Weekly Update #2, 30 August 2024

Announcements

Library Notice

We’re delighted to have you visit our library! To ensure that we can provide the best environment for all our students and staff, we kindly ask you to visit the library during our designated times. We are open for parents to visit:

• Morning: 07:30 - 08:00
• Afternoon: 15:20 - 16:30

Outside these hours, the library is dedicated to classes, teacher activities, and preparation. As our students’ learning and educational activities are our top priority, we request that non-urgent visits be scheduled during the above times. This scheduling helps us maintain an optimal environment for student learning and allows our staff to promptly and efficiently prepare resources and activities for student use. We greatly appreciate your understanding and cooperation in this matter, which helps us support the educational needs of our students while also providing a welcoming space for parents. Thank you for your support!

School Communication

There are many ways in which you can access school information. It’s important to stay tuned to what is going on in school so that you can support your child/children. For the most part information is sent out to parents via email from our Heads of Department and Teachers. Every Friday afternoon, you will receive a link to our Weekly Update on the website, which includes announcements about meetings, upcoming events, and key dates for your diary. The Weekly Update also highlights student achievements, both in and out of school, along with exciting activities and projects happening around campus. For quick updates and reminders in English, Thai, Russian, and Mandarin, please scan the QR codes below or in the atrium to receive regular important news. Don’t forget to follow our social media outlets for lots of pictures and videos showcasing the school in action here: HeadStart Facebook Page. Thank you for staying connected with us!

Parent Meetings

Parent Meeting - Online Homework Platforms on 27.08.24

It was great to see so many Primary parents show up to our presentation regarding Online Homework Platforms last Tuesday. We hope that everyone that attended was able to access vital information in order to support their child/children at home. If you were not able to attend, you can access the meeting slides show below.

Presentation for Primary Parents on Online Homework Platforms

UPrep Talk #1 - Introduction to the UPrep Programme

The first UPrep talk for parents introduced the school’s extensive provision for supporting students in their applications to university, as well as information on how parents can support their children in navigating this process. Knowledge is power and research is key! We want to ensure that all students find their passion and achieve their potential. Our team of experts (Kru Toom, Ms Graham, Mr Roscoe and Mr Thomas) were also introduced and spent time discussing students’ future plans. If you were not able to make it to the presentation, you can access meeting notes by clicking here.

In addition to our ongoing commitment to ensure that all of our students excel in their Secondary academic studies and achieve the highest possible grades, the UPrep programme (University Preparation Programme) focuses on evaluating students’ individual strengths, needs and career goals and provides university preparation, counselling and placement. The UPrep team works closely with students and their families to provide the counsel and support necessary to successfully secure the right university pathways. The school hosts meetings presenting information regarding applying to university as well as drop-in sessions where parents can come to school for a cup of coffee and have an informal chat with our Sixth Form team regarding individual applications. These are announced in the school’s weekly update and invitations are sent out by email. Our UPrep team is ready to help any students and parents who would like more information on the programme. Contact the following members of staff for more information:

• Ms Emily Graham, Assistant Head of Upper Secondary School at [email protected]
• Mr Neil Roscoe, University Counsellor at [email protected]
• Mr Simon Thomas, University Counsellor at [email protected]

2024 25 UPrep Talk Programme ENG and TH 2

Upcoming Parent Meetings

Introduction to the Foundation & EYFS Curriculum

We invite all Foundation parents to join us for our upcoming Parent Meeting on the topic of the Foundation & EYFS Curriculum. This is a great opportunity to meet other parents and members of our community and more importantly, to find out more information about the school. We look forward to seeing you on Tuesday 3rd of September from 8:30-9:30 am in the Secondary Hall.

2023-2024 Academic Results

August the 13th and August the 22nd were exciting days in the HeadStart community; the former being results day for our Cambridge examinations and the latter being our first ever Edexcel results day. Leading up to results day is always stressful for all involved. Internal questioning from staff and students alike on whether the countless hours of studying, support and interventions have had the desired results. So, were these days of celebration or have they led to deep ruminations on what went wrong?

We are glad to announce that the 2024 results are, once again, impressive across the board. Before we share the headline figures, we would like to congratulate students, teachers and the wider school community for contributing to another academically successful year. 34% of the entries for year 11 students were graded at the equivalent of an A or higher and overall there was a 99.6% pass rate. For AS level the highest possible grade is an A and 35% of all entries obtained this level. For the full A-level our students obtained 28% A*/A. These are truly incredible results and will be difficult to surpass for our new Y12 and 13 students.

