Chaofah City
Chaofah City
Weekly Update #2, 30 August 2024
Announcements
Dates for Your Diary
| Monday 2nd September | 15:30 | All ECAs Begin |
| Thursday 5th September | 08:30 | Parent Meeting: Introduction to Foundation and the EYFS Curriculum |
| Friday 13th September | 14:30 | First Friday Market |
School Communication
We’d like to remind you that important school news will now be sent directly to your inbox 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 vital 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 Cherngtalay Facebook Page.
Thank you for staying connected with us!
Pick Up your Parent Card
New Student ID Cards are being introduced across both campuses. Students have the option to keep using the cards they already have or upgrade their card with the new design for 200 Baht, paid at the school cashiers in the front office.
Clarification of Morning Drop-off Procedures
We sincerely appreciate the efforts made by our entire school community to help us improve parking and traffic flow on the school site. We trust you will agree that the daily drop-off routine is getting better with each school day.
Please be reminded that our school buildings open at 7:45 am.
We understand that some families will arrive before 7:45 am and we ask that parents follow these guidelines to ensure children are safe and in the right place at the right time.
Families with Foundation and Year 1 and 2 Children
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Park in the underground car park and enter via the turnstiles
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Students must be accompanied by a parent or guardian and should wait in the Atrium. The parent or guardian is responsible for the supervision of the child until they bring the child to their classroom. The Foundation and Primary building is accessible from 7.45 am. The parent or guardian must walk the child to their class once the Foundation and Primary building is open.
Families with Year 3 – 6 Children
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Drop off at the main entrance – “Kiss & Go”. Students should remain in the Atrium and should walk to their class when the class opens. Please note that there is no designated supervision in the atrium or playground at this time and students will be expected to walk to their classrooms on their own once our school buildings op at 7:45 am.
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Parents are also welcome to park in the underground car park and enter via the turnstiles with their child. In this case, the parent should remain with their child in the atrium and walk them to their class once the classroom is open. Please note that children in Year 3 – 6 should not use the Foundation playground.
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Please note that due to the location of the Primary Playground, it is not open before the start of school.
Families with Secondary Children
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Drop-off at the Secondary Entrance – “Kiss & Go”; your Secondary age child/children should wait in the entrance area at the front of the Secondary building or they may play on the football pitch. These areas are not supervised before the start of the school day and students are expected to walk to class once the National Anthem is played at 8 am.
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Parents are welcome to park and walk their child into school.
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Parents should not drop-off a Secondary child along with their Primary and/or Foundation siblings at the Secondary Drop-Off. All Foundation and Primary children should be dropped off at the main entrance.
Parent Fitness Update
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
Upcoming Events
Calling All Vendors
If you are interested in sharing your unique products with our ever-growing community, why not book a stall at our next Friday Market. With an Eco Special theme, focused on healthy, locally-sourced food, sustainably produced products and reused or recycled materials, this promises to be another wonderful community event taking place on Friday 13th September 2024. Contact Khun Newle or Mr. Bell in the admin office or email [email protected]. We can’t wait to hear from you!
Meetings & Presentations
Online Homework Platforms in Primary parent meeting on 29.08.24
Thanks to the many parents who joined us for our latest parent meeting of the school year looking at homework in Primary. It was wonderful to see such a large turnout to find out how parents can support their children to make the link between school and home. We trust you found the presentation informative and will be able to help your child make the most of our programmes at home starting next week.
If you were unable to attend the meeting, please find a copy of the presentation below 👇
Primary Homework Parent Meeting 29 August 2024
Parent Meeting: Introduction to Foundation and the EYFS Curriculum on Thursday 5th September
We invite all Foundation parents to join us for our latest parent meeting when our Foundation team will introduce to our Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Curriculum. It will also be a great opportunity to meet other parents and members of our community. Our Thai, Russian and Mandarin speaking admin teams will be on hand to provide translation services. We look forward to seeing you there! Thursday 5th September 2024 from 8:30-9:30am in the Secondary Indoor Learning Centre (SILC).
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.
PE & Sports
Academies Kick (and Tip!) Off!
Following a series of tryouts last week, our Football and Basketball Academies swung into action this week.
Coach Paul and Coach Taee put new and returning recruits through their paces in tryouts for the second year of the Cherngtalay Panthers Football Academy. We’re thrilled to announce that more than 30 students have been selected for our U9, U11 and U14 teams and they kicked off their first sessions of the season this week! The growth of our North campus academy has been a huge success, giving many students the chance to play the sport they love. Our professional coaches are dedicated to challenging players to push their limits and reach their goals.
