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!

Calling All Vendors! Next Friday Market on 9th May

There are still a few stalls left at our next Friday Market which will take place on Friday 9th May from 2.40pm. We are interested in home-cooked food and healthy drinks served in sustainable packaging (no plastic!), handmade products such as jewelry or gifts, and secondhand items that can be reused or repurposed. If you are interested in becoming a vendor at this exciting community event, please contact Miss Newle in our admin office: [email protected]

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! 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

Years 7 & 8 Science Fair

We would like to warmly invite parents to attend the upcoming Years 7 & 8 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.

UPrep Talk: By Parents for Parents – Applying to the UK and the Netherlands at Chaofah City campus

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)at Chaofah City campus.

We are pleased to welcome two guest speakers from our parent community:

• Mr. Jazon Eduard, 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

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! Thursday 1st May 2025 from 8:30 – 9:30 in the Secondary ILC.

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?

Sharing a Love of Reading – Year 3 Read to the Early Years

This week, Early Years Blue had a special visit to the school library alongside our wonderful Year 3 students. During this time, the Year 3 children took on the role of reading buddies, sharing stories and picture books with their younger peers. This experience supports student learning in multiple ways. For our Early Years children, it encourages a love of books and storytelling, helping to build early literacy skills in a fun and engaging environment. Listening to older students read aloud also models fluent reading and expressive language.

For the Year 3 students, reading to younger children reinforces their own reading confidence, comprehension, and communication skills. It also fosters a sense of responsibility and leadership, as they guide and support their younger reading partners. It was heartwarming to see the joy and connection between the two groups as they explored stories together—an inspiring example of how peer learning can benefit all involved. Miss Sophie and the Year 3 Teaching 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

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: Thursday 8th of May 2025

• 🕒 Time: 8.30 – 9.30

• 📍 Location: Secondary ILC – HeadStart Cherngtalay 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: 8 мая 2025 года

• 🕒 Время: 08:30 – 09:30

• 📍 Место проведения: Secondary ILC, кампус HeadStart Cherngtalay

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

Making the Earth in Year 3

As part of our “Extreme Earth” topic, Year 3 has been learning about the incredible layers beneath our feet! To bring this to life, we created hands-on Earth layer replicas using playdough, showing the crust, mantle, outer core, and inner core. We explored how these layers connect to volcanoes, earthquakes, and Earth’s magnetic field—making our “Extreme Earth” lessons both fun and meaningful. Ask them to explain their model at home—they’re now budding geologists! The Year 3 Team

Exploring Textured Painting in Primary Art ECA

Students in Years 3 & 4 explored the world of textured painting in a fun and hands-on art activity. Using a variety of tools and materials—like tissue paper, brushes, and images of natural objects—they experimented with creating different textures on paper. The activity encouraged creativity and helped students understand how texture can add depth and interest to their artwork. Each piece was unique, showcasing their individual styles and imaginative use of materials. Miss Aprilyn – Deputy Teacher