Weekly Update #5, 22 September 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]
| Date | Time | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 September | 05.00-08.00 | HeadStart University Fair | Sports Hall |
| 26 September | 08:15-09:15 | Parent Meeting: Introduction to the IGCSE Curriculum | Secondary Hall |
| 08:30-09:30 | Early Years Stay & Play | Foundation building | |
| 27 September | 08:15-09:15 | UPrep Talk 3 - Choosing Subjects & Careers | Secondary Hall |
| 08:30-09:30 | Preschool Stay & Play | Foundation building | |
| 28 September | 08:30-09:30 | Reception Stay & Play | Foundation building |
| 12:30 | Battle of the Bands | Atrium | |
| 30 Sept-1 October | DofE Silver Training | Ao Yon | |
| 03 October | 08:15-09:15 | Parent Meeting: Thai University Applications & Requirements | Secondary Hall |
| 04:00-06:00 | Secondary Cross Country | at BISP | |
| 04 October | 08:15-09:15 | UPrep Drop in Session | Nakita’s Coffee Shop |
| 04:00-06:00 | Primary Cross Country | at BISP | |
| 06 October | 08:30-11:30 | Thai University Fair | Sports Hall |
| 02:30-05:00 | Friday Market | Atrium | |
| 07 October | 09:00-12:00 | Mandarin Language Day |
| Announcements |
Fire Drill
At HeadStart, fire drills are conducted several times a year to be sure everyone in the building knows how to get to the muster point in a quiet and orderly fashion ‼️ Everyone should know the sound of the fire alarm and respond immediately. Stop everything. Listen for instructions. Go quickly and quietly out of the classroom to the assigned meeting place outside the school for roll call. Our first fire drill of the year went well and all of the students, teachers and staff were able to evacuate the building in approximately 5 minutes.
Times Table Rockstars - Primary
As a school, we subscribe to Times Table Rockstars, a fun and interactive online program which aims to improve pupils’ speed and accuracy in multiplication recall. Multiplication is a foundational skill which needs to be secure in order for pupils to build on this knowledge later. Although Times Table Rockstars is not a compulsory homework, we do ask that you encourage your child to access the website and practise their times tables regularly. We recommend a ‘little and often’ approach and suggest that your child plays for just a few minutes each day. Four or Five times a week is also a good target to aim for.
Your child has been given a login and password to access their account. This account can be accessed via https://play.ttrockstars.com/auth/school/student or via the Times Tables Rock Stars app which is free to download on both Apple and Android devices. Thank you for your support in helping pupils to improve their times tables fluency! -Ms Kirsty Hark, Deputy Head of Primary, Academic
| Upcoming Events |
University Fair on 25.09.23
Just a reminder that the HeadStart University Fair 2023 is happening on Monday, 25 September from 05:30-08:00 in the Sports Hall. Over 30 universities will be representing from all around the world. Come and visit their booths and have the opportunity to speak directly with University staff.
- 05:15 - Registration in the atrium
- 05:30-06:30- Workshops for students and parents
- 05:30-08:00- Fair in the Sports Hall to meet individual reps for universities.
Please complete this form to indicate if you plan to join the fair by completing this Google Form. -The University Guidance Counselling Team
Foundation Stay & Play on 26.09.23
Stay & Play sessions at HeadStart hold significant importance within the Foundation department. These sessions promote parental involvement, allowing parents to actively engage with their child’s development, foster social skills, understand play based learning and build trust with the school community. Stay & Play also supports the gradual independence of children, helps develop important early learning skills, and boosts confidence, ensuring a positive start to their educational journey.
👉 Please join us for our first Stay & Play of the year. This session is for parents to spend time with their children in their classrooms all planned around the theme ‘all about me’. Each session will start at 8.30 and be held in their classroom and the Indoor learning centre. -Ms Natalie Walker, Deputy Head of Foundation
Mandarin Language Day on 07.10.23
Welcoming all Mandarin speaking families to sign up for some fun cultural activities on the 7th of October from 09:00-12:00. If you have questions or would like to contact the organisers, write to [email protected]
我们非常激动地邀请所有说中文的家庭参加即将举行的中文语言日活动，这是我们学校一次充满活力的中国文化和语言庆祝活动。活动将于10月7日（星期六）上午9:00至12:00在HeadStart Chaofah校区举行。请穿着古风服装，并携带中国美食与大家共享。期待与您共度这个特别的日子！如果您有兴趣参加活动，请填写报名表：https://forms.gle/T5PBboMpGE8n3fmp7 我们将在统计完参加人数后公布具体的活动计划。
| PE & Sports |
October Swim Camp
Calling all intermediate and advanced swimmers Year 5 and up! Get ready to have a blast while improving your skills in freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, proper turns, and dives. Our experienced coaches will provide personalized instruction to help you take your swimming to the next level. But that’s not all! At the end of each session, we’ll be awarding prizes to recognize your progress and achievements. Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to have fun, make new friends, and become a stronger swimmer! Spaces are limited, so sign up now to secure your spot. For more information and registration, visit our website or contact us by writing to [email protected]. We can’t wait to see you at the October Swim Camp!
