Weekly Update #15, 13 December 2019

16 December (last day of school) Reminders

• We welcome students, teachers and parents to wear festive colours and outfits to school on Monday.
• Our school photographer will be snapping some family shots in front of the Christmas tree between 2.15-3.15pm. Come along and get your photo taken!
• Bring some pocket money and support our Business BTEC students in the atrium between 2.15-3.15pm. They have planned a small buffet of Christmas bites that are sure to be a treat.

Foundation are having a ‘Stay and Play’ Christmas morning. Parents should arrive at 8.00am, bring your child to his/her class and then take a seat in the Sports Hall. Once the Sing Along is finished there will be some activities, refreshments and a chance to take photos with Santa.

Year 1-2 will be having a Christmas activity afternoon. Parents are invited to come and watch the children sing a little Christmas song in their classroom at 3.00pm after which all are welcome to visit the BTEC student’s fair in the atrium.

Year 3-6 will be having a Christmas activity afternoon. Parents are invited to pick up their children from their class at 3.00pm after which all are welcome to visit the BTEC student’s fair in the atrium.

Year 7-9 will be involved in a 3 station activity morning and Christmas movie in the afternoon. Student’s should bring something that they can get wet in as they will be challenged to complete an obstacle course rowing boats in the swimming pool! Parents can come to collect their children at 3.00pm.

Year 10-13 are off to visit Blue Tree in Chern Talay. They will be returning to school at 2.00pm and are allowed to leave the premises at that time.

If you have any questions regarding the activity day please write to [email protected] or call us at 076-612875

International Day 2020

We are bringing back International Day BIGGER and BETTER than ever! Save the date: 27th of March 2020 is the day to plan for. National costumes, performances, food and drink, displays and more all generated by you, the HeadStart community! More detailed information will be announced in term 2. If you have any questions please write to Mrs Miki Edouard at [email protected]

A special assembly was organised for Primary students as part of Father’s Day and in remembrance of H.M. the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Mona and Prim sang a beautiful song called ‘King’s in Fairy Tales’ and our Year 5-6 Thai dancers accompanied them with a modern dance. Thank you to all who participated in the show and to the parents for your support. Kru Nee, School Director

On Friday 6th December, we celebrated Father’s Day during our Secondary Assembly. Thai students from Year 8-11, together with Nutcha, our lead singer, performed a song called ‘Kong Kwan Jak Korn Din ของขวัญจากก้อนดิน’ to commemorate H.M.the late King Bhumibol who is considered to be the father of the nation. The song was accompanied by a Thai modern dance from our beautiful dancers from Secondary school. Kru Nee, School Director

Positive Parenting Recap

As the end of a busy term wraps up, the counselling department’s final Positive Parenting Talk 6: ‘Holiday Parenting’ gave parents the opportunity to share strategies for the upcoming festive season. The importance of self care, practicing gratitude and taking time out. Before going into a Christmas panic, remember the following:

1. Set the Stage– You’re the role model and your behaviour is what your children will model, so lead by example. If they see you stressed out, they’ll feed on that and the tension in the house will explode. If the kids see that you’re calm, cool, controlled and reasonably stress-free, their attitude and actions will follow.

2. Manage Expectations– Avoid comparing yourself to others and being ‘Pintrest Perfect’. Remember that children will remember being with their family more than the perfect decorations. Let the kids know that they will indeed receive gifts, but within reason. This includes the gifts that they will be receiving from Santa Claus. Giving your children a full accounting of the specific details of your finances is not necessary. What is necessary is letting them know a) that you love them and b) the true spirit of Christmas is about family, love and kindness – all of which don’t have money value.

3. Get Help– Cooking, cleaning and shopping on top of your regular parenting and household duties is too much for anyone to bear. You’re only one person and can only do so much, so be realistic and give yourself a break. Get help wherever possible.

4. Have a Game Plan– Every parent knows that a bored child is a whiny child. For this reason alone, it’s especially important to have a plan of action where your kids are involved this holiday season. With many schools closing early and not opening up until after the new year, you’ll have your hands full with the little ones, particularly if they’re not occupied. Have activities for your kids planned in advance in order to keep them busy. These can include playdates with other kids, movie and game nights with the family, and day trips within your city.

5. Relax the Rules– Sure, bedtime is usually 8 p.m. for your little ones but they want to stay up late to watch one last Christmas movie. Or, in another scenario your good friends and their kids have dropped by for a holiday visit and they’re still visiting well after 8 p.m. The little ones are having a good time and so are you, so relax and let them stay up late this one time. The world will keep turning and your stress level will be considerably reduced. It’s OK to ignore the regular schedule of everyday life during this time of the year. When the season passes you can get the kids back to their regular routines.

Every player and coach in this picture should be extremely proud of their achievements in term one. It’s an honour to be a part of such a committed, positive and special group of players, parents and staff. Term one has seen the group take huge strides.

• The girls now have an an academy boasting 35 players and four coaches.
• The boys academy has seen the introduction of an Under 15s team for the first time. A team that’s expanding by the week and thriving on the numerous opportunities they’ve been given.
• The conditioning programme supported by Coach Chai Fitness has seen the group take on a new level of athleticism in term one.
• All teams have enjoyed a minimum of 10 matches so far this year against both domestic and international opponents.
• All teams have represented the school at PISAC tournaments throughout the term. Whilst our focus is on development and not winning, all teams have enjoyed a great deal of success at the tournaments.
• Four teams represented HeadStart at BISP7s where we received great praise from our opponents. Overcoming Dulwich College Beijing and Dulwich College Singapore with style was particularly impressive and provided memories that will stay with the group for a long time to come.

In term two, we look forward to building on the excellent progress made by the group.

• We look forward to welcoming Coach George to the staff as the academy continues to grow.
• In January, our teams will compete in The Harrow International School tournament.
• Due to popular demand, the academy will be welcoming back Over 15 players to training sessions on Mondays and Wednesdays.

All the players and staff are sincerely grateful for all the support given by the parents. It feels like we are entering a special period in the academies development and one which the bond between parents, staff and players is key to our success in everything we do. On behalf of all the players and staff, thank you.

Cooking with the ancients! This Active Learning activity was run by Mr Cramp. What did people eat hundreds, thousands of years ago? The students who chose this activity learn to cook ancient Roman toast and poached eggs with fish sauce!

**Graffiti Art” This Active Learning activity with Ms Leow leads the students to think about their design after which they have an opportunity to apply it with spray paint on canvas like a real street art artist.

Public Speaking with Mr Pollicutt. This is an Active Learning activity that every student will have to do. That is the only compulsory subject for Active Learning.

‘Active’ Active Learning The students enjoying their Active Learning Acrobatics first thing in the morning on Friday. They also have the chance to join Yoga / Pilates with coach Asa; a great way to start the day!

Some students from Y7, Y8 and Y9 choose Keyboard basics for their Active Learning once per week; what a great opportunity to learn the basics that might develop music skills and passion for some students.