Weekly Update #22, 7 February 2025

Announcements

Parent Committee Term 2 Meeting

On Wednesday 5th March, our Chaofah City Parent Committee will assemble for their Term 2 meeting. If you have points to raise or would like your voice to be heard, please contact the Parent Committee directly via email at [email protected] by no later than 28th February. They look forward to hearing from you.

Can You Help? Seeking Business Owners and Industry Professionals

On Monday 3rd March 2025, HeadStart International School Chaofah City Campus will host a Careers Fair for our Year 11, 12 and 13 students. This is an opportunity for our oldest students to gain an insight into the working world and career options before making important decisions about their post-secondary school pathway.

If you are a business owner or industry professional who is willing and able to give up 3 hours of your time, from 07:30 - 10:30 on Monday 3rd March, please contact Mr Neil Roscoe, our University Counsellor, at [email protected].

We are particularly interested in hearing from experts in the following fields:

• Engineering / Architecture

• Computing / Digital Media

• Charities / Development

• Food and Beverages

• Entrepreneurship

• Medical / Psychology

• Art / Design

• Entrepreneurship / Marketing / Commerce

• Hospitality

• Government / Legal

Upcoming Events

A Special Free Parent Event - Let’s Co-Play! at Cherngtalay Campus

There is still time to book your place at this very special event.

Inviting all parents from across Phuket to attend a unique parent event hosted by Greg Bottrill, renowned childhood advocate and best-selling author of ‘Can I Go & Play Now?’. This will be an engaging and insightful presentation for parents in which he will explore the power of play in building stronger connections with your child, offering tips and advice.

📆 Date: Tuesday 11th February 2025

⏰ Time: 12:45-13:45

📍 Venue: HeadStart International School, Phuket (Cherngtalay Campus)

The event is open to all parents, particularly those of Foundation and Year 1 & 2 parents. Registration is required. To register for you and up to 4 other adults, scan the QR code in the poster below or complete the GoogleForm: Let’s Co-Play Parent Event Registration

Half-Term Basketball Camp

During the February half-term break, our Basketball Academy is offering 3 days of high-quality training designed to keep your child fit, healthy, and improving their b’ball skills. Starts at 09:00 am (drop off after 08:30 am) and finishes at 2:00 pm with lunch provided! Open to students from Year 4 to Year 9. Players will be split into appropriate groups, depending on their age and abilities. Expect high-quality coaching, lots of fun and medals🏅to be won!

To sign up, please contact Coach Mike [email protected]

Meetings & Presentations

A Parents Guide to E-Safety for Children

Inviting all Primary parents to a meeting to look at keeping your child safe from harm when using the internet and other forms of online media at home. Join us on Tuesday 11th February at 8:15am in the Primary Hall (second floor).

HeadStart Alumni

Giacomo Solaroli - Class of 2023

Hello, my name is Giacomo and I am currently in my second year of bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering at the University of Twente in the Netherlands. I graduated from Headstart in 2023 and it is safe to say that a lot has changed since going to university. Life at university ended up being better than what I could’ve expected; there is always something happening on campus and the international students mix well with the Dutch locals. Being an international student in the Netherlands has many benefits, for example Dutch people are some of the best English speakers in the world, making communication easy. Because of this, international student associations thrive. The association I interact with the most here in Twente is ConcepT, which is the association for all civil engineers. The association handles academic help by providing discounts on textbooks and organising tutoring sessions, but mostly focuses on extracurricular activities with its dozens of internal sub-associations.

I am currently a member of Beton Brouwers, which is an association that designs, builds, tests and races canoes made out of concrete (very fitting, I know). The association feels like being inside of a formula one team, but instead of cars we race concrete canoes. This year’s race will be held in Eindhoven, and there is also an additional race that we can join which is held in Krakow in Poland. Before Beton Brouwers, I was a member of the SportCie, which is the sports sub association in ConcepT. In that association, I, along with a group of 5 other members, would organise fun sports-related activities throughout the year for other Civil Engineering students, ranging from first years to masters students. I have left that association in favour of Beton Brouwers to try something new, and so that other first year students, like Charles and Kirill who are also Headstart Alumni, could have a spot. Being in university while doing the same course as 2 of my highschool friends makes the experience much more enjoyable as our separate friend groups regularly clash in other ConcepT activities.

