Weekly Update #12, 22 November 2019
| Dates for Your Diary |
Upcoming events can be found on the website under School Life → Calendar and are also outlined here for easy reference.
For daily updates and news follow the HeadStart Facebook Page and You Tube channel.
| Date | Time | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 November | 11:00-12:00pm | Reception/Parent Teddy Bear Picnic | Foundation |
| 26 November | 8:30am | Parent Meeting: Year 6 & 9 Checkpoint | Secondary Hall |
| 3:00pm | PISAC Volleyball Tournament | UWCT | |
| 28 November | 8:15am | UPrep Talk: Top Universities | Primary Hall |
| 29 November | All day | Casual Clothes Day for Charity | |
| 6:00-8:00pm | Fame the Musical first showing | Sports Hall | |
| 30 November | 6:00-8:00pm | Fame the Musical second showing | Sports Hall |
| 31 Nov-1 Dec | All day | DofE Bronze Practice (Group 2) | Ao Yon beach |
| 3-4 December | All day | DofE Bronze Adventurous Journey (Group 1) | Ao Yon beach |
| 3 December | 8:30-9:30pm | Parent Meeting: Year 11 Exams & Onward Plans | Secondary Hall |
| 5 December | All day | School closed for HM King Bhumipol’s birthday | |
| 6 December | 8:30am | Breaker’s Cup (basketball) | BISP |
| Last Day of Free ASPs for Term 1 | |||
| 10 December | DofE Bronze Adventurous Journey (Group 2) | Ao Yon beach | |
| TBA | Primary Drama Club production | TBA | |
| TBA | Term 1 House Winners Prize | TBA | |
| 12 December | 8:15am | UPrep Drop In Session | Coffee Shop |
| 8:30am | Positive Parenting Meeting | Primary Hall | |
| 13 December | Last day of fee paying ASPs | ||
| 14-15 December | All day | DofE Silver Practice (Group 2) | Ao Yon beach |
| 16 December | TBA | Christmas Activity Day | |
| Year 10-13 Blue Tree activity morning | Blue Tree | ||
| 17 December | All day | Parent Teacher Conferences (PTC) | Classrooms |
| 50 Foster Children Have Been Sponsored! |
We’ve done it!!! Thanks to our fantastic HeadStart community, all 50 foster children from Phuket Sunshine Village Foundation and Life Home Project Foundation that we set out to support have been sponsored. Well done to the HeadStart community and friends for coming together in such a meaningful way.
Next steps…
→ Have a look at the ‘Needs list.’ If you are able to donate any of the needed items, or if you have clothes, toys or other items that may be of use to children between the age of 2 and 17, please bring them to the front office and we will make sure they are presentable and organise for the items to be brought to the foster homes.
→ Casual clothes day will take place on 29 November. Children and staff are encouraged to donate a token 50 Baht for charity in exchange for wearing casual clothes. Small steps equal big results!
→ Phuket Sunshine Village is organising a Christmas Market charity event on the 14-15th of December. A group of students, teachers and management will be running the booth but we would like to extend a warm welcome to the community to be a part of the action of reaching out to the community in this way. More news regarding timing and programme will be published closer to the time. Stay tuned!
We would like to offer our sincere appreciation to the following people who have donated. Each of you have played a vital role in the success of this fundraiser!
Naseen Banue, Yong & Aom Tassaneetipakorn, Adam Drew, Chajeen & Put, Jit Phaisamran, Sixth Form and Ms Caines, Edouard Family, Van Der Laan Family, Buchita Kreuatongsri, Jinnee Zhao & Lisa, Guillerey Family, Kru Nee & Tavian, Bundit Wannasuphaphol, Delsol Family, Holmes Family, Mester Family, Zak Brown and Annie Cusworth, Robin Hales, Pear & Pip, Toribio & Sergei, Khanal Family, Ashley Wiegand, Brooke ‘Bruce Family’, Nittaya Painupong, Mettapanyalert Family, Miko & Matias, Mr. Bernham & Emma & Berta & Mika & Yejin & Shayo, Chan Wai Fung, Rita and Family, Camin & Temin Siriwan, Pimwilai & Julia Sahlin, Sohee Han, Dr. Siripattra Kusuwan & Paul, Justine van Schalkwyk, Deputy Teachers, Strydom Family, Ronen Family, Asa, Yaping Song, Hannah Brown, Corley’s Family, Chansong & Siciliano Family, The Wedding Bliss Thailand, Donna Wintersgill, Manika Wattanasak, Pebble Pools Thailand, Sora & Nawa & Roma & Ava, Sophie & Mia Tschupp-Lambert.
On the 29-30th of November our Creative and Performing Arts students will be showcasing their fantastic skills and we invite you too join! Book a ticket before it’s too late! Click HERE to book your ticket today!
| Announcements |
Help us to Keep the Air Clean for Our Children
We would like to remind parents that HeadStart operates a no-smoking policy throughout its facilities including the car parks at the back and front of school. In the last week, I have been sent images of parents smoking in the main car park, in areas where the students need to walk through in order to get to their cars. We ask that if parents do wish to smoke whilst waiting for their children, that they do so away from the car-park and off the school site.
