience when my youngest decided she wanted a pink doughnut. Trying to negotiate my reasons for saying no whilst selecting my fruit and veg was no easy discussion with a howling three year old. I tried to remain calm as I believe nothing can be gained from fighting fire with fire. But a very loud, full blown meltdown pursued.

As parents we have two options when faced with a child throwing a temper tantrum because they can’t get what they want. 1) Be consistent with your decision or 2) Give in to what they want. Children will always push the boundaries and it can often be easier to give in to their wailing demands. But what message is this giving to our children? They will soon learn that they can get what they want by behaving like this, and next time, they could scream even louder, for even longer.

It’s extremely important for children to learn the word “no” and to understand that they can’t always get what they want. As parents we must set the rules, children will test the limits to see what they can get away with. But we must try and not give in to the tantrums. There are a number of important lessons children will learn when we say no; it helps them to deal with disappointment, to prioritise and to cope with conflicts in different situations, maybe at school, or with friends. We have a number of rules and systems in school where children learn how to successfully take part in lessons and share resources with friends. Children need this consistency in the family home too.

To help cope with some of the temper tantrums that our youngsters show, it is important to remember that it is a normal stage of a child’s development. They are not trying to be defiant or rebellious on purpose, they are just trying to express their growing independence which leads to frustration.

Some tips for coping with the temper tantrums:

• Children need routine – try and keep to a regular routine for meals, naps and bedtime.

• Provide your child with a safe environment that is well child proofed to explore and play in. It really isn’t fair if your child should get into trouble for playing with something they aren’t supposed to if you left it within reach.

• Don’t just tell them ‘no’ - try and give them reasons.

• Distractions can work: if your child is upset, distract them with something else. It is amazing how quickly they forget they are even upset.

• Offer limited choices – ‘would you like apples or oranges for snack’ rather than ‘what would you like for snack’. This helps your child feel like they are making some important decisions and reduces the risk of a negative response.

• Keep your cool – children will find it hard to calm down if parents become frustrated or angry.

Above all, don’t forget the good side to this development stage. During these foundation years, your child will be learning at a rate that will amaze you. They will soon be able to do things that will surprise you. They will also be learning how to show their love for you with hugs and kisses, which will melt your heart. So, deep breaths and cherish your time together. After all, it’s just a phase they are going through.

Preschoolers Learn About the 4 Seasons–By Ms Lisa Parsons

The Preschoolers had so much fun in their messy play time. Since their theme was the 4 seasons they painted a big yellow sun and played in the snow!

Early Years Visits the Aquarium

On Tuesday Early Years went on a trip to the Aquarium. Early Years have been learning about different sea creatures in our ‘Under the Sea’ topic. We have been learning the names of the different animals and their characteristics. The trip enabled us to talk about our experiences and also to create our own sea creatures. Ms Frankie Massey

Primary News

By Mr Andrew Whittaker

Field Trips

Many of the Primary Field Trips are taking place during this part of the school term. Field Trips are an important aspect of school life. They take learning out of the classroom and provide pupils with new unique learning experiences with their teachers and classmates. When I reflect back on my own Primary education, it is often the school trips that I went on that come to mind first. I hope your children come home and share with you stories of an exciting and fun day out.

Celebration of Success

I have had the great pleasure of many of our pupils come to my office to share with me their great work and they have received a Head’s Merit stamp in recognition; I look forward to seeing many more pupils over the coming weeks.

Poppies

Last week I mentioned Remembrance Tide. I am please to report that all our stocks of wristbands and bracelets have sold out. More will be arriving shortly. On Friday 11th of November we will be commemorating all those that have given their lives , so that we can live in safety and freedom. The money raised goes towards supporting families, whether coping with bereavement, living with disability, or finding employment.

Feelin’ HOT HOT HOT!!!!

The weather is starting to becoming hotter so please ensure that your children are bringing their water bottles into school and are keeping themselves hydrated as this is essential for good learning.

Year 4 Practicing Meditation and Mindfulness–By Ms Kate Thongsen

Year 4 Blue have been learning about meditation and mindfulness in PSHE. The children have practised using breathing techniques and visualisation to help them calm down.To help them visualise calming down we made glitter jars. When the children shake the jars and the glitter whirls around, it represents our minds when we are feeling angry, aggressive or upset. The glitter settling at the bottom of the jar shows that we can calm our minds down and then think clearly and make better decisions. We all had a great fun making these jars!

Challenging Math in Year 5–By Ms Lindsay Williams

In Maths, Year 5 Blue have been learning about place value in decimal numbers. The students created their own decimal number puzzles and decided to put Mr Whittaker and Mr Khan to the test! Mr Whittaker and Mr Khan completed the puzzles correctly although they did say they were quite tricky!

Secondary News

By Mrs Elizabeth Mason

This week we have continued to establish routines for excellent teaching and learning. Teachers are taking forward ideas from our recent CPD session and have begun to discuss ideas on how to embed the building learning power’s 4R’s into their faculties. We want students to be flexing their brain muscles and learning to learn.

SCORE–Mind Edge Learning

We hope to start a new program of Mind Edge Learning. After the Christmas break Mr Alan Yip (who recently ran a fantastic session on ‘Secrets to Raising Happy and Achieving Children’ for our parents) will be running paid sessions for the students. The ‘SCORE’ program will be in 12 week blocks and open to all Secondary students. News on the sessions will follow from Mr. James Barker shortly.

