Weekly Update #39, 27 June 2025

Facility Upgrades and Campus Expansion for Academic Year 2025-26

Over the forthcoming summer holiday break, we will be putting the finishing touches to the facility upgrades and campus expansion at HeadStart Cherngtalay as we look to further improve the quality of our facilities to keep pace with our ever-expanding academic programmes.

The most significant change will see the opening of the 3rd floor in our Foundation & Primary building to accommodate our move to three-form entry from Reception to Year 6. As a result, the ground floor will now be a dedicated space for our Foundation children (Preschool, Early Years and Reception), including the introduction of language classrooms, reducing the need to move around the campus for these daily lessons. Our Year 1 students will move up to the 2nd Floor, joining their friends from Year 2 and Year 3. They will also have their own dedicated computing room. Finally, our Year 4-6 classrooms will be located on the 3rd floor, along with a further computing room and Primary language classrooms, which will again reduce travel time around the campus for our Primary students.

The second major expansion will take place in our Dining Hall. With the kitchen moving to a new location behind the main atrium, we will significantly increase the size of the Dining Hall to cater to the increased number of students on campus. A second service station will also be added to enable a greater number of students to serve themselves at the same time and increased seating capacity will allow students to sit with their friends to enjoy a delicious, nutritious lunch.

HeadStart Summer Camp 2025 @ Cherngtalay Campus

There is still time to sign up your child for our HeadStart Summer Camp. Taking place over three weeks of summer - starting Monday 7th July through to Friday 25th July - you can choose to sign up for individual weeks or all three.

A 25% discount is applicable for HeadStart students while you can receive discount coupons for 2nd and 3rd applicants if non-HeadStart pupils.

📍 HeadStart Cherngtalay Campus

🗓️ Week 1: Monday 7th - Friday 11th July; Week 2: Monday 14th - Friday 18th July; Week 3: Monday 21st - Friday 25th July

🕒 08:00-15:40 daily

To find out more about our Summer Camp or register, visit our website: https://headstartphuket.com/summer-camp

Summer Football Camps @ HeadStart Chaofah City Campus

Our Summer Football Camp offers an incredible opportunity for players to tap into their football potential, enhance their skills, and enjoy a fun-filled experience at HeadStart International School, all within a vibrant and energetic environment! The Football Camp starts at 09:00 (drop off after 08:30) and finishes at 14:00 with lunch provided!

Players will be split into the appropriate groups, depending on their age and abilities. Expect high-quality coaching, lots of fun and medals to be won!

Week 1

📅 August 4th - 8th (5 Days)

⚽︎🏃🏻‍♂️ School Years 2 - 6 Only

Week 2

📅 August 11th - 13th (3 Days)

⚽︎🏃🏻‍♂️ School Years 3 - 7 Only

To sign up, please contact [email protected]

Once you have signed up, please look out for an email from Coach Frost nearer the time to confirm access arrangements to the school site.

Summer Swim Camp @ HeadStart Cherngtalay Campus

Our Summer Swim Camp offers a fantastic opportunity for swimmers to keep up their training routine, develop their strokes, increase their stamina and enjoy a fun-filled experience at HeadStart International School, all within a vibrant and energetic environment! The Swim Camp starts at 09:00 (drop off after 08:30) and finishes at 12:00!

Swimmers will be split into appropriate groups, depending on their age and abilities. Expect high-quality training and lots of fun!

📍 Cherngtalay Campus

📅 August 4th - 8th (5 Days)

🕒 09:00 - 12:00

🏊‍♀️ School Years 4 - 13

To sign up, please contact [email protected]

Welcome to Parent Orientation on Thursday 14th August 2025

We’re thrilled to have you join us as we kick off the 2025-26 academic year. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet our dedicated teachers, explore our beautiful school campus, including our brand new third floor in Primary, and prepare for an exciting year ahead. An email will be sent to all parents to confirm times for each school phase (Foundation, Key Stage 1, Key Stage 2 and Secondary).

Yellow Cheetahs Celebration Day!

On Monday 23rd June 2025, the students of Yellow Cheetah House from Years 1-9 went for a fun morning out to celebrate their hard work across the year and winning the most points in the Term 2 & 3 House competition. They started the day watching “How To Train Your Dragon” which the students thoroughly enjoyed whilst munching on popcorn. After the movie, students had lunch at various restaurants in Robinson Mall: Years 1-2 at Pizza Company, Years 3-6 at Sizzler and Years 7-9 at BonChon. All students and accompanying staff had a wonderful time. Go Cheetahs!!

