Weekly Update #21, 25 March 2022

Upcoming events can be found on the website under School Life → Calendar and are outlined here for easy reference. Good news! Our term 3 dates have already been uploaded to the school calendar so that you can plan your summer. If you have questions or require further assistance please email [email protected]

The Thai department would like to invite all staff, students and parents to join our Songkran celebrations this year. Everyone is invited to wear a flowery shirt or a Thai traditional costume on the last day of school. Unfortunately, due to ongoing Covid restrictions we are not able to organise any water play on the school site this year which is undoubtedly the most enjoyable part of Songkran. However, there will still be some lovely Thai traditional activities for our students, teachers and parents to join. Please see the details in the poster below.

Presentation for Year 11 Parents & Pupils

We would like to invite Year 11 parents to a presentation on the topic of ‘Sixth Form Introduction for current Year 11 students’. The meeting will be presented in English by Mr Adam Drew, Mr Richard Lukats, Ms Indu Bedi after which Kru Nee will give a brief summary in Thai. Year 11 pupils will also be participating. This presentation will take place in the Primary Hall on the 2nd floor at 8.15am on the 29th of March.

UPrep Meetings

Welcoming everyone next Thursday, 31 March for our final UPrep talk of the term on the topic of ‘Comparing Different University Systems/. The presentation will be at 8.15am in the Secondary Hall on the 4th floor. If you missed last week’s talk on ‘Choosing Subjects and Careers’ you can read over the info in the download below. As always, if you have any questions or require assistance regarding university applications, contact our Head of Sixth Form by writing to [email protected]

ASP Announcement

The Online ASP Booking on the Portal opens for Parents and Secondary students to select activities from 8:00 am on Wednesday 30 March until midday 15th April. Remember the bookings are done on a first-come, first-serve basis. Fee Paid ASPs must be booked by a parent. If you have any questions or require further assistance, please contact our ASP manager, Ms Anisa by writing to [email protected] or write to [email protected].

Yearbook Sponsorship

Just a reminder, following on from the email sent to all parents last week, that if you would like to support the publication of the Yearbook 2021-2022, please contact Khun Mai in the front office for more details. If you aren’t able to come into the office you can drop an email to [email protected].

Upcoming Summer Camp 2022

Have you heard? There’s going to be an awesome, action-packed Summer Camp in July! Four weeks of activities, excursions, sports and fun! Options to choose from this year include Football Camp, Dance Camp, English Camp, 3D Design & CodingLab, MMA Camp and Advanced Art! Special prices for HeadStart families! 10% Early Bird Discount (on top!) for applications sent in before 30 May. Tell your friends and sign up today! Apply here!

Parent’s Coffee Morning…organised by Parents

Come and join us Thursday morning, 24th March after school drop off or after the parent’s exercise class at Shuffle Cafe & Bistro (📍 https://goo.gl/maps/ACEG99HWPz63oDd9A) just under 3 km away from school. See you all there, everyone is welcome! -Ms Haus, Parent Committee Member

Seagrass Planting Sponsorship Appeal

127 seeds have been potted and our seagrass nursery is growing by the day! Did you know? 70% of the oxygen we breathe comes from the sea. 1 sqm of seagrass will absorb 20 times more CO2 than the same surface of land grass. So let’s get planting! We are calling on the community to take an interest and get involved in supporting Oceans For All and the great work they are doing for sea conservation: Sponsor seagrass plants!

• 1 seagrass pot: 200 THB

• 3 seagrass pots: 500 THB

• 5 seagrass pots: 1000 THB + 1 free copy of OFA book “Ocean Colours Thailand”

On the 5th of May, everyone is invited to the Pullman Panwa for a special brunch where all volunteers and sponsors will have the opportunity to participate in relocating the potted seagrass at low tide. More news to come!

HeadStart Alumni News - Marco Studying Medicine in the UK

Hello! I’m Marco David. I graduated from HeadStart in 2019 and I’ll be talking a bit about my experience in university as a medical student as well as giving some tips for the application process. My experience as a medical student has been amazing so far! I’m currently in third year of Medical school (3 out of possible 5 with intercalation) at Lancaster University.

There has been a lot of studying to do making it really hard at times but studying something you’re passionate about can really make all the late nights at the library enjoyable.

