Weekly Update #26, 24 March 2023
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]
| Date | Time | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 March | 9.00am to 12.00pm | Russian Language Day | |
| 28 March | 8.30-9.30am | Parent Presentation on BTEC Qualification | Primary Hall |
| 29-30 March | 4.45pm | Junior CAPA Performances of ‘Rock Bottom’ | Sports Hall |
| 31 March | 2.00pm | Primary Student Council Meeting | |
| Last day of all ASPs | |||
| 4 April | 8.20am | Year 3, 4, 6 Swimming Galas | Swimming Pool |
| 5 April | 1.00pm | Year 5 Swimming Gala | Swimming Pool |
| Last Day of Academy Practice | |||
| 6 April | Throughout the day | Songkran Celebrations | Details shown below |
| 7 April | 8.20-3.30pm | Parent/Teacher Conferences (PTC) | |
| 10 April | Songkran Holiday | ||
| 24 April | 8.00am | First Day Back in School | |
| 27 April | 8.15am | UPrep for Parents, By Parents! | TBA |
| 28 April | Humanities Dress Up Day | Details shown below | |
| Announcements |
Double Parking
Important! If you are going to double park, your car must be in N=neutral, not P=park. In some car models you may also have to use your key to unlock the Neutral function. Please make a big effort not to double park without checking that your car can be rolled forward or backwards. If you do not know how to do this, make sure to consult your car dealer or even YouTube has lots of video tutorials on the topic. Failure to ensure that your car can be moved will result in a 1,000 Baht fine. Thank you for your support and consideration of others using the car park.
| Meetings & Presentations |
Zones of Regulation Workshop on 21.03.23
The ‘Zones of Regulation’ is an approach that is used across Foundation and Primary to support the development of self-regulation. Thank you to the Key Stage 2 parents who attended the ‘Zones of Regulation’ Workshop, and for your great participation in the activities. It was a great opportunity to share the sessions taught in school and to provide strategies which can be used at home. The activities covered can be used to support children to recognise and regulate their own emotions and understand the emotional responses of others. There were great discussions about empathy, and that even as adults, we all respond so differently depending on the circumstances and our own previous experiences. We look forward to developing this approach further with the pupils and sharing our next steps of the programme. -Ms Rebecca Ross, Deputy Head of Primary
BTEC Parent Presentation on 28.03.23
On Tuesday the 28th of March there will be a parent’s presentation introducing BTEC qualifications and explaining how they vary from A-levels and the advantages and disadvantages of following either pathway. This will be run by myself and Ms Yardenna Jones, our BTEC coordinator. This presentation will take place in the Primary Hall from 8.30am until 9.30am and this email is an invitation to this event. To ensure all of your queries are answered during this presentation, I am also sending a link to a Google Form that allows you to ask any questions prior to this presentation. After this presentation finishes, the full presentation will be shared with parents via Engage. Please do not hesitate to respond, using the email address [email protected], if you have any further questions.
| Upcoming Events |
Primary Production of Rock Bottom
𝗥𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝗕𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗺 by Craig Hawes, the playwright who brought us Ali Baba and the Bongo Bandits and The Amazing Adventures of Super Stan, strikes again at HeadStart with a prehysterical, I mean, a prehistorical hysterical comic rock musical. Can Bobby Cobblestone and a madcap cast of heroes save the town of Rock Bottom before its arch-nemesis destroys it in her search for eternal youth or before the ominous volcano, Kratatoe-or-two, erupts? Come and see! Starring students from years 3 to 6! Not to be missed! 📆 29 & 30 of March ⏰ 4:45 pm 📍 Sports Hall 🎫 Tickets on sale here!
