Weekly Update #2, 4 September 2020
| Dates for Your Diary |
Upcoming events can be found on the website under School Life → Calendar and are outlined here for easy reference.
For daily updates and news follow the HeadStart Facebook Page and You Tube channel.
To join the Parent Community Facebook group click here!
| Date | Time | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 08 September | 8.30am | Primary Parents Meeting (English and Thai) | Secondary Hall |
| 11 September | 8.00am | Preview After School Programmes on Parent Portal | |
| All day | Zero Waste Pop Up Shop with Steps | Atrium | |
| 14 September | 8.00am | Parent Fitness classes begin Click HERE for info | Fitness Studio |
| 2.00-4.00pm | ASP Fair | School atrium | |
| 3.30-4.20pm | Boosters and EAL classes begin | To be announced | |
| 15 September | 8.30am | Foundation Parents Meeting (English and Thai) | Secondary Hall |
| 16-21 September | All day | ASP online booking | |
| 22 September | 8.30am | Parents Meeting : ASP sign Up for New Thai parents | Secondary Hall |
| 26 September | 6.00pm | ASP enrolment is visible on Parent Portal | |
| 28 September | 3.30pm | ASPs and Academies | |
| 02 October | 2.00-4.00pm | Friday Market | Atrium |
| After School Programmes |
It is with great pleasure that I announce the return of the After School Programmes (ASPs)! As we continue to nurture the interests and needs of our students, I am happy to say that HeadStart’s After School Programme remains as robust and varied as ever, offering well over 160 clubs, sports, boosters, language classes, art and dance lessons each week. The details of the ASP programme will be posted on the bulletin board opposite the school shop as well as on the website in the coming week. You can expect to find a complete list of programmes, timing and fees. I encourage you to visit the link to explore the list of possibilities with your child to help cultivate their interests. I look forward to getting our ASP (After School Programme) off the ground. Please feel free to contact me at [email protected] if you have any further inquiries.
Refer to the ‘Dates for Your Diary’ section above for details on when you can ‘preview’ ASP options, attend the ASP fair, see when Boosters and EAL classes commence, etc.
Boosters
As we remain committed to academic excellence, HeadStart will continue to deliver Booster sessions at no cost to those who need academic support. We will send out individual emails to parents if a child has been recommended to attend. Boosters begin on the 14th of September and taught between 3.30-4.20pm.
All remaining ASPs will now carry a term fee. Pricing will range between 3,350 - 5,000 Baht for Term 1 depending on the class. Primary students will be offered one after school club, free of charge, from a selected list of activities run by our Deputy teachers.
ASP Fair
On the 14th of September, there will be an ASP fair in the atrium from 2.00-4.00pm. This is an opportunity for you and your children to learn about a variety of after school programmes such as Martial Arts, Dance, Instrumental lessons and LAMDA. You can meet the teachers, find out which level you should join or arrange an audition.
Academy Try-Outs
If you are new to the school, take a minute to browse our website for information about the HeadStart Sports Academies HERE. The academy tryouts are timetabled over the next few weeks. Detailed information provided below. More detailed information will be announced to parents in next week’s update. Please direct all of your tryout questions to our head coaches, Mr Zak Brown (swimming) [email protected] and Mr Steff Frost (Football) at [email protected]
| Swim Academy Tryouts | Football Academy Tryouts | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Registration | 15.45pm by the poolside | Registration on football pitch 1 | 15.45pm |
| Tryouts | 16.00-17.15pm | Tryouts | 16.00-17.45pm |
| Tuesday, 15 September | 10 years old and under | 16 & 21 September | Under 11 (8-10 yr olds) & Under 13 Boys |
| Thursday, 17 September | 11 to 12-year-old pupils | 17 & 22 September | Under 15 and Over 15 Boys |
| Monday, 21 September | 13 years old and over | Coming soon! | Girls tryouts to be announced |
| Tuesday, 22 September | Anyone who missed the above dates |
Swimmers please wear an appropriate swimsuit, goggles and cap (if needed). Meet Coach Brown at the pool. Please be on time and bring your water bottles.
Footballers please wear appropriate sports clothes, sports shoes (football boots if you have them) and shin pads (if you have them). Meet Coach Frost on Pitch 1. Please be on time and bring your water bottles!