Apart from studying, I have had hospital placements since my second year where I’ve gotten to talk to/get histories from a wide variety of patients such as elderly patients who have had a hip fractures, patients with drug & alcohol addictions, newborns, pregnant ladies and also psychiatric and schizophrenic patients, bipolar disorder etc. So far this year has been my favourite as it has been the one least affected by COVID-19. I have been able to experience specialities such as Obstetrics & Gynaecology where I’ve helped deliver babies, Pediatrics where I’ve examined newborns and infants, Psychiatry where I’ve taken histories from patients with psychosis and many other things. I’ve also been able to attend a wide variety of surgeries as part of these rotations including many c-sections.

My tips for students applying to study medicine:

1. Med-school application was one of the most stressful things I have gone through in my life so if it’s really your dream DON’T give up, it is worth it the long run!

2. Start planning the application and looking at the requirements in Year 10 (Beginning of Year12 latest) as some universities require specific IGCSEs. You will also probably have to take some specific exams, for example, in the UK you need to do the BMAT and UKCAT.

3. It can be very overwhelming at times but trust me it is worth it in the end. The application process is intended to discourage anyone that isn’t sure about becoming a Doctor. Try and gain some work experience in a clinical or care setting. I know this can be really difficult in Phuket but just ask around send emails. If you don’t ask you won’t find any.

4. Try relating all your achievements to qualities a Doctor should have and get experience working as a team and as a leader.

12 Hour Swimathon

Once again, the Aqua Panthers held a very successful fundraiser, the 12-Hour Relay! Every year, our swim academy members prepare physically, mentally and financially to raise money based on the amount they can swim over a 12-hour period. On Friday, March 18th starting at 6.00pm, our swimmers stayed overnight at school, swimming in non-stop shifts for the duration of the event, finishing at 6.00am Saturday morning. Every 30 minutes, students dove in and swam as many laps as they could to raise money for charity. Our chosen organization this year was Oceans For All, in which a total of 83,590 Baht was raised! Congratulations to all of our academy swimmers for their hard work, and a huge thank you to our parents who donated time, money and snacks to make this an unforgettable event! -Coach Dorman

Swim Galas

We are proud to announce the results of our amazing 2022 HeadStart Swim Galas! Our students, staff and parents all came together on the pool deck for fun and exciting swim races, in which our students competed in their houses for points, new school records and eternal glory.

• 1st: Red Phoenixes (112 pts)

• 2nd: Green Dragons (69 pts) and Yellow Cheetahs (69 pts)

• 3rd: Blue Tigers (46 pts)

From preschool through Year 6, our students competed throughout the week, and the Red Phoenixes took the pool by storm, winning almost every single gala! Congratulations to all of our swimmers, and we thank all of our staff and parents for participating, helping and supporting our students as they showed off their swimming skills! -Coach Dorman

Primary Swim Meet

Finally, after months of hoping and waiting, our primary students were able to participate in their first official swim meet against UWC! The Aqua Panthers and newly implemented Aqua Cubs teams came together for an amazing afternoon of swim events, with many of them competing for the first time ever! Even though there was some heavy rain and many swimmers were fighting off first-time nerves, the meet was an absolute success! Our swimmers placed in almost every event, and they were so excited to cheer each other on. A big THANK YOU to the parents as well for their ongoing support. Rain or shine, the HeadStart swim teams showed up and had a blast! -Coach Dorman

Football

Having played a really entertaining match last week at UWC, it was our turn to host the UWC U15s. It did not fail to entertain as both teams played some really good football. The work rate and motivation of the players was top level! It was great to see the players taking training to the match, which was evident for the first goal which came from a pre organised corner and fantastic delivered by the players. Another really good match up and we look forward to the next match! -Coach Stef Frost

Basketball - Panthers win their 2nd consecutive game and now are sitting with a 2-0 record!

𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑃𝑎𝑛𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡 𝑎𝑤𝑎𝑦 𝑔𝑎𝑚𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑜𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑦𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑔𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 ℎ𝑜𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑈𝑊𝐶𝑇 𝑏𝑜𝑦𝑠 𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑘𝑒𝑡𝑏𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑠𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑑.

It was a sloppy game from the start for the Panthers where bad passes were more common than good shots. Missing from the Panthers line-up today was the court captain the mighty ‘OAK-afor’ and our floor general was out with an ankle injury, starting point guard Vivek. So without two of our starters, the boys rallied together to overcome the unusual obstacles playing away provided them with.

