The HeadStart 2025 Fundraising Appeal – Phuket Sunshine Village Foundation

In the wake of the 2004 tsunami, a wave of compassion built a beacon of hope: the Phuket Sunshine Village Foundation. What began as a response to tragedy has grown into a loving home for over 100+ children. Today, Phuket Sunshine Village provides not just shelter, but a family, an education, and a future for children in need. This year, we continue that legacy of hope, and we invite you to be a part of it by joining our annual fundraising appeal. Every donation, large or small, helps build a life. It provides everything from daily school lunches and proper uniforms to the new shoes that let a child walk to school with pride.

For the remainder of Term 1, HeadStart students will be working together in their classes to raise funds for this important cause. For our Primary students, the goal for each class is to collectively raise 5,000 THB — enough to support one child with their essential needs for an entire year. Meanwhile, our Secondary students will collaborate to put on the Kindness Fair — held on Friday 14th November — an opportunity to raise funds for this worthwhile cause.

Families who would like to contribute directly to the cause are warmly invited to make a donation at the Admin Office. See the information in the poster below 👇

Spooktacular Stay & Play!

Get your best costumes ready for a morning of excitement at our Foundation Halloween Stay & Play! Your little monsters will explore playful sensory stations, create their own spooky crafts, and enjoy festive games in our decorated classrooms. Parents are invited to join in and see all the fun!

The magic happens on Thursday, 30th October, from 8:30 – 9:30 AM in the Foundation Classrooms & ILC. Open to all Preschool, Early Years, and Reception families. It’s going to be a morning full of smiles!

A Day of Spooky Fun in Primary!

The Halloween excitement continues in Primary! On Thursday, 30th October, our Primary students are invited to celebrate by coming to school in their favourite friendly costumes. The day will be filled with fun games, creative themed activities, and plenty of treats as our school transforms for the occasion. It promises to be a day of ghoulishly good fun and memorable moments for all our students.

The Halloween Disco is Back @ Chaofah City Campus!

Get your best costumes ready! The most spooktacular night of the autumn term is just around the corner — the Secondary Halloween Disco! The Sports Hall at our Chaofah City campus will be transformed into the ultimate party zone with awesome music, exciting games, and, of course, prizes for the most creative costumes.

It’s the one night of the year where students from Year 7 all the way to Year 13, and from both campuses, come together to hang out, dance, and make some brilliant memories. The party is planned entirely by our students for maximum fun, so you know it’s going to be good! We can’t wait to see everyone there for this epic get-together.

Don’t miss out! Join us on Thursday, 30th October, from 18:00-20:00. Please RSVP via the sign-up form recently emailed to parents.

Loy Krathong Celebrations

We are pleased to invite all students to participate in our Loy Krathong celebrations on Wednesday, 5th November 2025. To honour this beautiful Thai festival, students will engage in special cultural activities during their Thai classes, including making and floating their own Krathongs and participating in traditional Thai dancing. Our Foundation students will also enjoy a dedicated Loy Krathong assembly. To celebrate this wonderful occasion, all students are welcome to come to school dressed in traditional Thai costume for the day.

A Fun Morning for a Great Cause: Join the Child-Watch Run for Children!

Every step you take makes a difference. For over two decades, the Child-Watch Phuket Foundation has been a vital safe haven for abused and at-risk children in our community. On Sunday, 9th November, join us for a morning of purpose and solidarity as we run to protect the most vulnerable among us.

Your participation helps fund critical projects that give these children a chance for a safe and healthy future. Let’s come together to show them our support.

Event Details:

• What: Child-Watch Phuket 22nd Run For Children, featuring 10.5km and 3.5km distance races.

• When: Sunday, 9th November 2025. Registration opens at 4:30AM, with the first run starting at 5:40AM.

• Why: To raise crucial funds and awareness for Child-Watch Phuket, helping to provide a safe future for children in need.

Sign up today using the QR code below to join one of the two distance runs. And once registered, let us know and we will give you a FREE Team HeadStart t-shirt for each entrant. We look forward to seeing many members of our school community at this local charitable event.

Parent meeting: Helping Your Child with Behaviour

Thank you to all the parents who joined our workshop! It was wonderful to see so many of you take part and engage in the session. We hope you found it informative and helpful in understanding how we support children’s Personal, Social and Emotional Development (PSED), a vital foundation for learning and wellbeing.