We still have space for more U9, U11 and U14 girls and boys to join. Speak to Coach Paul, Coach Taee or your PE teacher if you think you might be the next Messi! Let’s keep the momentum going and make this inaugural season unforgettable!
👉 To find out more about HeadStart’s Football Academy programs, visit our website: https://headstartphuket.com/school-life/academies/football
Under the watchful eye of Coach Rob, our brand new Basketball Academy, opened its doors for tryouts. We’re thrilled to announce that 9 students tipped off into our U12/U14 CoEd team for this academic year! We hope that the latest introduction to our academy programmes at our Cherngtalay campus will quickly become a huge success, giving many students the chance to play the sport they love. Our professional coaches are dedicated to challenging players to push their limits and reach new heights.
We still have space for more U12/U14 girls and boys to join. Speak to Coach Rob or your PE teacher if you think you might be a Baller! Let’s keep the momentum going and make this inaugural season unforgettable!
ECA News
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.
Foundation
Settling into Preschool
Preschool have settled well and been fantastic at immersing themselves in the full range of activities on offer within their environment. They were particularly excited about getting stuck into Messy Play, where we experimented with standing in paint and stomping like elephants on large paper, rescuing animals from ice using warm water and droppers, investigating rice and water and exploring textures like custard, cornflour and shaving foam. In Tiny CAPA, the children have loved playing instruments like drums, xylophones and ukuleles. Miss Monica and Miss Kitti – Preschool Teachers
Primary
Year 3’s Journey into the Stone Age
Year 3 have had a week of immersing themselves back in time. We used our creativity to make a set of wonderful stone age homes. We spoke about how the houses were different according to whether they came from the Paleolithic, Mesolithic or Neolithic periods. We also had a surprise visitor from Stone Age times, who really ignited both classes imaginations, prompting tons of inquisitive questions about the Stone Age. He was rather a peculiar visitor! Mrs Davies and Mr Cotterell, Year 3 Teachers
Getting Active in Maths in Year 5
Year 5 really make the most of ‘Active Maths Friday’! This week, the children used their knowledge of place value studied this week to play place value games. Lots of fun and learning was had this morning! Mr Carroll – Year 5 Teacher
Secondary
Secondary House Activities are GO!
What a fantastic way to end the first week of school in Secondary with a competition to design our brand new House boards! Our Secondary students engaged in a creative and collaborative activity where they decorated their house boards to reflect the qualities they value in their house members. Each house worked together to design and decorate their boards in their respective house colours, emphasizing their unique traits and fostering a sense of unity and pride.
The Green Dragons were awarded the winning prize due to some beautiful drawings of dragons, demonstrating outstanding creativity and attention to detail in their presentation. Their board effectively captured the essence of their house’s qualities and was noted for its vibrant and imaginative design. The Blue Tigers, Red Phoenixes, and Yellow Cheetahs also produced impressive displays, each reflecting their house spirit and values. Ms Thompson – House Coordinator
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 seek to recruit a new cohort of Eco Ambassadors from Year 1 through to Year 9. Once in place we will begin designing our initiatives and campaigns around the following ½ termly themes:
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5XR = Replace, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose, Recycle
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Climate
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Water
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Sustainable Communities
We plan to introduce a number of successful campaigns including our Eco Brick Challenge campaign, our Clean Air Campaign, our system of paper collection and recycling and our 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. We currently run Community Beach Cleans in the South of the island and in the coming year will be looking to expand this into the Cherngtalay area. Our next beach clean will be held at Rawai beach, on Sunday the 6th of October (9:30 am @ We Cafe). Once dates and locations for the North are confirmed we will share these with you. At all beach cleans we will provide collection bags and of course House Points for every participant. Last year Green Dragons were the most represented House.
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 the link here: https://app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/stirling/sunscreen-protection-and-single-use-plastic-consumption-in-th-1
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.
Interesting Links: Making recycling easy here on Phuket https://sustainablemaikhaofoundation.org/recycling/
Celebrating Student Success
Two of our Academic prize winners from last school year received their Awards this morning during our Flag ceremony. Both were absent for last year’s event, so it was a pleasure to congratulate them together as a school today. Well done to Sara (now in Year 3) who received the Key Stage 1 Creative Arts Award for Art and congratulations to Mariia (now in Year 7) for being the recipient of the award for Outstanding Effort in Year 6 last academic year.
As a school, we are always proud of the achievements of students within our community. We regularly celebrate awards our students gain in sports, dance, music and academic excellence both in and out of school. Look out for more information on how to share your child’s achievements with us coming soon.
Promotions from Around the Island
Important Dates
Noticeboard