The largest improvement was seen with our BTEC students. Past BTEC cohorts have consistently obtained fantastic results but the improvement seen this year has surpassed everyone’s expectations. Our Y12 BTEC students saw 39% of their entries awarded a Distinction star or a distinction; equivalent to A* and As respectively at AS level. Although this is an impressive statistic our Year 13s took it to the next level with a barely believable 72% of grades awarded a Distinction star or a distinction.
As usual we would like to end by congratulating each individual student who pushed themselves throughout the year to obtain the best grades they could. As educators we love to celebrate students who overcame hurdles to achieve their results and those that surpassed expectations.

In closing we would like to take this opportunity to offer thanks to all of you for your contributions to these successes, whether they were large or small. Results like these can only be produced by a strong school community. The banners on this page showcase some of the highest-achieving students of this academic year, but all of our students deserve praise for what they have achieved.

Flag Raising

Monday morning Flag Raising - A time to pay respect to our host nation and celebrate student success in and out of school. Thank you to Opal and Luuk Taan in Year 10 for being this week’s flag raisers.

• Congratulations to Cayla in Year 2 for winning first place in the 2024-2025 TKG Golf Tour (36 holes) at the Katathong Golf Resort & Spa in Panga.
• Well done to brothers Kevin in Year 1 and Reon in Year 4 for completing the 800 m and 1.6 km run with obstacles at the Spartan Race in Pattaya.
• Congratulations to Mimi in Year 4 for winning the Silver in the 8-12 year old Violin category at the MAV International Music Festival.

PE & Sports

Welcome to the HeadStart Swim Academy

Meet our dynamic 2024-2025 Swim Academy coaching team! Let’s hear it from our Head Swim Coach, Zak Brown himself:

“Swimming isn’t just a sport for me—it’s a lifestyle, a discipline, and a source of endless inspiration. For over 19 years, I’ve been privileged to teach and coach swimmers of all levels, from beginners dipping their toes in the water to those with dreams of Olympic glory. The connections I’ve forged with athletes around the world have been the most rewarding part of this journey. In 2016, I joined the HeadStart team, where I’ve been driven by a relentless commitment to nurturing and developing young swimming talent. This year, I’m excited to continue pushing the envelope, guiding our team to new heights and striving for excellence in every stroke. Together, we’re not just swimming—we’re making history.”

Swim Academy Try Outs

A HUGE well done to the over 60 students in Years 1-13 who showed up for the Swim Academy Try Outs from HeadStart City campus and the 40+ students in Years 3-9 from the HeadStart Cherngtalay campus! We’re thrilled to kick off Academy practice at the City campus on Monday next week. With such an incredible group of swimmers, we’re ready to make waves! This year marks the beginning of our programme at Cherngtalay, and while we’re still building the team, our motivated coaching staff is eager to develop your skills. Once we start competing, we’ll be a force to be reckoned with across both campuses! Let’s dive in and make this season unforgettable! If you would like to read more about our Swim Academy, click on the link and have a look at our webpage! For inquiries about the programmes, contact our Head Coach, Zak Brown for more info by writing to: [email protected]

Football Academy Try Outs

Are you ready for an exciting year of Football Academy training sessions, competitive matches and the excitement of playing as a team and representing HeadStart International School!?! We couldn’t ask for a better team to make this happen. Head Coach Frost, Coach Rothwell, Coach Francis, Coach Neung and Coach Taee to challenge, inspire and push everyone along to higher levels of attainment. Let’s go HeadStart Football Panthers! Click on the link to read more about our HeadStart Football Academy. 📩 For inquiries about the programmes, contact our Head Coach, Stef Frost for more info by writing to: [email protected]

Basketball Academy Coaches and Try Outs

Meet our Basketball coaching team for 2024-2025! Head Coach Mike, Coach Grant and Coach Robert are ready for a fast paced, action filled year of continuing on with the great work that they have done in our first year of launching the Basketball Academy. With over 80 players ranging from U12 Boys, U12 Girls, U14 Boys, U14 Girls to U16 Boys, we are sure this is going to be an outstanding year! For inquiries about the programme, contact our Head Coach Mike Cruickshank by writing to: [email protected]

Parent Fitness Info

I’m delighted that our parent fitness classes at both campuses continue to be very popular. Everyone is welcome to join the sessions which run every day between 08.00-09.00. Please be informed that sign up is on a first-come-first served basis and we can not accept more than 25 people at City Campus and 30 people at Cherngtalay campus (the 30 maximum rule at Cherngtalay will be reduced to 25 maximum people when the weight machines arrive very soon). We also cannot allow anyone to enter the class after the 08.00 start time. Please see the posters below for more information about what sessions we have to offer and we look forward to seeing you there. - Coach Jordi, Community Fitness Manager

ECAs

The Importance of IT Skills for the Future

Nearly half of all core skills are expected to change in the next few years as technology advances faster than educational systems can adapt their curricula, according to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2023. To secure children’s future in a rapidly changing world, it’s crucial to develop their IT skills early, encourage continuous learning, and foster both analytical and creative thinking. KIBERone CyberSchool, in partnership with HeadStart, is dedicated to providing these essential skills, ensuring that children are not just prepared for the future, but equipped to excel in it. Digital Creativity School KIBERone is part of the ECA program at HeadStart Chaofah and Cherngtalay. To enroll your child in lessons, please contact the ECA department.