During the session, we explored how children develop self-regulation, build confidence, form positive relationships, and learn to manage their emotions in healthy ways. These skills help them thrive both in school and beyond.

The presentation slides are available for download below for your reference. We hope you find them useful for continuing to support your child’s emotional growth and resilience at home.

Parent Meeting – Personal, Social, and Emotional Development (PSED)

A Warm Thank You to our Admin & Secretaries Team!

At HeadStart, our Admin team, including front office and academic secretarial staff, play a vital role in ensuring the smooth operation of our school. They are responsible for managing daily administrative tasks, such as coordinating schedules, maintaining student records, organising important paperwork for our international community and facilitating communication between teachers, parents, and students. Their attention to detail and organizational skills help create a welcoming environment, allowing our educators to focus on delivering high-quality instruction. In addition, our Admin team supports HeadStart’s strategic initiatives, assisting in event planning and community engagement, which fosters a strong sense of belonging and collaboration within our amazing school community. Through their dedication and professionalism, our Admin team contribute significantly to the overall success and efficiency of HeadStart International School, Phuket.

We would like to take this opportunity to extend our sincere thanks to our Admin team for their hard work, dedication and continued support of the entire HeadStart community!

Bronze House Certificates

Congratulations to Mariia (8 Blue), Leo (8 Yellow), and Lara (9 Blue) for earning their Bronze House Certificates during the first half term of the school year. Each of these students has achieved 50 or more house points, a fantastic accomplishment that reflects their hard work, commitment, and contribution to their House. Every point earned brings their House closer to the top of the leaderboard. Which House will come out on top this term?

October Chess Tournament Results

Another great day of chess! We had 32 competitors this time, and among them 6 amazing U-8 players who showed incredible talent and sportsmanship. So much concentration, clever tactics, and passion on every board! Check out the results from our latest tournament:

Winner:Tigran (9 Blue Cherngtalay)2nd Place:Georgiy (6 Blue Chaofah City)3rd Place:Luka (12 Blue Chaofah City)Best Girl:Poppy (9 White Chaofah City)Best U-8 Player: Prach (3 Blue Chaofah City)

And a huge thanks to 50 Fly Trampoline Club Phuket and other sponsors for constant support and helping to make yet another tournament exceptional. Our next tournament will be held on Saturday, 8th November. Note, this will be also open for Parents, Teachers and Students! See you there!

Community Chess Day: The 3rd Parent, Teacher & Student Tournament

We invite our entire HeadStart community to our 3rd Parent, Teacher, and Student Chess Tournament on Saturday, 8th November. This is a wonderful opportunity for parents, staff, and pupils to connect and enjoy a day of friendly competition. If you know the basic rules, we encourage you to join. We will have separate categories for parents, teachers, and students. Check-in is at 09:00, and we expect to finish by 14:00.

The ‘Early Bird’ fee is 250 THB (this will double on the day). Prizes are available for top players, all participants receive an award, and (most importantly!) pizza will be provided.

Outstanding Panther’s Performance

The HeadStart Panthers U13 Boys and Girls finished the first part of the term on a high with a fantastic performance against Bangjo Academy. All of the players gave their all and showed just how hard they’ve been working on the training pitch. The team were well-organised off the ball and created some excellent attacking moments, exploiting the space behind the Bangjo defenders.

It was truly a team performance; however, the standout players for me were Maceo, for his intense work rate, and Dorian, for his leadership and ability to lift his teammates’ performances. Well done Panthers! Coach Paul – Football Coach

Half-term Swim Camp

What an amazing few days at our Chaofah and Cherngtalay campuses! Both locations were packed with energy, progress, and smiles from start to finish. Our swimmers worked hard and had plenty of fun along the way. From freestyle to butterfly, dives and turns, to dry land and goal setting, every athlete gave their best and showed huge improvement.

We’re so proud of the effort, focus, and enthusiasm from all who joined. It was three days filled with learning, teamwork, and confidence building in and out of the pool. A big thank you to everyone who took part. We’re already looking forward to seeing you at our next camp! Coach Brown – Head Swim Coach

Half-term Football Camp

The HeadStart October Football Camp, held at our Chaofah City campus, was a resounding success, attracting 40 enthusiastic young athletes. Participants were grouped based on their age and skill level, receiving personalised coaching from the dedicated HeadStart Academy staff. The camp provided a platform for showcasing impressive skills and fostering teamwork, particularly during the exciting World Cup Wednesday event. Every participant left with beaming smiles and well-deserved HeadStart Panthers medals, symbolising their hard work and dedication. Anticipation and enthusiasm are growing for the next camp, which promises to be even larger and more impactful. Coach Frost – Head Football Coach

October Basketball Jam!