Going into the 4th quarter, down on the scoreboard, the Panthers showed some heart and determination on the defensive end, pressuring the home team into some vital late game turnovers that lead to some buckets that in the end got them over the line with a narrow victory. It definitely was anything but a pretty basketball game and was a classic ‘jungle ball’ display by the Panthers. But thanks to another solid performance, and this week’s MVP, the Panthers big man in the middle, Judah, lead the group in scoring and rebounding. -Coach Mike

Basketball News - 5 V 5 Series game 4!

KAZIGHSTAN ARE CHAMPIONS! The Snow Tigers shooting, extra chances the difference (3-1).

For the first time in program history, the HBA (Headstart Basketball Association) and major sponsor Headstart International School brought us live basketball action here on the beautiful island of Phuket. Showcasing some of Phuket’s finest basketballers going head to head in a captivating 5 game series, with pizza and bragging rights on the line, the young guns put on a show, captivating our audience and leaving us wanting more. Through the series, the two teams displayed great teamwork, courage, sportsmanship and offered their teammates lots of encouragement and support from the sidelines.

A thrilling series, to say the least, one that left the audience on the edge of their seats. Mr Carter, head of sport was impressed with the boy’s improvement and gameplay, “a series for the ages, one to remember” he said. In the end, there can only be one team who wins, so a big congratulations to the Kazhikstan Snow Tigers who were victorious (59-54), taking away the championship trophy and leaving behind many empty pizza boxes.

Come and join the grand final game next Wednesday, 31 March at 4.30pm in the Sports Hall!

Congratulations to our Primary SUPER READERS Benson in Year 1B, Qiqi in Year 1Y, Yasmin in Year 3Y, Thep in Year 3W, Leo Lyu in Year 4Y, Yarik in Year 6W, Milo in Year 6W, Kyu Ah in Year 6B, Joshua in Year 6Y, Rebecca in Year 6Y. The Super Readers award is based on the number of books and how often books have been borrowed from the Library by the children. Well done to all these fantastic readers. -Mai, School Librarian (All photos of winners can be found on the HeadStart Facebook page)

“If you are going to get anywhere in life you have to read a lot of books.” – Roald Dahl

Saturday Thai Culture Club

The Year 2 - 6 students had a wonderful time participating in the Saturday Thai Culture Club for term 2. Students learned about Palmyra palms through fun activities such as making Luk Tan Loi Keaw, which is Palmyra palm fruit with syrup. This was a fun activity that both children and parents enjoyed together. Thank you to all of the parents for joining in and for showing support for our Thai program. - Kru Way and Kru Fon

Year 10 DofE

Year 10 Duke of Edinburgh students recently ventured into the azure waters of Koh Lon to learn how to sea kayak, in preparation for their ‘Adventurous Journey’. They practised different paddling strokes, as well as capsize drills, and participated in a fun obstacle race at the end of training. The overnight camping experience was a lot of fun - Ms Tuppen and Mr Pritchard witnessed the students putting their outdoor cooking skills to the test. Gordon’s tomato spaghetti was a hit! As we watched the sunset, thousands of bats flew right over camp: a memorable experience for everyone. -Ms Tuppen

IGCSE Revision in Year 11

We march towards the promised land of the end of the IGCSE course, in which our literary pilgrims are keen to sup from the Holy Grail of examinations. As part of their final run-in of focused revision, Year 11 Literature students revisited the halcyon days of The Wall Game one final time to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of a range of Carol-Ann Duffy’s poetry. Mr. Pollicutt, Head of English

In the English Faculty, we are always looking for ways in which our burgeoning writers can reach wider audiences. We were therefore delighted to have two highly accomplished pieces published in the Prince of Songkla University Magazine this month. Please enjoy these polished efforts meditating on the nature of online learning from Jie Jie in Year 8 and Krittat in Year 10. -Mr. Pollicutt, Head of English

Click here to read the article!

✏️About the author: Jie Jie is a Year 8 student at HeadStart International School. Something of a polymath, she has always reserved a special part of her brain and heart for writing. She hopes to see a lot more of the world in the coming years and will surely be inspired to write a range of pieces.

✏️About the author: Krittat is a Year 10 student at HeadStart International School, an aspiring writer who has always shown a particular flair for the written word. He is also a keen sportsman and a member of the school orchestra. He dreams of one day travelling the world and publishing a book.

Touch Rugby is growing rapidly in popularity with a great weekly turnout! Why not come along and join in? Everybody is welcome, from total beginners to experts – come and have some fun!