STMARKS NEWSLETTER 19 (4 APRIL 2025)

ACADEMIC PATHWAYS & SUBJECT OPTIONS AT ST. MARKS

We would like to invite you to a special information session at St. Marks Australian International School on:

Date: Wednesday, 9th April
Time: 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM

Who Should Attend: Parents of students in Years 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10
Venue: St. Marks Srinakarin Rd Campus

This session will share important updates about new subject offerings and ECAs at St. Mark’s and explain how these will benefit your child’s academic journey.

We will also outline our school's full university pathway options—covering Thai universities, Australian universities, and other international destinations. It’s important for all families to have a clear understanding of how our program equips students with widely recognised qualifications and opens doors to top-tier universities in Thailand and around the world.

This is an excellent opportunity to hear from our academic leadership team, ask questions, and gain clarity about your child's future pathways.

Please register here: https://form.jotform.com/stmarksbkk/academic-pathway-meeting

We strongly encourage all parents to attend this important session and look forward to welcoming you.

EARTHQUAKE PREPAREDNESS MEASURES

We are incredibly grateful to report that everyone in our school community is safe following the earthquake in Bangkok last Friday, 28 March.

For many, this was an unprecedented experience, but we are pleased to share that our students and staff responded with calm and efficiency. They followed evacuation procedures in an orderly manner, ensuring everyone’s safety throughout the situation.

We would also like to reassure you that our school building is designed to be earthquake-resistant, and as a result, there was no structural damage to the building.

We are enhancing earthquake preparedness measures. We will be educating students on essential guidelines below  regarding an earthquake.

DAILY FOOD MENU AND ALLERGEN INFORMATION

At St. Marks Australian International School, we are committed to providing our students and staff with nutritious, diverse, and culturally enriching meals every day. In order to support the well-being of all our students, we would like to inform you about the daily food menu, which features four types of cuisine served each day:

1. International Cuisine
2. Thai Cuisine
3. Cuisine featuring Noodles or Pasta
4. Assorted Salad and Fruits

Each day's menu is listed according to the specific date in the first column of the food menu, for example, ‘29’ refers to the meals served on the 29th of every month, regardless of the day of the week it falls on. This structure allows for consistency and helps both parents and students know what to expect.

Along with the names of the cuisines, you will also find a list of allergens contained in each meal. This ensures that you are aware of potential allergens in the food served on any given day. We encourage you to inform your child about any allergens present in the meals, so they can take the necessary precautions.

As a school, we recognize the importance of keeping our students safe, especially those with food allergies. In line with this commitment, we have decided to eliminate all nuts from our ingredients. Therefore, we are proud to inform you that St. Mark's is a nut-free school. This means that there will be no peanuts or tree nuts used in any of the meals served.

Should you have any specific dietary concerns or questions about the menu, please feel free to contact our school’s administration team. We value your partnership in ensuring that our school remains a safe and healthy environment for all.

SONGKRAN ACTIVITY 2025

We would like to inform you of the details of our Songkran Activity at school this year.

Date: Friday, 11 April
Time:

• Kinder – 10:45 am to 11:20 am
• Pre-Prep & Prep – 1:22 pm to 2:16 pm
• Primary & Secondary – 1:22 pm to 3:00 pm

Early Years students (Kinder to Prep) will participate in a traditional Songkran ceremony. They may wear either traditional Thai attire or a Songkran-themed costume. Their activities will take place during their Thai class.

For Primary and Secondary students, they are encouraged to wear traditional Songkran costumes and may bring water guns and other water play equipment to participate in a water fight as part of the festivities. Please bring extra clothes to change into after the water fight.

BANGKOK EDUCATION FAIR 2025

St. Marks Australian International School was proud to participate in the Bangkok Education Fair held at the InterContinental Hotel last 22 March. The event brought together leading international schools from across Thailand and was a wonderful opportunity to connect with families seeking the best in global education.

