Weekly Update #14, 28 November 2025

Southern Thailand Flood Disaster Appeal

Dear HeadStart Community,

With a large number of people urgently in need of assistance, HeadStart will be organising a donation booth to support the many provinces in southern Thailand, particularly Hat Yai District in Songkhla Province, that are currently facing a severe flooding crisis.

If you wish to contribute to the flood relief efforts, you may prepare donations as follows:

• Dry food (canned food / instant noodles / ready-to-eat meals)

• Clothing (in good condition)

• Personal care items (baby diapers / sanitary pads / adult diapers / cleaning supplies)

• Pet food (dog food / cat food)

• Drinking water

We sincerely hope that our community can contribute even in a small way to helping those affected by this disaster, and we wish for all those impacted to overcome this crisis as quickly as possible.

Visit the HeadStart Uniform Shop

Parents looking to purchase official school attire can visit our Uniform Shop, conveniently located above the Admin Office near the Main Gate and Atrium. The shop stocks our full range of official uniforms, PE kits, and branded accessories and is your one-stop destination to ensure your child is fully equipped and ready for the school year ahead.

HeadStart Canvas Bag and Folder - Available Now!

Keep school books and homework safe and organised with a HeadStart canvas bag and folder. Please visit our school shop to stock up on your child’s school supplies.

Last Call to Move Over to our English WhatsApp Channel

Please note that for our English language parent communications we will be moving away from using the LINE App. We are moving over to a dedicated WhatsApp Channel. We will use this channel for notifications and reminders of upcoming events as well as important news. Our English Language Line App will be closed on Sunday 30th November. Please scan the QR code below or visit our display boards at school to follow our English Language Channel.

Last Day of All ECAs and Academies - Wednesday 3rd December

Please be informed that all Term 1 ECAs (HeadStart ECAs, Fee Paid Programmes, CAPA & Academies) finish on Wednesday 3rd December. From Thursday 4th December until the end of term, school will end at 15:20 for all students.

Aqua Panthers Invitational (API) Swim Meet 2025

Get ready for HeadStart’s largest sporting event of the year! We’re excited to announce the 4th Annual Aqua Panthers Invitational (API) is just around the corner! Once again this year, we’re diving into history as we host over 250 swimmers from across Asia in the 50-metre pool at our Cherngtalay campus!

📅 Date: 29 - 30 November, 2025

🕗 Time: 08:00-17:00 (finishes 14:00 on Sunday)

📍 Location: Cherngtalay Campus

This will be HeadStart’s biggest swim meet yet and the largest sporting event we’ve ever hosted! Witness high-energy races, team spirit, and an electric atmosphere as swimmers from around the region compete in this premier event. Let’s show our support and cheer on the Aqua Panthers as they take the stage at this milestone event!

Primary Swim Galas

We are excited to invite parents to our upcoming Primary Swim Galas! Join us poolside to cheer on the students as they showcase their swimming skills and school spirit. Parents will be able to access the school site via the Secondary turnstile entrance. We politely request that all attendees remember to bring their parent ID card to facilitate easy entry. If you do not have your Parent Card, you will be asked to provide an alternative form of ID in exchange for a Visitor Pass.

Foundation Christmas Stay & Play 2025

We invite Foundation children and their parents to join our festive Christmas celebrations starting with our Foundation Christmas Stay & Play events. We encourage everyone to dress festively for the occasion and (keep it a secret!) not to forget to pay a visit to Santa Claus! Taking place in our Foundation classrooms and the ILC as follows:

• Tuesday 9th December from 8:30-10:00am - Preschool & Early Years Christmas Stay & Play

• Wednesday 10th December from 8:30-10:00am - Reception Christmas Stay & Play

Give Blood, Give Life: Thai Red Cross Visit

On Monday, 15th December 2025, the Thai Red Cross Society will be setting up a donation station at the Chaofah City Campus from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.

We are calling on the HeadStart community to support this vital cause. Please note that we need a minimum number of confirmed registrations to ensure this activity can go ahead, so your early commitment is essential.

