Spotlight on Primary September 2018

Spotlight on Primary

St. Andrews International School Green Valley

Sept 2018

Our new Island Community Leaders!

Welcome Back! A Message from Head of Primary Dear Parents/ Guardians This is our first Primary newsletter this academic year and as you will see from the photos and information provided we have had an excellent start to the year. Your children are working hard to improve in all areas and if you have an opportunity to have a look in their exercise books you will see they are making great progress.

Hopefully, you also have an account for our online portfolios called’ Seesaw’ and you are able to keep up to date with what your child is learning and the work that they are most proud of. If you are having trouble accessing your Seesaw account please contact Rachel Mustovic on rmustovic@standrews-schools.com and she will help you set this up.

The activities programme is also up and running and one of the highlights of my week is to walk around the school and see the children fully engaged in the range of activities offered. The activities that are most popular this term are the drama and music rehearsals for our upcoming production of the Lion King and the design and technology activity where children are busy making the set and costumes for the production. I really hope you are all able to make it to one of the performances of the Lion King on Tuesday 27th and Thursday 29th of November.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank you in advance for all your help and support during the year. Our Green Valley community is such a special place and I think the main reason for this is because we all work together to ensure that our children love coming to school and therefore make great progress in all areas of the curriculum.

If you have any ideas as to how we can continue to improve or you would just like a chat, then my door is always open and I would be happy to talk to you.

Best wishes Michelle Taylor

ขอต้ อนรับสู่ปีการศึกษาใหม่ ! ข่ าวสารจากครู ใหญ่ โรงเรี ยนประถม สวัสดีมายังผู้ปกครองทุกคน วารสารน์โรงเรี ยนประถมฉบับนี ้เป็ นฉบับแรกของปี การศึกษา ซึง่ พวกเราทุกคนเชื่อว่าเป็ นการเริ่ มอย่างดีเยี่ยม ทังด้ ้ านกิจกรรมและข้ อมูลที่ทางโรงเรี ยนฯ จัดเตรี ยมไว้ โดยดูได้ จากรู ปภาพ เด็กๆ ทุกคนขยันทางานกันเพื่อการปรับปรุ งตนในทุกๆ ด้ าน หากคุณมีโอกาสได้ พลิกดูสมุดฝึ กหัด คุณจะเห็นว่าพวก เค้ าพัฒนาขี ้นอย่างมาก ทางโรงเรี ยนฯ หวังเป็ นอย่างยิ่งว่า คุณสามารถเข้ าร่ วมแฟ้มข้ อมูลข่าวสารออนไลน์ชื่อ Seesaw และติดตามการเรี ยนรู้ ของบุตรหลานได้ เป็ นประจา รวมทังได้ ้ รับทราบในสิ่งที่เด็กๆ กาลังเรี ยนและผลงานที่พวกเค้ าภูมิใจมากเป็ นอย่างยิ่ง หากคุณยังไม่สามารถเข้ าบัญชี Seesaw ได้ กรุ ณาติดต่อ คุณ ราเชล มุสโทวิท ได้ ที่ rmustovic@standrews-schools.com เพื่อให้ เธอช่วยตังบั ้ ญชีให้ โปรแกรมกิจกรรมดาเนินไปได้ อย่างดีและสิ่งที่ดฉิ นั เองรู้ สกึ ชอบมากในงานประจาสัปดาห์ คือการเดินไปทัว่ โรงเรี ยนเพื่อดูเด็กๆ ขมักเขม้ นกับกิจกรรม ต่างๆ ที่พวกเค้ าเข้ าร่ วม กิจกรรมที่ได้ รับความนิยมมากที่สดุ ในเทอมนี ้คือ การแสดงและการซ้ อมดนตรี สาหรับละครเวที Lion King ซึง่ รวมกิจกรรม การออกแบบและเทคโนโลยี เพื่อออกแบบฉากและเครื่ องแต่งกายสาหรับตัวละคร ดิฉนั หวังเป็ นอย่างยิ่งว่าคุณจะสามารถมาชมการแสดงในรอบใด รอบหนึง่ ได้ ในวันอังคารที่ 27 และ พฤหัสที่ 29 พฤศจิกายน นี ้ ดิฉนั ขอถือโอกาสขอบคุณทุกคนล่วงหน้ าสาหรับการช่วยเหลือการสนับสนุนที่คณ ุ ผู้ปกครองได้ ทาตลอดมาและในระหว่างปี การศึกษาที่เหลือนี ้ โรง เรี ยนฯ แห่งนี ้เป็ นสังคมที่พิเศษยิ่งนัก และดิฉนั เชื่อว่าเหตุผลหลักที่เป็ นเช่นนันคื ้ อการที่พวกเราทุกฝ่ ายร่ วมมือร่ วมใจในการทางานด้ วยกันเพื่อให้ มนั่ ใจ ว่าเด็กๆ ทุกคนรักที่จะมาโรงเรี ยนฯ ทุกวัน ซึง่ ส่งผลไปถึงการพัฒนาอย่างสูงสุดในทุกๆ ด้ านของหลักสูตร หากคุณมีข้อเสนอแนะใดในด้ านของการปรับปรุ งให้ ดียิ่งขึ ้น หรื อแม้ แค่เพียงต้ องการมานัง่ คุย ดิฉนั ยินดีอย่างยิ่งและจะมีความสุขที่ได้ พบปะพูดคุยกับ ผู้ปกครองทุกคน ด้ วยความปรารถนาดี มิเชล เทเลอร์

What’s New? New Places

As well as our new ‘tree house’ outside of TB1, our 21st Anniversary sala has arrived and the children are already enjoying this new space. Thank you to the PTG for their kind donation.