Robert Gratton
I am an experienced educationalist with over two decades working as a teacher, school leader, teacher trainer and researcher with the UCL Institute of Education. A History graduate, with PGCE in Secondary Education, a Masters in Guiding Effective Learning, and with a decade spent investigating the nature of Collaboration, I have been fortunate to work across numerous innovative and forward thinking projects within education internationally. This has included leading Curriculum development within Sweden, establishing new schools such as the UCL Academy and co-founding a centre for education in the outdoors focusing on wellbeing, creativity and sustainability in Wales. I am an advocate for the human centred approach to individual, societal and global sustainable practice. My passion for the Humanities is derived from a belief that we can utilise an education through the Humanities subjects to empower learners to become critical, compassionate and collaborative global citizens. To become life-long, life-wide learners and to become better prepared for an unknown future. To HeadStart I bring this commitment, this drive and this ambition to use the Humanities to transform the lives of each and every learner. My second year here at HeadStart will see a reinvigoration of the Humanities and a renewed drive to ensuring every learner activates their capacity to become a fully active and internationally aware learner.
“Sometimes, you have to step outside of the person you've been and remember the person you were meant to be. The person you want to be. The person you are.” - H.G. Wells
Humanities Faculty Week: 26-28th April
Across the week we will be celebrating the Humanities and the work we and our students do across History, Geography, Global Perspectives, Business, Economics, Travel & Tourism and Psychology. We will use the week to explore the theme of Global Citizenship and as a community consider how our understanding of the Humanities enables us to be more active global citizens. Atrium, lunch and Home Room activities will enable all learners to engage with our subjects, individually and collectively, through a range of critical thinking tasks such as Thunks; Is there more future or more past?
We will be showcasing our Year 9 work exploring sustainable solutions for potential problems facing Phuket and hosting a Model United Nations style debate. And we invite you to share your visions for our collective future and share with us you and your family’s journey here to HeadStart Phuket.
We cap it all off with Humanities Dress Up on Friday the 28th. This will be an opportunity for all students and staff across all year groups to come dressed in something representing the Humanities (something historical, cultural, geographic, business or economics related, something linked to travel and tourism or linked to the study of the mind; Psychology). This is an opportunity to represent anything your creative mind can conjure up. All in the name of our Humanities charity - Oceans for All. So I and the team look forward to opening up our Faculty on our return from Songkran break.
| PE & Sports |
Swim Galas
Please see all the information regarding the days and times of your son / daughter’s swimming galas. Parents are welcome to come and support the children during these events. -Coach Brown
| Class | Date & time |
|---|---|
| Preschool | Thursday, 30th March 10.00-11.00 |
| Early Years | Wednesday, 29th March 09.40-10.35 |
| Reception | Friday, 31st March 09.40-10.35 |
| Year 1 | Tuesday, 28th March 13.00-13.55 |
| Year 2 | Tuesday, 28th March 14.15-15.10 |
| Year 3 | Tuesday, 4th April 08.20-09.15 |
| Year 4 | Tuesday, 4th April 10.35-11.30 |
| Year 5 | Wednesday, 5th April 13.00-13.55 |
| Year 6 | Tuesday, 4th April 09.35-10.30 |
Football
- Well done to the HeadStart Panthers U16 Boys who played against Republic Academy in a friendly fixture. Great work boys. Go Panthers!!
- A big well done to the HeadStart Panthers U11 Girls who travelled to KIS for a friendly fixture. It was a fantastic experience for all involved and all the girls gave it their all.
| Foundation |
The Early Years went on a field trip to the Aquarium this week. We saw lots of different fish, including lionfish, tiger fish and jellyfish. We discussed taking care of the ocean, referencing their plastic waste exhibition, and the children were fascinated by the whale skeleton! -The Early Years Team
What an amazing week! The children in Reception have been working so hard in their learning. It was so wonderful to be able to visit the Elephant sanctuary. We are so proud of them all, and how kind and caring they were to the elephants they were feeding. What a great trip, one we will never forget!
