Weekly Update #27, 21 March 2025

All ECAs and Academies for Term 2 Finish on Friday 28th March

This is a polite reminder that the last day for all ECAs and Academy team training this term is Friday 28th March. From Monday 31st March until the end of term, all students will finish classes at 3:20pm.

All Term 3 ECAs and Academies will start again on the first day back after the Songkran break - Monday 21st April.

Last Chance to Get Your Tickets - CAPA Junior presents Peter Pan

Join us on 26th & 27th March at 5pm as our CAPA Junior HeadStars take you on a swashbuckling adventure full of mischief, magic, and maybe even a bit of fairy dust! Soar with Peter Pan, escape Captain Hook’s ridiculous plans, and clap extra loud for Tinkerbell—she insists.

This isn’t just a play—it’s a delightful tale of sword fights, pirate chases and lost boys’ stories, with music that will have you ‘hooked’ faster than Hook himself!

Mark your calendar, grab your fairy wings (or pirate hats), and dive into the magic.

Doors to the magic will open at 4.45pm and we can’t wait to see you! Book your tickets now before the crocodile’s clock strikes—tick-tock, tick-tock!

• Peter Pan on Wednesday 26th March

• Peter Pan on Thursday 27th March

HeadStart Umbrella and Water Bottle - Available Now!

It’s hot outside and there’s rain on the way! What better time than now to invest in a HeadStart water bottle and umbrella for you and your family? With our drinking water dispensers located throughout the school, we encourage everyone to reduce their use of single plastic and make use of refillable bottles. On the theme of sustainability, and new this term, we are proud to announce the arrival of our new canvas bags - a great environmentally-friendly alternative to plastic! Please visit our school shop to stock up on your child’s school supplies.

Gail Clarke - Author Visit

It is with great pleasure that we announce another visit from renowned children’s author and illustrator, Gail Clarke, to our school on Thursday 27th March. Gail will be sharing her wonderful stories about animals and the natural world in timetabled sessions with our Foundation and Year 1 children, who will no doubt be enthralled and captivated by her storytelling and excited to share ideas of their own. This is a truly unique and valuable experience of meeting a real life author and illustrator for the first time! Gail will also be selling copies of her best-selling children’s books both before and after school, so we welcome parents to pop by and see her.

Russian Language Day - Term 2

We kindly invite you to fill out this form https://forms.gle/GFKCd5PtPhqjDTHY8 so we can arrange the relevant activities for you. Thank you for your cooperation and support! The Russian Team at HeadStart International School

Будем признательны, если Вы заполните данный опросник https://forms.gle/GFKCd5PtPhqjDTHY8. Благодарим Вас за сотрудничество и поддержку! русскоязычная команда школы HeadStart

Songkran Festival 2025

Join us for a joyous Songkran celebration! Come together for a vibrant celebration of Thai culture at our Annual Songkran Festival on Thursday 3rd April, 2025!

Let’s embrace this beautiful tradition as a community, create unforgettable memories, and enjoy the festivities. Don’t forget to wear your flowery shirts, mark your calendars, and get ready for an amazing time!

Find more details in the poster below:

Secondary Prom - Friday 25th April 2025

Inviting all Secondary students to this year’s Prom taking place at the Ramada Plaza by Wyndham Chao Fah Hotel on Friday 25th April. The theme for this year’s event is ‘James Bond - 007’.

Correction to event times:Please note that the Secondary Prom will begin at 17:30 andend at 21:00.

Parent Committee Meeting on 06.03.25

On Thursday 6th March, the HeadStart Cherngtalay Parent Committee held its second meeting of the school year with representatives from the School board and Leadership, including Jazon Edouard, CEO. We are grateful for the contributions and time given by parents representing different sections of our school community. Meeting Notes from this meeting can be found on our Parent Committee webpage, in the ‘Record Keeping’ section: https://headstartphuket.com/school-life/parent-committee

Secondary Pastoral Care and Student Support System Parent Meeting

Inviting all Secondary parents to a meeting to discuss our pastoral care system and how it supports our Secondary students with their social and emotional well-being. Join us on Thursday 27th March at 8:30am in the Secondary ILC.

Rattanakorn Sienghen - Enrolled at HeadStart since Year 4

We are proud to share that Rattanakorn (Pear) Sienghen, who has been with HeadStart since 2016, has been accepted to study a Doctorate of Dental Surgery at King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang. As a prefect, senior prefect of service, vice president of the Interact Club, and co-founder of ‘Sunny Side Up’, Pear has shown outstanding leadership and dedication. Additionally, her involvement in Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) highlights her commitment to personal growth and service. Congratulations, Pear! Wishing you success in your journey to becoming a dentist.

