St Andrews Dusit January 2024

Jan

20 24

EVENT CALENDAR 29TH JAN- 2ND FEB

Y6 RESIDENTIAL

5TH AND 6TH FEB

SAFEGUARDING AUDIT

6TH FEB

REC 100 DAYS AT SCHOOL

6TH FEB

Y2 GUEST VISITOR

9TH FEB

LUNAR NEW YEAR

19TH - 23RD FEB

HALF TERM BREAK

1ST MAR

DUSIT’S GOT TALENT

4TH - 8TH MAR

BOOK WEEK

8TH MAR

BOOK WEEK DRESS UP

SCAN HERE FOR SCHOOL CALENDAR

Message from Acting Head of School Dear Dusit Community, We have started 2024 at Dusit full of positivity and enthusiasm!

First of all, I would like to welcome the new families who have joined us in Term 2. With our new Nursery class opening at the start of the year, along with new students starting across the school we are continuing to grow as a community.

Term 2 is always a very productive time in a school. Having spent the first term really getting to know their students, this is the term when teachers really begin to see the students shine and flourish.

Student wellbeing is our top priority and in order to find out how students feel about school and themselves, KS2 students have recently completed a survey.

From this, we will gain a better understanding of how to support our students in developing a positive attitude to themselves and school. Being safe is another aspect of wellbeing and last week we conducted a fire drill to make sure that all of the Dusit staff and students are prepared and confident of the procedures that we have in place.

In any emergency situation, knowing who is in the school and ensuring their safety is vital. In light of this, I would like to remind you of the school policy for visitors. All parents and carers must wear school ID badges during drop off, pick up even when picking up from the car pickup point. If parents or carers do not have their school ID badge, please go to gate 1 to get a visitors’ badge; you will need to swap your ID with them to receive this. While this may seem an inconvenience, I’m sure that you can appreciate the need for this and will support our guards and maids in adhering to this policy.

There is a lot to look forward to this term, with Lunar New Year, Valentine’s Day and Dusit’s Got Talent all coming up soon! I hope to see you around the school.

Louise Stout

Dusit’s commitment to sustainability At St Andrew’s Dusit we are acutely aware of the scale of the challenges future generations will face due to climate change and the need to prepare students to both understand the environmental context they are growing up in, and to give them the opportunity to see that they can make a practical difference. So, this year we are deepening our commitment to sustainability by taking part in the Cognita sustainability pilot programme, along with 6 other Cognita schools around the world.

Sustaintability at School We measured our carbon footprint for the first time and you may remember that we shared a sustainability survey with you last term. We also surveyed staff and students and we want to share with you some of the key findings: 68% of parents and 58% of staff think it's ‘important or very important’ that the school takes a strategic approach to sustainability.

While parents are overall positive about how well St Andrew’s Dusit is managing its environmental footprint, 19% of students and staff 29% respectively think the school ‘could do a lot better’ in this area.

Comments on why it’s important included

Our existence relies on implementing lasting change which can be sustained... Dusit can shape minds that think of solutions and develop communicators

To put it into practical actions in children’s daily basis is key to promote significant and successful outcomes

Based on feedback from parents, students and staff, we have identified four priorities to focus on to reduce our environmental impact: Reducing food waste Enhancing biodiversity at school (e.g. through the rooftop garden) Reducing waste and improving recycling Saving electricity

Dusit’s commitment to sustainability These are all big topics to tackle, but staff were particularly concerned about the large volume of perfectly good food that is being thrown away on a daily basis, so we are starting by focussing on reducing food waste.

Did you know?

1/3 of the world’s food is lost or wasted (source UN World Food Programme) Worldwide, each of us wastes 74 kg of food every year (source FAO) What we are doing at school We have a dedicated team of students (Eco Warriors) supported by Miss Lottie. The students have already met with the Food house team, observing how the daily food service works and making suggestions on how to reduce waste. The Food House team is recording the amount of food waste on a weekly basis, and we have started an interhouse competition to reduce food waste.

Mr Paul is leading a sustainability action group with teachers from across the school and we are looking at operational and educational changes to help students understand the value of the food on their plate, be mindful of what they take and have enough time to eat their food, rather than rushing or playing while eating.

What you can do to help Love your leftovers – freeze, reheat or get creative!

Turn food waste into compost and grow some veggies at home.

We will keep you updated on our progress. If you’d like to support our sustainability work, we would love to hear from you!

