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Weekly Update #2, 2 September 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]
| Date | Time | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 05 September | After school | Swimming & Football Academies begin | Pool & Pitch |
| 06 September | 8.15-9.15am | Parent meeting: Online Programmes in Primary | Secondary Hall |
| 08 September | All day | Are You OK? Day | In school |
| 13 September | 8.15-9.15am | Parent meeting: Introduction to Foundation and the EYFS Curriculum | Secondary Hall |
| 17 September | 9.00am to 12.00 | Saturday Thai Culture Club | Secondary Hall |
| 20 September | 8.15-9.15am | Parent meeting: Thai Curriculum at HeadStart for New Parents | Secondary Hall |
| 27 September | 8.15-9.15am | Parent meeting: Introduction to the IGCSE Curriculum | Secondary Hall |
| 28-29 September | TBA | Foundation ‘Stay & Play’ | Foundation building |
| Announcements |
Sam Khan
I was born and grew up in London, England. If any of you are familiar with the sport of Rugby Union, I grew up very close to Twickenham Stadium! I graduated in History from the University of Teeside in 1992, and in 1999 completed my P.G.C.E. and have now been an educationalist for over 17 years. As well as my teaching experience, I have a total of 12 years of experience as a curriculum manager and school leader, having served as an Assistant Head, a Deputy Head and Head Teacher. In my most recent role, in the Middle East , I worked as a School Improvement Consultant. I am a passionate believer in the transformational nature of education and learning. I believe that children learn best when they enjoy their learning and feel secure when facing tasks that are stimulating and challenging. Pupils should feel valued in the classroom and feel confident that enthusiasm and good learning will be met with recognition and praise from the teacher and peers. As a school leader I am committed to the challenge of motivating the whole school community to help every individual pupil realise his or her talents, whilst at the same time ensuring that our pupils are empowered with the essential skills to be able to make a positive contribution in an increasingly globalised world of rapid change and innovation. I believe that schools where success is celebrated, and challenges faced head on in a professional culture of support, trust and honesty are schools that ensure the best possible outcomes for all its students. As a school leader I am committed to creating an empowering and enabling school culture with a powerful ethos of positivity and hard work.
Use of the Primary Playground after school
Please can I remind all parents that they must supervise their children if using the Primary Playground from 3.20 pm.
Our Primary Playground is a fantastic space for pupils to play after school. Unfortunately, I have noticed that since the start of this term many children are not being supervised appropriately. Children are climbing on playground equipment, and are leaving themselves in danger as a result. This term we have had accidents in the Primary Playground after 3.20 pm that would have been avoided if parents had been supervising their children more closely.
Please can I stress that sitting in the cafe and looking at your child every now and again through the windows is not an adequate level of supervision. Parents must be close enough to their children to ensure that they are at all times using the playground equipment safely and not presenting a danger to themselves or others using the playground.
Thank you for your cooperation regarding this very serious health and safety matter.
Sports Academies Start on Monday
The PE & Sports department are excited to announce that the Swimming and Football academies are starting up on Monday after school. Details will have been emailed to the relevant students and parents. If you require assistance please contact our head coaches by writing to: Coach Zak (Swimming) at [email protected] and Coach Frost (Football) at [email protected]
To read more about the Swimming Academy CLICK HERE! For more information on the Football Academy CLICK HERE!. Visit our webpage to meet the coaching team HERE!
R U OK? Day is Thursday 8 September 2022
R U OK? Day is a day dedicated to inspiring and empowering everyone to meaningfully connect with people around them by asking the simple question “Are you OK?”. We’ve all got what it takes to start a conversation with the people we care about. You can start by asking RUOK?, listen without judgement, encourage action and check in. We will be talking to the students about how to check in with each other and there will be activities at lunchtime in the foyer.
| Contacting Members of Management |
If you have questions, would like some information or would like to set up a meeting with members of the management team, please refer to the contact list below. Emailing the relevant member of our team will help to streamline your request.