LAMDA (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts )
Last year was our first year of running LAMDA classes at HeadStart. The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts is the oldest Drama school in the UK - it was founded in 1981 in London. We offer classes and exams in Performing (Drama) Public Speaking (Communication) and Musical Theatre for ages from Reception to Year 13. Classes are small giving students a chance to grow personally and gain more confidence. Our full LAMDA Programme will resume this year and will kick off on the 28th of September. More information to follow.
Instrumental lessons
This year we will offer instrumental lessons in piano, drums, voice, saxophone, clarinet, flute, guitar and bass. Lessons will resume on the 28th of September and will be available during the school day as well as after school. More information to follow.
CAPA Show Auditions
Auditions are open for students from Year 5 - 13 to join our CAPA (Creative and Performing Arts) Academy variety show which will take place on the 11th of December. First auditions will be on the 15th of September with the second round on the 22nd at 3:30 in the Secondary Hall. If you are interested in singing, dancing, acting or performing then get in touch with Ms Fabienne, Ms Milner or Mrs Cramp. CAPA Academy rehearsals will be on Tuesdays from 4:30 - 6:30pm, starting on the 28th of September.
Adam Drew
Since joining HeadStart International School in August 2014, I have been genuinely impressed by the hard work and commitment of all those involved in making HeadStart a place where students are inspired to have the ‘love of learning’ described in the school’s motto. The school community here is one of the best I have ever-worked with and the positive energy that this creates enables us to achieve so much together. Since our last inspection where the school was rated as a good with a number of outstanding features highlighted, I strongly believe that HeadStart International School is well on the way to becoming one of the best schools in Thailand, providing the highest standards in teaching and learning. As we prepare for the next phase where we hope to gain a solid ‘Outstanding’ rating, the next few years will be a truly exciting time for all those involved. Having had a successful Teaching career in the UK for a number of years and having worked in various different management positions, my wife Amy and I made the decision to move to Thailand in 2012 where I worked at an International School in Bangkok. The opportunity to make a real impact at HeadStart and to help shape the future successes of the school drew me to move to Phuket. On a personal level, I am a keen sportsman and have an interest in many sports both as a spectator or participant. A highlight for me was having a leadership position for Event Services at the London 2012 Olympic Games. I am also keen golfer and compete in many of the regular competitions held here in Phuket and further afield. My wife Amy is a teacher in the Foundation department having joined HeadStart shortly after I did. Since working at HeadStart we have become parents for the first time. Ted Drew was born in April 2018 and is excited to be joining pre-school in this academic year. I look forward to continuing to working with the inspired staff and students and the committed and supportive parents that make up the HeadStart. Together we will ensure that we continue to build on the existing successes of the school and make each academic year even more successful than the last. Please feel free to email me at any time to discuss your ideas on how we can do this together. I look forward to meeting you again as the year progresses!
IGCSE, A Level and BTEC Results 2020
We are delighted to announce our IGCSE, A Level and BTEC results for June 2020. As we had been expecting, long before Covid disrupted our lives, this year saw the most outstanding results HeadStart has seen in our 10 year history of running Cambridge examinations. Although the students did not sit external examinations this year, the results they achieved were based on two different sets of mock examinations, one set completed in school under Cambridge examination conditions, and another at home and online. The results also take into account the coursework completed which was submitted to Cambridge as it would do in any normal year. Finally, a verification process took several weeks to complete to ensure the results our students achieved were accurate, fair and were representative of what the students deserved.
At IGCSE, 98% of all grades were C or above with 55% of grades in the A or A* bracket. This is a truly remarkable achievement and a testament to the hard work of all our students. 23 students achieved 5 or more A* & A grades, with a number of students gaining A’s in ALL subjects.
At A Level, the vast majority of our students achieved the grades they needed in order to gain a place at their chosen university, with several students scoring A grades or better in every subject. One student, Ha Yeon Song, achieved A*s in all her subjects. Congratulations on your fantastic achievement!
From the November AS Level exams, we had two students achieving the highest marks in Thailand, receiving the prestigious ‘Top in Thailand’ awards. These were Julianna Mester for Music and Jinna Phaisamran in Mathematics. In Jinna’s case, she was just 2 marks away from being ‘Top in World’ for Mathematics!
Finally, the first year of our BTEC programme was also highly successful with ALL students passing their qualifications and two being awarded Merit grades in Travel and Tourism, and a further two achieving the highest grades of a Distinction.
These successful grades are a result of a tremendous amount of hard work from both the students and the teachers and of course the support that you as parents have given your children over the course of the last two years. The bar has well and truly been raised for our next set of IGCSE and A Level students and I am sure they will rise to the challenge.