Miss Louise

Nursery

The Nursery had a wonderful start to term two! Our Clownfish and Angelfish classes settled back into school life so well. We also welcomed a new Nursery Class - the Rainbowfish! During the first week back we talked about all the fun we had in our holidays. We then moved onto exploring colours in different activities such as matching and sorting colours, mixing, pouring, and painting!

We have had a fantastic time. This week, students have started to learn more about healthy eating. They were encouraged to try new food and eat a rainbow every day. The Nursery children have been inspired to try new vegetables every lunch time. They are able to choose one vegetable and show the teachers their fantastic ability to try new foods and explore healthy eating.

Great work Nursery!

Nursery

KG

KG have had a busy start to term two, beginning to learn all about things that grow. We looked at photos of ourselves as babies and photos of us now to see any differences. We have used descriptive language such as ‘bigger’, ‘smaller’, ‘taller’ and ‘shorter’ to describe ourselves at different stages of growing. We are in the process of making height charts to record our growth this term, so we can see how much taller we become throughout the year. It also gives us a chance to practice our mark making skills. We have learnt how to look after babies; washing them, dressing them and feeding them. Next, we are excited to grow our own plants and look at the life cycle of a caterpillar.

KG

Reception

The magical world of fairy tales has woven its enchantment over our Reception classes as they dive headfirst into the realms of classic stories. Each class has embarked on a unique journey through tales like ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’, ‘Little Red Riding Hood’, and ‘The Three Little Pigs’. In the Whale class, our adventure has started by climbing the imaginary vines of Jack and the Beanstalk. We have enjoyed planting our own beans, crafting a giant beanstalk and reading different versions of the story.

Reception

In the Shark class, students have enjoyed the story of The Three Little Pigs and have been engineering different types of houses using bricks, sticks, and other materials to see how sturdy their structures are against the breath of the big bad wolf! The Dolphins have been busy studying the characters, setting and story sequence of Little Red Riding Hood. We have loved seeing the enthusiasm building around the stories we are reading in class and as a result, we are seeing a lot of creativity in our dramatic role play, junk modelling and arts and crafts. Well done, Reception!

Year 1

The Adventure Begins Year 1 has had lots of fun with our new topic ‘Pirate Adventures!’ First,we learnt how to talk and act like pirates, practicing drama and performing skills.

In English,we are following Flinn on his adventure to help Captain Stubble to find his stolen pirate ship. The children have innovated this story to create their own versions. It has been great to see their imaginations and focus when writing up their story.

In Maths we have been consolidating our understanding of place value up to 50 and learning the language of measurement. We’ve looked at ‘Length and Height’. We have had lots of fun measuring the length and height of different objects in the classroom.

Year 1

For Science, we started a unit on materials and their properties. We have been doing lots of testing such as finding out which materials float or sink. We have also looked at why some objects are made from certain materials and not others.

We’ve had a fantastic time in Topic learning all about pirates. We’ve learnt about what they used to eat, where they would sleep and the clothes they wore. We will be learning about treasure maps and secret pirate codes in the next few weeks.

In Computing, we have started a unit on digital painting and have drawn a digital picture of ourselves.

For PSHE, we have focused on healthy and unhealthy choices and the impact that they can have on our feelings. We have been thinking about how to be a good friend and how to build and enjoy healthy relationships.

Year 2

Trip to Antarctica To kick off the term with a bang and to get our students truly involved in our new topic, ICE, we thought why not take them to Antarctica? Through our learning, we took the children on a journey to the South Pole and they got to visit the coldest, driest and windiest continent on Earth. All from the comfort of their classroom! They got to see penguins up close in their natural habitat and leopard seals resting on the ice.

Year 2

The children were surprised to see the number of human tourists that visit Antarctica and the permanent research bases that are there. We are fortunate to have a visit from a real life Antarctic explorer as well as find out about famous Antarctic explorers from the past and what they needed to survive. A class trip to the Sealife centre offers us the opportunity to learn more about the life found in and around the Southern ocean and how they survive the freezing temperatures.

Year 3

Year 3 had a fabulous time on the residential. We were so impressed with everyone’s independence, resilience and teamwork. We all learnt so much about the natural world. From learning how to use plants as herbal remedies, opening coconuts and using them as planters, and learning how to start fires using flint and cotton wool – it was a hugely rewarding experience.

It was also a great opportunity for us to dive deeper in to our current science unit of study: plants. Setting up camp and sleeping over was a great chance for the students to show their independence and they all seemed to really enjoy being independent.

Year 3

In topic, the students are really enjoying learning about the Ancient Egyptians.