I’m am sure you have seen the new signs in the car park reminding drivers to switch off their engines whilst they are parked. Both this and the no-smoking nature of our campus and car parks are to ensure the health and safety of our children which I am sure you would agree is one of the highest priorities as school.
Please support us as a school community in ensuring our children can walk to their cars in clean air by not smoking, and by switching engines off when parked. Mr Adam Drew, Headmaster
Parents Leaving School Premises Reminder
This is a reminder that parents should leave school premises at 9:30am every morning. Please respect the school’s policy and vacate all venues, including the Coffee Shop. Thank you for your attention to detail.
ASP Reminder for Parents with Primary Children
For the safety of your child, it is imperative to stick to our policy when collecting your children at the end of ASPs, Fee paying Activities or Academies as shown below.
| End of ASP hour 16:20-16:30 | Option 1: Collect your child from the ASP classroom or facility. |
| Option 2: Collect and sign out your child from the Dining Hall. | |
| End of Fee Paid ASPs 17:20-17:30 | Option 1: Collect your child from the classroom or facility. |
| Option 2: Collect and sign out your child from the Dining Hall. | |
| End of Academies 18:00-18:10 | Option 1: Collect and sign out your child from the dance or sport facility. |
| Option 2: Collect and sign out your child from the Front Office. |
| Partnership with Prince of Songkla University |
On 15 November 2019, HeadStart International School delegates attended a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signing ceremony as part of the Prince of Songkla Open House Day 2019.The MOU was signed by Mrs. Sontana Baci, School Director, with the Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism at the Prince of Songkla University, Phuket Campus. The MOU covers academic cooperation to promote links in teaching and cultural activities, to develop study programs, seminars, workshops and activities to encourage HeadStart International School students to develop leadership skills, knowledge and experiences outside of the classroom.
| Parent Meetings |
IGCSEs at HeadStart
This week’s parent meeting on Tuesday, 19th of November, was on the subject of IGCSE at HeadStart. The session included an explanation of what are IGCSEs and why we do them. Below is a download with the presentation for a summary. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Ms Jennifer Blackweir, Director of Academics, by writing to [email protected]
Positive Parenting
Today’s parenting workshop looked at the difference between self esteem and self worth and the role of social and emotional growth. We explored why self worth is important and how as parents we can support our children to develop it. We looked at why emotional development and social skills are essential for school readiness and how parents can play a role in helping children to develop these skills from an early age. We ended the session by looking at how teaching a child problem solving skills can improve mental health and increase their ability to cope with problems throughout their lives. Our final parenting workshop for this academic year will be on how to survive the Christmas holidays with young children. We will look at strategies that you can put in place as a parent and ideas for activities to do with your child. Ms Stephanie Costa
| English Student Learner Profile at HeadStart International School |
David Pollicutt
My name is David and I joined HeadStart International School in 2018. I am from the UK and grew up in the large port city of Bristol. I studied English Literature at the University of East Anglia, and trained to teach at The Institute of Education in The University of London. I taught in East London for four years, before moving to teach for eight years as Head of English in Viet Nam and China. I am a firm believer in developing students to be natural enquirers, following the Sir Ken Robinson model of best preparing students to use transferable skills for the shifting landscapes of their futures. I seek to encourage an epistemological approach in my lessons, urging students to evaluate the efficacy of the information they consume and the validity of interpretations. I am passionate about literature and will often be chortling at David Lodge’s tragicomedy or swooning at Ian Mcewan’s literary sleight of hand. Outside of the classroom I am a keen student of Philosophy, Politics and Film. I am a particular fan of the intellect and charisma exuded by Jordan Peterson, Sam Harris and the late and much missed Christopher Hitchens. I have a terminal case of devotion to Tottenham Hostpsur Football Club; it teaches me patience and humility.
As a teacher in international schools these past ten years, I have taught my fair share of students from all over the world. What binds the best of them is certain key features which makes them outstanding students of English. It isn’t that they can quote Shakespeare of speak in trochaic hexameter, but rather they possess a mindset and outlook which allows them to both make great progress and be the best that they can be.
I am lucky enough to work with several of these students and HeadStart International School and I would like to share some of these features with you. If you have them, congratulations; I am sure they will speed you on your way to becoming an even better student of the subject. Missing some? Perhaps reading this might encourage you to adopt some of these traits.
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Resilience. both in class and in homework. Some of the best students I have taught are students who try despite getting things ‘wrong’. ‘Wrong’ is in inverted commas because in English Literature in particular, one is rarely outright wrong. The best students are resilient and eager to develop the sophistication of their answers and see it as a challenge when a teacher encourages them to refine their responses, not an insurmountable obstacle.
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Pro-activeness. I have been heartened of late to note students in my Year 11 IGCSE class take it upon themselves to seek me out for help with their written pieces. Approaching a teacher with particular criteria in mind on which you want to work is the best way- for example, ‘How can I make this piece sound more authoritative?’ is a far more useful question to ask than simply ‘How can I make this better?’ English teachers here are happy to help; it is our job. We are a powerful resource of which students should make full use.