Be on Time

I am disappointed to see a few students coming late to school which means having a less organized start to the day. I have noticed that some students are struggling to get into school before 8:05 am. I really would like to see all students in at 7:50 am at the latest giving them time to get to their lockers organizing themselves and ensuring they are part of the Homeroom sessions. This in itself can really disrupt learning.

The History of Halloween Assembly–By Mr Simon Lowcock

The students from Mr Lowcock’s Year 7 Yellow Homeroom provided an educational and entertaining Assembly on The History of Halloween this week. The students explained how the origins of Halloween date back over 2000 years to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain and the eve of the Celtic New Year (the Celts believed the spirits of the dead could return to earth on this night).

The students enthusiastically acted out scenes from history and described how Halloween changed over time due to Roman and Christian influences before evolving into the commercial celebrations we know of today. The Assembly concluded with an enjoyable apple-bobbing competition between students from various Year groups (& the Teachers!) A stimulating start to the week from Year 7 Yellow - Well Done and Happy Halloween!!

Makey Makey Fun! By Mr Peter Mason

During this week’s After School Program the VAP Students have been making game controllers for the Scratch based ‘PacMan’ games they have been programming from start. The game controllers are made using plain paper and a graphite pencil, with the special component being a Makey Makey.

“Makey Makey is an invention kit for the 21st century. Turn everyday objects into touch pads and combine them with the internet. It’s a simple Invention Kit for Beginners and Experts doing art, engineering, and everything in between”. Source: makeymakey.com

Our students have learnt to review and refine their games and controllers in order to develop their sense of audience and purpose when creating digital products for others to use.

Thai Department News

Early Years are learning about fruit in their Thai classes. We practised saying the names, colouring the pictures and making fruit handbags.

Year 11 students pay their respects to His Majesty King Bhumiphol Adulyadej

Sports News

Bags left in the Fitness suite

Can we please remind all students not to bring any bags or personal belongings to the fitness rooms during ASPs. They should store all such items in their lockers.

Upcoming Sporting Fixtures

We have quite a few more big sporting events coming up so please try and come and cheer our teams on if you can.

• SEA International School Senior Girls Basketball Tournament 4-5th of November at BISP

• PISAC Swimming League Round Two on the 5th of November at Thanyapura

• PISAC U9 and U11 Football tournament on Wednesday the 9th of November at 3:35:30 pm at HeadStart.

• PISAC U13 and Over 15 Football Tournament on Wednesday the 16th of November at 4:00-6:00 pm at HeadStart.

• BISP Soccer 7’s on the 24th -25th November at BISP. All team lists will be on the board next week for this event. Please make sure that if your son has been selected to play that you pay 1,700 Baht by November 7th to accounting.

All details have been emailed individually to parents.

Thanyapura ‘Super Sprint’ Swim Meet–By Coach Brown

The Aqua Panthers were hard at work last weekend at the Thanyapura Super Sprint!
The boys scored 1,827 points putting them in 3rd place and the girls scored 1,830.5 points putting them in 2nd place. The team got 2nd place overall! I am so proud of all our athletes, they did an amazing job!

Our top point earners were: Juno–142 / Yejin–157 / Artem–131 / Emmie–146 / Nazar–129 / Natalie–137 / Matvey–121 / Lucy–131.5 / Peter–121 / Regina–123 / Shane–115 / Anya–122 / Cameron–113 / Fleur–116 / Viktor–111 / Lisa–115 / Nae Nae–113 / Eve–112 / Jessica–107 / Susannah–106 / Vitalina–103

Our next competition is the second session of our league meet on Saturday the 5th. If you see any of our swimmers, tell them good luck!

Girl’s Sports Development

On Monday the female P.E. staff had their first Girl’s Sports Development session at lunchtime. It proved very popular with many Primary and Secondary girls participating in various activities and having lots of fun!

Football News

We are hosting the PISAC boys football tournaments this year at HeadStart. This starts next Wednesday with the U9 and U11 events and then the following week on 16th of November for the U13 and Senior boys teams. Please come along after school to support our teams!

Basketball News

Our senior girls have been training very hard this week in preparation for the SEA basketball tournament this weekend at BISP. We wish them all the very best of luck.

Circus Art Classes

Due to the good results and response, The Dance Academy decided to incorporate Circus Art classes into the weekly programme on Tuesdays and Fridays from 5 to 6:30 pm starting this week. Please contact Fabienne Mester if you would like more information on how to enrol to this new classes [email protected].

Erie’s Baby Studio: Custom Made Teepees For Kids!

Our teepees are the perfect Christmas gift for your children. Each teepee is handmade with care with 100% cotton in adorable, high quality fabrics. It’s features include a 2 flap front opening with ties and natural tulip wood poles. Each teepee also comes with a base which ties to the tent, keeping it securely in place.

Our teepees come in two sizes: Standard - 100cm (39”) on the base ad 120cm (47”) tall. Four round dowel poles are needed for this teepee (6 foot tall and 1” wide). Large size - 120cm (47”) on the base and 150cm (50”) tall. Four round dowel poles are needed for this teepee (7 foot tall and 1” wide).

Choose from our range of beautiful fabrics by contacting Erika at [email protected] or visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/eriesbabystudio.