Dive into October Swim Lessons!
Is your child ready to build confidence and become water safe? Look no further! Join our October Swim Lessons and watch your child grow into a more confident swimmer. Each lesson is 30 minutes of focused instruction, tailored to your child’s needs and abilities. Our experienced instructors will guide them through various techniques and exercises to help them develop essential swimming skills. Our aim is not only to teach swimming but also to instill a sense of water safety. We want your child to feel comfortable and secure in the water, making every swimming experience a joyful one. Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity to give your child the gift of swimming confidence. Limited spots are available, so register now to secure your preferred time slot. For more information and registration, write to [email protected]. Let’s make this October a splash-tastic month of learning and fun!
Football News from our U9s and U11s
Our U9 boys played their first game this past Saturday against Khok Kloy Academy. The boys played really well, scoring some great goals and will gain a lot from the experience. Thanks to Noah in the U15 for helping with the warm up. Our U11’s played their 2nd game this year against Khok Kloy. The individual and collective performances from the group were excellent.
Aqua Panthers Update
We had an incredible first meet on Friday the 15th as our 13 & over Aqua Panthers took on BCIS, KIS, and Oak Meadow. It was a fantastic learning experience for our swimmers, and we couldn’t be more proud of their improvement from last year. Way to go, team! A special shoutout to all the parents who came out to support us. Your presence and encouragement mean the world to us, and this event wouldn’t have been possible without your help. We also want to express our gratitude to our amazing coaches, Coach Zak, Coach Ammara, Coach Nut, and Coach Puy, for their dedication in organizing the swimmers and keeping the event running smoothly. Mark your calendars for our next meet on September 29th where our 11-12 year olds will be competing at BCIS. Let’s keep up the momentum and make it another successful event!
| Creative & Performing Arts |
LAMDA Exam Results
Last year HeadStart students entered 48 LAMDA examinations, ranging from introductory in year 1 to Gold Award (the highest grade) in year 13. Our students were spectacular, with the examiners commenting on their talent, communication and focus. This year, not only did we have our highest number of entries, we also had our best ever results! 100% pass at merit or distinction. This is an incredible achievement that our students and LAMDA teachers should be very proud of. We look forward to continuing on this trajectory this year with over 75 students involved in LAMDA ECAs this year.
This week we staged a small pop-up exhibition in the atrium. This exhibition featured current year 12 work in progress. They have been investigating the work of the artist Ian Murphy and responding by creating large scale mixed media exploring texture and tone. Can you spot a member of the CAPA team here?
‘Tall oaks from little acorns grow’ and we are confident this will be the case for our brand new lunchtime Primary and Secondary string ensemble groups. This week was our first week of practice and we had a great group of students attend, ready to learn and create performance material. We look forward to their performances over the coming year. If you play a string instrument and are interested in attending, please join us in music room 1:
👉 Primary - Tuesday 12:00
👉 Secondary - Wednesday 12:55
| Primary |
Primary Assembly
It was a real pleasure to host our first whole school primary assembly of the year on Friday 15th September. Our whole school Primary assemblies will take place once every four weeks, and will be a fantastic opportunity for all of our Primary pupils to come together as a school, and celebrate the achievements of their fellow pupils. This year we have adapted our Student of the Month awards to incorporate our HeadStart Learner Attributes. We have named our new award the ‘Learner of the Month’ award. Our ‘Learner of the Month’ focuses on one learner attribute and a subject. This month we celebrated being Courageous in Maths, and the following pupils received awards at our assembly last Friday. Parents of award winners were invited to join the celebrations in the Sports Hall. It was a huge success and we look forward to celebrating and recognising pupil achievements, and our Learner Attributes each month. Well done to all our courageous mathematicians! -Mr Sam Khan, Head of Foundation and Primary
Learner of the Month Award Winners
Year 1 Yellow - Arada Suwansupana (Ping Ping), Year 1 Blue - Phisitphon Wankaew (Gawin), Year 1 White - Jirachaya Thonggerd (Nicha), Year 2 Yellow - Oliviia Kupriianova (Oliviia), Year 2 Blue - Pavin Pattanavekin (Pace), Year 2 White - Sofiia Ivanova (Sonia), Year 3 Yellow - Nykodym Trachuk (Nyk), Year 3 Blue - Jiarui Wang (Jerry), Year 3 White - Inbar Tsairi (Inbar), Year 4 Yellow - Teenida Chumkaew (Nida), Year 4 Blue - Oliver Fisher (Ollie), Year 4 White - Luca Quek Domeniconi (Luca), Year 5 Yellow - Piengtawan Chuathong (Soft), Year 5 Blue - Marat Zvarich (Marat), Year 5 White - Enzo Diouron (Enzo), Year 6 Yellow - Francisco Ka Almansa Ku (Paco), Year 6 Blue - Punnapa Suwankumnoet (Pun), Year 6 White - Kunanon Woraveerakul (Pokpong).