Saturday Thai Culture Club
Last Saturday, the Early Years, Reception and Year 1 students enjoyed Thai Culture Club activities organised by the Thai department. The children learned to sing Thai songs and enjoyed playing a game called ‘Ma Kan Kluay.’ They then had some art and craft time making toys from banana trunks. Thank you to all of the parents for joining the activities and for showing your support for our Thai programme as always. -Kru Nee, School Director
| Primary |
Year 3 have been learning to retrieve and record non-fiction information. This week, they used this information to create posters to ‘Save the Amazon Rainforest! -Mr Immy Page
Kirsty Hark
Hello and Sawadee ka! My name is Kirsty and I am from Manchester in the North West of England. I have a degree in History and Sociology from The University of Leeds, and gained my Post Graduate Certificate of Education at The University of Manchester through the TeachFirst graduate programme. Through my training, I developed a passion for planning creative, challenging and engaging lessons; a passion which has continued to grow throughout my teaching career. I have been teaching now for over ten years and have had the pleasure of being part of the HeadStart community for five of those. During my time at HeadStart, I have taught in each phase of Primary and have worked with so many incredible children and fellow educators. I have also held responsibility for coordinating both maths and science for the Primary phase. Both of these roles allowed me to really develop and nurture my love of curriculum design, whilst also staying up to date with the latest research in teaching pedagogy. After recently completing my NPQ in leading teaching, I am excited this year to continue to develop my passion for teaching and learning through my role as Deputy Head of Primary Academic. Outside of the classroom, I particularly enjoy reading and like to keep active through regular swimming. Since arriving in Phuket, I have also taken up diving which I thoroughly enjoy. I also have a keen interest in history and learning about the past and culture of other places. I therefore love to travel and enjoy exploring the many beautiful places both within and around Phuket. I am thrilled to be working with our fantastic teaching team this year and look forward to us working together to ensure that all children are inspired by their learning and are both supported and challenged to achieve their very best.
Maths and Computing Faculty Week
During maths and computing faculty week, the Primary pupils really enjoyed competing in the online Times Tables Rockstars Battle of the year groups challenge. The children took part in online times tables quizzes and races to earn points for their year group. It was a close battle but a huge congratulations must go to Year 2 who were crowned our Times Tables Rock Legends.
Throughout the week, children were also engaged in some fun and active maths lessons both in and outside of their classrooms. There were new maths riddles each day to keep the children challenged and everybody had great fun joining in with maths quizzes in their assembly. We also celebrated maths at lunchtimes with fun maths games including tic tac toe with an addition twist, times tables and shape twister, as well as tangram fun to test their resilience.
| Secondary |
Maths and Computing Faculty Week
Maths is not just about finding x or carrying the 1, it is far more diverse than that. The aim of the faculty week was to show that diversity and so the students were treated to an array of activities that were intellectually stimulating, mind opening and also humorous! Students learned about the diversity of careers you could have using Maths and Computing, they solved mathematical riddles and real life problems using logic and creativity and they had a competition to see who could recite the most digits of pi. The winner Lucas Yip of year 7 broke the previous school record of 208 by reciting 401 digits! Which he recited not only in class but in front of the whole school assembly. The week was capped off with the winners of the various activities getting the chance to pie in the face a teacher of their choice. -Dr Portelli, Head of Maths & Computing
Jamie Sadler
My name is Jamie Sadler and I am originally from Bournemouth in the UK. This year I will be teaching Secondary Physical Education, including iGCSE PE and BTEC International Level 3 in Sport. I graduated from Southampton Solent University with a BA in Sports Studies and then went on to complete my PGCE in Secondary PE at the University of East London. Prior to moving to Phuket, I taught in London and spent 5 years teaching in a leading Independent school in Wimbledon. As a young boy I developed a passion for many sports, especially in school, this gave me many opportunities to develop my personal qualities such as self-confidence, discipline and respect. My main speciality is Football; in the UK I played for a club for a number of seasons in the 5th step of the National league system. In recent years, I have taken a keen interest in martial arts such as Western boxing and Thai kickboxing. There are so many positive effects that can come from Physical Education, such as resilience, leadership skills and teamwork amongst others. As a specialist PE teacher, I aim to provide opportunities for my students to collaborate and to share their thoughts and opinions, in order to have a positive impact on their experiences in PE. My teaching ethos is for students to feel confident in their abilities when playing sport so that they feel inspired to participate in lifelong physical activity.