Academy Tryouts for the 2025-26 Season

The countdown to the next football academy tryouts has begun! Whether you’re a returning player or new to our academy, we want YOU to join us this August! No need to sign up—just come ready to play and show us what you’ve got! Let’s make next season the best one yet! Coach Paul - Football Coach

Bonding Through Reading Activity in Thai Language Lessons

We are proud to present the Bonding Through Reading activity, held in both Primary and Secondary Thai classes. This initiative encourages older students to connect with younger peers through storytelling, promoting literacy, creativity, and a sense of community. A heartfelt thank you to Lissy (Year 9) for reading “The Legend of Koh Nu and Koh Maew” to Year 4. She created a storybook and used finger puppets to make the story even more engaging.

Special thanks to Freya, Khaoklong, Kabtan, and Dylan (Year 8) for their wonderful performance of “The Legend of Mae Khongkha” for the Year 4 students. Their creativity and teamwork brought the story to life. We would also like to thank Max, Boston, Lara, and Jina (Year 7) for their engaging performance of “The Legend of Sarasin Bridge” for the Year 5 students. Their effort and storytelling helped make the legend both memorable and fun for the younger audience.

Year 7 to 9 Thai Dessert Activity: Khanom Co

Last week, students in Years 7-9 enjoyed a hands-on cultural experience learning how to make ‘Khanom Co’, a traditional Thai dessert found only in southern Thailand. The activity helped students connect with Thai culture in a fun and engaging way while practicing teamwork and learning about local traditions. Kru SaiMai

Spanish Food Tasting Event to Finish Up the Year

What a fantastic way to wrap up our ECA Spanish at HeadStart! We enjoyed a wonderful morning filled with delicious flavours, cultural exploration, and Spanish language practice. Our students had the unique opportunity to taste the most authentic Mexican cuisine, generously provided by Lucha Cantina Phuket. Their dishes, crafted with fresh, locally sourced ingredients and inspired by the rich culinary traditions of Mexico, are the work of Executive Chef Luis “Quique” Villa, originally from Colima, Mexico.

Learning Spanish opens the door to a whole new world—not only through language, but also through food, music, and traditions. Spanish is spoken by over 500 million people across the globe, and discovering its beauty through fun, real-life experiences like this one makes the learning journey even more meaningful and enjoyable. On this day, our students experienced how tasty, diverse, and vibrant Latin cuisine can be—full of colors, spices, and love. From quesadillas to burritos, every bite was a lesson in culture. We’re sure that more than one family will be tempted to visit Lucha Cantina again at one of their two locations in Rawai or Chalong! https://luchaphuket.com/

¡Gracias y hasta pronto! Ms Maria - Spanish Teacher

Year 6 Graduation Ceremony 2025

To the students of Year 6 Blue 2025

I remember our very first circle time at HeadStart: “My name is Ms. Hart and I like reading… My name is Monica and I like swimming… My name is Yulii”—in a hoodie. As Harper astutely observed, we were all wearing our hoodies that day, metaphorically speaking. I’m delighted to see that nobody is hiding in hoodies today—metaphorical or otherwise.
Some children arrived new to English, others new to our school. Since then, we have grown tremendously, both personally and as a community. These students have continued to surprise me with their drive for success—many asking to complete work during break time or at home, using our class toolkits to ensure their work exceeds expectations rather than settling for “good enough.”

Our class has been described as a “family” by many of our students, and that atmosphere is down to all of you. Through collaboration and open-mindedness, you have cultivated an environment where everyone belongs, feels safe, and feels at home. Certainly, we’ve had our struggles, but without challenges, how do we build resilience? We’ve had days when our “brains weren’t braining” or we felt tired, but you’ve all managed to stick to our most important class rule: NO DYING IN CLASS. That truly is commendable. As Michelle wisely shared, she learned the value of making mistakes—without being open about your mistakes, others can’t learn from them too. I’m so proud that our classroom family isn’t just taking away academic content; you’re carrying forward life lessons and learning behaviors that will serve you throughout your educational journey.

To the families: thank you for your unwavering commitment and support. You’ve shown genuine interest in your children’s learning and been present for our special events. Without your positive reinforcement of education at home, we would be fighting a losing battle. You have all succeeded in helping us instill a love of learning in these remarkable young people.

I treasure all the small moments—children arriving early because school is their favorite time of day, Year 6 students helping younger children at playtime, watching you navigate friendships and grow into thoughtful members of our community. I am proud to be your teacher. I’m grateful for your hard work and positive attitudes, and I will never forget your shining personalities and wonderful senses of humor. Thank you for the most memorable teaching year.

Now it’s time for you to spread your wings and begin your secondary school journey. You are well-equipped—academically and emotionally. Ask all the questions, share your biggest smiles, and lead with your hearts.

Remember: being kind is more important than being right. Ms Pattison-Hart - Year 6 Blue Homeroom Teacher

To the students of Year 6 Yellow 2025

310 days ago, at 7:40AM, I stood - alone - in an empty classroom. My heart was beating a little too fast, my hands were sweating a little too much, I was nervous, and excited, as I waited for my new Year 6 class to arrive for the first time. In walked Year 6 Yellow, some children too nervous to even talk to me, some excited about the future, some worried about their new - extremely tall - teacher, but all brimming with potential. I remember having lots of fun together on that first day.