| Head of Foundation & Primary | Mr Sam Khan | [email protected] |
| Deputy Head of Foundation | Ms Natalie Walker | [email protected] |
| Deputy Head of Primary (Academic) | Mr Tony Williams | [email protected] |
| Deputy Head of Primary (Pastoral) | Ms Rebeca Ross | [email protected] |
| Head of Secondary | Mr Richard Lukats | [email protected] |
| Deputy Head of Secondary(Pastoral Care) | Mr Matthew Sillett | [email protected] |
| Deputy Head of Secondary (Academic) | Mr Timothy Davidson | [email protected] |
| Head of Sixth Form | Mrs Indu Bedi | [email protected] |
| Student Support | Ms Paula Barrado | [email protected] |
| Director of Sports | Mr Nick Carter | [email protected] |
| Director of Creative & Performing Arts | Mrs Alia Sillett | [email protected] |
| After School Programmes Manager | Ms Anisa Van Der Laan | [email protected] |
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If you have questions relating to visas, school bus, or any admin related tasks, please email [email protected]
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If you have questions relating to school/any other fees, please email [email protected] or call 076-612875
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If you have questions relating to the School Portal, please email [email protected]
| Meetings |
We hope that parents have found last week’s meetings helpful and that each one can feel more connected to the school and in tune with how things are run at HeadStart. If you weren’t able to attend the meetings, have a look at the downloads provided below to recap all that was covered and let us know if you have any questions or comments! For upcoming meetings, check the ‘Dates for Your Diary’ section at the top of the update and be sure to subscribe to the school Google Calendar which can be found on this webpage: CLICK HERE!
| Language Department |
The Language department would like to encourage all students who take Mandarin lessons to bring a mooncake to school from September 5-9. We will be celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节) with our students this year in Mandarin classes. You can find mooncakes in most of the super markets on the island such as Lotus, Big C, Tops, etc. Remember to choose your favourite flavors as there are so many! Contact your Mandarin teachers for more details.
| Secondary Bonding Day |
The Sixth Form braved the stormy weather and Kata hill to perform a beach clean at Kata Noi last Friday, as part of their bonding day experience. This year in Sixth Form, we hope to instil a sense of responsibility to the local community, with an emphasis on volunteering and giving back. Ms Tuppen
For the Bonding Day morning session, the Sixth Form also learned how to make a tasty snack and stocked up their fridge in the Sixth From Centre with Power Balls. (Click to enlarge)
| News from Creative & Performing Arts (CAPA) |
CAPA Social Media
We are excited to introduce another way for parents and students to stay connected with the CAPA family. Please follow us @capa_headstars on Instagram and CAPA HeadStars on Facebook. This is where you will see information about upcoming events, outstanding achievements and useful information. Please give us a ‘like’ and a ‘follow’ as we build our online presence
Another great year for exam results in CAPA! Students worked incredibly hard and traversed a challenging two years to achieve these results. We are so proud of their achievements and look forward to building on this success. Ms Alia Sillett, Director of CAPA
Active Learning
Students have just finished their first full week of Active Learning. Active Learning is designed to give students agency over their studies and allow them to start their day with something exciting, physical and fun! Students have a huge selection of subjects to choose from; from Film Making to Cross Stitch, there is something for everyone. This year our focus is on ensuring students have a varied and valuable experience in Active Learning.
Chicago Orchestra
The orchestra for our production this year will include the largest number of students in HeadStart history! This is testament to the hard work and dedication of these students who have been actively improving and developing their skills. Students are already preparing and a dedicated Active Learning group has been established. In CAPA we are always looking for more opportunities for our students to shine and we are excited to see our student musicians in the orchestra.
| English Department News |
In order to help them become more effective and confident communicators, students in Year 12 commenced their Communication course today. This will culminate with their giving individual TED-style talks on subjects about which they are passionate. Today was all about taking risks, making connections and being comfortable in front of each other: something they achieved with aplomb! Mr Pollicutt, Head of English
| House News |
What a great start to the year with all secondary students taking on a lip sync challenge! Year groups have a tough choice between a contemporary song and a more modern choice to lip sync to. With lots of groovy moves and creative camera transitions, pupils have set a high standard of effort and love for their houses!
Reminder! The deadline for completed edited videos is next week Friday 9th September. Best of luck and keep up the incredible work and team effort! Mr Michael Marx, House Coordinator
| Student Success Out of School |
During the summer holiday, Krit in Year 11 joined a group of 30 students from other school in a training course aimed at preparing them for hosting the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) members for a tour and assessment of the island. This project was organised by the Phuket Governor, Narong Woonciew, as Thailand has made a bid to host the ‘World Specialised Expo’ in 2028. We are honored to be part of this project and to be able to support our province for this prestigious event in the future.