Students in Year 1 and Year 2 of the Mandarin Foreign Language class are celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival this week by crafting mooncakes using playdough. We had a great time experimenting with various mooncake molds. -Ms Wei Wang
| Secondary |
Robert Gratton
I am an experienced educationalist with over two decades working as a teacher, school leader, teacher trainer and researcher with the UCL Institute of Education. A History graduate, with PGCE in Secondary Education, a Masters in Guiding Effective Learning, and with a decade spent investigating the nature of Collaboration, I have been fortunate to work across numerous innovative and forward thinking projects within education internationally. This has included leading Curriculum development within Sweden, establishing new schools such as the UCL Academy and co-founding a centre for education in the outdoors focusing on wellbeing, creativity and sustainability in Wales. I am an advocate for the human centred approach to individual, societal and global sustainable practice. My passion for the Humanities is derived from a belief that we can utilise an education through the Humanities subjects to empower learners to become critical, compassionate and collaborative global citizens. To become life-long, life-wide learners and to become better prepared for an unknown future. To HeadStart I bring this commitment, this drive and this ambition to use the Humanities to transform the lives of each and every learner. My second year here at HeadStart will see a reinvigoration of the Humanities and a renewed drive to ensuring every learner activates their capacity to become a fully active and internationally aware learner.
“Sometimes, you have to step outside of the person you've been and remember the person you were meant to be. The person you want to be. The person you are.” - H.G. Wells
Enhanced Humanities Curriculum
With the start of a new academic year came the launch of our enhanced Humanities Curriculum and provision across Key Stage 3 (Year 7-9). We worked as a school across last academic year to explore alternative ways to approach History, Geography and an ever widening range of Humanities subjects, in a way that was meaningful, engaging and authentic for our learners. An approach that would make the most of 3 hours of class time a week. An approach which would draw upon the very best a globally influenced Humanities Curriculum could offer. Without losing sight of the British National Curriculum while also bringing in the best of global approaches to the teaching of the Humanities we launched our Humanities Curriculum for International Awareness in August. This new Curriculum is Concept and Case Study based and driven by authentic enquiries leading to the production of meaningful artefacts that exhibit a learners knowledge and understating of how our world works and the professional skills of those working in fields associated with the Humanities.
As such this 1/2 term Year 9 have been exploring the concept of Hazards through the enquiry, ‘Man Made Hazards are worse than Natural Hazards. Discuss your perspective.’ Ultimately displaying their new understating through either an evaluative essay or infographic. Year 8 have been investigating the concept of Resource, in particular the influence of rivers upon our cultural development. Through the enquiry ‘The Power of Water. To what extent do resources, such as Rivers, shape our lives?’ Students have become experts in the Nile and Mekong and will share this understating through three debates; one of which will involve them taking on the persona of the Mekong river itself. For Year 7 the concept of Identity and an enquiry entitled ‘We are HeadStart. To what extent are you an Internationally Aware Learner?’ This will culminate in a public Atrium showcase of their Identi-me posters to which the HeadStart Community are invited to view their artifacts in the last week of this 1/2 term.
This has proven to be an exciting 1/2 term, one where we have been able to let students delve deeper into the concepts that govern our world and engage with an apprenticeship into the Humanities.
History
Year 13 History students drew upon their knowledge and understanding of Italian history to map out (from memory) the interrelated reasons, causes and effects within Mussolini’s rise to power and establishment of his Personal Dictatorship. This type of consolidation activity supports learners to retrieve knowledge and apply it in what we call a Causal Chain. This helps form connections in the brain later aiding swift recall and application. What this activity also enables is a really deep understanding to be formed as learners play around with the knowledge without fear of judgement nor grading.
Literature
The Wall Game at HeadStart might not be so venerable as its namesake at Eton (or as violent, or as esoteric https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eton_wall_game) but it provides an arguably more utilitarian purpose for Literature students in Year 11 Gogol. Wading through a dense 500 page tome such as Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations is no small feat. Naturally, it requires independent reading and associated understanding of plot, characterisation, themes and authorial purpose. An interactive and fun way to check on said understanding is The Wall Game, where students, lined against the wall in a league format of 1-21, have to respond to questions on a specified part of the text, listening carefully to questions lest they get the opportunity to ‘steal’ in the event one of their peers errs.
This week, we saw some huge gains; the likes of Baikao Udomkiratak and Alessandra Di Rosa surging up the ladder and approaching the top spot. However, our leading position is currently occupied by the peerless Joyce Zheng, who responded with amazing precision to even the most obscure question thrown at her! Can anyone depose the current Queen of Dickens? Only time (and close reading!) will tell! Well done Year 11 Gogol! -Mr. Pollicutt, Head of English
We can all learn a lot from each other and having had the pleasure of observing Mr. Wyscoczanski earlier this term, today he observed my teaching of the Year 13 Literature class, in which students were evaluating both modern and contemporary critical responses to Dracula. This academic year, It’s great to have a greater focus on sharing good practice through peer observations in the English & EAL Faculty and I have no doubt this collaborative and collegiate spirit will continue throughout 2023/24. -David Pollicutt, Head of English