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Reading. Students declaring, ‘I don’t like to read’ is an anathema to me. Everyone likes to read- if you don’t, you just haven’t found the right books yet. Reading books is ingesting ideas- as necessary for the brain as oxygen is for our bodies. Any kind of conceptual consumption is encouraged- in print, or in audio form. It surely is no coincidence that the one of my Year 10 students comes to me fortnightly to request my help in her selecting a new book is also the same student who has made some outstanding progress this year.
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Develop opinions.
Teacher: ‘What do you care about?’
Student: ‘Nothing, really.’
Teacher: ‘Well what do you like?’
Student: ‘errr…’
This cannot, must not be the case. True, sometimes students might be reticent to share opinions due to social inhibition, but this needs to be worked on and overcome. The ability to form, develop, justify and defend an opinion is crucial to becoming critical thinkers- a necessity both for literary criticism and in the shifting sands of 21st Century workplaces.
- Patience. Work is hard. There, I said it. In English, as in other subjects, improvement is unlikely overnight. However, a determination to scale that mountain is needed. The effort is ultimately worth it, in terms of grades yes, but perhaps more importantly, in gaining a greater understanding of this complex world.
| PE Department News |
Football
On Saturday, two Under 13 boys teams played against the Under 14 BCIS teams. Both teams passed the ball excellently in possession and worked tirelessly off the ball to ensure a positive morning for everyone.
This week, out Under 15 boys, Under 11 boys and under 13 boys played against UWC is friendly matches. All teams were dominant in their matches but, must remember to prepare properly for every game they play and uphold the HeadStart principles of play at all times.
Today, the U9 boys and some Under 11 boys take on DIA Wolves from Dubai before we kick off what promises to be a weekend to be remembered tomorrow at BISP Soccer 7s.
Please feel very welcome to come and support all our teams on both Friday and Saturday to help ensure a positive day for the group. The support and calming influence of those watching is always appreciated by the players.
Basketball
On Wednesday HeadStart hosted ‘Dream Sports Academy’ Hong Kong who put on a Basketball clinic for our girls and boys teams. Everyone had a great time and we will definitely invite them back! Thanks to Coach Yannick, Joe and Walton for their expert coaching!
| Student News |
Thank you to everybody who came to our Preschool teddy bear picnic! It was lovely to see everyone supporting our topic. Ms Charlotte Myers
In our Year 2 Thai class we played a game called “Who am I?” to help us learn the names of animals in Thai. Kru Gen
During the past few weeks students in year 7 have been very busy creating their own stop motion animation. Ms Alicia Niemand
During the past few weeks students in year 8 have been testing different stereo effects to help them create and make their own radio adverts. Ms Alicia Niemand
Year 9 students in the ‘Thai Second Language’ class have been learning “Thai Tone Marks.” We are now getting better in Thai. Kru Yui
Last week in Active learning class we were lucky to have Matt Cadoch visit us. Matt is a professional international mural artist and youth worker from Montreal Canada. He aims to empower the youth through demonstrating that their artistic abilities can help them associate their emotions with creative expression. He was an inspiration to us all and enabled students to be creative using spray paint and learn about street art and graffiti in new and exciting ways! Ms Jody Leow
Our student leaders from Year 11 joined the FHT Intercultural Ambassador Programme at the Prince of Songkla University Open House on Friday 15 November. They learned about intercultural communication and enjoyed presenting and being ambassadors for the United States. Our US ambassadors won 1st prize in the competition thanks to their creative use of props, media and comedy! Well done to everyone who participated! Gem, University Prep Officer
Year 12 & 13 ventured into Phuket Town last week to improve their first hand artist research skills and obtain more primary resources for their portfolios. The artists of Phuket Town were very accommodating and were working on some fantastic pieces which have provoked ideas and interest for current and possibly future projects. We visited a variety of people who practiced different media such as woodcut printing, oil painting and graffiti style street art giving us a great deal of insight into the lives of an artist. We thank the artists of Phuket Town for taking the time out of their day to speak to us! Ms Sam Gill
| Environmental Developments |
The Phuket Farmers Club continue to support us with our growing project. Damien and team have brought nursery tools to plant seeds in seed trays and pots. We have used term 1 as a period of experimentation and making sure the project is stable and hope to introduce aspects of it to the students. Stay tuned for future developments.
| House News |
Behind the scenes, the House Captains are busy preparing for next term’s quizzes and are competing to score points in doing so. This has already helped the Red Phoenixes to take the 1st spot this week. Elsewhere around the school, Primary students have been scoring points at lunchtimes by playing ‘Tic Tac Toe’, the Secondary students have been taking part in some exciting activities on Fridays, Green Dragons have won the weekly house quiz and the weekly ‘Weigh your Waste’ competition. We have only a few more competitions left before this term’s winner is announced. Here are the current house totals points… Ms Kirstie Melville
