Weekly Update #4, 22 September 2023

Dates for Your Diary

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]

Foundation Stay & Play Sessions

Stay & Play sessions at Headstart International School hold significant importance within the Foundation department. These sessions promote parental involvement, allowing parents to actively engage with their child’s development, foster social skills, understand play-based learning and build trust with the school community. Stay-and-play also supports the gradual independence of children, helps develop important early learning skills, and boosts confidence, ensuring a positive start to each child’s educational journey.

Dates and times for our next Foundation Stay & Play sessions can be found in the poster below.

Wai Kru Ceremony 2023

We are delighted to extend an invitation to all students and parents to join our very first Wai Kru Ceremony (Teacher Appreciation day). This ceremony holds deep cultural significance and takes place in schools throughout Thailand at the start of each academic year. It is a special occasion where students express their respect and appreciation for their teachers by presenting them with flowers.

Students are encouraged to bring flowers to express their appreciation for their teachers.

Dates and times for our Foundation and Primary Wai Kru Ceremonies can be found in the poster below.

Mandarin Language Day! (Chaofah City campus)

Welcoming all Mandarin speaking families to sign up for some fun cultural activities on 7th October from 9.00am to 12.00pm at our Chaofah City campus.

我们非常激动地邀请所有说中文的家庭参加即将举行的中文语言日活动，这是我们学校一次充满活力的中国文化和语言庆祝活动。活动将于10月7日（星期六）上午9:00至12:00在HeadStart Chaofah校区举行。请穿着古风服装，并携带中国美食与大家共享。期待与您共度这个特别的日子！如果您有兴趣参加活动，请填写报名表：https://forms.gle/T5PBboMpGE8n3fmp7 我们将在统计完参加人数后公布具体的活动计划。

If you have questions or would like to contact the organisers, write to [email protected]

Parent Meeting 4: Introduction to the Primary Curriculum

It was great to see so many Primary parents join us for our fourth parent meeting of the school year. Mr. Williams talked parents through our Primary Curriculum, explaining how it supports students to make progress across the different subject areas and how teachers work with parents to keep them informed of their children’s progress. It was especially pleasing to see parents get involved by working on their own phonic awareness as they were introduced to our phonics and reading programmes! Thanks to all the parents who stayed after the presentation to share their ideas and ask questions with the support of our Thai, Russian and Mandarin admin staff.

To view a copy of the presentation, click on the link below.

Parent Meeting 5: HeadStart Curriculum for Thai Parents on 28.09.23

Come join us! ประชุมผู้ปกครองไทย บรรยายเป็นภาษาไทย

We welcome Thai-speaking parents to join us for our latest parent meeting when we will talk parents of our pupils (Year 1 to 6) through our Primary Curriculum and offer hints and tips on how to ensure your child gets the most out of our programmes. We look forward to seeing you there! Thursday 28th September 2023 from 8:15-9:30am in the Indoor Learning Centre (ILC).

Football Academy News

The HeadStart Panthers Football Academy is up and running with Coach Paul and Coach Taee leading sessions every Tuesday and Wednesday after school (from 4:30-6pm) and on Saturday mornings.

Each week, our U9 Boys, U11 Girls and U11 Boys teams are being put through their paces as they improve their close control, passing and shooting skills. They are also learning the importance of teamwork and building a team spirit that will surely blossom as the season progresses.

To find out more about our Football Academy, visit our website: Football Academy

October Football Camp on Monday 16th October - Wednesday 18th October (Chaofah City Campus)

This is the perfect opportunity for our Cherngtalay players to play fun football, learn new skills and make new friends in a positive environment at our Chaofah City campus. The camp starts at 09:00 am (drop off after 08:30 am) and finishes at 2:00pm with lunch provided!

Open to students from Year 2 to Year 6. Players will be split into appropriate groups, depending on their age and abilities. Expect high-quality coaching, lots of fun and medals to be won!

To sign up please contact [email protected]

October Swim Camp on Monday 16th October - Wednesday 18th October (Chaofah City Campus)

Calling all intermediate and advanced swimmers Year 5 and up! Get ready to have a blast while improving your skills in freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, proper turns, and dives. Our experienced coaches will provide personalized instruction to help you take your swimming to the next level.

But that’s not all! At the end of each session, we’ll be awarding prizes to recognize your progress and achievements. Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to have fun, make new friends, and become a stronger swimmer! Spaces are limited, so sign up now to secure your spot.

We can’t wait to see you at the October Swim Camp!