Important Update for Expats: Eligibility criteria have recently changed. If you lived in the UK or Europe between 1980 and 1996, you are now eligible to donate.

How to Register Please read the eligibility conditions and submit your form by Friday, 28th November 2025 via this link: Registration Form

CYBERone Parent Meeting

Thank you to everyone who joined the CYBERone team for our session on ‘Managing Screen Time’, picking up tips on how to navigate the digital world together. We hope the actionable strategies shared will help you move beyond screen time battles and foster healthier digital habits for the whole family.

CYBERone From Gadget Dependence to Digital Strength

Mandarin Speaking Parents Meeting

On 27 November, we held a Parent Meeting for Mandarin-speaking families at the Cherngtalay Campus. The meeting introduced practical strategies that parents can use at home to support their children’s Mandarin learning and addressed matters of interest from the parent survey. The event strengthened the connection between the school and the Mandarin-speaking community and encouraged greater engagement from families in school activities, working together to support students’ learning.

2025 Mandarin Speaking Parents Meeting Cherngtalay Campus

Erica Ilstam - Class of 2025

Enrolled at HeadStart:Year 1 - Year 13Results: A-Levels (2 x A* , 1 x A), IGCSEs (10 A* / A)
Offers: Law at Durham, Bristol, York, Exeter, Kent, and Chulalongkorn University

“Getting into Durham, my top-choice university, was an incredible feeling. That success was the result of the final academic push in Year 13, and HeadStart really prepared me for it. The school not only gave me the confidence to aim high but also provided crucial academic support. My advice to current students is to speak to your teachers if you feel overwhelmed - they will help you manage the workload and succeed!

That supportive feeling came from the wider community, too. Having been at HeadStart my whole life, it felt like a safe bubble. While leaving was scary, the confidence I built at school is helping me adapt to this new, independent life. I’ve made nice friends here, but nothing can replace the HeadStart people I’ve known since I was a kid.”

Celebrating HeadStart’s Cambridge Outstanding Learners

HeadStart is proud to celebrate the incredible achievements of our Outstanding Cambridge Learner Awards winners, recognising our students who earned the highest marks in their respective subjects across Thailand and the world!

Huge congratulations to Melissa (10 White) who was recognised as Top in the World for IGCSE Foreign Language Mandarin Chinese. Having moved to HeadStart from Hangzhou, China, in Year 9, Melissa has been impressed with her seamless transition, noting the support she receives from her teachers as well as her new friends. Her passion is for the creative arts and being part of our CAPA Senior show this year has been a great way to meet students with a similar outlook and shared interest.

A massive round of applause to Emma (11 White) for her High Achievement in IGCSE Foreign Language French. She credits our French teacher, Ms Rodts, for preparing her so meticulously for the examinations as well as the support she receives from all teachers across our Secondary school and extracurricular programmes. Emma noted that it was a unique experience to be surrounded by so many talented students, whether 14 year olds stepping up to take an IGCSE early, or recent graduates at the end of their Secondary journey looking back at their final year A-Level exams.

We would also like to honour our three graduates who have already embarked on their further education pathway and were unable to attend the event:

• Erica - Top in Thailand A-Level Psychology

• Alice - High Achievement AS-Level Psychology

• Zoe - High Achievement A-Level Literature in English

The Spirit of Giving Continues: PSV Fundraiser Week 6

The incredible generosity of our HeadStart community continues to make a real difference as we progress through our Phuket Sunshine Village (PSV) Term 1 Fundraiser. With one week remaining of our PSV Fundraiser, we are approaching the incredible sum of 500,000 baht across both our school campuses for this worthy cause. Please remember that every donation, big or small, makes a significant impact on the lives of the children at PSV. This ongoing support is vital for providing essential items, from daily school lunches to educational supplies. We continue to warmly welcome donations at our Admin Office.

