Weekly Update 19, 26 Jan. 2018

Dates for Your Diary

Upcoming events can be found on the HeadStart calendar on the website School Life → Calendar but we have outlined upcoming events for the month here for easy reference.

Announcements

Primary Parent Meeting Invitation

We would like to invite all Primary parents to attend the information meeting on Tuesday 30th January, 2018. At the meeting we will be explaining about the Setting in English and Maths. The meeting will be from 8.15 to 9.15am and will be in located in the Secondary Hall. We look forward to welcoming you to this meeting.

Year 8 Textiles Up-Cycle Project

Year 8 will be Up-Cycling old jeans and patterned shirts and trousers to create Jon Burgerman Dolls. Please could you help by donating any old clothes that you no longer want to The CAPA Faculty Office. Cotton is great for ease of sewing but any Type of fabric will be useful. Thank you.

Fundraiser for Bodhi Dog Shelter

By Ms Fiona Scott

Our Term 2 Charity Appeal began this week as Bodhi Dog Shelter came into school with two of their lovable rescue dogs. They certainly drew a crowd at the Friday Market and generated a lot of interest from our keen students. Thank you very much to all of those who have donated to the dog shelter already. However, just as a reminder, we will be hosting a Furry - Fundraising Day for Bodhi, on Friday, 9 February. There will be games and activities set up around the school for everyone to take part in and enjoy the day. The minimum donation for dressing up on Friday 9th February is 50 Baht. But don’t forget to bring a little extra money for the games and treats around school.

Fundraising Bake Sale - Friday, 9 February.

We are asking all families to donate a box of cakes, cookies or treats to sell at break time to raise funds for Bodhi Dog Shelter. Tables will be organised by the Student Council. Please bring any food donations directly to the Dining Hall first thing in the morning.

Fundraising Bake Sale for Foundation - Friday, 9 February.

All families are invited to donate a box of cookies, cakes or treats for our younger ones for the Foundation Bake sale. We will organise the cakes in the Dining Hall. we are asking for a 50 baht donation for the dress up day and 20 baht for a cake at break time.

Donation boxes will be placed in the school Atrium and Foundation corridor, on Friday 9th February.

Thanks for your continued support.

Eco News 1

The Primary Eco Warriors gave an assembly on Thursday to remind us all of the importance of reducing, reusing and recycling our waste materials. They have asked if some of their suggestions can go out to parents in the weekly update and post the message on the FB page so here they are:

• Reduce Plastic Waste by saying ‘No’ to straws and plastic bags in small shops like the 7-11. You do not need a plastic bag when buying 1 or 2 small items.

• Reuse - Take any plastic bags back to the supermarket - bags can be reused when you go shopping. Clothes and toys can be reused. They can be donated to charities across the island. Please see Mrs Scott for more information on donating these items.

• Recycle - Please help us to save our natural resources, like trees and recycle all card, paper, glass, plastic and tins. We only have one life, one future and one planet; please help us to save our world.

Eco News 2

The Eco ASP welcomed ‘The Whale Company’ to HeadStart this week and were treated to a presentation/demonstration of their work and adventures. In short, The Whale Company travel the world, paddling through many countries, using paddle boards made from plastic bottles.

This week we heard some of their worldwide stories, saw their contrasting photos of plastic and beauty from around the world and listened to their remarkable efforts of reducing plastic waste. The whale Company work with a number of companies and schools around the world, demonstrating their work and supporting mass ocean and beach clean ups.

Our young Eco Warriors got a taste of how to make a paddle boat from plastic bottles and have been given the challenge to be creative and reuse one (or more) plastic bottles this week and to turn it into something new. Hopefully next week we can bring you photos from the challenge.

Foundation Department News and Announcements

Toys

Sometimes in Foundation children like to bring in toys and games from home to share with their friends. Unfortunately sometimes, toys can get broken which can be very upsetting. So to reduce any upset children and broken toys, please can we ask parents to remind children only to bring toys into school if it is a Show and Tell day, or they can bring in a soft cuddly toy for nap time.

Another fun and fantastic week has passed in Foundation this week. A big thank you to all the Homeroom Teachers and Foundation staff who work extremely hard to ensure our children receive such fun and creative lessons each and every day.