HeadStart Eco School Term 1 Focus

5xR (Replace, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose, Recycle): SDG12 - Responsible Consumption.

HeadStart is well known for the work it does to minimise its impact on the environment and foster more sustainable practices. As a school community we are committed to ensuring we can work towards even greater sustainable practices, within the school and within the community. Working with the school leadership team we have created the HeadStart Eco School as a way of organising and enhancing our practices. Over the coming years we will work to raise Awareness, identify Actions we can take, Assimilate sustainable practices into the classroom and curriculum and Advocate for change throughout the community. Welcome to the first of our regular updates and if you want to find out more about Eco schools check out this short video!

Eco Committee Campaigns

Over the next few weeks we will recruit a new cohort of Eco Ambassadors from Reception through to Year 13. Once in place we will begin designing our initiatives and campaigns around the following ½ termly themes:

• 5XR = Replace, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose, Recycle.
• Climate
• Water
• Sustainable Communities

We plan to reactivate our Eco Brick Challenge campaign, our Clean Air Campaign, our system of paper collection and recycling and our Friday ChangeMaker Program. We are keen to build lasting relations with organisations, schools and business here on Phuket who share our desire to enculture Sustainable Learning for a Sustainable World. We want to enhance our practices and do more to help the wider community. To achieve this, we need you, our island community, to help build the wider capacity of our learners, our parents and all those that call Phuket home. Together we can be ChangeMakers and help bring about the change we want to see in the world. If you are interested in working with us in some capacity, be it as a partner, provider or educator, please contact the HeadStart Eco School Coordinator, Mr. Rob Gratton [email protected].

Community Beach Clean

New year and new HeadStart Community Beach Clean schedule. Our next beach clean will be held at Rawai beach, on Sunday the 6th of October (9:30 am @ We Cafe). As with last year we will meet at 9:30 am each month on a Sunday. 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. Last year Green Dragons were the most represented House. All our beach clean locations and dates can be found on the linked flyer/poster and on posters in school opposite the cafe. So come join us for a fun and rewarding community event where we give back to our local community.

New Initiative - Plastic reduction in the Cafe

The Cafe here on site is helping us drive down plastic use and waste across this academic year. The Cafe already plays an important role in reducing consumption and waste, recycling packaging, replacing plastic with glass or paper where possible, repurposing coffee grounds as fertiliser for plants and ensuring food is made to order minimising food waste. Moving forward the Cafe will no longer provide plastic straws with drinks and minimise the use of plastic lids on cups. If an individual requires a straw they must request one. The Cafe is also piloting waste separation. You will soon find a separate bin in the cafe for paper cups only. This will enable us to collect the paper cups and have them recycled off site. Cups placed in with other trash will go to landfill and we’d like to minimise this. We really encourage parents to our staff here at HeadStart bringing to the Cafe their own takeaway cup and straw minimising the need to consume the throw away cups. Any questions you have with this initiative please direct them to me; Mr Gratton.

Ongoing Collaboration between HeadStart and the University of Stirling in marine science and conservation

As part of a large international environmental research project focusing on plastic pollution in Southeast Asia and the impact of sunscreen on the ocean’s ecosystems, Professor Sabine Matallana-Surget and Freya Johnson from the University of Stirling are conducting fieldwork in the Phuket Region. We invite you to complete an anonymous online survey using the JISC survey builder endorsed by the University of Stirling. Minimal personal data—specifically age and nationality—to help identify trends while ensuring respondent privacy will be collected. Participants have the option to skip any questions they are uncomfortable with, maintaining ethical standards. Thank you for completing the survey which can be accessed via this link!

Did You Know?	HeadStart promotes Responsible Consumption through minimising food waste. At lunch time students separate their food waste into different bins. This is then collected, every day, by local farmers to be turned into food for pigs and ducks on the island. Food that is served but not eaten is also given to farmers whereas food that is cooked and not served is shared with local families in need through our food partners, Scholars of Sustenance.
Something To Think About	Have clothes you need to get rid of? Not in a condition to donate to charity? Then head on down to Central Mall and Uniqlo who have started collecting unwanted clothes and fabrics. These collection bins can be found by the checkout. See image below.
Interesting Links	Making recycling easy here on Phuket
Request	For all those items you can’t recycle such as thin plastic bags, wrappers, crisp bags or plastic food wrappers please collect these at home, perhaps in a plastic bag. In the coming weeks we will be asking for donations of such material to help with our monthly Eco Brick Challenge. Better still make your own Eco Brick at home.