Rungradis Ruthirawut - Enrolled at HeadStart since Year 12

We are excited to announce that Rungradis Ruthirawut, known to us as ‘Mhor Mix’, who joined HeadStart in August 2023 (Year 12), has been accepted to study for a Doctorate in Medicine (MD) at King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Thailand. As a co-founder of ‘Sunny Side Up’, Mix has demonstrated a passion for community service by helping to teach English to Thai students. His internships at Vachira Hospital and Chiang Mai Healthcare Center, along with his EPQ dissertation on Androgenic Anabolic Steroids and a research study investigating the effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance, highlights his dedication to the medical field. Congratulations, Mix! Wishing you all the best on your journey to becoming a doctor.

Chadanit Prachumpan - Enrolled at HeadStart since Early Years

We are delighted to share that Chadanit has provisionally accepted a place at Chulabhorn International College of Medicine (Thammasat University), where she will be pursuing a Doctorate in Dental Surgery. Since joining HeadStart in Early Years (2010), Chadanit has been a valuable member of the school community. She has represented the school in the Swim Academy from Year 5 and has been House Captain for Red Phoenixes for two consecutive years. As a co-founder of Sunny Side Up she has contributed to the wider community through educational outreach programmes. Her commitment to excellence in all aspects of her life is evident and we are sure she will achieve highly in her university studies and beyond. We are sure she will make an excellent dentist! Congratulations, Chadanit! We are incredibly proud of you and wish you every success in your studies and beyond.

Making Learning Chinese Characters Engaging and Intuitive

Learning Chinese characters is not as difficult as it seems! In Mandarin as a Foreign Language classes, students start by learning simple single-component characters, many of which are pictographs closely related to real objects. This makes the learning process both engaging and intuitive.

To help students reinforce their character recognition skills, various interactive games are used in class, allowing them to deepen their understanding in a fun and enjoyable way. Over time, they have also developed a love for writing Chinese characters, a task that once seemed challenging. After consistent practice, Year 2 and Year 3 students have demonstrated impressive character recognition skills, laying a solid foundation for their future learning.

Early Years Get Hands On with Ponies at Niran Farm

Our school trip to Niran Farm was an incredible hands-on learning experience! The children had the opportunity to groom the ponies, learning about their care and what they like to eat. They fed the friendly goats and were fascinated as they watched them skillfully climb to the top of the tower! There was plenty of laughter and excitement as we took part in hobby horse races, jumping over obstacles just like real equestrians. To end our adventure, we enjoyed a relaxing picnic by the beautiful lake, taking in the sights and sounds of nature. It was a truly unforgettable day, filled with learning, exploration, and fun!

A huge thank you to Niran Farm for such a wonderful experience! The Early Years Team

Toddler Playgroup

We were thrilled to have hosted our last Playgroup of the term for children aged 1-3, introducing aspects of our Foundation curriculum to new young learners. Our playgroup offered a safe and engaging environment for the little ones to socialise and explore through play, supported by our highly qualified teaching staff. With structured activities and opportunities for free play, we aimed to create a fun and educational experience for toddlers and parents alike. We appreciate the active involvement of all attendees, fostering a supportive community where we all come to together to learn and grow.

Year 4 Explore Phuket’s Rich History at the Thalang Museum

Our Year 4 students had an incredible time exploring Phuket’s rich history at the Thalang Museum! From examining fascinating artefacts dating back thousands of years to learning about the island’s unique past, it was a morning filled with discovery and excitement. The Year 4s were greatly intrigued by the diverse groups of settlers who have called Phuket home over the centuries and how their cultures, traditions, and contributions have shaped the island we know today. Learning about Phuket’s vibrant heritage gave them a deeper appreciation for its rich and diverse history. A huge thank you to the museum staff for an engaging and insightful experience! The Year 4 Team

Making Use of Popular Quiz Shows to Engage in Year 9 Maths

To celebrate Maths Faculty Week, Year 9 students played Maths Pictionary and Countdown during their Thursday maths lesson! When playing Pictionary, students are sorted into two teams with one person on each team using only images to portray a maths key word while their team tries to guess the word represented. Teams draw on opposite sides of the large whiteboard. If you look closely, you can see Hayoon trying to draw the word ‘Gradient’!

When playing Countdown, students are shown six random numbers and one target number and given 60 seconds to make the target number. They can use any mathematical operation, but must use each random number only once to get as close to the target number as possible - the closest wins! Here is the link if anyone wants to try the game at home: https://incoherency.co.uk/countdown/practice/numbers.html. Mr Graham - KS3 Maths Teacher