S107 Newsletter vol 49

H E A D O F S C H O O L M E S S A G E

Dear Parents,

What better way

to end

Science Week than by witnessing firsthand the enthusiasm and dedication of our S107 students as they showcased their scientific understanding in this afternoon’s Science Fair! Many thanks to all our parents who managed to join us and enjoy the exceptional quality of projects on display.

During the event, I was particularly impressed with how our students were able to articulate their scientific understanding and the motivation behind their chosen projects. Each project not only demonstrated a deep curiosity for exploration but also reflected our school's core value of Innovation. Well done to everyone who took part in the Science Fair and a big thank you to our Science Department for their work in ensuring a well-planned, engaging and educational Science Week!

It has been a busy fortnight as we welcomed many external visitors who have come to observe different aspects of our school. In early March, we welcomed an external auditor for our annual safeguarding audit, ensuring our continued commitment to providing a safe and secure environment for all. During his two days with us, the advisor met with staff and students and, following the visit, gave the following highlights:

S107 should be commended for the highly inclusive and student-centred practices, ensuring that every student's needs are met, and they feel cared for within the school environment. The leadership in safeguarding and inclusion is highly effective, ensuring a safe and supportive environment for all students. This demonstrates the school's commitment to student welfare.

H E A D O F S C H O O L M E S S A G E

The school has demonstrated skilful recruitment and retention strategies, resulting in the development of a cohesive and collaborative staff team. This indicates a positive work environment and dedication among staff members. The school has maintained a focus on excellent behaviour and bullying prevention, creating a positive atmosphere conducive to learning. This contributes to a safe and respectful school community.

There is a strong emphasis on student wellbeing, with dedicated support for individual needs and a proactive approach to addressing mental health concerns. This highlights the school's commitment to nurturing not just academic but also emotional growth among its students.

Additionally, Simon Camby, our Global Education Director visited last week and spent the day observing teaching and learning practices across the school, further enhancing our commitment to educational excellence. Following the visits across our four St Andrews campuses, Simon wrote a short blog about the importance of creating the right conditions and focus for children to learn. In Simon’s blog, he references some of the lessons that he attended at S107:

“Children in Year 4 were making a ‘contraption’. This followed them having designed their invention. The task was to use the design to guide the making. Without exception, every child was engaged with their learning partner. Of the five children asked, each could articulately explain their learning. It was evident that the teacher had set up a strong learning activity. Children were working collaboratively together, true collaboration – turn taking, challenging each other etc. Children were following their plan and choosing appropriate materials to make it.

H E A D O F S C H O O L M E S S A G E

Children in Year 5 were deeply engaged with their learning linked to personification. Three adults were present with each adding value to the learning through targeted questioning (knowing when to intervene and when to stand back). Children were well able to explain their learning and keen to share their excellent examples of personification. The use of challenging vocabulary evidenced high expectations from the teacher.”

In addition, Simon informed me that in all lessons there was evidence of a community of care where students were valued with warm relationships. Individual conversations with students showed that they are willing to engage and share their learning. He was also particularly impressed with a Year 11 student in an Economics lesson; when asked why the learning in the lesson was important, the student told Simon that he had used the knowledge and skills to trade on the stock market … wow!

Last week, Clare Garey, a sustainability consultant joined us and had fruitful discussions with Mark Anderson who leads our Eco Committee. During the morning, we discussed ways that we could build on the Green Flag award received last year and grow current initiatives to ensure that S107 becomes even more impactful in this important area of sustainability. Clare was very impressed with the work that has taken place so far stating, “There are several excellent projects already in place, with a strong focus on measurement, student leadership, and impact.” Thank you to Mr Mark, Ms. Dee, our parent rep Angelica and our Eco Committee for driving forward these improvements!

Wishing everyone a relaxing weekend ahead.

Caroline Ratcliffe Head of School

E Y & P R I M A R Y

Book Week at S107

Our love of reading was palpable throughout Book Week at S107. Primary students arriving to school on Monday were amazed to see evidence of a unicorn having rampaged throughout the playgroundand even in some classrooms. Each year group studied the poem 'Unicorn in the Playground' by author Clive Piggott, to build up excitement for his visit on Tuesday. The UK-based storyteller wowed students with his fascinating tales and some lucky children came away with signed copies of his books as a memory of a brilliant day.