New Faces This year we are lucky enough to welcome six new primary class teachers to St Andrews GV. Can you match the clues to the person?

Plays Rugby.

Is 3/4 Italian

Has a Chinese cat.

Likes to bake cakes.

Has represented the UK at Spartan Obstacle racing.

Is 1/2 French.

Ms Georgia - Y3

Ms. Cindy—Y4

Mr. Festa —Y6

Miss Maizie - R

Ms. Laura—Y2

Ms. Lily—Y6

Student Leadership in the Primary School Primary Student Council We’re excited to introduce this year’s primary student council representatives, as voted by their peers:

Year 2

Year 3

Tata & Phoebe

Amy & Megan

Year 4 Gabriella & Gerry

Year 5 Kenneth & Sidney

Year 6 Ryan and Gan

Primary Island Community Leaders

Proud to be Island Community leaders!

We have now selected our eight Primary Island Community leaders from Year 6. For Samui we have TJ and Stephan, for Phuket we have Helena and Sienna, for Samet we have Lenny and Alesandra and for Chang we have Daisy and Jaa. We also have Melbourne and Mos as our Chief Point Collectors.

Our energetic leaders will be responsible for coming up with new ideas to develop our learner profiles and attitudes within our Island Communities program and to see how they can make a difference. We look forward to seeing our Island Communities grow together.

Helena & Sienna

Lenny & Alesandra

Stephan & TJ

Daisy and Jaa

Primary activities programme Our innovative primary activities programme was a major success last year and we are proud of the enhancement it offers our students. Not only are our students gaining important life skills, the programme helps to enrich the curriculum and develop our students as a whole.

The after school programme for years 3-6 is also well supported and students are enjoying new sports such as touch rugby, music and drama activities. We are also very grateful to those parents who have offered to run an activity this term.

Cooking

Arts & Crafts

Gardening S.T.E.A.M.

Robotics

Sphero Coding

Muay Thai

Yoga

Early Years in Action Swimming Lessons for Nursery Students Starting this term, we will be providing a swimming lesson for the Nursery children every Wednesday morning.

The first lesson was a great success where all the children enjoyed splashing in the water.

Well done Nursery!

Learning in KG Kindergarten have settled into their new year at school very well.

The children are kind, caring and work together in the classroom.

They have really enjoyed learning Mathematics and how to count with some treasure!

Well done Kindergarten

Reception Over the last few weeks, Reception have been spending a lot of time in the kitchen!

Using our Maths, Communication, Fine Motor and Collaboration skills, Reception have ventured into making a variety of food such as milkshakes, pancakes, bread, applesauce, sandwiches and much more.

We have been impressed by our amazing Inquirers, who have been asking questions, making predictions and explaining to others what we need to do.

Great work, Reception!

Year 1 learn about senses In Year One we have been learning about how our senses help us. We have been doing lots of activities centered around the five senses including colour mixing, experimenting with different smells, being risk takers and trying new fruits and vegetables and using all our senses to make yummy jelly.

Year 2 strengthen links in the community

Year 2 made many new friends, shared their snacks and made sure everybody was having fun.

St Andrews strengthened its links with the local community when Year 2s visited Ban Chak Mak village to look at the local community and the buildings within it. The children took a tally chart of the different buildings using their Maths skills and then used these within their Unit of Inquiry.

At the local school, the children all showed their caring nature by sharing a snack with the children they met and enjoyed playing games with them on their playing field. Following on from this trip, the children from Ban Chak Mak will come to visit the Year 2s here at Green Valley.

Year 3 learn about healthy choices Year three went on a field trip to Jump XL to support their Unit of Inquiry, which is about how healthy choices can affect our health and well-being.

All the children agreed that jumping around for an hour and a half was very tiring – a couple of children even fell asleep on the bus coming home!

When we reflected on our day, we have learnt how important having a balanced lifestyle is staying fit and healthy can be so much fun when it’s done with friends.

Year 3 have also been lucky enough for Khun Suree to come in and teach us how yoga can keep also us healthy.

Year 4 research about World Explorers Year 4 have had a very exciting start to the year. They have been enthusiastically learning about World Explorers; their journeys, challenges and influences.

We trekked the desert with Marco Polo, went on sea voyages with Magellan and Cook and now the students are ready to start their own journey, inquiring into an explorer that they have connected with.

