Weekly Update #30, 25 April 2025

International Book Sale Featuring Big Bad Wolf Books is back for its 3rd time!

Get ready for the biggest book fair Phuket has ever seen! Big Bad Wolf Books is bringing over 500,000 books to fill the hall—covering every category, every genre, and for every age, in both Thai and English. Whether you’re looking for fun reads or educational gems, they’ve got it all at amazing discounts of up to 80%!

But that’s not all! Enjoy a wide range of board games, educational toys, and fun kids’ activities—a perfect day out for the whole family!

Free entry – shop all day, every day. The more you read, the more it’s worth it. The more you shop, the more fun you’ll have. Don’t miss out!

📅 Date: Friday 25 April – Monday 5 May, 2025

⏰ Time: 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM

📍 Venue: Floresta Mini Convention Hall, 3rd Floor, Central Phuket

If you are visiting the Book Fair, make sure to drop by the HeadStart booth to say hi to our team who are making the most of this educational opportunity!

Toddler Playgroup is Back for Term 3

Welcoming all families to step into our vibrant classrooms for a special morning at our free Toddler Playgroup at our Cherngtalay campus! The first session for this term will take place on Wednesday, 30th April.

Our highly qualified team will guide you and your little ones through a range of engaging activities – from sensory and messy play stations to hands-on crafts where children can make their own creations. Toddlers will explore color and texture with paint, playdough, and water play, helping develop their motor skills and curiosity. There’s also story time and songs to wrap up the morning. This fun-filled session is perfect for families to connect and find out what it’s like to be a part of our HeadStart community.

To register, scan the QR code or complete the GoogleForm: https://forms.gle/YNCo7YhUdycwaSs76

Come Join Us! Community Beach Clean Event at Rawai Beach

• When: Sunday 27th April

• Where: Rawai Beach 9:30 am (meet outside We Cafe, Rawai)

• Why: Help clean and protect a vital yet neglected beach. Earn House Points. Log Hours for Duke of Edinburgh Awards. Make a difference and great friends!

Friday Market on 2nd May

Inviting everyone to attend our latest Friday Market of the school year. If you want delicious home-baked treats and freshly made drinks, or sustainably sourced products and second-hand items with a focus on reducing plastic waste and supporting local enterprise, then join us in the Atrium from 2:40pm on Friday 2nd May. We look forward to seeing you there!

Year 7 Science Fair

We would like to warmly invite parents to attend the upcoming Year 7 Science Fair, where our students will be proudly presenting the poster boards they’ve been working on throughout Term 2. These displays will showcase their investigations, experiments, and findings on a wide range of fascinating scientific questions.

There will also be a voting opportunity for the best overall project, and we’ll be awarding some certificates during the event to celebrate outstanding work. Please see the poster for details.

End of Year Assessments, Revision, Reports and Grades Parent Meeting

Come join us! We welcome all Primary parents to join us for our latest parent meeting when we will talk you through our end of year exam processes and reporting procedures and share information that will enable you and your child to get the most of these. We look forward to seeing you there! Tuesday 29th April 2025 from 8:15 - 9:15 in the Primary Hall.

UPrep Talk: By Parents for Parents - Applying to the UK and the Netherlands

We understand that supporting your children through the university application process can be a nerve-wracking experience. A really effective way of navigating this process is by speaking with parents who have already been there and done it. Our latest UPrep Talk will give you just such an opportunity as we welcome parents whose children have successfully gone on to study in the UK and the Netherlands. The talk will be held from 8:30 - 9:15 am on Wednesday 30th April, in the Primary Hall (on the 2nd floor).
We are pleased to welcome two guest speakers from our parent community:

• Mr. Jazon Edouard, our School Founder and CEO, and parent of HeadStart graduates who studied in the Netherlands and the UK

• Mr. Maksim Radzkov, whose daughter studied at The University of Twente and Eindhoven Technical University

Together, they will share their personal insights into:

• Supporting their child’s transition to living and studying in the Netherlands and the UK

• Common challenges and how to overcome them

• Practical tips and advice for parents and students

• Navigating the visa process and key points to be aware of

There will also be time for an open Q&A, and a Russian and Thai translator will be available. This is a valuable opportunity to gain honest, practical advice from those who have been through the journey already. We hope you can join us and look forward to seeing you there. The UPrep Team

Lena Janicka - Enrolled at HeadStart since Year 9

We are excited to announce that Lena Janicka, who joined HeadStart in Year 9, has been accepted to study a BSc (Hons) in Chemical Science and Engineering at the University of Twente in The Netherlands. Lena has demonstrated outstanding dedication both academically and in her extracurricular activities. She volunteered in the school lab, helping the technician prepare practical lessons for students, served as the senior prefect for welfare, and contributed to ‘Sunny Side Up’, a student-led initiative dedicated to improving English education for underprivileged children in Phuket. Her strategic skills also led her to win multiple school chess tournaments throughout her years here. Lena also participated in the Duke of Edinburgh Silver and Bronze expeditions, which further highlights her commitment to personal growth and service. Her internship at Mercator Medical Thailand, where she explored the manufacturing processes of nitrile gloves, highlights her dedication to the field of Chemistry and Engineering.

Phumess Hulot - Enrolled at HeadStart since Preschool

We are excited to share that Theo, who has been with HeadStart since 2009, has been accepted to ESSEC Business School in Singapore to pursue a Bachelor in Business Administration (Global BBA). Theo has been a dedicated House Senior Prefect and a committed member of the Football Academy for 12 years! His leadership extended to Model United Nations (MUN) and the Sunny Side Up initiative, a student-led volunteer programme that provides English education to underprivileged children in Phuket.