Outside of ConcepT, I regularly meet with uni friends to play padel or go kart and I also often visit other Headstart Alumni scattered across the Netherlands that used to be in my class. Participating in all of these extracurricular activities doesn’t mean that there isn’t much to study though! The exam weeks here are tough and universities in the Netherlands are known to have low graduation rates, but limiting activities during exam periods can significantly help pass the study load, allowing for time to focus on your social life in later stages.

Overall, studying here gives me the opportunity to have a great study life balance as well as the opportunity to travel to visit family and friends. There are plenty of opportunities for me in the future, but I hope to stay in the Netherlands to do my masters studies in a more specialized area of Civil Engineering.

CAPA Department

LAMDA Evening Showcase

On Wednesday 29th January, over 50 talented LAMDA students treated us to a wonderful performance in the Secondary Hall at our Chaofah City Campus. The range and variety of performances, talent and confidence displayed was fantastic. From our Public Speaking hosts to the monologues, duos and groups of the Acting and Performance students to our Musical Theatre pieces, the performers thoroughly delighted their audience.

LAMDA classes support students to develop crucial communication and presentation skills, both for the stage and throughout their working and personal life. It is clear that our students are going to be formidable! It was wonderful to see our LAMDA family come together with students from Year 1 to Sixth Form performing. Now the preparation for their summer exams starts fully and we have no doubt that there will be another amazing set of achievements!

Thank you and a massive well done to everyone who performed and the wonderful teaching team who supported them so expertly, Mr Joel Adams, Ms Salli Collins, Mr Patrick Graham, Mr Josh O’Neill, Mr Jesse Todd and Miss Shauna Tunstall. We are so very proud of you all! Ms Howells - Director of CAPA

📸 Please find a full album of photos here: CAPA LAMDA Evening Showcase

PE & Sports News

Foundation & Primary Sports Days

The PE team and all the students are starting to get excited for our upcoming Sports Day! Please find below all the information you and your child need to know:

Wednesday 12th February

Year 3 to Year 6

• Time: 12:30-15:15

Thursday 13th February

Foundation

• Time: 08:30-10:30

Year 1 & Year 2

• Time: 12:30-15:15

Location: Astro-pitches

On the day, please ensure that your child brings their water bottle and wears their House Shirt, PE shorts, sports shoes, a hat and/or sunblock.

Parents are welcome to come and watch their children participate, but we kindly ask you to ensure you sit in the designated parents seating areas and do not interfere with the running of the event. We look forward to seeing you there!

Secondary Sports Day

Friday 14th February

Year 7 to Year 11

• Time: 08:00-15:00

Year 12 & Year 13

• Time: 12:30-15:00

Location: Astro-pitches

On the day, please ensure that your child brings their water bottle and wears their House Shirt, PE shorts, sports shoes, a hat and/or sunblock.

U15 Boys Plate Up in KIS Cup

Our U15 Boys competed in the KIS Cup this past weekend, securing 1st place in the plate competition. The boys showed plenty of effort and energy in what were very hot conditions, to supplement some of the great football they had on show. Shoutout to Non for scoring his first goals of the school year. Coach Dave - Football Coach

Thai Department

Celebrating Success in Thai Academic and Cultural Activities

At Headstart, we encourage students to take part in Thai Academic and cultural activities and competitions to explore their skills and ability and enrich their experiences as well as connect to local schools. We are delighted to announce that our students recently participated in Thai competitions with local schools across Phuket, achieving remarkable success:

🥇 Congratulations to Anya (9 White) who was awarded the Gold Medal in ‘Sor Oo’ (Bowed String Instrument) Lower Secondary Level at the Sillapahatthakham Competition held in Phang Nga.