The theme for our dress-up day was 'Magic', and so S107 saw fairies, dragons, mermaids, and (of course) many Harry Potter characters turn up to school on Friday. As always, parents joined us for a picnic to celebrate the end of Book Week.

Thank you to everyone involved for such a successful, creative and magical event.

Ms Nikki

Primary Teacher & Literacy Coordinator

We were fortunate this week to receive a visit from Nawal Kalra, an author specialising in children's literature. Nawal made sure to arrive at the school early on Tuesday to ensure that she was prepared to engage with the students. She captivated the children by reading her own books and conducting engaging workshops, providing them with a valuable learning experience. At the end of the day, Nawal offered signed copies of her books for interested parents to purchase. The visit was a resounding success, leaving many students from Nursery to Year 2 inspired to pursue a career in writing.

Mr Elliot Nursery Teacher

Guest Author - Nawal Kalra

Guest Author - Nawal Kalra (cont.)

Book Week - Year 3 and Reception Reading Time

To kick off Book Week, Year 3 visited Reception to read to them; this meant we had to carefully select suitable books and practise reading the text considering pace, tone and expression. Our students enjoyed the extra responsiblity to support the younger learners with their reading and Reception were excellent listeners! It was great to see our students bonding and learning together across year groups. Reading for pleasure is a powerful tool for personal development, intellectual stimulation and enrichment, and emotional well-being. Good job Reception and Year 3!

Book Week - Guest Author ‘Clive Piggott’

Book Week - Guest Author ‘Clive Piggott’ (cont.)

Primary Assembly

Stars of the Week

S E C O N D A R Y

Highlights : Science

Science Week at S107

We've just come to the end of a wonderful Science week at S107. To kick off the week Mr. Luke demonstrated the power of static electricity using the Van Der Graaf generator. On Tuesday Mr. Alex and Mr. Mark learned that launching a bottle rock directly on top of the soil can kick up quite a lot of mud! As the week went on Mr. Sam showed students how to make amazing toasted treats using the power of the sun in solar ovens, and students used chromatography to make some beautifully patterned t-shirts with Ms. Gabe. On Thursday Ms. Amy shared some tasty insect-based treats provided by Bounce Burger, highlighting a potential option for a future of sustainable protein supplies.

Science Week at S107 (cont.)

Today we finished off the week with our Science Fair. This year ' s theme was 'Time for Science' and we ' ve had projects covering a wide range of time-related topics. From investigations into which type of fruit battery lasts the longest, to how completing different activities affects a person ' s perception of time, our students have shown off their inquiry skills and their thirst for knowledge! Well done to everyone that took part!

We'd like to give a huge congratulations to our winners this year:

Key Stage 1 science art piece winner: Cheeva

Key Stage 2 science art piece winner: Patty

Secondary school science art piece winner: Ditti

IB collaborative project winners: ‘Sustainable Houses’ Team

Secondary school science fair project 1st place winners:

‘Chicxulub Creaters‘ Team including Mini, Lily, Sonya, Ai

Primary school science project 1st place winners:

‘The Time Containers’ Team including Arlo, Rion, Honoka, Manyi Mr Alex Head of Head of Science / Biology and ESS Teacher

Secondary Reporting Coffee Morning

Parents were invited to participate in a coffee morning session explaining the report format for Years 7, 8 and 9 on Wednesday. During the presentation, parents learned about the way teachers calculate expectations of performance for each individual student. Parents heard about how each student has a personalised target for the purpose of providing realistic and achievable goals based on standardised data that can support their development. It was a thoroughly interactive and enjoyable affair with plenty of questions and some excellent suggestions offered by parents. It was wonderful to see so many interested parents. Such collaborative events are a fantastic way for us to share ideas, make connections and are a sign of our strong community. Next week, we invite parents from Years 10 and 12 to attend a similar Coffee Morning on Wednesday 20th March 8am to 9am to learn what it means for them.

Mr David Business & BTEC Teacher

Year 12 IB English B Idioms and Proverbs Project

English B students at S107 are awarded the prestigious ‘Bilingual Diploma’ upon successful completion of the IB Diploma course as they study their first language in Group 1 and English in the other five groups. The Year 12 students in Mr Robert’s English B class have been exploring how cultural, geographical and historical similarities and differences between their native country and English-speaking countries influence proverbs and idioms in their two main languages.

Click here to hear the special message from Matilda The Musical team in Bangkok!