Learning has taken place through crafting, glow in the dark painting, spice tasting. We have also integrated our Maths and Literacy to our unit through timelines, biographies and diary writing. A busy, but funfilled start to Year 4.

Year 5 demonstrate how to care for animals On their trip to Khao Kheow Open Zoo, Y5 observed different living creatures, learning about their needs and their common characteristics.

They have focused on how mammals, insects, amphibians and birds change overtime and learnt about reproduction of these creatures.

Most importantly, students were able to demonstrate that they were caring learners and developed their awareness of the responsibility of humans towards living creatures.

Year 6 perform a puppet show Year 6 have been travelling performers this term and they have performed a puppet show of ‘The Cobbler of Krakow’ in front of our primary assembly and early years classes. As part of their ‘Talk for Writing’ unit in English, to help them familiarise themselves with ‘The Cobbler of Krakow’, they have used drama techniques such as hot-seating, freeze framing and a puppet performance. This has helped them to get to know the text, internalize the patterns and develop an interpretation; eventually helping them to generate new ideas for their own inventions.

Lion King Preparations—D&T, Music, Drama Congratulations to all of the students who committed to auditioning for a part in The Lion King. We were impressed with the how much talent we have here at St Andrews which ultimately made it very difficult to cast. During the audition process, we were blown away with how many students studied for their role and learnt their lines, ensuring they had an audition piece that stood out above the rest. This week’s read through of the script confirmed how many stars we have who are ready to shine.

A special thanks to all the students in our D&T department for all of their hard work on designing the set, props and costumes- they are really starting to take shape.

Save the Date: 27th and 29th November 2018 The Lion King prop’s crew have been busy constructing Lion masks over the last 4 weeks. We are now working on how to attach these to the actors and constructing “Pride Rock.” Thanks to all for your creativity and problem solving skills!

Parent help and support @GV At St. Andrews we are very lucky to have parents who are willing to give up their time to help in the Primary School. The way that our parents help include: listening to children read, helping with a primary activity, helping in the library and buying all the ingredients every week for our cooking activities.

Below are our upcoming PYP Units of Inquiry. We are looking for parents and/or community members who may be able to help support these units by sharing their expertise. Even if your child isn’t in the year group, if you think you could offer something, please let us know!

You can either talk to the class teachers directly or speak to Rachel Mustovic, our PYP Coordinator (email: rmustovic@standrews-schools.com).

Year Nursery Kindergarten

Reception

Central Idea I learn about my world through shape, colour and numbers Living things grow and change over time Communities need rules and routines in order to work effectively.

Year 1

Different materials are used in the construction of shelters around the world.

Year 2

Celebrations are an important part of our cultural identity.

Year 3

Human migration is a response to challenges, risks and opportunities.

Year 4

Human interactions with the environment has an impact on Earth's changing geology.

Year 5

People have different perspectives in response to the arts

Year 6

Societies can evolve through conflict

Parents Corner Parents Corner contains hints, tips, strategies and local reviews that may be of interest to you. We would love parent contributions so please send any to Laura Kerr lkerr@standrews-schools.com or yoconnell@standrews-schools.com .

Parent Screen Time We are our children’s role models. How do you lead by example when it comes to screen time?

Common Sense Media – suggest some easy tips to reduce our own screen time. https://www.commonsensemedia.org/ screen-time    

No devices at the dinner table.

No devices 1 hour before bed.

Turn the sound off our devices and aeroplane mode on when having quality time with our children.

Put the device out of sight while driving

How can you use books to help talk about difficult issues with your child?

Miss Laura is compiling a library of books to share with children about challenging subjects, such as death, depression, anxiety, being different and growing and changing. Please pop in to borrow one or request we find you a book on a topic to read with your child and explain.

Remember to test your children’s eyes for the new school year!

Vision can change, so regular check ups are essential.

Calendar October 4

Wai Kru Day (Teacher appreciation day)

October 4

ESAC Cross-Country event

October 5

Kindergarten and Reception trip to Banchang market

October 11

Year 5 & 6 parents Bring Your Own Device information session

October 15

H M King Rama IX Memorial Day (School Closed)

October 16

Early Years Cross Country– 13:20 - 14:00

October 16

Year 5 learning journey

October 17

Years 1-4 Cross Country– 11:00 - 12:00

October 19

International Day

October 20 October 28

Half Term

November 1

ESAC Primary Swimming Gala

November 1

St. Andrews School Fair– 13:00 - 15:20

Information for Parents We now have several different ways of keeping parents updated with our latest news and events:

Seesaw Gives you regular updates and samples of work from the classroom.

Contact your child’s teacher for information on how to link to your child’s account.

Firefly Online Learning Platform This not only provides parents with curriculum and general school information but also has Class Pages with weekly updates and news.

Facebook Follow us /StAndrewsGV

Twitter Follow us @primarygv

LINE Stay in touch by joining GV School News or GV Parent Sport