🥇 Alice, Nalin and Prang (Year 1) who were awarded the Gold Medal in the Modelling Clay competition (Kindergarten Level) at the Sillapahatthakham Competition held at Anubarn Phuket School.

🥇 Jom, Alice and Puffin (Year 1) who were awarded the Gold Medal in the Paper Collage competition (Kindergarten Level) at the Sillapahatthakham Competition held at Anubarn Phuket School.

Learning Thai is fun!

Our Early Years students in the Thai Foreign Language class are exploring numbers and colors through Play-Doh activities. This hands-on approach helps them develop fine motor skills and improve concentration while having fun! Kru Tiya - Thai Teacher

Languages Department

Mandarin Language Day

On 1st February, 2025, our Term 2 Mandarin Language Day was held at the Cherngtalay campus in a festive and joyful atmosphere. This event was dedicated to celebrating the Spring Festival, bringing together parents and students to enjoy a variety of traditional cultural experiences.

The event was filled with excitement as participants engaged in activities such as lantern-making, fan printing, paper cutting, and writing Spring Festival couplets, immersing themselves in the rich traditions of Chinese culture. Additionally, students wrote their New Year wishes and hung them on the wishing tree, expressing their hopes for a prosperous year ahead.

As we welcome the new year, we sincerely wish all families and students a prosperous, healthy, and joyful Year of the Snake! The Mandarin Team

We would like to take this opportunity to remind our Russian-speaking community that their Term 2 Russian Language Day will be taking place on Saturday 29th of March at our Cherngtalay Campus; we look forward to welcoming families from both campuses for this event!

2025年2月1日，我校第二学期中文语言日在Cherngtalay校区隆重举行，活动现场洋溢着喜庆祥和的节日氛围。本次活动以春节为主题，家长和学生们齐聚一堂，共同体验丰富多彩的传统文化。

活动中，大家兴致勃勃地参与了灯笼制作、拓印团扇、剪纸、书写春联等春节习俗，沉浸在中华文化的独特魅力中。此外，学生们还写下新年愿望，并将其挂在许愿树上，寄托对新一年的美好期许。

在这辞旧迎新的时刻，我们衷心祝愿所有家庭蛇年大吉、健康平安！HeadStart中文团队

📸 Please find a full album of photos here: Mandarin Language Day Term 2

Primary

Year 5 Explorers at King Rama IX Park!

Our Year 5 adventurers put their map skills to the test, navigating through the stunning gardens of King Rama IX Park! Along the way, they used their geography knowledge to identify a variety of tropical plants and key human geographical features. A fantastic hands-on learning experience in a beautiful setting! The Year 5 Team

Secondary

Talking Heads – A Celebration of Year 12 Public Speaking Excellence

On Thursday, 30th January, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM, our specially chosen Year 12 students took to the stage for the much-anticipated ‘Talking Heads’ Public Speaking Showcase. The event was a resounding success, filled with thought-provoking ideas, heartfelt stories, and impressive displays of confidence and communication skills.
Our speakers embodied key learner attributes throughout the evening. They demonstrated remarkable courage as they stood before a large audience, sharing personal insights and bold ideas with confidence. Their speeches reflected an inquisitive mindset, exploring diverse topics with depth and curiosity, while showcasing creativity in how they crafted and delivered their messages.

The event was a true testament to the power of student voice, with each speaker showing resilience as they navigated the challenges of public speaking, maintaining composure and clarity. The respectful atmosphere in the room highlighted the strong sense of collaboration and support among students, teachers, and families, creating a space where every voice was valued.

Speakers approached their topics with principled conviction, standing by their beliefs while remaining open-minded to different perspectives. Their words were often underpinned by messages of kindness, empathy, and understanding, inspiring both reflection and discussion among the audience.