Learning about the importance of the Nile River, the construction of the pyramids and the role of pharaohs. In art, the students are bringing the Nile River to life through their 3D models, which they are then using in computing to create stop motion videos of life around the river.

In English, the students are engrossed in the adventures of Varjak Paw and they are using the rich descriptions as inspiration for their own poetry. The students have already published their own list poems and they really impressed us with their clever craftmanship and imagination.

Year 4

What an exhilarating start to the new term! Year 4 have been brimming with energy and excitement as they embarked on captivating learning adventures.

The highlight of the term so far was our Hike In, Hike Out residential trip to Saraburi. The children embraced challenges, strengthened friendships, and created lasting memories. Witnessing their improved independence and resilience upon returning to school has been truly remarkable.

In English, we immersed ourselves in the captivating world of Edward Tulane's miraculous journey. The students delved into the story, describing Edward's appearance and personality. They crafted questions and answers for Edward, providing a unique perspective on the china doll's incredible adventures.

Maths brought explorations into the application of multiplication and division principles to tens and hundreds, reinforcing their understanding of the relationship with place value. Their dedication to mastering times tables remains evident, with more students progressing in the Superhero Times Tables series.

Year 4

In our Computing sessions, the students ventured into the world of podcast creation using Garageband. So far, they have explored sound recordings, experimented with controls and gained insights into the internal devices of the iPad. It was a fun and engaging exploration into digital creativity.

In Science, we delved into the delicate balance of the Earth's climate and ecosystem. Exploring how human activities such as deforestation and food waste can disrupt this balance, the students gained a deeper understanding of the impact of human actions on the environment.

Looking ahead, we are excited for the upcoming events in this busy term, including Dusit's Got Talent, Lunar New Year and more. We can't wait to see the continued progress and enthusiasm in Year 4’s learning journey.

Year 4

Year 5

We are excited to share the latest updates regarding your child's learning journey at school. In the realm of science, students have delved into the life and work of the renowned David Attenborough. They are discovering his insights on what we can do to help save our planet, a timely and critical topic. Additionally, our students have embarked on a captivating new unit on Earth and space, where they will integrate ICT and science to create educational videos, with the aim of enlightening their peers about various space-related subjects.

In topic, we have started exploring a pivotal moment in the past, World War II. This exploration will introduce students to new vocabulary and terms, enhancing their historical understanding. As we are situated in Thailand, we will also examine the local context during that era. In mathematics, students are making significant progress in their understanding of fractions. They are continuing to build their knowledge and math skills on a daily basis.

Year 5

In English, we are in the midst of a narrative write. Students have been learning new writing techniques to include in their work and we are enjoying the writing process along the way. In reading, we are nearing the conclusion of our novel study on 'The Eye of the Wolf,' and our students are eagerly anticipating the start of a new novel that connects seamlessly with our ongoing topic unit.

We are immensely proud of the enthusiasm and dedication our students have shown in tackling these challenging topics. We look forward to the upcoming weeks as we continue to explore, learn, and grow together.

Warm regards, Ms. Laurie and Ms. Linda

Year 6

This half term, our Year 6 students are embarking on an exciting journey back in time as they delve into the mysteries of ancient civilizations and face the challenges posed by gods and monsters! In our English lessons, we are engrossed in reading "The Adventures of Odysseus," unravelling the trials and tribulations of his journey back to Ithaca after the Trojan War. In Science, we are utilising our knowledge of light to solve a celestial crime – one of the gods' precious artefacts has been stolen! Our topic studies involve exploring how these ancient civilizations have left a lasting impact on our society today.

Year 6

In the realm of art, we're set to unleash our creativity by crafting stop-motion models inspired by mythical Thai creatures, drawing inspiration from the innovative dynamation technique pioneered by American animator Ray Harryhausen. Meanwhile, our computing lessons are focused on the exciting task of programming games, culminating in the creation of our very own game centred around Ancient Greece. Brace yourselves for a half-term filled with danger, excitement, and the thrill of discovery!

Mandarin

To celebrate the completion of the "My Daily Routine" unit, we organized a Chinese typing competition. Students used Padlet to type Chinese characters, short phrases, and sentences that convey messages about their daily routines. I am so proud of them! Initially, they faced challenges in finding the correct characters or using the right Pinyin letters, but they worked collaboratively, utilizing the visual aids in the classroom. In the end, they successfully typed out six sentences!

The winners are Keynes and Wynn!

Super Star of The Month