Getting Messy for a Good Cause: The Year 1 ‘Pie the Teacher’ Fundraiser

Learning about the work that Phuket Sunshine Village does to support other children truly inspired Year 1. The children came up with a wide range of ideas for how they could contribute and were wonderfully enthusiastic! Many completed chores at home, generously donated some of their pocket money, and proudly shared their learning with their families to raise awareness.

We also enjoyed our own fundraiser event - “Pie the Teacher!” The children were thrilled to watch their teachers make their own donation by being good sports and getting covered in whipped cream! Students were incredibly respectful throughout, and the whole atrium buzzed with giggles, excitement and mess.

The aim of this activity was to raise awareness and nurture the children’s sense of citizenship through meaningful actions and charitable giving. The Year 1 Team

Year 4 Dance-a-thon for Phuket Sunshine Village!

As part of our ongoing fundraising for the wonderful Phuket Sunshine Village, our determined Year 4 students decided to take on a challenge of their own - a lively and fun-filled Dance-a-thon!

On Friday, 21 November, Year 4 arrived at school with their dancing shoes on and their wackiest dance moves ready to go. With huge smiles and great enthusiasm, they danced their hearts out for a full 30 minutes, showing amazing dedication to the cause and teamwork as they completed their challenge. Their efforts were all in support of raising funds for the children at Phuket Sunshine Village, and we could not be prouder of their kindness and commitment to helping others.

Well done, Year 4, for your fantastic effort, and a huge thank you to our supportive families for all your generous donations. Together we have helped make a meaningful difference for the children at Phuket Sunshine Village. The Year 4 Team

Spotlight on Kindness

This week, we highlight students demonstrating our Kind and Collaborative attributes through practical actions. Skye (2 Yellow) saved Lev’s (2 Blue) bag from the rain, prompting a grateful exchange of snacks, while Sergei (Early Years Blue) showed lovely support helping his big sister Sofiia (6 White) up from the floor. In Year 1, Anna (1 Blue) showed kindness and positivity in making new friends.

Our students are also showing empathy outside of school. Teddy (1 Blue) showed interest and kindness in learning about helping stray animals. Selina (7 Blue) displayed maturity by caring for her father in the hospital, with Jessica (5 Yellow) showing true kindness by visiting the hospital to support her friend. These students set a strong example for the HeadStart community.

Our Collaborative and Dedicated Student Councils

Our Primary and Secondary Student Councils are vital forces for community engagement and school improvement. They actively collaborate on school events, combining their efforts and creative ideas to organise successful community gatherings like the annual Christmas Fair. This teamwork extends to school development, where both councils propose creative solutions and initiatives, ensuring the students’ voice is represented for the betterment of our school. Beyond the campus, our Student Councils are actively involved in a range of projects supporting essential local foundations such as Phuket Sunshine Village, demonstrating a strong commitment to service and social responsibility. This joint effort fosters leadership, teamwork, and a powerful culture of giving within the school.

Term 1 House Championship Results

The final results are in! After 12 weeks of fierce rivalry and exciting House competition throughout our Primary and Secondary schools, the Red Phoenixes have been crowned Term 1 champions!

For the Term 1 House prize, on Monday 9th December all students from Red House will be visiting Robinson Mall, Thalang, to watch the wonderful new movie, Zootopia 2! They will then enjoy a delicious lunch - with Years 1 and 2 hanging out at Pizza Company, Years 3 to 6 sizzling it up at Sizzler and Years 7 to 9 chowing down at Bonchon - and be back at school in time for their afternoon lessons. Congratulations to the Red Phoenixes on their Term 1 victory! As mentioned at Monday Flag-raising - the House points are now reset and all students can start earning towards the End of Year House Prize! May the best House win…

Soccer 7s Success!

Last weekend saw 2 of our HeadStart Cherngtalay Panthers Football Academy teams competing at the BISP Soccer 7’s - one of the biggest International school football tournaments in Asia, welcoming teams from across the globe.