Our booth, hosted by Ms. Nancy and Ms. Lis, welcomed many interested parents and students eager to learn about our unique programs—including our trilingual curriculum and the prestigious ATAR pathway, which provides direct access to top Australian universities. Mr. John was also on hand to speak personally with families, answering questions and sharing how St. Marks supports each child’s academic and personal journey.

However, the true highlight of the day was the exceptional performance by our talented Year 9 student, Khun Assawongrat, affectionately known as “Kvin.” With grace and passion, Kvin performed a moving piece of music inspired by His Majesty King Rama IX, leaving the audience deeply impressed. His performance celebrated musical talent and reflected the values and cultural appreciation we nurture at St. Marks.

The Education Fair organisers later presented Kvin with a Certificate of Appreciation, recognising his outstanding performance and contribution to the event. Thank you to all the families who visited our booth and to our dedicated staff who made the day a success. We are always proud to showcase the spirit of St. Marks—and even
prouder when our students, like Kvin, represent our school with such poise and excellence.

We look forward to welcoming new families into the St. Mark’s community and continuing to help our students unlock their full potential.

THAI MUN XII 2025

From 22-23 March, our students had the incredible opportunity to participate in the THIA MUN XII 2025 conference at Brighton College. The three-day event, held on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday , brought together young minds from various schools to engage in diplomatic discussions, critical thinking, and leadership development.

Our students took on diverse roles, representing different delegations and committees:

• Monpachara represented North Korea in the Press Committee , covering key discussions and reporting on the proceedings.

• Washaneta represented South Africa as a delegate in the International Olympic Committee (IOC) , engaging in discussions on global sports governance and policies.

• Kittipadh represented Zambia in the International Olympic Committee (IOC) , contributing to crucial debates on international sports and their socio-political impacts.

• Larsen, Jirawat, Panhatai, Punn, and Methapat served as Pages , assisting the conference in maintaining smooth communication and ensuring the successful flow of debates.

Throughout the conference, our students demonstrated outstanding public speaking, negotiation, and teamwork skills. They tackled real-world issues, debated policies, and collaborated with delegates from different backgrounds. The event provided them with invaluable exposure to global diplomacy and critical thinking.

We are extremely proud of their dedication, hard work, and enthusiasm in representing our school at THIA MUN XII 2025. Their participation has undoubtedly enhanced their understanding of international relations and governance, shaping them into future leaders.

Congratulations to all our students for their incredible efforts! We look forward to more opportunities for them to shine in future MUN conferences.

YOUNG AMBASSADOR 2025

Two of our students, Kittipadh and Kvin, proudly represented our school at the YOUNG AMBASSADOR BKK Conference last Thursday and Friday.

As part of the event, Kittipadh and Kvin delivered a special performance, where they played the recorder and an octapad, showcasing their musical talents. They also participated in various activities, engaging in discussions and collaborative exercises that emphasized cultural exchange, leadership, and global citizenship.

Their participation in this prestigious event highlights their dedication and enthusiasm for representing our school on a broader stage. We commend their efforts and look forward to seeing them excel in future conferences and performances.

AWARD OF EXCELLENCE (26 MAR)

We are delighted to announce the following students who received our Award of Excellence in Diligence last week. To acknowledge our students' achievements, they will be given a special "Award of Excellence Breakfast".

KANYAWEE - Year 1 DILIGENCE

BENITA - Year 1 DILIGENCE

YIMING - Year 1 DILIGENCE

CHIUN HANG - Year 8 DILIGENCE

CHANATAT - Year 8 DILIGENCE

WEI XUAN - Year 8 DILIGENCE

YOSSAVAT - Year 8 DILIGENCE

AWARD OF EXCELLENCE BREAKFAST

On Friday, 28 March, we hosted our third Award of Excellence breakfast for this Academic Year. This event was dedicated to acknowledging and celebrating our students' exemplary character.

KINDER ART: SPARKLY ICE CREAM

Our kindergarten students recently had a delightful and creative art session where they designed their very own sparkly ice cream art using glitter! This fun-filled activity allowed them to explore their artistic skills while expressing their unique color preferences.

