Weekly Update #35, 9 June 2023

Dates for Your Diary

Upcoming events can be found on the website under School Life → Calendar and are outlined here for easy reference. If you have questions or require further assistance please email [email protected]

Expansion of Entrance Commences

Please be advised that due to expansion work that is planned for the entrance and atrium, access to the Primary playground will be limited to the gate located on the way to football pitch 1. Construction starts this Saturday. We apologise in advance for any inconvenience this may cause and want to assure parents that every precaution will be taken to make sure the area is secure and kept tidy.

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End of Year Library Information

The end of this academic year is fast approaching. We would like to provide information on returns so you can plan accordingly. There will be no student and parents loan in the last two weeks of the term in order for us to account for the books and prepare orders for the next academic year.

• June 12-16: Bring back the library books that you borrowed.
• June 19 : Last day to return all library books.

Books still under student or parents’ accounts after this date will be considered lost/Missing and invoices will be sent out. Thank you for your cooperation. -Mai, School Librarian

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Get Your Tickets for the CAPA Expo!

CAPA EXPO, an event to celebrate and reflect on a fabulous year of creativity. Join us as we journey through design technology, art, drama, dance and music; highlighting academy work, class work and much more. This event includes 18 performances from over 100 students from year 3 to year 13 and is a fantastic celebration of our incredible and dedicated CAPA HeadStars. Tickets on sale in the front office at only 100 Baht!

Year 6 to 7 Transition Meeting on 13.06.23

On the 13th June we will be hosting a meeting for year 6 parents on the transition into secondary school. The meeting will begin at 8.15 - 9.15am in the secondary hall. During the meeting, we will be explaining the process of transition, and will be informing parents on the differences and expectations of secondary schooling. We look forward to seeing you on the 13th June. -Mr Jamie Sadler

UPrep Session for Parents with Children in Years 9-12 on 19.06.23

We are holding a special UPrep session for students considering applying to Ivy League universities, Oxbridge or Medicine on Monday 19th June at 2.30pm. The meeting will be held by Ms Bedi and Mr Roscoe. Students are encouraged to attend with parents. Please fill out the google form by Tuesday 13th June 2023 if you would like to attend. The venue will be confirmed closer to the time. -Sixth Form Team

Congratulations to our Head Boy, Kairui Zhang who plans to study Sports Science and has received offers from California University of Pennsylvania (PennWest), Florida International University, Arizona State University, Framingham State University and Minot State University. Carry has been enrolled at HeadStart since 2019 and has been widely involved in the school community as Head Boy, leading the student leadership team and events such as the Halloween Disco, Wai Kru and Songkran. He is also a keen sports player. Carry will be taking a gap year where he plans to travel and work before going to PennWest (with a partial scholarship!) in 2024.

Congratulations to our Head Girl, Keira Brain who has been accepted onto a fully funded and paid Applied Business Management degree apprenticeship with Airbus. Keira has been enrolled at HeadStart since 2017 and as our Head Girl has led events such as Wai Kru, Flag Raising, Songkran and has led the student leadership team and events within school such as the Halloween disco and Valentines Roses. She has also supported numerous charities such as Phuket Has Been Good To Us and Toni J for the Animals.

Dan and Emma both started their independent careers as active scientists in the UK, with Dan working in nanotechnology and quantum materials research and Emma as an analyst in industry. In 2008 they both made the transformative decision to shift gear in their careers, into education overseas. Emma’s love for travel and her curiosity about different cultures beckoned her to explore beyond the UK, and having lived overseas in Papua New Guinea and the MIddle East for much of his childhood, Dan was also keen to pack a suitcase and resume his global wanderings. This decision opened doors to incredible experiences over the following years, allowing us to immerse ourselves in diverse cultures and foster cross-cultural understanding. The deserts of Kuwait proved a fertile ground for our growth as educators, challenging us to adapt our teaching styles and broaden our perspectives. We brought our scientific expertise and passion for practical experimentation into the classroom, eager to inspire and ignite a shared love of learning in our students. In 2013, following the birth of our daughter Arya, our ongoing journey led us to the vibrant and bustling city of Bangkok. It became our family home for much of a decade, where multicultural traditions new and old intertwined seamlessly with modernity, offering an exciting blend of experiences.