BTEC Sports
BTEC Sport trips are a fantastic way to gain practical experience, build confidence, and develop skills that will be invaluable in both academic and personal life. They offer an exciting opportunity for students to put their academic knowledge into practice, all while having fun and creating lasting memories. Recently we have been on two trips and our student members have written about their experience. - Mr Sadler
“On Monday 13th we went on a hiking trip which took us to a spectacular view called Black Rock viewpoint. After a 20-minute walk, we reached the top where we took some time to take pictures of the incredible view. The track was a bit challenging and we had to push ourselves harder and we had to go on some rocks which made it challenging but fun to reach the top. This trip helped me understand the benefits of physical health and the range of trekking trails available in Phuket.” -Reem Tsari in Year 12
“On Monday the 20th of March, we went on a BTEC Sport trip to the popular fitness centre Unit 27 Total Conditioning. It was really a unique experience as all of our class weren’t used to this high intensity interval training which meant the training took a strong toll on our body. However, it was a fun experience that allowed us to explore and learn about different training methods and meet new people and learn from them. It was also a great opportunity to take some knowledge from the people we met to put into our coursework assignments at school.” - Alexander Patterson, Year 12 Blue
Year 7 Residential Trip
Our Year 7 Residential adventure took students on an unforgettable journey filled with team-building activities, new friendships and thrilling challenges. From super sliding fun times at Splash Jungle, through to exploring our local islands and oceans with 5* Marine and finishing off learning about sustainability, ecotourism and offering our services to the local community.
This trip provided a great opportunity for students to learn, grow and have fun outside the classroom. With supportive staff, delicious meals and comfortable accommodation, students returned home with unforgettable memories and a renewed sense of camaraderie and confidence. A truly enriching experience that every Year 7 student should have! Thank you so much to all the staff and students on the trip for your positive contributions and making memories that will last a lifetime! -Mr Jamie Sadler
Year 8 Residential trip to Khao Sok
This week, Year 8 students went on their Residential trip! We left school bright and early on Monday and arrived at our destination just in time for lunch. The students were split into two groups, one with Ms Lingh, Mr Wells, and myself, who went to Jungle life camp which was excitingly close to the national park. The second group went with Mr Dagnall, Mr Rasheed, Ms. Costa, and Kru Pla to Cheow Lan Lake. Group one spent the afternoon, night, and morning at the jungle camp where they participated in fun team-building activities like building shelters, bamboo cooking, a jungle night walk, and a beautiful 3km hike in the national park! We were even lucky enough to see lots of amazing wildlife while on the trek. Group 2 had lunch at the lake then took a beautifully scenic longtail boat to their accommodation which was the incredible floating raft houses on the lake. At Cheow Lan lake students had the opportunity to kayak, swim, visit a cave, and go on a boat safari which were all very exciting and interesting activities. After night one, the groups swapped around to make sure that all students get a chance to spend a night in the jungle and on the lake. On the last day, the groups met back at the jungle life restaurant to exchange experiences and enjoy some debriefing activities. After that, we said our thank yous and goodbyes and left to return to Phuket. Thank you to every student, teacher, and staff member that made this an unforgettable residential. -Ms Alicia Niemand
| Promotions from Around the Island |
Basketball -Calling All Basketballers 5-18 years old
If you’re interested in a Basketball Camp over the Songkran break, please check out the Dunkin Raptors Basketball Academy flyer. Please note, this is not a HeadStart programme and any questions should be directed to the Dunkin Raptors Head Coach, Gianni who provides his contact details on the flyer. Get Dunkin’!