I also remember leaving school, 9 hours later, and talking to my wife.

“How are your new class?” she asked me.

“They’re great,” I replied. But honestly, I wasn’t yet sure if this group would become a truly great Year 6 class. You see, Year 6 is about being effective collaborators, inspiring leaders and role models of behaviour and kindness to the whole school. That’s not an easy job.

Well, Year 6 Yellow, I’m thrilled to tell you that I was wrong to have ever doubted you!

Each and every one of you in my team has been on a huge journey this year. I have seen children who hated working with others, develop into master collaborators: showing skills that many adults find difficult. I have seen resilience in the face of real challenges. I have seen passive children become active learners, who take control of their own learning and feel responsible for their improvement. I’m filled with pride when I think of the challenges you’ve overcome and the successes you’ve achieved this year.

Recently, a boy from Year 6 came to me and told me that he was feeling confused. When I asked why, he told me that he was feeling sad about leaving Year 6, but also excited about the new adventures that he will have next year. And it is confusing to feel such a mix of emotions. I am feeling them right now, standing before you all today. I am sad, because I’m going to miss you all so greatly. I’ll miss the team we have become. I’ll miss the laughs, the tears, the friendships, the ‘girl drama’… the experiences, the mistakes, the learning.

But mostly, I feel pride: I’m proud of how hard you have worked to improve and how much progress you have all made, both academically and as learners. You’ve all achieved so much and shown me what fantastic learners you can be. You are so ready for secondary school - your new teachers are lucky to have you! And while you’ve been busy learning, you’ve also - maybe without realising it - been teaching me too!

You’ve shown me how fun it can be to be part of a team with 10 and 11-year-olds.

You’ve shown me how difficult it can be to be your age - and how brave you are to face it all anyway, usually with a smile on your face.

You’ve shown me that grit and determination can overcome almost anything.

You’ve shown me that a small group of children, from all around the world, can become a true team.

You’ve shown me more than I thought possible at the start of this year.

So I would like to thank you, Year 6, for always laughing at my terrible jokes; for teaching me about Labubus and what music is cool these days; and reminding me that no matter how many classes come and go, there’s still always someone who loves My Little Pony! Shout out to our number one fan, Milana!

As I have already mentioned: I am proud of your learning. But I’m more proud of the young people you have become. You approach new learning and challenges with a growth mindset. You are positive about learning. You are active learners, that ask questions to improve your understanding and are curious about things you don’t fully understand yet. You know that as well as working hard, the way you treat other people is important. You show kindness to each other and care about others - even putting others before yourselves. This is something that makes me the most proud as I stand before you today. Please don’t lose these traits as you transition to secondary school, as these are what will make you the successful, happy people that will go on to make our world a better place.

One of our favourite books that we have shared together this year has been Wonder, which tells the incredible story of one boy’s resilience in the face of adversity. In that story, August Pullman, the main character, receives an award in front of the whole school at his graduation ceremony. The award was for the strength and courage he showed throughout the year. He then received a standing ovation from everyone in the audience but said he didn’t know why as all he did was finish primary school. I think the point here is that although you may not see your own achievements as huge, or extraordinary, I have seen every one of the Year 6 team show strength and courage at different points throughout the year. August then said that he thought everyone should receive a standing ovation at least once in their lives.

So although I don’t have an award to give everyone, I do think that this group of children deserve a standing ovation for not only surviving primary school, but thriving at HeadStart! So parents, teachers and everyone celebrating our graduation ceremony, please give a round of applause for this extraordinary graduating class of 2025 - Year 6 Yellow! Mr Wakefield - Year 6 Yellow Homeroom Teacher

📸 Please find a full album of high quality photos here: Year 6 Graduation Ceremony 2025

Primary Leavers’ Assembly

This week, we held our Leavers’ Assembly, a special time to say farewell and good luck to the students and teachers who will be moving on to new schools, new countries, and new adventures. One class at a time, our leavers took to the stage to receive a big cheer from the school community. We also shared a heartfelt goodbye with the teachers who will be leaving us, and there were certainly a few tears by the end as we sang our farewell song. We wish all our leavers the very best for the future. You will be missed! Mr Lawler - Head of Foundation & Primary

Photography Club ECA Returning Next Academic Year

Students in Year 4 and above are invited to join our free Photography Club ECA! In this club, children will explore the history of photography, learn how cameras work, and gain hands-on experience with DSLR camera functions. They will also develop their composition skills and apply what they have learned by taking photos around the school and at events. Students are only required to bring their own DSLR camera. To join or learn more, please email Miss Rachael at [email protected]

Photography Club ECA