Weekly Update #34, 29 May 2026

‘Once Upon a Dance’ Showcase

Step into a world of magic, music, and imagination at our “Once Upon a Dance” recital. Join us as our talented dancers bring beloved Disney-inspired stories to life through enchanting choreography, colorful costumes, and unforgettable performances. From classic fairy tales to modern favorites, this show promises fun, laughter, and a touch of pixie dust for the whole family. Don’t miss this magical celebration of dance!

• Time: 14:00
• Date: Saturday 13 June 2026
• Location: Sports Hall
• Price: 300/350 THB
• Book Now: Secure your seats and book your tickets here!

Primary & Secondary End of Year Awards Ceremony 2026

We are delighted to invite students from Year 5 to Year 9 and parents of our award winners (email confirmation sent to all parents of award winners) to our End of Year Awards Ceremony. This special event is to honour the achievements of our students in this, our third year as a school community.

Join us in celebrating the hard work and accomplishments of our students. We look forward to sharing this memorable occasion with all of you.

Year 6 Graduation Ceremony 2026

We cordially invite our Year 6 Students and their families to our Year 6 Graduation Ceremony. This is a wonderful chance to celebrate our Year 6 students as they transition from Primary to Secondary school.

Join us in celebrating the hard work and accomplishments of our students. We look forward to sharing this memorable occasion with all of you.

Year 6 to Year 7 Transition Meeting

Preparing our students for the exciting academic leap into Secondary school, it was wonderful to welcome so many families to our Year 6 to Year 7 Transition Meeting. Led by our Head of Secondary, Dr Marsh, the session introduced parents to the dedicated Key Stage 3 team and outlined the vibrant student life awaiting our current Year 6 cohort.

The presentation provided a comprehensive overview of the academic and pastoral frameworks designed to support students through this critical phase. Parents explored the structured curriculum pathway, the integration of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) within the Homeroom programme, and the step-up in independent learning expectations. A sincere thank you to all parents who attended and contributed to the Q&A session; we are committed to ensuring a smooth, supportive, and successful transition for every student.

HeadStart Cherngtalay - Year 6 Year 7 Transition Parents Meeting

Thai Parents Feedback to School Meeting 2026

We warmly invite you to attend the upcoming Thai Parents Feedback to School Meeting, an opportunity to share your thoughts and suggestions about the school’s development.

This will be a friendly and informal event designed to create a welcoming space for Thai parents to share their thoughts, suggestions, and experiences related to teaching and learning, staff engagement, and overall school operations.

We look forward to hearing your perspectives as we explore meaningful directions for the future of our school together. The Thai Department

Mali Bell - Enrolled at HeadStart since Year 8

We celebrate Mali Bell, who has received UK university offers from Portsmouth, Bournemouth, Chichester, and St Mary’s for Sport and Exercise Science, alongside applications to Australia’s Edith Cowan and Curtin Universities.

Since 2020, Mali has excelled at HeadStart, earning Sports Performer of the Year and BTEC Sport awards. A talented leader, she served as Senior Prefect, co-organized the ‘Tides for Tomorrow’ beach clean, and coached dance. Her extracurriculars range from CAPA productions like Chicago to the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award.

A motivated student, Mali plans a partial gap year in Australia before pursuing an international dual-degree in sport science. We congratulate her and wish her success in her future career.

Pawit Hanpipat (Palm) - Enrolled at HeadStart since Year 3

We celebrate Pawit Hanpipat (Palm), a student since 2015, who has accepted an offer to study Computer Science at Temple University, Japan.

Palm has developed a strong interest in IT, Business, and game development. His curiosity is reflected in creative digital projects and physical feats like hiking to Annapurna Base Camp. He also contributed to the community through beach cleans, volleyball, and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

A resilient and thoughtful student, Palm approaches challenges with a methodical mindset and shows great independence in his learning. We congratulate Palm on this achievement and wish him success in his next chapter.

Lapassapon Heras-Gomez (Li) - Enrolled at HeadStart since Year 7

We are proud to announce that Li has secured a full golf scholarship to study Business Administration at the University of Nevada, Reno, USA.