This is the second year that our fledgling Academy teams have competed at this event and our players arrived with lots of energy and enthusiasm not dampened by the very wet conditions throughout the weekend. The tournament certainly didn’t disappoint and we were again delighted with how well our teams represented the HeadStart Panthers Football Academy. Not only did we witness our U13 Girls team leading the pack in their respective age group but we also saw great resilience in tough games under challenging conditions with amazing effort and teamwork from our U11 Boys team.

Our U13 Girls team, featuring players from both Cherngtalay and Chaofah City, were the superstars of the tournament as they were crowned U13 Girls Champions of the Soccer 7s tournament after dominating the first rain-soaked day of competition, and going on to clinch a nail-biting final on penalties against St Andrews International School, Bangkok!

Meanwhile, our U15 Chaofah Boys team, featuring former Cherngtalay Academy players, also performed amazingly well, finishing in 2nd place in the top Cup competition having slugged out a muddy final with BISP on Sunday afternoon. This was a great reflection of their hard work and togetherness as a team as well as never-say-die spirit in difficult conditions!

Finally, congratulations to our U11 Cherngtalay Boys team who, after a challenging Day 1, picked themselves up and put in their best ever tournament performance to win their final game 3-0!

Overall it was a fantastic tournament for the HeadStart Panthers Football Academy and we would like to say a massive well done to all the players and an even bigger thank you to all the parents who came out the support the teams and players despite the almost constant rain!

📸 You can download an album of pictures of each of our HeadStart Panthers teams here: Soccer 7s 2025

Aqua Panthers Invitational (API) 2025

Good luck to our Cherngtalay Aqua Panthers this weekend as they join swimmers from across Phuket and beyond at our home event. Swim with pride and smiles on your faces!

HeadStart Championships at Chaofah City Campus

Good luck to our Cherngtalay Panthers U9 team at the HeadStart Championships this Saturday. Play with pride and smiles on your faces!

Winter Knights Chess Tournament on Saturday 6th December

Twice a year we organize an inter-school chess tournament. This time it’s the winter edition, 2nd “Winter Knights”. Our tournament will be held on Saturday, 6th December at HeadStart Chaofah City Campus in the Sports Hall. And we invite all the chess enthusiasts from other schools as well!

Attendance checking at 08:45 and the first round just after. We’ll finish at approximately 15:30.

Early bird: 250 THB

Registration fee in the last 2 days before the tournament will be doubled (I need to make a board reservation).

Medals for top 3 players. Trophies for best U8, U10, U12, U14, U16, U18 and Best Girl categories.

• 1st place: 2000 THB
• 2nd place: 1500 THB
• 3rd place: 1000 THB
• Best Girl: 1000 THB

Attractive awards as usual for ALL participants! And…pizza!

To register, contact Dawid on WhatsApp (see poster).

Play, Connect, Grow

This week’s Toddler Playgroup was filled with Christmas magic from start to finish! Our little learners explored festive sensory play and wonderfully messy activities that helped them develop new skills while having lots of fun. The highlight of the morning was a special surprise visit from Santa, which brought big smiles and plenty of excitement.

It was lovely to see families connecting and enjoying the joyful atmosphere together. Thank you to everyone who joined us. We’re already busy preparing for our next session on 12th January 2026, see you then!

Exploring our Blue Planet: Year 4 Become Scientists for a Day

Our Year 4s had an incredible morning exploring marine life, conducting experiments, and getting hands-on experience with ocean conservation with an engaging visit to the Hyatt Regency Marine Biology Centre. They started with a beach clean-up, showing care for the environment, then measured salinity and pH levels in the ocean water. Students also peered through microscopes to observe tiny jellyfish and other marine creatures.