Each student started with a printed ice cream template and brought it to life by choosing their favorite colors and adding shimmering touches of glitter. The result was a dazzling display of colorful, imaginative, and joyful ice cream creations that brightened up their classroom!

Through this hands-on activity, our young learners not only enhanced their fine motor skills but also developed a deeper appreciation for art and self-expression. It was wonderful to see their excitement and pride in their sparkling masterpieces.

YEAR 2 MATHS: SUBTRACTING FRACTIONS

Year 2 students have been working on the topic of fractions these few days. In this topic, they will need to identify the unit fractions, learn to write fractions, understand the concept of parts and whole, compare and order fractions and add or subtract fractions.

To let them understand more about fractions and the parts-whole concept, the students were provided with fractions learning tools to work on the comparison among different fractions as well as the addition and subtraction problems. In this class, the students worked together in a group to find solutions. These visual aids and manipulatives, containing fraction pieces and tasks, can help students to make abstract concepts concrete and further build a strong conceptual understanding of fractions and reinforce their learning.

YEAR 4 MANDARIN: HOBBIES AND SEASONAL ACTIVITIES

Our Year 4 students have been diving into a new lesson in their Mandarin class—talking about hobbies! This week, they learned how to discuss personal interests, sports, and seasonal activities in Mandarin using a special text about childhood experiences in Canada.

The lesson introduced vocabulary related to different hobbies, as well as weather-related phrases to describe how seasons influence activities. The text described growing up in Canada, experiencing snowy winters and warm summers, and enjoying seasonal sports with family. From ice skating and skiing in the winter to swimming and hiking in the summer, students learned how to express these activities in Mandarin.

Through class discussions and practice conversations, students shared their own favorite hobbies and compared them to the ones mentioned in the text. This interactive approach not only improved their language skills but also deepened their cultural understanding of how hobbies can be influenced by different environments.

YEAR 7 ENGLISH: PERSUASIVE SPEECHES

This week, our Year 7 student explored how language can be used to influence, inspire, and ignite change in their English lesson. Students read and discussed various persuasive techniques used in speeches, such as emotive language, rhetorical questions, repetition, and the power of a strong opening.

After analyzing how great speakers present their arguments, students had the chance to step into the role of a speaker themselves. Each student wrote a passionate one-paragraph speech to persuade others to support a cause. Their words reflected not only what they’ve learned, but what they believe in.

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT: AMO 2024-2025

We are incredibly proud to celebrate the remarkable achievement of Rachata, a Year 6 student, who has demonstrated exceptional mathematical skills by achieving perfect scores in the American Mathematics Olympiad (AMO) for two consecutive years – 2024 and 2025!

The AMO is a highly respected international competition that challenges students with complex mathematical problems, testing their critical thinking, problem-solving abilities, and logical reasoning. Rachata’s consistent excellence in this competition is a testament to his dedication, perseverance, and love for mathematics.

His success not only highlights his accomplishments but also serves as an inspiration to fellow students to pursue excellence in mathematics and beyond. We are immensely proud of his hard work and determination, and we look forward to seeing him achieve even more significant milestones in the future!

Congratulations, Rachata! Your school community celebrates your outstanding success!

STUDENT WORK: Y3 ENGLISH

As part of their English class, our Year 3 students have been learning how to write formal letters—and what better way to practice than by writing to the School Director about our recent Sports Day! This activity allowed them to express their opinions, share their favorite moments, and even suggest ideas for future events.

In their letters, students described the excitement of the different races, team games, and friendly competitions. Many highlighted their favorite events, from relay races to the giant volleyball, and expressed their joy in cheering for their classmates, parents, and teachers. Some students also shared what they found challenging and offered creative suggestions to make next year’s Sports Day even more fun.

Through this exercise, students practiced structuring a formal letter, organizing their thoughts clearly, and using descriptive language. It was wonderful to see their enthusiasm as they reflected on such a memorable school event.

Below are the writings of some of our Year 3 students.

HEALTH CORNER