At HeadStart, Li excelled in Mathematics, Business, and Economics, earning multiple Student of the Month awards for his analytical approach. Beyond academics, he is an international-level golfer ranked in the top 300 amateurs worldwide, having competed across the globe. He also gained professional insight through an internship at Indo Construction Phuket, focusing on financial strategy and market research.

Confident and disciplined, Li has successfully balanced elite athletics with his studies. We congratulate him as he moves forward to pursue both his professional golfing career and business degree.

Suyeon Lee (Susanna) - Enrolled at HeadStart since Reception

We celebrate Susanna, who is applying to leading South Korean institutions including Yonsei University, Hanyang University (Seoul Campus), Korea University, Chung-Ang University and Sungkyunkwan University, with decisions pending due to the later admissions cycle.

At HeadStart since 2012, Susanna has been a dedicated leader, serving as Interact President and Senior Prefect. Her contributions include teaching English via Sunny Side Up and competing in the Football and Swimming Academies. She also participated in CAPA, choir, and SSI-certified diving.

An organized and collaborative student, Susanna’s achievements range from the Biology Olympiad to the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award. We congratulate her on her many successes and wish her the best with her university applications.

Primary House Competition Results

With the announcement of the House Prize on Monday, last Friday’s Primary House activity was the most attended session of the year. Students were very keen to win those extra points to try and get their House into first place. It was a simple challenge of tossing a beanbag into a hula hoop, but students took it very seriously! In fourth place was Phoenix House, in third place were the Tigers, in second place were the Cheetahs, meaning that in first place were the Green Dragons!

Pasta, Marshmallows and Problem Solving

Armed with just 20 pieces of dry spaghetti and 20 mini marshmallows, our Secondary students put their engineering skills to the ultimate test! Stepping up to a creative 20-minute House challenge, teams collaborated to construct the tallest possible freestanding towers.

Following a brief planning session, students applied practical physics principles to adapt their designs on the fly as fragile materials threatened to collapse. While the Phoenix House pushed boundaries with an innovative layout and the Tigers and Cheetahs brought fierce competitive focus to their builds, it was the Dragons who ultimately triumphed, demonstrating exceptional collaboration to construct a victorious 65.4cm structure.

Overall, the practical task required critical thinking about structural integrity, weight distribution, and a considerable amount of willpower to avoid snacking on the building materials! Ms Thompson - House Coordinator

Final House Standings for Term 2 & 3

The House competition for this academic year is officially over and the final results are in! After 2 terms of intense competition, the Yellow Cheetahs have come out on top once again, repeating their feat from 12 months ago and displacing the Red Phoenixes who were victorious in Term 1.

For the Term 2 & 3 House prize, on Monday 22 June, the Yellow Cheetahs will be visiting Robinson Mall, Thalang, to watch the wonderful new movie, Toy Story 5! 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 Yellow Cheetahs on their victory! As mentioned at Monday Flag-raising - the House points are now reset and all students can start earning towards the Term 1 prize for next school year! May the best House win…

Chess Tournament

Spanning a remarkable 62 years between our youngest and oldest competitors, the May chess tournament proved that strategic thinking knows no age limit. Inviting participants from 5 to 67 years old, the event brought parents and teachers alongside students to demonstrate concentration, strategic thinking, and resilience over the chessboard.

The Under-8 category once again attracted strong participation, with 13 young players taking part. At the same time, 13 parents and teachers joined the event, showing that chess is not only a game for children, but also a wonderful way for families, educators, and students to connect through friendly competition. Throughout the tournament, the playing hall was filled with excitement, thoughtful battles, and many unforgettable moments at the boards. Events like this continue to show that chess has a unique ability to bring people together, regardless of age or experience.

Building on this momentum, our final chess event of the academic year will take place in June, concluding the season with an inter-school tournament.

Final standings for the May tournament:

• Overall Top 3: Tigran (8.0, 9 Blue Cherngtalay), Georgiy (7.5, 6 Blue Chaofah City), and Benjamin (7.0, Maths teacher).

• Best Girls: Poppy (6.0, 9 White Chaofah City), Eliana (4.5, 4 Yellow Cherngtalay), and Xuanxuan (3.5, 2 Yellow Chaofah City).