Watching the jellyfish up close was truly magical , many students gasped as they saw the delicate movements of these tiny animals in real time. Our Year 4’s were curious, collaborative, and resilient, asking questions, sharing discoveries, and embracing every challenge! It was a morning full of wonder, teamwork, and learning- inspiring future ocean heroes! The Year 4 Team

You can download a full gallery of pictures here: Hyatt Regency Marine Biology Field Trip Picture Gallery

Year 4 Gets Creative with Graffiti Art

Year 4 Art students have been exploring the expressive world of graffiti art. In addition to learning about famous artists such as Banksy, students exercised their creativity by designing their own graffiti-style name tags. They subsequently took their skills outdoors to spray-paint their class name, putting their new techniques into practice in a fun, collaborative way.

HeadStart Students Shine

We are delighted to congratulate our students on their significant achievements in recent sports competitions.

• Lea (2 Yellow) won a Gold medal (individual), a Bronze medal (team), and was awarded the ‘Best Fighter’ Overall Athlete trophy at the China International Open.

• James (4 Yellow) won 1st Place in the Pho3nix Kids Triathlon (Phuket Advanced category), completing a 200m swim, 5km cycle, and 1.5km run.

• Lochy (4 Blue) achieved 3rd Place in the Pho3nix Kids Triathlon (Phuket Advanced category).

• Finian (6 White) achieved 4th Place in the Pho3nix Kids Triathlon (Phuket Advanced category).

• Matthew (6 White) achieved 7th Place in the Pho3nix Kids Triathlon (Phuket Advanced category).

• Eoin (2 White) was the Runner-Up in the Tennis 10s Under 6 tournament, hosted by Kahli (SiamSportsPro) Tennis Academy Phuket.

• Anna (8 Yellow),Sophie (8 Yellow), andShirley (7 Yellow) were crowned Champions in the U13 Girls Cup competition at the BISP Soccer 7s tournament.

OH NO IT ISN’T! Get Ready to Shout, Sing, and Cheer!

Forget the tragedy! Theatrix proudly presents Romeo and Juliet: The Panto, which takes Shakespeare’s classic star-crossed lovers and transforms their tale into a hilarious, loud, and incredibly interactive family comedy.

Expect dazzling songs, slapstick routines, terrible jokes, and plenty of opportunities to cheer for the heroes and boo the villains! This is Phuket’s must-see holiday show for all ages.

WHERE: Junkyard Theatre (Bypass Road - next to IKEA)DATES & TIMES:

• Sunday, Dec. 7th, (Matinee) - 1:00pm
• Monday 8th - 6:30pm
• Tuesday 9th - 6:30pm
• Thursday 11th - 6:30pm
• Friday 12th - 6:30pm

TICKETS: Book Now! https://www.junkyardtheatre.com/copy-of-shows (Select the date and reserve now)

All Ages: 850.00 THB

Ages 2 and under enter FREE!

Get in Early for Phuket’s biggest, funniest family night out!

Pre-order Special Christmas Goodies

Dear Parents, With the holiday season just around the corner, I’m excited to share special festive Christmas goodies for you and your family. This year, I’ve prepared a selection of homemade delicious cookies and fun DIY kids’ activity sets (Ginger Bread House, Polar Express Train, Reindeer & Sleigh) — perfect for creating joyful, hands-on moments together. If you’d like to pre order some of the items please feel free to reach out. I’d be happy to help make your holiday season a little sweeter and a lot more magical! Alexandra (HeadStart mum with two boys)

The Flying Lizard, Thalang

The recently opened Flying Lizard Family Club is only 3 mins from the HeadStart Cherngtalay campus and currently has an Opening Promotion for all HeadStart families. Show that you are a HeadStart family at the entrance for free entry for all family members (usually 400THB per child). Whether it’s an after school coffee or weekend family time, Flying Lizard have you covered! https://flylizard.com/

Just Run Phuket

The “Just Run Phuket” weekly run has been a wonderful success, and it’s been brilliant to see so many of our HeadStart parents and teachers joining in the fun. Don’t miss out on the next one! It’s a free, friendly run for all levels, with various pace groups. Meet every Saturday at 7:15 AM at Open Kitchen (opposite Cassia) for a 7:30 AM start. It’s a perfect way to get active and connect with our amazing community.