A huge thank you to all the students who presented, the staff who supported the event, and the friends and families who attended to cheer on our speakers. ‘Talking Heads’ was more than just an event—it was a celebration of expression, ideas, and the remarkable talents within our Year 12 cohort, shining a light on the attributes that help our learners thrive. Ms Graham - Deputy Head of Upper Secondary

Transforming Abstract Concepts into Real-life Contexts in Year 7 Science

In Year 7 science lessons, our students have been transforming abstract concepts into hands-on experiences, deepening student understanding and curiosity.

In chemistry, students used plasticine to model atoms and elements, visually constructing elements, compounds, and mixtures. This activity reinforced molecular structures, chemical bonding, and the distinction between physical and chemical combinations—bridging the gap between theory and tangible understanding.

In physics, students explored sound transmission by creating paper cup telephones. Through this experiment, they investigated how sound waves travel through different mediums, discovering that solids transmit sound fastest due to their tightly packed particles.

By integrating active, experiential learning, our students displayed critical thinking, collaboration, and scientific inquiry. These lessons highlight the power of practical science education in making abstract ideas both accessible and memorable. Ms Uhure - Year 7 Science Teacher

Duke of Edinburgh International Bronze Award

Our first DofE practice expedition was an unforgettable adventure! Students packed their bags, hopped onto a longtail boat, and set off for Koh Lon, where they spent two nights camping, cooking, and kayaking. As soon as we arrived, it was all hands on deck! Students set up camp, got a crash course in kayaking techniques and water safety, and then put their new skills to the test. Over the next few days, they paddled their way to Hamburger Island, where we kayaked all the way across to Ao Yon Beach and back—a true test of endurance and teamwork! Students also cooked their own breakfast, lunch, and dinner, embracing the true outdoor survival experience. Evenings were spent around the campfire, roasting marshmallows and soaking in the breathtaking sunsets. With plenty of kayaking, sunshine, and teamwork, students gained essential survival skills—getting them ready and prepared for their final expedition.

“During the practice, I really enjoyed having more time to spend with my friends while cooking and watching the sunset. The most challenging part of the practice for me was the long distance kayaking because we had to paddle against the current and if we stopped we would have drifted backwards. The overall experience was very joyful and memorable. I can’t wait to do it again.” Mason (10 Yellow)

“I enjoyed swimming in the sea and hanging out with my friends during free time. Free time was really fun and relaxing and gave everyone time to bond and make memories.” Juliette (10 Blue)

Bring on the next adventure! The Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award Team

Celebrating the Power of Creative Expression

Nothing is more gratifying than seeing a student write for their own creative expression. That’s all that needs to be said about Liz Lebedeva’s piece here. Mr. Pollicutt - Head of English & EAL

ECA News

6th Student Chess Tournament of 2024/25!

Fight for cash prizes totaling 4000 THB, medals and a bunch of other attractive awards for all participants! All HeadStart students are welcome and all players are going to be rewarded!

🗓️ Date: Saturday, 15th February 2025

🕘 Time: Attendance check 11:15am

📍 Location: Canteen, Chaofah City Campus

To register and reserve your place, act fast! Double entry fee if you register on the day of tournament! Contact Coach Dawid.

Student Success Outside School

🥇 Huge congratulations to Pavin (3 Blue) on his astounding achievement of finishing in 1st place in the NEO Science Olympiad 2025 Coding Category - Grade 3! This is a truly remarkable achievement as he outperformed participants from across the globe!

🥈Congratulations to Din (7 Yellow) and Gleb (8 White) whose U14 ice hockey team finished in 2nd place in the Bangkok Paradise Cup 2025.

🥈Congratulations to Peak (3 Blue) who received the Silver Medal Award with a score of 78.75 in the Level 1 Preliminary Round of the Andaman Spelling Bee (ASB) 2024.

Promotions From Around the Island