For more information and registration, please contact [email protected]

Dive into October Swim Lessons! (Chaofah City Campus)

Is your child ready to build confidence and become water safe? Look no further! Join our October Swim Lessons and watch your child grow into a more confident swimmer. Each lesson is 30 minutes of focused instruction, tailored to your child’s needs and abilities. Our experienced instructors will guide them through various techniques and exercises to help them develop essential swimming skills. Our aim is not only to teach swimming but also to instill a sense of water safety. We want your child to feel comfortable and secure in the water, making every swimming experience a joyful one. Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity to give your child the gift of swimming confidence. Limited spots are available, so register now to secure your preferred time slot. For more information and registration, write to [email protected]. Let’s make this October a splash-tastic month of learning and fun!

Ballet and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA)

Extra Curricular Activities (ECAs) that provide fun physical fitness are instrumental in improving children’s overall well-being. As children grow up, it is highly beneficial for them to get involved in physical activity, acquiring skills like balance, coordination, and control.

Our Ballet and MMA ECAs are a great way for children to end their school day with physical activity that is fun and develops life-long skills.

To find out more about our dance and MMA ECAs, visit our website: Extra Curricular Activities

Announcement of our Primary Head Girl and Head Boy

At this week’s Friday assembly, we finally found out which of our Year 6 students had been successful in their quest to become the first ever Head Girl and Head Boy at our Cherngtalay campus. We are delighted to announce that our Head Girl is Anna Lazareva and our Head Boy is Shanjin Li. Anna and Shanjin were selected from a talented pool of applicants. All of the candidates put forward very strong cases for their application and should be very proud of themselves. We are certain that the leadership skills of Anna and Shanjin will have a positive influence on school life and the well-being of all HeadStart students this year.

Learner of the Month

It was a real pleasure to host our first ‘Learner of the Month’ assembly of the year on Friday 22nd September, which will take place once every four weeks and will be a fantastic opportunity for all of our Primary pupils to come together as a school, and celebrate the achievements of their fellow pupils. Our ‘Learner of the Month’ award incorporates our HeadStart Learner Attributes, focusing on one learner attribute and a subject each month. This month we celebrated being Courageous in Maths, and the following pupils received awards at our assembly. Parents of award winners were invited to join the celebrations in the Indoor Learning Centre. It was a huge success and we look forward to celebrating and recognising pupil achievements, and our Learner Attributes, each month. Well done to all our courageous mathematicians! - Mr. Tony Williams, Head of Foundation and Primary

Reception Class Being Inquisitive and Respectful at Phuket Elephant Sanctuary

Reception class had an amazing first field trip to meet the elephants at Phuket Elephant Sanctuary! What a wonderful opportunity for the children to get up close and connect with these magnificent creatures, learning about their unique features. It was wonderful to see how the children displayed great listening skills, politeness, and respect during the visit. Interactions like these are not only incredibly educational but can inspire young minds. It was doubtless an unforgettable experience for the children, and we are sure they’ll cherish the memories for a long time to come. - Ms. Hughes, Reception teacher

To find out more about Phuket’s first and most ethical elephant sanctuary, visit their website: Phuket Elephant Sanctuary

Music and Movement in Foundation classes

Our Foundation Stage students have been working with Ms. Costello on their Music and Movement. Early Years have been developing their rhythmic skills through ‘Tap Your Sticks’ while Reception class had a lot of fun with ‘Let’s Make a Sound’. Children have the opportunity to be creative and expressive as they explore making their own sounds.

Year 5 Using Inquiring Minds to Explore our Solar System

Our Year 5 learners blasted off into space this week on their field trip to the Planetarium. The students had the opportunity to experience an interactive tour of our Solar System and learn from a real astronomer. - Mrs. Williams, Year 5 teacher

Creativity and Imagination in Art Club ECA

Creating a night garden with watercolours can be a fun and educational project for our young pupils. This activity allows them to explore colour mixing and texture while also learning about art techniques and the concept of a night garden. This art project not only helps young pupils develop their painting skills but also encourages creativity and imagination while learning about the natural world and the concept of night gardens. - Ms. Costello, Art Associate teacher

Dedicated and Enthusiastic in Foreign Language Mandarin lessons

This week in Foreign Language Mandarin lessons, Year 1, 2 and 3 students have been enjoying their learning journey by reading and writing numbers in Mandarin. Their rapid progress and evident joy in the process are truly amazing. Through various engaging methods such as songs, games, hand signs, and videos, they embraced the challenges with determination. Some have even mastered writing numbers up to thirty, a testament to their dedication and enthusiasm! - Ms. Qiao, Mandarin teacher