Vivien (5 Blue Chaofah City campus) - Enrolled at HeadStart since Preschool

Vivien is amazingly positive and enthusiastic about all areas of school. She loves art and is a gifted artist, taking inspiration from everything she learns accross different subjects. She likes to make her classmates and teachers laugh with her hilarious personality. When she’s done entertaining her friends in school, Vivien is an important member of Junkyard Theatre players, performing in a number of plays. Why does Vivien love HeadStart?

World Book Day in Foundation

What a fun-filled World Book Day we had in Foundation! The children came dressed as their favourite book characters, filling the classrooms with colour, creativity, and excitement. From superheroes to storybook animals, the costumes were fantastic! During the holidays, the children also enjoyed books in the craziest of places, from reading upside down to snuggling up with a book in the garden or even on an escalator! It was wonderful to see their enthusiasm for reading shining through wherever they were.

We also visited the library, where the love of reading truly came to life. A special highlight was having our wonderful Year 12 and 13 students join us to read their favourite books to the children, such a lovely moment of connection across the school. It was a day full of imagination, adventure, and most importantly, a shared celebration of books and the joy of reading! The Foundation Team

PISAC U16 Badminton Tournament

Next Wednesday, 30th April, 32 Badminton players from 4 PISAC schools will be ‘dropping’ into the HeadStart Cherngtalay campus to ‘smash’ their way to victory in the U16 Badminton Championships. Our 8 HeadStart players are hoping to ‘serve’ up a ‘clear’ victory. We’ll let you know how they get on in next week’s update. Go Panthers! Mr Martin - PE Teacher

Exploring Thai Tea in Year 8 Thai Class

In Thai class this week, our Year 8 Thai as a Foreign Language students kicked off Term 3 with a hands-on cultural experience all about Thai tea — led by Kru Tiya! They explored the history of Thai tea and the tea-drinking culture of Southern Thailand, made and tasted Thai black tea, Thai milk tea and Thai lemon tea, and even practiced ordering their drinks in Thai! The activity wrapped up with a fun and refreshing Thai tea party — the perfect start to the new term! Kru Tiya

Russian-speaking Parent Panel Discussion

We would like to warmly invite you to our upcoming Russian-speaking Parent Panel Discussion titled: “Together We Grow: Russian Language, Culture and Community”

• 🗓 Date: Tuesday 6th of May 2025

• 🕒 Time: 8.30 - 9.30

• 📍 Location: Primary Hall - HeadStart Chaofah City campus

This will be a friendly and informal event where members of our Russian-speaking community — including two parents and a student — will share their personal experiences of maintaining cultural identity, language, and family values while living abroad and being part of an international school.

Some of the discussion questions will include:

• How do you keep Russian traditions and language alive at home?

• Do you face any challenges when your child mixes languages, or prefers English?

• What strategies have helped your child stay connected to their cultural roots?

• What support do you wish existed for Russian families in international schools?

There will also be time for questions and discussion with the audience. We would love for you to join us, listen, share ideas, and connect with other families in our community. The Russian-speaking team

Уважаемые родители! Мы приглашаем вас принять участие в предстоящей панельной дискуссии для русскоязычных родителей на тему: «Растём вместе: русский язык, культура и сообщество».

• 🗓 Дата: 6 мая 2025 года

• 🕒 Время: 08:30 – 09:30

• 📍 Место проведения: Primary Hall, кампус HeadStart Chaofah City

Это мероприятие пройдёт в формате дружеской беседы. Участники русскоязычного сообщества школы — двое родителей и один ученик — поделятся личным опытом сохранения культурной идентичности, семейных ценностей и родного языка в условиях жизни за границей и обучения в международной школе.

В ходе дискуссии планируется рассмотреть следующие вопросы:

• Какие подходы помогают сохранять русские традиции и язык в домашней обстановке?

• С какими трудностями сталкиваются семьи, если ребёнок начинает предпочитать английский язык или смешивает языки?

• Какие стратегии позволяют детям поддерживать связь с родной культурой?

• Какая форма поддержки, на ваш взгляд, могла бы быть полезной для русскоязычных семей в международной школьной среде?

В завершение будет предусмотрено время для вопросов из зала и обмена мнениями. Будем рады вашему участию, открытому диалогу и возможности укрепить связи внутри нашего сообщества. Русскоязычная команда школы HeadStart

Year 10 Travel & Tourism Students Dive into Customer Service at Aquaria Phuket!

This week, our Year 10 BTEC Travel & Tourism students swapped the classroom for the underwater world of Aquaria Phuket as part of their Unit 2 assignment on customer service. Armed with clipboards, curiosity, and sharp observation skills, they became “Customer Service Detectives,” exploring how the attraction meets the needs of different types of tourists—from families to international visitors. Between jellyfish tanks and feeding points, students investigated staff friendliness, accessibility, and even souvenir offerings. A fun and educational day out, with plenty of fishy facts and future travel insights!

Year 12 & 13 Literature Students Blast the Master with Master Blasters!

Donuts were provided, ‘tis true but I like to think that it was not only gastronomic bribery which precipitated the appearance of the Year 12 Literature students for a three hour revision session today. Across two classroom whiteboards, students created what I like to call ‘Master Blasters’ -collaborative explorations of the methods and concerns for both Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and A Handful of Dust. We then embarked on socratic seminars, exploring concepts in the texts ranging from mendacity and mortality, to repression and religion, with a brief stop at isolation and identity. Phew! Perhaps those donuts were needed, after all. Mr. Pollicutt - Head of English & EAL