• Best U-8 players: Beatle (5.5, 2 White Chaofah City), Raphael (5.0, 2 Blue Cherngtalay), and Alexander (4.0, 2 Blue Chaofah City).

Special recognition goes to our Best Parents: Ivan (6.5), Evgenii (6.0), and Beer (6.0), as well as our Best Mums: Tang (3.5), Chloe (3.0), and Anastasia (3.0).

Thai Culture Club

Bringing together families from both our Chaofah City and Cherngtalay campuses, our Term 3 Thai Culture Club allowed students and parents to collaborate and explore local customs. Guided by our Thai department, the event focused on active cultural preservation and shared community learning. A big thank you to the Thai department, teachers, and parents who helped make the event so engaging and memorable!

📸 A full gallery of photos can be found here: Thai Culture Club Term 3 2026

Foundation

Foundation families gathered to enjoy the story of ‘The Hen and the Big Eggs’, exploring the life cycle of a chicken together. Parents and students shared a wonderful time bringing the tale to life through interactive, hands-on activities.

Years 1-3

In the ‘Amazing Thai Plays’ workshop, Years 1-3 students teamed up with their parents to try out traditional Thai games. Everyone had a fantastic time crafting classic ‘Cicada’ sound toys and testing out their new creations together.

Years 4-6

Years 4-6 students and their families explored culinary traditions during ‘The Scent of Pandan Leaves’. Working side-by-side, they prepared traditional, tasty Thai desserts and got hands-on crafting roses out of pandan leaves.

Students Build Collaborative Skills at VAPP Football Festival

During the VAPP Girls’ Football Festival, players from both the Cherngtalay and Chaofah City campuses united on the pitch to build new friendships and collaborative skills. Led by our Head Football Coach, Coach Frost, and Coach Madison, the afternoon provided an inclusive and supportive environment for newer players to engage in the sport. Teams were intentionally mixed to give the girls the opportunity to communicate and play alongside different teammates. The players progressed from 5v5 matches to full-pitch 7v7 games, demonstrating excellent teamwork within a lively festival atmosphere.

All of the players performed brilliantly and showed clear progression in their confidence on the pitch. Special mentions go to Alisa, Sofia B, and Aida, who each received medals for their individual performances and excellent attitudes. Thank you to the girls who took part and to the coaching team who organised the event. We look forward to hosting more cross-campus fixtures in the future to help our players continue to learn, develop, and refine their football skills together. - Coach Paul

Blending Art and History in Primary

Stepping back in time to the days of the Roman Empire, Primary students have brought history to life by making their own Roman shields. As part of their exploration into Roman art and design, students successfully applied their historical knowledge to construct these impressive artefacts. A huge well done to our young historians for their creativity, resourcefulness, and dedication to this hands-on project! Ms Jo - Primary Art Teacher

All the Fun of the Fair at the Foundation Carnival Stay & Play

It was a joy to see so many families bringing such wonderful energy to our final Foundation Stay & Play of the year! Themed around the concept of ‘Carnival’, our Indoor Learning centre was transformed into our very own Fairground! Children and their families engaged in a colourful array of interactive activities, including decorating clowns, beanbag toss, hopscotch, the popcorn tray, toy fishing and of course, the classic game of Twister!

A huge thank you to all the parents for visiting and exploring the classrooms with their children, and to our staff for putting so much effort into creating such a fantastic carnival-themed event! And to our Reception students - we will miss you at next year’s Stay & Play events, but we know you are ready for the journey to Year 1 and Primary school. The Foundation Team

📸 A full gallery of photos can be found here: Carnival Stay & Play 2026

HeadStart Students Shine

We are delighted to congratulate our students on their significant achievements in recent sports and language competitions, representing HeadStart with pride on both local and international stages!

• Adrian (1 Blue) achieved an impressive 3rd place in the acrobatic competition at the Lemonade Club.

• Liam (5 White) emerged as the U10 singles and U10 doubles winner at the ALM & Impact Tennis 10s & Juniors Championship 2026.

• Bogdan (1 White) achieved a fantastic 3rd place in the acrobatic competition at the Lemonade Club.

• Fionn (9 Blue) passed the Chinese Proficiency Test, Level 1 (HSK1) from the Center for Language Education and Cooperation, China, with an excellent score of 191 out of 200.