Weekly Update #26, 13 May 2022

Upcoming events can be found on the website under School Life → Calendar and are outlined here for easy reference. If you have questions or require further assistance please email [email protected]

Parent Committee Meeting

The Parent Committee will be holding their final meeting of the year on Thursday, June 9th. Parents are invited to send in their points for discussion by June 2nd. Points can be sent to [email protected]. For more information about the roles and responsibilities of the Parent Committee look over our website link here: https://headstartphuket.com/school-life/parent-committee

Tennis After School

After careful consideration we have decided to move our Tennis ASPs to Coconut Tennis Academy’s beautiful new facilities, adjacent to the 50 meter swimming pool at PSU (Prince of Songkla University), and only a 5 minute journey from HeadStart. Starting from Monday, 16 May, our students will have the opportunity to play and practice on full sized, covered tennis courts; as well as short-tennis courts for younger students and beginners. As we are going into the rainy season, this is a welcomed opportunity.

If you are interested in joining the Tennis Programme, please email [email protected]. We will allow you to adjust your ASPs and will invoice you only for the number of weeks left in Term 3.

Secondary Careers Fair- Can you help?

Wednesday 15th June, 2022 from 08.20 - 10.20 am.

Do you or someone you know have expertise in these areas?

✔ Hospitality / Tourism

✔ Engineering / Architecture

✔ Computing / Digital Media

✔ Charities / Development

✔ Food and Beverage

✔ Entrepreneurship

✔ Medical / Psychology

✔ Art / Design

✔ Marketing / Commerce

We are looking for volunteers for a variety of careers and professions to represent their field and answer questions like:

How to get into different careers. What training do different jobs require? What do different jobs involve? What skills/ strengths do different careers require? What kind of study is involved (talk a little about your post school experience). what professional exams or qualifications are you required to pass.

If you are able to help, please email Ms Bedi at [email protected]

UPrep Talks

If you weren’t able to make it to the UPrep talk on the 12th of May where Ms Bedi spoke on the topic of ‘Applying to the US & Canada’ the meeting notes are provided in the download below. Our next UPrep talk will be on Thursday, the 19th of May at 8.15am in the Secondary Hall on the topic of ‘Applying to Australia & Asia’. As always, if you need further information and would like to contact our UPrep team, email [email protected].

Law & Finance Summer Experiences

In courtrooms & skyscraper offices across London

Does your son or daughter aspire to become a top lawyer or investment banker in a global hub like London or New York? Are you heading to the UK or Europe? Invest In is offering students world-class experience in law and finance-related careers this summer. You will conduct immersive work experience activities alongside corporate lawyers, M&A bankers, UN staff, hedge fund managers, criminal barristers and more; in world-famous London locations, including the Supreme Court, the Houses of Parliament and skyscraper City headquarters.

They are more than 80% full for these experiences so students should register as soon as possible.

Please find below a downloadable PDF with further details and links.

Covid update: All Covid restrictions have ended in England. Students do not need to quarantine at all on arrival to the UK, regardless of their vaccination status, so they can register now with full confidence. For those still unsure about travelling, each Summer Experience also has a ‘Live Online’ option which allows students to attend from the comfort of their own homes.

Teachers Run for Charity

On 12th June Mr Marx, Ms Wintersgill and Mr Young will be taking part in the Laguna Marathon, the equivalent of running from HeadStart School to the Sarasin Bridge! Why are they putting themselves through this, you might ask? All to raise money for the Phuket Sunshine Village Foundation! The money raised will go towards school fees, sponsorships, and maintenance. If you would like to donate to this wonderful cause and help spur on our mad runners, then please use this link: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/svphuket. Thank you for your support!

Congratulations to Nuk, our school registrar, who came in 7th place in the Amazean 100 km trail run!

Students Vs Staff Basketball - An Epic Overtime Victory!

On Wednesday afternoon the students took on a group of HeadStart staff members in an intense and exciting basketball game.

The game was a thriller and showcased some of the hidden skills of the staff members who looked to be out of the ball game, but at the most crucial time they showed great heart in making a comeback in the 4th round. With the spectators on the edge of their seats, the game was tied with not much time left on the clock. The ball was in DY’s hands with only seconds left and he brought the ball outside the three point line and nailed the game winning buzzer beater to take out the victory for the students.

A great effort by both teams and a game to remember! Let’s hope we can make this a yearly event as it was a lot of fun and very entertaining. -Coach Mike

Primary Student of the Month

These fantastic pupils have been awarded the accolade of Primary Student of the Month for Mathematics. Our maths curriculum is built on a world class and unique mastery teaching model designed to embed a growth mindset approach to maths and help children build a deep understanding of maths concepts.

Over the course of this academic year, these pupils have consistently demonstrated excellent commitment, perseverance and a positive attitude towards their maths learning. They have impressed their teachers and served as a shining example to pupils in their class. They should be extremely proud of themselves. -Ms Kirsty Hark

They have been learning about parts of the face by making human faces and also creating fun faces of monsters as they are developing their skills to match and differentiate shapes and colours at the same time. Kru Pla

Love Bombs

This week saw year 11 getting ‘love bombed’ by the teaching staff. Every student received a personalised note on their locker, detailing what we love about their personalities and acknowledging their hard work. The year 11 students have also won virtual ‘awards’ which are being broadcast on the televisions around the school. This comes at an incredibly important time for these students: exam anxiety, social pressures and mental health week. Whilst we focus on their exams, it is also imperative we continue to ensure they are healthy, happy and feel supported. This is our small way of putting a smile on their faces, as they exited the exam hall. Dr Sillett, Deputy Head-Secondary

Mental Health Week

Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. We are often the first line of defense for our students. Students spend most of their day at school, it makes sense to have mental health awareness and education become part of our everyday life. When we empower students with knowledge, and encourage dialogue, students are able to get the help they need.

This week we raised awareness in the classrooms via various activities where students have had the opportunity to learn and explore issues around mental health. There were activities throughout the day with Zumba, Yoga, music and relaxation sessions provided for students. Our Student Support Services provides academic, emotional and social support to all members of the school community. You can access these services by emailing the relevant staff. Details can be found on the website under Student Support. Ms Stephanie Costa

On Friday 20th at 14:20, the Sports Hall will witness a cataclysmic clash sure to echo in eternity. A clash not of physical prowess but instead, this time, one of mental mastery. The English and Maths Faculty present…HeadStart Countdown; the game which tests phraseological preeminence and mathematical manipulation at the same time. Witness the creme de la creme of Year 10 English and Maths students slug it out like latter day cerebral gladiators in this new House competition. By 3.00pm that day, new champions will have arisen, bedecked in laurel wreaths and draped in the glory of being HeadStart Countdown Champions 2022! -Mr David Pollicutt, Head of English