Matilda The Musical Greeting Video

Mathematics forms the backbone of innovation and critical thinking, and the University of Waterloo stands out for its excellence in STEM programmes. On Thursday, 14th March, S107 students had an opportunity to work with Professor Mike Eden and Mr Graham Barnes from the mathematics faculty, which is unique in North America for being a standalone department. The Math challenges, led by Professor Mike Eden, were not just a demonstration of mathematical theories but a bridge connecting classroom knowledge with the real world. These activities were not just academic exercises but stepping stones to understanding the role of mathematics in everyday life and its critical importance in the workforce. Mr Graham Barnes highlighted that 70% of top jobs require a foundation in mathematics, highlighting the subject's importance.

The University of Waterloo, in partnership with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Rochester Institute of Technology, offer hands-on mathematics programs for undergraduate students. These programs are not just about learning; they're about applying mathematical concepts in real-world scenarios, thus preparing students for the world of work.

University of Waterloo’s Mathematics Workshop at S107 (cont.)

Another standout feature of Waterloo's mathematics faculty is its cooperative education program. This program offers students four to six work placement opportunities to gain experience during their undergraduate studies. These placements, provide invaluable expertise and sometimes even set the direction for their professional lives.

The mathematics workshop at the University of Waterloo guided our students toward understanding the universal nature of mathematics and showed the university's commitment to blending education with real-world applications.

Ms Deepa University and Careers Advisor

University of Waterloo’s Mathematics Workshop at S107

W H A T ’ S H A P P E N I N G A T S 1 0 7

Year 6 Discover Secondary at S107

Year 6 children from Sathorn, Dusit and S107 got a taste of secondary school on Thursday when they took part in the annual "Discover Secondary at S107" event.

The students who attended this event will be part of our Year 7 class next year. They will be the biggest class we have ever had with four tutor groups and almost 70 students already enrolled.

The students met the Year 7 tutors, were given their house shirts and enjoyed a fantastic scavenger hunt to help them learn more about the secondary campus. It was day full of laughter and excitement. Well done to everyone who took part!

Mr Mark A. Head of Year 7 and Transition

Book Week - Year 9 and Key Stage 1 Reading Time

As the oldest students in KS3, Year 9 got to take on a bit of the teacher role for the morning as they headed down to the Year 1 and 2 classes. Armed with piles of picture books, they grouped up with their pint-sized peers and found a cozy corner of the playground in which to read with them. It is always great to see how good the teenage students are with the 5 and 6 year olds and it is a fantastic way for all of them to enjoy books together. Here are some reactions from some of our Year 9 students:

“I really enjoyed reading this book with younger kids in Year 1 and Year 2, and I think that communicating with younger kids or reading to them will be a good experience for the future. Seeing the children’s reactions by reading the book was that they were concentrating very hard on reading and they tried to understand the words too.” Tatsuki.

“The story we chose to read was “Knock KnocK who's there?” It was a very funny book to read and the children laughed. To keep the children engaged we would do funny impressions of the characters and the kids showed their interest by doing impressions as well.” Samuel.

“I enjoyed reading a book to the Y.1-2 kids. Seeing the children’s reactions to me and another group member as we read very well. The most fun part of reading out loud was when there was lots of poo in the book and the kids started to laugh.” Koji.

Book Week - Year 9 and Key Stage 1 Reading Time (cont.)

Year 8 joined Years 5 and 6 to become news reporters; scripting, acting and filming a TV news report based on one of the books of our visiting author Clive Piggot. On Tuesday, Year 8 had a special, one off, lesson on the conventions of reporting so that they had the knowledge for how to write and present the material. Meanwhile, Year 5 and 6 were using a poem from the book titled A Unicorn in the Playground. This all set up for all the students to meet the next day and break up into groups to report on this supernatural occurrence. Students are currently editing these into news bulletins and we will all meet again soon to enjoy the premiere on the big screen in the Auditorium.

At the end of another successful book week, all of us in the English department hope that each student had at least one positive experience around reading and that that encourages them to pick up a book again in future.

Mr Mark O. Head of English

Open Day Event

S107 Achievement

Our student TT from Year 8 recently competed in BIYFF 7's U14 Football tournament among teams from Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines. This was another tournament that TT played with older teammates from the same academy, FCB, and he showed his capabilities to play against opponents very well as a left wing-back. As a result, he got two goals from this tournament. Among with his teammates, TT managed to secured the Cup Winner and will be competing in upcoming international tournament in Singapore. Amazing work TT!

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