Our 3-day half-term Basketball camp was a fun-filled event where ballers enthusiastically participated in engaging basketball activities. The players had a great time taking part in a mix of shooting drills, dribbling drills, and team-based games designed to build their confidence and skills on the court. We also included several icebreaker and team-bonding exercises that helped everyone get to know their teammates better beyond basketball. It created a really positive environment where players could connect, communicate, and support each other. Overall, it was an energetic and rewarding few days — the kids showed great effort, improved their skills, and most importantly, had fun. Coach Cruickshank – Head Basketball Coach

Having Fun with Colour Swat in Year 1 Mandarin Class

This week, our Year 1 Mandarin classroom transformed into an arena filled with laughter and cheers, where our students became proactive vocabulary experts through the engaging “Colour Swat” game. This game not only reinforced colour vocabulary but also perfectly demonstrated collaboration and respect (following game rules and engaging in friendly competition).

The highlight of the activity was having two students take on key roles: one as the caller, who clearly announced colour commands, and the other as the scorekeeper, who fairly recorded the results. When the command “lán sè （Blue!” was called, the children focused intently, quickly searching for the target word card. The most exciting moment came when “zǐ sè（Purple!” was announced, and several little hands swatted down almost simultaneously, followed by some well-deserved high-fives. Ms Ying – Mandarin Teacher

HeadStart Duolingo Competition

The HeadStart Duolingo Competition is officially underway! Running from 21st October to 9th December 2025, this exciting challenge is open to all our Year 7 to Year 9 students in French, Mandarin, and EAL classes across both campuses. The competition is a fantastic way to build a consistent study habit and boost language skills.

The goal is to achieve the highest average XP per student in your class. We encourage everyone to practise every day to help their class top the leaderboard. The prize for the winning class will be a well-deserved Pizza Party! Good luck to all participants.

Learning Through Messy Play!

Messy play is a sensory-rich experience that encourages exploration, creativity, and social interaction among young learners. In this activity, children engaged with three different sensory stations: shaving foam mixed with food colouring, ice cubes with frozen animals, and colourful, sparkly oobleck. Each station provided unique textures, temperatures, and opportunities for discovery, supporting early cognitive and physical development through hands-on investigation. Miss Anna – Preschool Teacher

Learner of the Month – Thai

On Friday, 10th October, we celebrated our Primary students who received awards for their inquisitiveness, participation, hard work, resilience, and respectfulness in Thai lessons.

Congratulations to all the learners who have impressed their teachers by demonstrating the HeadStart Learner Attributes and should be very proud of their achievements

Thai First Language

• Vanessa (1 Blue), Areeya (2 White), Alice (3 Yellow), Aline (4 Blue), Arjun (5 White) and Landon (6 Yellow).

Thai Foreign Language

• Rou Rou (1 White), Mikhail (2 Yellow), Jonathan (3 Yellow), Adriana (4 White), Kaira (5 Yellow) and Solomiia (6 White).

We are incredibly proud of each of you for your dedication, positive attitude, and consistent effort in Thai lessons. Keep shining and continue to inspire others with your love of learning. The Thai Department

Secondary Student of the Month – Courageous Learners!

This month, we celebrated our Secondary Students of the Month for demonstrating the learner attribute of Courage. These students have shown bravery, determination, and a willingness to step outside their comfort zones—both in and beyond the classroom.

Congratulations to all our award winners! Your courage inspires others and reminds us that true growth comes from taking risks and facing challenges head-on.

• CAPA (Art, Drama, DT, Music): Platon – Y7 Yellow

• Computing: Jeason – Y8 Yellow

• English: Oleg – Y7 Yellow

• Humanities: Lara – Y8 Blue

• Languages (EAL): Becky – Y8 Yellow

• Languages (FR, MA, RU): Lola – Y8 Yellow

• Languages (Thai): Khaoklong – Y9 Blue

• Maths: Max – Y8 Yellow

• PE & Sport: Jolie – Y8 Blue

• Science: Alina – Y8 Yellow

• Mrs Matsushita’s Choice: Jenny – Y9 Blue

Next month, our focus shifts to the learner attribute of Respectful — we can’t wait to see who will stand out for their kindness, consideration, and positive relationships within our school community.