With our daughter approaching the latter years of primary school it was time for another move, this time away from the grime and bright lights of the city to an island home washed by the warm winds off the Andaman sea (and occasional bit of rain too!). Now, having made the decision to join Headstart, we couldn’t be happier. Moving here, we have as teachers discovered the immense joy of connecting with our students on a more personal level and, as parents, have seen our daughter too begin to develop deep meaningful relationships with her peers. The school’s guiding statement, “Inspiring a love of learning,” resonated strongly with us as lifelong learners ourselves, and is our ultimate desire for our daughter’s education too.

Dan believes that all young people should have the opportunity to aspire to a high bar of achievement, and should be given the appropriate support and calm encouragement to believe in their own potential. He openly shares his personal experience to give real-life context through his own learning journey. In his role of Head of Facilty for Science, Headstart provides him with the perfect platform to gently nurture and quietly mentor. Equitable education has always been a priority for Emma too. Her doctoral thesis revolves around creating inclusive systems where every student, regardless of their background, is celebrated and given equal opportunities. Headstart’s emphasis on social and emotional learning, as well as tailored pastoral care, aligns perfectly with our vision of international education where we firmly believe that a holistic approach, nurturing both the academic and emotional well-being of all our Headstart children, is essential for developing resilient individuals ready to make a positive impact in the world. Our transition to Phuket this year has been an absolute delight, and we would like to thank everyone in the community for making us so welcome.

Basketball News

I am delighted to announce that from August 2023 HeadStart will officially have a Basketball Academy which will run at the same time as the Football and Swim Academies from Monday to Friday 16.30-18.00 and Saturday’s from 08.00-11.00. Any students in Year 5-13 who may be interested in joining the basketball academy can attend the tryouts, which will be in the first week of term after the summer break.

In other Basketball related news, I am really happy to announce that Vivek Khanal, who has been with the programme for many years, has received a partial scholarship to attend TMG Prep School in Orange County, California. Thereafter, he is hoping to obtain further opportunities to join a basketball porgramme in a top-flight NAIA or NCAA University in the US. We wish Vivek all the very best of luck, in both his academic and sporting endeavours! -Mr Nick carter, Director of Sports

U9 Football Festival

A fantastic afternoon of football as we hosted an U9 Football Festival against Kajonkiet International School Phuket. There were 6 teams competing in a 6 aside round robin tournament, with over 40 players playing in some fun and competitive football matches. It was great to see many players playing their first ever football matches. There was also amazing support from the parents who were encouraging the boys throughout the matches. We look forward to next football festival coming again soon! -Coach Frost

U 11 Football Friendly

Well done to the HeadStart Panthers U11 Boys VAP team who took on the Rawai Rebels in a friendly fixture here at HeadStart. It was a great experience for the players, as for many of them, it was one of the first matches they had played. Go Panthers! -Coach Paul Rothwell

This week’s online child safety tips brought to you by Mr Armstrong, ICT & Computing Coordinator

Primary Student Council

The Primary Student Council has been truly wonderful this year. Each child has displayed a real passion and desire to make the school, the greater community and the island of Phuket a happier place. They visited the ‘Sunshine Village’ with so many thoughtful donations and gave up a weekend as they played with the children. The council also ran games and competitions during school wide events such as Halloween and anti-bullying week. One of the competitions, designing a pair of odd socks, still might have some exciting implications as we start the next school year…

I would like to thank the members of the Primary Student Council, for caring as much as they do. They have been a joy to work with and I hope to see many of the same faces again next year. -Mr Clarke

English

Year 7s have been studying Roald Dahl’s gruesome Tales from the Unexpected this term. On Friday, Tete Ngernanek and Angela Jensen gave their Year 7 peers terrible pleasures by narrating their very own dark faerie tales. Their twisted tales- along with others- will be displayed outside the Head of English and Maths office next week. Read them. If you dare…. -Mr. Pollicutt, Head of English

Congratulations to Leo Liu in Year 5 who was the first runner up at the TJDJ Golf Tour 2023-2024 category D Boy Division.