Signing in and Out - A New Procedure

We take your child’s health and security very seriously and would like to remind all parents to sign in and out of school every day. However, from next week Monday 29th January, we will change our SIGNING OUT procedures, only if your your child is in Late Pick Up or Thai ASP.

After 3.30pm, all signing in and out books will be taken to the Late Pick Up Club, at the Indoor Play Centre. If you collect your child after 3.30pm, please find the correct Homeroom Book and sign your child out in the correct Homeroom book. If you collect your child from Thai ASP, at 4.20pm, the sign in / out Homeroom books will be outside the Indoor Play Centre. You will be reminded to sign out after Thai ASP. Thank you for your support in this matter.

Secondary Department News and Announcements

By Ms Elizabeth Mason, Head of Secondary

Another productive week in Secondary with our teachers now busy marking mock exams. Parents please be reminded that Year 11 Parent and Teacher Conferences (PTC) takes place on the 7 February this year. This PTC will include vital exam talks. Please arrive at 3.35 to sign for your child’s mock exam results.

6th Form Mock Exams begin on the 29 February, 2018.

Parents please be aware we have now updated the Parent Handbook with a more current Pastoral Care and behaviour policy. The Parent & Student Handbook can be found in the following link http://headstartphuket.com/secondary/secondary-parent-handbook

Students in Action!

The Preschool children have had lots of fun with Ms Myriam in music class this week. They loved the shark song and the huge shark toy. By Ms Danielle Jones

Early Years classes have been investigating minibeasts this week at school. The parents, children and teachers have been very brave collecting minibeasts from their gardens and bringing them into school so we can all look at them. The children are fascinated with the snails, millipedes, grasshoppers and even stag beetles. We’ve all loved watching how they move around, eat, burrow, and how the snails antenna come in and out. Overnight, when everyone has gone home some snails go for a walk around the classroom! Our lovely housekeeping staff have been very helpful returning them to their habitat in the mornings. By Ms Holly Strawbridge & Ms Amy Drew

Reception Blue Stars of the Week awards go to Nawa and Tuana for working to the best of their ability and improved Phonics work. Reception Yellow Stars of the Week certificates go to Emma and Aaron for a great effort in class and during play.

This week the children in Reception have done some amazing writing about the fairy tale ‘Cinderella’. We have enjoyed lots of drama and storytelling and the children made invitations for their friends to go to the ball. At the end of the week we had a fairy tale ball in fancy dress! The children had lots of fun!​ By Ms Hannah Kuusik

Besides learning, we also have a lot of fun in Reception. At the end of each month we celebrate the birthdays for the month and we decided to relate the birthday party to our fairy tales theme. The children all dressed up and had a fairy tale ball and games. They had so much fun!! We are also learning new sounds in phonics and they are showing their independence by writing on their own onto the whiteboards. We hope you enjoy these pictures as much as the children enjoyed their party. By Ms Candice Smithie

Year 1 Blue are learning how to extend their bodies and hold their balance in Gymnastics. By Ms Fiona Whittaker

This week Year 2 Blue have been learning about capacity and have been learning how to measure in millilitres. As part of their learning they had to estimate how many cups of water it would take to fill different containers. They then had to estimate how many litres of water it would take to fill those same containers. By Mr Paul Williams

The Year 6s enjoyed writing on the topic of ‘My Marvelous Holiday’ in their Thai class. By Kru Dia

The students, along with Librarian Khun Mai, did a science experiment with leak-proof bags. First they filled a plastic bag with water and sealed it. They then stabbed colored pencils through the bag. Flexible plastic is made of polymer chains. The polymers have many molecules inside of them. When the pencil goes through the bag, the molecules in the polymer chains surround the pencil, sealing it up tightly and preventing leaks. But when you remove the pencil, the molecules don’t move to seal the hole, allowing the water to escape.

Congratulations to Jie Jie (Teenueng Limpanapa) in Year 4B for being awarded the bronze medal in Mathematics from ASMO 2017 (Asian Science and Mathematics Olympiad). ASMO is a Science and Mathematics competitions in Asia. The award ceremony was on 24 January, 2018.

Around the Island

Come and join the Phuket Yacht Show 2018 between 22-25 of February at Ao Por Marina and be a part of the action!