Well done everyone, truly magnificent results!
| Foundation/Primary Pick Up |
At HeadStart we place the utmost importance on the safety of our pupils. Please be reminded that our Foundation and Primary pupils are only allowed to leave the school site after school if an authorised adult collects them, or if a parent has approved that a Secondary sibling can collect their Foundation and/or Primary sibling after school. If you would like your Secondary child to collect their Foundation and/or Primary sibling after school, then please collect and complete a permission letter from Nurses Jelo and Kaew to authorise this arrangement.
| Primary Meeting Invitation |
I want to invite Primary parents to a meeting on Tuesday 8th September 2020, in the Secondary Hall from 08.30 am. At the meeting, Primary staff will give a presentation of Diagnostic Questions, and Bug Club, which are our online homework platforms for maths and reading. We will show you how you can access these programmes at home in order to support your child’s learning at school. This meeting will be presented in English and members of the Thai Team will be in attendance to support. -Sam Khan, Head of Foundation and Primary
| Parent Meeting News |
Sending your child to a new school can cause anxiety, especially if the new school’s system and cultures are different than what you are used to. On Tuesday 1st September, over 50 new Thai parents attended a meeting with Kru Nee, our School Director. Parents received information about the differences between the Thai education system and international programmes. There was a discussion about the way we set students in core subjects and explained what Boosters are in terms of students support in academics. Parents who attended the meeting also had the opportunity to meet our Head of Foundation and Primary, Mr Khan and Head of Secondary, Mr Lukats.
| Friday Market - Support the Community! |
We are pleased to present the opportunity for you to participate in our monthly Friday Markets which take place on the first Friday of every month. Upcoming dates can be found on the school google calendar HERE. Our first event will be held on the 2nd of October between 2.00-4.00pm. The Friday Market is an opportunity for you to showcase homemade items or products that you would like to promote to the community. We are committed to supporting you and will assist with setting up tables, chairs and any other items that you require free of charge. If you are interested in having a table at the market, please write to Ms Chajeen (Admin manager) at [email protected] or visit her in the front office and she will fill you in on pertinent details such as keeping with our eco ethos of not using disposable plastic.
| Zero Waste Pop Up Shop |
We are excited to be hosting Steps With Theera’s first Zero Waste pop up shop on Friday, the 11th of September between 2.00-4.00pm in the school atrium. Take a look at the info in the posters below and come along to discover how your household can be more eco.
| Parent Fitness Classes |
HeadStart provides complimentary use of the gym for parents on weekdays from 7:30-9:30 am and from 3:00-6:00 pm. The gym is available strictly for the HeadStart parents and is not available to members of the public. Parents are asked to vacate all facilities (including the changing rooms in the Fitness Gym) by 9.30am as students will be using the facilities for their lessons. Classes are run by our fully qualified fitness instructors between 8:00-9:00 am. CLICK HERE to find out what is on offer. Simply sign the list at the entrance of the gym or speak to one of the trainers to participate.
| Food Donations |
At HeadStart, we are passionate about sustainability. We try very hard to make decisions that will affect change and have a direct impact on saving power, supplies and food. We don’t just talk about it, we do it! That’s why when Jack from Scholars of Sustenance Thailand approached us with the prospect of giving our good quality leftover lunch as donations for charities around the island, we jumped at the opportunity! COVID quarantine has definitely slowed this down, but we are back at it and encourage you or your business to be a part of the action! There are so many people in need of support.
“Since starting school, Headstart International school Phuket has donated 99.94 KG of good quality surplus food to SOS Thailand. Your donations have allowed us to provide over 419.74 servings to those in need! Also, by reducing this amount of food waste, you have successfully saved 189.89 KG of GHG equivalent emissions (Co₂-e (kg)) or 16.95 days equivalent of electricity consumption of one household. Thank you HeadStart!”- Jack, SOS Foundation Representative
| Student News |
This week Preschool have been learning about colours. The children wore different coloured clothing, ate coloured snacks and enjoyed lots of activities involving the colours! - Ms Charlotte Myers
| Thai Department Update |
Year 2 and 6 students in the Thai First and Second Language classes have started the term by revising the 32 Thai vowels and 44 consonants. They have also been working to make words and practise reading. - By Kru Cherry and Kru Pim
Thai students in Secondary have been following the school’s COVID policies by washing our hands before coming into class. Good job everyone! -By Kru Yui
